Friday, February 08, 2008

EPL To Go Global

Extra games to be worth £5m per club...

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has become the highest-profile name to back English Premier League plans to stage some matches across the world.

Fergie Fury: Sir Alex Ferguson is angry that club managers, including himself, were not consulted before the Premier League made public their plans for an 'international round' of matches.

How the game is changing shape

1888
Football League founded, with 12 clubs, three years after the Football Association had sanctioned professionalism

1892-93
Second Division formed and promotion and relegation introduced, with two places contested via "test" matches between the bottom two teams in the First Division and top two in the second

1898-99
League expanded to two divisions of 18; automatic two-up two-down promotion and relegation introduced

1919-20
Top flight expanded to 22 teams as football resumes after the first world war

1973-74
Number of promotion and relegation places increased to three

1981-82
Three points for a win introduced

1986-87
Promotion and relegation play-offs initiated involving third-, fourth- and fifth-placed teams in the Second Division and fourth-bottom team in the First Division

1988-89
Play-offs to involve only the third- to sixth-placed teams in Second Division

1991-92
First Division increased to 22 clubs

1992-93
Breakaway Premier League formed

16 comments:

Bartholomew said...

This plan is not happening...or at least not anytime before 2020.

When it does...the game is f*cked.

frkh2o said...

you really think the game is completely f'ed?
I would not like it if they did it but it's not going to end itself.
It's going to change one way or another over time as it has in the past.

Bartholomew said...

Not happening any time soon. If they f*ck with the best thing about the league...the simplicity...people will leave. Maybe not at United, Arsenal, etc...but many supporters of smaller clubs would.

Relegation is often a matter of 3 points..imagine Fulham going down because they drew United and Bolton got Sunderland. What country would want to watch Bolton-Sunderland anyways? Around 15% of supporters travel and go to every game, you think they have the money to go to Tokyo, Shanghai, or New York? It's a f8cking dreadful idea and not even millions of pounds justifies it.

38 games. Every team home and away. That and only that is League football.

frkh2o said...

Actually, it was 46 games as few as 15 years ago. And the PL changed the game years ago with all the TV money.

I'd go see Bolton/Sunderland to see a live PL game would be cool. Better than the railhwawks or MLS.

I understand the point about one game mattering but MLB seems to have managed with interleague play.
And they've managed with the wildcard (which is IMO is a very good thing as a realy good team usually gets in the playoffs.)

I can't imagine what your reaction to this would be if I intentionally wound you up!

I just don't think a lot of fans will leave.

Bartholomew said...

You what is good about interleague play? Nothing!

It is a f*cking travesty too, but at least its a much smaller percentage of the games.

Besides whatever America does is irrelevant. Our sport sucks compared to theirs and almost nobody goes to away games. Also, the Pittsburgh Pirates don't lose 30 million when they get relegated to the International League because they lost to the Red Sox and the Marlins beat the Royals.

My point obviouly had nothing to do with 38 games and everything to do with league football having a simple and fair fixture list.

If youi want to go see Bolton-Sunderland....go to f*cking Bolton or Sunderland then...you eurosnob yank c*nt. It is not happening and if it does, I might stop watching.

frkh2o said...

My point had nothing to do with the number of games too -- my point was that it's changed over time.
It's not a static system. Things change. Sometimes for better sometimes for worse.

I think we may disagree about the effect, you silly anglophilic bastard.

The Editor said...

No way would I want to have matches in the U.S. that count. No way. It would throw off the entire balance of the competition.

Bartholomew said...

Your point about MLS and the rhawks is another reason it won't happen. FIFA would have to be paid off and so would all of the domestic leagues.....why would they want premiership games in their country. Things change, but the league format doesn't. When it does...people will leave the game. Of course maybe they can make up for that with Americans and Chinese....but I can't see it happening really. Already managers and supporters are united against it.

The Editor said...

Roy Keane's in favor!!

frkh2o said...

how about cup ties?
You could have it built in where the semis would be played overseas?

Bartholomew said...

Maybe we can have the Charity Shield become an international weekend hosted in foreign cities. You could award some money to the winning club to add some incentive to bring big names. Maybe they could make the league cup relevant by hosting a round internationally. F8ck with the cash cup if you must, but leave the league alone!

frkh2o said...

I would not be surprised if the league idea was a floated idea to get people used to the idea of games overseas so that when they actually implement something like League Cup games abroad that everyone is cool with it.

frkh2o said...

That may not be the format but I do think having league games here and there overseas would be a good thing.
I would like that. On the other hand I don't want the home and home fucked with.
So maybe they figure something else out - who knows?

frkh2o said...

Arsene is broadly for this as well.

Bartholomew said...

Roy Keane can f*ck off.

Arsene says:

"But you have to respect basic criteria - the competitiveness of our League, the fairness of our League, and, as well make sure that it is a promotion for our football."

Hepstyle said...

The NFL tried this and I don't know how great a success it was. The logistics of this idea are incredible. It would be like adding the U of Hawaii to teh ACC. For teams like Arsenal who find themselves in the champions league, deep into both domestic cups, and a full premier league schedule, travel time would replace valuable rest/training time.

With the media continuing to expand across the globe, I can't see why it isn't good enough for people in other countries to watch it on TV. Yeah, maybe some "preseason"/exhibition/friendly games over seas like we saw last year between MLS and UK teams, but for the games to count, no effing way.