Friday 9th June 2006

Premiership told to reduce to 18 members.

From the Telegraph:

The Premier League are heading for a showdown with Fifa after football's world governing body announced yesterday that all top divisions in Europe must have no more than 18 clubs from the 2007-2008 season.

With the 20-strong Premier League operating a three up, three down system, they would have to relegate five clubs at the end of next season.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter insisted:

"The reduction will come by the 2007-08 season. Instead of playing 38 matches, clubs will play 34, and you will have four more dates for the international calendar. The clubs will be happy."

(the matches will decrease, the ticket prices will still increse. It will do no good for us the fans)

PL spokesman Dan Johnson hit back:

"There's only one group of people who decide the make-up of the Premier League, and that's the 20 clubs. There is no appetite to reduce the size and Fifa cannot force it on us.

"We reduced the league from 22 clubs to 20 in 1995-96, and since then Uefa have expanded the Champions League, Fifa have expanded the World Cup and brought in the Confederations Cup and World Club Championship, so it's a bit rich for anyone to talk about reducing the number of matches."

Geoff Thompson, chairman of the Football Association, said there would be huge implications for broadcasters. Coincidentally, the BBC last night secured a three-year deal for Match of the Day from 2007 for £171 million, an increase of 63 per cent.

redrus

If this happeneed it would be a DISASTER.

We will be content with 4th from bottom next season...5th would be a right result !!!

We have fallen victim to the reduction in club numbers in the Prem 10 years ago when we finished 2nd and did not go up.

Darned if we are gonna come a cropper again.. Bastards.. keep your hands off our frigggin league, Septic Lather

Sepp Blatter...........has all the atttributes to replace Taxin as PM ..........

The guy is a complete 22 carot toss pot, is there no-one at the top who can't arrange for decapitation or something everything he says is utter twaddle.........!

redrus