Fears that leading English football clubs might form a breakaway faction increased last night during an acrimonious meeting of all 20 Premiership chairmen in London.
During discussions lasting several hours there were heated exchanges on how money from the next television deal should be divided, with smaller clubs asking for fairer distribution so that they could remain competitive in the league. The larger clubs, led by Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, resisted an move led by Coventry City to have the money distributed more evenly among the league's 20 clubs.
One source who was at the meeting said: "The threat of a breakaway faction was implicit in all that the bigger clubs were saying during the meeting. It was hovering over the whole meeting, and all the chairmen who want to change the way money is distributed were aware of this. At times the meeting was very heated, although nobody walked out."
Until Wednesday the new Premier League television deal was worth stg£1.6 billion over three years from the start of the 2001-02 season. That figure now stands at £3.3 billion after the decision by the cable television company NTL to withdraw from a £328 million agreement to televise 40 pay-per-view matches a year from the start of next season.
Under the Coventry proposal, £200 million of television money would be distributed under current arrangements, with 50 per cent shared equally among the clubs, 25 per cent paid according to television appearances and 25 per cent paid in prizemoney. The remainder of the television money, currently £1.1 billion, would be distributed equally among all 20 Premier League clubs.
At least 12 clubs are in favour of changing the way television money is distributed but under Premier League rules any changes must be agreed by a two-thirds majority, or 14 clubs.
The Premier League chairmen in favour of change had been planning to put the issue to a vote but they changed their minds during the meeting after realising that they would not be able to secure a two-thirds majority. A period of intense lobbying is likely to precede the next chairmen's meeting, which is likely to take place within the next two months.
Yesterday's meeting also discussed the decision of NTL to withdraw from its pay-per-view agreement. The chairmen were offered several alternative options, including setting up a Premier League pay-per-view channel and putting out the contract to tender once again.
Former Dundee United chairman Jim McLean has been charged by the police over an alleged assault on BBC reporter John Barnes last weekend. McLean quit the club after the incident and apologised to Barnes for his actions the following day.
But Tayside police have charged McLean over the incident which occurred during an interview after the 4-0 home defeat by Hearts. Barnes required medical attention to a lip injury following the alleged assault, footage of which has already assumed legendary proportions in Scotland.
Former Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear is back in football as a consultant with bottom of Division Two outfit Oxford. Kinnear has been out of the game since he stood down at Wimbledon in June 1999 after suffering a mild heart attack.
Republic of Ireland striker Gary Doherty may start for Tottenham against bottom club Derby tomorrow as manager George Graham has injuries to his main strikers.
Former international goalkeeper Emerson Leao is the surprise choice to take over as the new coach of the Brazilian national team. Leao, who played for Brazil in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, replaces Wanderley Luxemburgo, who was sacked in September after a series of poor performances with both the senior and Olympic teams.
RTE will broadcast the UEFA Cup match between Celtic and Bordeaux live next Thursday at 7.30 pm.
