Derby Away, Anti Sky Protest?

[Oxfordfox83]

I think the best teams are more full of quality foreign talent, but what about the rest of the league? Will players like Lineker, Weller, Banks, Shilton, Gibson etc ever play for Leicester in the top flight again? They certainly won't for any significant period of time, and not at their prime. Even as recently as Izzet - I'm pretty sure a Top 6 club would snap him up within 3 years these days.

I also think defending has got better, passing football has got better, but individual attacking flair? I dont think there are too many of those kind of players in the league. Even the dribblers, there aren't many, there's more of them in Spain still. But there was a time when midtable teams could have these kind of players. There's a lot of quick players, very few who combine it with superb technical skill.

Everytime I watch old games from the top division the atmosphere sounds electric, and I'm very surprised you've said that. Of course the last 80s was bad for Leicester but I'm not sure it was the case for everyone else.

I find it very hard to believe that Sky has improved football. Since it's come in, standing has gone (and I'd suggest the atmosphere has gone with it) prices have gone up, the FA Cup has been reduced to a nothing competition, finishing 4th is everything, the gap between the big and medium/small clubs has got bigger, I could go on and on. And more recently, we've got things like this. And most of those things, IMO, are far more important than the top clubs having superstars.

But, like I say, unfortunately those bastards make some fine programming.

This is exactly how I feel-although I was born in 1983 so I certainly missed the worst of hooliganism and can't say for certain the games were better in the stands.

But football has been made worse by being so money-driven, so very professional. So much money comes from the Champions (or runners up, or you were here last year so come on in) League that the teams who play there have two first teams, which means when a good player emerges he's bought to sit on a bench. The Premier League would certainly better if players like Rodwell, Sinclair, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Zaha, etc etc were starting for lower placed sides.

But what Sky has done is made being in the PL so vital to a team's existence that teams in Europa League don't care about it, no-one in the Prem or the top half of the Championship cares about the domestic cups (until their destiny is secured), and meant that players are incredibly fit and strong and unbelievably conservative.

You want flair players? Well they're not coming

from this country, because we can't AFFORD to have people making mistakes, even if when it works it's the best thing you'll see all weekend. And it's the word 'afford' that I hate, because it means we've been made poor.

[Guest Col city fan]

If anyone believes that SKY has sucked-out the 'soul of football' just watch the Everton v Man City game that's on at present (if you are able to).

It's magic! All sorts of stuff going on.. Lots of noise, atmosphere and a good game.

Just because the atmos at the KP is currently shitty, it don't mean it is everywhere.

Goodison Park is rocking!

An absolutely magic game!!

Thoroughly enjoyed watching it..

[Vlad the Fox]

Protest isn't futile however small at this stage. It gets the ball rolling, sky can dub out any chants but they cant stop opposition supporters talking about it and spreading the anti sky feeling, they can't stop radio commentators talking about it, they can't stop reporters (obviously not from murdochs greasy palm) reporting or blogging about it. You only have to look at how quick we have picked up on wolves 'Saturday 3 pm' banner for an example of this and it proves there is already an undercurrent of dissatisfaction simmering away that can be built on. If it gathers pace then maybe the supporters/clubs or the league can force sky to limit the amount of home games any one team has to show during a season.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

All this talk of protest is pie in the Sky if you ask me . . . . .

[leicsmac]

Sky have made pretty much every club in the Prem dependent on their TV money.

Also (only partly Sky's fault this one, but they began the culture of big money and marketing for the Prem) due to the influx of money the top echelons of the Prem has become a closed shop. In order to break into it you need an infusion of money in the hundreds of millions. Look at Arsenal - even with all the money they have, they're trying to pursue a sensible business model. Result? No trophy in 8 years. It's become pretty simple now - if you're not Man U or have a rich sugar daddy backing you up, you're not going to be near the top.

And it's boring as fvck. Not as bad as the total 2-horse race caused by TV money that La Liga is, but still.

[Guest Col city fan]

Sky have made pretty much every club in the Prem dependent on their TV money.

Also (only partly Sky's fault this one, but they began the culture of big money and marketing for the Prem) due to the influx of money the top echelons of the Prem has become a closed shop. In order to break into it you need an infusion of money in the hundreds of millions. Look at Arsenal - even with all the money they have, they're trying to pursue a sensible business model. Result? No trophy in 8 years. It's become pretty simple now - if you're not Man U or have a rich sugar daddy backing you up, you're not going to be near the top.

And it's boring as fvck. Not as bad as the total 2-horse race caused by TV money that La Liga is, but still.

As boring as ****!!

Did you not watch Everton v Man City earlier today?

That was a FANTASTIC game..

This evenings game (you know, our team, Leicester)... Now that IS as boring as ****

[leicsmac]

As boring as ****!!

Did you not watch Everton v Man City earlier today?

That was a FANTASTIC game..

This evenings game (you know, our team, Leicester)... Now that IS as boring as ****

Sorry, perhaps I wasn't being clear. Quite a few of the matches themselves are entertaining (the Man City-Everton one earlier today certainly counts), but what I mean is there's no unpredictability in the overall league. It nearly always ends the same way, with the same teams at or near the top, the same few around the Europa league positions, and then the rest in mid-table or fighting relegation. All the money coming in has robbed the league of it's overall unpredictability and therefore of some excitement.

Obviously you get some fantastic individual matches which are great to watch, but where is the team coming from nowhere to make a title challenge (or even a top 4 challenge)? It's become a closed shop over the course of a season, and too predictable, and that is largely down to the concentration of money in the Prem, fuelled considerably by Sky.

[lgfualol]

We lost in protest, didn't we?

Please tell me we did.

[Daggers]

The best protest is to cancel your subscription.

So simple and yet they just don't get it.

[gazzer]

So simple and yet they just don't get it.

I've never given Sky any money. How do I protest?