Martin Samuel: The plot to shackle City & Chelsea

[Mr. Aguia]

Eventually do you reckon the top four will have a playoff type games to see who wins the premier?

The playoff system is the worst thing about American sports. It makes the season almost worthless, because even finishing mid-table means you can end up winning the league.

Who does that? The playoffs in the NHL is like the F.A cup but at the end of the season. They just don't put as much emphasis on winning the league as they do on winning the Stanley cup. Same goes for the NFL and MLB. You can't win the league by winning a cup. I couldn't tell you about basketball because I don't watch it.

The world football model doesn't work in the states. If the championships were not based on the playoof model nobody would watch half the games because the championship would be won/lost and there is no relegation to keep fans interested. There are only 32 NFL franchises and their aren't enough good players to really fill out those teams let alone tripeling the number of clubs so they could do a relegation format. Even if they could I doubt it would work in the states. People only watch the elite level competition. People really don't follow minor league teams etc.. If the Atlanta Braves got relagated to the AAA league nobody would watch. Americans will watch the Olympics but not the Pan Ams or the world championships even though it's the same competitors because it's not "The best".

 

[pirate]

The playoff system is the worst thing about American sports. It makes the season almost worthless, because even finishing mid-table means you can end up winning the league.

Who does that? The playoffs in the NHL is like the F.A cup but at the end of the season. They just don't put as much emphasis on winning the league as they do on winning the Stanley cup. Same goes for the NFL and MLB. You can't win the league by winning a cup. I couldn't tell you about basketball because I don't watch it.

The world football model doesn't work in the states. If the championships were not based on the playoof model nobody would watch half the games because the championship would be won/lost and there is no relegation to keep fans interested. There are only 32 NFL franchises and their aren't enough good players to really fill out those teams let alone tripeling the number of clubs so they could do a relegation format. Even if they could I doubt it would work in the states. People only watch the elite level competition. People really don't follow minor league teams etc.. If the Atlanta Braves got relagated to the AAA league nobody would watch. Americans will watch the Olympics but not the Pan Ams or the world championships even though it's the same competitors because it's not "The best".

amercicans are glory hunters is what your saying

 

[Seosa]

Who does that? The playoffs in the NHL is like the F.A cup but at the end of the season. They just don't put as much emphasis on winning the league as they do on winning the Stanley cup. Same goes for the NFL and MLB. You can't win the league by winning a cup. I couldn't tell you about basketball because I don't watch it.

The world football model doesn't work in the states. If the championships were not based on the playoof model nobody would watch half the games because the championship would be won/lost and there is no relegation to keep fans interested. There are only 32 NFL franchises and their aren't enough good players to really fill out those teams let alone tripeling the number of clubs so they could do a relegation format. Even if they could I doubt it would work in the states. People only watch the elite level competition. People really don't follow minor league teams etc.. If the Atlanta Braves got relagated to the AAA league nobody would watch. Americans will watch the Olympics but not the Pan Ams or the world championships even though it's the same competitors because it's not "The best".

amercicans are glory hunters is what your saying

He wouldn't be wrong, would he.

 

[Matty]

Surprised fans aren't making a bigger deal out of this. The difference between profit and expenditure is simply going to come out of our pockets as opposed to rich owner's, yet we're apathetically watching on with just a passing comment here and there.

It won't happen because football fans are fucking morons who believe whatever they are told. They all believe FFP is a brilliant thing which will prevent City from competing and make things "fair". They don't seem to grasp that signing up to this forever establishes their clubs as incidental nobodies with no hope of ever being competitive again. Wigan, who's owner signed up to this, are fucked. He was owed £48m by the club, until he turned it into equity this week, soemthing he simply can't do goign forward. Wigan can't generate anythign like enough money as a club to survide in the Premiership without Whelan's handouts, now he's got the perfect reason to stop spending, the rules he fought so hard to impliment prevent it.

 

[Oystercatcher28]

We're not allowed into their sandpit.

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

Surprised fans aren't making a bigger deal out of this. The difference between profit and expenditure is simply going to come out of our pockets as opposed to rich owner's, yet we're apathetically watching on with just a passing comment here and there.

It won't happen because football fans are fucking morons who believe whatever they are told. They all believe FFP is a brilliant thing which will prevent City from competing and make things "fair". They don't seem to grasp that signing up to this forever establishes their clubs as incidental nobodies with no hope of ever being competitive again. Wigan, who's owner signed up to this, are fucked. He was owed £48m by the club, until he turned it into equity this week, soemthing he simply can't do goign forward. Wigan can't generate anythign like enough money as a club to survide in the Premiership without Whelan's handouts, now he's got the perfect reason to stop spending, the rules he fought so hard to impliment prevent it.

To add to that, only one team can win the league, but THREE will be relegated. Being relegated is going to lead to a huge loss of income, even allowing for parachute payments.

I have had a look at how the Premier League stood on the closing day of the January transfer window, and in 18th and 19th place stood the impoverished clubs Wigan and Villa, both with 20 points. In 11th place, mid-table, were Sunderland with 29 points. There wasn't a huge gap between these clubs at that time and apart from QPR who went on a desperate spending spree, then can anyone honestly claim that if any of the clubs in the lower half of the table had the money to splash out on players in an attempt to maintain Premier status, they wouldn't have spent it, FFP or not?

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

Surprised fans aren't making a bigger deal out of this. The difference between profit and expenditure is simply going to come out of our pockets as opposed to rich owner's, yet we're apathetically watching on with just a passing comment here and there.

It won't happen because football fans are fucking morons who believe whatever they are told. They all believe FFP is a brilliant thing which will prevent City from competing and make things "fair". They don't seem to grasp that signing up to this forever establishes their clubs as incidental nobodies with no hope of ever being competitive again. Wigan, who's owner signed up to this, are fucked. He was owed £48m by the club, until he turned it into equity this week, soemthing he simply can't do goign forward. Wigan can't generate anythign like enough money as a club to survide in the Premiership without Whelan's handouts, now he's got the perfect reason to stop spending, the rules he fought so hard to impliment prevent it.

I don't know what football fans feel about the new regulations because no-one has asked them, including City. There are a fairt few of us! But the regulations make no difference at all to Dave Whelan. He's been an excellent owner, has overseen Wigan's establishment in the PL (from 4th tier!) but has never, and never been able to, subsidise Wigan to the tune of £35 million per year. A club like Villa may well be able to talk in those terms again (and they voted against), as might Everton, and maybe some other clubs, but waht has been done by one vote can be undone by another.

I'd still like to know how Reading's abstention was taken as a vote in favour rather than an abstention. Abstention's are universally taken as in favour of the status quo and so the regs did not get a 2/3 majority.

 

[Eds]

According to reports six clubs — Southampton, Swansea, Manchester City, Fulham, West Brom and Aston Villa voted against and Reading abstained. This meant that 13 teams voted in favour which gives them a 65% majority. I thought they required a two-thirds majority which clearly this isn't. How come no club has lodged a legal challenge?

 

[nijinskybell]

I read somewhere that they too the 13/19 vote and ignored Reading, giving 68% in favour.

So, Reading seem to have voted for it by abstaining.

 

[Boney]

The playoff system is the worst thing about American sports. It makes the season almost worthless, because even finishing mid-table means you can end up winning the league.

Who does that? The playoffs in the NHL is like the F.A cup but at the end of the season. They just don't put as much emphasis on winning the league as they do on winning the Stanley cup. Same goes for the NFL and MLB. You can't win the league by winning a cup. I couldn't tell you about basketball because I don't watch it.

The world football model doesn't work in the states. If the championships were not based on the playoof model nobody would watch half the games because the championship would be won/lost and there is no relegation to keep fans interested. There are only 32 NFL franchises and their aren't enough good players to really fill out those teams let alone tripeling the number of clubs so they could do a relegation format. Even if they could I doubt it would work in the states. People only watch the elite level competition. People really don't follow minor league teams etc.. If the Atlanta Braves got relagated to the AAA league nobody would watch. Americans will watch the Olympics but not the Pan Ams or the world championships even though it's the same competitors because it's not "The best".

I think you will find that college football is huge in the US. Austen texas has no NFL team but gets 100,000 to watch the college team.