SWINDON Town manager Richie Wellens believes the fit-and-proper-person test in football is ‘a shambles’ and the recently introduced salary cap is ‘an absolutely disastrous idea.’

The Town boss revealed his thoughts on potential reforms to English football when quizzed about Project Big Picture in the pre-match press conference ahead of Swindon’s League One game at home to Sunderland on Saturday.

While Project Big Picture was not widely supported throughout the English game, Wellens felt most would agree with his view that the fit-and-proper-person test is not as effective as it needs to be.

Asked what changes he would make to prevent the mistreatment of EFL clubs, Wellens said: “The fit-and-proper-person test is a shambles.

“I’ve been involved in an owner taking over who should not be near a football club.

“We see clubs nearly go to the wall, and then a takeover happens, and people think the club is safe. And because of these tests, it actually ends up worse.

“A simple alternative would be to say: ‘Ok, you’re a League One club, so your budget is £2 million.

“When the new owner takes over, put £2 million in an account to the side that you can’t touch’, and if that club ever runs into trouble, then the PFA or the EFL can go into that account and keep your club running until a new owner is found.

“There’s a simple idea – it’s not rocket science is it?”

In addition to the fit-and-proper-person test, the next subject to feel the Town boss’ wrath was the recently introduced salary cap to League One and Two clubs.

With a strict budget of £2.5 million for each club in Town’s division, Wellens said the rule was ‘madness’ and properly-managed teams should not have to suffer for the greed of a select few.

“The German philosophy is right in my view – whatever you bring in, you can spend 50 per cent,” said Wellens.

“But the salary cap is an absolutely disastrous idea because why should Sunderland have the same budget as Accrington Stanley, for example – it’s madness.

“Sunderland want to get back into the Premier League, so do their fans, and we want to see our club get into the Championship.

“Why should we be held accountable for other people’s actions?

“If you bring in £10 million a year, you should be able to spend £5 million on your wage bill. Then the rest can go towards whatever you want.

“If you go above and beyond that, there should be fines and ramifications in place so that you’re punished. It’s simple. Is that not just common sense?”