PL club board member: Rick Parry should resign over ‘Project Big Picture’ plans

A board member at a Premier League club says there is agreement among 14 clubs that EFL chairman Rick Parry should resign over ‘Project Big Picture’ plans.

A proposal to change the voting structure of the Premier League, as well as funding models for the English Football League and Football Association, has been drawn up by Liverpool’s owners and is backed by Manchester United.

• ‘Project Big Picture’ – what are the papers saying?
• ‘Premier League must support crumbling EFL’
• Premier League announces pay-per-view fixtures

The proposal – called ‘Project Big Picture’ – includes several other major changes to the structure of English football, with a reduction from 20 to 18 teams in the Premier League and the scrapping of the EFL Cup and Community Shield.

The plans have been backed by EFL chief Parry, who said: “This is two of our great clubs showing leadership and exercising responsibility.”

Sky Sports News has spoken to a board member of a Premier League club, who has said the 14 clubs are agreed that Parry has exceeded his authority and should tender his resignation.

They believe the proposals are a ‘power grab’ and they will be the key talking point at Wednesday’s shareholders’ meeting.

At those talks, discussions will continue over a bailout from the Premier League to the EFL – but it is understood the majority of 14 clubs are no longer willing to help out while Parry remains in charge.

It is also alleged that the support from the ‘Big Six’ is not as solid as has been suggested and doubts remain over several aspects of the proposals.

At Wednesday’s shareholders meeting, there will be questions to Liverpool and Manchester United as to their potential knowledge of the leaking of the 17th draft of the project.

The ‘Project Big Picture’ proposals:

• Premier League reduced to 18 clubs
• No EFL Cup or Community Shield
• Special status for nine longest serving clubs – ‘Big Six’, Everton, West Ham, Southampton
• Only six of the nine longest-serving clubs need to vote for major change
• £250m immediate compensation for EFL
• Figure also represents coronavirus financial bail-out
• Club who finishes 16th in Premier League to replace sixth-placed Championship club in EFL play-offs
• Premier League to commit 25 per cent of future revenue to EFL

(c) Sky Sports 2020: PL club board member: Rick Parry should resign over ‘Project Big Picture’ plans