Seems to me like FSG [whom I greatly admire] are saying they will give lower / smaller teams a bigger slice of the pie in order to make them more sustainable, which is admirable. Only 5% or 6% of the money that will be shared with lower league will come from LFC's portion of TV money. The payback is LFC get an opportunity to expand Euro TV rights to make up or surpass the money lost. Everyones a winner ? .... eh, no, not everyone. The flip side is LFC and other top 6 clubs will have more power & it will be impossible for any team to ever break in to that clique. Wolves, Leeds, etc. will not want this. But maybe there will be enough support form others that will just look at the gift of new money to make this more sustainable, because without fans at matches these clubs will be going bust.
Some good in the proposal, I think the 25% share of the premier leagues money is definitely a good idea, albeit one that seems better than it is. If the premier league is scrapping 2 positions out of the current 20 that's 10% of that 25% already covered and parachute payments disappearing must make up a significant enough number also so I'm sure this proposal has been worked to be close enough to cost neutral for the big clubs. The big problem is of course creating a situation whereby 6 clubs effectively control the premier league and what that power would ultimately allow them to do (could they decide next year that the 25% will only be 20% for instance or that the 18 teams becomes 16 teams). There is an oddity to the PL voting system whereby every club does gets a single vote in it's fortune regardless of whether they've been there for 1 year or since it began so a team gets to vote at a point in time and by the time the outcome of their vote has come to pass they may well have been relegated to another division but it still seems a fairer way than letting the big 6 now buy the longterm control of the league for what will look a pittance in the long run. Can they get enough votes to get it passed? They need 5 more, you might get a few of the clubs who might expect to see themselves back in the EFL voting for it if it wasn't asking them to give up their huge advantage over their rivals if they do get relegated of the parachute payments. This would probably cause them to think short term selfish gains rather than long-term on what might be good for the EFL financially as a whole. If I was any club outside of the big 6 I'd be 100% voting against centralising the power but I would be going back with a proposal that might make it fairer (to certainly include the 25% payment down to the EFL which I really think is a good idea), perhaps the longest serving clubs can have a proportionately higher vote without tipping the scale impossibly in their favour that gives other clubs absolutely no say in the league.
A bit of brinkmanship here I think. Alternative to this would be the clubs breaking away to join a European Super League. LFC, United will want this to look like they are helping the other clubs but it will be there long term interest first and foremost. A bit like the PPV situation, using the Covid situation to their advantage.
Wonder if FSG is trying to make itself look more appealing to the rumoured investor in the States (owns an NFL team)? Cant recall the name but basically there is supposedly a big chunk of change just sitting there waiting for the proper oppertunity, and if its not used by mid next year it goes back to the origonal investors. The story I read was alleging FSG were looking at a 40% buy in and floating the club on the stock markets with a value of 8 billion! Could be the drunken ravings of a reporter, but if there IS anything to it, having a lot more control over your league, tv rights national and international etc would make the proposition far more appealing
Wonder how the parachute payments - which if I am correct is being paid to 9 clubs in any given year - measure up against the 25% they are talking about
Watching a replay of 87 cup final on ITV4 and notice at least 4 spurs players with no sponsor on front of jersey , Gough, mabbutt, hoddle and ardiles, wonder is it a religious thing as they were sponsored by Holstein Very strange for that and no mention of it during commentary??
I read about this,it was down to a mix up. They weren't sure if they'd be allowed have Holsten on their shirt so had kits made with and without,and whatever way the kit was assembled for Wembley it ended up a mixture of both.
When do we think there'll be any fans back at games in the PL? Before the end of the season? Before everyone has had a vaccine? After everyone has had a vaccine?
My guess is start of next season. I don’t see any vaccine being available widely in next six months and they’d rather just keep going as is, rather than letting fans back in and then maybe causing spikes and having to shut the whole show down. Obviously if there is a Magical vaccine and widely available it would open up
A proposal will be floated at a meeting tomorrow to lower the PPV cost from 14.95 to 10 pounds. It seems like there's not a day that goes by that doesn't see a big organisation do something fucking stupid from a PR point of view. I honestly think anybody with average intelligence could have a career in the PR game,I'm certain I could prevent mistakes I see all the time. For instance,last week IBEC launched some kind of children's initiative with Terry Prone as their spokesperson,on the day the government were voting on the mother and baby homes bill. For context,Terry Prone is a PR professional who went to bat for the nuns on Tuam. How the fuck can anybody involved think Terry Prone should be the face of that initiative? This is a woeful idea,they'd be better off sticking to their guns than lowering the price to a tenner. They couldn't misunderstand the issue worse if they tried.
Thommo trolling Ferdinand over is analysis of Upamecano is quality "There’s not a lot of quality centre-backs available in Europe at the moment, and I know Rio Ferdinand wasn’t happy with his performance… But I think I remember Rio having one or two bad games himself! " One or two shockers, it happens to everybody. He’s had a couple of shockers as a pundit, too, we’ve all seen the ‘give it to Ole!’ rant a million times.”
Giggs arrested on suspicion of assault against his girlfriend, Welsh FA have cancelled a press conference for next week because of it.
Luka Milivojevic will miss Serbia's Euro 2020 play off tobight after tesying positive for coronavirus. Connolly missing for Ireland for same reasons. Seems to be a lot more positove tests come internationals weeks. I presume the weekly tests are still happening every week in the Premier league?
I think Connolly is out after picking up a knock Tuesday.. But your right seems to be highlighted more on international weeks. Crazy scenario last nite with the Croatia captain playing 45 mins b4 finding out he had tested positive