A lengthy read, but an important insight into the growing disparity between the haves and the have-nots. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...l-man-utd-barcelona-real-madrid-a9330431.html
I was listening to radio 5 earlier and the guy from Liverpool University was saying (in the context of Man City falling foul of FFP and UEFA), that the effect of FFP is to stop any club playing catch up with the wealthiest European 'elite' thereby exacerbating the current situation. The wealthiest rule the world in everything.
Football is just an extreme example of western capitalism. Deregulation (or in football’s case self regulation) causes a widening difference between the haves and the have nots
I long for the day when a European super league comes into force, the big 5 or 6 from the prem **** off and leave the rest of us to have our own poorer but more even English league
There would then be another set of teams that would just take up all the money! It’s always going to have the big teams & the rest! I don’t see a “Super League” ever happening anyway, they’d all want to be top dog & constantly arguing! I think the expansion of the CL will keep them happy for the next 50 odd years IMO!
Sky, BT, Amazon would still make money off football, pushing the next “Big 4/6” whatever! Yes the BIG teams would go, but there’s still enough interest in the rest believe it or not! I think the fans of England’s top teams would be bored if they’re constantly getting beat, or not winning the League. That’s why the Super League won’t happen IMO, not enough silverware to go around for everyone!
I wonder about this BB. I'll ramble a bit. The author of the op's Independent article, plus a number of quoted individuals within the article, are strongly suggesting the introduction of the PL and the Champions League current format has produced an "elite super-wealthy club class" situation, which restricts the development of others as a result of the "Rich get richer, the not so rich get poorer" environment if fosters. I would surmise the introduction of a "Super League" would just enhance that demise of the less fortunate clubs, & all the "feeder" leagues that remain after the "breakaway". Those "super" clubs have tasted blood and have prospered. The sponsors & TV organizations etc follow the big boys & throw them the money. For obvious reasons - the return is greater, both for "sponsors" & "rich" clubs. Will there be a form of relegation from/promotion to a "Super League" ? Unlikely, the "Cream teams" will want to keep it a closed shop. the sponsors will keep feeding them the money and sub leagues will become more distant second-class tiers. The "Super League" teams will not become bored as you suggest as the money will be the driving force. Supporters may well become disenchanted if their "club" is a perennial failure in said league, but the gate receipts will become irrelevent compared to the sponsorship revenue. I do agree that the "less prestigious" clubs will always have a following, but it seems (to me anyway) that there has been a drift of support away from lesser clubs to those suucessful & constantly on TV and those who enter the "glamorous" "Big international" competitions (Champs league etc). Half & half scarves, declining attendances, desperate hiking of season ticket & pay-as-you-go prices seem to be pushing supporters into purchasing subscriptions to the readily available "at-home" alternative viewing options. Ground atmosphere presence seems to have been diluted exponentially. It's really sad. Big business has taken over sadly. As the Independent article suggests, the trend is one of self-inihilation of football as we know & have loved for more than a century.
Someone should just say to the big teams, “ok, go on then!” There can be only 1 winner of the Super League, you tell me, whether the clubs need the fans through the gate or not, if the same fans will stick around watching TV games if their team isn’t winning it for 5 years, if it’s biased towards Real or Barca. The answer is NO! It doesn’t matter what happens, all the big clubs in all the countries know that if there’s only 1,2,3 or even 4 teams that have a chance of the title, then that’s better odds than 1 in 20 or however many. What if there was enough big teams in all the top divisions to have 2 Super Leagues, relegation for Liverpool, or Spurs & everyone in England following the battle for the PL title between Everton & Wolves, with a Leicester in with an outside chance. Fans of the big clubs think they want the Super League, but in reality, losing week in week out to Spanish, French, German & Italian teams & they’ll soon switch off!
Current levels of debt for some large UEFA clubs. Manchester United £511 million, Barcelona €271 million, Juventus €473 million, Manchester City £65 million (which is the future rent owing on the stadium). Hunter's owners actually put money into football and city of Manchester, while a few miles away another club's owners take money out.
It’s ****ed. I don’t really like it anymore. Not just the money and the greed, but the new age fans, all the cheating, pretending to be hurt, the lack of respect. The holier than thou attitude of the governing bodies and the match officials. The corruption. Things like VAR. It’s a cringeworthy sport. About on a par with WWE wrestling.
Agreed Bob, football has become more of a habit than a love, but it's a habit I'm slowly shaking off.
The games only ‘wrong’ until the fixture becomes attractive. As the the Upper West will confirm... Allams OUT
Likewise. I think if I hadn’t been brought up on football I would scoff at it and wonder why anyone bothers watching it.
I'd like to think a 10 yr old me going to his first game in 2020 would think :"This is ****ing abysmal" like you did when you heard classical music or readings from the bible for the first time when you were little.
Or have we just become the old gits we used to say they were? You live you learn, but then all of a sudden
Football love was started in the streets and fields, playing with your best mates. Taking off your coats and jumpers to make goals and playing til it got dark. Playing in a team or fives, having the best of times, slapping in a few goals and then a pint afterwards with your team mates. Professional football can never be like this. Quite honestly you are expecting too much from a set of greedy prima donnas chucking themselves down after been touched with a feather. This is not football it’s professional football. Football was a big part of my life and I love it. Those greedy tossers I could take or leave.
The thing is, there’s already a tournament for the best teams from each continent, but it isn’t bigged up at all. You’d think the title of best team in the world would be one clubs would chase.
I presume you're talking "domestic league " clubs playing in inter-Federation organizations, as opposed to National teams in the World Cup ? Freedom of movement of players to every League in the world (primarily European) has diluted many National Leagues, hence the lack of interest in the "Inter-Continental" club competitions. Money talks.
