Manchester United lead push to increase Football League solidarity payments after Bury’s demise
Manchester United are reportedly among several Premier League clubs eager to increase solidarity payments for lower-league sides after Bury's expulsion from the Football League.
The two-time FA Cup winners were kicked out on Tuesday following the late collapse of a takeover deal, with owner Steve Dale failing to convince authorities that he could pay off creditors.
It marked the first time since 1992 that a team has been ejected from the League, and the Daily Mail reports that top-flight sides are now looking into offering larger payments.
As things stand, Premier League teams pay Championship counterparts £4.5 million per season, while League One teams receive £675,000 and League Two sides £460,000.
Those payments were reduced for the first time this year as a result of the value of the Premier League’s domestic TV rights dropping, but an increase is now being seriously considered by senior figures at some of England’s biggest clubs.
Manchester United are said to be one of those teams and have shown willingness to review the payments after the demise of Bury and Bolton’s financial struggles.
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.