Fleetwood owner Andy Pilley says exciting proposals can save football from Armageddon

The two North West Premier League giants have laid out plans to provide a £250m rescue package for cash-starved EFL clubs, plus 25 per cent of all future TV revenue.

In return, the two clubs wish to see the Premier League reduced to 18 clubs, the EFL Cup and Community Shield scrapped and greater voting rights for nine elite top-flight clubs.

Criticised in some quarters as an opportunistic grab for power, the proposals have found favour with Pilley and many EFL owners as the cash injection would be nothing less than a lifesaver for many clubs.

And the EFL has confirmed "overwhelming" support among its clubs to discuss the proposals further.

Fleetwood chairman Pilley told Sky Sports: "Looking at it from an EFL perspective this is a gamechanger when it comes to revenue. It means football clubs in the EFL become sustainable. They become going concerns and I think the knock-on effect will be that admission prices will go down for supporters, I think stadiums will improve and we won't be talking about losing football clubs.

"We could concentrate on what's going on on the pitch and in general it's incredibly positive for lower league clubs in particular."

As for the critics of the proposals, Pilley said: "I think a lot of people who disagree with them don't fully understand what they mean and these are so so positive from an EFL point of view.

"I've just jumped off the League One meeting with Rick Parry and it's been reported back there has been overwhelming support from the Championship and a lot of clubs you would not expect to be pro this proposal simply because there's only potentially going to be 18 in the Premier League.

"But it seems they see the greater good that this will deliver. We need the redistribution of money, the reset. Of course it's not perfect but it is exciting and should not be dismissed.

"Understandably, with the combination of the salary cap and the potentially significant revenues we'd receive in League One, all clubs are very much behind it.

"We are facing armageddon in the lower leagues. We run the risk of six to 10 clubs being in administration by Christmas if nothing is done and this redistribution will secure the future of English clubs. All the clubs are very much behind this proposal, I'm certain. I didn't hear a single negative comment.

"Of course there are concerns over whether it can be achieved and my personal take is that it's the opening gambit in a negotiation. To do a deal you have to have a starting position. The counter offer will no doubt be made and you tend to meet in the middle."

While there has been much talk about financial rescue packages, this is the first firm proposal on the table but Pilley believes government still has a role to play.

He added: "The whole situation has been dealt with like a hot potato in my opinion. The government has passed this to the Premier League, to the Department of Culture Media and Sport, and nobody has come up with a solution whatsoever,

"And we are in great danger of losing community assets in every town and city in the country that create enormous good feeling and quality of life. I think government should be part of the conversation to create a solution."

Asked what monthly losses his club is having to withstand, Pilley answered: "We are losing hundreds of thousands of pounds monthly. We can't go on like this forever. We have no revenue streams and no supporters being allowed in grounds.

"Despite the general public being allowed into so many other venues and events, football clubs - for whatdever reasons I can't understand - aren't allowed to have people socially distanced and we're dying here.

"We need something to happen. This is a really exciting proposal which needs to be explored and we can't afford for this to be dismissed. "

After yesterday's meeting with clubs in its three leagues, an EFL statement read: "The proposals, which look to address the long-term economic imbalance across the football pyramid while also addressing the short-term financial need created as a result of Covid-19, received strong support, with an overwhelming majority of clubs indicating a willingness to discuss the proposals further on the basis that the primary benefits for the future of the English pyramid are clear.

"It was agreed that the proposals must be addressed and discussed in detail across all stakeholders for the benefit of the English game, and while there are no specific timescales for what happens next, there is a clear need for progress in this matter as quickly as practically possible."