The last rites - Premier League expansion plans killed off by the FA - Sport

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The FA board declared Project Scudamore 'unsustainable' after a five-hour summit meeting and want the matter cleared up 'sooner rather than later' so the flawed scheme does not impact on England's campaign to host the 2018 World Cup.

Dead in the water: The FA declared 'Project Scudamore' unsustainable

That will start around the time of the annual FIFA Congress in Sydney in May, giving Premier League chief executive Scudamore less than three months to come up with a plan that answers all the FA's and the rest of the football world's concerns.

The FA executive staff and the national game representatives are understood to have wanted a more brutal and emphatic end to the proposals, but the diplomacy of new independent FA chairman Lord Triesman ensured that Scudamore can at least still take his proposals to FIFA president Sepp Blatter next week.

However, that is now no more than a face-saving mission for the Premier League chief executive.

FIFA hold the last chance of salvation for the Scudamore proposals, which are already seen by the rest of football away from the Premier League as dead and buried.

Nothing suggests that Blatter will change his mind from his 'abuse of football' rejection of the idea last week or the clear message that continuing with the foreign invasion would fatally damage England's 2018 ambitions. UEFA's top brass cannot believe Scudamore still intends to catch a flight to Zurich.

Scudamore believes he can convince Blatter, but importantly Lord Triesman is also going to Switzerland, and the new FA chairman is Scudamore's match when it comes to eloquence.

Giving Scudamore time: FA chief Lord Triesman allowed the Premier League to take their plan to FIFA

Lord Triesman said after the FA board meeting: 'We have not seen a sustainable plan to which we can agree. If the Premier League have things that they want to say about changes or new variants, well then come forward. But I'd prefer it sooner rather than later because I don't want this to drift on, particularly as we launch our World Cup bid.

'I would hope that, if they have other proposals, they would come back relatively quickly. They have set themselves quite a long timescale for consultation (January 2009). A shorter time will help us in the discussions we are going to have next week at FIFA's headquarters.'