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English clubs teams put on notice

The controversy over the rumoured Super League continues, with England's Premier League officials setting a deadline for top clubs Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool a to confirm in writing that they would not join such a league.

Failure to meet the deadline could result in legal action, the clubs have been told.

All three clubs are believed to be among top European teams that met in secret recently to moot the forming of a Super League for the 2000-2001 season.

The Premier League's action is based on rules that prohibit clubs comprising the league to play in any professional competition not recognized by the league and the English Football Association.

The idea, say Premier League officials, is to settle the issue once for all. "There's a lot of speculation about the Super League, we would like a final clarification of the position of top clubs with respect to it," said one official.

The move follows a request by UEFA to its member associations, asking that they contact leading clubs to find out the position on the proposed -- or rather, rumoured -- Super League is being proposed.

See previous story in Football Diary