European super league

[NPBlue]

We had something like this with the G14 or whatever it was called a couple of decades ago, which ultimately brought about the Champions League.

With all the money flooding into the English game next year, maybe it's a discussion about keeping things fair and reasonable for the rest of Europe?

I mean, if Bournemouth stay up this year, they will be able to outspend AC Milan next year, for example.

We'll find out about it in time, bit if it is a discussion about a European super league, then I'm out out.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Really not a good idea and will really ruin football as opposed to how we joke about it.

There's so much cash involved these days and with UEFA being a bug bag of shite there's always a potential opening for this sort of thing.

Hope it falls flat on its arse.

 

[taleofbluehalves]

If it happens we'd be mad not to be part of it. I suspect as others have suggested it will ensure the 'wild card' and '39th game' will happen. Laughable Liverpool want in after complaining about our riches give us an unfair advantage.

 

[john@staustell]

I think Groucho Marx had it right.

 

[Walking on the blue moon]

The day our club supports this will be a dark day indeed. It is as if we were forgetting our roots. There will never be fairy tales akin to ours again, and it is simply unfair to deprive smaller clubs with excellent performance a chance to shine at the biggest stage, not to mention that the prize money of Champions league contributes a lot to the revenue of clubs in other leagues, e.g. Sevilla. And then there is a small matter of clubs outside England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy not eligible for the Super League. Other than generating more exposure for the elite clubs, I don't see how it benefits world football in general. We are already seeing a widening gap between the top and the bottom in some leagues due to unfair TV deal etc., and the creation of a Super league simply made the loss of competitiveness irrevocable. Without adequate competition, what strives teams to improve?

Most of the fans supporting this idea probably haven't dug deep enough into the issue. At first glance it could be a very attractive idea, but understanding what it entails would be enough for a majority of them to change their mind. Maybe protests from fans could raise their awareness and persuade them to boycott the Super League. I for one don't believe in foreign fans only wanting more exposure to football without considering its detrimental effects on the sport, because I'm one of them.

While there would be no choice for us but to be part of the League if it were created, I hope the club, along with several others included in the talk, can raise objections before it did happen.

 

[cleavers]

I bet if you polled all UK football fans you'd probably find that there are enough plastic bandwagoners in favour of the plan to drown out our voices even in the British market.

Unfortunately, I think you're right, most match going fans in the UK think of themselves as the "core" of football, but sadly that is no longer the case, far more watch all their football on TV, and there is a younger generation who have rarely watched a game 'live', and they won't care about the good of football.

You're also correct that our execs have no choice to be in on any of these talks (if they are indeed about that, and nobody actually knows who was talking about what, I'm sure The Sun didn't have an invite).

 

[VOOMER]

Anything that rewards simply being, rather than performance is wrong. That said they don't actually know what was discussed and if they actually think it's a goer.

 

[petrusha]

I wonder why Stephen Ross was there. Big business person yes but really into real estate not TV/ Media etc. Could it be something far less controversial. Something about developing the game in the US ?

Ross co-owns this company: http://rseventures.com/

Among other things, they're the organisers of the International Champions Cup, that summer tournament which takes place worldwide and which involves lots of big clubs across the States and Asia in the context of their summer tours. We've played matches in it in the last 2 years in the States and Australia, and will be in it in China this summer. I'm sure that RSE makes a lot of moeny from selling the rights to these games but that's dwarfed by what they could make if they got their hands on matches that could be marketed as non-warm up games.

I think something along these lines will happen, because there's too much money to be made for it not to. I loathe the idea, like most traditional and committed British fans, but this kind of supporter now accounts for a fairly small proportion of clubs' revenue. The newer generations of Sky fans in Britain, plus those in markets worldwide, facilitate the earning of far more money and that's what's driving ideas such as this. And if it does happen, MCFC's ownership and execs will be doing everything they can to make us a part of it.

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

if this is about organising a replacement competition it is fucking disgusting...how the fuck are Liverpool/united classed as European elite and I am not saying we are an elite squad but at least we can qualify for the champions league in this format.

again this is the old G14 clubs which include united/Liverpool shitting bricks that they cannot be seen to not be qualifying for a main competition and believe they have a divine right to be in the competition based on history.

fuck right off you robbing fuckers along with AC Milan

 

[Helmet Cole]

I'd have been against this when we were not at the top of the pile, so to be for it now would be hypocritical. Something very raggy and self entitled about the whole idea.