Project Big Picture: The Good, The Bad And The Uncertain Of The Plan To Transform English Soccer

It is the plan that proposes the biggest shake-up of English soccer since the birth of the Premier League
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28 years ago.

On Sunday, the UK newspaper The Telegraph revealed “Project Big Picture”, a blueprint drawn up by Liverpool owner John W. Henry and Manchester United executive Joel Glazer which aims to transform English soccer’s professional pyramid.

The possible consequences of the plan have sparked fierce debate. English Football League (EFL) chairman Rick Parry says it is “in the best interests of the game as a whole”, but the Premier League warned it could have a “damaging impact“.

There is plenty to unpack from Project Big Picture but here’s a look at some of the key aspects of the plan and the impact it could have.

The Good

A future for clubs outside the Premier League

A crucial element of the plan – and strong reason why Parry is so enthusiastic – is that the £250 million ($326m) the EFL is seeking will be provided immediately by the Premier League. This will prevent clubs going bust and support them through the season.

Even better for English teams outside the top division, is the proposal to split 25% of future TV deals including the Premier League among EFL clubs. Should broadcast deals continue to be as lucrative as they have in recent years, this would be a significant source of income for EFL clubs to secure their long-term futures.

No parachute payments and wage cap

Parachute payments, given to teams relegated from the Premier League, would be scrapped and hard wage caps introduced for teams in the Championship, League One and League Two. This seems a sensible solution, since parachute payments offer a considerably unfair advantage and, in the Championship in particular, some teams have been spending beyond their means on player wages.

No League Cup or Community Shield

The League Cup and Community Shield would cease to exist under the plans. While the intention is clearly to free up time to play more lucrative pre-season friendlies and European competition matches, neither of these trophies would be a great loss.

The Community Shield is essentially a glamorized friendly and a single match that doesn’t, honestly, mean a lot. The League Cup, currently the Carabao Cup, has long been in need of a refresh. Instead of scrapping it completely, one option could be to play the competition without the Premier League teams. Moving it to the end of the season, giving teams who haven’t performed in the league a final shot at domestic glory, could also help to reignite some interest.  

The Bad

More power in the hands of the ‘big six’

Two of England’s most powerful clubs weren’t about to offer up a very tempting deal to their lower-league rivals without a catch. One of the most controversial aspects of the plan is granted special status to the Premier League’s big six of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. West Ham, Everton and Southampton would also be given ‘special voting rights’.

Only two-thirds of these nine clubs (the big six, for example) would be required to pass votes on important areas including vetoing prospective team owners and the distribution of broadcast income. Currently, 14 of the 20 Premier League clubs must agree to such changes.

The richest will stay the richest

You don’t have to be a cynic to realize the big six could force through votes that benefited themselves. How long before the big clubs – who have long argued they should have a bigger slice of the lucrative TV pie than smaller rivals – change the rules to make it so? The power would be concentrated even more than it currently is in the big six and they would do everything they could to keep it that way.

The proposal also raises the question why some clubs – 2016 title winner Leicester City, for example – are not included when it has won the Premier League more recently than Arsenal or Manchester United. Spurs has never won the Premier League title.

Less chance for Championship clubs to be promoted

Under the plan, the Premier League would go from 20 to 18 clubs. The teams finishing 17^th and 18^th would be relegated to the second-tier Championship, while the team in 16^th would join the Championship playoffs.

It’s a model that is similar to the German Bundesliga, where the team finishing 16^th plays the third-placed team in Bundesliga 2 in a playoff. It is not necessarily a terrible idea. If the team that finishes 16^th in the top division is far superior to the team finishing third in the second division, perhaps it is fair it is given a chance to redeem itself in the interests of an overall stronger top tier. But, importantly, such a system also reduces the chances of any of the big six being relegated. The chances are already miniscule given the financial resources they have compared to the rest of the division, and this provides extra security in case of a truly disastrous season.

The Uncertain

The ambitious plan is unlikely to be passed in its current format. West Ham has already raised objections. The UK Government, for what it’s worth, is also not happy with the suggested reforms. In theory, 14 of the 20 Premier League teams would need to vote for the project. Given teams outside the top six would be some of the biggest potential losers from the plan, this won’t happen.

It won’t be the last we hear of Project Big Picture though. Rick Parry refused to dismiss the idea the big six could ‘leave’ the Premier League and join the EFL if the votes went against them. This would be a huge decision and probably a PR disaster for those clubs. But it is a reminder of where the power, at least in terms of pulling in audiences, lies in English soccer. Like the potential European Super League, it is a threat that should the most globally-popular actors leave – the play may not be as appealing without them.

Project Big Picture is not all good and not all bad. And, whatever you think of it, we haven’t heard the last of it.