The Premier League will delay a ballot on the ‘New Deal for Football’ until they are almost sure it will be passed, with some clubs claiming a defeat would be seen as a vote of no confidence in chief executive Richard Masters.

Mail Sport revealed earlier this month that Masters is under pressure, with several top-flight clubs unhappy about his leadership on several issues.

The Premier League’s proposals for a new financial settlement for the EFL is one of them, along with their decision to tighten regulations on related-party commercial deals and loan moves. 

A second meeting has been provisionally scheduled for March 11, when it is hoped a vote can be held. Behind the scenes, several Premier League clubs are describing the impending vote as a referendum on Masters’ leadership, although the majority are thought to still be supportive.

Mail Sport revealed earlier this month that Masters is under pressure, with several top-flight clubs unhappy about his leadership

Curle abandons post midway through broadcast 

Former England defender Keith Curle surprised viewers by abandoning his reporting shift live on Sky Sports News midway through Arsenal’s Champions League defeat by Porto on Wednesday evening.

The former Manchester City and Wolves centre back was providing updates and analysis from Sky’s Isleworth studio, but removed his headset and left 15 minutes into the second half, as he was booked on a 10.30pm train to Sheffield and had to dash across London to get to Euston.

Former England defender Keith Curle was reporting on Arsenal’s Champions League clash

Curle made a swift exit from the Sky Sport studios part way through the game in Portugal

Players could face sin bins for dissent and tactical fouls in next season’s FA Cup under a new trial set to be given the green light by football’s law-makers IFAB

Dementia campaigners to monitor sin-bin trials discussions 

Law-makers IFAB’s discussion of 10-minute sin-bin trials at their meeting in Scotland next Saturday will be monitored closely by dementia campaigners, who have noted with a sense of irony that the same group rejected proposals to trial 10-minute concussion substitutes 12 months ago.

The FA support both trials, but the introduction of temporary concussion subs was rejected by FIFA, who have four of the seats on the eight-person IFAB Board.

TNT Sports have secured highlights rights for the FA Cup from next year in addition to the four-year live deal that was announced last week.

Under the terms of the £66million-a-year deal, at least two matches per round up to the quarter-final must be on free-to-air TV, which they’re in the process of sub-licensing. The FA are planning a separate tender process for digital clips and live radio coverage.