The world's most valuable football match takes place on Saturday, not in Munich but at Wembley. Worth pounds 90?million to the winner, the Championship play-off final between West Ham United and Blackpool is set against a backdrop of financial uncertainty bedevilling the national game."I've talked a lot to David Gold," said Greg Clarke, the Football League chairman, of West Ham's co-owner. "Gold and David Sullivan are really financially and emotionally committed to West Ham. It's always difficult when a club that size is relegated because the expectation of the fans is 'immediate return, we're much better than anyone else in the Championship, we're a big club'. Sam Allardyce is under phenomenal pressure to bounce back."The pressure on Blackpool is not immense. People will say, 'Good old little Blackpool, up there again, giving it a good go'. And if they lose, people will say: 'They did really well to get to the final'. Everyone will wish them well at Wembley. Blackpool are a classic example of how to run a club well, get in the Premier League, come down and not implode and still be competitive. Karl Oyston is a very sensible businessman who loves the dream but isn't seduced by it."Clarke takes pride in stable clubs being promoted to the promised land of the Premier League. "Look at Swansea and Norwich. They are run well: good owners, good managers. I am very proud of the Premier League. I was mesmerised by the last weekend of the season. But when you fall out of the Premier League with its riches, a significant number come down as a financial crisis waiting to happen."Portsmouth does keep me awake at night. I bleed for the Portsmouth fans. I went down there for a game and they sang even when they were down. I hope they survive. There's relatively little left of the club.They don't own the ground, the land around the ground, the training ground. Their squad has diminished, most of the assets are pledged to creditors, so what are you buying? A name and a share in the Football League. It's a tough sell putting on that a value that comes anywhere the 10s of millions of pounds of debts. Trevor Birch is a good administrator, an honourable man, who knows his football but he's shocked." Balram Chainrai, the former owner owed around pounds 19?million by the club, last night made an offer to buy Portsmouth back.On being appointed two years ago, Clarke warned the 72 chairmen of the "financial tsunami" rolling towards them. "There are about 20 clubs who are very financially fragile. Clubs used to use Government as a bank, thinking: 'Things are a bit tight, we won't pay our tax.' From next season, if you're a month behind to HMRC you get a transfer embargo. Clubs really hate that.'' Clarke understood Ken Bates' approach to Leeds United. "Bates is all right. He is trying to rebuild Leeds to be a Premier League club without throwing ridiculous amounts of money at it, without taking bets that would compromise their existence. That's cost him a few friends in Leeds but fans live in the moment." Clarke plans talks with the relegated trio of Bolton, Wolves and the Venky's-owned Blackburn. "I know relatively little about Venky's other than they turned up, two sons walked on the pitch, waved their hands and 12 months later they are relegated and everyone says the club's run badly. It is showing signs you associate with a seriously distressed club. We will get their future financial forecasts. They will talk to us about how they are going to fund the club and their aspirations are. I won't fly out to India. We've got better things to spend money."We have some great foreign owners. At Derby County, the American owners run the club well, behaving ethically and responsibly. John Berylson runs Millwall well. He's very knowledgeable.''The League checks out all potential owners. "We get reports,'' continued Clarke. "Often it says: 'No criminal convictions, not been struck off as a director, but there's loads of scuttlebutt and rumour'. Those doubts won't stand up in a court of law. The guy's got potentially pounds 1?billion and he's saying to us: 'OK, you're going to besmirch my name by saying I'm not a fit-and-proper person. Go and speak to my QC and we'll see what evidence you have against me.' We get threatened a lot. "If it was money-laundering, and we could prove it, we'd say 'no', and be straight on to the Financial Services Authority, police and say 'money-launderers, get after them.' But we have to be careful what we say and act only on fact, otherwise we'd get sued."We are debating [asking for] larger bonds. But Plymouth Argyle probably wouldn't exist now if we'd asked James Brent for a bond. He is doing it for all the right reasons, keeping his local club alive. But he's tough. He said: 'I'm not putting that [bond] up. This is the deal I am willing to do'." The League agreed.According to the League, West Ham could have sold 60,000 tickets for today's game, confirming the club's belief they need a bigger ground. Clarke has reservations about their target. "The Olympic Stadium is not designed to host a Premier League club. The running track is only the half of it. Where do you put your corporates? Upton Park is not that bad a ground." 

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