SECOND-TIER SO ‘UNEQUAL’

RICK PARRY, chairman of the Football League, was outspoken last week in his belief that parachute payments are distorting English football.

Parry (above) told the Parliamentary digital, culture, media and sport committee in May that the payments were “evil”.

He said a “complete reset” of the way football is run was needed.

And he has a point. As clubs in the Championship scrabble around for survival – with Wigan the most graphic example – whichever teams are relegated from the top flight will have their fall cushioned by payments of £40million next season.

Given that clubs such as Aston Villa and Norwich have made £120m from what looks like being their sole season in the Premier League, that gives them a £160m headstart over their rivals.

Those clubs not in receipt of the divisive payments, meanwhile, face a future more uncertain than ever.

“If we don’t get fans into grounds and clubs don’t start earning those matchday revenues, then we’re probably going to see the biggest disparity in history,” said Rob Wilson, football finance expert at Sheffield

Hallam University.

“That’s particularly true in the Championship, where the difference between the relegated clubs and those clubs already receiving parachute payments is going to be monumental.

“What you would hope in a period like this is that the payments are just spread equally across the Football League, but, unfortunately, that’s never going to happen.

“Let’s say Norwich go down, which looks likely.

“They will get £40m – which is twice the annual turnover of a club like Sheffield Wednesday, one of the biggest clubs in the Championship.

“It gives them an incredible amount of money to play with to try and go straight back up.

“It also makes the disparity between those who get relegated and those struggling to survive even more stark.

“If a team like Villa go down – who spent heavily to get promoted in the first place – they might find the going harder.

“But, either way, the difference is going to be absolutely enormous.”