Football: We must feed the minnows or the bigger fish will starve

WHEN a young lad called Kevin Keegan was spotted playing for Scunthorpe it was the start of what was to become one of the greatest careers in football.

Scunthorpe and all the other little teams who put players on the road to stardom are rightly proud of their contribution to the game.

Maybe the vast majority of people in football couldn't give a monkey's about these clubs but there are plenty of fans who do.

And if this ITV Digital mess doesn't sort itself out these clubs, and some bigger names like Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, could wither and die.

If that happens football should hang its head in shame.

I played against Forest when they were European champions and I find it almost beyond belief that this once great team is now facing the distinct possibility of going down the tubes.

For the moment the only bubbles bursting in the Premiership are those rising up champagne glasses, but that won't last forever. It's about time everyone in football got their heads around the fact that the last of the big spenders might just have left town.

The Nationwide clubs are entitled to expect the money ITV said they would pay. But the Football League have now got a massive problem.

Having pulled the plug on what has turned into the business cock- up of the year, ITV seem determined either to negotiate a lower fee for showing Nationwide football and the Worthington Cup or back out of the deal altogether.

The Football League rightly feel cheated and it looks like they are going to dig in their heels and sue for the full pounds 315million. I admire their spirit but they are running the risk of ITV Digital deciding to hit the off-button.

One thing is clear. There is no benefactor waiting to jump in with the kind of money the Football League wants, so surely 50 per cent of what they were promised is better than 100 per cent of nothing.

Whatever happens, this is a wake-up call for the entire football family. The grass roots of the sport have to be protected.

There is no doubt in my mind that Premiership clubs have a duty to help out the small clubs. You can't keep feeding the top and ignoring the bottom. At the very least the top 10 Premiership clubs should be encouraged to look at the possibility of adopting a smaller club. I know it has been dismissed before because of competition rules but surely there is a way around this. It wouldn't hurt to reopen the debate and see if it can work.

Millions have been spent developing Premiership academies but adopting a small club would still have clear benefits.

For example, Manchester United could use a team like Bury as a stepping-stone for the best of their academy kids who need the kind of match experience you can't get in the reserves. United loaned David Beckham to Preston to harden him up a bit, so we know it works.

Apart from the financial benefits of having a big team as a shareholder, the small club would also get the stars of the

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