New European Football Super League

[AKAMD 0]

The last football match I went to watch and pay entry to was Tony Currie's testimonial at Bramall Lane.  I stopped going to football as I couldn't support the way it was being taken over by big business.  Since then I have even stopped watching what there is of it on the telly, even England games.  Football is no longer a competitive sport, it has been taken over by the greediest of capitalists whose only interest in the working man (the fans) is how much they can screw them for.  This latest move was a predictable further step along the road to the ruination of the game and as others have pointed out, it is only the fans that can change things by doing what I did; stop contributing!

[Delbow 699]

It's a disgraceful move, but not very surprising. Those at the top never being happy, always wanting more, looking at what they can take away from those lower down the food chain. That's an analogy of what's been happening in our societies since the end of the 70s

[Baron99 794]

Watching reports about this story this morning, it was mentioned that it's not unlike when Kerry Packer set up his cricket tournament in opposition to the rest of cricket. 

 

Listening to the likes of Stan Collymore, Pat Nevin & a number of people heavily involved in football outside of the so called 'big six', as well as people representing fans' groups, none of them think its a great idea & it's just down to money grabbing owners of said clubs who now view fans as 'customers'.   It appears that the owners of the six clubs involved, aren't concerned about the average football fan, paying their season ticket & attending week in, week out, when they can make more money from a regular global audience via tv revenue & advertising. 

 

As Stan Collymore pointed out, it appears that the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea etc, want to take part as normal in the Premiership & play in the FA Cup / League Cup etc, trying to qualify for UEFA`s Champions League, while at the same time, playing in a mini European Super League that's basically a closed shop to the uninvited. 

 

I'll give Collymore his die, he called for all 6 English teams to be kicked out of the league immediately & all English players involved not to be selected for England duty.  He said the FA & the rest, should take a firm stand to protect the rest of football. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Baron99

[NERVY-OWL 195]

They can't have it all their way. Either complete in this new league and not their domestic competitions or don't join it if they want to stay in the premiership etc. I wouldn't ban players from international teams until after this world cup, there must be players currently playing that won't be happy about it so have to give the chance to leave the club.

Using the pandemic as a reason for it is low, it's a make the rich club's richer scheme and I'll lose all faith in the football authority's if they don't take a hard line with teams who join this league.

[Thirsty Relic 213]

I think this is simply a warning shot from a powerful group of clubs want more of a say in things / to get more money.  The kind of kite-flying beloved of politicians. 

 

1. Announce or leak that they are considering or going to do X
2. Wait for comments / outrage / strong opposition / opponents to show their hand(s)
3. Water down proposals as a result of "continued commitment to public opinion"
4. Do x that they were planning to do anyway
5. Result - they get their way or an acceptable compromise, and are seen to be listening to the public

They are doing this for a bigger slice of the cake, backed by serious money men.  As usual, this all relies on the public picking up the tab at the end of the day, by broadcasting deals and so on.

 

Could it work?  Yes - Don't forget that the Premier League was created for the same reason, and that has worked as the public have paid for it (and the obscene wages in it) by the Sky and BT subscriptions.

 

I applaud the comments of Gary Neville and the leagues involved, but really cannot see many of the proposals working.  For example - players being involved in this new league not been selected for their countries?  Well that's most of the squads gone then! 

 

It's the fans that have to voice their opinions, IF it comes to fruition (even in a watered down format).

 

Imagine orchestrated chants against it at every ground any of the Big 6 play at, and the financial melt-down if the public do not take out subscriptions to packages to watch the new league.

 

Of course, if it does work I'd love to see what happened if one team finished bottom for a few seasons on the trot, with no relegation built into the model!

[tinfoilhat 11]

Fans will roll their eyes, shred their season tickets and still pony up money for super league tickets and subscriptions to exclusive sports tv packages.

 

NFL doesn't have relegations (never has done?) And that works. This will work. It will make national leagues look tin pot, the euros look a joke. World cup will lose value. But it will go ahead and it will work.

[Thirsty Relic 213]

34 minutes ago, tinfoilhat said:

Fans will roll their eyes, shred their season tickets and still pony up money for super league tickets and subscriptions to exclusive sports tv packages.

 

NFL doesn't have relegations (never has done?) And that works. This will work. It will make national leagues look tin pot, the euros look a joke. World cup will lose value. But it will go ahead and it will work.

I suppose you are probably right (there speaks the pessimist in me).  I've been losing interest in football for a while (Covid related stories, vast wages, the Land bar gone cashless, clueless new "commentators" etc etc), and relegation hasn't helped.

 

Anyone got any good ideas for a new spectator sport for me to follow on tele (must not have overpaid morons as players or cost the earth to subscribe to)?

[Ridgewalk 99]

8 hours ago, alandrea0 said:

There is one simple answer to this..................

All fans of those clubs should boycott their club and refuse to buy season tickets and go to any games..

I wonder if those clubs would join a super league then?

I don't think the players would want to play in those games without fans...

 

The fans have the power to take action and stop the clubs from joining a super league..

 

Correct

4 hours ago, AKAMD said:

The last football match I went to watch and pay entry to was Tony Currie's testimonial at Bramall Lane.  I stopped going to football as I couldn't support the way it was being taken over by big business.  Since then I have even stopped watching what there is of it on the telly, even England games.  Football is no longer a competitive sport, it has been taken over by the greediest of capitalists whose only interest in the working man (the fans) is how much they can screw them for.  This latest move was a predictable further step along the road to the ruination of the game and as others have pointed out, it is only the fans that can change things by doing what I did; stop contributing!

If you are a football fan why didn't you go and support a lower league side,  for a fraction of the cost you'd have paid at the top end ?

[Ridgewalk 99]

2 hours ago, Baron99 said:

Watching reports about this story this morning, it was mentioned that it's not unlike when Kerry Packer set up his cricket tournament in opposition to the rest of cricket. 

 

Listening to the likes of Stan Collymore, Pat Nevin & a number of people heavily involved in football outside of the so called 'big six', as well as people representing fans' groups, none of them think its a great idea & it's just down to money grabbing owners of said clubs who now view fans as 'customers'.   It appears that the owners of the six clubs involved, aren't concerned about the average football fan, paying their season ticket & attending week in, week out, when they can make more money from a regular global audience via tv revenue & advertising. 

 

As Stan Collymore pointed out, it appears that the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea etc, want to take part as normal in the Premiership & play in the FA Cup / League Cup etc, trying to qualify for UEFA`s Champions League, while at the same time, playing in a mini European Super League that's basically a closed shop to the uninvited. 

 

I'll give Collymore his die, he called for all 6 English teams to be kicked out of the league immediately & all English players involved not to be selected for England duty.  He said the FA & the rest, should take a firm stand to protect the rest of football. 

If Collymore said that I'm in complete agreement with him. I'd either relegate or kick out those clubs now, promote the top six Championship clubs to take their place.

1 hour ago, tinfoilhat said:

Fans will roll their eyes, shred their season tickets and still pony up money for super league tickets and subscriptions to exclusive sports tv packages.

 

NFL doesn't have relegations (never has done?) And that works. This will work. It will make national leagues look tin pot, the euros look a joke. World cup will lose value. But it will go ahead and it will work.

How much you wanna bet ? A non starter.

[Michael_W 11]

This was always going to happen, the top end of the game has been in the hands of big money for years, there is no level playing field anymore and the FA , the EFL and Sky have all been implicit by allowing the monster to be created.

I have gone to football since I was a young kid, I have a season ticket already purchased which will probably be valid now for next season, but will be watching my team play league 1 football for the third time in the last 21 years since relegation from the Premier League, and that is mostly because the club has been financially mismanaged chasing the Premier League 'dream'.

But for the fact I go with my son and one of my grandsons I probably wouldn't bother anymore, it's just not the same as it used to be, the target audience has seen the emphasis on TV rights, coverage and viewing figures over the  attraction of the traditional supporter, who is still more likely to be ignored and sometimes even demonised in that pursuit by the authorities running the game, most of them will be livid with these proposals because of the effect it will probably have on their brands rather than supporters of football clubs.

[tinfoilhat 11]

1 hour ago, Ridgewalk said:

If Collymore said that I'm in complete agreement with him. I'd either relegate or kick out those clubs now, promote the top six Championship clubs to take their place.

How much you wanna bet ? A non starter.

How about £400 million? 

[Thirsty Relic 213]

I hope that, should it go ahead, the media companies involved in broadcasting these games do so isolated from other packages.  By that, I mean that I hope that payment for coverage of this league should be seperate and not bundled into a Football+Championship+Champions League+ this new one.  I for one would simply ignore it.  Sadly, I feel they will be bundled in, so if you want to watch Premier League and Champions League, you get and pay for this as well.

 

Come on Virgin, Sky, Amazon etc - keep them apart like you do for big money boxing fights - then see who will pay for them..... and I hope nobody does and the backers of this farce go bust.