Keith Lamb, Middlesbrough's chief executive, has lent cautious support to the proposals to play a 39th round of Barclays Premier League games abroad.

Lamb admitted the financial aspects of the initiative would be attractive to clubs, saying: "It's not all about money, but it's not far off when you sit on my side of the table. Everything is expensive and so if we can get another £5million out of playing in a foreign country, it's a big help to us."

However, Lamb admitted that the football side of the argument was a concern. "I can only find one flaw in it, and that is the one that has been described as the 'sporting integrity flaw'.

"I find it odd that you can play 39 games and it might mean that one of those games is against a team you have to play three times. That is the only reason I can find for not doing it."