League Seek MP's Support

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 17/06/2002

The Chairmen of all 72 Football League clubs have, today, written to their local MPs, seeking their support for the 'Save our Clubs' campaign says the League's website at www.football-league.co.uk.

Each Chairman calls for a meeting at the earliest opportunity to discuss how football is being damaged - locally and nationally - by the failure of Granada and Carlton to honour the outstanding £178.5m owed to Football League clubs.

The meetings will address concerns about each club's financial prospects for the coming season, and stress how the contribution made by every football club to the local community and economy is being undermined by Carlton and Granada's behaviour.

In view of the strong public interest that has been aroused across constituencies by the damage being done to football, each Chairman will call upon local MPs to raise concerns about Carlton's and Granada's actions in the House of Commons. In particular, they will be asked to consider whether the greater commercial flexibility currently proposed for Carlton and Granada under the terms of the draft Communications Bill is justified.

MPs will also be asked to make urgent representations to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, asking them to: