Top teams may pay more after Bury demise
United and others open to increasing safety net Bolton captain says takeover is a huge relief
Premier League clubs have opened the door to increasing solidarity payments for the lower divisions in the wake of Bury’s collapse.
Top-tier teams, including Manchester United, are understood to be supportive of a review of the support package after it was recuced for the first time this season.
Currently, £675,000 is handed out by England’s top tier to League One clubs, down from £690,000, and £450,000 to League Two clubs, down from £460,000.
The English Football League clubs – now down to 71 after Bury’s termination – are receiving two per cent less every year because Premier League domestic TV rights fell by 7.5 per cent for 2019-2022, from £5.4 billion to £5 billion.
However, the demise of Bury this week, and the protracted takeover of Bolton Wanderers, has prompted some of Europe’s biggest clubs to consider a rethink.
There is an acceptance among officials that the revenues around the Premier League should be enough to ensure the safety of those at the other end of the spectrum.
Parachute payments for the three clubs relegated last season from the Premier League are £41.8 million, also down two per cent, but the overall amount that the Premier League is paying in parachute payments has gone up this season, from £105 million to £107 million, because of differences in the number of clubs receiving second-year, compared with third-year, payments.
There is a growing feeling among the clubs that the increasing profits gap between divisions is forcing teams – particularly in the Championship – to employ dangerous boom-or-bust tactics to try to win promotion.
The poverty gap has been brought into focus this week as the EFL terminated Bury’s League One status. Damian Collins, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, will now lead MPS in reviewing the crisis. The inquiry may consider whether the Premier League is doing its bit to help the EFL.
Vysyble, the data firm which claims it warned the EFL of a potential crisis two years ago, said Bury’s expulsion could be just the start, despite Bolton’s reprieve.
At Bury yesterday, the bitter recriminations continued after it was claimed a £7million rescue package was refused by the EFL. The Daily Telegraph disclosed yesterday how a group of figures connected with the club were considering a High Court class action if the league ignored its pleas for an appeal.
Meanwhile, Bolton, who were in the Premier League for 11 years up to 2012, were dramatically rescued from the brink of collapse after the Football Ventures consortium completed its “most complicated” purchase. Debbie Jevans, the EFL’S executive chair, confirmed the club was no longer in administration and a warning of expulsion “has been cancelled”.
Bolton captain Jason Lowe said he was looking forward to focusing on football again.
“It’s a huge relief – excitement again, optimism, rebuilding, a fresh start,” Lowe said. “All the emotions have been lifted and I’m so happy it’s finally done.
“It’s been a hell of a roller-coaster ride ride for everyone – the media, the fans, the staff, the players. Everybody who’s worked behind the scenes, local communities that rely on the club.”