CHARLTON plc chairman Richard Murray has warned that the Premiership has reached a critical stage in its evolution and believes immedaite action must be taken to secure future prosperity.

He is worried about the gap between the elite teams at the top of the table and the other clubs widening and says there are implications over finances and entertainment.

He said: "To retain its prominence, the competition must be competitive and exciting. There are only a few teams in the Premiership with the resources to mount a challenge for the title.

"For most of the remaining clubs, survival in the league becomes the principal objective, creating a negativity that can lead to low entertainment value in many matches.

"We must also never lose sight of the importance of supporters to the health of our game and over-exposure on television and disparity of kick off times are important issues that concern me."