Clubs now obliged to reveal identity of owners

The requirement "to publish the identity of any individuals owning 10 per cent or more in any club" was one of the new regulations as well as tougher financial requirements for Championship clubs.

It follows an exclusive story in yesterday's Yorkshire Post in which Football League chairman Greg Wright insisted there needed to be greater transparency in terms of fans knowing who actually owns the club they support.

The new rules for Championship clubs will require details of 'future financial information' relating to the following season to be provided to the league.

Clubs will also have to show they have no overdue tax bills, transfer fees or wages to pay.

The Premier League's funding package for the Football League will be worth 124m a season for three years and will see relegated clubs from the top flight earn 48million over four years in parachute payments compared to the current 16m a year over two years.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "The financial strength of the Premier League has always benefited the entire English game.

"But we are taking the unprecedented step of formalising arrangements so that the solidarity payments and the alignment of rules – in some fairly critical areas – are linked.

"The Premier League clubs felt strongly that a stronger Championship would be greatly beneficial to both competitions. It is a fact of life that we welcome three of their number (into our league) each season.

"Helping make sure that those clubs coming up are properly prepared – both on and off the pitch – for life in the Premier League was something we felt these measures would help achieve.

"The extra revenue – 2.2million per Championship club, 335,000 per League One club and 225,000 per League Two club – coming in every season for the next three will make an enormous difference to the individual incomes of those clubs, but more importantly will make planning for the future that much easier."

Clarke said he was delighted with the outcome of yesterday's meeting.

"I am pleased that our clubs have supported new and revised regulations that further strengthen the professionalism and good governance of the Football League," he said.