Premier League Makes Its Move

[RoversAlias]

Premier League: Liverpool & Man Utd lead English football reform plans - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54499998

I've linked to the BBC article above but the story was broken by the Telegraph, which is behind a paywall.

Basically, the Premier League is finally making its overt move to take complete control of the English game, to the detriment of all the rest of us. Two less teams in the league, less promotion and no more EFL Cup. Oh, and it is all tied to the bailout they feel they don't have to give us to survive.

Cherry on top? EFL Chairman Rick Parry is in favour. That's the same Rick Parry who used to be Liverpool Chief Executive and the first ever CEO of the Premier League when it started.

I think I'm done with this sport if (when) this happens.

[The Beast]

Tell them to stick it!

[rich1471]

Just read this on the BBC website not a shock , The Rich get Richer and the issue is a lot of clubs really need the money or will go bust so they have the EFL over a barrel.   

[drfchound]

As I have said previously, what the PL wants the PL usually gets.

[idler]

That’s me finished with league football if that takes most of the EFL under.
I’ll watch non-league so my money will go to some team that I can have an affinity with.

[BigKeif]

That’s me finished with league football if that takes most of the EFL under.
I’ll watch non-league so my money will go to some team that I can have an affinity with.

I second this also Idler. If Rovers go under then I’m done and I’ll happily go watch a non league side near me.

[tyke1962]

They may well be no other port to save the sinking ship that is the EFL in this climate .

It may well come down to accepting these proposals or risk many many clubs going out of business .

Lose Doncaster Rovers or accept , when it comes down to that which may happen then where is your money going ? .

I totally understand the vitriol and the gun to the head style of these proposals but the consequences of not accepting may well be far worse .

It actually amazes me that league's one , two and the National League are still functioning and I think it's fair to say it's unsustainable for too much longer .

Let's face facts the big six have the power , they are the PL , Burnley v Brighton isn't a watchable global spectacle that attracts huge revenue streams .

Liverpool v Man Utd is and in essence the small PL fry live off the backs of the big six .

This is exactly how it played out in the early 90's when the big five as they were then were instrumental in the formation of the PL .

They are even more powerful today than they were then .

Let's be honest neither of us are ever going to cement ourselves in the PL , does it matter that much .

We have to survive and prosper in our corner of the market and this at least gives us that opportunity and a lifeline .

[wilts rover]

It's two less teams in the PL (from 20 down to 18) not two less teams in the league.

Which is the main problem thay have. Which PL teams are going to vote to relegate themselves and have less chance of being promoted?

[idler]

The problem is that the so called big clubs all want to be top dog. Fair enough but for every winner there has to be a loser. It became boring when Liverpool had a stranglehold in the 80s and more so when Man U did the same in the 90s.
Reduce leagues or go European and the so called super clubs are losing potential winnable games and facing rivals equal or better than themselves. The glory hunters will soon be jumping ship. It could also impact on the England team as lower and non league fans feel disenfranchised.

[Dutch Uncle]

It's two less teams in the PL (from 20 down to 18) not two less teams in the league.

Which is the main problem thay have. Which PL teams are going to vote to relegate themselves and have less chance of being promoted?

But either two clubs are pushed out of the EFL or there are two divisions of 25 teams. Or a total restructure with 4 divisions in the EFL, maybe including some Conference teams.

[Chris the Rover]

What happens to the remaining premier league clubs when the “big six” join the European super league? I’ve felt for a long time that it’s only a matter of time until this happens. I utterly loathe the premier league and all that it stands for. If my club goes under I will never watch another football match as long as I live.

[oliver]

I second that totally obscene.

[bedale rover]

If all EFL fans stopped buying sky sports and BT then this would (hopefully) decimate their income and their attempts at world domination

[sedwardsdrfc]

If all EFL fans stopped buying sky sports and BT then this would (hopefully) decimate their income and their attempts at world domination

TV rights are global. It'll be worth a lot of money in the UK but they'll get far more selling it around the world

[selby]

  If the EFL refuse to accept the two clubs in those circumstances, which they don't have to, Manchester United and Liverpool would be responsible for two clubs going under. Let them try and get that through a vote.
  Anyway if Manchester United carry on the way they are going they might be one of them.

[drfchound]

What happens to the remaining premier league clubs when the “big six” join the European super league? I’ve felt for a long time that it’s only a matter of time until this happens. I utterly loathe the premier league and all that it stands for. If my club goes under I will never watch another football match as long as I live.

Agreed on the European Super League thing Chris.
I have also posted on here that I think it will happen some time in the not too distant future.

[roverstillidie91]

Wasn't it 18 teams before though?

[tyke1962]

  If the EFL refuse to accept the two clubs in those circumstances, which they don't have to, Manchester United and Liverpool would be responsible for two clubs going under. Let them try and get that through a vote.
  Anyway if Manchester United carry on the way they are going they might be one of them.

What about 30 to 40 EFL clubs going out of business Selby if it doesn't get through ? .

The EFL are getting thrown a lifeline with absolutely no negotiating position to tap in to , none what so ever .

If Doncaster Rovers are promoted to the Championship you would be competing without the parachute money flowing that has ultimately made this league the massive step up it is .

It's not that bad a proposal for the likes of ourselves Selby in my opinion .

[PDX_Rover]

I can’t wait for the big teams to f**k off and do their European super league. Then actual real football can resettle and we have a natural belen e again.

[sha66y]

Just posturing to see what the temperature is like ....

I would think a lot of chairmen in the mid to lower level of the PL will be aware of the power the top 6 currently have and are manoeuvring to have more..
and by allowing this aggressive approach it could come back to bite each and every one .... yes they would get the financial payments as they stand but the top 6 would soon want the lions share of that.......eventually...!

They may even be in a position to select who they want in their new world order ....

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I may be missing something but, the overall proposal doesn't seem that abhorrent does it?

We all want rid of the parachute payments don't we? If that money is filtered down more equally then its more likely to close the gap isn't it?

Reducing to 18 teams? This has been on the table for a long long time. The sceptical view is it will create more time for the big clubs to play lucrative games elsewhere rather than reduce the number of fixtures. Time will tell.

I guess one of the more contentious points will be the number of teams promoted/relegated. The pyramid needs to remain fluid. In an 18 team league maybe two places plus a play off as suggested in the article might be workable.

What I don't understand, is this special status for the likes of Everton etc. Does anyone else understand what that means?

[selby]

  Tyke I predicted months ago this drift if the EFL didn't strike in March while the irons were hot. Now there is two ways to go, one is to tax transfer and agent fees over a certain amount say £2 million so much that our top clubs cannot compete with foreign teams for top players forcing them to either buy from EFL teams or subsidize through the distribution of the taxes the EFL the smaller clubs.
  It might have the effect of getting the top six to go to a European Super League, but only one can win it and people will not travel to see losers no matter how big the club used to be.
  The other is to bite the bullet and break away, let it stand as it is and let them get on with it.  Football will not die, some clubs might that are badly  managed, but other clubs will take their places. Make the top of the Championship the League championship bring the National League into the fold and move other leagues up one en mass withdraw from the FA cup and League Cup start a new cup competitions and let the twenty big clubs play themselves until they and the fans  get sick of it.

[tyke1962]

I may be missing something but, the overall proposal doesn't seem that abhorrent does it?

We all want rid of the parachute payments don't we? If that money is filtered down more equally then its more likely to close the gap isn't it?

Reducing to 18 teams? This has been on the table for a long long time. The sceptical view is it will create more time for the big clubs to play lucrative games elsewhere rather than reduce the number of fixtures. Time will tell.

I guess one of the more contentious points will be the number of teams promoted/relegated. The pyramid needs to remain fluid. In an 18 team league maybe two places plus a play off as suggested in the article might be workable.

What I don't understand, is this special status for the likes of Everton etc. Does anyone else understand what that means?

I see it in the same terms Baz , the position with Everton is nether here nor there to me as my club isn't in the PL and isn't likely to be in the future either .

Sustainable championship football is where our two clubs realistically have aspirations to be part of .

None of what's proposed puts that at risk and even makes that more possible with the ending of parachute payments .

[Alan Southstand]

The best thing about what I’ve read in that report, is the proposed abolishment of parachute payments.

The rest of it is debatable, at best.

[tyke1962]

  Tyke I predicted months ago this drift if the EFL didn't strike in March while the irons were hot. Now there is two ways to go, one is to tax transfer and agent fees over a certain amount say £2 million so much that our top clubs cannot compete with foreign teams for top players forcing them to either buy from EFL teams or subsidize through the distribution of the taxes the EFL the smaller clubs.
  It might have the effect of getting the top six to go to a European Super League, but only one can win it and people will not travel to see losers no matter how big the club used to be.
  The other is to bite the bullet and break away, let it stand as it is and let them get on with it.  Football will not die, some clubs might that are badly  managed, but other clubs will take their places. Make the top of the Championship the League championship bring the National League into the fold and move other leagues up one en mass withdraw from the FA cup and League Cup start a new cup competitions and let the twenty big clubs play themselves until they and the fans  get sick of it.

Selby I learned a severe lesson between the years 1984/85 and going on those years you'll know exactly what I'm referring to .

Never fight battles you can't win and instead go for the best negotiating deal you can get .

For a body who have absolutely no bargaining position what so ever I'd be telling my members to snatch their bloody hands off myself .

You won't beat the top six clubs Selby and you won't be cutting their revenue streams as you've alluded to either , only market forces will do that and not legislation .

All the power is in too few hands and it's those hands who bring in the majority of the PL revenue .

We have to be realistic Selby and look at the situation we are in .

There's already a thread on this board about refunding ST's , just how many will renew next season across the EFL ? , not very many .

If this is what it takes to save every club in the EFL then so be it in my opinion .

You can't win em all but my word you can lose everything .

1984/85 .

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Smaller leagues is a good thing, I would go further and say the efl is also in that place.  We do not need 24 team divisions, 20 would be more sensible. Cut the midweek games a little, it may improve the quality.

The real issue with the proposal is voting. Giving the big 9 teams more voting rights is wrong and causes long term issues.

[Arsenal Of The North]

Sounds to me like the elite are trying to strengthen there grip on the power, this can’t be passed in the current suggested form, I don’t agree with changing any of the league formats, I don’t want to see a team B slid into any league.

[RoversAlias]

I may be missing something but, the overall proposal doesn't seem that abhorrent does it?

We all want rid of the parachute payments don't we? If that money is filtered down more equally then its more likely to close the gap isn't it?

Reducing to 18 teams? This has been on the table for a long long time. The sceptical view is it will create more time for the big clubs to play lucrative games elsewhere rather than reduce the number of fixtures. Time will tell.

I guess one of the more contentious points will be the number of teams promoted/relegated. The pyramid needs to remain fluid. In an 18 team league maybe two places plus a play off as suggested in the article might be workable.

What I don't understand, is this special status for the likes of Everton etc. Does anyone else understand what that means?

Two less teams in the EFL. No more EFL Cup (meaning less chance of ties like our trip to Arsenal a few seasons ago), hand-me-down money as if the Premier League own us. Less promotion opportunities into the top flight from the EFL. Potential right to decide rules that only affect EFL clubs. What elements of these are acceptable?

Or the sheer fact it's as if they'll only help out EFL clubs if they can have all these extra powers. They should be helping out anyway, they already take so much of the sport's money in this country, to the extent that they're all out buying 50, 60, 70 million pound players while we're struggling to survive the pandemics impact.

That's without even getting into the proposals regarding the increased voting power of the biggest clubs and right of veto over takeovers of other clubs.

It is an attempt by the biggest clubs to take an even bigger slice of the cash, a blatantly selfish and greedy one. All backed by the man whose job it is supposed to be to protect the interests of clubs in the EFL, not the Premier League. It will kill the game as we know it in this country.

[Alan Southstand]

Alias, this may come as a surprise to you, but the game is on its ass already, in this country. Bad leadership and management, greed, corrupt and, at times, absolutely clueless.

This is an attempt to correct some of the issues that have been in great need of changing for years. Not all the ideas are ideal and, surely, up for discussion. It is what it is - an attempt to get the ball rolling - with a couple of disguised bribes thrown in for good measure.

There is definitely a need for change, and I don’t mean pussy footing about with tweaking bits and bobs.

[RoversAlias]

That doesn't come as a surprise to me at all Alan, but if you believe these proposals actually "correct" anything that is wrong with the game in our country then I'm not sure you're reading them properly. They can push the "redistribution of funding" to the front of the page all they want, this is a blatant power grab by the big clubs, facilitated by Parry despite the fact he is supposed to protect the EFL clubs, not throw their (our) rights away and hand more power to a small elite group who already have plenty of it.