Sod off LEICESTER, we don't want your sort in the Champions League...

[CHAPPERS]

Why bother with playing the games, they should just give the club they think deserves it most the trophy that year based on, errm, errm, whoever sells most shirts that year?

 

[el punal]

If they don't like having to compete tough, it's a competition.

It's quite obvious this conversation would never happen if they were winning.

This is the definition of unsporting behavior.

United, Arsenal, Chelea, Liverpool and City should all be fined and docked points just for having that meeting.

Bringing the game into disrepute?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Let them **** off to their closed shop and the rest of us get on with it.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

some we could mention who actually followed it more than once.

I dont know who you mean

 

[Billy the Fish]

It won't happen, the clubs aren't that stupid.

There's no suggestion that the English clubs have any interest in this at all and I'm sure the fans wouldn't want it either. This idea will remain the pipe dream of a handful of moneymen.

 

[Easy 10]

It won't happen, the clubs aren't that stupid.

There's no suggestion that the English clubs have any interest in this at all and I'm sure the fans wouldn't want it either. This idea will remain the pipe dream of a handful of moneymen.

They may not be stupid, but they are certainly greedy.

And since when has what the fans wanted counted for anything ?

 

[Simster]

They may not be stupid, but they are certainly greedy.

And since when has what the fans wanted counted for anything ?

I'll reiterate what I said earlier. None of this is being driven by English clubs - it's coming from clubs elsewhere who are scared of the power of the Premier league after the recent TV deal. That is why Arsenal have already come out and said they're not interested - and they have an American owner.

 

[FatSuperman]

I haven't read the details, but I thought they were talking about an additional mini league to their domestic leagues, not a separate one altogether? I can imagine the hyper league becoming so dull that it starts turning the global fanbase away, but then I don't know much about the sort of weird person who chooses to support a club in another country. I hope it'll be like that Budweiser advert where around half time the game goes into multi-ball. Really put a nice American twist on the thing.

And FFP boils my ****. The clubs that spunked the cash prior to the rules basically locked in their advantage. With their huge asset base of expensive players, they simply need to keep cycling them out and buying in the next big thing and they are sorted.

 

[SAC]

I wonder how SKY will feel about all this ? They just pumped in BILLIONS and now the BIG 5 want to leave or go into another competition which could be on BT like all the EURO football too. The only ones going to get rich out of this will be the lawyers

The clubs wont leave their national leagues, they want a closed shop for European football to replace the Champions League. Sky wont care as they will just stop showing the Champions League and start showing the new European League for Mercenaries. In fact Sky will be happy as the last thing they want is a small team being televised.

 

[thisistips]

Let them **** off out of it - sooner the better. They can have their Hyperbowl MegaLeague closed shop.

Suddenly all European leagues will become a damn sight more competitive, and real football starts to return to the people.

Fully agree. Let them go. The risk level is high for them. OK, they may be able to afford the best players. There will be hype. But really, what do you prefer to watch? Bayern Munich vs Juventus or Tottenham vs Stoke. OK, you can say neither, but given the choice I'd take the English teams, because I can relate to them; have been to the grounds etc. I reckon after the first couple of years, without relegation and with very expensive away days, the neutral fans will dwindle. It could even be a renaissance for the domestic leagues.

My call is this. If they go and do it, the Premier League (if it still exists) and the Football League should amend their constitutions to prevent them coming back. Or if they do come back, they have to do so a la Rangers; from the bottom. Fans United should boycott franchise plc. That is why I don't think it will happen.

 

[Marshy]

Another trophy they can't win

 

[Easy 10]

I'll reiterate what I said earlier. None of this is being driven by English clubs - it's coming from clubs elsewhere who are scared of the power of the Premier league after the recent TV deal. That is why Arsenal have already come out and said they're not interested - and they have an American owner.

And yet 5 of the biggest English clubs were still interested enough to go and sit round the table with this guy. Never underestimate the power of greed and self-interest. I haven't seen Arsenals statement yet, but rest assured, if the other clubs fancy it, then Arsenal are not going to want to be left behind. Could you really see them fighting it ?

14 of the 20 Premier League clubs are now foreign owned, which is enough to drive through a casting vote. Those owners are not in it for the love of the game, or because of any long-standing affection they may have for their club - they're in it for the glamour, the kudos, and they're in it to make money. If they can all agree on a way of protecting their large investment, so that they can maintain a guaranteed income stream that isn't at the whim of something as unpredictable as results on the pitch, then it doesn't take a great leap in logic to believe that one day, if they can, they'll take steps to do exactly that.

 

[Simster]

And yet 5 of the biggest English clubs were still interested enough to go and sit round the table with this guy. Never underestimate the power of greed and self-interest. I haven't seen Arsenals statement yet, but rest assured, if the other clubs fancy it, then Arsenal are not going to want to be left behind. Could you really see them fighting it ?

14 of the 20 Premier League clubs are now foreign owned, which is enough to drive through a casting vote. Those owners are not in it for the love of the game, or because of any long-standing affection they may have for their club - they're in it for the glamour, the kudos, and they're in it to make money. If they can all agree on a way of protecting their large investment, so that they can maintain a guaranteed income stream that isn't at the whim of something as unpredictable as results on the pitch, then it doesn't take a great leap in logic to believe that one day, if they can, they'll take steps to do exactly that.

But all they've done is sit round a table at a meeting they were invited to. If their peers across the continent invite them to a meeting, OF COURSE they're going to attend. The point I feel you're missing is that a pan-European nonsense league remains of no interest to English clubs already about to benefit thanks to a quite massive television deal for their own domestic league.

 

[Easy 10]

But all they've done is sit round a table at a meeting they were invited to. If their peers across the continent invite them to a meeting, OF COURSE they're going to attend. The point I feel you're missing is that a pan-European nonsense league remains of no interest to English clubs already about to benefit thanks to a quite massive television deal for their own domestic league.

I do take your point, but it really depends whats on offer doesn't it ? What more they can get out of it. If they can be part of something that brings even MORE cash rolling in to the coffers, and "expands the brand" even further globally, then don't you think there'll be some chin-stroking going on there ? The entire proposal is driven by greed and self-interest, which is what these clubs have majored in since 1992.

Yes, so far all they've done is sit round a table at a meeting they were invited to. But that's exactly how these things begin. Like everyone else, I have no idea IF this will ever actually happen, I don't know enough about the detail to know whether its even viable. But money talks loudest to these people, so if it looks good on paper...

 

[FatSuperman]

The point I feel you're missing is that a pan-European nonsense league remains of no interest to English clubs already about to benefit thanks to a quite massive television deal for their own domestic league. .

I think I agree with you, however remember the old adage 'why have one massive television deal when you can have two?'

And to another post, sadly I don't think the big teams care that much about whether away fans (or any fans) turn up to watch the games. It's the TV money they want and unless people stop subscribing to those services and the channel owners relate the subscription drop to football issues, then nothing will change the club's opinion.

I hope the English and German teams aren't interested but the Spanish and Italian teams go for it anyway, what a league that will be.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I do take your point, but it really depends whats on offer doesn't it ? What more they can get out of it. If they can be part of something that brings even MORE cash rolling in to the coffers, and "expands the brand" even further globally, then don't you think there'll be some chin-stroking going on there ? The entire proposal is driven by greed and self-interest, which is what these clubs have majored in since 1992.

Yes, so far all they've done is sit round a table at a meeting they were invited to. But that's exactly how these things begin. Like everyone else, I have no idea IF this will ever actually happen, I don't know enough about the detail to know whether its even viable. But money talks loudest to these people, so if it looks good on paper...

If it can guarantee Champions League income every season it removes the risk that they don't get that money. That would be very important for financial planning.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Didn't they also do the going into admin, penny in pound thing that palace did?

They didn't even pay a penny in the pound. They wrote off all of their debts, including their new stadium, and started afresh. It was because of Leicester that the points deduction for administration came in for clubs.

 

[Steve in Japan]

Stillitano is badly informed but I certainly would not be surprised to see more attempts to introduce a "closed shop". The big brand clubs wouldn't hesitate if there was more coin in it. Like many on here I think that the closed shop is a shameful idea.

 

[swindonseagull]

I am assuming that Cray Wanderers (The second oldest Team) will be included?

And also West Ham as they won the World Cup by themselves (apparently)

Dont forget LEEDS Utd , the greatest club of all time with the greatest supporters ad ex European Champions !!!!!!!!!!! ( according to them)

 

[Gwylan]

14 of the 20 Premier League clubs are now foreign owned, which is enough to drive through a casting vote. Those owners are not in it for the love of the game, or because of any long-standing affection they may have for their club - they're in it for the glamour, the kudos, and they're in it to make money. If they can all agree on a way of protecting their large investment, so that they can maintain a guaranteed income stream that isn't at the whim of something as unpredictable as results on the pitch, then it doesn't take a great leap in logic to believe that one day, if they can, they'll take steps to do exactly that.

This came up a few weeks ago. What I said then and I'll say now is that only works if the change is in the current season. Let's say the proposal is that there will be no relegation and promotion in 2017/2018 and the teams that go down next season will not get back up. I can't see Villa, Newcastle, Sunderland, Norwich, Bournemouth, Swansea and West Brom voting for that (and possibly Palace too) ... and that's not enough to make a change.

If they said that there'd be no relegation this season, then yes, I'm sure that there'd a massive majority but a hell of a legal battle.