Hundreds of thousands of people, up and down the country, spend, individually, thousands of pounds a year to go and watch football. None of them are going to watch the opposition, they’re there to watch their team. Newcastle, Leeds, Everton, West Ham, Sunderland, Wolves, Villa etc. will still draw large crowds to watch them. Football has existed for over a hundred years and did so just fine without massive TV deals for most of that time. It will need to adjust but it can definitely still thrive. It won’t be special to see Man Utd play Barcelona 4 times a season, those games are exciting because they only happen every few years, and even the current Champions League format has removed the shine form some of those types of fixtures.
So why are crowds at Charlton bigger when they play Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool? If they aren't there to watch the opposition?
26,749 attendance to watch Hartlepool United, 5/12/12
17,402 average home attendance that season.
Think we'd have been able to build a side unless we were able to sell Jenkinson thanks to Premier League money?
Fine - let them go. Let them play in a meaningless tournament that no-one, apart from the clubs and TV, want. And it will be meaningless because with no relegation loads of the fixtures with nothing at stake will be basically friendlies.
At the same time, ban them from the Premier League. None of this playing your under 21s crap in the Premier League or cups. And tell them when they want to come back they will have to start in tier 4.
Seriously, fight fire with fire.
Tier 4? Fuck that. National League at the very most.
I'm swinging between, feck 'em let them get on with it, but then, when you watch someone as passionate about it as Gary Neville, starting to think about the wider, community impact.
How would the average Liverpool fan feel who's followed them around the country for decades, saving up £1000's to do so, ever afford to go to a 10 European away games? City have been knocking around the lower leagues themselves not that long ago. Lots of these fans are the 4th or 5th generation and will be priced out of following their club.
These clubs are treating everyone, but especially their own fans with contempt.
Not sure I can answer the question entirely but this will be the end of their local derby against Everton (assuming they are thrown out). I can't see the average Liverpool fan welcoming that for a chance to see them play Arsenal in an 11.00pm kick off in Bangkok. (These games will be taken abroad).
Pure greed. These are the same teams who wouldnt help out the lower league teams but then rush off to line there own pockets.
Makes me laugh though...Arsenal are shit, Spurs are shit and Liverpool without 2 1st team CBs are distinctly average. And Arsenal & Spurs arent even in the champions league!!
These teams will end up with a massive amount of money and in there time away will end up better off than the remaining teams so there should be penalties for any team that goes.
Fine - let them go. Let them play in a meaningless tournament that no-one, apart from the clubs and TV, want. And it will be meaningless because with no relegation loads of the fixtures with nothing at stake will be basically friendlies.
At the same time, ban them from the Premier League. None of this playing your under 21s crap in the Premier League or cups. And tell them when they want to come back they will have to start in tier 4.
Seriously, fight fire with fire.
Tier 4? Fuck that. National League at the very most.
Is it wrong of me to want it to happen just because I imagine it would soon become a borefest and the clubs will be asking if they can retake their place in the premier league.
The amount of shit i get even now in adult life from man united fans in the office just for supporting little old Charlton, I'd love to see their faces. I assume they will start supporting Leicester.
Most modern football club owners come across as arseholes.
These are century plus old institutions whether you're Manchester United or Bury or Liverpool or Acrrington Stanley.
Shouldn't be allowed to be manoeuvred and manipulated and years of tradition and community be disregarded by scum who wouldn't know what football was if it hit them in their rancid, shrivelled scrotums.
just seen UEFA statement. not mincing their words...
UEFA, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have learned that a few English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce their creation of a closed, so-called Super League.
If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we – UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations – will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.
We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.
As previously announced by FIFA and the six Confederations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.
We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this. We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced. This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough.
You know you're in trouble when UEFA, the FA and Premier League are holding the moral high ground over you
It's a negotiation tactic to allow those clubs to get still more from TV deals than the Burnleys, Wolves etc. The other Premier League clubs will figure out that they can do this and still end up with more than if those six clubs disappeared.
I suspect most of us would like to say 'tata then' and call their bluff.
Wonder what the major sponsors are thinking, because they will get their way. More global exposure when China settles down for Arsenal v Milan or whatever.
And it is China, India and Asia that this is aimed at. The US sports market is pretty saturated, MLS is trying for some of the Hispanic (is that word ok, genuinely sorry if not) market and parents who don't want their kids' brains rattled around by playing US football.
1pm kick off in Milan, 8pm in Shanghai.
And yes some of these games will be designed to be played in Asia.
Except that it's never going to happen, the Prem will chick its cards in and pay the money.
I think the clubs involved may have misjudged this move. UEFA and FIFA were clearly anticipating this could happen and their reaction is the threat to make these teams football pariahs. Not just the clubs, but potentially the players that play for them.
What will be interesting is whether the clubs will be allowed to back down. If I was FIFA/UEFA I would demand undertakings that there will be no repeat of this or the teams will be kicked out of their competitions as of now. There may be upfront riches but a 12 team league is going to get boring mighty quickly.
Hope it goes tits up for all those clubs but it won’t because people are arseholes enough to pay stupid money to watch the sham. Impressed with the French and German clubs for standing firm. Said it before but every year I fall out of love with football a little bit more. I’m not that far from the end of the rope now.
Hundreds of thousands of people, up and down the country, spend, individually, thousands of pounds a year to go and watch football. None of them are going to watch the opposition, they’re there to watch their team. Newcastle, Leeds, Everton, West Ham, Sunderland, Wolves, Villa etc. will still draw large crowds to watch them. Football has existed for over a hundred years and did so just fine without massive TV deals for most of that time. It will need to adjust but it can definitely still thrive. It won’t be special to see Man Utd play Barcelona 4 times a season, those games are exciting because they only happen every few years, and even the current Champions League format has removed the shine form some of those types of fixtures.
So why are crowds at Charlton bigger when they play Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool? If they aren't there to watch the opposition?
Partially because they bring bigger away crowds that pack out the away end ?
Another thing that could be done is for the police to refuse to provide their services at the venues. Not sure how this could be done but it would obviously have to be sanctioned at Government level.....somehow. I wonder if it’s a possibility?
As others have said, can't see this actually happening. These clubs are likely using this for leverage in other matters and can say they listened to the fans when they inevitably go back on this
Comments
Think we'd have been able to build a side unless we were able to sell Jenkinson thanks to Premier League money?
Would love it if they cancelled the proposed changes they were planning as well.
This is a quite good opinion piece.
Makes me laugh though...Arsenal are shit, Spurs are shit and Liverpool without 2 1st team CBs are distinctly average. And Arsenal & Spurs arent even in the champions league!!
These teams will end up with a massive amount of money and in there time away will end up better off than the remaining teams so there should be penalties for any team that goes.
I doubt the players will care, as it is the clubs that pay the wages
I'm going with something like 'All games in the tournament for the first year will be on free-to-air television channels in Europe'.
The amount of shit i get even now in adult life from man united fans in the office just for supporting little old Charlton, I'd love to see their faces. I assume they will start supporting Leicester.
Brentford, Charlton and Millwall QPR
Most modern football club owners come across as arseholes.
These are century plus old institutions whether you're Manchester United or Bury or Liverpool or Acrrington Stanley.
Shouldn't be allowed to be manoeuvred and manipulated and years of tradition and community be disregarded by scum who wouldn't know what football was if it hit them in their rancid, shrivelled scrotums.
I suspect most of us would like to say 'tata then' and call their bluff.
Wonder what the major sponsors are thinking, because they will get their way. More global exposure when China settles down for Arsenal v Milan or whatever.
1pm kick off in Milan, 8pm in Shanghai.
And yes some of these games will be designed to be played in Asia.
Except that it's never going to happen, the Prem will chick its cards in and pay the money.
What will be interesting is whether the clubs will be allowed to back down. If I was FIFA/UEFA I would demand undertakings that there will be no repeat of this or the teams will be kicked out of their competitions as of now. There may be upfront riches but a 12 team league is going to get boring mighty quickly.
Partially because they bring bigger away crowds that pack out the away end ?
Not sure how this could be done but it would obviously have to be sanctioned at Government level.....somehow.
I wonder if it’s a possibility?