Current Nottingham Forest news from NottinghamshireLive: former Trent End hero blasts club for not supporting pyramid payments; he also feels enraged at Aston Villa and Liverpool.
Stan Collymore has chastised former teams Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest for their refusal to support the EFL’s new financial agreement.
Representatives of commentator Collymore’s former Premier League clubs were present at Monday’s high-level shareholders’ meeting in London, but no offer was made.
A six-year agreement that would have given the EFL 14.75% of net media revenue from the Premier League, estimated to be valued at around £900 million, has been discussed; however, elite teams have determined that negotiating a new financial structure to replace the existing sustainability and profitability regulations should take precedence.
Collymore, who left Forest in 1995 after making 65 appearances and scoring 41 goals, took to Twitter to criticize his former team as well as other teams he had played for honorably over a remarkable career.
“Thank you to those supporters of all clubs who agree with the last few tweets,” he wrote on X, the website that was formerly known as Twitter.
“Never felt as dismayed as seeing my club, founders no less, chose greed and self preservation over a 100+ year old unique football pyramid.
“It’s not good enough Villa. It’s not good enough Forest. It’s not good enough Liverpool. And if that’s me blacklisted at all three, so be it.
“They are only where they are because of the fluidity and solidarity of the pyramid. And everyone reading this knows that’s true.”
Collymore, a Staffordshire native, went on to mention the Football League’s founder, saying, “William McGregor would be turning in his grave.”
As reported by the Mail, an increasing number of Premier League teams are thinking about abandoning their support for the recently announced £900 million settlement and pursuing legal action if they are made to pay.
“Top-flight sides met in the hope that a vote would be held on an offer to be made to the EFL over a financial settlement ahead of the arrival of the game’s ombudsman,” the story that was deemed “exclusive” said. However, fewer than half of the league made it plain in advance that such a ballot was not worthwhile, so it never even happened.
The Mail listed Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, West Ham, Aston Villa, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth as those clubs.
Collymore began his career at Wolves before finding success with Forest after a spell in non-league with Stafford Rangers. His move to Liverpool was for a then English transfer record fee of £8.5m.
The Government has repeatedly said it wants the football authorities to agree a new financial settlement amongst themselves, but has warned that one could be imposed upon them by ‘backstop’ powers set to be given to the new independent regulator.
A Premier League spokesperson said: “At a Premier League shareholders’ meeting today clubs agreed to prioritise the swift development and implementation of a new league-wide financial system.
“This will provide certainty for clubs in relation to their future financial plans and will ensure the Premier League is able to retain its existing world-leading investment to all levels of the game.
“Alongside this, Premier League clubs also reconfirmed their commitment to securing a sustainably-funded financial agreement with the EFL, subject to the new financial system being formally approved by clubs.”
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