Town will receive just £364,000 a year as part of the Football League's deal with Sky Sports. Previously under the ITV Digital agreement the top Nationwide League clubs received £1.6 million per season.

The Blues stand to gain more money from the deal as they are likely to be heavily featured in the 50 live First Division games. Each appearance is worth £60,000 to the sides taking part.

Town's David Sheepshanks has criticised the length of the deal while Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has gone even further in his criticism.

Jordan has branded the Football League board "morons" and called for the sacking of League chairman David Burns: "I am totally stunned and disgusted at the way this has been handled by the League.

"I am shocked by the small amount of money we have got and staggered that the news was put in the public domain before the clubs were told.

"I only found out about it when I turned on the television and immediately had another First Division chairman ringing me up in disbelief as well.

"This is just typical of the incompetents who run the Football League and I hold David Burns and the whole executive responsible."

"I can only assume that the morons who run the League think they can use this as proof of losses incurred when they take ITV Digital to court.

"The sooner Burns and the rest of them are removed from office, the better. They should simply be sacked."

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