Yes, especially for say a non league club forcing a replay is sometimes the difference between paying for their next 5 years of budget so a shame on that perspective. New agreement means an extra £33m (which is peanuts really) from the premier league into grass roots football which is the only minor positive.
The F.A have accepted a £33m payment from the Premier League, it will allegedly be used for grassroots and clubs lower in the pyramid to soften the blow, yeah right, PL clubs even playing weakened teams gave their youth chance to develop but that opportunity has gone. Following on from the news yesterday about ticket cost increases a section of the city ground has put their prices up by 28% for forest fans, spurs doing away with some concession tickets basically thanks for you're 50 year support but we want more money for your seat, increases at Liverpool aswell, I'm really starting to feel less and less about the game, like most things these days its just about how much money companies can extract from people and what pathetic reasoning they can conjure up. Obviously players wages will start to drop to help offset cost increases .....oh wait a minute
I'm completely fine with scraping replays *provided* we also scrap extra time and the penalty shoot-out. The lowest ranked of the two teams automatically goes through if the scores are level after 90 minutes. (Based off the league position at the date of the draw)
It's absolutely bollock$. All the EFL clubs should just announce they're boycotting the competition, see how long the FA tolerate that.
Hmmm, fixture congestion. Or ...... Teams like Arsenal (and others) seeing a rainy night in Barnsley in September as 'congestion' but a 12,000 mile flight to play two exhibition teams in July is totally acceptable. £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££
I think the crux of it is that the big clubs that wanted the Super League still see the £ notes and want to leech the PL of as much as they can. The PL, seeing the shadow of the Super League still falling over them, are trying to appease their pet clubs by agreeing to give them even more £. Meanwhile ........ 'proper' football. Well ....... I could cry. We visited Liverpool the other day for sprog #1's birthday. After the Beatles tour we did the Anfield stadium tour. I loved Liverpool as a footy mad kid; really did. Still have an affinity for them now - almost on a par with my stupid childhood love of West Ham. But Lord, I could have cried. I went to the 1982 League Cup match and although Liverpool were Kings of the League and Kings of Europe we ran them close. The season of what might have been. But I remember standing outside the Anfield Road end that night, and inside the ground thinking 'Ok this ground is a bit bigger than Oakwell but it's still in a state. This team is a bit better than Barnsley but hey, we are getting there' ....... but we are soooooooooo far removed now it is unreal. The stadium is state of the art. And beautiful. The pitch like a show lawn. The facilities amazing and all built around an ability to make money at every opportunity. Mrs Mac and I were visitors #2000 and #2001 on Tuesday. £23 a pop. Monday they broke 4000 visitors. There were more tour guides on duty than we have matchday staff. A lot of L1 clubs and most L2 clubs would kill for a matchday experience of 4000 fans paying £23; Liverpool do that 5 days a week. Concourses to dream of, and so many 'suites' that I can only imagine how much they take. I was lucky enough to be invited to their Legends Suite for a pre-match meal and decent seats earlier this year. I might as well have been on a cruise ship. White glove service, 5* food and corporate seats. They can sell them. Because folk who can't get regular tickets will pay to go in there. And there is a waiting list! And there are about 12 other lounges. And conference suites. It's a multi, multi, multi million £ business. There are club shops in the City on a par with the enormous club shop at the ground (I say 'club shop' it's a full blown Harvey Nics with football kits. Kits of any size, from any era, surrounding every possible bit of club related merchandise you could imagine. I said to Mrs Mac 'there are framed signed shirts here for £300 a pop, or signed by the full team for £700' ........... and someone added one to his basket. It is amazing marketing and branding. Awesome. It is beautiful. Yet it is obscene at the same time. And it saddens me that they are *probably* one of the clubs who voted that they no longer want to play replays against #TeamsLikeBarnsley it really does. We are a million miles off, and that is no reflection on our club, just a harsh reality of modern football. I'll be watching Liverpool tonight on telly, hoping for the win whilst at the same time acknowledging we will never compete at that level in my lifetime :-(
While they're at it, couldn't they get rid of pointless International friendlies and Nations League crap, so that half our matches stop getting moved cos more brazen opponents can't play us wi art their tea lady who plays for virgin islands u19s ladies. Or summat.
Frees the super rich up to organise some money tournaments in far east or middle east...because that absolutely will not effect fixture congestion. Nor are said tournos anything to do with brand awareness or money..oh no...anyone who thinks that is a screaming, tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist.
No doubt about that, although There is fuxture congestion at all levels. I mentioned earlier about the Paint-pot cup or whatever it’s called. They could’ve scrapped that and compensated ( at least financially) clubs affected. However, the Prem u21s play in that, and we can’t be having that can we.
It's a strange one, the EFL cup. It's mission statement was to give lower league teams a big day out, and we certainly enjoyed ours. But is it really working? I'm not sure it is. Early rounds are certainly a headache and the presence of PL U21 teams sticks in the craw.
The other thing that boils my urine (apologies if posted elsewhere) PL clubs have voted to end the mid season break allowing a longer summer break so their prize assets can recover and rest. Here's how three of the big 6 are 'resting' this summer (from Man U website):
Oh just approve the ******* European super league and let the deluded pricks **** off and die somewhere then real football fans can have a game that isn't ruined by selfish *******
Well, there is a way of fighting back. If you subscribe to Sky. TNT, NowTV, etc cancel your contract and explain why. Sadly few will and the greed will continue and it will be on your shoulders.
