LMA chief executive Richard Bevan has warned that foreign owners are looking to scrap relegation from and promotion to the Premier League.
LMA chief claims foreign owners are looking to alter rules
League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan has warned that foreign owners are looking to scrap relegation from and promotion to the Premier League.
The English top flight has seen a number of its clubs fall into the hands of overseas investors in recent years.
Of the 20 sides currently competing in the Premier League, half are under foreign ownership.
The success and spending power of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City is likely to lead more clubs down a similar path in the future, with substantial backing required to compete.
Licencing programme
The LMA have warned, though, that more takeovers could lead to a vote being pushed through on the abolition of relegation.
Bevan is aware that such a move has already been mooted, but hopes the recent parliamentary inquiry into football governance will prevent such an event from occurring, with the Football Association having been advised to adopt a licencing system for clubs.
Speaking at the Professional Players Federation conference in London, Bevan said: "We're very keen that the recent DCMS report is successful in helping the FA get to a stage where they've got a licencing programme for clubs.
"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."
Franchises
He 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.
