Clubs in the East react as 'thoroughly bad idea' of European Super League is scrapped

Clubs across the East have spoken of their delight after plans for a controversial European Super League were scrapped.

England's top six clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, wanted to join a new breakaway midweek league, but have all now decided to pull the plug after a hugely negative reaction from supporters.

AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid have also now withdrawn, leaving the proposals in tatters.

The new league would have seen the same clubs competing against each other every season, with no prospect of relegation or promotion.

It would have also threatened the future of the footballing pyramid in this country, making the gap between the big clubs and the small clubs even wider, while also killing any dreams of clubs outside the top six being able to play against Europe's elite.

  • Hear from Cambridge United Chief Executive Ian Mather and Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling

"It can't be just about the finances and the money," Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling told ITV News Anglia.

"It's unlikely, but teams like Colchester United, we could rise all the way to the top at the moment and get promoted into the highest leagues possible and that would have took that away, and I think that's part of the beauty of what we've got in our sport."

Cambridge United Chief Executive Ian Mather added: "Have we learnt nothing in this pandemic about how important those teams are in the communities they serve?

"In the East of England Peterborough, Stevenage, Cambridge - they're all doing good things in their communities. Ok, we're not in the Premier League and we're not going to be entrants to the Super League - but we're making a real difference."

The intervention of supporters was crucial in getting the top six clubs to change their minds, and football fans in Norwich and Northampton on Wednesday were in jubilant mood that the league had been stopped.