The Super League

[when_you're_smiling]

8 hours ago, CloudFox said:

That statement is so odd and tone deaf. Maybe I'm living in a Premier League bubble, but wasn't it unanimously rejected by fans across the globe, not just in the clubs' back yards?

 

Their whole pitch was about it being for all fans around the world who support teams...but those fans don't want a Super League any more than 'local' fans.

 

I know there's a lot of money at stake here and they're all desperate for money, these three, but surely there must be more to it? I don't understand how they can be so blind to the reality.

There’s a few articles around about Barca and Real Madrid’s finances at the minute. Have a read of them, because it basically explains why they’re up to their eyeballs in debt in a league where there’s a wage cap. Barca are having to cut wages by about 40% because of years of just spending relying on an income that’s not been there for 18 months. They’re begging players to take pay cuts and play for them because they’re Barca.

 

They’re worried about being left behind long term by the Prem/PSG/Bayern and that will upset the fans more than being in the competition in the first place and therefore earn less income, a bit like in the position say Ajax are in now. Once one of the very biggest European superpowers selling their best players to the likes of Everton.

 

I’m guessing if we had to comply with La Liga’s salary cap us and most of the Prem couldn’t. 

[st albans fox]

I’m still not convinced how many of the big six fan bases would be against the ESL if they understood if properly, there was a lot of miss information at the start. fans thought they would be excluded from the prem if they were involved. That’s just not going to happen. 
 

if you’re a Liverpool fan then the big games in your season are yanited and to a lesser extent, Everton. 
 

Spurs and arsenal ,   Chelsea and Spurs ,    Man City and Man U, arsenal and Spurs ……you get the gist here. Once fans realise that their big PL fixtures are protected and that involvement in the ESL means that they will be guaranteed to be at the top table every season, I think that the majority will be ok with it.  The minority who respect the meritocracy of sport will be against but i believe that self interest will eventually win out here. 
 

sorry to sound like a debbie downer on this but the genie is out of the bottle and will not go back …..we will end up with either a super league or something very close to it and the ‘big six’ will accelerate away from the rest of us on turn over and profits. they will be able to buy any players that they want to from the other 14. 

[urban fox]

41 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

fans thought they would be excluded from the prem if they were involved. That’s just not going to happen. 

But they would be. Entering any competition not sanctioned by PL/FA is a clear breach of the rules and therefore would leave them open to whatever sanctions, including disqualification, the authorities controlling the english game decided were appropriate.

Whether or not they would have the backbone to kick them out is a different issue, and going on past performance, when they preferred to sweep it under the carpet with a meaningless fine rather than serious points deductions etc,  makes me doubt that they would.

[st albans fox]

5 minutes ago, urban fox said:

But they would be. Entering any competition not sanctioned by PL/FA is a clear breach of the rules and therefore would leave them open to whatever sanctions, including disqualification, the authorities controlling the english game decided were appropriate.

Whether or not they would have the backbone to kick them out is a different issue, and going on past performance, when they preferred to sweep it under the carpet with a meaningless fine rather than serious points deductions etc,  makes me doubt that they would.

You’ve answered your own question…..a premier league without these six has little value financially. They know this and so do the PL. 

[Corky]

9 hours ago, LCFCCHRIS said:

We the fans, reject any notion of a Super League. They insist it's still going ahead, but it will never be accepted by fans of English Clubs, in any format, ever. So Florentino Perez, vete a la mierda.

if they are guaranteed £300 million a year for 20 years, why worry about what the domestic fans think?

 

This is about the international fanbase.

[Dan Gliballs]

I feel for the genuine fans of these clubs, however as far as the vile, greedy, poorly run clubs themselves go, I’m really going to enjoy watching them rot away under the weight of their own self created mess.

[LCFCCHRIS]

30 minutes ago, Corky said:

if they are guaranteed £300 million a year for 20 years, why worry about what the domestic fans think?

 

This is about the international fanbase.

Part of their appeal comes with their well known stadiums though. Are they going to play at other grounds to avoid scenes like at the utd Liverpool game? Because for a while at least that's what would happen. 

 

Plus any UK government knows that a good bargaining chip to get votes will be to oppose this completely.

 

 

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

44 minutes ago, Corky said:

if they are guaranteed £300 million a year for 20 years, why worry about what the domestic fans think?

 

This is about the international fanbase.

Yes, and no. The 300 million a year over 20 years wasn't guaranteed-- a bank had agreed to the initial backing against a non-existent but hoped for TV deal. The financials were based on comparisons to the NFL, where almost all the money comes from the US market. The backers extrapolated from that...however, the US market is skewed. The US accounts for over half of the total Olympics broadcast revenue even though the Olympics are more popular everywhere else. I just don't think Asia would provide NFL-level broadcast money, and the fact the ESL didn't have a broadcaster in place showed it wasn't clear cut. Even if they did get a broadcaster willing to pay that kind of money, recent events in France and China show that these kind of deals can go so south quick, and the broadcaster suddenly doesn't send its check. At that point, the clubs would still owe the bank hundreds of millions.

 

Right now, after the fiasco this spring, I can't see another bank fronting the ESL money unless a firm broadcasting deal was in place, which wouldn't happen without the English clubs, who have been threatened with legislation to prevent it from happening.

[FoxesWalk]

The money is there to be had, and there is no doubt a change will come that that allow the clubs to access higher revenues. I suspect it will be a complete overhaul of European competition (e.g. significant change of role for UEFA in club football) as well as the way broadcasting rights are owned and sold domestically and internationally. The way broadcasting works now doesn’t work very well for anyone. 
 

It will need to be a competitive cup though (eg no guaranteed places), else it’s a non starter. I can see it being owned and controlled by the competing clubs rather than Uefa though. More rights to clubs to sell their own content, and the biggest commercial clubs will hoover up huge sums of cash. 

[urban fox]

26 minutes ago, MarriedaLeicesterGirl said:

Yes, and no. The 300 million a year over 20 years wasn't guaranteed-- a bank had agreed to the initial backing against a non-existent but hoped for TV deal. The financials were based on comparisons to the NFL, where almost all the money comes from the US market. The backers extrapolated from that...however, the US market is skewed. The US accounts for over half of the total Olympics broadcast revenue even though the Olympics are more popular everywhere else. I just don't think Asia would provide NFL-level broadcast money, and the fact the ESL didn't have a broadcaster in place showed it wasn't clear cut. Even if they did get a broadcaster willing to pay that kind of money, recent events in France and China show that these kind of deals can go so south quick, and the broadcaster suddenly doesn't send its check. At that point, the clubs would still owe the bank hundreds of millions.

 

Right now, after the fiasco this spring, I can't see another bank fronting the ESL money unless a firm broadcasting deal was in place, which wouldn't happen without the English clubs, who have been threatened with legislation to prevent it from happening.

This is where hopefully it all falls down. Any TV company who threw their hat in the ring with the ESL would find that the home leagues (EPL, La Liga etc) would probably refuse to deal with them and they would lose their franchises. Would Sky risk losing their PL rights? i very much doubt it and as you say without the english clubs the whole idea is a non starter anyway. As much as Real, Braca and Juve etc are very much up their own backsides, it is the PL clubs that would still be the biggest draw,especially for the asian market.

[davieG]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition

 

 

[st albans fox]

11 minutes ago, urban fox said:

This is where hopefully it all falls down. Any TV company who threw their hat in the ring with the ESL would find that the home leagues (EPL, La Liga etc) would probably refuse to deal with them and they would lose their franchises. Would Sky risk losing their PL rights? i very much doubt it and as you say without the english clubs the whole idea is a non starter anyway. As much as Real, Braca and Juve etc are very much up their own backsides, it is the PL clubs that would still be the biggest draw,especially for the asian market.

The domestic league tv rights would be become of much lesser value as the leagues becomes less competitive at a stroke 

 

And don’t discount the likelihood of PPV games on the back of an annual membership - globally that’s worth a lot of dosh ….

[CloudFox]

2 hours ago, Corky said:

if they are guaranteed £300 million a year for 20 years, why worry about what the domestic fans think?

 

This is about the international fanbase.

I don't think the international fanbase is interested though. Fairly sure there was contempt for it from abroad as much as at home.

[urban.spaceman]

 

[davieG]

7 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

 

ECA can now proceed with renewed unity and solidarity to continue the important work needed to stabilise and develop European club football – at a time when this is needed the most.

 

Meaning we'll let them have more of the revenues so they don't try it again!

[Fox in the North]

 

[StanSP]

Rubbish. They were scared to throw the book at them and now just seem to welcome them back with open arms. 

[norwichfox]

phhhtttt

[OntarioFox]

I hope the terraces never let fans of the Greedy Six forget that they tried to sell the game down the river.

Been awfully quiet on that front so far from fans of non-snake clubs.

[davieG]

UEFA's New Naughty Chair.

 

We are pleased to introduce our most style luxurious platinum massage naughty chair to our punishment options.

 

 

Includes Massaging for their egos 

[HighPeakFox]

I really do hate corruption, greed and fear.

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

ECA can now proceed with renewed unity and solidarity to continue the important work needed to stabilise and develop European club football – at a time when this is needed the most.

 

Meaning we'll let them have more of the revenues so they don't try it again!

Hopefully, and I say that with no actual hope, this is to make it easier to punish 3 holdups  I doubt it, though.

[Wymsey]

Shameful if they actually did.

Real and Barcelona seriously need to have a hard look at themselves.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58214532

[HybridFox]

1 minute ago, Wymsey said:

Shameful if they actually did.

Real and Barcelona seriously need to have a hard look at themselves.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58214532

More shameful if the FA would ever consider it 

[Carl the Llama]

32 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Shameful if they actually did.

Real and Barcelona seriously need to have a hard look at themselves.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58214532

Surely not.  Perez is clearly mad but I don't think even he's capable of thinking that would ever have any legs