BLACKBURN defender Craig Short today called on his fellow professionals to pay more in subscription fees to the PFA in a bid to avert the threat of potential strike action in the future.

Short admitted he breathed a sigh of relief last week when industrial action was averted following a compromise deal between the Premier League and the PFA.

However, the Rovers centre back now believes the current subscriptions system also needs a shake-up with players at the very top of the game being asked to pay more, which would consequently make the Union less reliant on TV money in the future.

Under the present system, every player in the country pays the same flat rate of £75 a year -- whether they play for Manchester United or Mansfield Town. But Short is calling for a fairer method of payment whereby players would pay a percentage of their wage -- effectively meaning the rich pay more.

"Maybe in the future players should pay a percentage of their wages and I'm sure most of them would agree to that," said Short.

"I don't think it's right that players in the Premier League are paying the same as those in the Third Division and that's an issue that needs to be addressed in the future.

"I'd certainly be prepared to do it.

"My brother, for instance, has just had to pack the game in and the PFA have been great to him. They've helped him to get on a course so I've seen how they help players in the game.

"I came from a lower league side myself so I think it's only right that players higher up should pay a bit more."

Short was just one of a host of players at Ewood who backed the PFA in their call for strike action at a recent ballot. But he was ultimately relieved when the Union reached a settlement with the Premier League on Friday, thus ending the threat of a football blackout this weekend.

"We all heard the news after training on Friday. We had all this before over the years but this one dragged on more than the rest of them," said Short.

"But the players still felt in the back of their minds that it would all get sorted out.

"Ninety nine per cent of us voted to back the union but we also had to look at how all this was going to affect football."

"I don't think it's right that players in the Premier League are paying the same as those in the Third Division and that's an issue that needs to be addressed in the future.

"I'd certainly be prepared to do it.

"My brother, for instance, has just had to pack the game in and the PFA have been great to him. They've helped him to get on a course so I've seen how they help players in the game.

"I came from a lower league side myself so I think it's only right that players higher up should pay a bit more."

Short was just one of a host of players at Ewood who backed the PFA in their call for strike action at a recent ballot. But he was ultimately relieved when the Union reached a settlement with the Premier League on Friday, thus ending the threat of a football blackout this weekend.

"We all heard the news after training on Friday. We had all this before over the years but this one dragged on more than the rest of them," said Short.

"But the players still felt in the back of their minds that it would all get sorted out.

"Ninety nine per cent of us voted to back the union but we also had to look at how all this was going to affect football.

"And I think public opinion was swaying a bit against football because of the argument about us all paying a flat rate."