By Andy Lance
August 7 2002

"The Football League has to re-organise itself if it is to avoid fiascos such as the ITV Digital crisis which has threatened the future of several lower league clubs" British Sports Minister Richard Caborn said last Wednesday.

League chairman Keith Harris and chief executive David Burns both resigned on Tuesday, leaving the organisation in shambles with the new season just around the corner. "The two top men have gone and that has been a decision by the League. It's like any other business, if people are seen to have made unsound decisions they have to pay the price," said Caborn. "What is important now is to make sure that football can reorganise itself quickly to make sure that clubs can operate on a stable basis," Caborn told the Press Association. "There needs to be a more realistic assessment of football to avoid the situation that has occurred with the League. A lot of people had been warning the bubble was going to burst, but in the event it did so 18 months sooner than was expected." The disastrous ITV Digital deal saw Nationwide clubs end up 178.5million pounds (274 million dollars) out of pocket. The High Court threw out on appeal the league's quest to have the shortfall made up by broadcasters Granada and Carlton, owners of ITV Digital.