Football

[Rossell]

I don't follow or know much about football but damn if this isn't seismic.

It's like the F1 breakaway series that nearly happened a decade ago but with actual plans and money. I think it's going to go horribly wrong.

[Raid]

I have basically no interest in this story, but I can't help but find some of the reactions from people in power a bit sinister, as if football is one of the means they use to control the proles, or something.

[Achtung Englander]

I think this Super League is a great idea and the best thing to happen to football.....











....only joking. The avarice (word of the day) of this entire enterprise is staggering

[DjchunKfunK]

None of this is really surprising, especially not the idea that it is being done for money. The day the PL broke away from the Football League something like this was probably always going to happen, when you put money front and centre and let businesses and states take over clubs and treat the game as a product, you shouldn't be surprised when they behave like this.

Some of the responses from pundits has been a bit sickening, especially when taking to task certain clubs who they feel shouldn't have been part of this due to their current league position, Neville I'm looking at you. Are you saying if a different 12 clubs were involved you would be OK with it? No, so why bother with this tribalism which just alienates fans of those clubs.

I don't know how this is going to play out but it feels like football has crossed the Rubicon, either the 12 back down after getting concessions which means their threats work and we will just go through this all again in a few years or they do breakaway and football is never the same again.

[Achtung Englander]

Interesting when you say this was on the cards. Yesterday I asked a friend who follows football closely and he said the same thing. Why is the current Euro Championship broken ?

[Sly Boots]

Interesting when you say this was on the cards. Yesterday I asked a friend who follows football closely and he said the same thing. Why is the current Euro Championship broken ?

It isn't, although UEFA's stated plans for a revamp look completely shit to me.

The issue is the rich clubs want to be immune from ever not qualifying for it (and having access to the riches it provides), and so are doing this to remove that need to qualify.

It was always on the cards because, essentially, the clubs are greedy.

[Achtung Englander]

oh so the idea of sportmanship is null and void, I can see why everyone is pissed. I mean its like getting a C in an exam just for turning up.

Big business is destroying the very frabic of what makes sport so enjoyable. I recall the Wimbledon final of 2001, Goran Ivanisevic, got pushed back to a Monday after the Sunday tickets expired and so "ordinary" punters made it to the Centre Court. That final was amazing.

[Sly Boots]

oh so the idea of sportmanship is null and void, I can see why everyone is pissed. I mean its like getting a C in an exam just for turning up.

With the added kick in the teeth that they're getting that C in a school where you're not allowed to go, because they've stuck a ruddy great padlock on their 20-foot high gates. Across a moat filled with alligators.

[Medicine Man]

Just kick the 12 out of their respective leagues. Let’s make some new ‘big’ clubs.

We’ve had it up here for years with the bigot brothers greeting about running off to England on a regular basis. Fuck em, kick em out. I’m sure the remaining clubs darn sarf wouldn’t miss a couple of visits a season, just like no club up here would miss a couple of visits from the arse cheeks.

Let’s build a new league, with blackjack and hookers.

[Achtung Englander]

looks like Chelsea and Man City have pulled out - this thing is disintigrating

[Sly Boots]

It's already dead, mate. United's Chairman has resigned, reports Juventus' has as well. Barcelona and Atletico just bailed. Talksport reporting the whole thing is called off, and it appears we're now at the 'heads rolling' stage...

[Sly Boots]

All the English clubs have now pulled out.

[Achtung Englander]

this will make for a fascinating TV drama or book

[2Channelwonder]

It's a bit of an understatement to say I've missed loads going on but we can discuss the ESL properly when the season's over and everyone prepares for the Euros and Olympic Football, although being out in Japan with the time difference I'm not sure how much Olympic footy the BBC will decide to show. At least the Euros should have the usual channel share between the main two channels and then 4 will keep up the F1. It was stupid sacking the manager the week before potential silverware could have been on the table but naturally it was a tough challenge going up against Premier League champions.

As if Jose Mourinho was going to have any trouble getting another job, it's another decent manager that we have to wave off and wish luck at Roma this time instead of PSG, but there you go, less than a couple of weeks off and he's back to work, that's what happens when owners who dumped us in debt for the only UK footy stadium with a "Helter Skelter" section that juts out onto the bloody street simply aren't ever bloody satisfied, mathematically the playoffs for the Champ League is still possible even if it looks more like the Europas is more realistic if we stay 6th, but none of the games left in the Premiership are easy if they're all against midtable sides until the end of the season, could've done without champions Leicester on the final day of the season away, hopefully no-one will get complacent after chipping away at our goal difference when playing Sheffield United.

Meanwhile Spurs get to a final and promptly lose and Kane gets another injury threat and wobble but thankfully doesn't seem to have translated into a recurrence of the old one so as far as I'm concerned if he's rested to the end of the season so much the better for the Euros, not sure how much communication there was between Mourinho/Ryan Mason and Southgate with five games left, but the sooner it's over the better, the only upside was I only listened to the Carabao Cup on Five Live rather than watching anything other than highlights so I encountered my first ever Youtube watchalong with four Youtube channels re Spurs teaming up for a live stream of their own commentary and punditry and they really brought the game alive though it turned into a "drown your sorrows-along" for Spurs fans.



Just bookmarking for myself but have to run in another headset and will catch up with at least the MOTD before last then I'm completely up to date as Leyton Orient, (the one win and they're nicely mid-table and I'll settle for that compared to two seasons ago) and the non-Prem leagues have just this weekend and that's it just playoffs and I caught that EFL on Quest for a change, I've seen more of the other three leagues than MOTD all season but it was easier to follow this season when the Beeb continued to add some more full games alongside the FA Cup coverage. If I get my act together considering I bought stuff on Amazon Prime I will think about trying to catch their late games live next season.

[2Channelwonder]

...and after that match at Leeds I'm not even bothered, we're not getting relegated and that suits me just fine, if it's the Europas only next season then fine, one extra per week separate to the FA Cup isn't a team-breaker, best just wait until the end of the season and see who ends up where and then remember the F1 and maybe some of that big giant pack of MLS footy matches on Freesports, been a packed sporting weekend.