Tottenham 'Supportive' of Project Big Picture But Big Six Remain Split

Tottenham Hotspur are understood to be supportive of the controversial Project Big Picture, but support from the rest of the 'big six' has not been so easy to come by.

Liverpool and Manchester United were recently revealed to be behind an ambitious push to drastically alter the landscape of English football, offering financial aid to the English Football League in exchange for increased power for themselves are the other seven long-standing Premier League members: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Manchester City, Spurs, Southampton and West Ham United.

The initial report claimed that Liverpool and United 'expected' the support of the other big six sides, but according to The Independent, the only side to have expressed an interest in the plans is Tottenham.

Project Big Picture has been met with hesitancy by Arsenal, Chelsea and City, while the remaining sides in the division are all understood to be firmly against the proposals.

While most sides are in favour of distributing the Premier League's wealth evenly, there is a fear that this should not be done in exchange for power. Should the plan go through, the remaining 11 Premier League sides would be left with little to no say in the future of the division.

The Premier League have also condemned the proposals, particularly focusing on their shock at the news that EFL chairman Rick Parry had been so vocal in his support of the plans.

The UK Government have also expressed their disappointment at the idea, with a spokesman for the Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport saying: “[The Government is] surprised and disappointed that at a time of crisis when we have urged the top tiers of professional football to come together and finalise a deal to help lower league clubs, there appear to be backroom deals being cooked up that would create a closed shop at the very top of the game.”

Joining the lengthy list of critics was the Football Supporters Association, who released a statement on their official website blasting 'billionaire owners' for treating English football with disrespect.

"Once again it appears that big decisions in football are apparently being stitched up behind our backs by billionaire club owners who continue to treat football as their personal fiefdom," the FSA said.

"Football is far more than a business to be carved up; it is part of our communities and our heritage, and football fans are its lifeblood. As football’s most important stakeholders, it is crucial that fans are consulted and involved in the game’s decision-making.

“We have welcomed the government’s commitment to a ‘fan-led review of the governance of football’; we would argue that today’s revelations have made that process even more relevant and urgent.

“We will of course study the detail of the new proposals, we remain open-minded to any suggestions for the improvement of the governance and organisation of the game, whatever their source, and we will continue to engage constructively in all discussions around reform. We would however emphasise that in our discussions so far, very few of our members have ever expressed the view that what football really needs is a greater concentration of power in the hands of the big six billionaire-owned clubs.”

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