This is something that I have thought abotu posting for a while and today is the day....... 1. Ridiculous Wages - where some earn between £100k - £200k per week and even modest players in the Permiership are on £30k per week it is absolutely crazy and should never ever have been allowed to reach that stage. The money is generally thrown away and has corrupted many who cannot cope with it at that age. This is in the same stadium as many fans are earning well less than the £30k in a year I would imagine . 2. Change of strips - has wound me up for ages. Why do we need 3? Surely the rule should be one basic strip which should be worn at all times unless there is an obvious clash. Then and only then should the away team change to their second strip. It again represents another stream to the money river that flows into clubs coffers and serves no useful purpose. 3. Numbers on shirts - why did we start having goalkeepers wearing number 37? It again comes down to players names on shirts and if you are the 104th player toplay for that club in that season then you are number 104! - Potty! Sorry, there are 11 players on the field at one time and to me they should be numbered 1-11 (apart from a sub which may be 12, 13 or ay 14) we do not need 7 substitutes!!! We will end up having about 22 on the bench and perm any 11 from 33 eventually, it has to end now! 4.Sponsors logos - they are everywhere and I hate it. Yes it is money again (when is it never?) and it is sickening. On shirts, players cars, grounds names - I am fed up with it. 5. International Friendlies - why do we need so many when clubs complain about fixture congestion, we have an abundance throughout the season and they are absolutely meaningless. Cut them back to a minimum and ease the domestic programme to include the odd free midweek. 6. Cup Replays - should be retained and respected. Most of the big clubs hate them because it impacts on their loftier ambitions (Europe - where there is more money!!) . If they cannot oput out a proper squad they should be fined. I will pause there, am I on my own or is there some sympathy that the lunatics hav etaken over FIFA and the FA. Oh actually...... 7. FIFA - should be abondoned and reformed. After the goings on of Herr Blatter and his merry men, it can never be respected again in its current format and is in total disrepute. Voting for a World Cup in Qatar was the final straw! The End
All of the above are rooted in one thing THURNBY, and that´s money. Perhaps SKY thought they were doing us all a favour, when they first decided to pump millions into the game, but it´s just gotten out of all control, and the commercial side these days is more important to some than the footballing side. Especially those of us who remember fondly the late 70´s, 80´s and 90´s, when ALL clubs in the top division could compete at the same level, when ALL clubs had a chance to recruit the good players, and when ALL games had an interest and an intensity, because the outcome wasn´t a foregone conclusion, half long for those days again,. Some no doubt will claim it´s progress, I´m not so sure.
I agree with Thurnby and RBF I'm a mere 'spring chicken' compared to a couple of other guys who regularly do circuit training twice a week at Sportspark UEA (one is 10 years older than me!!) and we were saying on Thursday that the money side of things has resulted in things going completely gone out of control. The influx of foreign owners has IMO ruined what was a fairly 'level playing field' for most clubs. Look at how Leicester have progressed with big money backers and are serious contenders for the PL title - not sure how they'll fare in the CL mind, but they'll earn megabucks just for the 'league section' and I would be most impressed if they were to progress to the 'Knock out stages'. I'm sure Leicester are enjoying the 'ride' (they were talking to 'Big ears' when he used to work on his Dad's fruit stall a LOT of years ago on Breakfast TV on Friday) and he was saying how much the fans are enjoying it - especially as they're playing attractive attacking football, but without any stars being paid megabucks!!! I just hope Mahrez and Vardy (I know the latter has just signed a new contract, [but we're talking about 'agents' here who are only interested in 'lining their own pockets']) don't get tempted by the lure of becoming mega rich . Watch this space ...........
I think Vardey is level-headed enough not to be a high paid bench-warmer at a "big" club, he came late to high table, I don't know much about Mahrez so can't really comment on him. The rich owners recently improved Ranieri's contract to keep hold of him so they're not averse to spending a bit!
We all know that all seater stadia were made compulsory for very good reason, but they have ruined the match day atmosphere. Now that the hooligan element has largely disappeared I would welcome safe standing. Just look at the Yellow wall at Borrussia Dortmund if you need convincing
Well put Thurnby, I find it absolutely amazing that clubs think that £200.000 a week gets them a world class player, when the truth is most of these players rely on cheating, can't hit the target, can't get a corner onto the penalty box, don't know the rules of the game and only have a basic grasp of English (English players I mean) and only pour out cliches when interviewed. Why would us poor buggers who go to watch football be interested in the ramblings of the uneducated. "Eye fink eye fort we was magic"!!!!!
I do agree with the wages and I wonder if they took away the ridiculous money how many players would continue playing? not a lot I'm guessing. I mean they shouldn't be earning more than the police, the fire service or doctors/nurses who save lives. Another thing that is ruining the sport is the diving and cheating. Remember this game being quite physical, but now players are falling over without being touched and refs giving free kicks/penalties over nothing.
If big Dunc was playing in today's football, if he was chosen for every game he was able, he'd play no more than 30 minutes in a whole season. Bunch of bloody foreign Jessies!
Agree with most of what you said but I am guessing SKY had no thoughts whatsoever about doing anyone a favour except for SKY.
At the beginning, most games were played on Saturdays. They have always had a slot at roughly 8 p.m. on a Monday night - our first outing was a 3 - 1 win over Florist in August 1993 Sublime free kick from 'chippy' Crook to open proceedings. Anyone remember the early days, sky strikers (fit dancing girlies) live "music" in the centre circle at half time (we had EMF if I remember correctly?) giant inflatable sumo wrestlers, gut-barging each other and fire works in front of the dug outs at full time. Then the money all got serious so you're now just as likely to see Newcastle and their fans having to travel to Southampton, for example, on a midweek night
Can I add sponsored named stadia ? WTF does "The Stadium of Light" mean to anyone, or "The King Power Stadium" (formerly known as "The Walkers Stadium") or anyone else named after the flavour of the month sponsor. .
As I said on a previous thread, there's no consideration given to the supporters who go to every game, it's all about armchair watchers. As long as SKY get their monthly subs from them they won't give a toss about the real fans. This is NOT aimed a Norwich fans who live away from Norfolk by the way!
The Irish equivalent of Twickenham in Dublin is named.....The Aviva Stadium. Be very afraid... edit - you'd be all right if you had a twin club in Nevada - Aviva Las Vegas
It's a reference to the very large mining community, the stadium itself is on the site of an old coalmine!
