New Super League to Rival CL - 11 Clubs Sign Up

[dockers_strike]

11 minutes ago, Leyton388 said:

I'm sure people said the same when the Super League first came up. 

People are trying to raise the franchise model because of the way sports are organised in the States. This Euro League is envisaged by people from Europe as much as England \ the US. If this is a Euro League, what benefit would our or any owner get moving a club to say China where the bottom has just fallen out of the football market?

 

Why would other founder clubs permit an English club to uproot and muscle into their country? What league would this uprooted club play in, in addition to the Euro league?

 

The US is different to Europe never mind England. Some US states offer incentives to their sports franchises to move location for all types of reasons. The country is huge. The demographics are different.

 

 

 

[Jockey]

Just now, Bjornebye said:

Blaming him for Sky taking over in 1993. Rick Parry was a main driving force and he ran our club for years/ Neville is spot on with his argument. Of course he will want to keep his job, he's a human being with mouths to feed. 

He's hardly going to be unable to put food on the table though is he?

 

I think the point is that he is ignoring a lot of examples of his own club, and Sky's behaviour that are all part of this culture of greed. This isn't a single example of clubs being greedy - they have always done it. United did it when they fucked the FA cup off for a World Championship. They did it when the Glazers took over United. His employers, both past and present are as much part of this as FSG or the Glazers. 

[Brownie]

1 minute ago, Bjornebye said:

Blaming him for Sky taking over in 1993, whats he supposed to do? Quit football after coing through the academy because more money is getting pimped into it? Rick Parry was a main driving force behind the sky takeover and formation of the Premier League and he ran our club for years. Neville is spot on with his argument. Of course he will want to keep his job, he's a human being with mouths to feed. 

I didn't blame him for Sky taking over. I was pointing out that he's employed by a company who started all of this and would gladly be a part of it if they could.

 

He's a fucking hypocrite. We all are to a degree but we don't go on the telly with our opinions.

 

And spare me the "mouths to feed" nonsense.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

17 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

Almost as if he was slipped another 200k by his employer to back up their current stance. Wonder what he'd say if PSG did announce they were on board?

He would obviously give up his wage and become a Monk.

[Jockey]

6 minutes ago, Istvan Kuntstain said:

Ok so all the clubs are greedy but the players aren't?

 

No, that isn't what I meant. Why should the players wages be the starting point? And to a point yes, there is a difference. A player has to make what he can in a short space of time - the club doesn't have that problem. I am not sure there is much correlation between players wages and ticket prices anyway - I think the price of TV packages is probably more of a factor. Clubs can have 80% of their tickets at £30 and it wouldn't massively affect their bottom line. 

[Barrington Womble]

4 hours ago, Dave D said:

FFP reported as being a big reason for doing it- bit strange to then join a league that is only for the ultra wealthy- or will be there be restrictions on spend?

 

 

supposedly 55% of revenues on wages as a maximum. 

2 hours ago, Brownie said:

I'm done with FSG, want those cunts out of our club asap. This is a fucking disgrace.

 

They are trying to turn us into a franchise of the Super League rather than a football club with deep roots in the local area. They need to fuck right off and we need to fight this with everything we have.

we have been on this path for 10 years - more if you count the other cunts. the main reason american sports teams with similar revenues are more valuable than the footballing equivalent is because of the revenue risk brought by relegation and needing to qualify for europe. all they want is a model that provides guaranteed revenue lines. none of this is about football. all is about asset value. 

2 hours ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

Is PSG’s owner not on the UEFA board?

yes. and the same people own bein sports who contribute the largest share of TV money i believe. i can't remember where i read that, i think it was in all the city propaganda that came out when uefa were trying to fuck them and there was some idea it was an Qatar conspiracy to get city. 

2 hours ago, rubble-rouser said:

FSG would be negligent not to go along with this if everyone else is.

you make it sound like they're going kicking and screaming. they're at the fucking heart of this. 

2 hours ago, Brownie said:

The level of apathy on here from some is.... mind-boggling.

against the owners? i don't know why you are surprised. our fans had to have roy fucking hodgson as a manager to start getting concerned about H&G. Personally I am apathetic as I have felt this is the journey we've been on all along. I don't get the outrage - if the people owning the top clubs are here for the cash and not the sport and we just smile and clap about it, what do people think they're going to do? they're here to take us for every last cent they can, it has been apparent all along. 

2 hours ago, rubble-rouser said:

Probably too late

I think this is the exact reason this broke yesterday. once they realised this was the best uefa had to offer, they went for the blow the fucking doors off plan. uefa have thought this would be enough and the clubs wouldn't have the balls for it. the clubs have called their bluff. 

[Stickman]

Christian Purslow has had his say, the very same Christian Purslow who wanted relegation taken off the table before football resumed last season ..

 

 

The scheme is designed to take away that uncertainty (relegation) and to give predictability to their businesses so that if they’re badly managed or have a poor year, they’re still in the premier tournament,” Purslow told the BBC.

“Does that sound like sport or football to you? To me it sounds like a grotesque concept.”

 

 

 

[Jockey]

3 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

People are trying to raise the franchise model because of the way sports are organised in the States. This Euro League is envisaged by people from Europe. If this is a Euro League, what benefit wouldour or any owner get moving a club to say China where the bottom has just fallen out of the football market?

 

Why would other founder clubs permit an English club to uproot and muscle into their country? What league would this uprooted club play in, in addition to the Euro league?

 

The US is different to Europe never mind England. Some US states offer incentives to their sports franchise to move location for all types of reasons. The country is huge. The demographics are different.

 

 

 

 

I don't think moving the club out of Liverpool is that far out as a possibility! It may be made in Europe, but it is using an American model. 

[Pete]

So in a nutshell the big 6 want to stay in the Premier League but pull out of the Champions League to join the European Super League???

[Moo]

9 minutes ago, Brownie said:

To try and win the league or cup. It was a more level playing field.

But the importance of the top 4 went a long way to ruining the FA Cup.  Drop the fight for top 4 maybe the cup will be reinvigorated?

And I'm just not getting why, if the six clubs are not kicked out of the PL, this would lessen the importance of winning the domestic league? 

Maybe it's not the creation of this ESL that's the problem in itself, maybe it's the motivations behind it and that nothing, not even the most "irrational" of fears, will be off the table.

[Denny Crane]

Wenger a European League is to destroy the Premier League basically, speaking last year. 

 

 

 

 

[dockers_strike]

Just now, Pete said:

So in a nutshell the big 6 want to stay in the Premier League but pull out of the Champions League to join the European Super League???

I think they want more say on how 'European' competition is organised, a reduction in games and more control over the use of their players and international calender.

[Colonel Bumcunt]

Dummies everywhere just parroting the viral outrage generated by vox-pops with idiots. 

By the end of this the PL logo will feature a Union Jack after Downing Street insists on it.  

 

People thinking the players are outraged are wrong.  The players will be asking their agents what it all means, and their agents will be saying "this is beautiful my friend". 

 

Take this season for example, after the disgusting scenes at Everton with our injuries Klopp could have said "ok PL,  I'll play the kids in your televised games until you sort out punishment for physical assaults on my players". 

 

Monkey, meet organ grinder. 

[SasaS]

This is not about who is greedy and who is greedier, it is about the fundamental change from a still relatively competitive sport towards structured entertainment along the lines market research apparently suggest (young) supporters want.   

[Moo]

4 minutes ago, Pete said:

So in a nutshell the big 6 want to stay in the Premier League but pull out of the Champions League to join the European Super League???

It seems that way, but ideally I think they want to re-re-brand the European Cup in their image not UEFA's.

[Jockey]

Let's be honest - the much lauded German model isn't exactly competitive. Bayern will win their 8th straight league title, and the last time they were challenged by Dortmund - they simply bought their best 3 players. Bayern don't have to worry about not qualifying and getting champions league money - they have never not qualified. 

 

I don't know what the answer is. But, there is lots wrong at the moment - and this isn't going to help solve any of those problems. 

[Bjornebye]

12 minutes ago, Jockey said:

He's hardly going to be unable to put food on the table though is he?

 

I think the point is that he is ignoring a lot of examples of his own club, and Sky's behaviour that are all part of this culture of greed. This isn't a single example of clubs being greedy - they have always done it. United did it when they fucked the FA cup off for a World Championship. They did it when the Glazers took over United. His employers, both past and present are as much part of this as FSG or the Glazers. 

 

12 minutes ago, Brownie said:

I didn't blame him for Sky taking over. I was pointing out that he's employed by a company who started all of this and would gladly be a part of it if they could.

 

He's a fucking hypocrite. We all are to a degree but we don't go on the telly with our opinions.

 

And spare me the "mouths to feed" nonsense.

What a load of galactic horseshit lads. Whats he supposed to do? The players and employees haven't driven this. Neither of you would do anything different and you are a bare faced liar if you tell me you'd walk away from that job over it. 

 

 

[Stickman]

I wish we could all just stop this madness and think of people like Ian Holloway who’s had his weekend ruined by this breakaway ....Selfish bastards 

 

“Talk about sadness, I don’t know about you, but I spent time watching the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral at the weekend and for the first time in a long time I was really proud to be British and this morning that’s just gone away"

[Jockey]

1 minute ago, Bjornebye said:

 

What a load of galactic horseshit lads. Whats he supposed to do? The players and employees haven't driven this. Neither of you would do anything different and you are a bare faced liar if you tell me you'd walk away from that job over it. 

 

 

That's the point. He wouldn't walk away if Sky had the TV rights. You don't get to profit from a moral decision - that isn't a moral issue! He is using his platform on Sky to rally against 'greed' - when Sky has been the major instigator of that greed. 

 

 

[Sugar Ape]

European Super League: Staff email reveals Liverpool are using ‘family’ image to mask a grim reality – the owners are greedy capitalists

 

 

Come and work for Liverpool, an advert has enthusiastically told listeners on local Merseyside radio recently. It is the place to be, where a full-time contract will mean you are a significant part of an already wonderful team. In fact, scrub that — why stop there? You will instead become family…

 

Yuck.

 

Families, remember, are not always functional. Perhaps this explains why only at around 8.30 this morning, employees of LFC received an email confirming what everyone already knew.

 

It came from Billy Hogan, the chief executive appointed last autumn as Peter Moore’s replacement.

 

The Athletic can exclusively reveal what Hogan wrote and some of the more interesting points that deviate from the waffle already included in other statements are highlighted below in bold…

 

*

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

You will be aware of the announcement published late last night regarding Europe’s leading football Clubs coming together to establish a new mid-week competition, the European Super League, governed by its Founding Clubs.

 

It’s important as a member of our team that I share with you some of the context.

 

For quite some time now, Clubs, including our own, have held numerous longstanding concerns about not only the future of European football but also the way football is run by UEFA. The global pandemic has also accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model.

 

We have therefore joined AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur as Founding Clubs of the Super League. It is anticipated that a further three Clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.

 

The Super League will be the future of European football and if we want to continue our journey of being a sustainable Club with ambition to grow and continue winning trophies then we should absolutely be part of that process and have a seat at the table rather than outside that group.

 

The new annual tournament will provide significantly greater economic growth and support for European football via a long-term commitment to uncapped solidarity payments which will grow in line with league revenues. These solidarity payments are expected to be roughly three times what is currently achieved from UEFA competitions. One of the core commitments of the European Super League is to vastly increase financial support for the football pyramid.

 

After the start of the men’s competition, a corresponding women’s league will also be launched, helping to advance and develop the women’s game.

 

We know that this announcement has provoked strong feelings within the game and elsewhere but we believe this decision is in the best long-term interests of Liverpool Football Club.

 

Importantly, this is the beginning of the journey and we can now start an engagement process with you, supporters and key stakeholders to help shape this process in the right way.

 

There is still much more information to come in due course.

 

I will keep you updated as we progress on this journey and discuss further on our Town Hall tomorrow.

 

Thank you for your continued support.

 

*

 

Now, I have long believed any football club’s sense of self-importance can be measured by whether its senior staff insist on part of the title at the institution they represent being consistently referred to with a capital C on all official correspondence even when mentioned independent from the rest of the name.

 

That’s one box ticked off, a minor revelation that nevertheless might help illustrate why we have reached this point.

 

Private or not, Hogan became the first person from Liverpool to put his signature to any of his own comments relating to where this is all heading. John W Henry, it turns out, is more comfortable with allowing Manchester United’s Joel Glazer speak for him on his own club’s website.

 

Staff, of course, might find out more about what will happen next if they register at the “Town Hall” — which, it is fair to say, is not the sort of dialogue anyone from Merseyside would use for what is essentially a business update.

 

Yet this is the way it has been at Liverpool for a long time, a club (note the small c) that permanently seems to be battling with itself because the language of local supporters is not used by the figures who run it. Here, it is sharply felt that the word “growth” masks uglier pursuits, and that the global image pushed by those who stand to eventually profit from it does not correlate with a grim reality.

 

It is true the commodification of LFC began long ago. Hogan, who was hired in 2012 initially as a commercial officer, had upon his appointment wanted to know exactly how much money each supporter was generating.

 

Spreadsheets revealed the potential yield per seat inside Anfield and this reinforced the notion that more money could be made not by attendance and active participation in any live event but through a contract with a television company.

 

Despite the recent trophies, cringe and embarrassment have never too far away. Since becoming European champions in 2019 for a sixth time, Liverpool’s owners have unsuccessfully attempted to trademark the city’s name, backtracked on plans to take money from the public purse via the government’s furlough scheme and been outed as one of the conspirators in “Project Big Picture“. The club’s 2018 slogan devised in-house (and not embraced by the fanbase, it has to be stressed) should be amended for a more accurate representation: “We are Liverpool, this means (we think we are entitled to a lot, lot) more.”

 

Not so long ago, chairman Tom Werner told The Athletic that Liverpool would not back any plans that threatened to damage the domestic game. “Our first intention is to protect the inherent strength of the Premier League,” he said in the summer of 2019. “I don’t want to participate in anything that in any way harms the experience both from a Liverpool supporter’s point of view and also in the primacy of English football.”

 

Only a month ago, indeed, Hogan thanked the fans for their patience throughout the pandemic. There is something to be gained by saying, “It is never taken for granted but in the absence of supporters at Anfield, we have had a reminder of why we value it as much as we do”, but evidently there is less to be gained by engaging with them even though you know your superiors are busy signing their futures away.

 

Even if Henry did speak, how could anyone really trust what he says? When he chose to stay silent despite being at the centre of Big Picture, sources close to him were insistent that he cared about the structure of English football. Despite criticism of the plan, it was possible to see some benefits for those who needed money most but this is different. The owners, Fenway Sports Group, tend to get incredibly upset whenever they are called greedy capitalists but no other description feels appropriate at the moment.

 

[Pete]

12 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

I think they want more say on how 'European' competition is organised, a reduction in games and more control over the use of their players and international calender.

Cheers

[Jockey]

6 minutes ago, Istvan Kuntstain said:

Why because it has a direct correlation to a clubs income and is the driving force behind most things.

Hence why parrachute payments are needied, clubs that have 80 per cent wages/ratio are living beyond their means but all this is fine?

As I say, I don't think the tickets prices have that much correlation on wages - I think the TV deals are much more influential. Parachute payments are needed because of the TV money surely? I think you are looking in the wrong areas for a resolution. Not saying I disagree with your argument that wages are too high - but I am not sure that is the fault of the players. T

[Bjornebye]

3 minutes ago, Jockey said:

That's the point. He wouldn't walk away if Sky had the TV rights. You don't get to profit from a moral decision - that isn't a moral issue! He is using his platform on Sky to rally against 'greed' - when Sky has been the major instigator of that greed. 

 

 

He is a pundit. It's his job to give his opinion on that platform. If he had come out in favour of it or been dismissive of the kick offs you'd be having a pop at him for that. he's basically voiced everyones opinions in his role as a pundit. Fucking hell. 

 

 

[Bjornebye]

2 minutes ago, Jockey said:

As I say, I don't think the tickets prices have that much correlation on wages. Parachute payments are needed because of the TV money surely? I think you are looking in the wrong areas for a resolution. Not saying I disagree with your argument that wages are too high - but I am not sure that is the fault of the players. T

You're having a pop at Gary Neville for doing his job despite just being an employee of Sky and not a decision maker yet here you are defending the players who are employed by the clubs directly pushing this breakaway league? 

[Jockey]

Just now, Bjornebye said:

He is a pundit. It's his job to give his opinion on that platform. If he had come out in favour of it or been dismissive of the kick offs you'd be having a pop at him for that. he's basically voiced everyones opinions in his role as a pundit. Fucking hell. 

 

 

He was playing to the gallery - without an ounce of self-reflection! Sorry, but I disagree with you. Sky have been parasites for too long and failing to acknowledge that is disingenuous.