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

[The Albion Roar]

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.

The mighty Liverpool who haven't won the league for 26 years, and certainly not since football was invented by Sky.

 

[Braggfan]

The really sad thing is the idea that Leicester winning the league is sticking it to them, when actually they cheated to get in the premier league. They condoned the running of clubs like Chelsea and Man City when they broke financial fair play themselves.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying I like or agree with the notion of Man Utd “creating” football, but the system is already broke and has been for years. I don’t think it makes much difference what they do now and there's probably very little we can do to stop their stangle hold over it.

 

[Albumen]

The really sad thing is the idea that Leicester winning the league is sticking it to them, when actually they cheated to get in the premier league. They condoned the running of clubs like Chelsea and Man City when they broke financial fair play themselves.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying I like or agree with the notion of Man Utd “creating” football, but the system is already broke and has been for years. I don’t think it makes much difference what they do now and there's probably very little we can do to stop their stangle hold over it.

Well they are sticking it to the big teams. Their first team against City cost 22m.

Was it FFP? They bent the rules a little, like most clubs. Some fail and pay for it, some manage to stay up. We kept to FFP and nearly went down.
If it was something other than FFP please explain, thanks.

 

[LlcoolJ]

It's just the usual American take on sport, politics and life in general. Money > everything else.

The representatives of these clubs should be forced to publicly apologise for discussing anything with this ignorant yank CLOWN.

 

[Black Rod]

It's a bit like "I'm not racist but..."



Arrogance, ignorance. A textbook masterclass in alienating English football fans.

The very least the PL could do with those clubs in kick them out.That being so, attendances will be diddly squat. Liverpool will need the Everton fixture in their calendar. Chelsea the same with Spurs. Ditto all big rivalries across Europe.

It's a cultural felching which fans won't buy into. It will crash and burn overnight.

The bloke's a total cockspangle.

Fans don't matter to the big clubs. What do the regular supporters who turn up each and every week count for when their contribution to a club is a drop in the ocean in terms of revenue? That well used line about clubs being able to let supporters in free because of the value of the latest Premier League deal says it all

As long as you have millions of fans around the world who are giving clubs money and want to watch games, the tv rights will get ever bigger and clubs won't care if they are playing in front of empty stadiums as the cash will be rolling in regardless

 

[Man of Harveys]

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.

All fine and hard to argue but to be fair, even the big clubs' real fans - and among all the tourists and JCLs, there are apparently still some in existence - don't want that either.

Like the rest of us, they want to be playing local derbies and enjoying other time-worn rivalries established literally over the centuries.

Dodgy, marketing-obsessed spivs are BAD in football, at every level.

 

[Postman Pat]

The USA will destroy football as we know and love it

Or the Chinese will.

 

[Simster]

One thing worth pointing out is that the impetus for this meeting was from some big clubs on the continent, not the four English clubs listed here (Arsenal also went, by the way, but they have already announced they are massively against this idea).

The "problem" appears to be that Spain, Italy, France and Germany can't compete with the riches offered by the Prem after the recent TV deal. I have no sympathy with Spain in particular - their TV set up is an absolute disgrace and is designed to enshrine Real Madrid's and Barcelona's place at the top table. In case you didn't know, in Spain the clubs are allowed to negotiate their own deals which mean that Real Madrid and Barcelona collect half of all TV money paid out.

Anyway, this isn't going to happen. There is too much for English clubs to risk, and the same goes for Germany as their infrastructure is too successful at both club and international level to cowtow to this sort of greed.

 

[Raskolnikov]

So can I assume that 17th in League Two Notts County the world's oldest team will also be getting involved?

 

[Braggfan]

Well they are sticking it to the big teams. Their first team against City cost 22m.

Was it FFP? They bent the rules a little, like most clubs. Some fail and pay for it, some manage to stay up. We kept to FFP and nearly went down.
If it was something other than FFP please explain, thanks.

Firstly, sorry for negative rant, having a bad morning. But yes I'm not keen on Leicester because of FFP. On the basis that clubs like us did stick to it and played fair, and when actually we could have done what Leicester and Bournemouth did and go completely unpunished. Obviously nobody's sticking to it now because it’s a sham, but a few years back we were trying to play fair when others weren't.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

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)

 

[The Albion Roar]

Fans don't matter to the big clubs. What do the regular supporters who turn up each and every week count for when their contribution to a club is a drop in the ocean in terms of revenue? That well used line about clubs being able to let supporters in free because of the value of the latest Premier League deal says it all

As long as you have millions of fans around the world who are giving clubs money and want to watch games, the tv rights will get ever bigger and clubs won't care if they are playing in front of empty stadiums as the cash will be rolling in regardless

But the point is - part of the TV 'spectacle' is having full stadiums. The fans, irrespective of how much they contribute financially, are part of the circus appeal.

For the fans themselves, pre-season tournaments are not part of the main attraction. The reason the clubs are in the CL is because they have played to qualify. To have a meaninless tournament aimed at the super-elite by invitation only - and even then not necessarily the best teams in any given country - is only going to hold the attention of an ever-dwindling TV audience. The TV companies will not want to show matches with half-empty stadiums. During the summer.

 

[symyjym]

Yes I agree. Man U invented soccer.

That's why football fans hate them.

China invented it 2,000 years ago.





http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35409594

 

[MattBackHome]

All fine and hard to argue but to be fair, even the big clubs' real fans - and among all the tourists and JCLs, there are apparently still some in existence - don't want that either.

Like the rest of us, they want to be playing local derbies and enjoying other time-worn rivalries established literally over the centuries.

Dodgy, marketing-obsessed spivs are BAD in football, at every level.

I do sympathise with them to an extent, but I reckon they comprise a very small quotient of their clubs' fanbase. And at some point you have to start questioning whether the team you support is in fact the team you support, and if they hold any of the same values that they once did. If I'd had the misfortune to grow up a Utd fan there's no way I would have continued to support them post-Glaziers.

It's of course up to them, but the minority of fans who would feel alienated by a SuperDuperLeague would definitely find solace at Salford FC, FC United or Oldham or some such equivalent.

The Albion is a rampant commercial machine now, but it is absolutely unequivocally a community club and that for me is an important part of my support.

But I agree with you about the spivs (which is a word which should be used A LOT more IMO).

 

[Eeyore]

I would like to put together an articulate and thoughtful response. But his statement renders me incapable. So...

Feck of back to the U.S and take your soccer ball with you. Arrogance is too milder word you absolute wankpuffin.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Stillitano's ignorance is EMBARRASSING. Has he not heard of Leeds United?

 

[Man of Harveys]

...a few years back we were trying to play fair when others weren't.

It was probably only ever bandied around so much back in the day because it offered the club a tailor-made excuse not to spend too big in the transfer market. Some clubs clearly made more use of that excuse than others, but I suspect that all of them probably knew that nothing substantive would ever really come of it.

 

[father_and_son]

What absolute boxxocks. Just a further extension of what happened to our domestic football when the Prem was invented. Well fxxk 'em, let 'em go, let them play European regional football that will wash over real football fans without effect, let the new modern football fan have their sanitised version of the beautiful game. Meanwhile we can go back to blood and thunder football with sliding tackles, passion, players who respect the fans rather than just milk them, the FA Cup, giantkilling etc etc.

#fxxkthebig5

Go one further... I would expect there is something in their contracts with the Premier League saying that they cannot rubbish it publicly. Shirley talking openly about leaving and forming a European Super League puts them in breach of their current contracts.

Expel the f**kers now. Remove them immediately from the PL, now, mid-season. And sue the ungrateful lazy f**kers for every penny paid to them by Sky via the PL so far.

If they want their own closed shop, give it to them.

 

[LlcoolJ]

I'm a bit confused as to why the chief executive of Sheffield Wednesday wasn't at this meeting.

Presumably he had something more important to do.

 

[Knightsworld]

Whereas it would be more exciting if it was ONLY the champions of every country in Europe, guaranteeing the last four in basically every season being the club from Spain, Germany, Italy and France on current form

Just like the old days, 2 legged matches, straight knockout. Marvellous. Trouble is, it doesn't pay.