English Football League chairman Rick Parry believes that the plans proposed by Liverpool and Manchester United can protect English football.
Former Liverpool chief executive Parry, who was appointed EFL chairman in September, has backed the controversial proposals, which includes reducing the Premier League to 18 teams and scrapping the EFL Cup.
The EFL would get 25% of all future TV deals if they were to agree to the plans, along with the £250m bail-out which Parry has asked for since May.
“This is two of our great clubs showing leadership and exercising responsibility,” Parry said. “The message from Liverpool and Manchester United is that they do genuinely care about the pyramid.”
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The proposals being put forward include reducing the amounts of teams in the Premier League from 20 to 18 clubs, while the Championship, League One and League Two will remain at 24 clubs each. Parachute payments will be scrapped alongside the League Cup and the Community Shield being abolished.
Liverpool and Manchester United are the main instigators of the plan, having created it but no other Premier League clubs have confirmed their support for the plan yet.
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Parry has accepted that the proposals may take time to gather momentum but feels that the Premier League should have come up with a plan months ago.
“It was May when the government was saying we need the Premier League to step up to the plate. What’s wrong with us talking about a plan that is demonstrably in the best interest of the pyramid and our clubs?” said Parry.
The Premier League are strongly against the proposal and feel the plan “could have a damaging impact on the whole game,” as well continuing to work on its rescue plan for the EFL.
14 out of the current 20 top-flight clubs need to vote in favour of the plan, but with the potential of up to five clubs being relegated in one season to go ahead with the proposal, the likelihood of it coming to fruition look very unlikely.