How anyone can think it's a good idea is beyond me, but perfectly illustrates why we get taken for a ride in this country. I can just imagine the Germans reaction.
I wonder what year I will give up on football (probably just end up at non league more often) but I fear it will be much sooner than I imagined 10 or so years ago.
Let a club that wants to, play its home games wherever it wants to, whenever the away team agrees. what's the problem? I imagine when we get to the Prem we'd choose to play in Belgium. I might even go the first time....
As the away team we'd object to plying Man U in Asia but would be happy to play say Stoke somewhere nice like Rome,( or see the stag do thread for other choices....)
As the away team we'd object to playing Man U in Asia but would be happy to play say Stoke somewhere nice like Rome,( or see the stag do thread for other choices....)
Am I misunderstanding the point of all this??
Really can't see any of the games being played in Europe, especially Italy, where they already have a strong league of their own. Most likely to be the US, Asia, the middle east, Australia (maybe) and maybe even the odd game on the African continent.................
Given that the vast majority of foreign fans 'support' the big teams (usually Man U), it'd just mean an extra home game for them.
It may work for the NFL but then they allow the bottom teams to pick the top talent the following season to keep it fresh and therefore foreign support will be more evenly distributed. The Premier League is only interested in preserving and strengthening the existing hierarchy.
Let a club that wants to, play its home games wherever it wants to, whenever the away team agrees. what's the problem?
Am I misunderstanding the point of all this??
These are my thoughts too. As is so often the case with Football's leadership the FA Premier League appear to be confused about what, exactly, they are trying to accomplish here. Or if not confused, then divided.
For his own part, the odious Richard Scudamore seems to be concerned only by TV deals. His ill-conceived 39th game proposal was designed simply to market the PL in as many countries as possible. The promotional hype and interest created in each country was what mattered to him rather than the narrow commercial benefits accruing to each individual Club.
That proposal was dead on arrival because FIFA objected, for once understandably and justifiably for fear it would stunt the growth of the domestic game in the countries "invaded", while it was obvious to anybody with any empathy with the traditions of the English leagues that the "randomness" of that 39th game could fundamentally undermine the integrity of the competition. Well done Richard.
The position of the individual clubs is somewhat different. If playing abroad is such a great idea, why don't Manchester United, for example, lobby the Premier League to play one home game a season in Boston or Shanghai? Surely, the League would say, "Fine, on the condition that your opponents agree, you pay them reasonable expenses and a compensation of, say £100,000." If that conversation hasn't happened its because Manchester United aren't convinced it's a good idea. If it had happened we'd know about it.
There in lies Scudamore's problem. He's a CEO in name only. His muddle-headed grand plan is one the individual clubs would appear only to be interested in if everybody is in it together. In Manchester United's case, for example, its on the proviso that they get an "easy" extra game they'd expect to win - let's not forget that the creative genius that is Richard Scudamore proposed seeding for this final game. However, I don't think FIFA will ever sanction a regular, wholesale invasion of domestic football programmes by the "big boys" from the Premier League.
Comparisons with the NFL are interesting, but not terribly relevant. As I understand it, the decision to play at Wembley is for individual franchises. They get the one-off revenues from a sell out at a Stadium with a capacity of 90,000 with ticket prices, before hospitality, of up to £149. More generally, the objective is to increase interest in NFL in Europe where there are no established Leagues with, potentially, the intention of establishing a franchise in London at some stage. Oh, and there's no downside because teams can't get relegated. The structure of sport in Europe is fundamentally different to that in the US.
Anyway, too long-winded as ever. The key point is that this will only happen if individual clubs choose to go it alone. They'll surrender home advantage and risk alienating their own fans if they do so. Knock yourself out, I say.
I think that clubs would prefer to do it as pre-season friendlies or mini tournaments like the Emirates clubs, as they already do. That way, the two clubs split to proceeds after costs. I would imagine the Premier League plan is that the FAPL get a cut of the profit, too.
My query regarding a separate competition "Premier League Cup" at least removes the issue of teams losing a home game in the league and all games would be played on neutral ground. They did do something similar to this in Asia, pre-season a couple of years back, The Premier League Asia Trophy with Man City beating Sunderland, Spurs and South Chima. Wikipedia shows that this is played every 2 years. I don't see why they don't extend this (other than the fact Man United and Arsenal would rather play their own games)
Why can't they just have a completely separate "Premier League Cup" and play that abroad?
Ah, but it would have to be a "Liverpool-Man Utd-Arsenal-Chelsea-Man City" cup, because that's all the foreign "fans" are actually really interested in...
Why can't they just have a completely separate "Premier League Cup" and play that abroad?
Ah, but it would have to be a "Liverpool-Man Utd-Arsenal-Chelsea-Man City" cup, because that's all the foreign "fans" are actually really interested in...
Quite true - only about 6-8 clubs would come close to selling out.
I've just read that and got wound up. Tip to AC Milan's chairman - Don't finish 8th next time, and then you might get in.
The sad thing is, if they and clubs like Man Utd do miss out over the next few seasons, UEFA will attempt to actually implement some system to get them back in im sure.
Comments
I wonder what year I will give up on football (probably just end up at non league more often) but I fear it will be much sooner than I imagined 10 or so years ago.
At least I'll be a lot richer.
They're the 2 biggest clubs in the world ffs!
As the away team we'd object to plying Man U in Asia but would be happy to play say Stoke somewhere nice like Rome,( or see the stag do thread for other choices....)
Am I misunderstanding the point of all this??
A good idea you might say, and I agree. But it is so the NFL will have a franchise in England and play their games at Wembley.
How can a team that plays in an American league play all of their games in a different country?!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29546374
It may work for the NFL but then they allow the bottom teams to pick the top talent the following season to keep it fresh and therefore foreign support will be more evenly distributed. The Premier League is only interested in preserving and strengthening the existing hierarchy.
So they are are able to move because of the NFL coming , they are not moving to enable NFL to come.
For his own part, the odious Richard Scudamore seems to be concerned only by TV deals. His ill-conceived 39th game proposal was designed simply to market the PL in as many countries as possible. The promotional hype and interest created in each country was what mattered to him rather than the narrow commercial benefits accruing to each individual Club.
That proposal was dead on arrival because FIFA objected, for once understandably and justifiably for fear it would stunt the growth of the domestic game in the countries "invaded", while it was obvious to anybody with any empathy with the traditions of the English leagues that the "randomness" of that 39th game could fundamentally undermine the integrity of the competition. Well done Richard.
The position of the individual clubs is somewhat different. If playing abroad is such a great idea, why don't Manchester United, for example, lobby the Premier League to play one home game a season in Boston or Shanghai? Surely, the League would say, "Fine, on the condition that your opponents agree, you pay them reasonable expenses and a compensation of, say £100,000." If that conversation hasn't happened its because Manchester United aren't convinced it's a good idea. If it had happened we'd know about it.
There in lies Scudamore's problem. He's a CEO in name only. His muddle-headed grand plan is one the individual clubs would appear only to be interested in if everybody is in it together. In Manchester United's case, for example, its on the proviso that they get an "easy" extra game they'd expect to win - let's not forget that the creative genius that is Richard Scudamore proposed seeding for this final game. However, I don't think FIFA will ever sanction a regular, wholesale invasion of domestic football programmes by the "big boys" from the Premier League.
Comparisons with the NFL are interesting, but not terribly relevant. As I understand it, the decision to play at Wembley is for individual franchises. They get the one-off revenues from a sell out at a Stadium with a capacity of 90,000 with ticket prices, before hospitality, of up to £149. More generally, the objective is to increase interest in NFL in Europe where there are no established Leagues with, potentially, the intention of establishing a franchise in London at some stage. Oh, and there's no downside because teams can't get relegated. The structure of sport in Europe is fundamentally different to that in the US.
Anyway, too long-winded as ever. The key point is that this will only happen if individual clubs choose to go it alone. They'll surrender home advantage and risk alienating their own fans if they do so. Knock yourself out, I say.
My query regarding a separate competition "Premier League Cup" at least removes the issue of teams losing a home game in the league and all games would be played on neutral ground. They did do something similar to this in Asia, pre-season a couple of years back, The Premier League Asia Trophy with Man City beating Sunderland, Spurs and South Chima. Wikipedia shows that this is played every 2 years. I don't see why they don't extend this (other than the fact Man United and Arsenal would rather play their own games)
bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29572414Italian football but im sure many of the people who run our game here have similar views behind closed doors.