English Football League chairmen today signalled their refusal to budge in the ITV Digital crisis and called for the top executives of Carlton Communications and Granada to come to the negotiating table.
A meeting of all 72 club chairmen at Maine Road, Manchester, ended with the League insisting it will pursue the Stg£178.5million owed by ITV Digital to the bitter end.
The administrators of ITV Digital last night withdrew an offer of Stg£74million, meaning the dispute was thrown back to square one, and the company may now go into liquidation leaving the League facing a legal battle with owners Carlton and Granada.
League chairman Keith Harris said: "All the members of the Football League are united in their approach to this dispute.
"Carlton and Granada have obligations to pay Stg£178.5million to the Football League under a contract signed in June 2000.
"The distress and instability in the football community caused by the threats not to honour the contract are affecting the clubs, their employees, the players and the supporters.
"As a result of this meeting we are calling on the senior executives of Carlton and Granada to meet us and resolve this matter."
PA