Premiership money madness

[Chaser 1321]

Putting aside our current plight, with City being given serious investment, are these foreign billionnaires ruining football as we know it?

 

Since Abramovich took over Chelsea, ploughing his cash into the club and taking them from also rans to Champions, there has been more pressure from the clubs around them to seek their own billionnaires or mega-rich consortiums and as a result, we now have 4 or 5 clubs who are creating a gap between the rest of the premiership which seems increasingly more difficult to breach. The news that Man City plan to bid for arguably 4 or 5 of the greatest players in world football today only seems to highlight a worrying trend that to have league and European success, money, and not team building is the only way to achieve this.

 

As the top 4 or 5 become ever more predictable, those clubs outside of this elite group are not getting money from European competition and so seemingly cannot compete if these clubs bid for players, as we have seen with the sales of Robinho and Berbatov.

 

The Abu Dhabi investors at City have released a statement that they want to buy Ronaldo for £134m, a fee which is greater than the GDP of Tonga. To acheive their other targets, it suggests that they will be prepared to pay whatever it takes to secure the services of these players, and in a business where money talks, players could be persuaded to relocate from clubs with sunnier climes and greater heritage to the blue side of Manchester or London.

 

The pursuit of success not only makes it less competitive at the top but creates a domino effect right down the league, and there are clubs all over the football league in financial difficulty as they continue to stretch themselves to succeed.

 

 

Where does all this end? Will the rich foreign investors still be around in 10-15 years time when they have got bored of owning a Premiership club? We are already seeing that clubs in the Premiership are seeking to obtain that 5th spot. Will success be eventually measured in achieving 8th or 9th? Will we see a streamlining of clubs in the leagues below as others go to the wall in financial ruin?

Edited September 3, 2008 by robchester

[Asprilla 96]

Real Madrid didn't win anything when they went mad a few years ago. No matter how much a player costs, he's still only a bloke. A good system with decent players can still hold their own IMO.

 

 

The more billionaires there are the better IMO as it dilutes the pool. No one team can have the best every year.

[2bias 3]

Real Madrid didn't win anything when they went mad a few years ago. No matter how much a player costs, he's still only a bloke. A good system with decent players can still hold their own IMO.

 

 

The more billionaires there are the better IMO as it dilutes the pool. No one team can have the best every year.

a very good point. we need the league to be more open

[Fop 1]

It may well end with something like a wage/debt cap and/or home grown players (you can't just buy an amazing squad then, you have to at least develop something).

 

 

Either that or utter meltdown.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Fop

[trophyshy 7095]

So in our lifetimes do we think the top 20 clubs will be owned by the top 0.000001%* of the global population, the billionaires.

 

And play in pyramid shaped stadiums?

 

Isn't it all utterly bizarre that the working class game, a game you can play with a ball that costs less than a pint has reached these levels. Was this inevitable or just kick-arse marketing?

 

Mind boggling.

 

 

* estimate, not legally binding.

Edited September 3, 2008 by trophyshy

[Fop 1]

So in our lifetimes do we think the top 20 clubs will be owned by the top 0.000001%* of the global population, the billionaires.

 

And play in pyramid shaped stadiums?

 

Isn't it all utterly bizarre that the working class game, a game you can play with a ball that costs less than a pint has reached these levels. Was this inevitable or just kick-arse marketing?

 

Mind boggling.

 

 

* estimate, not legally binding.

 

I dunno, but world wide wealth is actually still being concentrated into 2% of the worlds population (rather than the other way around as people might assume), so eventually there probably can be no other out come if things continue as they are.

[Chaser 1321]

Real Madrid didn't win anything when they went mad a few years ago. No matter how much a player costs, he's still only a bloke. A good system with decent players can still hold their own IMO.

 

 

The more billionaires there are the better IMO as it dilutes the pool. No one team can have the best every year.

a very good point. we need the league to be more open

 

 

So ok, we get 20 Billionnaires who buy every club in the Premiership. 3 clubs go down, the same 3 then come back up. I know its not a given that cash will always result in survival but it makes getting into the Prem more and more difficult and even harder to survive once up.

 

The Premier League have always been in it for extracting as much money as they can from the brand. Game 39 will no doubt rear its ugly head once again in an attempt to further market the brand and further remove the game of football away from its grass roots.

[Happy Face 29]

Can't buy me love, love

Can't buy me love

 

I'll buy you a diamond Frings my friend if it makes you feel alright

I'll get you Ledley King my friend if it makes you feel alright

'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

 

I'll give you all Lescott or Bridge if you say you love me too

I may not have Walcott to give but El Hadj Diouf I'll give to you

I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

 

Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so

Can't buy me love, no no no, no

 

Say you don't need no diamond Frings and I'll be satisfied

Tell me that you want the Ledley King that money just can't buy

I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

[trophyshy 7095]

Can't buy me love, love

Can't buy me love

 

I'll buy you a diamond Frings my friend if it makes you feel alright

I'll get you Ledley King my friend if it makes you feel alright

'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

 

I'll give you all Lescott or Bridge if you say you love me too

I may not have Walcott to give but El Hadj Diouf I'll give to you

I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

 

Can't buy me love, everybody tells me so

Can't buy me love, no no no, no

 

Say you don't need no diamond Frings and I'll be satisfied

Tell me that you want the Ledley King that money just can't buy

I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love

 

daft cernt of the day award

[Happy Face 29]

daft cernt of the day award

 

:elvis:

 

I was particularly proud of "I may not have Walcott to give but El Hadj Diouf I'll give to you"

[Chaser 1321]

daft cernt of the day award

 

:elvis:

 

I was particularly proud of "I may not have Walcott to give but El Hadj Diouf I'll give to you"

 

Probably post of the day. Best song from you yet.

[tinofbeans 91]

Real Madrid didn't win anything when they went mad a few years ago. No matter how much a player costs, he's still only a bloke. A good system with decent players can still hold their own IMO.

 

 

The more billionaires there are the better IMO as it dilutes the pool. No one team can have the best every year.

 

madrid bought zidane and won the european cup the following year/ same year...

 

there should be a limit on the value of players.

 

Ronaldo is not worth 135M£

[trophyshy 7095]

celery caps tbh.

[Fop 1]

Real Madrid didn't win anything when they went mad a few years ago. No matter how much a player costs, he's still only a bloke. A good system with decent players can still hold their own IMO.

 

 

The more billionaires there are the better IMO as it dilutes the pool. No one team can have the best every year.

 

madrid bought zidane and won the european cup the following year/ same year...

 

there should be a limit on the value of players.

 

Ronaldo is not worth 135M£

 

 

Aye, but worth has nothing to do with it really. It's just about getting what they want.

[wykikitoon 21457]

Its disgusting.

 

There are thousands of small children around the world dying of starvation, malnutrution AIDS, disease, its sick!

[Happy Face 29]

Ronaldo is not worth 135M£

 

Spend on 1 player what our entire club was sold for just over a year ago.

 

[Happy Face 29]

Its disgusting.

 

There are thousands of small children around the world dying of starvation, malnutrution AIDS, disease, its sick!

 

Whey they should put a bit more practice in.

[wykikitoon 21457]

Its disgusting.

 

There are thousands of small children around the world dying of starvation, malnutrution AIDS, disease, its sick!

 

Whey they should put a bit more practice in.

 

[Chaser 1321]

Seriously though, this threatens the game right to the very bottom. In the efforts of competition, surely there needs to be rules in place so that competition is fair and justified rather than just which club gets a rich owner? Not only should there be a limit of foreign players competing on matchdays, but there should also be a salary cap in place so that the limit is there for everyone to compete with.

 

Football isnt a business like any other, its a sport which has been turned into a business by clever marketing experts who realised all those years ago that by marketing the sport as a brand, they had a huge customer base which they could tap into.

[Guest alex]

Seriously though, this threatens the game right to the very bottom. In the efforts of competition, surely there needs to be rules in place so that competition is fair and justified rather than just which club gets a rich owner? Not only should there be a limit of foreign players competing on matchdays, but there should also be a salary cap in place so that the limit is there for everyone to compete with.

 

Football isnt a business like any other, its a sport which has been turned into a business by clever marketing experts who realised all those years ago that by marketing the sport as a brand, they had a huge customer base which they could tap into.

I share your concerns about the game and the foreign owners etc. but when has there ever been fair competition in football? The richest clubs have long been the most successful. I also think it smacks of sour grapes. We were all pleased when we got a billionaire owner.

[Happy Face 29]

Seriously though, this threatens the game right to the very bottom. In the efforts of competition, surely there needs to be rules in place so that competition is fair and justified rather than just which club gets a rich owner? Not only should there be a limit of foreign players competing on matchdays, but there should also be a salary cap in place so that the limit is there for everyone to compete with.

 

Football isnt a business like any other, its a sport which has been turned into a business by clever marketing experts who realised all those years ago that by marketing the sport as a brand, they had a huge customer base which they could tap into.

 

A transfer value cap on international imports might be the way to go. Would lower the quality of our league, but improve our international team in my opinion.

 

If some wealthy arabs want to pump £130M into the English game from one signing I don't see that as a bad thing though. As long as the money stays in our game.

 

To that end, perhaps they should apply a tax to every transfer made by a premier league team where 5 or 10 percent of the fee goes directly to lower league and grass roots football.

[Guest alex]

That raises a very important point actually. 'Football' (I use the inverted commas because football is often regarded, quite wrongly, as one big family) has never been wealthier in this country, yet grassroots football is on its arse. Virtually all of the vast amounts of money coming in via TV revenue etc. ends up in the hands of the players (especially PL players) and their often odious agents. Something's not right.

[ewerk 31583]

A transfer value cap on international imports might be the way to go. Would lower the quality of our league, but improve our international team in my opinion.

 

It'll never happen thanks to our friends at the EU.

[Fop 1]

Seriously though, this threatens the game right to the very bottom. In the efforts of competition, surely there needs to be rules in place so that competition is fair and justified rather than just which club gets a rich owner? Not only should there be a limit of foreign players competing on matchdays, but there should also be a salary cap in place so that the limit is there for everyone to compete with.

 

Football isnt a business like any other, its a sport which has been turned into a business by clever marketing experts who realised all those years ago that by marketing the sport as a brand, they had a huge customer base which they could tap into.

I share your concerns about the game and the foreign owners etc. but when has there ever been fair competition in football? The richest clubs have long been the most successful. I also think it smacks of sour grapes. We were all pleased when we got a billionaire owner.

 

 

Not really, Newcastle probably has the financial power (if ran well) to break into the current top 4 (with some luck).

 

Anyone thinking Ashley was going to do a Chelski on Newcastle was being unrealistic, but I think it's fair to have thought he might have spent a bit (although I suspect it's the economic situation as much as anything that's been behind what appears to be Ashley's change in thinking - the world is a different place from 12 months ago).

 

 

It's the same thing with any richer owners too really, whilst the money might be great, there a lot of what ifs that come with it.

[Fop 1]

That raises a very important point actually. 'Football' (I use the inverted commas because football is often regarded, quite wrongly, as one big family) has never been wealthier in this country, yet grassroots football is on its arse. Virtually all of the vast amounts of money coming in via TV revenue etc. ends up in the hands of the players (especially PL players) and their often odious agents. Something's not right.

 

 

They FA might start to do something about it when they can't even put together an England squad from the Championship and above (which could be sooner than we think ).