Harrogate Town managing director Garry Plant has said proposals that could see the club potentially receive millions of pounds in funding from the Premier League should be “seriously considered”.
Details of Project Big Picture, which would radically overhaul the way finances are distributed down the football pyramid, were leaked to the media over the weekend.
Under the proposals, put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United, the top nine clubs in the Premier League would get more control in return for giving an immediate £350m rescue fund to the English Football League, plus 25% of revenue from future deals.
This would give EFL clubs, who have struggled financially since the lockdown, a much-needed cash windfall. Currently, each EFL club receives £430,000 a season from the Premier League as a “solidarity payment”.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret yesterday, Mr Plant said:
“Any assistance that the clubs can get has to be seriously considered otherwise there might not be some clubs in the EFL for much longer.
“The club is being guided by and trusts the EFL to arrive at the very best solution for the football family.”
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The proposals would also see the League Cup scrapped, which Mr Plant suggested would be a small price to pay if it guaranteed the survival of EFL clubs.
Mr Plant warned if communities lost their football clubs it would have a lasting impact that would run deeper than purely sport.
He added:
“The key important thing is the survival of football.
“Bury and Macclesfield have already closed and it would have a massive impact on local communities.”