European Super League

[Ulfotto 800]

Interesting article given the author is a Norwich fan

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jan/04/european-super-league-premier-league-championship-finances

Personally think there is a disconnect between the massive negative reaction to the idea of the super league and how our club in particular is spoken about in the media.

 

[Newtopia 573]

That is an excellent article

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,261]

Even though the proposed super league could be of benefit to our debt free club compared to our current rivals and the sides a bit bigger and a bit smaller I hate the idea of letting the greedy big club owners win on this one. I hate how they try to sell it as a sporting entertainment enterprise, like we're all incredibly stupid enough to buy that when in reality it's just a way for them to ringfence money in the face of the growing threat from medium sized clubs like West Ham and Leicester who can now afford to be almost as good as them while also having to play less games.

It's going to happen eventually, but I hope we all fight it as much as possible, make it incredibly difficult for them and force them into unfavorable compromises on their end.

[Danke bitte 1,154]

11 minutes ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

Even though the proposed super league could be of benefit to our debt free club compared to our current rivals and the sides a bit bigger and a bit smaller I hate the idea of letting the greedy big club owners win on this one. I hate how they try to sell it as a sporting entertainment enterprise, like we're all incredibly stupid enough to buy that when in reality it's just a way for them to ringfence money in the face of the growing threat from medium sized clubs like West Ham and Leicester who can now afford to be almost as good as them while also having to play less games.

It's going to happen eventually, but I hope we all fight it as much as possible, make it incredibly difficult for them and force them into unfavorable compromises on their end.

Nah, let them have their way. Letting go of them will make the weight on all our shoulders just disappear. Heaven knows, we might even enjoy playing in the Premier League… 

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

38 minutes ago, Ulfotto said:

Interesting article given the author is a Norwich fan

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jan/04/european-super-league-premier-league-championship-finances

Personally think there is a disconnect between the massive negative reaction to the idea of the super league and how our club in particular is spoken about in the media.

 

His significant point is that the plan was not for a proper European super league, with the self-elected clubs leaving their respective leagues. Their idea was to have their cake and eating it by staying in their leagues, with the new competition in effect just replacing the Champions League. What MacInnes rightly says should happen if this idea resurfaces is that the clubs would have to leave their domestic leagues.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Interesting stuff thanks @Ulfotto 

I have kind of worked out that a Legacy Fan is what we'd call a supporter. But what is a Generic Fan?

[duke63 739]

Good article. It is what needs to happen so football can become a true sport again.

Edited January 5, 2022 by duke63

[Badger 2,745]

45 minutes ago, Danke bitte said:

Nah, let them have their way. Letting go of them will make the weight on all our shoulders just disappear. Heaven knows, we might even enjoy playing in the Premier League… 

Trouble is they want to stay in the Premier League as well! If they went into a Super league instead of the Premier league, it would be great for football fans!

[Danke bitte 1,154]

Just now, Badger said:

Trouble is they want to stay in the Premier League as well! If they went into a Super league instead of the Premier league, it would be great for football fans!

Hopefully that’s what they’ll decide is the “only way” eventually.. 

[NFN FC 1,142]

They should do it. Super League it up, but only if there's relegation and promotion. 

[duke63 739]

I suspect the owners of the Super League clubs would suddenly see the likes of us as a great investment with a steady supply of quality players to feed their super league team.

[Tzol Machine 27]

The advatage of europe on this matter is that clubs have history and followers. I see no problems with having a major league where all the money and toxicity goes to. Lets face it, the billions and soon to be trillions of money that are thrown out to clubs is purely artificial. The value of soccer has not changed however with all that money the expectations from the investors will change. Let them have their toxic fest in their closed league so we can finally again enjoy real football with real people. 

[canarybubbles 2,199]

I don't know where I stand on the idea of an ESL. I do know I hate the hypocrisy of the media outrage and all the talk about fair competition and how we must make it possible for the smaller clubs to get to the very top, only for the same media to rubbish Norwich for trying to do just that as a non-billionaire outfit. 

One thing I am certain about is that if clubs leave, they leave. Totally, 100%, no lingering around in the PL as insurance in case it all turns out badly. They have to sign a watertight legal agreement that if it all goes ****-up and they have to come crawling back to English football, they start at the very very bottom of the pyramid. No sneaking them into L1 or L2: the absolute bottom.  

[king canary 8,757]

I agreed up until 'wage caps linked to turnover' which just locks in a new layer of financial inequality. 

[City 2nd 193]

It’s not going to happen. The big clubs are now banned from forming any breakaway from the EPL

Clubs will face heavy fines and points deductions if they sign up to breakaway plans in the future says EPL.

[Google Bot 3,934]

It's an awful idea that would kill the English game, waving goodbye to institutional clubs like Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal would never be a benefit.  Not being able to go to those grounds and watch us play in the league is just the saddest for me.   I don't think I ever thought "Oh, can't wait for Everton away" when we got promoted.

Who's going to be paying money to broadcast a broken league like that?

Furthermore, Having an elite league that can freely offer huge financial packages to take players from traditional league structure is in no way beneficial too.  It will artificially raise wages across the board for sub-standard players, and there will still be the likes of Newcastle style spending power creating an even wider gap with what is left of the EPL.

Domestic leagues should be pushing back on retaining the integrity of the sport, not pandering to those who wave their money.  They're custodians of the clubs, and need reminding of that by supporters. 

This post ESL narrative that is going around stinks of an attempt to soften up supporters to accept this **** as being 'better' for clubs like us.  It's the elite wanting the lions share with longterm guarantees regardless of performance, lose track of that and you're gullible.

[Newtopia 573]

I do wonder if there's space for a franchise league, this would break the traditional clubs, but allow the league to move on.  The franchises could be applied for, and be geographically based, the players are then competing outside the premiership.

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

1 hour ago, City 2nd said:

It’s not going to happen. The big clubs are now banned from forming any breakaway from the EPL

Clubs will face heavy fines and points deductions if they sign up to breakaway plans in the future says EPL.

Yes but that only applies if they repeat the plan to create their custom-made alternative to the Champions League while staying in their domestic leagues. If they go the whole hog and quit the domestic leagues they can't be stopped from doing that or be effectively penalised.

[Rock The Boat 1,332]

Football has gone global and even a Super League will not being it back. OK, that needs qualifying - ESL will see the top level money moving out and for a few years the remaining EPL will be more competitive. But when the top 6 clubs leave EPL and get replaced by the top 6 of the Championship, we will be left with an EPL of - billionaire owners (except for NCFC). 

The TV companies will still need evening football games and ESL will become weekend games while EPL will be weekday material - a cheaper version of the European variety - yet still providing enough entertainment and drama for the TV audience. 

So for the first few years it will feel like we have football back as the EPL title will be more competitive for a while. Some billionaire owners will drop out, most will stay because they never had a chance of owning a top 6 club and now the Newcastle's, West Ham's and Leicesters now have the best ever opportunity to win the League. So there is sufficient energy and interest for them to stay, admittedly without the cream of talent and not the premium product that the EPL is now, but still worthy of interest at a lower price tag. 

But here's the kicker.  Eventually, and inevitably, I think a new hierarchy will evolve over time, again based on the wealth of the owners, because at the end of the day money is everything when it comes to football success. 

Within a decade of a European Super League our EPL will be back to a hierarchy of richest clubs winning everything and if NCFC is not one of them then we will still be on the outside looking in. 

[Midlands Yellow 4,682]

I can’t see us ever being part of a Super League if and when it gets off the ground. 

[sgncfc 1,330]

1 hour ago, City 2nd said:

It’s not going to happen. The big clubs are now banned from forming any breakaway from the EPL

Clubs will face heavy fines and points deductions if they sign up to breakaway plans in the future says EPL.

The PL version of "heavy fines" will be nothing compared to the TV money on offer to a Super League, and they won't care about points deductions if they are no longer in the PL. I so want this to happen in my lifetime......

[sgncfc 1,330]

30 minutes ago, Rock The Boat said:

Football has gone global and even a Super League will not being it back. OK, that needs qualifying - ESL will see the top level money moving out and for a few years the remaining EPL will be more competitive. But when the top 6 clubs leave EPL and get replaced by the top 6 of the Championship, we will be left with an EPL of - billionaire owners (except for NCFC). 

The TV companies will still need evening football games and ESL will become weekend games while EPL will be weekday material - a cheaper version of the European variety - yet still providing enough entertainment and drama for the TV audience. 

So for the first few years it will feel like we have football back as the EPL title will be more competitive for a while. Some billionaire owners will drop out, most will stay because they never had a chance of owning a top 6 club and now the Newcastle's, West Ham's and Leicesters now have the best ever opportunity to win the League. So there is sufficient energy and interest for them to stay, admittedly without the cream of talent and not the premium product that the EPL is now, but still worthy of interest at a lower price tag. 

But here's the kicker.  Eventually, and inevitably, I think a new hierarchy will evolve over time, again based on the wealth of the owners, because at the end of the day money is everything when it comes to football success. 

Within a decade of a European Super League our EPL will be back to a hierarchy of richest clubs winning everything and if NCFC is not one of them then we will still be on the outside looking in. 

Not if they introduce a salary cap at the same time - and one not linked to turnover. Even a highish one of say £150m a year for the 25 man first team squad would be enough to start to see some equality over a longer period. 

That might not help us, but there are plenty of others who could comfortably live with that number and we would then see some sort of actual competition.