Bulls News

Bates reveals non-league shun

Hereford United have been robbed of an additional £100,000 in television money, according to the chairman of Premier League giant Chelsea.

The Non-League Paper report that Ken Bates claims Premiership sides wanted to double the rewards for a televised match in the first and second round of the competition to £200,000, but this was vetoed by former FA chief executive Adam Crozier.

Bates said: "Team Bath, Forest Green and Hereford were all due to receive £100,000, a figure proposed by the Premiership representatives on the FA board. The Premiership proposed further increases this year, but they were blocked by Crozier. Now that he's gone, perhaps we can get that figure increased retrospectively to £200,000."

The money would be extremely important to the Bulls, who have debts of £1.3 million which are to be paid in May 2003.

However, an FA spokesman responded by saying: "Television fees for matches are not agreed by any one individual but by the FA board. The agreed sums for this year could not be changed in the middle of a season."

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