Project Big Picture [Project Wonga] a cynical grab for power under cover of trying to help EFL clubs: Post.

r00fie1

r00fie1

Well-known member
Interesting and blunt opinion from regional journalist at Nottingham Post.

ttps://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/sport-opinion/nottingham-forest-must-resist-sickening-4596999
By
Matt DaviesDigital Sports Journalist (Social Media)
  • 05:00, 12 OCT 2020
Thirst for money and power is nothing new in football.

Be it the creation of the Premier League or expansion of the European Cup into the Champions League, the base motivation has always been to enrich those at the top of the game who are already swimming in cash.

The coronavirus pandemic has just given rich owners licence to be more brazen, with those at the bottom of the food chain on their knees.

Now the turkeys are threatening to vote for Christmas and the top of the game is in danger of eating itself with the ludicrously named 'Project Big Picture'.

The big picture being the biggest clubs want yet more money and yet more power.

Now they're ready to act like pay day lenders to get it. Project Wonga would have been a more apt moniker.


The bullet points of the plan, reportedly crafted by Liverpool, Manchester United and - entirely depressingly - with the support of EFL chairman Rick Parry are thus....

The League Cup would be scrapped and the Premier League cut to 18 teams, but more worryingly, top flight voting rights would change.

Currently, 14 of the 20 clubs must sign off on a proposal, however that will now change to the 'big six', plus Southampton, Everton and West Ham.

Should six of those nine clubs agree to a proposal then it would pass, according to the report in The Telegraph.

The bait for this power grab is a £250m payment to EFL clubs, as well 25 percent of their income going forwards, although parachute payments would be scrapped.

Nottingham Forest and the rest of the Championship should tell the architects of the plan to stick their blood money. If they can't afford to then it is time for government bailouts.

It is akin to being skint before your wage comes in and having to take out a stop gap at 1,000 percent interest.

Sure, it saves you in the short-term of surviving the pandemic, but it comes with every chance of fundamental long-term damage.

What is to stop the big clubs breaking away from the Premier League and forming their own league, or the long dreamed of European super league?

Even more likely, what is to prevent them voting to scrap relegation and effectively turn some teams into feeder clubs? The Premier League itself could be powerless to prevent it.

It's a hostile takeover plot, a coup, but there should be little sympathy for the Premier League. It is happy to bleed supporters dry and hog cash while clubs like Bury and Macclesfield go under.

The true worry is that the vast majority of English clubs will be shut out, taking away the dream supporters have of seeing their team taking on the very best.

They need the money to survive. For fans, football clubs are at the heart of their communities.

Let us not pretend some sense of nobility will emerge. Even if the plan coming out now is to test public opinion, the biggest clubs don't really care about their fans. They care about getting money. Don't pretend Liverpool are some how different or special.

They and Tottenham were among Premier League clubs to furlough staff. Arsenal announced redundancies and the spent huge sums in wages on Willian, plus £45m to sign Thomas Partey.

It all comes down to money and it makes it increasingly hard to love the game you worshipped as a kid.
 
Wow! Wasn't aware that they were even proposing to scrap parachute payments till I read that. Excellent article.
 
Its a tricky one to be fair.
Yes, parachute payments go and the prem gets reduced to 18 clubs.
This, in effect funds the 25% of prem revenue that will now go to the EFL. That’s going to be a big sum of money and it will be more fairly distributed than parachute payments to relegated clubs.- a good thing?
On top of that they are offering an immediate £250m to support clubs through the current crisIs.

Lets be clear though they are not being philanthropists. None of the big clubs will be worse off and this is a proposal from two clubs with American owners which will stick in people’s throats. Their attempt to grab power is real - in effect the big clubs will take all voting rights.
Having said that - you could argue they run the place at the moment anyway!

Here is another view

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...be-swept-off-the-table?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
 
r00fie1 said:
Interesting and blunt opinion from regional journalist at Nottingham Post.

ttps://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/sport-opinion/nottingham-forest-must-resist-sickening-4596999
By
Matt DaviesDigital Sports Journalist (Social Media)
  • 05:00, 12 OCT 2020
Thirst for money and power is nothing new in football.

Be it the creation of the Premier League or expansion of the European Cup into the Champions League, the base motivation has always been to enrich those at the top of the game who are already swimming in cash.

The coronavirus pandemic has just given rich owners licence to be more brazen, with those at the bottom of the food chain on their knees.

Now the turkeys are threatening to vote for Christmas and the top of the game is in danger of eating itself with the ludicrously named 'Project Big Picture'.

The big picture being the biggest clubs want yet more money and yet more power.

Now they're ready to act like pay day lenders to get it. Project Wonga would have been a more apt moniker.


The bullet points of the plan, reportedly crafted by Liverpool, Manchester United and - entirely depressingly - with the support of EFL chairman Rick Parry are thus....

The League Cup would be scrapped and the Premier League cut to 18 teams, but more worryingly, top flight voting rights would change.

Currently, 14 of the 20 clubs must sign off on a proposal, however that will now change to the 'big six', plus Southampton, Everton and West Ham.

Should six of those nine clubs agree to a proposal then it would pass, according to the report in The Telegraph.

The bait for this power grab is a £250m payment to EFL clubs, as well 25 percent of their income going forwards, although parachute payments would be scrapped.

Nottingham Forest and the rest of the Championship should tell the architects of the plan to stick their blood money. If they can't afford to then it is time for government bailouts.

It is akin to being skint before your wage comes in and having to take out a stop gap at 1,000 percent interest.

Sure, it saves you in the short-term of surviving the pandemic, but it comes with every chance of fundamental long-term damage.

What is to stop the big clubs breaking away from the Premier League and forming their own league, or the long dreamed of European super league?

Even more likely, what is to prevent them voting to scrap relegation and effectively turn some teams into feeder clubs? The Premier League itself could be powerless to prevent it.

It's a hostile takeover plot, a coup, but there should be little sympathy for the Premier League. It is happy to bleed supporters dry and hog cash while clubs like Bury and Macclesfield go under.

The true worry is that the vast majority of English clubs will be shut out, taking away the dream supporters have of seeing their team taking on the very best.

They need the money to survive. For fans, football clubs are at the heart of their communities.

Let us not pretend some sense of nobility will emerge. Even if the plan coming out now is to test public opinion, the biggest clubs don't really care about their fans. They care about getting money. Don't pretend Liverpool are some how different or special.

They and Tottenham were among Premier League clubs to furlough staff. Arsenal announced redundancies and the spent huge sums in wages on Willian, plus £45m to sign Thomas Partey.

It all comes down to money and it makes it increasingly hard to love the game you worshipped as a kid.
Click to expand...
Football that I loved as a kid has long gone, went a long time ago, I don't give two hoots for any of those teams mentioned & take great delight when knocked out of European competitions 👍
 
Erimus74 said:
Football that I loved as a kid has long gone, went a long time ago, I don't give two hoots for any of those teams mentioned & take great delight when knocked out of European competitions 👍
Click to expand...
It just lays bare what we`ve all been saying for years: the Premiership is an exclusive rich boys club - owned by foreign businesses and used to raise billions from foreign markets across the globe.
As for the Premiership lie that its good for the game, and all that trickle - down crap: its a lot of flannel.

The "big two" dont give a monkeys. Lets face it: their owners probably have no idea where over half of the Premier League clubs are from!
 
DCI_Gene_Hunt said:
Why start a new thread on the subject - there already is a thread which the op has contributed to?
Click to expand...
Because its an independent opinion from a Journalist who supports and works alongside a fellow championship club.
Its a move on from the other thread which was to do with the big picture.
In my opinion its relevant to the debate.

Erimus and since1970 appear [so far] to find it relevant.

What do you think about the content of his article?
 
r00fie1 said:
Because its an independent opinion from a Journalist who supports and works alongside a fellow championship club.
Its a move on from the other thread which was to do with the big picture.
In my opinion its relevant to the debate.

Erimus and since1970 appear [so far] to find it relevant.

What do you think about the content of his article?
Click to expand...

I think its interesting and would have fitted entirely appropriately into the existing thread.
 
"What is to stop the big clubs breaking away from the Premier League and forming their own league, or the long dreamed of European super league? "


let them do it, i would be pleased to see them all go, football will survive and be a better place without them .I would love to see Newcastle invited to a super league as they would languish at the bottom every season.
 
You could also argue that the 18 team premier league is inevitable, that changing the voting rights of premier league clubs will have little or no relevance to most efl clubs and that 25% of the premier tv deal each year is a really good deal which should make EFL clubs financially secure. If i was a lower league club like swindon or oxford or even a championship club like Barnsley whats not to like. I also think if they weaken the competitiveness of the premier league, it will actually have a positive effect on the championship and make it stronger.
 
At the end of the day what gives the self appointed super clubs more right than every other club that is not invoved in all this im ok Jack greed

I just wish the rest would say enough is enough & just let the glorious 6, 7 or 8 walk away, form their own little Super, duper, PL & play each other 10 times a season, infact let them have 8 cups to play for so they can each win a cup
 
Erimus74 said:
At the end of the day what gives the self appointed super clubs more right than every other club that is not invoved in all this im ok Jack greed

I just wish the rest would say enough is enough & just let the glorious 6, 7 or 8 walk away, form their own little Super, duper, PL & play each other 10 times a season, infact let them have 8 cups to play for so they can each win a cup
Click to expand...

If Newcastle were one of them they’d still miss out ;)
 
.I just wish the rest would say enough is enough & just let the glorious 6, 7 or 8 walk away,
Click to expand...

Probably because the EFL are desperate for their money. Let’s face it the EFL clubs are the PL Club’s “bitches”
 
Glover_elbow said:
You could also argue that the 18 team premier league is inevitable, that changing the voting rights of premier league clubs will have little or no relevance to most efl clubs and that 25% of the premier tv deal each year is a really good deal which should make EFL clubs financially secure. If i was a lower league club like swindon or oxford or even a championship club like Barnsley whats not to like. I also think if they weaken the competitiveness of the premier league, it will actually have a positive effect on the championship and make it stronger.
Click to expand...

25% divided equally amongst efl clubs sounds great ...then when it doesn't suit they have the power to change that , also as this is an American led idea promotion and relegation will eventually go , protecting themselves is all that matters.

The most disgusting and obviously pre planned part of this is Parry getting the EFL job just to try and bring this in under his watch. He has no care for the football structure, he is only interested in his own agenda and that of Liverpools, He really should be ousted.
 
atypical_boro said:
Surely the voting right things is the biggest and most concerning issue?

I'll never understand why Spurs are classed as one of the 'big 6' but Everton aren't.
Click to expand...
Doesnt really matter to be honest - both clubs are considered part of the elite according to this proposal. But for the sake of argument Spurs have won two league titles, eight FA Cups, four League Cups, seven FA Community Shields, one European Cup Winners' Cup and two UEFA Cups. Tottenham were the runners-up in the Champions League. They have a bigger stadium and a bigger income stream. Everton have not won a major trophy for 25 years.
 
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