‘We’re here to cause disruption’: Gary Neville explains why he’s calling for urgent reform across football

Salford City FC co-owner unveiled new proposals on Thursday to call for independent governance to be introduced across the English pyramid to ensure the game is financial sustainable

Gary Neville warned the Premier League that the new ‘Saving the Beautiful Game’ manifesto is designed to “cause disruption” in an effort to save English football from financial oblivion.

The former Manchester United and England footballer is among an eight-strong group that has released a series of radical plans in an effort to bring financial stability and proper independent governance to the sport, following the fallout from the rejected Project Big Picture proposal.

The Salford City FC co-owner is joined by former Football Association chairman David Bernstein, ex-FA executive director David Davies and the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in calling for complete reform of the national governing body, and a new financial structure that will filter the Premier League’s riches down the English pyramid.

The plans are almost certain to be strongly opposed by Premier League clubs, but Neville has no problem with ruffling the feathers of English football’s elite.

"We’re here to put change in place,” Neville declared on Thursday. “We’re here to stimulate change, tweak the tail of the tiger. We’re here to cause disruption."

“Is there anybody in this country who loves football with a crumb of knowledge about football who doesn’t believe the current system is wrong? Everyone thinks it’s wrong apart from maybe a few clubs at the very top.”

Neville was vocal in pointing out this week that certain aspects of Project Big Picture - the brainchild of Manchester United, Liverpool and the EFL chairman Rick Parry - did have some good points to discuss, although he is highly opposed to the plans for the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ to seize control of the English pyramid.

“From my point of view this is just a common sense approach,” he said. “What Project Big Picture has done is demonstrate that there can be a more sustainable EFL. It’s been proven. And a competitive Premier League still.

“They do need to include the non-league. They need to talk about fans and make sure there is a better picture. They’ve not gone far enough in certain areas. But there is something on the table and I’ve been a little disappointed this week with the negativity towards Project Big Picture. Of course we’re negative towards the power grab element of it, but let’s not get it off the table.”

The 45-year-old believes he is privileged in being able to look at the current picture from an unbiased point of view, given he has prior experience in just about every department involved.

“I've got the unique position that I've been a football player, I’m now an EFL owner, been on the Professional Footballers’ Association management committee and worked under Roy Hodgson within the FA and have seen how they operate for the last 20 years,” he said.

“I'm also a fan. I'm employed by Sky Sports and I love Manchester United. I've also been part of the National League with Salford the last five or six years so I've got a unique perspective in the sense that I actually love all forms of the game.”

But there were aspects of the plans, such as the Premier League one-club, one-vote system being overhauled in favour of United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham assuming power over English professional football, which Neville does not like the look of.

“I believe just quite simply that there is enough wealth in the game to create a good deal first and foremost for fans, for the National League, for the EFL, for the Premier League, for the FA and grassroots. Simple as that,” he added.

“Everybody can be looked after and that's why this week when I saw Project Big Picture come forward, which surprised us, simultaneously a group of clubs within the Premier League and Rick on behalf of the EFL members were working away.

“There are large parts of that proposal which I actually support. However, I don't want the Glazer family, John W Henry or Roman Abramovic or Daniel Levy running football in this country. I don't want the Community Shield to go. I don’t want the League Cup to be given away to create when there is no need for it to be given away to create. We can innovate around the existence of it. I don’t like the idea of a short-term rescue package being offered on the basis that you sign up to the bigger deal.

“However, there is great merit in some of the proposals. Seventy-two League clubs would almost become instantly sustainable if Big Picture went through, however I suspect because it's been rejected yesterday that we will now enter into a world of chaos for the next six-to-12 months and football will have a go at trying to reform itself, but would yet again fail.

“That is why I was keen to join the group that David put together eight months ago, credible people from all different backgrounds, different sorts of sectors, industries, politics, but all who actually recognise that there is a deal here to do and the only way to actually achieve that is through someone independent being there to facilitate it.”