League fury at 'derisory' ITV offer

The Football League last night furiously dismissed a new £60million offer from ITV Digital.

In a dramatic new development Clifford Chance, the City law firm acting for ITV Digital's administrators, unexpectedly faxed the new deal, an increase of just £10m on their initial one, to the League's lawyers late last night.

The move follows the decision by ITV Digital's owners, Granada and Carlton, to place the company in administration. They are threatening to pull the plug on the company unless the League agrees to renegotiate its £315m three-year deal to televise Nationwide League matches.

The League is owed £178.5m for the last two years but ITV Digital had offered just £50m until yesterday. If the money is not received up to 30 clubs could go bankrupt.

The new move drew an immediate response from the League. A source said today: "The new offer is derisory. Do the administrators think we have a mental age of three?"

The offer includes a new condition that Granada, Carlton and their directors are released from any threat of a damages claim from the League, which currently plans to sue for over £500m if there is a breach of the existing deal. The key question has always been whether Granada and Carlton as parent companies are liable for the debts of ITV Digital.

Amazingly, the new offer also sees the rights to the matches staying with ITV. Most clubs are likely to see this move as another pressure tactic from Granada and Carlton, which are jointly worth £5billion on the Stock Market, ahead of Monday's High Court hearing which could see ITV Digital go into liquidation. The chairmen of the 72 clubs have been told to step up the political pressure on the two companies by personal lobbying of their local MPs.

Standard Sport has obtained a letter written by League chief executive David Burns, sent to each club chairman on Wednesday, outlining the tactics they should use to assert pressure.