European Super League

[oldage]

Just listened to Gary Neville and all I can say is that I totally agree with everything that the guy says.
Never let them play in English football again and as a true fan never watch or buy merchandise from them ever again.
Fines Take titles off them whatever the F. A. Wants to impose I would be in total agreement.
Also any media companies that are involved never give them any contracts to show real teams .
Also any British referees involved should also be barred for life from being part of this monstrosity.
Let’s hope that the old boys club at the FA grow a pair!

It's a disgrace and the teams involved should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

 

[djg145]

If this happens and later on they come crawling back, I hope everyone of them will have to start at the VERY bottom of the football pyramid!
I personally will boycott them and their sponsors!!

 

[The Doctor]

Is anyone else wondering whether an English Football league without these six mega-rich teams might be a lot more interesting for the fans of every other league club and much more financially stable. Or perhaps it would just be dominated by the next tranche down - West Ham, Everton, Leeds.

If players/clubs ARE banned from playing in other competitions then I think a lot of fringe players at the ESL clubs might choose to join other teams even though they are not paid as much in the short term.

 

[mervyn]

Here’s what I don’t understand. I’ve just listened to Greg Dyke explaining why he thinks it’s just a negotiating ploy. I think he’s wrong, for all the very good reasons listed above.

So, we assume it’s done and dusted and starts in August. I know there are huge numbers of armchair fans out there, but would even the most avid home viewers want to shell out to watch a routine cycle of games against the same clubs, with no benefit (other than financial) in coming top or bottom of the SL? Where’s the interest in that? We’ve all spent our football supporting lives with the excitement of promotions, relegations, David vs Goliath cup games, managerial changes following success and failure; all life is there. I simply cannot see typical UK fans stumping up for such tepid fare.

These owners aren’t daft, so do they simply not care about UK fans, and are looking for big broadcasting deals in Asia, America and the Far East to more than compensate for lower home gates and associated revenues? This is the only way I can make sense of it, and if this is their strategy then let them bugger off.

 

[East End Green]

Is anyone else wondering whether an English Football league without these six mega-rich teams might be a lot more interesting for the fans of every other league club and much more financially stable. Or perhaps it would just be dominated by the next tranche down - West Ham, Everton, Leeds.

If players/clubs ARE banned from playing in other competitions then I think a lot of fringe players at the ESL clubs might choose to join other teams even though they are not paid as much in the short term.

I'd imagine most of the current fringe players would be told their services are no longer required amid the rush to sign the biggest global stars from those clubs currently outwith the Twelve.

If UEFA stands firm, I would expect a *serious* PR campaign around 'real football', 'for the fans' etc. I'd also imagine the rights deal to go through the floor. In many ways, the most interesting thing about this is that Sky appear to be totally out of the loop (otherwise they would not have let Neville have his rant on air). That means they have a different broadcast partner - maybe Virgin, or Verizon, or a major Far East broadcast partner we've never heard of. Remember that the paying fan in the stand *and* on UK TV is of no interest to them - what they want is the US/Far East/Middle East TV/new media market. There'll be club-by-club stream on demand deals (which have long been a sore point for these clubs) so they can maximise revenues without having to share them with the rest.

I'm as cynical as the next man when it comes to governing bodies. But this is a direct and overt challenge for control of the game - and FIFA/UEFA know that only full control is going to satisfy Agnelli and the rest. So I would guess that they are going to resist this with the full legal, financial and PR resources at their disposal.

 

[East End Green]

Here’s what I don’t understand. I’ve just listened to Greg Dyke explaining why he thinks it’s just a negotiating ploy. I think he’s wrong, for all the very good reasons listed above.

So, we assume it’s done and dusted and starts in August. I know there are huge numbers of armchair fans out there, but would even the most avid home viewers want to shell out to watch a routine cycle of games against the same clubs, with no benefit (other than financial) in coming top or bottom of the SL? Where’s the interest in that? We’ve all spent our football supporting lives with the excitement of promotions, relegations, David vs Goliath cup games, managerial changes following success and failure; all life is there. I simply cannot see typical UK fans stumping up for such tepid fare.

These owners aren’t daft, so do they simply not care about UK fans, and are looking for big broadcasting deals in Asia, America and the Far East to more than compensate for lower home gates and associated revenues? This is the only way I can make sense of it, and if this is their strategy then let them bugger off.

The domestic market is saturated, from their point of view. What they want is new customers in the US/Far East/Indian subcontinent etc. See the success of the IPL as an example - brand loyalty built out of a franchise model, supported by club-by-club streaming rights deals and a new broadcasting partner. As someone else said, these aren't football clubs - they are content creators.

 

[Martyn]

Just listened to Gary Neville and all I can say is that I totally agree with everything that the guy says.
Never let them play in English football again and as a true fan never watch or buy merchandise from them ever again.
Fines Take titles off them whatever the F. A. Wants to impose I would be in total agreement.
Also any media companies that are involved never give them any contracts to show real teams .
Also any British referees involved should also be barred for life from being part of this monstrosity.
Let’s hope that the old boys club at the FA grow a pair!

It's a disgrace and the teams involved should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.[/quote

Oldage, I totally agree with you,

 

[PL2 3DQ]

It's the talk of football at the moment so moved to the main forum.

 

[WoodsyGreen]

Loving the indignance of the Premier League and Uefa - two organisations who unleashed the money-machine that is modern football. They were the mad professors who created the monsters who now want to walk on their own two feet. They are indirectly responsible for this Super League nonsense but will they reform the game to give it back to the people? Will they boll*cks. They're just as obsessed with maximising revenue as the Super League club owners.

As for Gary Neville. I want to like the guy but how can he rant about money and greed with a straight face when he's the owner of a club who bought their place in the Football League? You want an example of money distorting competition in sport, Gary? Look a little closer to home.

 

[Ave IT]

Just for sheer contrary devilment I was briefly tempted to write a post in favour of it – Devil’s advocate style. But for the life of me couldn’t think of any argument that wouldn’t obviously be a p-take – and frankly like all real football lovers find it difficult to contain my anger.

I hope that they have made serious misjudgement and will be so damaged by the universal outrage the announcement has provoked they will be forced to back down with tails between legs, perhaps for years. As others have said it has been on the cards for years and now they’ve finally shown their true colours.

If it did happen – then it occurred to me whether this could be analogous to the split in Rugby between the two codes? Not an exact analogy obviously – but that came about many years ago as a power struggle between the wealthy Eton types and the working class grass roots so clubs and players & clubs were banned from each others competitions then the rules also diverged. I can envisage it becoming a mega-rich football circus for streaming platforms that will be ruthlessly hyped mostly for the largely ‘un-tapped’ far -Eastern & Chinese markets. There will still be a large ‘traditional’ base for those not part of it but steadily we would see differences emerge in how the actual game is played. Maybe minor differences at first like how things like VAR is used, hand-ball rules, offsides etc…… but how long before the streaming empires want their game to have four quarters, time-outs, bigger goals, sin-bins etc….. and aren’t draws sooo boring so they’d have American-style shoot-outs or removing players until there’s a winner. It might sound a bit far-fetched but that is the logic of converting a sport into a mass entertainment industry where the only result that matters is how much money it generates.

 

[Martyn]

Loving the indignance of the Premier League and Uefa - two organisations who unleashed the money-machine that is modern football. They were the mad professors who created the monsters who now want to walk on their own two feet. They are indirectly responsible for this Super League nonsense but will they reform the game to give it back to the people? Will they boll*cks. They're just as obsessed with maximising revenue as the Super League club owners.

As for Gary Neville. I want to like the guy but how can he rant about money and greed with a straight face when he's the owner of a club who bought their place in the Football League? You want an example of money distorting competition in sport, Gary? Look a little closer to home.

Big,big difference between buying Manure, Man City, Liverpool, and Salford ?

You could say, the likes of class 92, have saved the club, from obscurity.

 

[Guiri Green]

The power here could lie in the supporters hands. If there is no demand to attend or watch it once the novelty has worn off and it just becomes a streaming exercise for overseas viewers, while the rest of us enjoy a relatable atmosphere with the jeopardy of relegation or hope of promotion thrown in, a TV driven exhibition game in front of a handful of football tourists might lose it's appeal .

 

[East End Green]

Just for sheer contrary devilment I was briefly tempted to write a post in favour of it – Devil’s advocate style. But for the life of me couldn’t think of any argument that wouldn’t obviously be a p-take – and frankly like all real football lovers find it difficult to contain my anger.

I hope that they have made serious misjudgement and will be so damaged by the universal outrage the announcement has provoked they will be forced to back down with ails between legs, perhaps for years. As others have said it has been on the cards for years and now they’ve finally shown their true colours.

If it did happen – then it occurred to me whether this could be analogous to the split in Rugby between the two codes? Not an exact analogy obviously – but that came about many years ago as a power struggle between the wealthy Eton types and the working class grass roots so clubs and players & clubs were banned from each others competitions then the rules also diverged. I can envisage it becoming a mega-rich football circus for streaming platforms that will be ruthlessly hyped mostly for the largely ‘un-tapped’ far -Eastern & Chinese markets. There will still be a large ‘traditional’ base for those not part of it but steadily we would see differences emerge in how the actual game is played. Maybe minor differences at first like how things like VAR is used, hand-ball rules, offsides etc…… but how long before the streaming empires want their game to have four quarters, time-outs, bigger goals, sin-bins etc….. and aren’t draws sooo boring so they’d have American-style shoot-outs or removing players until there’s a winner. It might sound a bit far-fetched but that is the logic of converting a sport into a mass entertainment industry where the only result that matters is how much money it generates.

I'm waiting for the gas man, so have more time on my hands to think and post than usual!

Interesting thought re a divergence in rules - it hadn't occurred to me before but I can totally see it happening.

I disagree that it's a bad idea though - provided the authorities don't cave and really do kick them out, I think it would be the saving of the game, a desperately-needed recalibration.

And in case you were wondering - Juventus and Man U's share price jumped 10% on the announcement. This is happening.

 

[WoodsyGreen]

Loving the indignance of the Premier League and Uefa - two organisations who unleashed the money-machine that is modern football. They were the mad professors who created the monsters who now want to walk on their own two feet. They are indirectly responsible for this Super League nonsense but will they reform the game to give it back to the people? Will they boll*cks. They're just as obsessed with maximising revenue as the Super League club owners.

As for Gary Neville. I want to like the guy but how can he rant about money and greed with a straight face when he's the owner of a club who bought their place in the Football League? You want an example of money distorting competition in sport, Gary? Look a little closer to home.

Big,big difference between buying Manure, Man City, Liverpool, and Salford ?

You could say, the likes of class 92, have saved the club, from obscurity.

But it was an obscurity relative to their organic means. You make it sound like they were a sleeping giant who needed rescuing by a white knight.

Using inorganic funding to distort sporting competition has ruined football, whether it's Salford or Manchester City.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

The fans of these Big Six (lol) could make a stand and not renew their season tickets but there's huge waiting lists for season tickets so the tickets will be sold eventually and then you'll get the tourist supporters at games with their half and half scarfs.
The Big Six (lol) don't need the money from the fans but they need them to generate noise and atmosphere for the TV audience in the USA and Asia.

What is interesting is the strong language used in the contempt of this from the statements of the fans' trusts of the Big Six (lol), in fact this idea has provoked strong feelings right across the spectrum of football.