Im not really a fan of this move by any means apart from the fact it royally fucks UEFA and the CL in the arse.
Im not in favour of any form of permanent membership or lack of a qualification standard or relegation in any form, this is pure protectionism by the greedy cunts in red.
I also have no idea what powers of veto over something like this either the FA or Premier League have, if any. Is our CL participation governed by either of those 2 bodies apart from an agreement that those finishing in the top 4 qualify?
I do think people are kidding themselves to think we could possibly turn our backs on it as a club if it happens.
If it does comes into existence TV revenues for any remaining CL competition would be massively reduced. It would cease to exist really and become a 2nd tier competition like the Europa League is today with little money in it. If we took some kind of moral stand its likely Villa, Spurs, Wolves or Everton would be invited in our place. Does anyone think they would say no?
Its difficult to say how the PL as a competition would be affected both from TV and sponsorship revenue perspective and from a primary competition view by the clubs. It may be it remains unaffected as this European shit would be a like for like replacement for the CL however it seems that there is an expectation of additional games, for an 18 team league playing each once a season is 17 games minimum which is 4 more than if you make the CL final. I suspect a minimum 3 more "Play-Off" games for the leading contenders.(Maximising revenue). FA Cup and League Cup games would either have to be sacrificed entirely or clubs would certainly be turning out Youth or B teams. Same thing likely to happen when any of the big boys play any of the also rans in the PL only more likely to be 1st team squad players. I suspect the squads of these top teams will become ridiculously strong at the detriment of the rest.
The best players would only want to play for clubs who are in it and not being in it, sooner than later our revenues would plummet in comparison even if we won the PL every year, which we wouldn't as Everton et all would be stealing our best players. We simply could not afford not to be in it.
Like most I suspect if it does happen may of us will have to consider our relationship with the club. Change in life is inevitable and we are talking about forces over which we have little or no control. Sure we can vote with our feet but fan numbers at grounds have never meant less than they do right now. They didn't choose this particular time to act by random chance, lots of clubs are on their arse and facing oblivion and sooner or later will have have to eat the soggy biscuit offered as some form of incentive. Its an unpalatable fact but there it is. As I see it, we're left with Hobson's choice, like it or not!
