BLACKBURN Rovers chief executive John Williams is ready to offer the Nationwide League his full support in their battle with ITV Digital over TV money.
Williams is set to attend a meeting of the Premiership's top brass on April 18 when the television contract row is sure to be one of the main topics on the agenda.
And the Rovers chief is calling on his colleagues to adopt a tough stance in a dispute which is threatening to tear the whole game apart.
"We are very worried for the Nationwide League," said Williams.
"It's a serious blow and we only hope that they can reach an agreement with full payment from Granada-Carlton as quickly as possible.
"Club chairmen and financial directors were quite right to draw up three-year plans on the assumption that money would flow under the terms of this contract and I disagree with any accusations that they acted imprudently.
"Suddenly seeing that money withdrawn half way through a three year agreement is something they couldn't possible foresee so I absolutely endorse the Football League's stance on all this."
ITV Digital -- who were recently placed in adminstration -- are currently trying to renegotiate the terms of their three-year contract with the Football League by offering around £125 million less than the original deal was worth.
But Football League chairmen are holding firm, insisting the contract is honoured in full.
And they are calling on the Premier League to pull rank by refusing to allow TV cameras in to cover Premiership games until the dispute reaches a satisfactory conclusion.
"We have a Premier League meeting on April 18 where I'm sure this issue will get discussed because it's important for the Premier League to have a stable competition underneath it," said Williams.
"I'm not saying that shouldn't change in the future but at this moment in time I can't think of any Premier League club who wouldn't want to support the Nationwide League in this dispute.
"The Football League saw recently when we voted unanimously to keep a European place open for the winners of the Worthington Cup that we understand their needs.
"So this is an issue we must all take a strong stance on.
"I just hope that an agreement can be reached without the clubs being disadvantaged.
"The gap between the Premier League and the Nationwide League is already a chasm and the reduction of TV money would only serve to widen that."
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