BURNLEY and the other 19 Premier League club owners have been challenged to commit five per cent of their new £5.136billion windfall to grassroots football.

Richard Caborn, a board member of the Football Foundation and a former sports minister, said the top-flight clubs have a responsibility to put a chunk of the record television deal back into the game at community level by funding facilities and coaches.

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The Premier League is one of the joint funders of the Football Foundation, providing £12million annually, along with the FA and the Government who each provide £10million, which is used for community facilities.

Caborn said: “This is a challenge to the 20 club owners and chairmen. Some of them have been alleged to have little interest in the England team and English football more broadly, “Community funding from the Premier League has not kept pace with its increase in television income and I would challenge the chairmen to commit five per cent of their total receipts to grass-roots football.

“The number of 3G pitches we have in England is tiny compared with countries such as Germany, and the same goes for the number of coaches when you compare us with Spain for example.

“They have the privilege of coming and being an owner of an English club and each should have to put back five per cent into the game. That level would keep it simple, and allow community funding to keep pace with increases in income.”

Five per cent of the 2016-19 UK television deal would work out at £86million a year, and if the overseas TV rights bring in another £3billion that would total £136million annually for grass-roots football under Caborn’s proposal.

He said the five per cent should exclude parachute payments or solidarity payments to Football League clubs.

In response, the Premier League has said it has committed five per cent of its 2013-16 UK rights to grass roots and good causes - £168million over the three-season term, or £56million a season.

That includes the £12million per year investment in the Football Foundation, as well as investments in school sport, community coaching, Football League and Conference community projects, and Prince’s Trust Football Initiative.

In its statement announcing the new rights won by Sky and BT Sport, it added: “This season we will invest in more than 50 new artificial grass roots pitches in communities across the UK and deliver hundreds of projects that focus on improving sports coaching in schools and inspiring young people to play sport.

“The financial investment in this important area of our work will be £56million.”

The Football Supporters’ Federation, meanwhile, believe “a three-pronged attack” is now required.