Breakaway European League.

He who writes the checks calls the shots. With TV money taking over sports, that is who is going to dictate the scheduling. (I'm actually amazed that soccer has been able to hold the tide of uninterrupted halves--I'm sure TV would love to have a couple of breaks in each half to run commercials . . . . TV's influence on time outs and other breaks in US sports is absolutely maddening--in college basketball, for example, there are three commercial breaks in each half that are totally the result of TV contracts)

es1 said:

oh absolutely me! it's not that i dont like monday 8pm or saturday 1245 kick offs but that the authorities (including sky and BT who took such a moral high ground in the last 3 days) need to consider. in my younger days when i was single and had no commitments i went across country for a 1245 kick off v norwich leaving manchester at 6am and spurs for a miweek 8pm ko and not getting back until 2 or 3 am. TV companies need to be considerate of fans when making their TV picks and the leagues need to make sure that the midweek rounds minimise travel as much as possible.

actually this reminds me, one thing i cant stand? early evening kick offs for the cup finals as well. absolutely screws fans over coming from the north and they (the tv comapnies, FA, FL, PL etc) couldnt give a toss

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Yeh, I remember being fairly hammered for an FA Cup game away to Brighton.... KO Midday
Played crap, lost 2-0... what do you do then? 'All dressed up and nowhere to go'

Personally, I’m not too bothered one way or another - one set of rich people get annoyed at another set of rich people.

Top level football is now so far removed from me, I’m not really too interested in it.

Purely by coincidence, but turned out to be excellent timing, on Monday night I saw Different League: the Derry City Story on BBC2, still available on iPlayer- link below- a different era, and the perfect antidote to this week’s rather grubby dealings. Watch it, you’ll enjoy it.

Different League: The Derry City Story, Different League: The Derry City Story: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000vcdr via @bbciplayer

RefJef said:

Personally, I’m not too bothered one way or another - one set of rich people get annoyed at another set of rich people.

Top level football is now so far removed from me, I’m not really too interested in it.

Purely by coincidence, but turned out to be excellent timing, on Monday night I saw Different League: the Derry City Story on BBC2, still available on iPlayer- link below- a different era, and the perfect antidote to this week’s rather grubby dealings. Watch it, you’ll enjoy it.

Different League: The Derry City Story, Different League: The Derry City Story: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000vcdr via @bbciplayer

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Yes it's a good watch.

Watching it served as a reminder for me of the impact on non top-flight organisations that this proposed ESL would have had.

In other breakaway European league news:

This basically says that: every year, IFAB introduce new laws for July 1st but the Finnish season starts already in April, so we go a whole year on old laws - worse, our elite refs have to use two sets, the old locally, and the new in big international comps.

So, in an actually class A, sensible act of common sense-ness, we are coming early with the new handball law! Starting as soon as matches are played, we'll be (probably) the first to officiate with the new laws.

santa sangria said:

In other breakaway European league news:

Sivua ei löydy

Nyt taitaa olla pallo hukassa?

www.palloliitto.fi

This basically says that: every year, IFAB introduce new laws for July 1st but the Finnish season starts already in April, so we go a whole year on old laws - worse, our elite refs have to use two sets, the old locally, and the new in big international comps.

So, in an actually class A, sensible act of common sense-ness, we are coming early with the new handball law! Starting as soon as matches are played, we'll be (probably) the first to officiate with the new laws.

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Major League Soccer in the US did the same thing for the first time this year. Probably a smart thing to do. I remember a few years ago when the goal kick law changed, but MLS still had to play the ball out of the penalty area because we were still on the previous version of the Laws for the entire MLS season.

GraemeS said:

I don't for a second think it's serious. The whole point of the process is "look at what we could do if you try and trim our share of the CL money down too far". As people rightly point out, the timing is not a coincidence and also, when you actually look at it in detail, there are too many logistical hurdles in the way.

UEFA will throw in some bonuses for teams that reach the late stages of the CL and do so on a regular basis and all this will quietly disappear- I'm not concerned.

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Told you, nothing to worry about! I think the fan/media reaction ruined it as a "negotiating bluff", but the principal of it all just eventually going away was always going to be the case!

GraemeS said:

Told you, nothing to worry about! I think the fan/media reaction ruined it as a "negotiating bluff", but the principal of it all just eventually going away was always going to be the case!

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I’m sure I read that the ESL were going to/threatening to take legal action against the clubs that have pulled out, as they had all already signed various contracts etc committing them to the league.

Not the sort of thing you would do (signing legally binding contracts) if it was only ever intended to help in their negotiations with UEFA.

socal lurker said:

He who writes the checks calls the shots. With TV money taking over sports, that is who is going to dictate the scheduling. (I'm actually amazed that soccer has been able to hold the tide of uninterrupted halves--I'm sure TV would love to have a couple of breaks in each half to run commercials . . . . TV's influence on time outs and other breaks in US sports is absolutely maddening--in college basketball, for example, there are three commercial breaks in each half that are totally the result of TV contracts)

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That's exactly it though. The model Florentino wanted was the NBA where participation and income is guaranteed so even if you have a bad year on the pitch the entity survives as one of the big boys and you automatically play the big names all the time. Add in all the commercials and razzmatazz and you've got just that.
I once read an article that said that Americans can't quite understand the passions that this sport engenders over here and that the difference between the NBA and Football is the difference between a circus and a gladitorial contest.

Kes said:

I once read an article that said that Americans can't quite understand the passions that this sport engenders over here and that the difference between the NBA and Football is the difference between a circus and a gladitorial contest.

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I think it is more that the passions are different. I think here the most passion comes in college sports rather than professional, particularly when it comes to games against one particular rival. (I will say I was amazed at the intensity of the one UK soccer game I went to many years ago. Love to go again when I finally make it back someday.)

US sports have never had the concept of relegation. Where there are minor/lower leagues, the concept is more that the players are trying to make it to the next level, and the minor league teams support that concept as they like to be able to say that their guys moved up.

There has been talk about relegation in soccer in the US, but I can't see it happening as it is a foreign (kinda literally) concept--folks who invest in teams expect that they are buying a certain thing, not something that can suddenly become a minor league team.

But I also do think it has some negative effects. American baseball is probably the worst example, where many teams simply decide not to try to be competitive because of costs, and that they can make money by just being lousy with low pay rolls. That doesn't work if the team is at risk of relegation. Those teams would end up relegated and no longer getting that juicy TV money.

santa sangria said:

PSG can't go in - because the Qatari's are so in bed with the World Cup.
Imagine being Tony Bloom (Brighton owner) and similar - the leagues have a duty to the other owners.

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Tony Bloom is heavily involved in sports betting and is one of the best successful sports 'gamblers' in the World and is/was one heck of a poker player. Billionnaire.

bester said:

Tony Bloom is heavily involved in sports betting and is one of the best successful sports 'gamblers' in the World and is/was one heck of a poker player. Billionnaire.

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Part of the future must be to send gambling to the brown paper bag. My kids are constantly exposed to gambling advertising. It's not right.

santa sangria said:

Part of the future must be to send gambling to the brown paper bag. My kids are constantly exposed to gambling advertising. It's not right.

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Yep if you watch the football on Sky in the UK, every advert is for some form of in play betting, it's totally wrong as it adds an immediate association.