12 Oct 2020 15:58:37
Does anyone else share my distaste for and opposition to the Project Land Grab proposed by Liverpool and Manchester United and supported by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and including four other much smaller clubs, clinging on to the coat tails of the "Big Five"?
Amongst all the supposed "largesse" of handing over £250m to the EPL clubs, I note the abolition of parachute payments for relegated clubs. Don't these payments amount to much the same amount, so, as usual, is it a cloak and dagger/ smoke and mirror exercise?
Hand the wedge over Premier League Clubs! The amount of money spent - and wasted - in Premier League football is obscene and we have seen the economic madness at our own club in the last two weeks: £45m on a midfielder and 55 redundant staff. Nice.
I know there is an argument about "why should larger organisations bail out smaller ones" and I do get that, but somehow, football seems a bit more than that. We need a vibrant pyramid for so many reasons, not even including "tradition" (times change, I get that) , but for social, civic and potential recruits.
£12m per Premier League club is a drop in the ocean for each of them.
Just do something right, without attaching a myriad of dependencies. Do it for the good of the game. Long Term.
12 Oct 2020 17:37:48
Hi Max hope you are doing OK mate?
Unfortunately we live in a world where those with by far the most already have an insatiable desire for more of what those with the least need to simply survive on.
The cake is only so big and if the fattest at the table demand even more of it those who are surviving on crumbs already will cease to exist all together.
In the weeks ahead let's clap for the very wealthiest in society every Thursday night as they agree to take less so our careers can be paid more then the bare minimum.
Wouldn't it be nice.
13 Oct 2020 14:19:44
I think it's disgusting to be honest Max and it's nothing more than the top clubs trying to force their dominance in the Premier League.
In my opinion the so called 'top 6' feel threatened by the clubs below them because the league is becoming even more competitive. This is made clear by the fact that they also want VETO any potential takeovers. All this does is tell clubs such as Burnley, Aston Villa and Brighton that they are irrelevant and don't matter. Clubs like Villa are investing well, they have the right people and are heading in the right direction but as soon as wealthy investor comes in it will just thrown out. The 250m and 25% of television broadcasting revenue is just a sweetener to make the deal seem appealing. Don't get me wrong they're are some good points to the proposal as well but I'm against it.
{Ed002's Note - That is simply not the case. The proposal is from two clubs after negotiations with an American investor who wants to start extorting money from football and behind closed doors discussion with Rick Parry. It is all about boosting the financial growth potential of Liverpool and Manchester United.}
13 Oct 2020 18:56:57
Ok, I’ll duck after the post.
Do Apple donate or share money with young upcoming telecom Companies? Football must be one of a few industries where people expect the big dogs to hand money down to future competition. I’m not saying they shouldn’t but just funny how big clubs who could make more money from TV are criticised because it makes them bigger and better. Doesn’t this allow them to compete better in Europe and get bigger global fan base. Isn’t that what a business would do? Isn’t football a business?
I do believe they have a responsibility to the club, lower divisions etc because I think it’s the best for the game but you have to question our expectations as the board have a responsibility to their club and long term survival etc.
13 Oct 2020 23:41:19
I may not agree with this specific proposal but I think the debate is correct, and ultimately the premiership does need to hand more cash over to the entire EFL, not just as parachute payments to those teams relegated from the PL. Otherwise what is the point of being a football team if you have a diminishing number of future potential opponents? Also the premiership may be bigger in revenue etc but we must remember more fans watch football in EFL grounds every week versus the PL, so arguably that is the real football played in the uk. I also speak as a Leyton Orient is my second team fan. However, in return more has to be done by EFL clubs to protect themselves, and I think a compulsory salary cap is a must. I have said many times, football is in a bubble, and the reality of a club shutting completely hasn’t really been seen. However, it will come, with land being at a premium in many cities, that stadium that was only previously deemed any good for football, may now be worth more to a developer as houses, so we may see both clubs and their grounds gone long before any rescue can be negotiated. Perhaps this needs to happen to a fairly large club for reality to hit home? To be fair, it already annoys me every time I see Leeds or Glasgow Rangers play, and being talked about as those great teams of the past, because neither are. Those previous clubs both went bust, owing millions in debt to thousands of ordinary suppliers who got nothing back, only to see both clubs being bought back for peanuts and allowed to carry on. If we want to discuss fairness, football doesn’t really put itself at the top of the pile that’s for sure.
14 Oct 2020 14:19:23
I don’t disagree Epping but aren’t they the same administration rules that other industries exploit as well as benefit from while others the ltd status protects them and their families from the business liabilities as plenty go bust at no fault of their own.
Although football is different because it needs competition although do Arsenal really need all those divisions to survive and compete long term? At the end of the day it’s big business and we benefit by seeing the Henrys etc because of it. Big business unfortunately has expectations to grow and improve performance and keep customers happy. Big businesses lay off people, they want to be bigger and better than competition and take market share.
I’m not saying I agree but Football was a community entity / sport now it’s big business with all the pros and cons. I get to watch them from the comfort of my home, all games on highlights, best players in the world performing in Uk but the bad things because prizes are so big like you say
I’m just interested hence the banter.
14 Oct 2020 18:36:16
Do Arsenal need all those divisions to survive SY? Do Arsenal and Arsenal players need the NHS? Surely they have private health insurance so should be exempt from any tax that goes towards the NHS so they can buy more expensive footballers.
Every man for themselves and survival of the richest?