The Premier League in England announced plans on Thursday for a shake-up of their Premiership league system, involving a new 39th fixture to the season which would be played abroad. The plan, which is still said to be in its early stages, would involve a draw being made so that 10 further matches can be played, possibly at the end of the season, for the normal 3-point reward. Cities worldwide would be able to bid to host two matches each, which would then be allocated to them after the draw, to be played on a Saturday and a Sunday. The top five teams in the Premiership would be seeded for the draw so that they would not be able to face each other.
Premiership chairmen were enthusiastic about the idea. Birmingham’s David Gold said, “We are making history. The Premier League, which is the greatest league the world has ever known, is being adventurous. I find this amazingly exciting”.
Premier League chief executive Peter Scudamore said, “I think it’s an idea whose time has come. It’s an exciting prospect. All 20 clubs will benefit and there is a huge element of solidarity about it. When the league does well, other people in the football family do well in terms of redistribution. You can’t stand still and if we don’t do this then somebody else is going to do it. Every time there is an evolutionary step, the reaction of the fans is not always great, but I would ask them to take a step back and look at the positives”.
The reaction from fans wasn’t great, and they weren’t able to find many positives. In fact the plan was condemned in strong terms by every fan willing to express a view. Forums and phone-in shows have been inundated with messages expressing extreme disappointment and anger at the idea. Though American sports fans may be used to franchising, English football fans cling to the view of their football club being innately linked to their community. The thought of playing an important league game – if it is played on the final day it could be the most important league game – in a foreign city where none of the local fans of either team can watch the game is anathema to the entire spirit of community that fans feel, and that clubs foster. If a club played one game a season abroad and it was a success, why shouldn’t they extend it to five games, ten games, or every game?
The devoted home fans feel rejected by their clubs, who have squeezed them for all the money they’ve got and now want to fly to Asia or the Americas for new fans to financially exploit. As I have written before, football is so hugely popular in Europe because of the deep emotional attachment fans feel for their local clubs, which makes it far more important than just ‘any old sport’.
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Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
The fact that they're trying to distribute the good teams to international sites is the telltale sign it's mainly about money and exposure. If they did, say, a #1 vs #2 game on mainland Europe, then maybe it has some redeeming value.
And doesn't FIFA have to approve this?
2 - Dr Dreadful
Yes, in theory FIFA would have to approve (they won't). However, the Premiership clubs are easily rich enough to invite FIFA to sit and swivel.
My suspicion, though, is that this, along with many other hairbrained schemes that have been floated in football over the years, won't come to anything.
3 - STM
You just know, without resorting to rocket science, that these games are going to go to the West Coast of the US and to Australia, don't you??
4 - Dr Dreadful
More likely South-East Asia and Dubai, I would think. Possibly Cape Town as well.
5 - klydo
In countries like Germany,England, France,basically Europe and South America there is a reason why soccer is so popular. It is the only sport where commoners and nobles alike can sit and enjoy the game. It is the only place where people can for ninety minutes forget their troubles, low wages,poor social conditions and let loose.Europe and South America as a whole does not have a society that is wholly wealthy and happy. The rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer.In order not to focus on their meagre life their governments have allowed soccer to be the one thing that is theirs. Thats why soccer is so popular. thats why you are never too poor to go to a soccer game. The expansion will wake up the masses . they will realise that the owners and the clubs never really gave a darn about them. The good old days are gone, never to return. the days of the local managers caring about their community are gone. the clubs one interest is MONEY. Now they realise they do not have to carry on this farce of seeming to care anymore to get you to pay to come to the games. THEY DO NOT NEED YOU ANYMORE, YOU ARE OBSOLETE.THEY HAVE TAKEN ALL THEY CAN FROM YOU.THE INCOME FROM THE FANS HAVE NOW PLATEAUED AND THEY ARE MOVING ON. WAKE UP YOU BRITISH ,YOUR COUNTRY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MADE UP OF COMMONERS AND ROYALS,PEASANTS AND LAND OWNERS. THE CLUBS ARE THE LAND OWNERS ,FANS ARE THE PEASANTS.WE AMERICANS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE THAT. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD.WE ARE OPENING YOUR EYES.YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYED FAR TO LONG.COMMUNITY IS A THING OF THE PAST.
6 - Silver Surfer
What a fantastic piece of gibber. He's even managed to work in the class system.
Outstanding effort!
7 - Dr Dreadful
Yes, but what is he actually trying to say?
8 - Colin
Again, nice piece Ally, and nice to see some more soccerball on this primarilly American site, which I am reading from Cardiff...
I'm not sure you're right to say that there was little comment on foreign owners coming in - perhaps it's cos I'm a Guardian reader - I've seen lots - almost all of it negative, and including political opinion when it comes to Gaydamark and Sinawatra. The big thing in this new and horrific proposal is the extra round of games - they've fucked with everything else - terraces, shirts, kick-off times - but never with anything as fundamental as this, and it will not pass! I've read recently that it's probably a start negotiating position to allow one regular season game to go overseas. Klydo does get a bit loony in there but, essentially he's right (not about all that government sponsored Soma stuff, or indeed about our societies) but that all clubs want now is money - any PLeague fan, or EPL as we have to call it now, who believes that their club is in some way 'special' or of their community is rapidly having their eyes opened - Scudamore is the sort of free-market or nothing loon who would prefer a game in front of 1 spectator paying one-million-and-ten to one played in front of 99,000 people paying a tenner. All this talk of expand or die is bogus, there is no danger of death, unless they do what the Italian league did and become bloated and self-satisfied, and eventually unpalatable and unpopular - and they're not far off it now.
9 - Dr Dreadful
You're right, Colin, a lot of these foreign owners have generated a huge fuss. Remember that a bunch of Man U fans even started their own club - FC United of Manchester - rather than be associated in any way with the Glazers. They're doing pretty well, too - they're already in the Northern Premier League and challenging for promotion again.
10 - Colin
Indeed, and even they could beat KK's Newcastle United doc!
And Liverpool fans have been doing 'Yanks Out' demonstration (although I'm with those who think Benitez has more of a can to carry there - he has had time and a fair amount of money).
Such has been the outcry here that the idea will surely wither for now - although not forever. The Observer yesterday had a piece from the man who owns the Miami Dolphins (he calles critics ankle-biters you know) and he thinks it's a great idea and please come to Miami.
11 - Dr Dreadful
Well, he would. He's the bloke raking in all the cash from that NFL game at Wembley a few months ago.
Give Kev some time, Col. Anyway, you're just sore because we nicked Wisey away from you and now it looks like you're not going to win League One in your sleep any more!
12 - Colin
You're very welcome to the evil dwarf Doc, he was always too tainted with the smell of Chelsea for my (and many Leeds fans I think) liking - I'm delighted to see Gary "Gary" Macalister there. But, the wheels seem to have come off a bit - in fact, they started to wobble when Gus Poyet left to Tottenham, so perhaps Wisey wasn't so hot - he says he wants to get away from front line management. Hey ho, we're going to the High Court now to try and get our points back, maybe that was a distraction the team didn't need. Fingers crossed though!
On a sadder Magpie note - Gazza's been detained under the mental health act according to the radio today, a genius at football but troubled, or indeed incapable, in the rest of his life.
All the best Doc.