EFL chairman Rick Parry warns that "the lawyers are going to get wealthy" if Premier League promotion isn't honoured

Giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee on Tuesday, Parry warned that "the lawyers are going to get wealthy" if promotions weren't honoured from England's second division.

Reports emerged over the weekend stating that some Premier League clubs would be willing to continue playing this season, but only if the threat of relegation was removed.

However, Parry said it would get very "messy" if that was the outcome and stated that it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement between the Premier League, EFL and the FA.

"We expect three Championship clubs to be promoted - the Premier League are aware of our position on that. The Premier League expects three clubs to be relegated," he said.

When asked about the Premier League changing their position, Parry added: "The lawyers are going to get wealthy if that happens.

"There would be a degree of outrage from a number of clubs in our Championship, and it would be a breach of the tripartite agreement.

"The safe answer is that it would get very messy. Our expectation is there would be three clubs promoted from the Championship."

Parry also discussed the financial impact of the current pause in play, with a large financial black hole set to emerge in the next few months.

Asked in a worst-case scenario how many clubs might go out of business, Parry replied: "That's a difficult one to answer.

"We would like to emerge stronger and leaner, with a proper reset post-Covid. We are heading for a financial hole of £200m by the end of September.

"Clubs are stacking up creditors and there are a great deal of uncertainties."

He would also describe parachute payments to clubs relegated from the Premier League as "an evil that needs to be eradicated".

"There is strong opposition to them in the EFL, that's almost a given, apart from the clubs receiving them," he continued.

"They are a prime example of clubs being protected or helping them adjust to the chasm (between the Premier League and the Championship). But if we didn't have a chasm in the first place you wouldn't need them."

Parry also told the committee that the desire to finish the season behind closed doors was mainly a consideration of sporting integrity - adding that financially there was almost no benefit.

"At our level if we were to play behind closed doors then it is finely balanced economically, almost neutral, he said.

"For many clubs it would cost them to play - the cost of staging games."

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