NorthernLights24 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has called for a host of sweeping changes to be introduced to the Premier League.Gartside, who is also a member of the Football Association's board, wants to see a two-tier Premier League introduced, and has suggested the abolition of relegation to the Football League. The Reebok Stadium supremo also wants to see an end to the influx of foreign owners in English football and feels it is time for players' wages to be capped. Gartside is fully aware that his proposals are controversial, but feels a debate is required to address problems in the game and what he feels is a lack of competition in the top-flight. He said: "We have to start considering what the structure of the league is, and it is time to look at two Premier Leagues - Premier League One and Premier League Two - and the way the finance is allocated. "You could have 36 Premier League clubs split into 18 and 18 and that would also solve the problems of the winter break and supporting the England team. It would even everything out and it would make it more competitive on that basis. "We have already got to the situation where the three clubs that go down from the Premier League are usually the three that come up, although a couple of others might sneak in. "I don't have the answers but it is certainly time for a debate - perhaps even on not having relegation from a second division of the Premier League." Gartside, who has been a Bolton director for 20 years and chairman for nine, said clubs should not fear change. He added: "It would be revolutionary but I don't think this would be as revolutionary as when the Premier League was set up, and we should open our minds to change. I know a lot of Football League clubs won't like it - but a lot will. "If the FA and the Government are going to start looking at debt structure and financial constraints on clubs then we are going to have to do something." Gartside added that owners of clubs such as Bolton, Middlesbrough, Wigan and Blackburn needed protection from the invasion of overseas investors. He added: "The traditional type of owner are something of a dying breed, instead you have the Sheikh of wherever and people like the Glazers coming in. "Local businessmen like [bolton owner] Eddie Davies, the late Jack Walker [at Blackburn], Dave Whelan [Wigan] and Steve Gibson [Middlesbrough] have given their town teams unbelievable financial backing. "They need to be protected in some way from the influx of outside investors with seemingly unlimited funds. "There is still talk about foreign takeovers of Newcastle, Everton and Liverpool, again, and once we have 14 foreign owners in the Premier League we have a problem. "At the moment we can still muster enough votes against anything that might change the structure for the worse. Come the day when you have 14 foreign owners we won't be able to do that." Gartside has also changed his mind about wage-capping and now believes it might be the only way to maintain competitiveness. The Bolton chairman added: "I have been against wage-capping in the past but it has come to the point now where we have to look seriously at it. "When Manchester City go out and spend Link to comment
E-P-K Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Gartside, who is also a member of the Football Association's board, wants to see a two-tier Premier League introduced, and has suggested the abolition of relegation to the Football League. Much like a franchise set up. This has been implicated in next seasons Rugby league and has been in American sports for decades. Link to comment
K-9 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Me thinks Bolton chairman shitting himself over getting relegated. Link to comment
Guest LondonScottish Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Me thinks Bolton chairman shitting himself over getting relegated. Funny that. Link to comment
fatshaft Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Me thinks Bolton chairman shitting himself over getting relegated.That's about the size of it. Read the quote at the bottom of page two hear http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/boards/viewt...asc&start=0 from hisroyalgingerness, sums it up really. Bolton fans think it's as daft as anyone else. Link to comment
Bobby Connor Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Self preservationism (not a word apparently) is the blight of the modern game. From the closed shop that is the Champions league, to the Old Firm bleeding Scottish football dry and now Bolton suggesting that the lower tiers of the English game be cut loose. Such a greed dominated game these days. Link to comment
Guest rocket_scientist Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Not sure how you can protect against foreign ownership? The business goes to the highest bidder. Any business, as the "global economy" proves. Link to comment
Dynamo Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 What about Newcastle, what happens to them mini? Link to comment
minijc Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Nae sure, I never dne that picture. Link to comment
Guest SS RED Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 If it ever turns into a franchise I would stop supporting spurs. It is not how football is supposed to be. Link to comment
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