The Premier League's top six clubs warned the rest of the top flight today that voting to curtail the season on health grounds could set a precedent which would lead to the 2020/21 campaign also being scrapped.
In a longer than usual conference call of the 20 clubs that lasted almost four hours a clear divide emerged between the biggest clubs and the rest, many of whom voiced reservations about the Premier League's Project Restart plan than would involve resuming the season next month with matched played at a limited number of neutral grounds.
Sportsmail has learned that the meeting ended with a rallying cry from Premier League officials emphasising their determination to finish the season, with a tentative kick-off date of Friday 12 June, but only after a series of disagreements.