[Football] Liverpool and Manchester United lead ‘European League’ breakout league idea

[jimhigham]

I feel really sorry for Uncle Tony on this one. He’s spent hundreds of millions of pounds of his own cash building up his boyhood club to the point where they can compete with the best teams in the land. Now the best teams want to run off with the ball. Where does that leave him?

It could be argued that we are better placed than many to ride out whatever storm might emerge from this, as we have a lower wage structure and a highly functioning academy. However, Tony’s financial model has presumably been based on projected Premier League (or Championship) incomes. The European Super League has the power to utterly transform the TV market and therefore the income levels right throughout the pyramid. At this point, all best are essentially off when it comes to football financing.

Tony has been absurdly generous to our club and we are so fortunate to have him but he’s not a charity. Could he even afford to stick around? Worrying times.

 

[lawros left foot]

This is a long read, but well worth it.


https://www.football365.com/news/big-six-european-super-league-john-nicholson

 

[drew]

You think clubs like run by whityer than white owners such as, let's say West Ham, wouldn't rush towards the runt end of this particular trough if they were incvited to do so.

The Greedy 6 are clearly just plain disgusting, but for years they have been allowed to manipulate the finances of football because they have had the backing of those reprehensible cling-on parasite types that stand behind the bullies, leaning over shouting "yeah! Ave it!" who are just to scared to call out the bullies for what they are.

Thanbk goodness we support a club that does have a spine and does stand up to these to$$ers.

I think the big six could well invite one more EPL club, someone like Leicester, just to screw over the EPL voting system and then, maybe in a few years they'd vote Leicester out of the Super League once they'd served their purpose.

The authorities and the 'other 14' need to act fast to either avert the breakaway or let them go and confirm the ban on being involved in any other competition both as club and players so the rest of the reasonably honest football world can get on with our lives.

 

[jimhigham]

Most seem horrified by the idea. Why ?

If Brighton was one of top six, the idea of seeing top clubs in Europe every other week sounds great to me.

It sounds great to you and will doubtless do so to many. However, I’d be surprised if it was anything other than poison to the majority of our supporters. The very concept of invitation only, exhibition football is anathema to me and I’d want no part of it. If we ever signed up to such a thing, it would be the end of my forty year love affair with the club.

I’d probably get myself Lewes membership.

 

[vagabond]

It sounds great to you and will doubtless do so to many. However, I’d be surprised if it was anything other than poison to the majority of our supporters. The very concept of invitation only, exhibition football is anathema to me and I’d want no part of it. If we ever signed up to such a thing, it would be the end of my forty year love affair with the club.

I’d probably get myself Lewes membership.

Plus it’s just those 6.

It rules out any other teams potentially joining. Or if so, would be at these clubs whim and they’d be running the show.

And Spurs, how dare they consider themselves elite. There’s clubs in the Championship who have won more in recent times. The arrogance of it all stinks.

 

[Diablo]

It sounds great to you and will doubtless do so to many. However, I’d be surprised if it was anything other than poison to the majority of our supporters. The very concept of invitation only, exhibition football is anathema to me and I’d want no part of it. If we ever signed up to such a thing, it would be the end of my forty year love affair with the club.

I’d probably get myself Lewes membership.

Surely there would have to be promotion/demotion otherwise there would be no incentive !! PS Lewes aren`t what they were a few years ago. Hopefully will go again next season.

 

[vagabond]

Surely there would have to be promotion/demotion otherwise there would be no incentive !! PS Lewes aren`t what they were a few years ago. Hopefully will go again next season.

I’d suggest you perhaps read about it before telling everyone how great an idea the super league sounds? [emoji6]

For starters... there will be no relegation.

https://thesuperleague.com/press.html

 

[blue-shifted]

I think the big six could well invite one more EPL club, someone like Leicester, just to screw over the EPL voting system and then, maybe in a few years they'd vote Leicester out of the Super League once they'd served their purpose.

The authorities and the 'other 14' need to act fast to either avert the breakaway or let them go and confirm the ban on being involved in any other competition both as club and players so the rest of the reasonably honest football world can get on with our lives.

I think this is a likely move.

More likely to be Everton though

 

[GT49er]

I think that's true enough in normal circumstances but in this case we're looking for politicians to support football authorities not interfere in their operations

Unless of course it's Boris supporting the football authorities? You seem to have nothing but contempt for his stating his opposition to the project.


Personally I'd be neutrally happy to have both Boris and Starmer on the side of the good guys, regardless of voting preferences.

 

[Poojah]

While supporters have next to no power in the way clubs are run, our money does still provide us with some leverage. If all supporters stopped attending and cancelled the appropriate TV subscriptions, it would drive a coach and horses through the Super League’s financial model.

Therein lies the rub for me. There's actually an inverse correlation between the proximity and engagement level between fans and clubs and how much influence they have over matters. 50 years ago (even 30 years ago) match-going fans were everything because that's where all the money came from - clubs could not act unilaterally against the best interests and wishes of supporters without risking serious financial consequences.

Today things are very different in the top flight. The last 12 months are a great case study in how little fans in grounds matter in the big scheme of things. Yes, empty stadiums detract from the spectacle but behind closed doors games have proved to be nothing more than a bloody nose to the financial might of elite clubs - it remains silly season in terms of transfer fees and wages.

The simple reality is that the bulk of football's money comes from people sat at home, and even more pertinently people based outside of this country, often many thousands of miles away. It sounds counter-intuitive, but fans on the other side of the world literally have more influence than people buying season tickets and going to games because in totality they account for more income. It stands to reason that those 'fans' are going to be less invested in English football's history and cultural heritage - no doubt for many of those people week after week of Liverpool v Barcelona is going to be of greater interest than a season littered with Burnley's and Norwich City's. It's this reality that makes this whole shambolic affair possible.

What the Premier League has done is created a monster it can no longer control - the robots are taking over. They've allowed the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool to become so big globally, that they no longer need the Premier League. They no longer need match-going fans, or even football fans based in England, to be frank.

The Premeir League model since its advent in the early 90s has been motivated by financial greed, and has only become progressively worse over the years. By becoming so blinkered by maximising their own financial wealth, they've failed to see this coming and have got themselves in a right old pickle. Like it or not, the magic money tree is dead without those clubs with a disproportionate global profile - millions of people in the far east are not going to be tuning in to a season of Everton v Newcastle.

Quite the pickle indeed. How they get out of it, I don't know. Can they? I'm not sure, but I am certain that this will all end very badly for someone.

 

[drew]

I think this is a likely move.

More likely to be Everton though

You could be right, they've got new money and a new stadium on the horizon (well, on the docks). They only need one more club to screw up the voting.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

We built a nice stadium and have won as much as Spurs in the last million years. Are we elite?

 

[Chinman3000]

There we go then. Clear breach of the rules....off you go chaps and close the door on your way out

Arguably though the ESL isn't a competition!!

 

[drew]

Therein lies the rub for me. There's actually an inverse correlation between the proximity and engagement level between fans and clubs and how much influence they have over matters. 50 years ago (even 30 years ago) match-going fans were everything because that's where all the money came from - clubs could not act unilaterally against the best interests and wishes of supporters without risking serious financial consequences.

Today things are very different in the top flight. The last 12 months are a great case study in how little fans in grounds matter in the big scheme of things. Yes, empty stadiums detract from the spectacle but behind closed doors games have proved to be nothing more than a bloody nose to the financial might of elite clubs - it remains silly season in terms of transfer fees and wages.

The simple reality is that the bulk of football's money comes from people sat at home, and even more pertinently people based outside of this country, often many thousands of miles away. It sounds counter-intuitive, but fans on the other side of the world literally have more influence than people buying season tickets and going to games because in totality they account for more income. It stands to reason that those 'fans' are going to be less invested in English football's history and cultural heritage - no doubt for many of those people week after week of Liverpool v Barcelona is going to be of greater interest than a season littered with Burnley's and Norwich City's. It's this reality that makes this whole shambolic affair possible.

What the Premier League has done is created a monster it can no longer control - the robots are taking over. They've allowed the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool to become so big globally, that they no longer need the Premier League. They no longer need match-going fans, or even football fans based in England, to be frank.

The Premeir League model since its advent in the early 90s has been motivated by financial greed, and has only become progressively worse over the years. By becoming so blinkered by maximising their own financial wealth, they've failed to see this coming and have got themselves in a right old pickle. Like it or not, the magic money tree is dead without those clubs with a disproportionate global profile - millions of people in the far east are not going to be tuning in to a season of Everton v Newcastle.

Quite the pickle indeed. How they get out of it, I don't know. Can they? I'm not sure, but I am certain that this will all end very badly for someone.

You're right, domestic subscribers pale into insignificance compared to the asian markets. They will have no moral view of competition as they don't see it up close.

Regarding broadcasting, I wonder which companies they've been talking to? Wouldn't mind guessing that Amazon are at the top of the tree a) because they have the wealth and b) they're run by Americans!!!

 

[brighton_tom]

Most seem horrified by the idea. Why ?

If Brighton was one of top six, the idea of seeing top clubs in Europe every other week sounds great to me.

Because this suggested plan makes a mockery of fair competition, and turns its back on over 100 years of football history. Yes I know the PL is already bossed by these mega rich clubs but we cant let it swing in that direction any more. If Brighton somehow managed to finish in the top 6 and so had earnt their right to compete in a European competition which ran concurrently with the PL then fair enough, and as you say seeing us play against top sides from other leagues would be great. But this new proposal is not in the same ethos as that. This is a competition that you cannot be relegated from & seemingly only the mega rich can be involved in. It is a competition designed to further line the pockets of those involved rather than being based on merit. If this was about merit, and about the best of the best having earnt some right to test themselves against each other then why are Tottenham and Arsenal involved? Why arent they saying ''if you finish in the top 2 of your domestic league then you can compete in this new competition''? It transforms our sport from a fair competition where rank & stature is earnt into a pointless spectacle. If United etc leave the Prem to do this then for the fans its the basketball equivalent of saying you support the Harlem Globetrotters. & if they involve themselves in this and also compete in the PL it would be absolutely laughable that a team is allowed to scoop up an extra £500m a season from this new league and then turn up to play Norwich on a Saturday, given that they woudnt be given the opportunity to gain that same money. & how would it realistically work having the PL, Super league, Champions League, Europa League, Fa Cup, and League Cup all running along side each other. It would only be a matter of time before these bigger clubs ask for squad sizes to be increased so they can complete in everything & we enter into a boxing style nightmare where there's too many titles to fight for and the fixture logistics becomes impossible.

If the gain from doing this is to compete against Europe's elite, then why do this at all? We have the Champions League and Europa League. This is just about greed and power at the expense of the rest of the football league.

 

[nicko31]

Unless of course it's Boris supporting the football authorities? You seem to have nothing but contempt for his stating his opposition to the project.


Personally I'd be neutrally happy to have both Boris and Starmer on the side of the good guys, regardless of voting preferences.

Think its fair to say there is universal condemnation cross party. Football really is eating itself now, so so wrong...

 

[jimhigham]

Surely there would have to be promotion/demotion otherwise there would be no incentive !! PS Lewes aren`t what they were a few years ago. Hopefully will go again next season.

My football support has never been based upon the quality offered up on the pitch. It’s nice to be in the Premier League but I had just as many laughs watching us when we were camped out at the bottom of the entire league.

 

[Diablo]

My football support has never been based upon the quality offered up on the pitch. It’s nice to be in the Premier League but I had just as many laughs watching us when we were camped out at the bottom of the entire league.

Indeed. Competitive football at any level is good to watch !!

However there is something to be said for going down,seeing more football, Winning a lot of games and being promoted at home on last day of the season.

 

[blue-shifted]

My football support has never been based upon the quality offered up on the pitch. It’s nice to be in the Premier League but I had just as many laughs watching us when we were camped out at the bottom of the entire league.

Hmmm, not sure I remember laughing too often during those days

 

[nicko31]

My football support has never been based upon the quality offered up on the pitch. It’s nice to be in the Premier League but I had just as many laughs watching us when we were camped out at the bottom of the entire league.

Not complaining where BHA are now

But have to say some of the most fun was at away days during the Withdean years, football sometimes ugly but some very enjoyable outings.