European Super League

[Niall_Quinn]

Is he a fan looking to buy a club, or another investor who was eyeing the future potential of a Super League?

Or an Abramovich who fancies a bolt hole and purchased respectability should the need arise? Nobody knows. There are supposed to be checks on people buying into football. They can't be very good checks though, given the nest of vipers that slithered in over the past couple of decade.

[Niall_Quinn]

*Furloughed staff and then tried to get them to work at his mansion as servants

The real world Mr Burns.

[Mac76]

The fans need to heavily boycott the club for the time being. Dive the share price down. Send those revenues to zero so every day the deal gets worse for Kroenke. Don't just let him walk away without a reminder of the pain he's brought to every Arsenal fan since his sorry arse parachuted in.

That's the thing with these bastards. Even when they lose huge, they win.

good idea

let's not buy tickets to matches or spend any money in the ground etc. :haha:

[Niall_Quinn]

This is the moment to make it happen though.

As NQ said, the parasites have shown their hand. Nobody's under any illusion about the damage these pricks would do to the game given the chance.

We won't get an opportunity like this for decades.

Strike while the iron's hot, get 50+1 implemented and reclaim our sport.

All we need is for Boris to step up!

Oh :getcoat:

[Niall_Quinn]

So there are reports today taht UEFA offered huge sums of money to the English clubs to withdraw from the Super League which sounds suspiciously like a bribe but never mind.

The new champions league format agreed by UEFA also means that clubs who fail to qualify but have high enough coefficient points will automatically qualify for the Champios League. We are 11th in the points apparently and given the teams ahead of us would qualify automatically via the league for the Champions League, would see us qualify next season if the rule was in place.

How is that new rule any different to the super league? It’s the big clubs looking after their own interests to ensure they all play in the big competition. The only difference is that UEFA get the money rather then super league which therefore seems to make it acceptable

There you go.

That's what victory looks like for the little guy.

[I am invisible]

fyp :sulk:

Fair.

[Niall_Quinn]

Listen to this bullshit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAKieZUwx4E

So here's the story.

The big bad wolf in America knocks on the first piggies door. Little spud, little spud, let me come in. Or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your toilet bowl down. So the little pig let the wolf in and the spud signed the contract.

Then the wolf knocks on the second piggies door. Little chav, little chav, let me come in. Or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your Russian gangster pad down. So the little pig let the wolf in and reluctantly signed the strange contract that he (honest gov) knew nothing about. Poor little pig.

Then the wolf feels a tap on his shoulder and it's another little pig, the gypo pig from the big fancy house make of gold bricks, with a pen in his hand. Where do I sign, Mr Wolf?

You have to feel sympathy for these hapless little porkies who run billion dollar empires but really had no clue what they were signing or what was really going on.

And we need more wahmen and diversity in the game btw. Just saying.

Oh well, looks like the media is back to normal. Here comes the most unbelievable cover story since all the other ones.

[Niall_Quinn]

It was only a 23 year contract btw, so I can see why they didn't look into it too deeply. I do that myself. Some bloke turns up at the door, 23 year contract for something I don't understand in his hand. I sign, he laughs, job done. Happens all the time. Could happen to anyone.

[WMUG]

All we need is for Boris to step up!

Oh :getcoat:

:lol:

Put enough pressure on him and you never know. Carrot and stick.

Do the same to UEFA/FIFA, the FA, whoever else might have some influence.

At some point with enough fervour behind it, you'd reach a critical mass.

[Xhaka Can’t]

shall we all turn up with a GW banner? :lol:

A3 should suffice.

[Letters]

Why don't you believe them? They are the official source.
:lol:

I see what you've done there.

[I am invisible]

It was only a 23 year contract btw, so I can see why they didn't look into it too deeply. I do that myself. Some bloke turns up at the door, 23 year contract for something I don't understand in his hand. I sign, he laughs, job done. Happens all the time. Could happen to anyone.

Yeah there were only billions of pounds and the entire future of their clubs at stake - easily skimmed over.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Or an Abramovich who fancies a bolt hole and purchased respectability should the need arise? Nobody knows. There are supposed to be checks on people buying into football. They can't be very good checks though, given the nest of vipers that slithered in over the past couple of decade.

Checks or 'Cheque's' ??

I suspect the latter is more than likely.

[WGC Goon]

Checks or 'Cheque's' ??

I suspect the latter is more than likely.

Are cheques still used? I remember the good old days when banks would send you a whole book of them!

[KSE Comedy Club]

Are cheques still used? I remember the good old days when banks would send you a whole book of them!

I'm not entirely sure they are, but that would ruin my joke <_<

[Letters]

I needed to send some money to a financial advisor recently and couldn't find my cheque book anywhere. Definitely did used to have one.
In brief, they do still exist but virtually no-one uses them any more. I had to go to the bank to do the transfer there in the end.

[Mac76]

I needed to send some money to a financial advisor recently and couldn't find my cheque book anywhere. Definitely did used to have one.
In brief, they do still exist but virtually no-one uses them any more. I had to go to the bank to do the transfer there in the end.

your financial adviser sounds a little behind the times - are they advising you to invest in tulips by any chance?

[Letters]

your financial adviser sounds a little behind the times - are they advising you to invest in tulips by any chance?

There's no fee for doing a transfer by cheque. I had to pay to do the bank transfers...

[IBK]

your financial adviser sounds a little behind the times - are they advising you to invest in tulips by any chance?

:lol: ...or a private railway?

[Niall_Quinn]

Checks or 'Cheque's' ??

I suspect the latter is more than likely.

I actually means Hungarians.

[Niall_Quinn]

Some journos (sic) are starting to spin up the idea the mastermind, the supreme cheese, the numero uno behind all this was Arsenal and Stan. Could be.

So let's get things straight as they currently stand.

The PL, FIFA, UEFA, Man City and the Chavs are the heroes of this story.

The spuds, Utd and Liverpool were mislead into signing contracts they didn't understand.

And Arsenal and Trump are the villains behind the whole diabolical plot.

I'm also hearing Xhaka got a red card for this whole ESL bullshit thing.

[Letters]

Orange Men Bad

[WMUG]

Heard a decent alternative to 50+1 and the expense it'd incur last night, which was legislation to give veto power to the supporters' trust.

Means you don't have to spend public money to buy out the owners, bit still gives the fans democratic power over how the club is run.

[Letters]

Democracy :lol:

Have you not been watching the last few years?

[dazthegooner]

Well Perez has stated that his Super league dream is not dead, he's not far from it but still... :shrug:

[Marc Overmars]

I can see a CL alternative in the not too distant future, if JP Morgan or whoever puts up enough money then every club would be interested and they’d be lying if they said they weren’t.

It just cannot be a closed shop though. That’s the only thing stopping it from taking off because there’a clearly enough of an appetite to get something going.

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56842442

Image in the article of Chelsea fans moaning about money in the game. Chelsea fans! :haha:

[Marc Overmars]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56842442

Image in the article of Chelsea fans moaning about money in the game. Chelsea fans! :haha:

The funniest was the “dreams can’t be bought” banner one of them had.

[Mac76]

yes they'd probably be in the Championship without Abramovich

[Letters]

yes they'd probably be in the Championship without Abramovich

I don't know about that but they wouldn't have ever been PL champions, let alone CL winners.
They were the poster boys for buying success*, and City have shown you can do it with any club if you pump enough money in for long enough.

*and yes, I know Utd spent big too, but they did at least earn their way to the top table with success.

[Mac76]

stupid spuds fans :haha:

https://twitter.com/BlackScarfAFC/status/1385141041133723648

[Ollie the Optimist]

Perez saying overnight that none of the clubs have actually left the super league and if they do, they will have to pay the penalty fees.


It’ll be interesting to how Kronke plays that one. He really should be paying the penalty fee out of his own pocket but he wont of course. Teh club will pay it and then when we buy no one in the summer, blame it on that

[dazthegooner]

Think Perez needs to stay off the drugs... And if he's not on any maybe he should start :good:

[Niall_Quinn]

Perez saying overnight that none of the clubs have actually left the super league and if they do, they will have to pay the penalty fees.


It’ll be interesting to how Kronke plays that one. He really should be paying the penalty fee out of his own pocket but he wont of course. Teh club will pay it and then when we buy no one in the summer, blame it on that

Knew that one was coming. Those penalties will be steep and watertight. Yet more compelling evidence these clubs had no idea what was going on and are the real victims in this tragedy. It'll be funny watching them lose a ton of money from chasing a ton on money. Another issue for the fans to work on should these vultures try to burden the clubs with the losses.

[KSE Comedy Club]

Arteta says Kroenke and Vinai have apologised to him and the players on wednesday.

and I quote:


They apologised for disturbing the team, not having the capacity or ability to communicate in a different way earlier and explained the reasons why. They also passed on a message to the players.
That's all you can ask for, and I have to accept it.

I'm sorry Mikel, but that makes you weak as fuck.

It also sounds like they have been fobbed off with more bullshit.

[I am invisible]

stupid spuds fans :haha:

https://twitter.com/BlackScarfAFC/status/1385141041133723648
Lol at the first comment.

[I am invisible]

Perez saying overnight that none of the clubs have actually left the super league and if they do, they will have to pay the penalty fees.


It’ll be interesting to how Kronke plays that one. He really should be paying the penalty fee out of his own pocket but he wont of course. Teh club will pay it and then when we buy no one in the summer, blame it on that
Is this like when Trump won the election?

[Mac76]

Kroenke's apologised to Arteta apparently...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56845861

[I am invisible]

Kroenke's apologised to Arteta apparently...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56845861

#Non-negotiables

[Niall_Quinn]

It seems this whole ESL thing is closely connected with a train that was leaving a station with people hopping onto it without knowing where it was going.

This certainly seems like the most likely explanation.

[I am invisible]

It seems this whole ESL thing is closely connected with a train that was leaving a station with people hopping onto it without knowing where it was going.

This certainly seems like the most likely explanation.
The best bit was josh explaining that they couldn’t communicate with the fans because of the pandemic whilst on a zoom call to the fans during the pandemic.

[Marc Overmars]

https://www.skysports.com/share/12284182

Vinai’s apology to the other clubs went down like a lead balloon apparently. :lol:

[Letters]

We tried to leave our wife for a younger, sexier model.
Then discovered immediately it wasn’t going to work.
I don’t think a “soz” is really going to cut it :lol:

[I am invisible]

I don’t know about you guys, but cold nights in Stoke are certainly the highlight of my footballing year.

Especially now they’re in the Championship.

[IBK]

It seems this whole ESL thing is closely connected with a train that was leaving a station with people hopping onto it without knowing where it was going.

This certainly seems like the most likely explanation.

100%. Its funny but the one part of the Arsenal owners' apology that rang true was the statement that we did not want to be left behind. I am sure that this was the case, and if football fans are really honest, part of them would all have felt the same. Part of the hate against the breakaway teams is based on the fact that those excluded would have been denied a place at the table, and let's face it, a small part of all of us felt the same way about Chelsea and Citeh leaving us out in the cold when it came to their unlimited investment power.

Money corrupts, and it's a rare institution these days that takes a moral stand. The santimoniousness of the broadcasters; Premier League; the FA; FIFA and UEFA - along with the other EPL clubs is sickening, TBF. This is a war in which everyone is out for their own financial interests and do not mistake the glee in which the 'victors' here are now circling the wagons against the 'Big 6' should not be taken as a victory for ordinary football fans.

[I am invisible]

Keep in mind this is the same KSE who have invested exactly nothing in the club in a decade and a half, removed any oversight from the board, replaced our entire senior executive team with a couple of crooks and then 3 interns, and have generally been utterly absent as the club has slid from the best side in Europe to a mid-table domestic side. These are the people who are now claiming that their big concern was Arsenal not being left behind.

[Niall_Quinn]

https://www.skysports.com/share/12284182

Vinai’s apology to the other clubs went down like a lead balloon apparently. :lol:

If we're apologising to all the other clubs I guess it was us driving the train. Supposedly they each put 8 million quid down for a ticket. Estimated journey time was 23 years. Tickets came with 3.5billion cashback offer though, which they were going to use to save football.

[Niall_Quinn]

Keep in mind this is the same KSE who have invested exactly nothing in the club in a decade and a half, removed any oversight from the board, replaced our entire senior executive team with a couple of crooks and then 3 interns, and have generally been utterly absent as the club has slid from the best side in Europe to a mid-table domestic side. These are the people who are now claiming that their big concern was Arsenal not being left behind.

Yeah, but you don't want to make it even worse by seeing our owner left behind in a race for the cash. I think it's commendable he's finally taking an interest in the club. You got to start somewhere. Shame about the communications though. He should have at least thanked us for our interest in his affairs.

[Letters]

It seems this whole ESL thing is closely connected with a train that was leaving a station with people hopping onto it without knowing where it was going.
Something something Brexit something something ##

[Niall_Quinn]

100%. Its funny but the one part of the Arsenal owners' apology that rang true was the statement that we did not want to be left behind. I am sure that this was the case, and if football fans are really honest, part of them would all have felt the same. Part of the hate against the breakaway teams is based on the fact that those excluded would have been denied a place at the table, and let's face it, a small part of all of us felt the same way about Chelsea and Citeh leaving us out in the cold when it came to their unlimited investment power.

Money corrupts, and it's a rare institution these days that takes a moral stand. The santimoniousness of the broadcasters; Premier League; the FA; FIFA and UEFA - along with the other EPL clubs is sickening, TBF. This is a war in which everyone is out for their own financial interests and do not mistake the glee in which the 'victors' here are now circling the wagons against the 'Big 6' should not be taken as a victory for ordinary football fans.

Said the same myself a couple of days ago. But included the fans. We've all watched that cash porn show on Sky with the transfer money clock racing into orbit. The fans buy the shirts stitched by the slave labourers so the players can earn more in a week than those labourers will earn in a lifetime. And the wankers can't even take a corner or stay on their feet for 2 minutes.

Apparently it's the way the world works and can't be changed. And yet Covid shows the world can be changed, overnight. This is a rare chance to change football too, if the fans can stick together and not be swayed by the bullshit cover stories now being pressed. Doubtful, but it's a very rare opportunity where the conceptual (if not actual) balance of power has shifted for a moment at least.

[KSE Comedy Club]

It seems this whole ESL thing is closely connected with a train that was leaving a station with people hopping onto it without knowing where it was going.

This certainly seems like the most likely explanation.

:haha::haha:

[Letters]

a small part of all of us felt the same way about Chelsea and Citeh leaving us out in the cold when it came to their unlimited investment power.
Quite a big bit of me felt that way. But I think that was justified. It was like we were all playing football manager and then someone turned on the infinite money cheat. Sure, some clubs have more money than others, some simply have larger fan bases and stadiums and of course that is going to have an effect. The ideal though in sport is to make the playing field as level as possible.

Bit of trivia for you, Arsenal won the Double in 1970/71.
The point is the previous season we finished 12th, the following season we finished 5th (Derby won the title that following year, having finished 9th the previous season). In fact, looking at the Champions in and around our Double win, it went like this:

66 Liverpool
67 Man Utd
68 Man City
69 Leeds
70 Everton
71 Arsenal
72 Derby

7 different champions in 7 consecutive years. And the reason for that is sure, some clubs have more money than others but the difference was limited.
You had a culture in football where the crowd is mostly local and working class, they pay on the day and ticket prices are low. You don't have merchandise or advertising rights or TV packages, or nowhere near to the same extent as now. You certainly don't have a global audience or fanbase.
You do have European football but there are no huge financial rewards and only a couple of teams get in a year so you don't have teams getting in year on year.

You can never completely level the playing field but in that culture you can make the difference less stark, give the chance for mobility. It means that the fans of many teams can dream of Cup glory or even a title. Now everything in football is designed to make the difference between the haves and have nots as big as possible. It's actually quite impressive that despite this Arsenal have managed to be so terrible over the last few seasons, given that we are one of the "haves".

From 2005-2015 there were only 3 different title winners. What a coincidence that it was Utd, City and Chelsea - a team with a silly amount of money (earned through previous success, to be fair, but still) and two teams who have bought their way in to the top table.
What Leicester did was refreshing and shouldn't be possible in the modern era. But it was an aberration and is unlikely to be repeated. Klopp is a good manager but Liverpool have spent big to get where they've got.

The ESL was just another step in this, the thing which seems to have angered people is that it was a closed shop. But while it would have been another step towards a closed shop of big clubs, all the other steps over the last 20 or 30 years have already made the top group of clubs nigh on impossible to clamber into anyway.

TL;DR - football is a bit shit these days.

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56873448

Give it up, old man.

[Bumble]

Part of me was hoping this went through so we could begin the great reset in English football. Those 6 would get kicked out and then the english league could become competitive again. Different winners each season. Cost of subscriptions and tickets reduces. Players wages reduce. All money grabers can go to the super league and rot.

[Mac76]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56873448

Give it up, old man.

He's basically saying they'll have to buy their way out, so now he gets rich without having to even set up the ESL...

[Mac76]

Part of me was hoping this went through so we could begin the great reset in English football. Those 6 would get kicked out and then the english league could become competitive again. Different winners each season. Cost of subscriptions and tickets reduces. Players wages reduce. All money grabers can go to the super league and rot.

Don't be silly, those six would've simply been replaced by another 'big six' who'd have similarly done everything they could to stitch it all up for their own benefit - don't be fooled by Neverton's holier-than-though act, they'd have joined the ESL at the drop of a hat if asked

[IBK]

Said the same myself a couple of days ago. But included the fans. We've all watched that cash porn show on Sky with the transfer money clock racing into orbit. The fans buy the shirts stitched by the slave labourers so the players can earn more in a week than those labourers will earn in a lifetime. And the wankers can't even take a corner or stay on their feet for 2 minutes.

Apparently it's the way the world works and can't be changed. And yet Covid shows the world can be changed, overnight. This is a rare chance to change football too, if the fans can stick together and not be swayed by the bullshit cover stories now being pressed. Doubtful, but it's a very rare opportunity where the conceptual (if not actual) balance of power has shifted for a moment at least.

I suppose you're right re fans, but for me they are last in the list when it comes to handing out blame. We are led by the nose, yes, but also our club loyalties are exploited by those manipulating the game for their own financial ends. It's a rare fan indeed who isn't tempted by sellig their soul for the footballing glory we all crave.

[IBK]

Quite a big bit of me felt that way. But I think that was justified. It was like we were all playing football manager and then someone turned on the infinite money cheat. Sure, some clubs have more money than others, some simply have larger fan bases and stadiums and of course that is going to have an effect. The ideal though in sport is to make the playing field as level as possible.

Bit of trivia for you, Arsenal won the Double in 1970/71.
The point is the previous season we finished 12th, the following season we finished 5th (Derby won the title that following year, having finished 9th the previous season). In fact, looking at the Champions in and around our Double win, it went like this:

66 Liverpool
67 Man Utd
68 Man City
69 Leeds
70 Everton
71 Arsenal
72 Derby

7 different champions in 7 consecutive years. And the reason for that is sure, some clubs have more money than others but the difference was limited.
You had a culture in football where the crowd is mostly local and working class, they pay on the day and ticket prices are low. You don't have merchandise or advertising rights or TV packages, or nowhere near to the same extent as now. You certainly don't have a global audience or fanbase.
You do have European football but there are no huge financial rewards and only a couple of teams get in a year so you don't have teams getting in year on year.

You can never completely level the playing field but in that culture you can make the difference less stark, give the chance for mobility. It means that the fans of many teams can dream of Cup glory or even a title. Now everything in football is designed to make the difference between the haves and have nots as big as possible. It's actually quite impressive that despite this Arsenal have managed to be so terrible over the last few seasons, given that we are one of the "haves".

From 2005-2015 there were only 3 different title winners. What a coincidence that it was Utd, City and Chelsea - a team with a silly amount of money (earned through previous success, to be fair, but still) and two teams who have bought their way in to the top table.
What Leicester did was refreshing and shouldn't be possible in the modern era. But it was an aberration and is unlikely to be repeated. Klopp is a good manager but Liverpool have spent big to get where they've got.

The ESL was just another step in this, the thing which seems to have angered people is that it was a closed shop. But while it would have been another step towards a closed shop of big clubs, all the other steps over the last 20 or 30 years have already made the top group of clubs nigh on impossible to clamber into anyway.

TL;DR - football is a bit shit these days.

All good points, but the principle of it is largely the same. We were still fortunate to be a big team in a small pond in our glory days, and I'm not sure that fans of so-called smaller clubs would see the moral distinction between this and us resenting the extension of football doping that the oligarch era ushered in...

[Bumble]

Don't be silly, those six would've simply been replaced by another 'big six' who'd have similarly done everything they could to stitch it all up for their own benefit - don't be fooled by Neverton's holier-than-though act, they'd have joined the ESL at the drop of a hat if asked

ah yes but there would be less money in football so the incentives would be less given less point to exploitation. well its not happening but we can hope

[Mac76]

"Tottenham, who were also part of the short-lived European Super League breakaway, were not represented in the three groups, which were introduced 18 months ago and discuss ideas before they are presented to clubs to vote on. "

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56931186

Spuds :haha:

Big club :haha:

[WMUG]

Rumours now that they're going to try hosting PL games abroad.

Time to dust off the pitchforks?