Portsmouth chief executive Mark Catlin has confirmed that the League One salary cap was passed by only one vote and has revealed that two clubs had a late change of mind ahead of the lunchtime poll.
The proposal required two-thirds of the division’s sides - 16 - to vote in its favour and exactly that number did so. Seven are now said to have voted against the initiative with one abstaining.
"We’re very disappointed, one more vote and we would have been able to stop it,” Catlin told the Portsmouth News.
"But we have to respect the views and opinions of the majority of the clubs in League One. So we now have to move on to the next stage.
"Sixteen was the required number of votes and the number who voted for it was 16. Unfortunately, a couple of clubs changed their minds this morning which was disappointing.
"I was speaking to clubs pretty much daily and it was taking up a huge amount of time, so I knew it would be close.
"I knew one was in the middle and likely to abstain, but I spoke to one club this morning who said they were going to flip their vote.
"After speaking to the EFL at length this morning they changed their mind. That’s their decision. We have to respect the majority rule and we’re part of a democratic organisation.”
League Two also voted in favour of a salary cap set at £1.5 million by a much bigger margin of 22-2.