FANS have united to brand football’s controversial revamp plan “a sugar-coated CYANIDE pill”.
EFL clubs last night pledged their “strong support” to the Manchester United and Liverpool-driven Project Big Picture proposals.
But the two Prem giants’ own fans turned against them yesterday — backed by supporters from the rest of the Big Six and the Football Supporters Association.
In a savage attack, the FSA warned: “These plans are not the answer — they would be an absolute disaster.
“The insatiable greed of a small handful of billionaire owners cannot be allowed to determine the structure of football in this country.
“While Project Big Picture dangles an alleged £250million ‘rescue fund’ in front of EFL clubs to cover lost revenues, it might actually be a sugar-coated cyanide pill.
“Six billionaire club owners could change the rules of the game any time they like.
“There is no guarantee that they won’t pull up the drawbridge and cut funding entirely to the EFL, as it signed its own death warrant.”
The FSA admit the game is in “crisis” and “many clubs desperately need financial support to survive.”
But the group has promised to lobby Oliver Dowden at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport plus all football authorities including the FA Council, which meets tomorrow.
A joint letter by the official fan groups at Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs wrote: “We all understand that football doesn’t work in isolation.
“It’s a family and requires a fair share of resources to ensure the Premier League is competitive.
“We do not support the proposals in their current form. There are some suggestions in this plan that have merit.
“But we are totally opposed to concentrating power in the hands of six billionaire owners and departing from the one club, one vote and collective ethos of the Premier League. This part must be dropped immediately.”
However, meetings of the 71 EFL clubs brought near-unanimous approval of the package.
An EFL statement read: “The proposals, which look to address the long-term economic imbalance across the pyramid while also addressing the short-term financial need created as a result of Covid-19, received strong support.”
