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Premiership 2 plan gains momentum

The plan for a Premier League 2 is gaining momentum with 15 leading Championship clubs threatening to break away from the EFL. One could have a slimmed down Premier League 1 and 2 with twenty clubs in each league. Whether there would be promotion and relegation from what is now League One is a moot point.

A complicating factor is the interest of top clubs in breaking away from the Premier League to join a new European Super League. However, that would not be possible before 2022 and it would not necessarily rule out a Premier League 1 and 2 format. In some ways, it might strengthen the case for it.

A further difficulty is that there has been no discussion with the Premier League who are believed to be opposed to the project. It could be seen as a dilution of their brand. In many ways, parachute payments make the Championship a de facto Premier League 2, certainly in terms of a willingness to splash the cash.

The breakaway threat is part of a dispute over a new Sky contract which Championship clubs say does not reflect their true value, so in part it could be a negotiating ploy. The deal is worth £590m for the 2019-2024 seasons. It would be worth £119m a season compared with £88m at present. The underlying issue is that many of them are cash strapped as they pursue the dream of Premier League riches. League One and League Two teams are behind the new contract, so the EFL could force it through.

The main movers behind the breakaway threat are Leeds supremo Andrea Radrizzani, along with Derby County owner Mel Morris. All the leading Championship clubs are backing the plan according to a report in The Times, among them Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion.

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