Should Levy go for his part in the Super League... with a heavy heart I say yes.

[BringBack_leGin]

An idea my arse, it was more than that, much more. It was a blatant attempt to make football a money making machine to the exclusion of the rest of football.

So the anger felt and expressed by football fans pretty much all over Europe, if not the world, fans, players, managers, pundits, journalists, everyone, all of that was driven by Sky and UEFA. Nothing to do with the rampant self serving desires of a handful of men getting a reaction that says we won't suffer it.

So I don't think I will calm down. Levy can do one and doing it yesterday would have been nice.

I totally agree with your opening paragraph and equally agree that everyone anger is understandable. I don’t subscribe to this viewpoint that Levy was bullied or left with no choice, he absolutely had a choice and in my mind he made the lazy choice, which is difficult to forgive. However, has he made the other choice, I believe that there would be a huge overlap between the people currently damning him got going with the ESL and the people criticising him for letting the other big clubs find yet another advantage over us and being small time. Maybe I’m being unfair, and equally I imagine I’d be typing posts to mitigate his actions whatever he chose, which I guess makes me just as bad, as that’s me.

Don’t get me wrong, i hate how many he got it wrong and the damage that’s been done, but we’ve pulled out now and as a supporter which ultimately is pretty unimportant and unable to affect anything anyway, I’d rather just watch the matches, hope we do well, hope we play some decent football and forget everything else. Football was far more fun when I was a kid and I had no idea who owned what clubs and only knew the players names, nothing else. I’d rather just go back to that.

 

[easley91]

I haven't read the full thread, but I have now become 100% Levy out after this. Don't get me wrong, he has done good things over the years (whether you like him or not). He has been part of why we have risen up the league, why we became a bigger club globally and why we were even invited to join this breakaway league. The fact these other clubs saw us as equal cannot be understated.

But, this was way too far. Do I understand why he went with it? Absolutely. Financially he thought he was doing the right thing. However, the damage to the club's reputation, the damage between he and the fans, the players and even the other 14 Premier League clubs is too much. It's something not one of these owners or chairmen should come back from. He didn't consult with anyone outside of the boardroom. The people that truly keep the club going. Players and fans.

Listen to the THFC Supporters Trust and he legitimately told them he didn't need to ask for our views, because he himself is a 'fan'. Nah he's gone way too far now. He needs to go. ENIC to follow, but that needs buyers willing to come in.

 

[shelfboy68]

If it's the (lengthy) one I received, i'm not sure i'd trust it too much as credible as some of it sounds

Basically........Jose and Shortround falling out, Levy wanting too much control, wanting him to play Dele, Bergwijn and Bale, (Dele & Bergwijn transfer values dropping) ordering Jose to play his 'strongest' team tonight, Jose telling Levy we'll never win anything because priorities are in the wrong place, we have a fantastic business but a poor team. Jose telling Kane and Son they have to leave if they want to win things but if they do, Levy will be a **** about it and so on and so forth.

That is the one and no I didn't post it because site rules etc

 

[brasil_spur]

I normally hate the idea of Levy getting involved in on the pitch decisions, but if true he was right to put his foot down with Mourinho. As Mourinho himself pointed out when he joined we have a strong squad of players and the likes of Bale and Dele should be getting more game time. Anyway JM's gone now, so let's see what Mason does for us tonight.

 

[NickHSpurs]

The only way we’re being sold is to an owner similar to those at City, United or Chelsea. Not sure if that’s any better really.

 

[dontcallme]

I would like to hear Levy's side to this.

The ESL was deeply flawed and immoral but what surprises me, maybe it shouldn't, is how every participating club kept the plan completely secret.

I guess they thought people would be angry at the beginning but it would blow over. Instead they got mass condemnation from every angle including MPs.

I guess Levy thought he had to go along with it or not participate at all and get left behind. Every owner has massively fucked up here.

 

[Donki]

An idea my arse, it was more than that, much more. It was a blatant attempt to make football a money making machine to the exclusion of the rest of football.

So the anger felt and expressed by football fans pretty much all over Europe, if not the world, fans, players, managers, pundits, journalists, everyone, all of that was driven by Sky and UEFA. Nothing to do with the rampant self serving desires of a handful of men getting a reaction that says we won't suffer it.

So I don't think I will calm down. Levy can do one and doing it yesterday would have been nice.

I really dont think some fans realise what this Super league would have done to football had it gone ahead, and just how far this ciuld have gone, its baffling.

If the Premier League were a closed shop of 20 clubs, which would they be? | Sporting Intelligence

www.sportingintelligence.com

The report above shows "certain clubs" tried to close off the PL for their own self interest back in December last year, when this idea was rejected there is no doubt in my head these clubs started planning this new league. People on here saying "sure its just like the CL", simply don't seem to grasp its NOTHING like the formation of the PL or the revamp of the CL. This was an attempt by clubs to leave and set up their own governing authority, basically self regulated. They could have made what ever changes to the sport they wanted, 4 quarters, sin bins, endless subs, golden goal ANYTHING with no right of veto from an over lord.

 

[tototoner]

Would love to see the 50 +1 ownership model that they have in Germany brought in. Don’t think it will happen sadly.

 

[jimbo]

Listen to the THFC Supporters Trust and he legitimately told them he didn't need to ask for our views, because he himself is a 'fan'. Nah he's gone way too far now. He needs to go. ENIC to follow, but that needs buyers willing to come in.

I re-joined the Trust yesterday in response to the situation they do a pretty good job of fan representation despite having no power given the ownership structure. It costs £10 to join for a year, worth it in my opinion.

 

[Donki]

Would love to see the 50 +1 ownership model that they have in Germany brought in. Don’t think it will happen sadly.

Ship has sailed where would we or any "supporter trust" find billions of pounds do get it and then trying to convince the owners do give up half their club.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

An idea my arse, it was more than that, much more. It was a blatant attempt to make football a money making machine to the exclusion of the rest of football.

So the anger felt and expressed by football fans pretty much all over Europe, if not the world, fans, players, managers, pundits, journalists, everyone, all of that was driven by Sky and UEFA. Nothing to do with the rampant self serving desires of a handful of men getting a reaction that says we won't suffer it.

So I don't think I will calm down. Levy can do one and doing it yesterday would have been nice.

Completely spot on mate and fair play you've seen this coming for a while.

This is a deeper issue that just Levy, hopefully the football world has woken up to it now but as you perfectly put it "It was a blatant attempt to make football a money making machine to the exclusion of the rest of football", the audacity to say it was to do with financial fair play and try to justify it by saying more money will go to the football pyramid says everything about our ownership and Levy needs to go.

 

[dontcallme]

An idea my arse, it was more than that, much more. It was a blatant attempt to make football a money making machine to the exclusion of the rest of football.

So the anger felt and expressed by football fans pretty much all over Europe, if not the world, fans, players, managers, pundits, journalists, everyone, all of that was driven by Sky and UEFA. Nothing to do with the rampant self serving desires of a handful of men getting a reaction that says we won't suffer it.

So I don't think I will calm down. Levy can do one and doing it yesterday would have been nice.

Are you saying trickle down economics is flawed?

Any evidence other than the whole of history to back that up?

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I haven't read the full thread, but I have now become 100% Levy out after this. Don't get me wrong, he has done good things over the years (whether you like him or not). He has been part of why we have risen up the league, why we became a bigger club globally and why we were even invited to join this breakaway league. The fact these other clubs saw us as equal cannot be understated.

But, this was way too far. Do I understand why he went with it? Absolutely. Financially he thought he was doing the right thing. However, the damage to the club's reputation, the damage between he and the fans, the players and even the other 14 Premier League clubs is too much. It's something not one of these owners or chairmen should come back from. He didn't consult with anyone outside of the boardroom. The people that truly keep the club going. Players and fans.

Listen to the THFC Supporters Trust and he legitimately told them he didn't need to ask for our views, because he himself is a 'fan'. Nah he's gone way too far now. He needs to go. ENIC to follow, but that needs buyers willing to come in.

Have they released new comms?
I'm a member but didn't get a new update yet?

 

[JCRD]

I would like to hear Levy's side to this.

The ESL was deeply flawed and immoral but what surprises me, maybe it shouldn't, is how every participating club kept the plan completely secret.

I guess they thought people would be angry at the beginning but it would blow over. Instead they got mass condemnation from every angle including MPs.

I guess Levy thought he had to go along with it or not participate at all and get left behind. Every owner has massively fucked up here.

I mentioned yesterday that i find it so strange that if they believed in this concept so much that they all signed up knowing the vitriol and pressure they would get that no one apart from Perez came out and tried to sell this to us.

I dont get it, I mean they all fell like a pack of cards - didnt even put a united front and put together some kind of press conference or meeting to take questions. I just dont get how you can put something together over several years and not even try to sell it to us. All they did was put a shitty logo on an information bare site with Perez being the only one to speak about it. He was clearly the mouthpiece for this but they all seemed to act in isolation

 

[easley91]

Have they released new comms?
I'm a member but didn't get a new update yet?

They did two interviews with Spurs fans channels on Monday and in both Martin said that's what Daniel said to him.

Bonus Episode: Say No To The European Super League

BONUS CONTENT! Windy and Nathan talk to Kat and Martin from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust. Follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/THSTOfficial Make sure you sign up here: https://www.thstofficial.com/membership.html You've been listening to The Extra Inch, a Spurs podcast...

play.acast.com

 

[Japhet]

The only way we’re being sold is to an owner similar to those at City, United or Chelsea. Not sure if that’s any better really.

Does anyone really think that anyone we might have sold the club to would have refused the ESL? If ever there was a case of 'be careful what you wish for', this is it.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

What the hell are we Chelsea fans/City fans?

I thought we where better than this. We know football is dodgy and has been poisoned but the plans for the ESL was the end of normal competition and to become a cartel of sorts. It would have made things even a bigger joke than they are now and we would have been part of it.

You can make the argument Levy may have felt he had no choice but as @Amo pointed out with power comes responsibility. You take a risk like this and it goes wrong then it comes with consequences.

Levy may stay and there is little that can be done about it. However the relationship with fans is badly hurt as much of not more than trying to take us to Stratford. Perhaps in time anger will go but Levy’s reputation and even our reputation as a football club has been chucked in the mud.

He still owns 20-30% I believe but if he had any self respect he would allow someone else to become chairman so we can try and put this behind us.

We have always heard defenders of ENIC say ‘’we are doing it the right way’’ when the spending of the super clubs has been mentioned but clearly we are doing it just the same but without the spending that brings success.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Does anyone really think that anyone we might have sold the club to would have refused the ESL? If ever there was a case of 'be careful what you wish for', this is it.

Agree. Only option is 51% fan ownership.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Are you saying trickle down economics is flawed?

Any evidence other than the whole of history to back that up?

No, which means I won't be supplying 'evidence', because I never said that. Evidence, hark at Sherlock fucking Holmes.

 

[TEESSIDE1]

Despite my misgivings about Levy and Enics incompetence/self interests or greed....I've voted no. If it went ahead and we weren't in it and had the chance we'd all be slating him for turning it down.

He acted in the clubs interest....okay the cynical view would be in Enics interest . But I think with that level of income that Esl offered the playing personal would have improved.

it’s not in your clubs interest when your playing staff, you know the actual people who determine how you would perform in the ESL are against it. Fair enough if the players were on board but they’re not and neither are the fans. To make it worse it appears the players in addition to the fans weren’t consulted, that for me is unforgivable. The repercussions of the ESL going ahead would have been both suicidal for the club’s reputation and for the players... had they been banned for domestic competitions and Internationals they likely would have wanted to leave in their droves.