posted Sep 5, 2008

good post - intersting chat after

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posted Sep 5, 2008

Much has gone from the game when the PL came in - IMO it drew a line in the sand and anybody below it became second class. The real strength of the game was that each person had their own club and each team could potentially do anything good or bad. The FA cup reflected that. Now with the PL and the Champions League there are glass ceilings which can only be bridged by wealth and not necessarily know-how.

The only good thing that may happen is that the Big 4 is broken up to liven things up eg Man city and Villa get in there - and the bigger teams eg Arsenal or Liverpool ? who were in it year on year now face reduced income and sponsors and could start campaigning for a more level playing field. But it is clutching at straws I feel - the more likely scenario is that it becomes the big 6!!

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posted Sep 5, 2008

froggyted (U10314620)
posted 30 Minutes Ago

comment by gasheater (U10922135)
posted 1 Hour Ago

I reiterate...its getting like ROLLERBALL

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ROLLERBALL! Yeah, i was going to make that observation too! An horrific vision of the future, when money and crazed megalomaniac institutions run sport. Yeah, football is moving in that direction, let's hope things never get that bad, but in some respects the Western world is moving in this depersonalised direction generally, with cities full of street fighters etc....

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I should have added to this: with the gap between the rich and the poor getting wider generally (not just in football). It can only end in grief, imo.

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posted Sep 5, 2008

I just understand any of it!!!! Why would anybody other than a Man city nut want to put so much money into a club (for man city read....every team)? Got to be shirt and sales of other goodies worldwide !!! Pure business. Staggering!!! Am I comfortable with it? Definitely not it's so much at odds with why I suppport a club. Should something be done about it? Probably not, it's much too late for that and it's a bit like trying to stop the tide coming in anyway ...but do I wish it were stopable? You bet I do. Maybe I'm getting old!!!

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posted Sep 5, 2008

"trevor brooking got a knighthood for doing nothing he nevr played in the finals for his country"

He actually did play for England in the 1982 world cup. He and Keegan came on as late subs in their final game against spain, and he put in a cross that was only inches away from Keegans head that would have won the game, and advanced England to the semis.
Get your facts straight you muppet

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posted Sep 5, 2008

I seriously think guys, that 20 years or so from now, there will only be a European super league with all the big clubs having billionaire owners whether it be Arab,Chinese,American,Russian,Indian,ect ect.

The system will probably be like American football, where Quarterbacks get paid 20 million dollars for one season of graft,and then move on to another club.I think the writing is on the wall for football as we know it.

Huge yearly contracts based on performances and massive Bonus payments for winning a trophy, thats what it will all be about.

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posted Sep 5, 2008

I'm sure that football will still survive at grassroots level as well, patterdalesforus, where people will always play for the love of the game. Maybe it's the leagues in between that will suffer, especially if the superich teams bring up all their new talent solely through their own acadamies, rather than relying partly on the lower leagues. But this is an extreme scenario, almost as much as the Rollerball one, and things probably won't ever get that bad. Still, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and maybe more and more of the real fans will become increasingly alienated from the big (financially rich) teams. Many of the comments made on this thread certainly point in that direction.

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posted Sep 5, 2008

David,

I feel much the same. You can harp on about Money but it's gone on for years now.! What's happened at Man City could happen anywhere. It just happens to be Man City. A real shame cos like you I would support my team whatever. I guess that, the Majority and I stress Majority would do likewise. EVEN IF their clubs were let's say... Bignall End Bluebirds... call them what you like. So, this Multi, rich and it's not even like mega rich. It's silly money that can only end in tears. Whenever that may be.!! I'm not at all jealous, envious or annoyed. To be quite honest. I don't know how I feel about it. But, if it happened to MY CLUB.. I honestly would not change my opinion's on this.. It's just a totally crazy situation where the rich can do as they please.. We the fans can do nothing about it. Must add that it's been really interestiing to see so many diverse oppinions on this subject. I just pray that we still have a football league as we know it in 10 years time. I'm starting to think we will not.

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posted Sep 8, 2008

The Rollerball comment is valid but not in the way it is meant. The purpose of Rollerball the game is to demonstrate to the dulled masses the futility of individual effort. The control of all human endeavour by corporations is achieved by a mixture of carrot and stick. comfort and (at times) extreme control.
What I look forward to is a billionaire walking away from his 'beloved' club only then will we see the negative impact of this billionaire strategy. perhaps Platini and EUFA do need to find some way of making clubs whose debt is *only* possible by grossly unfair deep pockets to be banned from all european competition irrespective of qualification form and to make it that ALL european clubs MUST have at least 3-5 homegrown/academy players might the way to address these problems rather than each club getting a billionaire of its own. Kenwright and some Everton fans should be be carefull of what they wish for. The very mixed experience across Stanley Park at Anfield or indeed further east in Tyneside should be ample warning for them

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posted Sep 9, 2008

I agree with the original poster. I had a season ticket for 14 years before Romanov came onto the scene in a blaze of glory.

Over the last 4 years, we have been an absolute shambles. We're overpopulated with awful Lithuanians and we're heading for administration within 3 years.

I wish he never came into contact with Hearts.

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