Premiership games abroad?

[Guest Ringmaster]

Give it up HTTK, when you realize that (reportedly) the tickets in the far end of the stadium in NYC will cost $280 and in LA would could $310 then you just won't want them to come along either

I honestly shudder to think what the ones up front will cost at that price. That's not the worse price apparently, seats in Honk Kong are estimated to fetch an estimate price of 330 USD. No wonder the various chiefs of the FAs of potential bidding countries have spoken out against this. Jack Warner said today he'd blacklist (whatever that means) any city in CONCACAF that bids for a Premiership game.

Oh dear.

[MDK]

I've skimmed the thread but I've already given my POV on it to many people IRL. So the 900 million a year from tv revenues isn't enough? Fuck off. Its the chairmans fault for getting the club into debt, half of these people aren't even good business men anyway. Look at the guy that fucked up Sheffield Wednesday, he managed to fuck them up financially for a long while and he got a job... at the FA. No fucking suprise. Its a load of shit, the big boys get enough money anyway. The same day that the papers got hold of this was the same day that Bournmouth were filing for administration or something.

Ugh, might as well rename the Prem the National Football League and have done with it all. I'll be at Brisbane Road crying into my burger.

[HailtotheYo]

Give it up HTTK, when you realize that (reportedly) the tickets in the far end of the stadium in NYC will cost $280 and in LA would could $310 then you just won't want them to come along either

Please .... that's nothing to see an actual "top flight" football game once a year. I'd GLADLY pay that much/more to see Arsenal play. You highly underestimate the audience for the premiership that we have here.

[Guest Ringmaster]

I love football to death, I watch at least a game a day, but I wouldn't pay that much for a shitty seat in the back of a stadium. IF that's the price of bad seats, I can't fathom the price of a good one, I honestly could go to England, buy a ticket and it would be cheaper to watch Spurs.

[HailtotheYo]

It would be considerably more for myself to go to England/purchase a ticket/come back from England .....

[stokeriño]

Fifa rejects Premier League plans

The president of football's world governing body Fifa has told the BBC that plans by the Premier League to host games abroad will never happen.

Sepp Blatter also warned that the proposal could harm England's attempt to host the 2018 World Cup.

"This does not take into consideration the fans of the clubs and it gives the impression that they just want to go on tour to make some money," Blatter said.

"This will never happen, at least as long as I am the president of Fifa."

Blatter's comments, in an interview with BBC sports editor Mihir Bose, are the strongest from the governing body since the Premier League's plans were revealed last week.

Top-flight clubs will consider plans to extend the season to 39 games with the extra matches taking place overseas.

But the idea has met with resistance in Asia, Europe and fans in England.

Blatter's stance effectively leave the proposals, for a round of games to take place in five different host cities from January 2011, dead in the water.

"The Premier League is richer than the others, they have more responsibility and what they are trying to do is contrary to this responsibility," he said.

"This is something I cannot understand and definitely the Fifa executive committee will not sanction such an initiative."

A Premier League spokesman said the clubs would "look forward to the opportunity to meet with Fifa in order to discuss this matter in full".

"This was always the starting point in relation to the issue of sanction for the proposed international round, and as such we will be making no comment until after that time," the spokesman added.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore had previously expressed his belief that Fifa could not stop the plan if the clubs receive the go-ahead from England's Football Association.

But Blatter rejected that claim.

"It is not true," he added. "Even if the FA did sanction it, all the national associations receiving these clubs would have to sanction it also. This will be very difficult.

"In addition to that, the Fifa executive committee will apply article two of the Fifa statutes: 'to prevent all methods or practices which might jeopardise the integrity of matches or competitions or give rise to abuse of association football'.

"This is abuse. The rich Premier League is trying to get richer and wants to expand the importance of that league."

There were early signs of Fifa disquiet when it was revealed the governing body had told the Premier League it could not consider the plans until the Football Association had contacted them.

It is understood the FA has held talks with Fifa and is ready to issue a statement distancing themselves from the proposals.

Blatter warned it could affect the FA's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

"When it comes to a decision of the executive committee concerning this matter of the 39th round, and I am sure they will be against it, then it will not have a positive impact on the bid from England for the World Cup in 2018," he added.

Scudamore's plans received a mixed reaction around the world, with the heads of the Asian Football Confederation and Football Federation Australia, which could host any proposed games, rejecting the idea.

The United Arab Emirates Football Association said it would welcome the plan but Uefa boss Michel Platini called it a "nonsense idea".

The proposals were also widely criticised by fans in England and Blatter said he understood their reaction.

"I support the fans 100%," he said. "If I was a fan in England I would say: 'no, please play at home and don't go and exercise your talents abroad'.

"If the plan includes official league matches then, as a fan, I would protest against this."

Fifa will examine the Premier League's proposals at its executive committee meeting on 14 March.

Damn fucking straight.

[Cactus Drags]

The only bad part about the whole ideas was the drawing and seeding. If it were just one of the regular 38 games, it'd be fine.

Of course, the draws resulting in 'easy' games highlights the underlying problem with the Premier LEague in that it isn't remotely competitive like the American leagues are, there's no parity, because the money's not handled right.

[gunnar hendershow]

The only bad part about the whole ideas was the drawing and seeding. If it were just one of the regular 38 games, it'd be fine.

Of course, the draws resulting in 'easy' games highlights the underlying problem with the Premier LEague in that it isn't remotely competitive like the American leagues are, there's no parity, because the money's not handled right.

Even baseball has some way of guaranteeing some parity -- the luxury tax and what goes with it. I don't see the Premier League ever being able to introduce a salary cap just based on the nature of how it functions, and how European sports and sporting leagues evolved when compared to American sporting leagues. But a form of revenue sharing in some manner certainly could be achieved very easily. I remember when I lived in London I spoke to a bartender who firmly believed in the next 10-15 years there would begin to be an era of work stoppages as efforts are made to bring down salaries, and put more teams on an equal standing.

A major problem though is how you do this with the sheer number of clubs. You can't possibly think a Division Two club deserves to be making an equal income as a Premiership club, or that it is even feasible to properly implement that. But if you have tiered distribution of money, it'll lead to stagnation in the particular clubs at each level.

[Lord Nibbler]

The only bad part about the whole ideas was the drawing and seeding. If it were just one of the regular 38 games, it'd be fine.

[IAceI]

And Sepp is going to use it as a way to not let us have the 2018 World Cup basically.

Big surprise. He's such a cockface.

EDIT: Wrong tournament ¬_¬

Edited February 15, 2008 by IAceI

[supergrass]

It's a bit of a stretch for him to claim this means we cannot/should not be allowed to host a major tournament. Not that he won't do so of course.

Looking at Sepp, I always used to think what FIFA needed was a younger ex-player to come in with fresh ideas and change their outlook a little...but looking at Platini's appointment at UEFA and some of his brilliant ideas, it probably won't help. We'll always be that little island full of hooligans to FIFA/UEFA who generally have no idea what they're doing.

Although I read somewhere Italy might be on standby for one of the major tournaments in case the hosts weren't ready? The aforementioned shortcomings don't appear to count against them.

[IAceI]

Probably Euro 2012 in Poland/Ukraine, I don't think they've built anything yet >_<

[brenchill]

Although I read somewhere Italy might be on standby for one of the major tournaments in case the hosts weren't ready? The aforementioned shortcomings don't appear to count against them.

[supergrass]

Probably Euro 2012 in Poland/Ukraine, I don't think they've built anything yet >_<

[IAceI]

Not been greasy haired cheating bastards like the Itais.

[brenchill]

I guess the image of hundreds of pissed up England "fans" being washed away with a water cannon stays long in the memory of Fifa.

[Cactus Drags]

The only bad part about the whole ideas was the drawing and seeding. If it were just one of the regular 38 games, it'd be fine.

Of course, the draws resulting in 'easy' games highlights the underlying problem with the Premier LEague in that it isn't remotely competitive like the American leagues are, there's no parity, because the money's not handled right.

Even baseball has some way of guaranteeing some parity -- the luxury tax and what goes with it. I don't see the Premier League ever being able to introduce a salary cap just based on the nature of how it functions, and how European sports and sporting leagues evolved when compared to American sporting leagues. But a form of revenue sharing in some manner certainly could be achieved very easily. I remember when I lived in London I spoke to a bartender who firmly believed in the next 10-15 years there would begin to be an era of work stoppages as efforts are made to bring down salaries, and put more teams on an equal standing.

A major problem though is how you do this with the sheer number of clubs. You can't possibly think a Division Two club deserves to be making an equal income as a Premiership club, or that it is even feasible to properly implement that. But if you have tiered distribution of money, it'll lead to stagnation in the particular clubs at each level.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Sure Derby most likely wouldn't stand a chance but they might be able to scrape a point from it at home.

You can't really ASSUME that Team A will definately beat Team B, especially when there's so much at stake.

Who'd have thunk Bolton would have beaten Man U? Or City would do the double? or Middlesborough would beat top-of-the-league Arsenal? Shock defeats happen all the time.

[IAceI]

Although I'm indifferent to it, since Sunderland currently have like the 5th best home record or form in the league at the minute, I'm not to sure I'd like to see us possibly lose a home game that we could definitely use.

I've stayed out of the whole discussion so far, I'm quite indifferent to it all because while the current plans sound awful, I'm not against the idea of promoting the sport in different continents. But since we don't really have the facts or figures, I'm not going to judge just now. It doesn't look like it's going ahead, so 99% of us can sleep easily I guess.

[Cactus Drags]

Sure Derby most likely wouldn't stand a chance but they might be able to scrape a point from it at home.

You can't really ASSUME that Team A will definately beat Team B, especially when there's so much at stake.

Who'd have thunk Bolton would have beaten Man U? Or City would do the double? or Middlesborough would beat top-of-the-league Arsenal? Shock defeats happen all the time.