Relegation

[LDN Blue 7,903]

League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan has warned some foreign owners of Premier League clubs want to scrap relegation from the top flight.

With the number of foreign owners increasing in recent years, Bevan is concerned their growing numbers could see them succeed in forcing through a vote to abolish relegation and promotion.

Bevan is hoping that can be prevented by the recent parliamentary inquiry into football governance, which recommended the Football Association adopts a licensing system for clubs.

Speaking at the Professional Players Federation conference in London, Bevan said: "Because there are a number of overseas-owned clubs already talking about bringing about the avoidance of promotion and relegation in the Premier League. If we have four or five more new owners, that could happen.

"We're very keen that the recent DCMS report is successful in helping the FA get to a stage where they've got a licensing programme for clubs."

Relegation does not exist in some other sports and in some other nations. For instance, none of the major American sporting leagues use relegation, with fixed membership in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the minor leagues that serve as their feeder teams.

With the increasing number of American owners in the Premier League, it should come as no surprise that promotion and relegation could be under discussion.

Four of the five American ownership groups in the Premier League - those at Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa - also own sports teams competing in the American major leagues, and they are not used to the threat of relegation, and the huge financial losses that can follow.

Bevan added: "You'll find that with American owners and you'll find that with some of the Asian owners as well. If you look at sport all around the world and you look at sport owners trying to work out how to invest and make money, you'll find that most of them like the idea of franchises.

"If you take, particularly, American owners, without doubt there have been a number of them looking at possibly having more of a franchise situation. That would mean no promotion or relegation. That would obviously not be good news for English football.

"You need to make sure that the FA is strong enough to ensure that the principles on which our clubs are run, if I'm an owner coming in, I must recognise and embrace the history, the tradition, the supporters, the community, the philosophy of actually how this club should be operating and not deciding my club should be taken abroad or whatever.''

Even if a two thirds majority of Premier League clubs voted in favour of abolishing relegation, the move would still be unlikely to come about as the league's own rules dictate it would also require approval from the FA, which would expect to hear widespread opposition from the rest of the game.

The Premier League clubs have not formally discussed any such move since Bolton chairman Phil Gartside proposed his two-tiered structure two years ago, an idea soon dismissed.

Terrible idea imo. Your thoughts?

[dave30 728]

would kill the game just like a European super league would . Little play ideas invented by the super well off with no consideration for the fans

[Madmax 9,219]

Seems Mr Bevan and his buddies got really bored during the intl break

[Sheva. 5,373]

Rubbish idea, i love the relegation dog-fight!