Article: What Factors do you take into account when developing a 5 year plan? | Football Southampton

Before you plan for the future you need to think what the future will look like and it wont necessarily look anything like things do today.

So Nicola is in his Saint's office, with his team around him and he says "OK lads what will football in England look like in 5 years time?"

Will there be a European super league?

Will Rangers and Celtic be in the PL?

What sort of revenue will be needed to support a top club and how do you generate it?

How do you think football will be structured?

Will TV revenues stabilise, grow or shrink?

Will the national team become an irrelevance?

What is the future for sponsorship?

How will fan support change?

How will the administration of the game change?

Etc. etc.

These sort of questions need to be thought about in order to plan for the future especially if your agenda is to become a European Super Club.

The people who slip up are those who plan for the future based on the experience of today.

 

A lot to answer there, bit I'll start with the last part Godders. I think that too many don't plan for the medium or long term, they plan for now and the immediate future. I give you West Ham as my example of that. No thought about the long plan, just a short plan for now.

 

Whole lot of questions there. Just to summarise what I think (and hope) will happen in terms of the economy of the game, I think clubs will, by requirement of law, be self-sufficient. It will probably remain incredibly commercialised, and there will still be a ton of money in the game.

I don't see a European super league happening any time soon, and nor do I see Rangers and Celtic joining ours.

On the subject of the international team, I definitely don't see it becoming irrelevant. In fact I think that, as the sport becomes more popular in USA, the hype of international football will grow. They love them a good World Cup.

 

Is there a limitation on how big it can grow on the states though? That's a long road to surpass American football, baseball, basketball, et al

 

There's definitely been a decline in the popularity of baseball and basketball. Especially baseball. American football remains huge and I'm sure that will long continue, but it's definitely feasible for "soccer" to become their 2nd sport.

 

It'd be nice to think that every club has to live within its limits and that there is a transfer limit and wage cap. If so, our superstar factory down at Staplewood will leave us sitting pretty, whilst all the clubs that cheque-book their way to the top of the league will suddenly find themselves with aging players and no replacements.

I can see Celtic joining the English divisions - Heck we've got Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham already. The 'Gers would need to sort out their finances first.

 

Crystal ball or meth, not sure, but I'd take the TV money and relegation in truth, but please oh please don't let the has beens infiltrate our ranks like we've seen at so many clubs. I believe in these guys, I relate to them, live or die by the sword, but I'd take the gamble with a few additions like in January. Would hate to pay people like Kenwyn Jones or Danny Collins to come along for the ride. Hell no!

 

One important question missed: will Nicola be here in five years?

 

Definitely.

 

maybe

 

Too many questions perhaps to get sensible answers. Certainly food for thought......We almost have a super league now do we not with all the football being played in Europe.I do think this will expand. Most likely plan will be that the premier will drop its games to about 20 a season with the other twenty being played in some sort of European 3 league System depending on status maybe even 4 leagues.
Yes I think some of the scottish teams will be in there.
The wider appeal and the greater number of people watching these games through out Europe should guarantee higher revenue for the team TV rights etc.
Sponsorship with have a greater appeal so will generate good income as well.....
I have not gone into the national side of things.....because in my view it is a mess at the moment....and it will take some real sorting to improve the level of our national team.

 

If teams go into a European superleague, how many fans would attend away matches on a regular basis. You get a lot going to European Cup matches because it's a treat, but I suspect most 'European League' matches would virtually be home sides only.

 

I think you would still get quite a few die hard fans and depending where you were going of course a lot would still possibly drive. Bearing in mind that a lot of these matches would then be played on a Saturday or a sunday.....Certainly charter planes would also be involved as well and I'm guessing you will still get reasonably cheap seats.

 

Without a doubt being in the PL brings an increase in income to the teams host city and raises it's profile internationally.

 

Re European league: Most fans couldn't afford it at all after buying a season ticket. Some would go once in a season as a boy's weekend trip (think few women would go), but only a few would go more than that.

 

I'll actually attempt to answer these questions

Will there be a European super league? No, it's nothing more than a pipe dream.

Will Rangers and Celtic be in the PL? No

What sort of revenue will be needed to support a top club and how do you generate it? Hundreds upon hundreds of millions of pounds, and the only thing that's going to generate those millions is success.

How do you think football will be structured? At this rate it won't be, but I hope to God they sort out the Home-grown rules.

Will TV revenues stabilise, grow or shrink? Grow.

Will the national team become an irrelevance? Not necessarily an irrelevance, no.

What is the future for sponsorship? Within five years, it will remain the same, although I doubt we'll see more local businesses e.g. aap3 giving us the same amounts of money that United get for AON for example.

How will fan support change? Casual fans will be priced out of the market I think.

How will the administration of the game change? In this country, it won't. The PL will continue to run as an entertainment group rather than a sporting governing body.

Did I miss anything?

 

On the subject of the USA international team they were the team I enjoyed watching most of all in the last World Cup. Unlike the European and South American teams they seemed to play in an honest, refreshing and intelligent style with a bit of gusto. This was epitomised by Clint Dempsey!!

 

The fact that we are even discussing the possibility of a plan at SFC shows how fortunate we are. The European Super League would get boring, just as the Champions League is pretty tedious until the later stages.

Scots teams in the PL? Why not.

The big questions are about the economic playing field though. If this is not addressed the whole lot could go up in flames yet. There are only so many big sponsors to go round, and the fact that we are sponsored by a local company is quite endearing. It would be a pity if they had to be discarded to make way for a global multi-national.

Casual fans will not be priced out, but it'll become a luxury. I have a Man Utd friend who now only gets to odd games as he had to give up his ST and now sees it as a real treat to get to see the club he's supported for 60 years.

It is going to take a major change in the way clubs are run if teams like Saints, Norwich et al are once again going to genuinely compete. Time for a revolution!

 

I can see a global club competition happening. THe top teams from top countries around the world meeting for a tournament.

 

I think changes will be financial more so than structural. Even if Celtic and Rangers are let in, I don't think much would change. I can see some clubs, us included, leading the way in sustainability and UEFA stepping up the financial fair play rules along with tougher homegrown legislation. I don't think we'd see the benefits of that immediately, but I do think we'd end up with a much better game.

We hold national football in low regard because the team are **** and the FA are useless. Over time I think both will slowly fix themselves as football changes. Everyone loves a World Cup and international football will always be.