Bury went into administration in August 2019, three months before the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the pandemic are still being felt in the lower leagues of the country and it is about time the so-called ‘bigger’ football clubs in England begin to financially aid ‘smaller’ sides across the country.

There is a big difference between the financial side of the Premier League and the other divisions in the English Football League, with the shared broadcast revenue of the Premier League. In addition to the influx of money, parachute payments for those relegated from the topflight mean that even the gap between the Premier League and the Championship is enormous. Now that sides in the lower reaches of the English football pyramid are struggling financially, it is time for sides at the summit to financially support them.

Manchester City, the reigning English, and European champions, earned £153 million throughout the 2022-23 season. The same season, rebranded Bury FC finished fourth in the ninth tier of English football. This financial gain that Premier League clubs receive is proof that they can afford to financially support clubs lower than them.

There will be sceptics though. The theory appears logical but the execution can be muddled. Will every team that is required to donate, transfer their money into a pool that the FA then evenly share to those eligible for financial support? Do the clubs choose which sides they help financially? How does a team become eligible for financial support, and which teams will be required to help? Sports journalist Daniel Gallan raised these questions when asked about the idea. Gallan said, “I agree with the proposal but it will be tricky finding out how to put this to use.” There are a lot of questions and from these questions, doubt can arise.

However, the Football Association has the experience and know-how to put this theory into practice. They can create a fund that specific teams can transfer money into, and then equally share the amount of money towards the lower reaches of the league system, the FA can preserve the history of so many ‘smaller’ clubs across the country. This method means that everyone who provides equally, and everyone who receives, gets the same. As for the issue of deciding which clubs are involved on either side of the process, the FA has made some tough decisions before and this would also, no doubt, be a tough decision.

There are two different solutions.

Either strictly determine the entire Premier League to take part or select clubs that earned a minimum profit over a period of seasons, get them to transfer over an amount that is proportionate to their profits, as of course, even the “bigger” clubs can lose money from season to season. The case in which teams can receive funding is another question. Any side in danger of financial hardship will need to be a part of this group. Again, this can be any team. Even former Premier League teams like Portsmouth in 2010 have gone into administration. The focus, however, needs to be on sides in the Football League and below as grassroots football is critical to the development of the sport.

Teams within the same league system should help each other, not in the way of competing for trophies but just to survive. Money can be used for better training grounds and maintenance management. It is not a case of looking at the problem with a competitive focus but it is because of this that the argument of “how you perform will merit the financial gain” is avoided when it comes to this problem. Similarly, teams within the same community can help each other. For example, a Premier League team like West Ham who have had big European success, can help non-league club Barking as they are both within the East London area.

Football has taken a while to catch up with other sports in other areas of the game such as Virtual Assistant Referees, and audible communication between referees of a match. This is a golden opportunity for football to lead by example and help those who need it.