Salary cap set for green light

ALAN HARDY . . . there needs to be a tighter control on wages, says Athletic’s chief executive.

Hardy expects clubs to approve new rule
ALAN Hardy expects npower League One clubs to ratify a new salary-capping rule today.

Athletic’s chief executive is in Leicester for a Football League EGM, in which a simplified version of the much-hyped ‘financial fair play’ system will be put before a members’ vote.

It will restrict the amount of money clubs can spend on player wages to a maximum of three-quarters of overall income.

If passed, the ‘Salary Cost Management Protocol’ will start in the forthcoming 2011-12 season — effectively saving clubs from themselves.

“At the previous meetings I have attended, there has been a groundswell of opinion that something needs to be introduced,” said Hardy.

“It is generally accepted there needs to be a tighter control on wages.”

Sanctions for breaking through that barrier are not expected to be put in place until the 2012-13 season, but the idea is to bring that percentage figure down, year-on-year, in order to further ease the financial burden on clubs.

While new for League One, salary management has already been in place in League Two for a number of seasons.

There will be an allowance for clubs relegated from the Championship, but the details are yet to be decided.

Other changes are also expected to be introduced today in time for the upcoming season.

The number of substitutes that can be named on team sheets will reduce from seven to five in league matches, helping to save money on appearance fees. Three replacements during a game will still be allowed.

And there will be an increase in the number of home-grown players that must be named in a match-day squad. Currently, each team sheet must name at least four players who have been registered in England for at least three years, with that figure set to rise to six.

Meanwhile, Athletic’s reserves drew 1-1 at Salford last night in their first pre-season friendly.

A trialist striker struck first for Lee Duxbury’s men on the quarter-hour before Salford equalised with a smart finish.

David Mellor stood out for the visitors in an open contest in which Kirk Millar and Connor Hughes spurned scoring chances.