Red Wall teams lose footie cash

‘£200m hit for North & Midlands clubs’

FOOTBALL teams in Red Wall areas are losing out on £200million a season because the Government is giving the Premier League a “free pass”.

Research found lower league clubs lose out on £365m a year.

And Labour will today warn clubs in the North and Midlands are being particularly hammered by a delay in a fairer funding deal.

Last year a fan-led review called for prize money to be more evenly distributed outside the top flight.

It urged the Premier League to reach a deal on re-distributing cash by last Christmas, or an independent regulator would do it.

But this has yet to come to fruition, sparking accusations that the Tories have lost interest. If a new funding system backed by the English Football League had been agreed, Derby County – who nearly went out of business – would have had an extra £4.7m.

Accrington Stanley would have £3m more and Hartlepool £3.3m.

Labour’s Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell said: “Without legislation and an independent football regulator, the issue of fair funding of the football pyramid is never going to be resolved.”

She called for action before clubs go bust. The Government promised a white paper on football governance in the summer, but this is still yet to materialise.