BoyBrumby
Englishman
As I understand it the SL franchises are awarded for a set period (might be three years from memory, but CBA to check) and are then reviewed dependent on financial viability, attendances, performances, etc after it expires. But you are right in that the franchises will be awarded to (mostly) existing clubs with long histories.I think your opinion of what "franchises" means slightly differs from Clarke's. He's probably thinking about creating a league from scratch, with team names and assignments that have no connections in history, which you can't really say about the Super League. If your definition is merely closed-shop, which seems to be your definition, you might argue that English football was a "franchise" exercise until 1992, what with there being no relegation from the Fourth Division. (Yes, there was a possibility to be "elected" to the league, but presumably this would still exist in the Super League - especially from teams outside the heartland.)
Clarke may have a point about us being resistant to flagrantly created confections, but if we are to compete with (or even aspire to come within a million miles of) the IPL tough decisions will have to be made. I don't think the city-based idea was ever a serious one, so the existing 18 counties must be trimmed, if only for the purposes of this proposed 2020 comp. That will come either through a process of natural selection of the more profitable and populous counties or through mergers.