The Chairman of the Football Supporters Federation states in regards to TV revenue... "The Premier League clubs will be receiving so much from these contracts that they could let almost everybody in for free next season and still have the same amount of money coming in as they do now.'' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22541130
How about they start throwing some of that money down the divisions. Without the Championship, Div1, Div2, Conference etc there would be no Premier League.
The Premier league, and with that the FA (anyone who thinks that the Prem don't have the FA in their back pocket is deluded) frankly don't give two tosses about the lower leagues. I dont watch sky sports anymore in the summer because I cannot deal with the pundits time after time pulling out 'the best league in the world' line when talking about players coming into the Premiership. Best league in the world?? To who?! La Liga, Bundersliga, Ligue 1 all smash the Premiership out of the water for quality, enjoyable football and PRICE! Eventually (and for me the sooner the bloody better) the top few teams will get their dream of a permanant 'Super League' across Europe, there will be no promotion into it, teams will be selected on financial clout. 100 quid a match tickets will be the norm and you will be expected to pay 25 quid a month to watch it on an exclusive Sky channel. United City Arsenal Chelsea Barca Real Bayern PSG Juve Inter Anzhi etc etc All in their sweet little no relegation work making an absolute fortune. The Premiership will then maybe become enjoyable again, Sky, Uefa et al can all get in bed together and continue their sordid cash orgy and we can get on with football again. Absolutely cannot stand the Premiership. If you couldn't tell...
I think my hatred for the Premier League is well voiced. I would class myself as a anti modern era - football extremist if ever such a thing existed in the sense of the word.
It's made the amount of money that is in that league. I think changes need to be made as this will get worse and worse. I think Sky forget that their are leagues below the Premiership as they don't mention them much.
Sky don't need to remember us Hoad, plenty of 'Die hard Utd fans' who never get their arse off the sofa and think that sitting there in their latest shirt watching it on Sky even comes close to real football.
AB - I have answered this question so many times. I have been challenged on this question so many times. My answer remains the same but it would take far to long to explain without recycling the detail. My voice will remain unchanged. You sadden me to ask such a question in response.
Same for me, that is a never. I never want to see Gillingham in the Premiership, that would not be good going up to that mad world.
brb ( & others ) You & I don't often disagree - but I feel this is one occasion. I accept and share a lot of your sentiment regarding the Premiership. I believe that the major reason why it is 'wrong' for 'grassroots' football is because of the extremely 'top heavy' TV money that is being thrown at clubs in the EPL - with mere scraps being fed to the rest of the Football League. I don't blame the clubs for cashing in, & you can understand players demanding their share of the money the clubs receive. Sadly I think this will be a recipe for financial disaster if clubs try to overspend in trying to remain in the Premiership. There will be more teams like Portsmouth in the next few years. I don't know where it will all end up - when this financial timebomb / bubble will explode. In the meantime the lower league clubs will lag further behind - especially with the ridiculous parachute payments ( currently £ 60 million over 4 years following relegation ) - making it 'easier' for these clubs to compete to return to the EPL ahead of the rest. Those clubs in L1 & L2 have virtually no chance - and stand to lose fans/supporters/customers who demand success - or at least to be 'entertained' - by the showing of some eskewed shots shown from all angles possible ! instead of going to support their local team. Unless teams like Gillingham try to achieve passage to the Mecca that is the EPL, we will always flit between the 2 lowest leagues, with the nightmare scenario that we could drop into the BSP. I find if difficult to believe that any Gillingham fan would not want more success for the Club. Remember how it felt each time we won on our way to the title. Think how you felt when we achieved promotion, then watched - tearful as the league 2 Champions cup was raised. Are you telling me you don't want more ? You may say that you might be happy for us to try to get into the Championship & stay there. Well I think we need to strive for higher, otherwise it will be easy to achieve 'lower'. In an ideal world, before I'd like to see The Gills in the Premiership, I would greatly change the way it is set up - to make it financially more fairer for clubs in the lower leagues - then I would feel that football might return to being in touch with the common man - before Jimmy Hill unwittingly set the wheels in motion to ruin the game.
We don't actually disagree as much has you think alwaysright. I believe it is more people's lack of understanding in what some supporters would like to see changed in the modern game. Which then gets followed by the usual ridiculous question from Premier League fans that we would not want success then. To which I believe they should try and understand the situation and then they will understand the answer. As a football supporter of course I want success to the highest level but I would not want that success to become the demise of my club, therefore there is many aspects that have to be considered before wavering in response. Also for Gillingham FC to reach the heights, that also has to come with our own responsibility, therefore I would like to know what a lower league club like ours will commit to doing to changing the face of our game in any climb through the leagues, what it will do to ensure the game is accessible to all, what it will do about safe standing, what it will do to ensure TV money is shared throughout the leagues. I don't want to join that pampers elite and play by their rules, I want us to be one small step towards the biggest revolution since SKY. I've already posted elsewhere, that every Premier League club could let fans in for free next season with the TV contracts coming up and still have the same financial returns as this season. Rather than charging say £49 to watch a game was one price I was told. I'm hearing this morning about some £56M deal in regards the New York Yankees, I've not looked at this any further but where is it all going to end. While we watch our lower league and non league clubs struggle for survival. People like Beckham will be held aloft for grass roots football but what do we mean by that......Premier League Academy's? Everything is attached to a brand and it is about time we stopped this gluttony of the elite. You want grass roots go and raise revenue for the clubs that SKY have never shown by showing your own status of fame there. It comes to something when people have so much money, they can give all their wages to charity. I'm sure the taxman will be pleased. There is a touch of sarcasm in there for those that have not noticed it. Like I said before I could write a book on it and I've not even begun to even scratch the surface. Where did it all begin, Jimmy Hill, Wicked Witch of the West, Hillsborough, SKY, oh I could so go on.
I agree with alwaysright, I think we should be striving towards the Premier League in the future. By following the "Swansea City" model is a very sensible approach to it. They've gone from a Division 3 side to the Premier league over a number of years and this year won the League Cup. A new stadium is on the horizon for Gillingham FC and we could potentially do the same. Yes money is ruining the game but Swansea aren't spending high money on players. Their top goalscorer this season only cost £2million, which is even smaller than what Aston Villa are offering Peterborough for Dwight Gayle. We wouldn't have to spend £200k a week wages on players that could bankrupt our club. If we live within our means we easily have the potential to do it. Every football fan's dream is success for their club. We are all no different. If you don't like the Premier League then fair enough, but you would still want to have the pride to say you were there when Gillingham FC got promoted to the Top Flight. If that is going to happen of course
