First Division clubs threatening to leave the league

Last updated : 18 November 2002 By Tony Scholes
When Coventry's Bryan Richardson and Mr. Pompous of Bradford tried to launch the Phoenix League last year to try and rescue their own ailing clubs it was very quickly nipped in the bud.

But with the First Division Chairmen clearly split on the way forward it is Gillingham's Paul Scally who has come out and said that there could be resignations from the Football League before Christmas.

Scally, who is usually far too busy banning supporters from the Priesfield Stadium for running web sites, has today said that a new structure is desperately needed that will give the First Division more control over its affairs.

He said, "The problem with the structure at the moment is that Second and Third Division clubs can out vote the First Division clubs.

"If the First Division clubs cannot make them see sense then I think it is highly likely that the First Division clubs will resign from the Football League, which would have to be done before Christmas. The support from the First Division games for the changes is rock solid.

"The biggest problem is the price for relegation from the Premiership and the rewards for promotion from the First Division are obscene. There needs to be a better balance between the income of the two divisions and about 12 Premiership clubs, those towards the bottom end of the table, have similar feelings because they know that relegation could lead them into administration or even liquidation."

Clarets' Chief Executive Andrew Watson has been involved in the discussions but has remained silent on the issue but Scally is not the first recently to plead the case for massive change. He follows a similar call from Palace boss Simon Jordan.

There is no doubt that Scally has hit the nail on the head with the obscene differences between the Premiership and the Nationwide in terms of finance. Whereas a few years ago those relegated from the Premiership were firm favourites to return that is no longer the case and it is a life of financial worry. That has certainly hit Derby and Leicester and to a lesser extent Ipswich this year with Leicester now in administration.

Worryingly though we don't want to create a further obscene gap between the current First Division and the Second Division. We need to find a structure that will return the game to some normality, a structure that allows clubs to climb the leagues and clubs to fight back after a slump.

The Premiership have achieved their league of greed after leaving the Football League in 1992. I worry that further elitism will damage the game even further. We have to consider the lower division clubs, remember we were there not too long ago.