Some of the teams in the premier league use the international break as an excuse to go flying off round the world for an exhibition game like Blackburn have done this week. They are playing in India on Friday. It seems that every time they have a chance to rest their tired bodies from the hard schedule these prima donnas are forced to go half way round the world to play an extra game instead of getting the much needed rest they need. So if the league was reduced we would only see more of these games being staged and so defeating the object of having a smaller league.
Slightly off topic but why are Liverpool playing Rangers in a friendly on 18 October when they have home games in the Premiership on 15th (Manure) and the 22nd (Norwich)?
A simple point from a foreigner: if we're restructuring, can we use different league names? Explaining to a non-fan how the CHAMPIONSHIP isn't the best level, or that League ONE is actually level THREE in the hierarchy is really a bit strange. If you want to keep Premiership then fine. Make the 2nd level League 2 or Division 2 or whathaveyou, and then make the associated number correspond with the appropriate tier. I know we're all used to it so it seems fine, but it'd be an easy switch that would make the world a better place.
I get fed up with this spurious argument spouted by managers and others about the number of games played and how it tires out the players - oh the poor overpaid little dears. Forest won the League Championship, League Cup (after a replay) and got to the FA Cup quarter finals in 1978/9 - well over 50 games. They did this with only 16 different players starting a game and managed with 1 substitute. The following year they won the European Cup, retained the League Cup (we won't mention who they beat in the final) were Division 1 runners up and got to FA Cup 5th round - over sixty games with a squad of 17. And to those who say that the game is faster these days, well maybe so but players are generally fitter and they play on much better surfaces than the strength sapping quagmires of those days. So for me keep the number of games as they are but do away with all these international breaks and make the lazy swine earn their millions.
Strewth chalk this one up guys....me agreeing with a Pompey fan again. What is an average season these days 40 weeks? What is an average number of games 50...52? That equates to around 1.25 to 1.3 games a week....not exactly being over worked are they? I understand some will indeed play more matches than that depending a lot at what level they play I guess. However isn't that why there is a squad system, at the higher levels? They are paid very highly for these tasks and in the main although their career in football is relatively short. At the higher level at least it is a very lucrative time, and should set them up for life.
A very good thread to open for discussion - you are absolutely correct - I am old enough to remember when the lower divisions were regionalised in the 1950s/60s With motorways(they were not there in those days) the cost of travel cannot be off the richter scale. However, I think teams travelling those distances are disadvantaged by having to play having spent 6/7 hrs travelling. I earnestly believe that what is required is a much more equitable distribution of the money coming into football. The premier clubs will obviously oppose any moves in that direction. Means they will have less money to blow on ludicrous transfer fees, crazy sums handed over to agents(who spend half their time trying to unsettle players for their own advantage) & obscene salaries given to players who think they are a deity. Sorry for the rant, but I firmly believe this is needed!
I think a European league split would lead to more competitive national leagues for a few years depending how the European league dealt with team selections and relegations. Funding would also be an issue. it needs a better spread. To save the minor clubs a nationalisation of all the leagues in the UK with a full countrywide top two divisions then regionalised groups below; perhaps with end of season play offs between the regional leagues. I know its an american system but it could move away from mid table mediocrity and enliven the full football pyramid. The difficulty is sorting it out. I don't agree with rangers or celtic immediately joining the premier league so it would have to go that current premier league teams couldnt form the top division.
If im honest i dont think its a good idea, your reducing income for clubs, which as this moment in time is needed for clubs, and i think as someone suggested making championship regional is absurd.
scrap champions league and and lets have a euro league consisting of the best teams. and premier league a feeder to the euro league.
I think 16 in the top leagues is too drastic. The year it is introduced would be really scary. I remember when the Premier League was reduced and an extra team went down, we were all sure Saints would miss out as Saints were at that time always just above relegation. The problem is that the European games have been massively increased. Fewer European games (let's admit how boring it is now) and Europa cup should be knock out and no teams dropping down from the senior cup (that would be more exciting). The top Premier League teams are just greedy..they really only want to play each other and European sides and sod the rest of us. Regionalizing the lower leagues is a good idea to reduce costs for those teams.
Cant see it happening due to the lost income and big squads should be able to cope. Fans like lots of games too and lets face it,less games would mean us getting charged more to pay for it. I dont even agree with stupid winter break idea. In this country who knows when the bad weather is going to come. Regionalisation of lower leagues (prob league 2 downover) and including blue square premier teams makes sense though. Agree with changing stupid league names. Good discussion article.
This Is it just me or did anyone ever hear about fatigue until recent years when footballers are supposed to be in the best condition and have the best facilities ever??? Also isn't fatigue only spouted by managers and footballers after a bad performance but rarely after a winning performance. Definite no to less games in Premier for me as I don't accept the concept that players are over playing. For goodness sake they play 38 games of 90 minutes a year play a few cup games for an absolute fortune at the top level. Also I would guarantee ticket prices will not come down.
A good example of smaller Leagues is the Scottish Premier, far too much interference has ruined the set up.
STEP ONE British Premier League 18 teams [NSFW]Man Utd Chelsea Man City Arsenal Tottenham Liverpool Rangers Celtic Everton Fulham Aston Villa Sunderland West Brom Newcastle Stoke Bolton Hearts Dundee Utd[/NSFW] STEP TWO British Championship 18 teams, feeder to British Premier League, relegation to respective national leagues. [NSFW]Blackburn Wigan Wolves QPR Norwich Swansea Birmingham Blackpool West Ham Cardiff Reading Nott Forest Leeds Burnley Millwall Liecester Kilmarnock Motherwell[/NSFW] STEP THREE English Division 1 18 teams, highest national league of England, promotion to British Championship, relegation to English Division 2 North/South. [NSFW]Hull Middlesbrough Ipswich Watford Bristol City Portsmouth Barnsley Coventry Derby Crystal Palace Doncaster Brighton Southhampton Huddersfield Peterborough Preston Sheffield Utd S****horpe[/NSFW] Scottish Division 1 12 teams, highest national league of Scotland, promotion to British Championship, relegation to Scottish Division 2 North/South. [NSFW]Inverness St Johnstone Aberdeen Hibernian St Mirren Dunfermline Hamilton Raith Falkirk Queen of South Partick Dundee[/NSFW] Welsh Division 1 12 teams, highest national league of Wales, promotion to British Championship, relegation to Welsh Division 2 North/South. All Welsh clubs currently playing in the English system are now part of the Welsh system (should Swansea or Cardiff be relegated, they would enter the Welsh Division 1). This league does not require a professional status. [NSFW]Wrexham Newport Colwyn Bay Bangor TNS Neath Llanelli Prestatyn Port Talbot Aberystwyth Airbus Newtown[/NSFW] STEP FOUR English Division 2 N/S (Based on last season's finishing positions) From MK Dons (5th in League One) down to Northampton (16th in League Two) totalling 36 teams are split into two leagues of 18 based on region. Scottish Division 2 N/S (Based on last season's finishing positions) From Greenock Morton (7th in Division 1) down to Clyde (10th in Division 3) totalling 24 teams are split into two leagues of 12 based on region. These leagues do not require a professional status. Welsh Division 2 N/S Carmanthen, Bala Town, Haverfordwest and Merthyr Town join the top 10 of the Cymru Alliance and the top 10 of the Welsh National league in forming two leagues of 12 based on region. These leagues do not require a professional status. STEP FIVE English Division 3 N/S Cheltenham (17th in League Two) to Stockport (24th in League Two), added to the 24 Conference sides of 2010/11 along with the four promoted clubs from the BSN/S split to form two leagues of 18, split by region. These leagues do not require a professional status. Scottish Division 3 N/S The top 8 clubs from the Highland League, East of Scotland League and South of Scotland league merge to create two leagues of 12, again, split by region. Welsh Non League STEP SIX English Division 4 N/S The remaining Conference North/South sides (excluding the bottom 2 from each) merge to create two slightly adjusted leagues of 18. Scottish Non League Welsh Non League The following Cup competitions will take place with an increased number of competitions to compensate for the lower leagues' fewer games. English FA Cup - All English clubs eligible (Europa Cup spot for winner) Scottish FA Cup - All Scottish clubs eligible (Europa Cup spot for winner) Welsh FA Cup - All Welsh clubs eligible (Europa Cup spot for winner) British League Cup - All clubs competing in either the British Premier League or British Championship eligible (Europa Cup sport for winner) - 36 clubs English FA Minor Cup - English clubs from Step 3 to Step 6 eligible -126 clubs Scottish FA Minor Cup - Scottish clubs from Step 3 to Step 5 eligible - 60 clubs Welsh FA Minor Cup - Welsh clubs from Step 3 and Step 4 eligible - 36 clubs League Cups (with North and South leagues combined) for English Division 2, English Division 3, English Division 4, Scottish Division 2, Scottish Division 3 and Welsh Division 2. In place of the Charity Shield, organised pre-season 'charity tournaments' at a neutral venue (abroad?) featuring; English Charity Cup - Winners from English Division 1, Division 2 Cup, Division 3 Cup, Division 4 Cup, English FA Cup, English FA Minor Cup, highest-placed English club in league system and the English club that got furthest in the British Cup. 2 groups of 4, then knockout competition. Each club plays between 3 and 5 games. Scottish Charity Cup - Winners from Scottish Division 1, Division 2 Cup, Division 3 Cup, Scottish FA Cup, Scottish FA Minor Cup, along with the highest-placed Scottish club in the league system and the Scottish club that got furthest in the British Cup. 2 groups, one of 3 one of 4 with two highest-placed clubs entering a knockout competition. Each club plays between 2 and 5 games. Welsh Charity Cup - Winners from Welsh Division 1, Division 2 Cup, highest-placed Welsh club in the league system and the Welsh club that got furthest in the British Cup. A single group of 4 clubs. Each club plays 3 games. Naturally the cups would have sponsored names so they wouldn't sound so generic, a good opportunity for smaller businesses to get involved in football. The Charity Cup would be a good way of kicking off the season for example; Group 1 Man Utd Derby Chelsea Gateshead Group 2 Arsenal Middlesbrough Charlton Harrogate I think that way the smaller cup competitions have extra value as it means clubs from lower divisions have the chance at a money-spinning game vs Man Utd/Celtic/Swansea. Go ahead and pick holes but aside from a few bits of logistics and the sheer amount of upheaval involved, I can not only see this working but also lowering the costs for smaller clubs and their fans whilst also settling the Old Firm debate.
Mod Face, do you seriously think Hearts and Dundee Utd would be among the 18 best teams? I have doubts even Rangers and Celtic would be. To put Hearts and Dundee Utd two divisions higher than Southampton is pretty insulting considering we're probably as good, if not better than them. And no, I don't like that idea at all.
