The Premier League tonight voted in favour, in principle, of introducing a winter break during the football season.
Chairmen from the top flight gave the green light to a two-year experiment whereby there will be a two-week break in January - as long as a balanced fixture schedule can be formulated and all the practical differences can be overcome.
If so, the experiment will begin next season, 2004-05, and continue for the following season before being reviewed.
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson tonight put forward his argument for the winter break at a meeting with the chairmen of the club's in the top flight.
Eriksson addressed a private meeting of representatives to explain his ideas for a two-week break to allow players to rest mid-season.
Many other major footballing nations already have a break and the idea has gained momentum in England with the managers of the two dominant teams, Manchester United and Arsenal, voicing their support.
Eriksson's plan for a break in January is designed to give players time to recover fully from injuries and to ensure the national team's players are not overworked before tournaments at the end of the season.
No decisions were made at the meeting. "It was just a chance to look into Sven's ideas for a winter break," a premier league spokesman said.
The proposal is for two weeks without premier league competition after the third round of the FA Cup in early January. The first week would involve no football at all and players would return to training in the second week.
However, lower-ranking and less well funded premier league clubs have traditionally resisted the idea of a lull which would deprive them of a fortnight of valuable gate receipts.
England's premier league season runs from August to May with 38 league matches plus two domestic cups and extra games if clubs are involved in European competition.