The more I read about this Super League the more convinced I am it will happen. It'll happen because before this statement, all the infrastructure, the TV rights and the planning had all been completed. These aren't stupid owners, these are very successful business men who have made fortunes doing what they do best. Investing in projects and taking them to the next level.
They don't care who scored the most goals, who played the most times, how long you and your family have supported the club. To them you are a cash cow who will put money into thier product no matter how badly they treat you, and they know it as well.
The media, Sky, BBC, Bt sport are throwing thier dummies out thier prams because they see the cash cow disappearing. They've had thier pants pulled down and they don't like. The bully has become the bullied.
Sky's bias towards Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City is legendary and not for good reasons. They created transfer deadline day, graphs showing how much money was being spent, reporters outside grounds. You created the project, pushed that project and now its turned on you and you don't like. Well tough. Get used to it because the tide has turned.
YOU started it. You went behind the FAs back and held clandestine talks to grab the TV rights away from testrial TV stations. You did this with every sport you could.
YOU hid it behind a paywall and robbed a generation of following sport because their parents couldn't afford it.
YOU created the haves and the have not, the greed that is now inherent in our game.
YOU whored the Premier League around Europe and the world saying it was the best in the business and everyone wanted to be in it, look at all the money we have.
Then you sat back and watched the money roll in, incredibly smug in the pot of gold you had created. You looked down on the rest of us struggling to follow the game that was ours.
But you had poked the wolves nest, slowly but surely you invited them into the chicken coop. First letting Ambramovic buy Chelsea, what fun you had telling everyone of player after player that he bought.
Then the Glaziers bought Man utd, what great people they were and how wonderful that Americans were taking an interest in your product, how you loved it.
Then the Mansours got hold of Man City. Robinho bought on deadline day. Headline after headline. Isn't this brilliant look how clever we are, look how much money they are spending on the game, doesn't it look wonderful.
Then UEFA decided to mess about with the European Cup, let's make sure all the big clubs are always in it, let's give them 4 places each year, that'll keep them happy. We'll make it almost impossible for a team without money to get in it, the money we give to those competing will keep the riff raff at the door. We don't want them, we want the so called elite and no one else.
The problem was they sat and they waited. They watched it grow and grow. Watched as more and more money entered the coffers and when the time was right BAM!!! They struck and now you are so far out of your league you have no idea what's hit you.
The Superich invaded. They bought the clubs, they control the game now and theirs nothing you can do about it. How upset you are about this, how dare they take your prized toy away from you. Who do they think they are?
They will make this like American sport. Two conferences, teams going into the playoffs, an overall champion. No relegation, a closed shop that only the richest can attend A salary cap, players being paid hundreds of millions a year. Disney, amazon and others buying the rights. Sky and others scrapping around for the odd game here and there, the odd highlight if they are lucky. How the tables have turned.
Sky broke, the Premier league broke, a second class tournament that no one cares about. Every league winner will always have an asterix next to thier achievements because these clubs walked away. The question will always linger, "Would they have won it if Liverpoo/Man ud etc had been in it?" The answer is well never know forever tainting that achievement. All that history gone forever. They just don't care. It's that simple.
The fans will gripe and moan but as the older generations like me die out the young ones will know no different. Like today all they know is the Premier League and Champions league. Remember when you bought FIFA and got all the players? Then EA started charging you for them, people moaned but now it's the norm. You pay your £60 then hundreds more to unlock players that were once free. Yet every year you go back and do the same thing again and again. This is exactly the same but on a far grander scale.
This is the biggest dose of Karma I've ever seen. The TV companies thought they controlled the game, and for a while they did. They told us when to watch and what to watch and we lapped it up like the good children we are, so very grateful for SKY allowing us to watch our teams.
Let me play devils advocate. Think about this, would you rather your club be in it or out of it, because if you say out your an old fossil like me. They don't want us, we don't spend enough money, oh we buy the season tickets but we don't buy the 5 course meals or bring in the corporate clients. We are the ruffians they want to leave behind, and they will.
They want the kids, the younger more hipper generation. The ones who will pay the streams and think nothing of it. You won't care about tradition and such forth, they just want to watch what they are told is the best league in the world. Who says so? Why those wonderful TV companies that's who!!
Stamp your feet and make your protests unfortunately it won't change a thing. It will happen no doubt about it. Its just a question of when it starts now.
RIP football you were so much fun whilst you lasted.
Can't argue with most of what you've written Anthony. Remember it was the big clubs that threatened to break away 30 years ago that created the PL and our chairman Mr Sugar was a major part of that first deal with Sky. What has happened since is a growing divide between the bigger clubs and the rest of football. The FA lost any real control and ALL the clubs that been in the PL are complicit in allowing ticket prices to rise beyond what many can afford. When I first went to Tottenham, I used to get in at junior prices (£1.10!)....Spurs are one of the worst culprits when it comes to taking us and our money for granted. I would love to be able to go regularly with my kids (next generation)...but I'm priced out of that option like so many others.
ReplyDeleteThe media companies pay big money for the rights so naturally want make the most from it. The problem is that nobody, from the FA, EFL, the government has done anything to break that cycle and give the game back to fans. I agree that the power of the TV companies is too great (kickoff times etc). I dont believe that this will go through though eventually. What we need now is all fans from all clubs to unite and protest. When these greedy owners realise the strength of that - and if we stand firm together as fans, maybe, just maybe, this aberration of an idea will die away for now and hopefully fans will be at the forefront of the thinking of these owners rather than how we're currently treated - as cash cows.COYS