LAWTON: They're killing our game

It was extraordinary for two reasons. Firstly, because Scudamore admits that the idea of asking Manchester United to add a 39th league fixture to their season and then telling them to play it in Australia is indeed ridiculous. And secondly because he revealed the Premier League's capacity for doing something even more extreme.

Global game: Pompey and Liverpool in Asia last year

Quite what could be 'more ridiculous' than 10 extra matches that destroy the integrity of the world's most popular league is beyond the comprehension of most football followers. But these guys are well paid for coming up with imaginative marketing strategies and they obviously had even more radical plans in mind.

For the most part, they have proved pretty damn good at promoting the Premier League brand and generating income for their member clubs. Scudamore, the Carlos Tevez affair aside, has long been considered one of the finest football administrators in the game.

On this occasion, however, he and his colleagues, as well as the 20 Premier League chairmen and chief executives who voted unanimously in favour of the proposal yesterday, have made a seriously bad call.

The English football community is now divided between a minority who are evidently driven by greed and the majority who are utterly appalled by an idea that should be dismissed, as it was by Gareth Southgate, as an early April Fool's joke and then forgotten in a hurry.

Fans, understandably, do not welcome being told that they will soon have to fly to the Far East or even further to watch their team play Birmingham City in a league match. 'It's an opportunity to travel!' cried Scudamore, which is fine if you're loaded.

But the objections go way beyond that. They go to the very heart of what the competition is supposed to be about. The chairmen might be in favour of the proposal but imagine Arsene Wenger's reaction when 'the draw' is made.

Imagine how he will feel at the start of a new season when he realises that, while his Arsenal side will have to meet Chelsea three times, Manchester United are heading for Tokyo for an extra encounter with Derby County.

Imagine if, when the season has been concluded, Arsenal lose the title race by one or two points.

For that reason alone, the 'international round' has to be filed away with those plans for a European Super League and then sent to the shredder.

The league works as a competition because it is fair. Because everyone plays each other home and away and the team with the most points wins.

Trouble is, the people who are behind this are the same people who now own a number of our leading football clubs and they don't seem too bothered about such detail.

They are in it for the money, and overseas televisions rights and the globalisation of the game is what excites them most.

While all 20 chairmen and chief executives agreed to the proposal in London yesterday, the foreign owners are driving this one on.

It is, of course, why they are here. Why Tom Hicks and George Gillett bought Liverpool and why they have no interest in selling to a group of businessmen in Dubai for a £50million profit.

If they sit tight and push for what they consider to be progress, they can make a real killing.

Hicks said as much in an interview with Sportsmail back in August. 'The Premier League has the best growth opportunities in global terms in sport,' he said.

Indeed it does, and Scudamore would not be doing his job properly if he did not take note of the NFL's recent appearance at Wembley and identify ways of keeping the Premier League one step ahead of Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga.

But it all smacks of hypocrisy when Sven Goran Eriksson had to battle so hard to secure that four week break prior to the last World Cup.

When they continue to claim that they care about the England team and England's already over-played footballers as well as the domestic cup competitions.

The Carling Cup - with its semi-finals in January - looks like being the first victim.

Incredibly, the Football Association said they supported the proposal yesterday but then maybe they are smarter than we think. After all, let this through and never again will the clubs be able to complain about international friendlies.

But before they do, and sanction this proposal as the governing body and guardians of the game, they should ask the managers, the players and, more importantly, the fans what they think.

HOW IT'S ALL SUPPOSED TO WORK

WHO WILL PLAY: All 20 clubs from the Barclays Premier League will compete in 10 games, with two played in each host city on Saturday and Sunday.

WHEN THE GAMES WILL BE: Mid season during the 2010-11 campaign. Probably in January, although the precise dates will depend on factors like when New Year's Day falls.

WHERE THEY WILL PLAY: In five major cities around the world, preferably in different time zones to enable broadcasters to screen all the games for a UK audience.

AND WHO PLAYS WHO: The season will be extended to 39 games. Who plays who is yet to be determined but the idea of a free random draw is unlikely.