What do we actually want from football?

Buddy

Active member
I've been listening to the Future Of Football podcast that Mark Chapman is doing at the moment, and thinking of some ideas as to how "we" could use the current crisis to force a change in the game for the better.

Some questions arise during that process - I think I know what my answer is to them, and it'll be fairly obvious from the phrasing of the questions, but interested in what others think.

If you're really unlucky this might feed into a blog post at some point in the next week or so, and I haven't done one of them for over two years...

So:

- do we want our clubs to be able to spend whatever they can, or do we just want them to be able to be competitive in their league?
- do we want broadcasters to be banned from televising matches at 3pm on a Saturday?
- do we have to have 92 professional clubs?
- is it a bad thing to have a 40-club (2 divison) national league, with the rest being regionalised?
- do we need to have a 2020/21 season, or can we just finish the one that started in 2019 in time for the Euros in 2021?

That's enough to be going on with...
 
I agree with the 2nd option, imagine if that actually came in to affect, wow, now that would be a game changer

Be able to be competitive in their league 👍
 
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Answer to one of your questions
IMHO, yes we need to finish the present season, whenever that will be, if it's not till the middle of January, so be it
 
I'm happy for clubs to spend whatever they like. It was great fun when Gibbo coughed up in the nineties and I'm happy for any club in the same position to go for it.

I don't care about what is televised and at what time. I don't have a telly and if peoplecstay at home there is more space for me at any match I choose to attend.

Clubs as far down as tier 6 are full time professional. Maybe lower. I don't really care about this, it's nothing to do with me how clubs structure themselves.

I'm not sure about your national league question. I'm fine with the structure as it is. It will be even better when the step 4 reorganization is completed, just for neatness.

My preference is to finish the existing season at all levels in front of crowds even if attendances have to be capped at, say, 50% capacit and it takes months. I can't see the sense in curtailing one season just to start another that may suffer a similar fate. We could end up with three or four cancelled efforts.
 
I agree we need to complete this season even if it in 2021.
It would be unjust to null and void this season when it's 80% of the way through.
Let's look at the sporting side of football rather than the financial side and let sport prevail.
 
I agree we need to complete this season even if it in 2021.
It would be unjust to null and void this season when it's 80% of the way through.
Let's look at the sporting side of football rather than the financial side and let sport prevail.
But & a big But, we have to do it to all leagues throughout the pyramid, not just the greed is good PL
I suppose they'll be as many say cancel as will resume, I totally agree with macarone in the sporting side
 
I've been listening to the Future Of Football podcast that Mark Chapman is doing at the moment, and thinking of some ideas as to how "we" could use the current crisis to force a change in the game for the better.

Some questions arise during that process - I think I know what my answer is to them, and it'll be fairly obvious from the phrasing of the questions, but interested in what others think.

If you're really unlucky this might feed into a blog post at some point in the next week or so, and I haven't done one of them for over two years...

So:

- do we want our clubs to be able to spend whatever they can, or do we just want them to be able to be competitive in their league?
- do we want broadcasters to be banned from televising matches at 3pm on a Saturday?
- do we have to have 92 professional clubs?
- is it a bad thing to have a 40-club (2 divison) national league, with the rest being regionalised?
- do we need to have a 2020/21 season, or can we just finish the one that started in 2019 in time for the Euros in 2021?

That's enough to be going on with...

In answer
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
 
Surprised the 3PM ban is still in place, considering how easy it is to stream a 3PM game for free I thought they would have give in and made some money from it
 
do we need to have a 2020/21 season, or can we just finish the one that started in 2019 in time for the Euros in 2021?

I do think it makes sense to finish the season we are part way through. Rather than scrap it, start a new one & then potentially have to scrap that one as well.

With people pointing to the 1918-19 pandemic to say we probably aren't out of the woods yet, it just seems premature to be gearing up for a trouble free 20/21 season.

pandemic peaks.jpg
 
If we banned tv coverage then there would be no TV money so a greatly reduced gap between the wealthy and less wealthy. Leagues would be more competitive. I much preferred football in the seventies. The only 'improvement' I'm keen on is the state of the pitches, but I have been to the Baseball Ground! in 1973! I don't much care for the corporate pollution which pervades most professional sport. I'd probably think differently If I were a professional sportsman myself however
 
I've now understood better, I think, your national league question. I thought you were referring to the fifth tier National League but now understand that you weren't.
I like the current structure of five single leagues before it goes regional, although I wouldn't have an objection to the National League clubs being included into the Football League and making the fourth tier North and South.

In somewhere like Spain where the 'pyramid' is 1-1-4-17ish it makes the fourth tier enormous. I suppose that gives hope to fans that a good season or two puts them in with the big boys, but I like the idea of being able to more accurately gauge where a club sits in the hierarchy, rather than being one of around 400 at the same level. I realise this is digressing but it loosely fits in with the regionalization question.
 
Yes, to which bit?
didnt look like he was interested in explaining or debating.

I think almost certainly we have to finish this season and if that means not having a new 20/21 season then so be it.

Regionalisation is being suggested presumably for two reasons. Less travel and cost cutting but that will have an adverse effect on supporters who don’t live near their club. MSS members for example.

in terms of 92 professional clubs I think this crisis may change the number of viable clubs going forward. Crowds will be down almost certainly and therefore the financial models of many of our lower league clubs will be unsustainable. A restructuring of some sort may be inevitable.

Football on TV at 3 pm. Do we have that much anyway?

I think restrictions on spending will be virtually impossible to introduce as the wealthier clubs will just veto it.
 
I'm happy for clubs to spend whatever they like. It was great fun when Gibbo coughed up in the nineties and I'm happy for any club in the same position to go for it.

I don't care about what is televised and at what time. I don't have a telly and if peoplecstay at home there is more space for me at any match I choose to attend.

Clubs as far down as tier 6 are full time professional. Maybe lower. I don't really care about this, it's nothing to do with me how clubs structure themselves.

I'm not sure about your national league question. I'm fine with the structure as it is. It will be even better when the step 4 reorganization is completed, just for neatness.

My preference is to finish the existing season at all levels in front of crowds even if attendances have to be capped at, say, 50% capacit and it takes months. I can't see the sense in curtailing one season just to start another that may suffer a similar fate. We could end up with three or four cancelled efforts.
"I don't have a telly and if peoplecstay at home there is more space for me at any match I choose to attend."

Intriguing!
 
"I don't have a telly and if peoplecstay at home there is more space for me at any match I choose to attend."

Intriguing!
Which bit, hopeso? The lack of telly or being happy with small crowds? I've no interest in sitting down in my house and watching TV so there's no real point in having one. I've actually got one in my apartment in Moscow but from a quick check all the channels are in Russian so I've not revisited it since that initial check.

I must admit though, I look at stuff on YouTube, music videos, old football matches, even the odd Father Ted episode, so I do watch some content.

As for crowds, I'd quite happily watch a match where I was the only spectator. In fact I did once in Macao. I don't need other people getting in my way for the perceived benefit of 'atmosphere'. I do recognize though that this might be a minority viewpoint.
 
Which bit, hopeso? The lack of telly or being happy with small crowds? I've no interest in sitting down in my house and watching TV so there's no real point in having one. I've actually got one in my apartment in Moscow but from a quick check all the channels are in Russian so I've not revisited it since that initial check.

I must admit though, I look at stuff on YouTube, music videos, old football matches, even the odd Father Ted episode, so I do watch some content.

As for crowds, I'd quite happily watch a match where I was the only spectator. In fact I did once in Macao. I don't need other people getting in my way for the perceived benefit of 'atmosphere'. I do recognize though that this might be a minority viewpoint.
Must be honest, I was presuming you we're local. How's things in Russia, or are you still in Moscow?
 
If we banned tv coverage then there would be no TV money so a greatly reduced gap between the wealthy and less wealthy. Leagues would be more competitive. I much preferred football in the seventies. The only 'improvement' I'm keen on is the state of the pitches, but I have been to the Baseball Ground! in 1973! I don't much care for the corporate pollution which pervades most professional sport. I'd probably think differently If I were a professional sportsman myself however

I know what you mean, but I'm afraid Pandora has opened her box ! (oooooh err missis ;))
 
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