9 Jun 2010Football League agrees on new home-grown rule

Football Leagues/ Association and Governance

The Football League has announced new restrictions on next season's playing squads following its annual general meeting in Malta.

Under the rules, England's 72 football clubs outside the top flight will be obliged to have at least ten home-grown players out of a maximum of 25 over-21s, although there will be no restriction on the number of footballers aged under 21.

Recently-appointed Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: "This has been a positive and constructive meeting at which we've looked at many of the important issues currently facing football."

Other reforms set to be introduced include transfer bans for clubs who fail to meet deadlines for filing financial accounts, with league bosses set to hold further talks on possible punishments for sides who go into administration.

Last month, the Football League revealed more than 17 million football fans attended non-English Premier League matches last season, with the Championship retaining its spot as Europe's fourth most popular division.

Written by Terry Mitchell

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