The Debate: Should Premier League play games abroad?

Feb 12 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

NO: The Case Against - Premier League bosses out of touch with the fans

by Graham Agg - Liverpool supporter/season ticket holder
 
ONCE again, the powers that be, the bosses at the Premier League who run football in this country, show their complete and utter contempt, not just for the average football supporter in England but also for the heritage, values and tradition of the English game.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, in his infinite wisdom, and motivated by money, by even suggesting the proposal to place an extra game into the Premier League season has in my opinion made his own position untenable.

It would make it a 39-game season, with this game to be played in a foreign country, in a variety of venues, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, Paris, etc.

Obviously, Scudamore is not the only figure in this whole grubby affair. However, as the prime mover in this ridiculous proposal he has shown he is out of touch with the feelings of the typ- ical football supporter in England.

But, alas, there lies the problem in this country. The fans are always the last people to be consulted about changes to our national game.

It is not just the Premier League who don't care about the fans, if you were to read the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) structural review, it states when the Football Association makes decisions that affect its members, the FA gives lip service to consultation with supporters. The reality is that "consultation" usually consists of taking a decision then informing supporters of the decision taken.

The fact undoubtedly remains that, without the supporters, the game of football in this country would fail to exist.

Can you imagine the reaction of the worldwide TV audiences and TV companies and advertisers at the sight of empty stadia, the massive TV revenue that now drives the greed and corruption in the football world in this country would soon dry up, and then the new influx of foreign owners throughout the Premier League clubs would no doubt disappear.

Liverpool's new co-owner, Tom Hicks, stated on taking control of Liverpool that the big attraction was "the Premier League has the best growth opportunities in global terms in sport".

Hicks and his partner George Gillett are just two of a huge influx of people driven by commercial opportunities in the Premier League, and have no love of the club they own.

Back to the absurd proposal to play one full match programme of 10 games in a variety of venues around the world, meaning each team would play 39 games in the season and each team would have to play one team three times and the other 19 teams just twice.

Let's play the Scudamore game, and imagine this nightmare scenario: Liverpool are drawn to play Everton in Hong Kong, Manchester United are drawn to play Derby County in Paris.

Apart from the huge unfair travel disadvantage for Liverpool compared to their Manchester United counterparts, let us imagine Liverpool are challenging Manchester United for the PL title and United beat Derby County 3-0. Liverpool are involved in a tense derby struggle against bitter neighbours Everton which results in a hard-fought 0-0 draw and United win the Premier League by a single solitary point. 

How can that be fair?

Ultimately, therein lies the problem, it is simply not fair and throws into focus the abject stupidity of the administrators running the game of football in this country. If you agree the Premier League should continue in its present form, sign my petition against the Scudamore proposal, go to proposal www.ipetitions.com/petition/keeppremierleagueinengland/

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