English football’s biggest clubs have been asked to vote on a proposal to hand tens of millions of pounds in additional funding to the wider game.
Sky News has learnt that the 20 top-flight clubs, including Treble-winners Manchester City, have been balloted on whether to make permanent an extra funding package that was set up during the COVID crisis.
One club executive said the proposal was for an existing £100m tranche of money for grassroots, community and other football projects to be increased to as much as £133m, subject to future increases in Premier League revenue.
The initial £100m funding agreement between the Premier League and the government was struck during the pandemic, allowing the top flight to roll over its existing broadcast rights deal without a tender process.
If approved, the incremental cash will be allocated to the Premier League Stadium Fund, the Football Foundation, the National League and girls’ football, according to the club executive.
Clubs are said to have until 5pm on Thursday to register their vote.
The ballot will take place after the Premier League’s annual shareholder meeting,
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“Clubs… discussed a number of topics including strategy, football matters, policy, governance, regulation, broadcasting, commercial and finance,” the Premier League said in a statement on Wednesday.
“As part of the League’s ongoing review of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test, clubs unanimously agreed to amend the test to prohibit fully-leveraged buyouts.”
It declined to comment on the additional funding resolution.
