Football: First Division plans revealed

FIRST DIVISION clubs yesterday outlined their ground-breaking proposals to bridge the gulf between the Premier League and the Football League by achieving greater autonomy for themselves.

The clubs insists they do not want to break away from the Football League - but they do want more control over their own affairs. They are keen to rebuild the bridges with the Premier League that were burned two years ago when separate television deals were set up, costing them up to pounds 25m a year.

The clubs fear that keeping the status quo would make it increasingly likely that the three sides relegated from the top flight each year would come straight back up the next season. Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, who all went down last term, currently fill the top three places.

Representatives from Birmingham, Bradford City, Charlton and Stoke outlined their proposals to a meeting of their Second and Third Division counterparts yesterday in London as part of the League's continuing restructuring plan.

Chairmen of some lower League clubs had earlier warned that the plan could spell financial "disaster" for some of them - yet conceded that it was likely to get the go-ahead as there was the implicit threat of a full scale breakaway if they did not give way.

The Second and Third Division clubs left the meeting with the League board to set up their own committee, which will meet on Thursday and will give a formal reaction in due course after considerable debate.

Birmingham's managing director, Karren Brady, and the Bradford City chairman, Geoffrey Richmond, outlined the case that the 24 First Division clubs were unanimously putting forward and stressed that it would not spell financial ruin for lower league sides. Their proposal centres around the League's disposable revenue, which is currently worth pounds 33m a year and split up on the basis of 59.5 per cent to First Division clubs, 23.5 per cent to Second Division clubs and 17 per cent to those in the Third Division.

The First Division clubs want the power to negotiate a new TV deal themselves when the present one expires in three years' time and distribute the extra cash around the Football League - but keep a larger share for themselves.

They also want control over commercial and marketing activities that directly affect them, such as the power to obtain sponsorship for the First Division and to name it accordingly. Other issues include having power over the number of clubs in the First Division, with current promotion and relegation numbers retained only while there are at least 20 clubs in the division.