NONSENSE AND A CLOSED SHOP

PROJECT Big Picture has been dismissed as a “nonsense” plan which does not stack up.

Premier League chiefs have gone through the document drawn up by Liverpool, Manchester United and with the backing of EFL chairman Rick Parry (above).

But clubs will be warned about several potential flaws in the plan which dramatically favour the Premier League’s Big Six – and makes it a closed shop.

The biggest single flaw is being seen as the division of wealth between the haves and the have nots and, by season 2025/26, the top clubs would earn about £160million compared to as little as £40m at the bottom.

That is a ratio of 1:4 which currently stands at around 1:1.17, while the much talked-about wealth distribution with 25 per cent of Premier League funds going to the EFL would be paid for by the bottom 14 clubs rather than the top six. And there are fears the £250m immediate rescue fund for the EFL could have to be borrowed.

Mirror Sport has also been told the plan has been based on a 10 per cent uplift of revenues and yet there are no guarantees this will happen in a time of national crisis.

The Project Big Picture proposals also include falling into line with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules which again would benefit the rich. Prize money would also be shared out on a different equation among newly-promoted clubs with parachute payments being scrapped.

All newly-promoted clubs would have to hold back £25m per season for their first two years in the league, reducing their spending power and chances of survival.

It has been reported the £40m figure represents a significant fall from the £102m that bottom club Norwich earned last season.

And together with reduced voting power as the Big Six – along with long-serving members Everton, West Ham and Southampton – Championship clubs would get less say, reward and less chance to compete.

There would also be rebates of up to £125m for clubs like Tottenham who have built a new stadium and about £30m for Liverpool who have built a new stand. They are setting aside money from a central pot each year to help clubs claw back capital costs on stadium rebuilding.

That comes on top of potentially one less promotion place from the Championship as the play-off system would see three secondtier clubs go up against the 16th team from the Premier League.

One source told Mirror Sport: “The Premier League is already a closed shop and now this will only ensure it stays like that for good.”