Premier League keen to introduce big new rule which could be bad news for Man Utd, chairman reveals
STEVE PARISH has revealed that the Premier League are looking at a cap on a club’s overall wage bill to keep the top flight competitive.
The best 20 teams in the country have discussed a variety of ways to maintain competitive balance over the coming seasons.
This would include possibly capping the richest club’s wage bills as a multiple of the television money earned by its bottom club.
Parish – the co-owner and chairman of Crystal Palace – said: “As far as competitive balance (is concerned) that does fall back on us and people need to be bold.
“You need to get a super majority of 14 clubs in the Premier League and that isn’t always easy. But I think there are things we can change. There’s change afoot.
“Uefa’s squad-cost caps are one idea. Maybe something that is a bit more rigid than that, with a hard cap at the top, that doesn’t take turnover into account.
“Where there are vagaries of how that turnover comes about.
“There are a number of things and there are really positive conversations going on about it.
“We also have to be very careful because there are also unintended consequences.
“Hopefully we will get somewhere that will be beneficial.
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“Not just to the clubs in the Premier League but to the whole pyramid and their ability to compete.
“We are voting for our competitors to be able to do better and challenge us.”
Parish, who has been in charge at Selhurst Park since 2010, backed the league’s decision to maintain the Saturday 3pm blackout in its next cycle of domestic television rights.
The league issued an Invitation To Tender (ITT) on Wednesday, featuring an increase from 200 to around 270 matches, but the Saturday afternoon status quo will remain.
The Prem also confirmed that all matches displaced to the Sunday 2pm slot due to clubs participating in European football on a Thursday night would now be televised.
Speaking at a Leaders Week conference at Twickenham, Parish, 58, said: “It’s good. I think it’s exciting, particularly for fans.
“I think they made a good decision on keeping the 3pm matches off television.
“It’s very important for participation and very important for attendances in the lower league. Culturally, it’s very important.
“It’s very frustrating for supporters when a game gets displaced, it’s a big game, and there’s maybe a lesser game on television. And that big game isn’t on.
“The packages have been constructed in a way that they should create good and healthy competition, which is what the consumers want. So, it’s an exciting moment.
“I’m very enthusiastic. The Premier League are excellent at selling rights, they have got excellent partners in the market place.”