For the first time, the EFL has acknowledged the need for independent football regulation ahead of the government’s fan-led review’s publication next week, in a bold step that could heighten tensions with the Premier League.
The EFL has called for the development of a new regulator, as well as a greater redistribution of funds from the top flight to lower division clubs, in a letter to the review’s chair Tracey Crouch MP, which has been seen by Sportsmail.
The EFL’s unexpected backing for an independent regulator is a dramatic shift in position from Parry, who earlier this year called such requests from fans “knee-jerk,” and will upset the Premier League, which has fought tooth and nail to keep outside intervention out of the sport.
The failure of Project Big Picture, which included a commitment from the big clubs to pass on 25% of future Premier League TV deals to the bottom three divisions, and frustration with the lack of progress made by the subsequent Strategic Review, which has yet to report a year after it was set up, are thought to have prompted the new approach.
Source: Daily Mail