Talks aimed at averting a players' strike will continue next week after a meeting today failed to achieve an agreement, but the delay means next weekend's matches will escape industrial action.
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) have to give at least seven days' notice of strike action, and tonight the union confirmed the games on the weekend of November 24th - including Arsenal v Manchester United - will now not be targeted.
PFA leaders met the chief executives of the Premier League, Football Association and Football League in London today for discussions on the dispute over television cash. The footballing bodies have upped their offer from Stg£16.6million a year to around £18million - but have insisted it is a final offer.
After the meeting the parties released a joint statement this evening saying:
"Talks took place all day today and they will continue next week. There will be no further comment from any party at this stage."
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor did confirm that strike action would now not affect matches next weekend.
He said: "We have a very tight deadline under trade union law, and everyone knows we have a limited period of time to give notice to commence action, within 28 days of the ballot. But we will not be giving notice this weekend for action next weekend."
The PFA are seeking 5% of television money - £35million a year in total - of which £25million would come from the Premier League and the rest split between the Football League and the Football Association.
The old offer of £16.6million, with £11.5million coming from Premier League coffers, led to a strike ballot of players which saw more than 99% vote in favour of taking industrial action against televised matches.
The new £18million offer is still a long way short of the PFA's demands. One possible area of compromise would be to offer the union some sort of financial guarantee for the future, beyond the current three-year television deal.
PA