As I understand it that is exactly how it's supposed to work, but surely that penalises the "smaller clubs" even more ? Doesn't it mean the clubs with larger attendances can spend more and get bigger still, a spiral if ever I've seen one.
FFP will fail miserably because the really rich guys will find a way around it. With huge shirt sponsorship deals, stadium naming deals, advertising contracts and other stuff to artificially boost the club's income; the sheikhs, oil barons and chicken farmers will be able to inject cash but make it look 3rd party.
Slightly off the op, but I see parachute payments being mentioned as unfair. Without them it'd be almost impossible to stay up, they let teams sign players on 2-3 year contracts and not have to risk financial extinction in a single 'all or nothing' stab at staying in the prem. Brom are the perfect example of how to use them to create a sustainable established PL club IMO.
But how is that fair to the other Championship clubs who don't get parachute payments - which is what the discussion was aimed at? Granted, West Brom have done well in using the system and look to have cemented themselves as a top-flight club - but would they have done so without the help of those extra payments that other clubs don't actually get? Watford have been pilloried by media and fans of other clubs for having cheated - which they haven't - for exploiting a loophole - which they haven't - and for having 'an unfair advantage' by their owners also owning two other clubs and thereby having access to more resources. Why is having access to those resources any less fair than being in receipt of parachute payments or having cashed up Arab/Russian owners who can spend an amount of money on one player that other clubs can only dream about - an amount that would keep many FL clubs solvent for a very long time? Welcome by the way.
The thing is should your team do well others will find some problem with the reasons why that is so when their team is not doing well at all. Even more important in the championship is to get the best players you can within the rules, after all the idea of getting to the premiership is to play against better players. Get a prem player on loan who nobody heard of nothing is said, get Bellamy and there is an fa inquest. Posh beat us twice so its not about the players its to do with the team performance of both sides. I have to say they deserved their two victories over us they played better. Watford fans I want you and Hull to join us next season so you have my best wishes. jck
I do not have any gripes with Watford's policy at all - other City fans talking about fairness are way off the mark. No other club could have realistically loaned Gedo and Fahti, but because our owner is Egyptian the relationship and links with Al-ahly are more easily made. Yet you don't hear every other supporter saying "It is unfair and unsportsmanlike that Dr Allam is using his nationality to his advantage" do you?
It depends for who it will fail miserably. For the big clubs FPP will work out brilliantly... it will prove virtually impossible for new investors to come in and do a Man City.
So you want football to be fair , quite laudable but equally unworkable. I cant see chelski, Manure and city giving their sugar daddies the boot and asking them to help Hartlepool. Check the history of the game, it has never been fair. Especially since the conception of the premier league and the revamped champions league. I believe sir you are clutching at strawsand not being logical if you think football could be fair. As others have stated our other option was administration at best.
Football is fair! One set of rules, same for everybody. Yes there are differences in opportunity for each club based on geography, history and owners but that is life. Its how you play the cards within the rules that counts. Those who begrudge the differences should stop throwing toys out the pram and go live in cuba the sort of system that gives the type of fair you're asking for....
Find the fair/loophole arguments interesting. When Leeds went into administration knowing they were (almost) relegated anyway, people said it was unfair. No rule was broken though.
Fair !!! Huh why should football be any more fair than life. Is it fair that Wayne Rooney has exceptional talent while David Bell does not (never heard of David Bell? - that's because he has no football talent and never got to play professionally) As Aberdeen says "it's how you play the cards". The rules are the same - the likes of Wigan only joined the league 35 years ago - about the time Graham Taylor started with Watford - but they attracted investment and have now been in the top flight for 8 years. If they can do it anyone can. I do wish people would have a mentality of taking responsibility for their own lives rather than always blaming things on what is or is not fair and who gets given what. Somebody once said " the harder I work the luckier I get"
Normally very true, but not always. I used to work as a bookkeeper for a smallish business run by an owner who literally never stopped - always looking for new market opportunities, always looking to improve his product, always looking to source new suppliers, always coming up with with new marketing ideas. He and his wife had two children two years apart - both with cerebral palsy. Five years after the youngest was born, he died of cancer. His wife took over the running of the business and, as far as I know, is still running it today. Quite how she was driven to manage it and look after her family, I'll never know - but it must have been sheer hard word - without much luck or fairness at all. I'm not quite sure why I mentioned that really, other than Leo's statement providing a very strong memory prompt.
Quite agree here BB (not like elsewhere ) - illness is hard to overcome - my mother was disabled by polio when I was 10 and my dad struggled to bring four kids up on his own - in those days the state gave you nothing if you were ONLY a housewife as you did not earn anyway. That is why I support the welfare state for those who genuinely need a little help. Recent events in my life only confirm the lack of fairness but the only effect that has had on me is to remove the last of any lingering faith I had
That's the sad truth of life, its not classically "fair" in what it dishes out. The family lost young are testament to that and all folk not born with equal money, intelligence or opportunity. The worst of it is some people are even afflicted with supporting a hideous club in the bsq not that far from Watford, how unfair to be born into that. Life/sport gives us a framework to work within, if we hit both with our best efforts we can be winners in our own conscience and that's very fair!
