Walsall chief executive Stefan Gamble warning of Premier League 'closed shop'

The new three-year contract sees a 70 per cent increase in revenue for top-flight clubs.

Teams outside the Premier League will receive more cash too. But Gamble reckons the massive hike in income for the leading clubs will see the top division effectively pull the drawbridge up behind them and make it far more difficult for Championship outfits to get in and stay there.

"Teams going from the Premier League to the Championship will really distort the competition at that level," said Gamble.

"It might become a closed shop where the same five or six clubs are yo-yoing between the top two divisions – it's a real danger.

"By and large it's the same clubs going up and down, so it's a real problem.

Clubs such as Walsall will benefit from the new deal, but the gap from them to the Premier League sides will widen further.

"We will benefit from it because the solidarity agreement means more money will flow down through the football pyramid," Gamble told a fans' forum at the Banks's Stadium.

"The bigger the Premier League deal, the bigger the piece of our pie will be."

Currently, the amount of English players in the Premier League is around 32 per cent, compared to 59 per cent in Spain and 50 per cent in Germany.

Gamble believes the deal will further reduce the chances of English players flourishing at the top level of the game.

"There could be more foreign players coming into the game and the chances of English players coming through will reduce even more."

Meanwhile, Sam Mantom has had fresh hope that he will play again this season.

The 22-year-old had a scope in his right knee almost four weeks ago but hasn't played since November.

"Sam has had a very unfortunate and complex injury but hopefully there's some light at the end of the tunnel and we will see him play before the end of the season," said Gamble.

Romaine Sawyers has been called up by St Kitts and Nevis for two international qualifiers around the time of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final – but he will still be available for the Saddlers at Wembley against Bristol City on Sunday, March 22

but he will miss Walsall's trip to Chesterfield on Saturday, March 28, as he will be travelling back.