European Super League, Good Or Bad.

[Chelsea14Ian]

There's a suggestion of a European super league. Made up of clubs in England, Spain and Italy. 

Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs,Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester United,from England. 

As a Chelsea  fan I think its completely wrong.Even with the Premier league. Too much money is centred on the big club. As well as a Chelsea  fan,I'm a fan of football  and believe more money  should  go down to least well off clubs.A super league for me is wrong.

[RumPunch]

A cunning plan to make sure West Ham do make Europe :-)

Seriously - it's a very, very, bad idea and wil have huge implications on National and International football

 

[vanessan]

He who knows about these things thinks it’s a very bad idea too. Probably mostly those who would benefit financially will be in favour. 

[oldgregg]

As ever in football it'll be all about money, so it's surely a bad thing.

[grendel]

as its football i have no opinion one way or another.

[Paul]

It seems to have garnered fairly universal condemnation. I seem to remember exactly the same level of derision when it was suggested that the top flight English clubs would break from the Football League and negotiate their own TV deals and commercial rights contracts. It was the end of football as we know it, or so we were led to believe except that it wasn't, it created The Premier League which is widely considered to be the best league in the world. In this era of the shrinking planet I'm surprised this European Super League has taken so long to come to reality, or at least appear to. It was first mooted twenty five years ago. 

Of course the FA, UEFA and FIFA are against it as it will, effectively signal the end of their control of top flight football, they will become obsolete, overseeing a second string product of little or no commercial interest to the global audience. Before they start to cry about that they need to take a sharp look inwards, all three of them are rotten to the core, corrupt and  governed by self interest, not the interest of the game. They are gravy trains, it's high time they were consigned to the history books. I appreciate that will upset the traditionalists, sorry, but tough.

Saying all that, I'm not sure, as a LIverpool fan I would support such a break away, but I can understand why the clubs involved want to do it. Whether we like it or not these clubs are businesses, huge global businesses with offices, fan bases and marketing interests on every continent of the planet. They generate massive revenue but have very little control over how much of it is spent because of the intercedence of these corrupt governing bodies. Would Tesco for example tolerate great chunks of their income being taken away by some regulatory body who then keep great chunks of that money for their own ends and give the rest to smaller shops and supermarkets? Of course not, so why should a football club. You might complain, you might howl, you might spit and swear and tell me that football clubs are different. No, they are not, they are no different and if existing governing bodies or governments try and interfere then I think we will see that tested in court with terms like restrictive trading practices being bandied about by lawyers. FIFA are within their rights to say that players and clubs who sign up to this competition may not play in their competitions, right down to national FA level but would they really cut their own nose off just to spite their face. I remember the BDO saying just that in 1992 (the same year ironically that the premier league was formed) and the world's top darts players simply said "OK, bye" and the BDO immediately became a second string organisation featuring only those players not good enough to make it into then WDC, now known as the PDC.

What I do find highly hypocritical is the string of former players led by Gary Neville who have made millions from playing football in the Premier League off the back of just such a greed based decision as that now being taken, who suddenly feel they have the right to chirp about whats right and wrong. Does he realise what an idiot he is making of himself? Of course as the owner of a lower league club he too is driven by his own self interest, as such the media should not give him a platform to vent his diatribe. 

Would I welcome the split in football which now seems inevitable, no. Do I believe it will happen? Yes, sadly I think it will. How deep that divide will run will largely depend on those at the top of the FA, UEFA and FIFA being able to swallow the humiliation and work with, rather than against this new league.  One thing for certain, the future of football will be very different from what it has been, but things change, football does too and we need to accept that. If you don't want to support a super league then lower league football will still be available, the grass roots will still be there but it will depend on funding itself rather than handouts to survive. Is that wrong? We are likely to see a future with fewer professional clubs, that I think is inevitable with our without a European super league.

 

[Andrewcook]

Hi all Football fans . I'm a Hammer's Supporter through and through and at least West Ham United has not Joined the Big Six thank goodness but I would like the Hammer's Boss to be dropped in the Norfolk Broads as I don't like him. 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Have West Ham ever been  a big six club in the last twenty years and you are currently having your best season for a decade and you want to change the manager. Who would you like or more importantly who might take the job. 

[Aboattime]

2 hours ago, Andrewcook said:

Hi all Football fans . I'm a Hammer's Supporter through and through and at least West Ham United has not Joined the Big Six thank goodness but I would like the Hammer's Boss to be dropped in the Norfolk Broads as I don't like him. 

West Ham season ticket holder here, its not the manager i want dumped in the Broads its the owners.GSB OUT !.WE support the team not the regime.COYI

[OldBerkshireBoy]

2 hours ago, Andrewcook said:

Hi all Football fans . I'm a Hammer's Supporter through and through and at least West Ham United has not Joined the Big Six thank goodness but I would like the Hammer's Boss to be dropped in the Norfolk Broads as I don't like him. 

You can have Mourinho and his entire coaching staff now.

[rightsaidfred]

Just greed not good for anyone, as for Mourinho anyone is welcome.

Fred

[CambridgeCabby]

This is what happens when football clubs are no longer run by football fans but are run by people only interested in turning a profit.

Not that long ago the clubs were complaining that there were too many matches in a season now with the allure of cash they want to increase the games by 50% (if they are permitted to also play in the Premiership).

Hopefully the threat of not permitting the players to represent their nations at a World Cup will put an end to this absurd idea 

[ScrumpyCheddar]

The only bit about English football is the clubs Name...

The Majority of the players are all foreign..

The Majority of the managers are foreign..

The Majority of the football clubs owners are foreign..

And to top it off the Majority of all teams world wide fans are foreign...

Personally if I was a manager/ owner of the club I wouldn’t see it as a problem... 

If I was paying a player to kick a ball around twice a week for Half million quid and there was a chance to get him out playing another game FOC I would want my money’s worth  🤣🤣... 

I think it’s a crazy idea but look what’s happened with cricket... 

Football isn’t Football anymore... 70/80s was the golden years in my eyes...

A quote from the late Brian Clough... “ We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right “... 🤣

 

[ES2]

As a person who finds football the most boring subject in the World, who gives a damn anyway.  .

22 overpaid blokes kicking a ball between two goalposts. What? Yawn! 

[twowrights]

58 minutes ago, ES2 said:

 

22 overpaid blokes kicking a ball between two goalposts. What? Yawn! 

It's in the eye of the beholder and anything can be drawn down like that. Mona Lisa, a bit of paint on canvas, Grand Canyon, a big hole in the ground, the Colosseum, a pile of stone, et al. 

[Wonderwall]

10 hours ago, Paul said:

It seems to have garnered fairly universal condemnation. I seem to remember exactly the same level of derision when it was suggested that the top flight English clubs would break from the Football League and negotiate their own TV deals and commercial rights contracts. It was the end of football as we know it, or so we were led to believe except that it wasn't, it created The Premier League which is widely considered to be the best league in the world. In this era of the shrinking planet I'm surprised this European Super League has taken so long to come to reality, or at least appear to. It was first mooted twenty five years ago. 

Of course the FA, UEFA and FIFA are against it as it will, effectively signal the end of their control of top flight football, they will become obsolete, overseeing a second string product of little or no commercial interest to the global audience. Before they start to cry about that they need to take a sharp look inwards, all three of them are rotten to the core, corrupt and  governed by self interest, not the interest of the game. They are gravy trains, it's high time they were consigned to the history books. I appreciate that will upset the traditionalists, sorry, but tough.

Saying all that, I'm not sure, as a LIverpool fan I would support such a break away, but I can understand why the clubs involved want to do it. Whether we like it or not these clubs are businesses, huge global businesses with offices, fan bases and marketing interests on every continent of the planet. They generate massive revenue but have very little control over how much of it is spent because of the intercedence of these corrupt governing bodies. Would Tesco for example tolerate great chunks of their income being taken away by some regulatory body who then keep great chunks of that money for their own ends and give the rest to smaller shops and supermarkets? Of course not, so why should a football club. You might complain, you might howl, you might spit and swear and tell me that football clubs are different. No, they are not, they are no different and if existing governing bodies or governments try and interfere then I think we will see that tested in court with terms like restrictive trading practices being bandied about by lawyers. FIFA are within their rights to say that players and clubs who sign up to this competition may not play in their competitions, right down to national FA level but would they really cut their own nose off just to spite their face. I remember the BDO saying just that in 1992 (the same year ironically that the premier league was formed) and the world's top darts players simply said "OK, bye" and the BDO immediately became a second string organisation featuring only those players not good enough to make it into then WDC, now known as the PDC.

What I do find highly hypocritical is the string of former players led by Gary Neville who have made millions from playing football in the Premier League off the back of just such a greed based decision as that now being taken, who suddenly feel they have the right to chirp about whats right and wrong. Does he realise what an idiot he is making of himself? Of course as the owner of a lower league club he too is driven by his own self interest, as such the media should not give him a platform to vent his diatribe. 

Would I welcome the split in football which now seems inevitable, no. Do I believe it will happen? Yes, sadly I think it will. How deep that divide will run will largely depend on those at the top of the FA, UEFA and FIFA being able to swallow the humiliation and work with, rather than against this new league.  One thing for certain, the future of football will be very different from what it has been, but things change, football does too and we need to accept that. If you don't want to support a super league then lower league football will still be available, the grass roots will still be there but it will depend on funding itself rather than handouts to survive. Is that wrong? We are likely to see a future with fewer professional clubs, that I think is inevitable with our without a European super league.

 

Just out of interest, do you ever attend a football match?

[Chelsea14Ian]

There's a lot wrong  with the Premier league, but teams get promoted and relegated.Theres always a flow up and down. With the super league, there is no such movement. Surely this will be as interesting  as watching  paint dry. Added to the fact players may well be bared from playing  for there county. Let's make well thought out changes to the Premier league and Champions league,but don't throw the baby out with the Bath water.

[ES2]

3 hours ago, twowrights said:

It's in the eye of the beholder and anything can be drawn down like that. Mona Lisa, a bit of paint on canvas, Grand Canyon, a big hole in the ground, the Colosseum, a pile of stone, et al. 

In the eyes of this beer holder I have been fed up with football all my life. It has been shoved down my throat when at school and it the ball came anywhere near me I would just kick the damned thing any way, just as long as it was away from me. Now, cross country running, cycling, badminton was ok for me but not to the extent that it took over my life as it appears that it does with many people with football and I was pretty damned good at all of them.

Having been bored out of my box at work, in the work's canteen and in the pubs with everybody assuming that everybody is interested in football became annoying. I remember one person at work who started up a conversation with me regarding football and I told him that I did not have the remotest interest in the sport. Apparently he was deeply insulted by my comment, not that I cared anyway. Another chap who was known a "sooty", nothing racist about the name but people said he looked like one of Harry Corbett's puppets would have the day off next day if his team lost. What a sad man to let football to affect his life like that and let his work colleagues down as they had to take up the work that he covered between them.

Football is boring, seeing  the players performing stupid little dances, sucking their thumbs and cuddling each other for just kicking a ruddy ball into a net and being vastly overpaid for doing it just amazes me. 

  

 

[BroadAmbition]

As a Doncaster Rovers supporter - I don't follow football - Much!

Griff

[CambridgeCabby]

2 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

As a Doncaster Rovers supporter - I don't follow football - Much!

Griff

If this so called “SuperLeague” goes ahead and the clubs are ejected from the Premiership the subsequent loss of income from the television companies (presuming that also moves to the SuperLeague) means that smaller lower league clubs will not be able to afford to continue as far less will filter down 

[floydraser]

What I don't get with football is why poor people throw all their spare money at rich people?

[Chelsea14Ian]

6 hours ago, floydraser said:

What I don't get with football is why poor people throw all their spare money at rich people?

Why,because  I for one love the game,I've spent  lots of my money  on watching  and supporting  my team. Its not only football. Why do people  go to concerts to watch very rich people  sing,dance etc?

With football  or for that matter any sport.You grow to love your sport or not.I've worked with some people  who love golf,taking over there life.I just don't get it. Golf is not for me. Its fine if thats there sport. When I first started to watch football, money in the game was much smaller. Our hotel team had a few ex pros,some were part time pros also working for the hotel.One of our cups was played  at Stamford bridge. One of our players used to be at the club. They offered him a place back.He turned it down,because he could  earn more as a part time pro and the hotel. Clearly that wouldn't happen  now.As I've  said the game needs a shake up perhaps this silly idea may lead to it.

[grendel]

I am much the same as ES2 in my regard to football, to me its a non thing that happens elsewhere, and I am happy that some find pleasure in it, now me, if you give me an old piece of metal or woodworking machinery (or even a new piece) I will happily spend hours playing with it and producing something at the end (even if it is just a mass of metal chips. I fully understand that some people will not understand my love of this, but that (and boats) is what makes me happy, so if football is what makes others happy (and I cant understand why, as it seems to make them unhappy when their team loses) then fair does.just dont expect me to do more than politely listen and nod at appropriate points when you start talking football, or I am just as likely to start talking machining back.

[Chelsea14Ian]

I get it that many don't like football, as I've  said I don't understand  Golf,but for many they do, fair enough. When I talk to some about my love of boating.They think I'm  mad. They may  have a point!

[Mouldy]

9 hours ago, ES2 said:

 . . . . .. . . . .Football is boring, seeing  the players performing stupid little dances, sucking their thumbs and cuddling each other for just kicking a ruddy ball into a net and being vastly overpaid for doing it just amazes me. 

Get that, but each to their own, surely?  Personally, running bores the socks off me.  Watching people run isn’t exactly riveting, whether it’s on a track, the road or a cross country course.  I hate tennis and don’t start me on equal prize money for women at the big tournaments when men play up to five sets and women play up to three.  Golf, to me, spoils a good walk, snooker can send me to sleep quicker than any medication and as for darts . . . . . . . . . . . . getting paid for throwing pointy metal things at a board that is fixed at the same height and distance from the oche wherever it’s played just defies logic!!

Motorsport is where my interest lies, but even that is being spoilt by money.  I still enjoy F1, but also like touring cars, moto gp etc.  but it still doesn’t stop me from having respect for competitors in any sport, who train to become proficient in their chosen field.  Whether it’s cricket, football, rugby, tennis, athletics, snooker, motorsport, golf or any of a multitude of others, they have become what they are by being dedicated and through hard work.  The fact that there is big money in almost all sports is not their fault, it’s down to us and our desire to watch it and it’s commercialisation by the media.

That said, I still cannot understand the attraction of watching darts!!