Fans turning into Sky Sports on Friday morning have been left loving Ian Holloway’s passionate rant over treatment of smaller clubs.
The Grimsby Town manager Ian Holloway has launched an attack towards the English Football League for their backing of Project Big Picture.
The plan, which was set up by Liverpool and Manchester United, would have seen the biggest shake-up of the English professional game in a generation, had it been approved, something that failed to happen.
“I’ve managed at every level, and who’s to tell me that top one is better than where I’m at now? I don’t think it is.”
Ian Holloway is fuming over the treatment of smaller clubs… 😡
📹 @footballdaily pic.twitter.com/ZtxfAP6LQU
— The Sack Race (@thesackrace) November 20, 2020
It included a £250 million up front payment to the EFL, plus a £100 million payment to the Football Association, as well as 25% of the Premier League’s annual revenue going to English Football League clubs – an increase of 21%.
In return, Project Big Picture requested that the Premier League would reduce down to 18 from 20 clubs, the EFL Cup and the Community Shield would be got rid of, the current one-club one-vote principle would be abolished, and the power would be given to the nine clubs that have remained in the Premier League longest (Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham), and that B-teams be introduced to the Football League. Not much to ask for ay?
The plan was unanimously rejected by the Premier League and the FA, but Holloway is still left angry that EFL chief Rick Parry gave his backing towards it.
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Speaking on Sky Sports News, he said: “I am saying I don’t trust the people who were supposed to do it. Rick Parry going and talking to two American-owned football clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United, that ain’t right, is it?
“Even the Premier League themselves kicked that one out. Project Big Picture, or whatever it was? For me, that was Project Awful Picture.
“Someone should now go in, because he’s done that, and actually say, ‘Well that’s not right, that looked dodgy. Let’s have look’. Take control of it, because we need it to happen right now.
“We’re supposed to be carrying on. We’ll lose teams and teams and teams if they don’t give us the money that is in the game. Why should the government have to find loads of money when the game is not governed by them?
“I’d just step in, smash open some doors and say, ‘Right, let’s have a look, you’re not having that, that’s going there?’.
“They offered it to us, but they had clauses on the end of it. They wanted to control that. They might have wanted to slip this in, and slip under a B-Team. That ain’t right.
“We all deserve to have our football club and keep it moving, no matter what size you are. I’ve managed at every single level, and who’s telling me that top one is better than where I am now? I don’t think it is. I think the people love their club just as much as the people at the top, so how dare you? How dare you try and control that when it isn’t your place to?
“It’s pretty obvious really.”
Speaking at the time of the initial proposal, Parry publicly defended Project Big Picture, arguing that it had been designed for “for the greater good of English football”.
Grimsby Town currently sit 19th in the League Two table, taking 12 points from 10 games.
Fans were left loving Ian Holloway’s passionate rant on Sky Sports, see what he had to say below…
Spot on with every word, American owners at the top of the league trying to franchise like it is in USA. They’re corrupt bastards at the top of the game, did you know “big clubs” vote on the new chief executives at the Premier League? Hope all this comes up with their court case.
— ASHLEY OUT (@NUFC_UNITE) November 20, 2020
You will never get a more passionate manager of any club at any level and we need a few more like him too. These clowns hate people like Ian as he says it like it is, fair play to him
— Michael Drake Smith (@drake_mikey) November 20, 2020
Well said Sir Ian of Holloway….top, top fella 👊❤️⚽️
— Simon Rodgers (@simontheowl6) November 20, 2020
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Love Holloway, lower league fans love there clubs as much, if not more than bigger clubs… as they do it without the promise of major success. But they do it anyway
All leagues need to be brought back under one roof, not prem out on their own hoarding money & players
— Andy Hill (@DesignsHeroic) November 20, 2020
People don’t like him because he’s honest and open. He’s not the most eloquent, but his underlying point is an extremely important one
— Josh Hoare 🏉 (@J_F_RH) November 20, 2020
Fair play to Ollie – Said with sheer passion & a moral strength of conviction. Great footage 👊👊
— Shaun47 (@Shaun47) November 20, 2020
Absolutely spot on Ian Holloway! What a man! Talks so much sense! Brilliant! https://t.co/O575fklwLb
— oliver bromley (@OLSTFC) November 20, 2020
Spot on Ian Holloway, there is way too much elitism in football, it’s not just the premiership that matters! @EFL has been in need of disbanding for a long time and Rick parry is a disgrace! #disbandtheefl
— Martin Wells-Gaston (@martinw_g) November 20, 2020
Go on Olly. Proper old school character this G.
— David Lo Pan (@GreenEyesLover_) November 20, 2020
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