No drama in ring-fence

WHILE Premiership owners are cranking up the pressure to end promotion- relegation the rest of the game is absorbed by a contest to avoid the drop which involves every team from 6th to 12th in the table. What they should ask themselves is how are they going to replicate that sort of sporting drama in the sterile ring-fenced league they hanker after?

While they are at it they should also consider the prospect of properly funded Championship teams being promoted as an asset, rather than liability – and the second tier being a place where Premiership clubs that have got it wrong are able to re-build and come back up stronger.