Super League - for or against?

[Lumiere]

I really don’t know what to think right now. On one hand, I loathe the idea of a closed shop, but on the other I have no problem with there being a split from UEFA who like FIFA are riven with corruption.

It's worth pointing out that the people bankrolling this superleague are the mega banks like JP Morgan.

 

[Donki]

I wouldn't worry too much, this will fail miserably.

 

[yawa]

I put I don’t know purely as I find the champions league increasingly uninteresting.

The group stages seem to be a box ticking exercise and the interesting games only seem to kick in during the knock out phase.

Shame the champions league couldn’t have been reformed.

 

[Donki]

I put I don’t know purely as I find the champions league increasingly uninteresting.

The group stages seem to be a box ticking exercise and the interesting games only seem to kick in during the knock out phase.

Shame the champions league couldn’t have been reformed.

I think people are getting confused here, this is nothing like the champions league that is directly linked to the various leagues around Europe, this is a group of companies trying to make a whole new league which, if successful, will replace the current domestic league. This announcement is just a trail IMO to see how it goes. IMO if this is a success (and I don't think it will be) the plan will be to tour this league around the world holding games in the US and Asia.

 

[HildoSpur]

Completely and utterly disgusted by what is happening.

 

[LSUY]

Against. As someone who has always opposed financial doping by the likes of Man City and Chelsea, I can't suddenly support Tottenham getting in on it. This is not fair on clubs like Leicester and Everton who occasionally break into the top four on smaller budgets. Four of the 'big six' aren't even currently in Champions League qualifying places. This is nothing more than the act of a cartel looking to stifle competition. What is the point of the English Premier League if we can finish 7th and still qualify ahead of the teams who finish 3rd and 4th?

 

[mightyspur]

I think people are getting confused here, this is nothing like the champions league that is directly linked to the various leagues around Europe, this is a group of companies trying to make a whole new league which, if successful, will replace the current domestic league. This announcement is just a trail IMO to see how it goes. IMO if this is a success (and I don't think it will be) the plan will be to tour this league around the world holding games in the US and Asia.

I understand the cynicism, but is it really this? Perhaps it is, but surely that is years and years away? Clubs in the ESL will still want to win their domestic leagues won't they? This just devalues the CL and EL as these teams won't play in it, which is why UEFA are kicking up such a fuss as their cash cow is suddenly worth significantly less.

I'm interested to know what the proposals are to fill the empty spots in the ESL

 

[h2005]

I’ll pack it in if it happens. I’ll follow my local club. They’re shite too but they’re not greedy ****s.

 

[fortworthspur]

you're gonna get a corporation not a club a la the NFL or NBA, but I suppose its all but done.

 

[PLTuck]

If it means we forfeit our place in the PL and the FA cup then its a shit idea. Binning off the oldest cup competition in the world, with over 100 years of tradition to chasing the almighty ££££ that FUT players will give. Us "legacy" supporters who have had the club as a part of our lives for most of our lives don't mean a shit to them.

If it means that we don't forfeit our place in the PL it's still a shit idea. I've spent far too long hating clubs like City and Chelsea to now be happy that we are part of that club.

I give it a year max before EA announces their new game and gihugeous sponsorship deal, which will basically be the same shit FIFA game but now they only need to bother about 20 clubs being in their ESL22 moneygrab.

I'm holding on to the hope that it is all an elaborate negotiation tactic for a reformed CL. FIFA, the PL and UEFA have all made their position clear. I can't see them all backing down.

 

[Mandy Dingle]

I'll be honest, I have absolutely no idea how to feel about it. I feel like I don't have enough information about the positives and negatives to form a justifiable position. I see a lot of people reacting on emotion and the "sanctity" of the sport by claiming it's for the people when it hasn't been that way for at least a decade.

I'd say I lean slightly to the "against it" side but I'm not sure if that's just so I don't get crucified online or not.

 

[Donki]

I understand the cynicism, but is it really this? Perhaps it is, but surely that is years and years away? Clubs in the ESL will still want to win their domestic leagues won't they? This just devalues the CL and EL as these teams won't play in it, which is why UEFA are kicking up such a fuss as their cash cow is suddenly worth significantly less.

I'm interested to know what the proposals are to fill the empty spots in the ESL

Depends where the money is, if there is more money in the ESL that's where the priority will be and I am cynical about football as it is this is just more elitist bullshit. If this is successful, we will see this develop as @fortworthspur says like the NFL, pretty soulless and all about the money, and domestic leagues will suffer greatly. Its simply not for me, I don't particularly like European football anyway, I much prefer the domestic league and the FA Cup.

 

[tiger666]

Keeping my powder dry until everything is known.

 

[Danfunkel]

Not for me. Awful idea.

 

[AmericanSpur]

I dislike that it offers a financial lifeline to some of the continent’s financially mismanaged clubs and is a closed shop. At the same time, we’d all dislike it much more if the other 5 PL clubs went with it and we learned 5 years down the line Spurs declined the invite. The ESL reinforces the fact football is a business now and not sport just as agents and players shopping themselves about have done the same. Giving the club better control of its business by removing UEFA is a smart move.

In the end, I’ll hope for the best with it.

 

[PLTuck]

I can hear it now..

"Live from the JP Morgan Arena, we have tonight's Super Soccerball league World Series with the Hotspur Havocs hosting Manchester Maniacs. Here's a word from our sponsors."

 

[Chattaben]

I'm torn as to how I feel about this for several reasons. This big one is the greed. This is a power move for money, plain and simple. Clubs has suffered huge revenue losses over the past 18 months and this is a possible bailout for the top ones.

I also fear what may happen to the domestic leagues/cups. Right now, I believe its a big unknown. I doubt Big 6 teams will not try to compete for Premier League titles because they already have a seat in the ESL. If this major restructuring happens, I'd love to see something like the FA Cup winners be placed in the ESL instead of league champs. However, as a compromise I could see the Big 6 having to forfeit their places in the FA cup.

The other side of me likes the idea of cutting FIFA and UEFA out of the equation because they are corrupt associations. It basically starves them of the resources they need. The optimist in me believes that this may help reform them a bit if you take the money away. The greed argument works here as well. FIFA and UEFA are just trying to hold onto their cash cow.

I don't agree that this is the end of meritocracy in football. Money buys championships and cups. Ask Abramovich and the Qatar Sports Investments. Did they earn their successes organically through hard work or did they buy it?

I guess in the end it comes down to how I view football? Should football be run like a public good (roads, schools, etc) with government (UEFA/FIFA) oversight and sanctions? Or should the owners of the clubs be free to run their businesses as they see fit without interference? Does Joe Lewis need FIFA and UEFA to tell him how to run the club?

 

[cliff jones]

Bastards. Will never buy a ticket or a subscription and will aim to boycott all sponsors.

Desperate for it to fall flat on its face.

The arrogance of the statement just makes me wanna puke.

Today should have been a happy day, where we are exorcised of the low block and snide comms, but instead we have to swallow coverage of this.

As if to undermine the above, I feel slightly comforted that we’re in the mix.

 

[cozzo]

I don't know, its still too early for me.

 

[yido16]

Good thing is West Ham will be our feeder club again lol