Bristol City chief executive Colin Sexstone has spoken out against calls for a salary cap in football.

Championship clubs are reportedly considering the introduction of a wage cap similar to that adopted – but since abandoned – by League One clubs a few years ago.

Derby County chairman Adam Pearson brought the issue to the forefront this week by claiming football was inadequately prepared for the current financial climate.

"The game is close to meltdown at all levels," said Pearson. "Club boards are under pressure to gain success and that leads them to paying ridiculous wages.

"It cannot carry on or it will end in disaster. There is a growing feeling now that some sort of wage cap has to come in."

But Bristol City chief executive Sexstone disagrees. Although he is in favour of bringing players' wages down, he believes this can best be achieved by allowing market forces to take effect.

Sexstone said: "We're against any kind of outside regulation. I think all clubs are agreed on the need for wages to come down, but the market should dictate any such cut rather than accountants working for the Football Association or Football League.

"Regulation would create a bureaucracy which would become too big to control. We saw something similar in League One where there simply weren't enough policemen to enforce it."

Sexstone also fears an imposed salary cap would serve merely to increase the financial gulf which already separates clubs in the Barclays Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship.

He warned: "I can't see the Premier League even entertaining the idea of a wage cap. If we had one in the Championship, the gap would become too big to bridge.

"You would be left with a situation where the teams coming down from the Premiership would almost certainly be promoted straight back to it the following season."

Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe believes wages should be kept below 60 per cent of a club's turnover.

While agreeing in principle, Sexstone insists any FA-imposed regulation would prove impossible to enforce.

He said: "There are too many variables and the situation would become unbearably complicated for the people asked to police it.

"Every club is run differently and what do you include as turnover and what do you not include? The rule book would have to be massive.

"Most clubs would try and limit wages to 60 per cent of turnover anyway and market forces must be allowed to hold sway."