I hope you will join me in boycotting any matches against academy sides in this competition. http://www.againstleague3.co.uk/bteamboycott-signup/
I'm not getting this additional point for a shoot out, surely that encourages a team to play for a draw if an extra point is required at the death of the competition? #confused
brb, you shock and amaze me, everyone knows that by sheer fluke a "B" team might be held to a draw over 90 minutes, but league 1 or 2 players win a penalty shoot out, how ridicules'. I think it's time we realised that England consists of premier league and some other part time, played for fun leagues.
I have previously stated that I prefer that PL teams are not included in 'lower league' competitions - that still stands BUT I can see the situation from different viewpoints. One of these being; Why should football be treated differently to any other 'business ?'..... It has become a business, rather than a pastime whether or not we like this fact. As a 'business', the PL represents a 'blue chip' company (allegedly). In terms of marketing and packaging you might have to concede that the PL fulfills the needs of the average 'customer.' - and the situation can be compared to going to the supermarket for all of our groceries, rather than visiting the local butcher, baker, greengrocer etc. The average customer is too busy to to attend their local store (football team). The attraction of supermarkets are obvious. They can offer so much more, under one roof, than individual shops - who usually present access problems such as pricing rather than parking ! - and those prices are high - offering no choice. ....... now compare that with what you get from Sky or BT for a 'small' subscription............ I will accept that watching sport on TV is a bit like shopping on-line. You don't get the personal 'feel' for the goods - but the end product is much the same - and why should I be stupid enough to physically go out shopping on a freezing cold Tuesday night - for 3rd rate choice of goods, when I can choose from amongst the 'best' stuff from the comfort of my warm armchair ? And yet, so many of us are 'average' customers in all walks of life. We are attracted by the aforementioned businesses. These are the standards by which we guage some of our social progress in life. We all want what is best - and expect it to be cheaper. We don't usually give much thought to small or 'cottage' industries being forced to close due to the local hypermarket undercutting prices and stealing all their customers. We, as average customers, are making, much more regularly, the choices that force small firms out of business - every time we switch bank or energy supplier or car insurance company etc. With all honesty - do any of you care for anything other than getting the best deal ? of course you don't ! ( most of us cannot pay the price to have such emotion ). So, if football is merely another 'business', why shouldn't it look to achieve the best figures for its' shareholders ? Why shouldn't it use tactics that are designed to take trade away from competitors, or undermine the small trader ?( such as the EFL trophy). I may mourn the loss of our High Street shops. I still spend money in these places - but the occasions are becoming less frequent. Times have changed ( not always for the better ). We live in a different world to the bygone social era of 'black and white' television. We all want more and expect better quality. We don't care how our retailers achieve our expectations ( or which other small trader suffer as a consequence ) - as long as we haven't got to pay more for our goods. So, brb, (et al), I shall still be going to my local charity shop (Priestfield), for most of my goods - partly because I can afford to do so - but when I want to sample something of Premier standard, I usually can only afford to 'window shop.'
Always, having just spent 3 minutes of my day reading all that waffle, I'm not even sure what your shopping habits are, let alone have a clue as to your feelings on the EFL trophy. I need to go lay down.
grumpygit I'm not so thick skinned that I can't be hurt. I take great pride and much time over my brand of waffle - sometimes I even take the opportunity of retaliating to the Mr.Hi Viz and Mrs.Clipboards of this world. As for my stance on the EFL - you could have saved 2 minutes and 55 seconds of your life by only reading the first line of my previous post. As for my shopping habits - I thought I had made myself clear - inasmuch that they probably are the same as Mr/ Mrs Average. Whilst I won't buy rubbish ( false economy ), I do like a bargain as much as the next person -- sadly bargains are rare if I use my small local traders. Usually these bargains are negated by higher prices for the 99% of the rest of my shopping - and I will use the convenience of a hypermarket, as well as taking advantage of (usually), lower prices. I apologise for digressing after Line 1 of my previous post. I appreciate that the remainder of the post was an 'attack' at the monetary unfairness of the English football pyramid. ( which I regard as a greater problem than the EFL situation ). I thank you for your attention - and, as you had nothing better to do with your time, other than to 'log on', I'm not so sure I can feel sorry for your headache. You should ask brb about the migraines he gets from certain members in General Chat !(trust me, my waffle is Mensa standard compared with what you get in GC) .
I really do not understand how any football supporter can subscribe to the over-priced Premier League - It's totally obscene the amount of money exchanging hands for players, when there is no genuine investment in communities, go into London and see the number of homeless people on the streets, while football clubs a stones throw away are raking in billions. It's about time this was all hauled in by the government, but as we have seen with FIFA they are practically untouchable and they have a powerful media force behind them too. They want to parade the word respect while to something that has been a valuable source in bringing communities together, they have themselves shown total disrespect.
I wish the club all the best in all the matches,but personally wont be going to any Trophy games until B Teams are taken out.I really hope this will be for one season only.I thought they wanted us to play less games as well,but group matches etc just adds more games to the season.It`s a shame that they have ruined this tournament,as I enjoyed going to the JPT matches.
brb In a previous post I used the word business. Commercial 'success' of business is mainly a matter of supply and demand. All the time there is a demand for a product, it will attract a higher premium. ....... there are exceptions to this 'rule' - but if we restrict ourselves with the principle as it relates to football -- whether you like it or not, there is sufficient demand for the SKY / BT product and for tickets to PL games, and therefore these companies can dictate the levels of money - which the PL clubs 'waste' on themselves. I agree that it seems obscene - but I'm not sure that we live in a country with any morals. It is also a question of personal interpretation - I know that I have excesses that might be considered 'obscene' to many - but then, these people may have different priorities when it come to using their income -- and who are we to say how the PL clubs should use the money that belongs to them........ we ALL do the same with our own disposable income - it's a question of what choices we make that govern how we 'waste' it. WE are the only people that might have a chance of changing the situation in Football - but that will involve much boycotting of PL games and Satellite TV - and that isn't going to happen very soon, all the time that there is a demand. PS - I admire your concern for the 'underprivileged' in our country - but why have a go at just ONE successful business - who cannot be held solely responsible for any social unfairness in our society. There is a much bigger political issue involved - but I'm not getting into that here.
I get your points totally and as it happens I neither watch PL or subscribe to Sky TV, nor do I purchase any media papers. I am totally against what I see as the power of the media in the UK that is used as a propaganda tool, you need to look no further than Trump and Murdoch for example of that. For those that don't know go and look up the connection. Trouble is it is just unreal to watch how people become so brain washed, that they believe everything the media machine chucks out without any element of research. Blair and Murdoch along with Bush were another example of people persuasion. Thatcher also learned that to control the masses and to get into the heart of communities, you do it through football, which has now become out of the reach of the less well off or social cleansing as I see it. But the problem is people are not prepared to boycott the greed, how can any one justify 50 million or 100 million for any player in this world, when Hill lifted the maximum wage, I'm sure in his wildest dreams he would not have envisaged what we have today, the world and it's greed gone mad. The only panic I ever saw over Brexit, is people scared because their greedy selfish ways were about to be faced with reality of change. Sorry for the rant
brb, whilst we are on the subject of the homeless, don't you find it ironic that their favourite drink is Tenants. Anyway, as far as the cost of premiership football is concerned it's no longer a issue, it would seem that a long lost relative living in Nigeria has died and left me a small fortune.
Tennents is that another image created by the media Mind you, if I lived on the streets, I'd need something stronger than that.
brb Do not apologise for expressing your thoughts. I share many of your emotions, without agreeing with all of your reasoning. The transfer fees you mentioned are utterly ridiculous - but a sign of our time - these numbers are only possible if there is money available - and that can only exist if sufficient demand continues to finance these stupid figures. I will remind you that it is us that are buying into the EPL, Sky & BT . We are the cause of the money that is wasted on crazy transfer fees and contracts. You are certainly not alone in not subscribing to the madness - but there are enough people who do -- and, with respect to you, it is my choice if I 'waste' my disposable income on Sky, BT, EPL, GFC etc...... although I don't smoke, I wouldn't tell somebody who does that I think they are wasting their money - because they can easily suggest my season ticket for the Gills is a complete waste of time. You have just got to accept that we all have different preferences and values..
I personally would never add the value of people wasting their money and I respect others choices, as you say, much as I would hope they respect mine. The reason I don't subscribe to SKY or any media form is because I refuse to put money into the coffers of what is basically as mentioned earlier a propaganda machine. People talk about places such as North Korea etc and yes, I accept there is human rights issues, but the media machine in the UK is no different, it is run by billionaires who support elements of the Establishment, a very dangerous cocktail.
brb I loosely used the word 'waste,' in previous posts, ( in relation to the use of personal income ), as an expression of the freedom of choice that we all have...... that freedom of choice permits you - and many others to not subscribe to anything against your principles.. The ridiculous nature of money in Football is because Football has become a global 'addiction.' So many of the Planet's population just can't get enough of it, all year round. The establishments have recognised that they can feed this addiction - and makes us pay dearly for our 'pleasure' and have become greedy. In some way, we are victims similar to those who need illegal drugs. The dealers are the 'establishment' to which you refer. They corrupt us and feed our addiction - at a high price. We, as victims, are not necessarily bad people - merely weak, perhaps mentally sick and unable to give up our cravings...........we know that the establishments are wrong - but our addiction to football means that we will ignore the corrupt nature of the 'dealer', and find a way of financing our individual needs for our football fix - and so the wheel keeps moving in perpetual motion. I'm not sure that any propaganda to which you refer, is relevant in football - I feel the 'addiction' to a simple 'game' has become too great ........ unfortunately, brb, many more people will need to exercise temperance before the wheel can be stopped......... I admire your principles and sanctions in terms of football. I wish I was equally strong enough to exercise my same principles against the establishments......... unfortunately I am a weak victim -- just as you are every time you light up a cigarette or sink a pint, or gamble etc--- we all have weaknesses, against which somebody else holds very strong feelings ...... how are your feelings to 'other' forms of corruption ? Do you care enough to make similar stands against them ? I too hate corruption in all its' forms. I actively try to avoid supporting anything that is connected to corruption - but - it's virtually impossible to avoid some form of corruption in our lives . For example - do you buy milk at the supermarket ? ........ Firstly you are subscribing to the 'corrupt' (low) price paid to the dairy farmer. Secondly you are helping to kill off the milk roundsman !( because the 'corrupt' business nature of supermarkets allow them to trade at prices unaffordable to poor old Benny Hill ). Where are your principles now ? But I won't condemn you for your fiscal prudence. Many vegetarians that I know wear leather shoes ! Isn't that hypocritical ?....... and so on. It's extremely difficult to live our lives in a totally pure fashion - where we can say with all honesty that we do not subscribe to even one corrupt establishment. ps - sorry for the politics. And talking of wrong things in this world - I'm glad I don't go shopping in India ! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-36921346
Thought it would be a good opportunity to blood youngsters. Now it looks as if they will already be blooded by necessity.
