Project Big Picture ‘exactly the type of backroom dealing that undermines trust in football’s governance’, says No 10

The prime minister has condemned the secret nature of ‘Project Big Picture’ with the belief that the “backroom dealing” between Liverpool, Manchester United and the English Football League is the reason why there has been an erosion in the trust of football leadership.

News emerged on Sunday that a proposal being driven by the two Premier League clubs, which also has the support of EFL chairman Rick Parry and a significant number of clubs, could revolutionise the English league pyramid at professional level.

The proposals have been under discussion for a number of years that precedes the coronavirus pandemic, which triggered crisis talks as clubs struggle financially to remain afloat without fans in attendance on match days.

The Premier League has been in talks with the government about a £250m rescue package for EFL clubs, which has been included in the proposals as an advance of future funding. Under the new measures, 25 per cent of the Premier League’s revenue would be distributed among the lower leagues, with a pledge to pay the rescue package as soon as the proposals are agreed.

But despite previously calling on the Premier League to do more to help the rest of the football pyramid, the government has been critical of the measures in what they see as a “power grab”, and Boris Johnson added to the growing negativity on Monday by questioning the process of how the plan was put together.

“It’s clear that this proposal does not command support throughout the Premier League and it is exactly this type of backroom dealing that undermines trust in football’s governance,” said the prime minister’s official spokesman.

“In terms of support for EFL clubs, we have been given assurances by both the Premier League and EFL that they have no intention to let any club go bust due to Covid and we know that they have the means to prevent this from happening within their existing mechanisms.

“We would strongly urge the Premier League and EFL to continue to work constructively to come up with a deal which provides a comprehensive package of support for the whole football family.”

Under the new measures, which has divided the Premier League, the current 20 clubs would be reduced to 18, with the top two from the Championship replacing the bottom two in the top flight and the 16th-placed side joining the Championship teams in third, fourth and fifth in a new play-off format. The Championship, League One and League two would all remain at their current sizes, but the reduction of two top-flight clubs would see the current format of 92 clubs across the Premier League and EFL reduced to 90.

However, the biggest concerns have been targeted at the plans to give a significant level of power to the Premier League’s elite, namely Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, who would assume capability to vote in new regulations or veto certain club takeovers. Special privileges would also be afforded to Everton, who have been an ever-present in the Premier League,, as well as West Ham United and Southampton.

The Carabao Cup and Community Shield would also be scrapped along with relegation parachute payments, but the ability for the six biggest Premier League clubs to assume so much control over the rest of the football pyramid has triggered alarm bells among fans as well as the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who criticised the move on Sunday.