Football has peaked....

[Neil Young]

Anyone know how this european super league would work? Would you get promoted into it form the major european leagues? surely it cant work like that? But you obvious need relegation to keep it interesting?

Dunno, it'll emerge gradually. I think there'll be a period when there's a domestic league and a mid-week European league i.e. the CL will evolve first and the domestic leagues will have to go along with it because they won't want to lose the biggest earners who keep the TV deal at a high price.

[bazza76]

Just MHO but I dont think football has peaked.
TV interest is getting bigger and bigger as a result TV revenue is increasing all the time, the Premier league is well marketed around the world.
There is a reason that all these foreign investors are buying in the Premier League, and it's not becasue the Premiership has peaked. Far from it.
People will still pay to see their team even if ticket prices go up IMHO.
the clubs will be better marketed aroudn the globe and advertising will be stonger as the brand is marketed better around the world.
To say it has peaked is untrue IMO, especially as football will be around as long as we are.

[Mr Tourette]

Just MHO but I dont think football has peaked.
TV interest is getting bigger and bigger as a result TV revenue is increasing all the time, the Premier league is well marketed around the world.
There is a reason that all these foreign investors are buying in the Premier League, and it's not becasue the Premiership has peaked. Far from it.
People will still pay to see their team even if ticket prices go up IMHO.
the clubs will be better marketed aroudn the globe and advertising will be stonger as the brand is marketed better around the world.
To say it has peaked is untrue IMO, especially as football will be around as long as we are.

Fair play - i was in south africa for a few weeks recently and you can watch any game you want - its unbelievable - and all the back pages of the newspapers were full of premiership stories. It really hit home how much our league is a real global phenomenon......

[Spionkop69]

The Premiership bubble is bound to burst sooner rather than later.

You can already see the cracks in a lot of clubs attendances.

The top four will always sell out though, no matter what the price of the ticket.

But the top four don't always sell out. Chelsea and Arsenal regularly have empty seats and Chelsea have to advertise on the local radio stations to fill their ground - big games aside.

And their tickets are pretty much £50 a pop.

People don't fly in from Ireland, Scandanavia and other parts of the world like an invading mob, for Chelsea in the same way as they do for Liverpool and MU.

Chelsea does rely too much on its local support and the prices are pushing them away and they are now recruiting the 'football tourist'.

[anfieldanfield]

But the top four don't always sell out. Chelsea and Arsenal regularly have empty seats and Chelsea have to advertise on the local radio stations to fill their ground - big games aside.

And their tickets are pretty much £50 a pop.

People don't fly in from Ireland, Scandanavia and other parts of the world like an invading mob, for Chelsea in the same way as they do for Liverpool and MU.

Chelsea does rely too much on its local support and the prices are pushing them away and they are now recruiting the 'football tourist'.

Fair points.

All this can only be good for the long term future of the game.

[Mr Tourette]

But the top four don't always sell out. Chelsea and Arsenal regularly have empty seats and Chelsea have to advertise on the local radio stations to fill their ground - big games aside.

And their tickets are pretty much £50 a pop.

People don't fly in from Ireland, Scandanavia and other parts of the world like an invading mob, for Chelsea in the same way as they do for Liverpool and MU.

Chelsea does rely too much on its local support and the prices are pushing them away and they are now recruiting the 'football tourist'.

Great points - there is undoubtaedly money in the game in a global sense - but right back to the original point - if its too expensive to go on the games and when you get there you know your team doesnt stand a chance of winning the league - surely something gives at some point?

[Rich]

I suppose it depends on the club you follow, and the expectations on the performance of the club. Even a large and fairly successful club like Spurs, wont have many (any?) fans that believe that they are going to win the league on the opening day of the season. Instead they expect that the club should improve on last year, and hope for a cup.

Aslong as clubs and fans believe that they can improve on their situation last year, then the support should remain.

[Spionkop69]

Great points - there is undoubtaedly money in the game in a global sense - but right back to the original point - if its too expensive to go on the games and when you get there you know your team doesnt stand a chance of winning the league - surely something gives at some point?

Well it does to a point. See Sunderland and Newcastle for their huge stadiums with empty seats.

With the influx of new owners and their riches coming to English footie, its entirely possible that the Top 4 will become a Top 6 who are closer together than at present.

Or the Top 4 will rotate somewhat.

Plus who were the Top 4 in the 70's or the 80's? Utd were not Top 4 in the
70's in terms of performance and Forest were. Look at the reversal of fortune there?

Leeds etc etc. This only serves to remind people that football is cyclical and evolving and whilst some teams could remain in the Top 4 longer (than we would like in some cases ) there is a shift in power over longer periods of time.

Comparisons can be made to the old empires of ancient times. They never lasted forever, it just seemed like they did.

In terms of it being too expensive, well football has traditionally been a working class sport and the traditional working class support are being priced out in places but when Sunderland were in the top flight and performing people turned up in their droves (and Sunderland is working class) when they stopped performing it was that turned them away. Not the cost alone but more of an "I'm not wasting money on that lot..." and it would have been the case if the cost was quite a bit lower I'm sure.

People ultimately go to watch their team win - hopefully more often that not. But even if teams don't win regularly its the hope they hold on to. That's why supporters will celebrate missing relegation like they've won something, even if the rest of the season has been abject failure.

[dom9]

But the top four don't always sell out. Chelsea and Arsenal regularly have empty seats and Chelsea have to advertise on the local radio stations to fill their ground - big games aside.

And their tickets are pretty much £50 a pop.

People don't fly in from Ireland, Scandanavia and other parts of the world like an invading mob, for Chelsea in the same way as they do for Liverpool and MU.

Chelsea does rely too much on its local support and the prices are pushing them away and they are now recruiting the 'football tourist'.

The home tickets for EVERY Arsenal league game have sold out this season.