Time for Football Associations to get tough.

[cromwell]

Well, it looks like it has all fallen through.
Rats.
I was looking forward to the super six going to the super super league and never coming back.
I've been thinking though, aren't these fans saying "the game belongs to the fans" being a bit hypocritical, or at best naive?

All fans want their teams to do well, and to get near the Champions League final (for instance), you usually need a mega rich owner.
Certainly before the Qataris came along Man City's best hope of a final was the League Cup.
So on the one hand the fans want their billionaire big owner to pump money into the club; buy the big stars, pay the big transfer fees and pay the big wages.
But on the other hand the game belongs to the fans?

These people didn't get to be billionaires by running businesses at a loss and their mindset is that if they own something they'll make it pay. So when a chance comes along like the super duper league to (presumably) make them more money, they'll take it. Plus the American NFL owner mindset is of the franchise owning system; buy a franchise in the NFL and you will never get relegated.

So the fans want it both ways. They want the billionaire owner, but they don't want what comes with it. The Premier League also want the billionaire owners - to make the PL "the biggest and best league in the world".
Maybe the answer might have been to stop people like the Glazers buying up clubs in the first place.

If you don't want the oligarchs as owners fans might have to scale their expectations of their club down - no more world stars playing for you, no more regular Champion's League wins.
Are they ready to do that?

[Workingman]

Very true.

The fans, whether they realise it or not, are part of the problem. The quad of football associations, owners, fans and TV have ruined football. If anything the fans are the biggest problem.

The pandemic has shown that games do not need crowds. This is certainly true so long as the fans pay their TV subs and tune in and buy the shirts and scarves and other pointless stuff. If a club is making a loss it it no problem for a foreign owner as it just goes on the expenses side of the balance sheet to help lower the tax burden.

It has all gone wrong and there does not seem to be a way of turning it around.

And if anyone thinks this is the end of this idea they are deluding themselves unless changes to the rules within FIFA and UEFA and all the Federations are made pronto.

[TheOstrich]

So the fans want it both ways. They want the billionaire owner, but they don't want what comes with it. The Premier League also want the billionaire owners - to make the PL "the biggest and best league in the world".
Maybe the answer might have been to stop people like the Glazers buying up clubs in the first place.

I believe the Newcastle United fans more than welcomed the take-over attempt in 2020 which was "backed" by compatriots of the despicable MBS - anything to get rid of Ashley - and exceedingly miffed that it was blocked by the Government / Premier League on the grounds that the Saudis were serial offenders in TV piracy. I do wonder if Newcastle would have been in the "Gang of 6" if that takeover had in fact gone through .....

[miasmum]

Have they backed down because they care about the fans, or because they were forced to?

[cromwell]

A bit of both I think MM. But maybe next year another idea for a European super league will be floated. This latest was the second one in two years and I think they'll be back for another go.

The latest news is that the super six now want Celtic and Rangers in a "reformed" Premier League, but also want to drop the number of teams in the PL to 18,
I've got a better idea, kick the big six out, let Rangers and Celtic in and dump the Caribou Cup or whatever the League Cup is called nowadays.

[Workingman]

So, let's see.

There are 20 teams in the Prem. Kick out the greedy back-stabbing six and that leaves 14. Bring in Celtic and Rangers, that makes 16. Promote the top two from the Championship and we get 18 - job nearly done. However, for a bit of promotion and relegation interest let Sheff Utd play off against whoever finishes third in the Champ. No mini league play-off nonsense just whoever is third.

[miasmum]

This popped up on one of the Ipswich Facebook pages, it was stolen from a Norwich page unsurprisingly

***Norwich announce formation of East Anglian Super-duper League***
Today, Monday 19 April, the best clubs in East Anglia announce the formation of a new East Anglia League which will act as a showcase for the finest talent from the wash to the Waveney.
The six best clubs in the region - Norwich City, Cambridge United, Peterborough United, Colchester United, Kings Lynn and Lowestoft Town - will play for the newly minted ‘Broads cup’ and prize money expected to be in excess of £48.50.
Sponsorship opportunities have been snapped up, with Roy’s of Wroxham and Bewilderwood among the organisations bankrolling the venture.

The move was condemned by East Anglian strugglers, Ipswich Town, who said ‘These plans involve teams of players being able to kick a ball to each other for ninety minutes. Our experience tells us that this is impossible. It’s elitist nonsense....

[TheOstrich]

This popped up on one of the Ipswich Facebook pages, it was stolen from a Norwich page unsurprisingly

[cromwell]

The move was condemned by East Anglian strugglers, Ipswich Town, who said ‘These plans involve teams of players being able to kick a ball to each other for ninety minutes. Our experience tells us that this is impossible. It’s elitist nonsense....


That's brilliant!

[miasmum]

Its sadly true too, and I say that as a long time Ipswich fan.