GARY NEVILLE is calling for a reboot of English football and warned: “Enough is enough.”
The former Manchester United and England right-back is part of an eight-strong group who believe the game is running off the rails.
Gary Neville wants a government-appointed ‘regulator’ to mould football’s futureCredit: PA:Press Association
This week’s dogfight over Project Big Picture has only brought home the ‘chaotic’ structure with the Prem, FA and EFL all fighting for authority.
Sky pundit Neville, who is part-owner of League Two Salford, said only an independent, Government-appointed ‘regulator’ with the powers of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell can implement a new order.
Nev, 45, said: “The pandemic has demonstrated a void in the Premier League leadership.
“They did not lead and hadn’t even been able to come up with a short-term plan to restructure funding. Enough is enough. Football has to change.”
The United legend is part of the group – along with former FA chairman David Bernstein and Olympian Denise Lewis – who yesterday published their manifesto for change, ‘Saving Our Beautiful Game’.
Bernstein, FA boss from 2011-13, said: “We took a poll of fans that found nearly 80 per cent agreed change is needed.
“There has never been a better moment for change.”
Neville told Sky Sports: “The principle is that we don’t trust that football can govern itself and create the fairest deal for all, whether that’s the Premier League, EFL clubs, non-League clubs or the fans.
These were the chief proposals of Project Big Picture before it was aborted
“It has been proven over this past six months that football has struggled to bring everyone together and proven to be incapable over a 25-30 year period of transforming the money in the game into something that works for everybody.
“I want the best Premier League in the world, but I want sustainable football clubs.
“There is enough money in the game to be able to have an elite Premier League, a sustainable and competitive EFL, money passed down to non-League and grassroots and where fans can get a fair deal.
“That’s where an independent regulator, with that spirit at the heart of it, can come in and say ‘that’s not fair’.”
The amazing players who won the Premier League title but missed out on a winners’ medal, including Gary Neville TWICE
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
