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2008-09 Football Thread

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Jaffa Cake said:
...teams with over a century of history behind them are going into administration for sums that would barely cover a top Premier League player's monthly salary...

Somewhere along the line we've totally lost the plot.
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So true - it's not so much the huge amount of money being spent at the top that is the problem - but a lack of balance throughout the league system. The lower divisions will always be working with a lot less money, but the gap is becoming farcically large. They might all be in the league system on paper, but the difference between the top and bottom is astonishing.

Well, this weekend I'm headed off to watch another Crew home game. I'll not buy tickets in advance, pay $17 or so at the gate and sit a half-dozen rows up from the pitch, quaffing a 24oz. beer.

MLS ain't so bad after all. :)
 
A slightly longer wait for me due to the international break – Everton at home a fortnight this coming Saturday. The Dutch arm of the Cake family is over visiting us that weekend and – seeing as how he's a Toffees fan – my Uncle Slagroomtaart is coming along to the KC to witness his team getting mauled first hand. Ace.

Also, I get to find out at the end of the week if I've been able to get tickets for our away match at Arsenal on the 27th. Fingers crossed, and all that.
 
Jaffa Cake said:
Equally obscene is that fact that new owners can literally swan in and make two British record bids on players on the same day, while just a few leagues below teams with over a century of history behind them are going into administration for sums that would barely cover a top Premier League player's monthly salary.

Somewhere along the line we've totally lost the plot.
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There's an allegory about wider society in there somewhere. :(
 
I doubt you're ever going to get the big money out of the game, so no point in attempting that. Here's one suggestion:

Change the revenue and salary structure to be more like the NFL in the U.S. The NFL has a strict salary cap that prevents any team from spending much more than other teams. It also has equal revenue sharing in merchandising and broadcast revenues, so that every team starts from an equal footing. Some teams have bigger stadiums and/or more loyal fanbases, but on the whole the teams are pretty equal. So equal in fact, that 16 different teams have played in the last 10 Super Bowls. Some fans complain that it's TOO equal, but every year at least half the league feels like they at least have a shot, if a few bounces go their way.

My understanding is that in the EPL the revenue is shared, but teams get more money based on their place at the end of the previous season. Teams that play in CL or UEFA Cup also don't have to share those games' revenue with other teams in their league. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
aloofman said:
My understanding is that in the EPL the revenue is shared, but teams get more money based on their place at the end of the previous season. Teams that play in CL or UEFA Cup also don't have to share those games' revenue with other teams in their league. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
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That's right – I think that each place you finish is worth £750,000 (ie, so the team that finishes bottom gets £750,000, the team that finishes second from bottom gets £1.5 million, and so forth). TV money is divided evenly between the teams in a division (although the Premier League of course gets the huge majority of the cash to share among its clubs), but any prize money teams get from European competition is theirs to do with as they wish.

A salary cap wouldn't be workable, unfortunately – at least, not without every league in the world following suit. If such a scheme was introduced in only England, for example, then it would lead to an exodus of players leaving to Spain, Italy and other leagues, attracted by the bigger pay packets on offer there.

I know with a number of American sports there are things like salary caps in place, but sports such as American Football aren't played as widely and the American set-up is hugely dominant both in terms of money and in being the sports' top tier – therefore, there's no real likelihood of all the talent jumping ship to go abroad and play elsewhere for more cash. Association Football on the other hand is played far, far more widely so unless FIFA impose a blanket salary cap on all the top leagues it'll never happen – the clubs themselves would have to vote for it and, to use an oft used phrase when discussing football finances, it would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.
 
Jaffa Cake said:
Also, I get to find out at the end of the week if I've been able to get tickets for our away match at Arsenal on the 27th. Fingers crossed, and all that.
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Ooo. I could probably get tickets to come see that too.. I'll see what availability is like.
 
Jaffa Cake said:
A salary cap wouldn't be workable, unfortunately – at least, not without every league in the world following suit. If such a scheme was introduced in only England, for example, then it would lead to an exodus of players leaving to Spain, Italy and other leagues, attracted by the bigger pay packets on offer there.

I know with a number of American sports there are things like salary caps in place, but sports such as American Football aren't played as widely and the American set-up is hugely dominant both in terms of money and in being the sports' top tier – therefore, there's no real likelihood of all the talent jumping ship to go abroad and play elsewhere for more cash. Association Football on the other hand is played far, far more widely so unless FIFA impose a blanket salary cap on all the top leagues it'll never happen – the clubs themselves would have to vote for it and, to use an oft used phrase when discussing football finances, it would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.
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World Soccer magazine discussed the idea of salary caps. A maximum salary cap fails (cf Rugbys Union and League) because teams which have flaunted the rules (eg Wigan) haven't been punished enough. The "only allowed to spend X% of revenue on salary"-model has been criticised for actually exacerbating the issue, since the larger clubs would continue as is with their larger revenue stream, but smaller clubs couldn't pay extra money to improve their fortunes because of smaller revenues - even if they were owned by a bigger company.

I would personally prefer for the "chairman assessment" thing to come in. As a Boro fan funded essentially by one person (Steve Gibson), nobody complains; indeed, he has been called the best chairman in the country. However, Thaksin Shinawatra would have been prevented due to his money laundering.
 
Every club gets a gazillionaire to get a level playing field and the top 4 are no longer predictable.

The club managers are not allowed to make or choose the purchases and sales anymore because the moneys involved are to incredible.

The fans of the clubs have to realise that it’s not “their” club anymore, more a plaything and ego trip for the club owners.

Club owners have no idea about the the game and create chaos and suffering to genuine fans.

Welcome to the Premiership any day soon.

– sorry to be so cynical but seems that’s the way it’s gone/going.
 
carlgo said:
Go 49ers!
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Who, or what, are the 49ers?

Also, anyone watched the Australian A-League? I was watching a highlights show this morning and although I can't remember who was playing (Melbourne were one of the teams I think) it was really quite good. 4 really high quality goals for this team playing against Melbourne. One of the teams had Marc Bosnic playing for them as well. He's well fat now though, however, Melbourne's Keeper is as dodgy as ****.
 
XIII said:
Ooo. I could probably get tickets to come see that too.. I'll see what availability is like.
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A MacRumors Demi Derby – how exciting! :)

I expect you'll have no trouble finding tickets, as most Arsenal fans would baulk at the prospect of seeing their beloved Gunners on the receiving end of a comprehensive mauling.

Markleshark said:
Who, or what, are the 49ers?
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They're the slightly older neighbours of 1860 Munich. I think.

Honestly, you don't catch us lot running into the eggball threads proclaiming 'Accrington Stanley!, do you? :rolleyes:
 
Markleshark said:
Also, anyone watched the Australian A-League? I was watching a highlights show this morning and although I can't remember who was playing (Melbourne were one of the teams I think) it was really quite good. 4 really high quality goals for this team playing against Melbourne. One of the teams had Marc Bosnic playing for them as well. He's well fat now though, however, Melbourne's Keeper is as dodgy as ****.
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I might have seen the same game - they're usually on at 3am local time, but occasionally they run one earlier. Good game, good crowd. Definitely better than that Silly Aussie Rules nonsense they play down there. ;)

Jaffa Cake said:
Honestly, you don't catch us lot running into the eggball threads proclaiming 'Accrington Stanley!, do you?
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:D I laugh at the thought.
 
For the second time this week the BBC are reporting that Keagan has resigned as manager of Newcastle. Are they right this time?


EDIT: Yep, it's official:

Auntie said:
"I've been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors, but sadly that has not proved possible," Keegan said in a statement.

"It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want.

...

He added: "It remains my fervent wish to see Newcastle United do well in the future and I feel incredibly sorry for the players, staff and most importantly the supporters.

"I have been left with no choice other than to leave.""
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He's done and dusted, regardless of the news reports...the question is, is he being kicked upstairs or out of the club?

The other question is, does Keegan count as the winner of the sack race, or Curbishley? People have money riding on this...
 
There'll be a huge backlash if it's Wise who gets the job, that's plain enough to see. We're watching Sky Sports News, who are naturally leading with this story and they're reading out a lot of angry emails and text messages from disgruntled Geordies.

Looking ahead, we're their next opponents and I'm hoping that we'll be able to take advantage of the situation and totally destroy them. Sorry B&WToon, nothing personal but it has to be done, especially if the loathsome Dennis Wise is at the helm. One day you'll thank us for it. ;)
 
Jeez, I've been a Toon fan for over 30 years and that's the last straw for me.

I don't really like the way the league is any more, and Newcastle were the only reason I still watched it. I wouldn't like to be down the Bigg Market tonight. :(
 
Agathon said:
Jeez, I've been a Toon fan for over 30 years and that's the last straw for me.

I don't really like the way the league is any more, and Newcastle were the only reason I still watched it. I wouldn't like to be down the Bigg Market tonight. :(
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Then you were more of a glutton for punishment than even I!! ;)
 
And more good news for Newcastle fans Joey Barton's hearing is today. Also in Joey Barton news today he was spotted jumping red-lights and using bus lanes to go to a probation meeting :rolleyes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-red-light-on-way-to-probabation-meeting.html


I sincerely hope that they ban him for life (if they can). He is a disgrace to football and due to the premiership being worldwide a disgrace to the UK in general. I find the fact that the courts moved the trial to the summer and gave a sentence meaning he basically missed no premiership football a disgrace as well.

Newcastle should've sacked him and Keegan choosing to play him is beyond me. If I were the manager there would be no way that he would be in the squad let alone on the pitch.
 
What a crock of ****. So, what if Barton had beaten that guy to death on the training ground? Would that be a 24 game suspension (12 suspended) and 50,000-pound fine? :rolleyes::mad:

This is pure madness from the FA. Pure flipping madness.

Fines and suspensions aren't really enough, but even then the FA are being far too lenient.
 
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