Bolton Wanderers Chairman Phil Gartside Revives Plans For 'Premier League 2'

Old Firm could be invited south at last under new proposals...

06-Nov-2009 2:54:16 PM

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Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside has revealed that the idea of a new two-tier Premier League will be proposed when the clubs meet next Thursday.

The financial consequences of relegation to the Championship have apparently created a climate of fear amongst lower-ranked teams, who continue to spend beyond their means in a desperate bid to stay up.

Bolton themselves lost £13.2 million last season and their debts rose to £64m, according to the accounts published this week. They finished 13th in last season's Premier League.

Gartside has also suggested inviting Rangers and Celtic from the SPL into the proposed competition.

He first mooted the idea last year, but it did not gain much support, largely because his original model seemed to favour a 'closed shop' with no promotion and relegation.

He is apparently more flexible this time around, but still favours a UEFA-style 'licensing system' based on criteria of size and finance for newcomers to the league.

"The same few clubs continue to benefit from the huge additional revenues from the Champions League, and the remaining clubs find it enormously difficult to challenge," Gartside said, according to The Guardian.

"At the same time, the gap between Premier League revenues and those of the Championship continues to widen and I believe a fear factor is beginning to emerge amongst Premier League clubs outside the top few.

"Addressing this polarisation of clubs will be the major strategic issue for the Premier League over coming years."

The Bolton chairman would need the support of 14 clubs to effect any rule change, and that at this stage is understood to be unlikely. The top clubs are believed to favour the status quo, though the idea could gain support from the likes of Hull City and Portsmouth who have spent big but still face the prospect of relegation.

Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan is anti the idea of inviting the Old Firm into England, but is not averse to sharing the Premier League's television money more equitably throughout the whole of the English game.

"I think it would be fairer to unite the Premier and Football Leagues," he said.

"But the Premier League clubs would not agree to that because they make most of the money as things stand. The idea is worth debating, because the gulf is huge, with eight to 10 of us clubs just fighting for survival."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com UK

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