European League moves closer.

Quoted from GrimRob

I'd like to see all the top clubs disappear and the rump of the Premier League return to the EFL which would just be "proper" clubs supported by mainly local supporters.

There's an element of romanticism in that, but without the big 3 or 4, the tv money would probably only be worth 1/3 of what it is now. We'd end up with a lot less money and probably have to lose our youth team, which would be sad.

I can't see it happening anyway. It would be boring watching those teams play each other in a closed shop. UEFA aren't in favour and they understand that the lack of competition to appear in it would reduce the appeal to neutrals.

Quoted from barrattstandman

Easy way to stop is to throw them out of the premier league and bring up numbers from below.  That would make them think twice . How many fans can travel abroad every 2 weeks . Pie in the sky again. The fans the biggest loser.

Prexit?  

Will see if UEFA sanction it.....doubt it, but will that stop them?

Quoted from ginnywings

They wouldn't need to be thrown out. They want to leave and only play against clubs they see worthy of them, not your Burnley's and Fulham's. Neither do they care about fans, as the TV money is what they are after. Besides, with cheap flights all over Europe, the fans would still attend anyway, not to mention the tourist fans the big 6 attract.

I've thought for years that this would come about eventually and now they are openly discussing it. Money will always win in the end and a European Super League is too attractive for the money men to pass up. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with franchises as more and more American money men move into "soccer". You could one day see a team relocate; nothing would surprise me.

Think that's already happened.

This has sat on the cards for a long, long time.  Interesting that the condemnation is from the leagues, not from the clubs.  Ultimately it's the leagues that will lose out.  La Liga would initially be a lot weaker without their blue chippers, as would the Prem, Ligue 1, Serie A etc...

The more and more stuff like this gets talked about the more I want them to just go.  Let them have whatever mega TV deal they want, let them eat themselves and we'll have our game back thank you very much.  The whole concept sounds entertaining enough, the best of the best in regular competition but the novelty would soon rub thin.

Personally I don't need to have the biggest and best clubs on my telly.  I've long enjoyed The Championship far more than I have the Premier League, equally so the most entertaining Premier League season was when Leicester won it.  Champions League wise I might watch the English teams but even then I'm usually gesturing an interest in it.  

Cannot see France, Belgium, Portugal, Netherlands happy with just one from their league.
Then you have Germany, Italy, England & Spain who decides which teams are invited to join from their leagues, some big teams will not be happy, being left out.
Then you have Celtic and Rangers, will not be happy with no european football.
Then they are all the other clubs from the rest of Western Europe and the Eastern Europe.
Then you have the fans, not many home games, sorry fans do not come into it.
With Brexit and us coming out of Europe, will that have any bearing on travel around Europe.
Is it going to a closed shop, or is they going to be relegation, who promoted and from which leagues.
Without relegation, its going to go stale after a while.
When you start thinking about it, its not simple.

Who are the big six in England? Man City and Chelsea are only recently classed as big clubs, before the money man, under achievers.

Personally I wish the likes Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City etc went and formed a so called elite european league, if they did, NO RETURN CLAUSE, if it does not work, and banned from the FA Cup.

Then we can re-structure our football league and negotiate our broadcasting rights, for the benefit of all football teams, not just for Man Utd and Liverpool.

The erosion of the football in this country has been going on for to long now.
First the bigger clubs, wanted all revenue from home gates.
Then the birth of the Premiership league.
No pre-season friendlies with the bigger clubs anymore, too busy globe trotting, only send academy teams these days
Then replays for the League Cup are axed, Premiership clubs complaining playing to many games, happy to travel all over Europe playing.
Influx of foreign players.
De-valuing the FA Cup, by playing a weaken teams
Foreign managers calling for a winter break, so that they can go play somewhere else in the world.
Games are being scheduled without any thought as to how away fans can get there and back in the same day.
Games re-arranged at short notice to fulfilll live television broadcasting, with no thought to fans who have already made travel arrangements, well in advance.
FA Cup replays axed after the 3rd round
Under 23's teams competeting in domestic cup competetions.


These are the Founder members of the Football league
Aston Villa, Everton, Stoke, Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, Accrington, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Notts County, Derby County, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Former founders of the Alliance League
Ardwick, Birmingham St George's, Bootle, Burton Swifts, Crewe Alexandra, Darwen, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Long Eaton Rangers, Newton Heath, Nottingham Forest, Small Heath, Stoke, Sunderland Albion, The Wednesday & Walsall Town Swifts.

The Likes of  Tottenham formed 1882, Arsenal 1886, Liverpool 1892, Chelsea 1905, Forest Green Rovers were formed before the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Provided that we get through Covid-19.

We will still have the best football pyamid in the world, even without the likes Liverpool, Man Utd if they breakaway form the English league system.

The point I am trying to make is that we had football league before the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea & Tottenham formed their clubs.

Over the years the names have changed, and some of the founder members long since gone, but they always news clubs waiting for their chance to climb the football pyamid. The likes of York, Notts County, Stockport, Halifax, Torquay, Chesterfield have lost their league status, to be replaced by the likes of Crawley, Fleetwood, MK Dons, Salford City, Stevenage & Harrogate.

So goodbye Liverpool & Man Utd

Quoted from ginnywings

They wouldn't need to be thrown out. They want to leave and only play against clubs they see worthy of them, not your Burnley's and Fulham's. Neither do they care about fans, as the TV money is what they are after. Besides, with cheap flights all over Europe, the fans would still attend anyway, not to mention the tourist fans the big 6 attract.

I've thought for years that this would come about eventually and now they are openly discussing it. Money will always win in the end and a European Super League is too attractive for the money men to pass up. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with franchises as more and more American money men move into "soccer". You could one day see a team relocate; nothing would surprise me.

Oh yeah because the budget airline companies wouldn’t ramp up the fares as soon as the fixture list was released would they ?!!

The reality of these big European league ideas is that Man Utd v PSG or Chelsea v Inter...\Barca v Bayern....week in week out-   they are not special anymore.  They just become yet another game.

Just look at the champions league group phase which is basically dull and a waste of time.  I dont even watch the champions league until about the quarter finals now.

Soon as you get a big league table a lot of the games become meaningless.

The fact that these "big games" are more common place now means they lose their value;

The Yard Dog,  a comprehensive and just summary.

Harrogate should not have been allowed into the FL. 😟

I saw recently that 14 teams that are in or have been in the PL were in the third tier when it was started.  Football fortunes easily change.  Villa and Forest have both won the European Cup.  Leicester won the title.  None of these clubs would ever be in the top 4 or 6 for making policy.

Also seen that many European football officials admire the current PL TV deals and voting structures.  One club one vote.  They strongly dislike the Spanish model whereby the top 2 clubs get around 90% of the TV money.  This is a cartel and helps maintain the status quo.  Very unhealthy, uncompetitive and unpopular.

Strange then that the PL want drastic change - which they expected the other clubs to approve!

There is also some evidence that the big TV money for football will reduce in future.

Simple way of stopping all this European league, the big stitch up etc, ensure that no Americans get to own clubs, let them go back to the good old US of A and play with their NFL teams, if they get bored of the Dallas Cowboys they can always move them to say New York, no thought for the local fans at all.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

The Yard Dog,  a comprehensive and just summary.

Harrogate should not have been allowed into the FL. 😟

I saw recently that 14 teams that are in or have been in the PL were in the third tier when it was started.  Football fortunes easily change.  Villa and Forest have both won the European Cup.  Leicester won the title.  None of these clubs would ever be in the top 4 or 6 for making policy.

Also seen that many European football officials admire the current PL TV deals and voting structures.  One club one vote.  They strongly dislike the Spanish model whereby the top 2 clubs get around 90% of the TV money.  This is a cartel and helps maintain the status quo.  Very unhealthy, uncompetitive and unpopular.

Strange then that the PL want drastic change - which they expected the other clubs to approve!

There is also some evidence that the big TV money for football will reduce in future.

The PL don't want drastic change. The big 6 clubs want drastic change, so they get to call the shots and benefit themselves.