Everyone fawning over Neville - his current employers wanted to charge £15 a game for “fans” to watch during the covid crisis - also if sky were to cover the games he wouldn’t work on them - think he would.
So you either have to sacrifice your life like William Wallace and cry 'FREEEEDOooOOoOM' as they pull your insides out, or you should keep your mouth shut?
It’s when morally wrong starts getting chucked about I have an issue.
Lots of people seem to have this reaction. I don't get it, personally. I'm grateful someone with a platform is speaking up. The opposite would be intolerable.
If a person has a job in this world, I wish them luck finding a company that doesn't have some bad shit on its records.
Everyone fawning over Neville - his current employers wanted to charge £15 a game for “fans” to watch during the covid crisis - also if sky were to cover the games he wouldn’t work on them - think he would.
Football is gone - the premier league was a breakaway league once - players salaries need a reset but won’t happen as will always be someone willing to pay more, the fans can’t do anything as a pal who is an arsenal st - he gives up his st there’s 30k waiting to take over it
Charlton Charge a tenner a game
Which is the minimum price allowed to be charged under the rules laid down by the Football League.
Ollie Holt tweeted that 2 of the English clubs are cracking with the backlash.
Guess that’ll be City and Chelsea, not American owned or really need the money
Definitely. Apparently they were the 2 who weren't convinced and only went along with it because they were worrying about being left behind.
Mansour especially has done so much for City and has regenerated the area around the Etihad, building world class facilities and before this was basically a hero. He won't be particularly impressed with the negative reaction so i could fully see City backing out.
I do think this has been coming for a long time. Amazon with their all or nothing behind the scenes documentaries, clubs engaging in tours of the Far East for pre season friendlies, Mickey Mouse trophies between some of the super league clubs next to some shopping mall in the Middle East. It’s like gentrification on heat and the clubs that have signed up have over dosed on oat milk lattes and avocado on toast sprinkled with chai seeds and honey from a bee that only pollinates once a century, or some such bollocks.
The teams will be playing each other so often, it would not surprise me in the least if there are a few games on neutral grounds......in North America, Asia and the Middle East, especially when you take into account the nationality of the owners and/or major sponsors of some of these clubs.
This shouldn't be allowed to happen at a time when climate change is a massive problem for the whole world. Football teams flying across the world sets a very bad example. International air travel needs to be reduced if we're to achieve the necessary reductions in carbon dioxide levels.
I love International football. World cups and Euros are class with a group of mates.
In all honesty I’d be gutted if that went and it’d make those summers a hell of a lot less interesting.
No one is suggesting no Euros or World cups. They still take place, but without the greed league players.
Like many others I am not reading all of the thread, I skipped from page 27 to here and I realise that not everyone has read what I wrote, or what other people who had similar ideas wrote. But the crucial thing is sticking together, fans can make a difference here, they really can. It is about pressure. Not just on the greed league clubs, but their fans - make sure boycotters places are not filled, ostracise those that do, make sure media outlets are pressurised into not co-operating with them, makes sure advertisers are bombarded with negative reviews, threaten to boycott pubs that show their games. As I said before, petty but effective, just refuse to discuss football with anyone who supports the idea.
Something I did not think of before, but has that has been suggested elsewhere, all ties cut with football at all levels with the clubs concerned. Reserve, youth and womens.
If it does go ahead, let's make sure that the only place they can draw a crowd is actually in fucking China.
It can be done, it really can. I have never seen such a backlash from so many quarters over an idea. If you are giving up before the start, just imagine what would have happened in 1985, or under RD if Charlton fans had done the same.
Shearer saying this morning that the Premier League should act straight away and kick the clubs out and take on the legal fight. I wonder if this happened how many of their players might have release causes in their contracts, such as relegation or not qualifying for Europe and could walk away on free transfers and sign for real clubs not in the Super Greed League
Wonder what TS views are on this, and whether it affects his long terms goals with us?
His goals may not have changed but the business model has/will.
Imagine the new owners at Charlton, Wigan, Ipswich and Wigan. I doubt any of them bought those clubs with the intention of keeping them in league 1.
They want promotion to the Championship and eventually to the Premier League where they thought that they would get £150m (or however much it is now) a season. That makes the £10 - £20m a year they plan to spend over the next five years a decent risk. (all figures guestimates).
But now, if the super league happens they don't get £150m pa in the EPL. Because the next Sky deal will be much smaller in £££ terms if the Super League takes off the clubs get, say £25m pa. All of a sudden that £10-£20m a year to get your club "back where it belongs" seems a lot of money to risk.
The upside is that wages may drop, and drastically, when players deals end (it is already happening in the lower leagues and many are on free transfers) but it still means the business plans need to be re-written.
Long term football may actually be in a better place. Less money from Sky means more reasonable wages, clubs are more sustainable from ticket income and local sponsorship plus a top up from sugar daddy owners (which we have to accept that is what TS is). Our club and most clubs are more sustainable and stable as the jump in income to the EPL is smaller (I'm assuming the EPL doesn't screw the EFL again but that is a big assumption).
But until we get to this demi-utopia there will be a lot of cut backs and changes and some clubs, already close to the edge will go under. Would you buy debt ridden Derby or Sheffield Wednesday knowing there is no pot of EPL gold at the end of the rainbow?
Charlton might actually be in a better position given it has already been stripped to the bone and cut costs everywhere.
I don't think Sandgaard is in this to make money or that he'll pull out tomorrow. I think he likes owning a club and he likes being part of a club with history and a culture of its own but I also think he'll be watching very carefully what happens and seeing how he needs to change his plans.
Ollie Holt tweeted that 2 of the English clubs are cracking with the backlash.
Guess that’ll be City and Chelsea, not American owned or really need the money
Definitely. Apparently they were the 2 who weren't convinced and only went along with it because they were worrying about being left behind.
Mansour especially has done so much for City and has regenerated the area around the Etihad, building world class facilities and before this was basically a hero. He won't be particularly impressed with the negative reaction so i could fully see City backing out.
They are also the 2 that could be kicked out the champions league on Friday......
Ollie Holt tweeted that 2 of the English clubs are cracking with the backlash.
Guess that’ll be City and Chelsea, not American owned or really need the money
Definitely. Apparently they were the 2 who weren't convinced and only went along with it because they were worrying about being left behind.
Mansour especially has done so much for City and has regenerated the area around the Etihad, building world class facilities and before this was basically a hero. He won't be particularly impressed with the negative reaction so i could fully see City backing out.
They are also the 2 that could be kicked out the champions league on Friday......
I think i've seen it said that legally they don't think that can happen this season.
Shearer saying this morning that the Premier League should act straight away and kick the clubs out and take on the legal fight. I wonder if this happened how many of their players might have release causes in their contracts, such as relegation or not qualifying for Europe and could walk away on free transfers and sign for real clubs not in the Super Greed League
What other clubs not in the super league could afford their salaries?
If this goes ahead I can see the lads and lasses behind CARD, etc. fielding quite a lot of enquiries from the Big 6 supporters groups, the FSA, etc. We might be in the third tier on the pitch but we were Premier League at mobilising support and protesting.
Expect the establishment of the Boston 20 fairly soon.
Ollie Holt tweeted that 2 of the English clubs are cracking with the backlash.
Guess that’ll be City and Chelsea, not American owned or really need the money
Definitely. Apparently they were the 2 who weren't convinced and only went along with it because they were worrying about being left behind.
Mansour especially has done so much for City and has regenerated the area around the Etihad, building world class facilities and before this was basically a hero. He won't be particularly impressed with the negative reaction so i could fully see City backing out.
They are also the 2 that could be kicked out the champions league on Friday......
I think i've seen it said that legally they don't think that can happen this season.
The problem is what do do about Madrid. Because they knocked out Liverpool with City and Chelsea and you can just put they teams they knocked out through
Ollie Holt tweeted that 2 of the English clubs are cracking with the backlash.
Guess that’ll be City and Chelsea, not American owned or really need the money
Definitely. Apparently they were the 2 who weren't convinced and only went along with it because they were worrying about being left behind.
Mansour especially has done so much for City and has regenerated the area around the Etihad, building world class facilities and before this was basically a hero. He won't be particularly impressed with the negative reaction so i could fully see City backing out.
I suspect City's motivation for this has primarily to get one over on PSG/Qatar. Of the teams involved they seem to be the least interested about money and more about winning/doing good deeds. Now we all know it's all about PR for the UAE so it's not like they are angels but the question is if they were to pull out would the others even care?
How easy would it be for players and staff to argue their contracts would be void if this happens. I think, maybe naively, that for top players a place in the World Cup or euros might outrank being in the ESL.
Shearer saying this morning that the Premier League should act straight away and kick the clubs out and take on the legal fight. I wonder if this happened how many of their players might have release causes in their contracts, such as relegation or not qualifying for Europe and could walk away on free transfers and sign for real clubs not in the Super Greed League
What other clubs not in the super league could afford their salaries?
They can't all sign for PSG and Bayern.
A few clubs not having to pay a transfer fee could offer decent deals
Of course football is corrupted by money. Of course those enriched by the game look like hypocrites condemning this. However somewhere buried in this is that football is supposed to be a sport. That is the crucial point however rich or poor you are, or if you made or lost money in football, or if you support one of these clubs or not, to achieve untold riches in a sport without achieving those riches by dint of sporting competition is the issue. Yes I know people will say success can be bought, but even in that context matches had to be played, wins achieved, points accumulated. This stinks because it is a power grab by the greedy using the pretence or cover that it is a sporting enterprise. In this instance it isn’t hypocrisy to condemn this if you’re rich on the back of football, it is condemned because it is a form of cheating. I wish today those six clubs were removed from the domestic game immediately and without ceremony. Parrish and others are wrong to say we need to talk and find out, did those Pooper Leaguers talk to anybody first? Treat them the same way they treated everybody else. The key player is the FA, supposed guardians of the sport.
Shearer saying this morning that the Premier League should act straight away and kick the clubs out and take on the legal fight. I wonder if this happened how many of their players might have release causes in their contracts, such as relegation or not qualifying for Europe and could walk away on free transfers and sign for real clubs not in the Super Greed League
What other clubs not in the super league could afford their salaries?
They can't all sign for PSG and Bayern.
A few clubs not having to pay a transfer fee could offer decent deals
How?
If the big 6 were kicked out of the league, the Sky/BT tv deal would collapse and clubs would be struggling to pay their existing wage bill. They'd no longer be getting 100m+ a season, they'd be getting about 10m (i might be exaggerating but a new deal would be much much less).
The tv deal only exists because of the big 6. People might say 'good riddance, let them go', but without them the premier league is fucked and would be for years until clubs recovered. If people think clubs were financially damaged by no fans because of covid, imagine the fall out if the tv deal collapses.
I love International football. World cups and Euros are class with a group of mates.
In all honesty I’d be gutted if that went and it’d make those summers a hell of a lot less interesting.
No one is suggesting no Euros or World cups. They still take place, but without the greed league players.
Like many others I am not reading all of the thread, I skipped from page 27 to here and I realise that not everyone has read what I wrote, or what other people who had similar ideas wrote. But the crucial thing is sticking together, fans can make a difference here, they really can. It is about pressure. Not just on the greed league clubs, but their fans - make sure boycotters places are not filled, ostracise those that do, make sure media outlets are pressurised into not co-operating with them, makes sure advertisers are bombarded with negative reviews, threaten to boycott pubs that show their games. As I said before, petty but effective, just refuse to discuss football with anyone who supports the idea.
Something I did not think of before, but has that has been suggested elsewhere, all ties cut with football at all levels with the clubs concerned. Reserve, youth and womens.
If it does go ahead, let's make sure that the only place they can draw a crowd is actually in fucking China.
It can be done, it really can. I have never seen such a backlash from so many quarters over an idea. If you are giving up before the start, just imagine what would have happened in 1985, or under RD if Charlton fans had done the same.
The big draw of the World Cup is being seen as the best footballing nation in the world. I support England because I want to see our best 11 beat other countries best 11’s.
Whilst I don’t think we’d lose international football, it would devalue the tournament massively for me. England B vs France B doesn’t have the same appeal.
I think the French view will be that they'll happily take the players back into Ligue 1 likewise German players will go back to the Bundersliga or be less likely to leave it.
Shearer saying this morning that the Premier League should act straight away and kick the clubs out and take on the legal fight. I wonder if this happened how many of their players might have release causes in their contracts, such as relegation or not qualifying for Europe and could walk away on free transfers and sign for real clubs not in the Super Greed League
What other clubs not in the super league could afford their salaries?
They can't all sign for PSG and Bayern.
A few clubs not having to pay a transfer fee could offer decent deals
How?
If the big 6 were kicked out of the league, the Sky/BT tv deal would collapse and clubs would be struggling to pay their existing wage bill. They'd no longer be getting 100m+ a season, they'd be getting about 10m (i might be exaggerating but a new deal would be much much less).
The tv deal only exists because of the big 6. People might say 'good riddance, let them go', but without them the premier league is fucked and would be for years until clubs recovered. If people think clubs were financially damaged by no fans because of covid, imagine the fall out if the tv deal collapses.
The whole deck of cards will collapse. How many owners in the Championship and below have invested in, or acquired clubs because the carrot of the premier league is there?
Without the 6 the whole thing will change massively. It may end up being better in the long term but it's will be a right mess for a long time.
My sense is that the five invited clubs is a temporary arrangement. At some point, the spots will be filled and that'll be that. Like musical chairs.
Once they get the “right” five. That ‘rightness’ will be a mixture of location, potential demographic lure allied with some sense of historical authenticity in European competition - Ajax, Porto, PSG, Bayern and Dortmund would seem to fit. I agree with many of the comments above - players will want to be part of the bigger wages.
I can’t wait to see Gareth’s revised squad thinking with the threat of players from the Big 6 missing. Or is that threat just bluster from the FA? Good news for Sancho and Bellingham.
If nothing else this is a riveting tale of greed. UEFA and Sky taking the moral high ground is a bit rich but let’s see how it all plays out.
What an absolute PR disaster for all of the clubs involved!
Imagine having the stupidity to announce this in the middle of a ******** pandemic? How dumb do you have to be exactly to do that?
No surprise of course that it's the American billionaire class - psychopaths to a man - that are behind this plan as owners of four of the six English clubs involved, with the other two backed of course by Russian and Emirati oil money.
It was inevitable in the end that insatiable greed would mean that football would end up eating itself and that is exactly what has happened.
Who in their right mind could look at the current landscape for big clubs like Man Utd - about to offer Paul Pogba 500K PER WEEK - and say, "You know what, I think these guys actually need more money!"
What an absolute joke of the highest order and they will get their arses well and truly burned for this.
Ironically of course they have just severely devalued the Premier League because BT and Sky are going to say at the next rights bidding, "Your top six teams don't even want to be in the league anymore and might leave anytime so you are not worth what you were four years ago."
For one thing, News Corp. - the biggest proponent and backer of the Premier League - will be incandescent with rage about what these clubs have done because it completely jeopardizes their business model and they will not stand for that.
Now, there's one place in British life you don't want to be and that's in the firing line of The Sun, The Times etc - these people are absolutely ruthless in defending their interests and they will be digging up every bit of shit they can on these clubs and their owners.
Remember, of course, that News Corp. owns Boris Johnson lock, stock and barrel and he is going to play the 'Flag of St George' nationalist card on this one and pit the country against 'greedy foreign owners attacking our game' - it's like shooting fish in a barrel for him.
A complete debacle.
Are spurs American owned? Thought it was Joe Lewis?
What an absolute PR disaster for all of the clubs involved!
Imagine having the stupidity to announce this in the middle of a ******** pandemic? How dumb do you have to be exactly to do that?
No surprise of course that it's the American billionaire class - psychopaths to a man - that are behind this plan as owners of four of the six English clubs involved, with the other two backed of course by Russian and Emirati oil money.
It was inevitable in the end that insatiable greed would mean that football would end up eating itself and that is exactly what has happened.
Who in their right mind could look at the current landscape for big clubs like Man Utd - about to offer Paul Pogba 500K PER WEEK - and say, "You know what, I think these guys actually need more money!"
What an absolute joke of the highest order and they will get their arses well and truly burned for this.
Ironically of course they have just severely devalued the Premier League because BT and Sky are going to say at the next rights bidding, "Your top six teams don't even want to be in the league anymore and might leave anytime so you are not worth what you were four years ago."
For one thing, News Corp. - the biggest proponent and backer of the Premier League - will be incandescent with rage about what these clubs have done because it completely jeopardizes their business model and they will not stand for that.
Now, there's one place in British life you don't want to be and that's in the firing line of The Sun, The Times etc - these people are absolutely ruthless in defending their interests and they will be digging up every bit of shit they can on these clubs and their owners.
Remember, of course, that News Corp. owns Boris Johnson lock, stock and barrel and he is going to play the 'Flag of St George' nationalist card on this one and pit the country against 'greedy foreign owners attacking our game' - it's like shooting fish in a barrel for him.
A complete debacle.
Are spurs American owned? Thought it was Joe Lewis?
They are and you are correct - Joe Lewis is the owner and Levy is the face and makes most of the decisions
I love International football. World cups and Euros are class with a group of mates.
In all honesty I’d be gutted if that went and it’d make those summers a hell of a lot less interesting.
No one is suggesting no Euros or World cups. They still take place, but without the greed league players.
Like many others I am not reading all of the thread, I skipped from page 27 to here and I realise that not everyone has read what I wrote, or what other people who had similar ideas wrote. But the crucial thing is sticking together, fans can make a difference here, they really can. It is about pressure. Not just on the greed league clubs, but their fans - make sure boycotters places are not filled, ostracise those that do, make sure media outlets are pressurised into not co-operating with them, makes sure advertisers are bombarded with negative reviews, threaten to boycott pubs that show their games. As I said before, petty but effective, just refuse to discuss football with anyone who supports the idea.
Something I did not think of before, but has that has been suggested elsewhere, all ties cut with football at all levels with the clubs concerned. Reserve, youth and womens.
If it does go ahead, let's make sure that the only place they can draw a crowd is actually in fucking China.
It can be done, it really can. I have never seen such a backlash from so many quarters over an idea. If you are giving up before the start, just imagine what would have happened in 1985, or under RD if Charlton fans had done the same.
The big draw of the World Cup is being seen as the best footballing nation in the world. I support England because I want to see our best 11 beat other countries best 11’s.
Whilst I don’t think we’d lose international football, it would devalue the tournament massively for me. England B vs France B doesn’t have the same appeal.
But, at the same time, the players are representing their national football association/organisation.
It would be a scenario exactly the same as rebel cricket or rugby tours to Apartheid South Africa. Those who choose to place themselves beyond the Pale (I had to get an Irish reference in) have excluded themselves. They will have abandoned their national football team and their nation, and would be neither eligible or worthy of selection. They choose to devalue international football, by their willingness to devalue the fundamentals of footballing competition.
The best of each country playing each other is always a bit of an illusion, what with injuries, form and "idiosyncratic" team selection all conspiring together at tournaments.
If they go to play in this Super League, Fuck'em, they don't deserve the honour of selection or the support of the nation that they are willing to shaft.
For those interested in a Spanish slant, there was an interview with Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president last night. I didn't watch it but it made the news this morning, so here is the gist (get ready to heave, it's sickening). He began with the Super League is being formed with the best interests of football at heart. he claimed it is in real trouble, with massive debt accumulating, and as a demonstration said that in the last year, real Madrid have accumulated something like 50 or 100 million euros of debt (I missed the number as I was so angry). So the good of football is actually to shore up rhe debt these clubs have through overspending!! He went on to say that there was no need for UEFA to be threatening, they should sit down and talk, and that there was no threat whatsoever, none, that Real Madrid would be thrown out of the Champions League on friday. He seemed fairly sure, which suggests a few brown envelopes have flown to Zurich recently. The TV then said the fans of the big three are by and large in favour, and interviewed one from each to prove it. Not a very representative sample but I'd imagine knowing how Spanish football works that in this case, most of those fans will be happy to see the closed shop getting a few extra locks on the door. I checked out the local Barcelona newspaper, El Mundo Deportivo, as Barcelona have been very very quiet about this. El Mundo followed their stance, mad not a mention of how Barcelona felt about their new business venture, and the biggest topic was a bit of crowing about the possible eviction of Madrid from the Champions League, which seemed fairly myopic considering it will probably aply to Barcelona next season.. There will be a meeting of the league clubs next week, to which the big three have not been invited, and we also heard that the other clubs in Italy want the three ESL founders (the Milans and Juve) thrown out too.
i was chatting with a mate of mine last night and he pointed out that there is actually a lot of money sloshing around in football. the problem is it is all concentrated at the top of the main leagues. The big clubs have overspent as usual (in the case of Spurs and Arsenal, in order to create a huge mediocrity) and now they want more. Logic and history both show that these clubs will simply soak up the money, as will the players they sign, and they will be gasping for more in a few years - the idea that they might have to make cut backs and develop youth players and maybe accept a few rebuilding seasons is beyond them. Given that, my view has hardened. I think it's time to sling them out of all competitions run by FIFA and UEFA. They bring nothing more than greed and avarice. I have no doubt the next few on the ladder may begin to try and take their place as the big fat cats, but for the moment, we can all cut back as TV money shrinks. Giving more ground to these clubs is a death knell to the sport. Imagine the teams they will field given their access to the Super league money when they come back to play domestic competitions. There is no negotiation with this - they are saying it is all decided and ready to go. So they can go and do it - a lot of fans won't miss a closed shop at the top of the table, and if the money isn't so heavily weighted on winning the champions league, maybe we might see a better turn over in domestic competitions without these clubs. And when Chelsea or man Utd can't pack the stadiums and the owners move the franchise to Singapore or Dubai, let's see how they fare then.
The paradox is the "star players" keep wanting more money or their agents do.
Pogba desires 500k a week to stay at United ! Which is modest compared to the demands of Haaland when he leaves Dortmund to go to one of the dirty Dozen.
Just like a pyramid scheme, it has to implode. Greed has no boundaries, and shafting football fans who attend games can only undermine the core values of football. The premier League created this monster and it took 30 years for the monster to escape and run riot.
Chelsea, Arsenal, City, United, Liverpool and the Division 1 winners from 61/62 Spurs need their fans to demonstrate unless they are happy to see their clubs become a pariah.
Comments
If a person has a job in this world, I wish them luck finding a company that doesn't have some bad shit on its records.
Mansour especially has done so much for City and has regenerated the area around the Etihad, building world class facilities and before this was basically a hero. He won't be particularly impressed with the negative reaction so i could fully see City backing out.
No but here is the full tweet for full substance.
Hearing the first cracks may be beginning to appear in the ugly, misshapen edifice of the ESL. Told two English clubs are close to losing their nerve.
Like many others I am not reading all of the thread, I skipped from page 27 to here and I realise that not everyone has read what I wrote, or what other people who had similar ideas wrote. But the crucial thing is sticking together, fans can make a difference here, they really can. It is about pressure. Not just on the greed league clubs, but their fans - make sure boycotters places are not filled, ostracise those that do, make sure media outlets are pressurised into not co-operating with them, makes sure advertisers are bombarded with negative reviews, threaten to boycott pubs that show their games. As I said before, petty but effective, just refuse to discuss football with anyone who supports the idea.
Something I did not think of before, but has that has been suggested elsewhere, all ties cut with football at all levels with the clubs concerned. Reserve, youth and womens.
If it does go ahead, let's make sure that the only place they can draw a crowd is actually in fucking China.
It can be done, it really can. I have never seen such a backlash from so many quarters over an idea. If you are giving up before the start, just imagine what would have happened in 1985, or under RD if Charlton fans had done the same.
Imagine the new owners at Charlton, Wigan, Ipswich and Wigan. I doubt any of them bought those clubs with the intention of keeping them in league 1.
They want promotion to the Championship and eventually to the Premier League where they thought that they would get £150m (or however much it is now) a season. That makes the £10 - £20m a year they plan to spend over the next five years a decent risk. (all figures guestimates).
But now, if the super league happens they don't get £150m pa in the EPL. Because the next Sky deal will be much smaller in £££ terms if the Super League takes off the clubs get, say £25m pa. All of a sudden that £10-£20m a year to get your club "back where it belongs" seems a lot of money to risk.
The upside is that wages may drop, and drastically, when players deals end (it is already happening in the lower leagues and many are on free transfers) but it still means the business plans need to be re-written.
Long term football may actually be in a better place. Less money from Sky means more reasonable wages, clubs are more sustainable from ticket income and local sponsorship plus a top up from sugar daddy owners (which we have to accept that is what TS is). Our club and most clubs are more sustainable and stable as the jump in income to the EPL is smaller (I'm assuming the EPL doesn't screw the EFL again but that is a big assumption).
But until we get to this demi-utopia there will be a lot of cut backs and changes and some clubs, already close to the edge will go under. Would you buy debt ridden Derby or Sheffield Wednesday knowing there is no pot of EPL gold at the end of the rainbow?
Charlton might actually be in a better position given it has already been stripped to the bone and cut costs everywhere.
I don't think Sandgaard is in this to make money or that he'll pull out tomorrow. I think he likes owning a club and he likes being part of a club with history and a culture of its own but I also think he'll be watching very carefully what happens and seeing how he needs to change his plans.
They can't all sign for PSG and Bayern.
Expect the establishment of the Boston 20 fairly soon.
I think, maybe naively, that for top players a place in the World Cup or euros might outrank being in the ESL.
Of course those enriched by the game look like hypocrites condemning this.
However somewhere buried in this is that football is supposed to be a sport.
That is the crucial point however rich or poor you are, or if you made or lost money in football, or if you support one of these clubs or not, to achieve untold riches in a sport without achieving those riches by dint of sporting competition is the issue.
Yes I know people will say success can be bought, but even in that context matches had to be played, wins achieved, points accumulated.
This stinks because it is a power grab by the greedy using the pretence or cover that it is a sporting enterprise.
In this instance it isn’t hypocrisy to condemn this if you’re rich on the back of football, it is condemned because it is a form of cheating.
I wish today those six clubs were removed from the domestic game immediately and without ceremony.
Parrish and others are wrong to say we need to talk and find out, did those Pooper Leaguers talk to anybody first? Treat them the same way they treated everybody else.
The key player is the FA, supposed guardians of the sport.
If the big 6 were kicked out of the league, the Sky/BT tv deal would collapse and clubs would be struggling to pay their existing wage bill. They'd no longer be getting 100m+ a season, they'd be getting about 10m (i might be exaggerating but a new deal would be much much less).
The tv deal only exists because of the big 6. People might say 'good riddance, let them go', but without them the premier league is fucked and would be for years until clubs recovered. If people think clubs were financially damaged by no fans because of covid, imagine the fall out if the tv deal collapses.
Whilst I don’t think we’d lose international football, it would devalue the tournament massively for me. England B vs France B doesn’t have the same appeal.
Without the 6 the whole thing will change massively. It may end up being better in the long term but it's will be a right mess for a long time.
I can’t wait to see Gareth’s revised squad thinking with the threat of players from the Big 6 missing. Or is that threat just bluster from the FA? Good news for Sancho and Bellingham.
If nothing else this is a riveting tale of greed. UEFA and Sky taking the moral high ground is a bit rich but let’s see how it all plays out.
It would be a scenario exactly the same as rebel cricket or rugby tours to Apartheid South Africa. Those who choose to place themselves beyond the Pale (I had to get an Irish reference in) have excluded themselves. They will have abandoned their national football team and their nation, and would be neither eligible or worthy of selection. They choose to devalue international football, by their willingness to devalue the fundamentals of footballing competition.
The best of each country playing each other is always a bit of an illusion, what with injuries, form and "idiosyncratic" team selection all conspiring together at tournaments.
If they go to play in this Super League, Fuck'em, they don't deserve the honour of selection or the support of the nation that they are willing to shaft.
Pogba desires 500k a week to stay at United !
Which is modest compared to the demands of Haaland when he leaves Dortmund to go to one of the dirty Dozen.
Just like a pyramid scheme, it has to implode.
Greed has no boundaries, and shafting football fans who attend games can only undermine the core values of football. The premier League created this monster and it took 30 years for the monster to escape and run riot.
Chelsea, Arsenal, City, United, Liverpool and the Division 1 winners from 61/62 Spurs need their fans to demonstrate unless they are happy to see their clubs become a pariah.