Peter Ridsdale: 'If we don't keep it competitive and sustainable, English football is over'

„English football is over” unless it continues to be financially „competitive and sustainable”, says Peter Ridsdale.

Premier League clubs met on Monday but failed to agree a financial deal with the English Football League.

„There is no offer,” Ridsdale, managing director of Preston North End, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

„It's very frustrating for the whole of English football.”

The Premier League was expected to come out with concrete plans to present to the EFL at a meeting on Monday.

The total, partially linked to future TV revenue, is expected to be around £900m over six years.

„There's no disagreement with the EFL clubs – it's with the Premier League clubs about how much money is going to come in, where it's coming from, ie which Premier League clubs are going to give us the money,” added Ridsdale, one of three elected representatives from the Championship on the EFL board.

„We have made it clear to the Premier League that we would recommend acceptance if they presented their proposals as a formal offer. We sit here today and we don't have that opportunity. Despite being told it would come. Last September.”

„We just want to make sure we have a stable and competitive EFL and you see the cliff edge between the Premier League and the Championship, the parachute clubs get £50m and £40m in the first year. The odd, relegated in the second year,” Ridsdale said.

„The teams at the top of our division are paying five times more wages than us [Preston North End] And it shows because they're at the top of the Championship – and they're doing it on parachute payments from the Premier League.

„The top three teams are Leicester City, Leeds United and Ipswich, then Southampton are fourth. Three of those four teams went down last year and got parachute money.

„If we don't keep it competitive and sustainable, English football is over.”

Leicester, Leeds and Southampton will be promoted this season, making it the first time all three clubs have returned to the Premier League at the first opportunity.

„They're stopping the bus in the sense that they're not giving us anything in September,” Ridsdale said. “They outlined what it would be and we said we would accept it.

„There should be a stable pyramid in this country. We have 92 clubs, 20 of which are in the Premier League, and the bulk of that money is with the top 20 clubs.

„I think it is essential for all communities in this country that all football clubs are sustainable – and they cannot be with the current split of funding going to English football.”