Premier League Abroad?

[Help?]

Its not even done in USA, really. That NFL game being played in london is NFL's attempt to recruite otherwise falling fan base. Football is still largely dominated by young and middle-age adults, but its slowly getting to where baseball is at right now. Premier league on another hand is growing like crazy.

Some of you talked about Harlem Globetrotters, those guys aren't a real professional basketball team. They don't have a real home ground and pretty much exist for the entertainment of those same people that newbie_original talked about attending Old Trafford. They don't go to the games to cheer on, they go to relax and watch the performers do all the work to get them interested. That's not what the sport should be all about. Its the exact same problem in america as with teaching, where teachers or profs are rated on how well they can entertain their students, rather than how well they teach the material. School isn't a theatre for ****s sake, the teachers are there to only strengthen your grasp of the material that you are already supposed to have read about. Same applies to sports.

 

[Zakov]

i'm sure it is done in the USA, i remember that the NBA's done it already, mate......correct me if i'm wrong tho.....me mentioning the harlem globetrotters is just an example of a traveling circus....like what the premier league could become IF this idea was to go through.....

btw, i've got nothing against the Globetrotters,for all the good entertainment they provide.....XD
cheers

 

[kramer11]

Yeah it isn't going to happen as some people have said. Platini opposes it and UEFA could ban clubs from their competitions if the FA went ahead and did it anyway.

 

[Bobby]

i'm sure it is done in the USA, i remember that the NBA's done it already, mate......correct me if i'm wrong tho.....me mentioning the harlem globetrotters is just an example of a traveling circus....like what the premier league could become IF this idea was to go through.....

btw, i've got nothing against the Globetrotters,for all the good entertainment they provide.....XD
cheers

Yea, but the Globetrotters were set up specifically to be entertainment. It's supposed to be all about fun.

I'm against this idea, not only because it's unfair to the local fans but it's unfair to the smaller leagues of the countries they'd be hosting matches in, how would they compete?

 

[::shinji::]

I think it's a great idea.. if it means that I could possibly get the opportunity to watch an actual premier league match live and in person, then I'm all for it.

Honestly, I don't have any pity for the fans in England over this, they get treated to the top league in the world on a weekly basis. Not to mention all the UEFA, CL, and Euro competitions. I DO however feel pity for us true soccer fans in North America, and especially here in Canada where we really are starving for more world-class football.

It would also have a nice side-effect here in North America as it stirs up excitement for the sport and gets more people interested. Just look at what those pre-season tours did and the arrival of Beckham. Any exposure of the game at it's highest level is good for MLS and the growth of the game here.

I know, I'm exactly the type of person they are looking to exploit with this idea, but so what.. read above.

...and for the record, I don't pity the players either. They make millions to kick a ball around, they can play an extra game per season, it won't kill them. Anyhow, this is just my personal opinion so don't get all in my ass about it if you disagree.

 

[Bobby]

That's kind of like telling a guy with a good looking wife that other people should be allowed to have a go with her, isn't it?

 

[::shinji::]

it's not like that at all

 

[Help?]

But i like the analogy nonetheless

 

[::shinji::]

But i like the analogy nonetheless

Me too, but it only works if the guy's wife is actually a hooker because she has no problem accepting all the money that fans in North America and Asia spend on EPL merchandise. Asking for a token blow-job now and then isn't that out of line IMO.

 

[ausbarca]

i say keep it at pre season friendlies but some sort of unique tournament would be a nice idea, where it doesnt count towards the league or anything just that all the teams still play a round around the world and then there's a trophy up for grabs according to goals scored or something, would ensure attacking football and wouldnt take away the home advantage that is so important in league fixtures

 

[Bummy_JaB]

Best idea ever... Someone poor and a hardcore Gunner would LOVE to see the Arsenal LIVE.....Come to America ASAP dammit.

 

[Help?]

i say keep it at pre season friendlies but some sort of unique tournament would be a nice idea, where it doesnt count towards the league or anything just that all the teams still play a round around the world and then there's a trophy up for grabs according to goals scored or something, would ensure attacking football and wouldnt take away the home advantage that is so important in league fixtures

Like the Amsterdam tournament for EPL teams?

 

[Help?]

Asking for a token blow-job now and then isn't that out of line IMO.

"Would you be so kind to allow me to borrow your wife for a 5-minute quickie?"

 

[pede54]

I think it's a great idea.. if it means that I could possibly get the opportunity to watch an actual premier league match live and in person, then I'm all for it.

Honestly, I don't have any pity for the fans in England over this, they get treated to the top league in the world on a weekly basis. Not to mention all the UEFA, CL, and Euro competitions. I DO however feel pity for us true soccer fans in North America, and especially here in Canada where we really are starving for more world-class football.

It would also have a nice side-effect here in North America as it stirs up excitement for the sport and gets more people interested. Just look at what those pre-season tours did and the arrival of Beckham. Any exposure of the game at it's highest level is good for MLS and the growth of the game here.

I know, I'm exactly the type of person they are looking to exploit with this idea, but so what.. read above.

...and for the record, I don't pity the players either. They make millions to kick a ball around, they can play an extra game per season, it won't kill them. Anyhow, this is just my personal opinion so don't get all in my ass about it if you disagree.

Nope, I completely understand why this would be a great thing for overseas fans of EPL clubs, but the opinion of foreign fans is not of concern to any English fans at all in this.

You said....."Honestly, I don't have any pity for the fans in England over this, they get treated to the top league in the world on a weekly basis.".....

Well the reason for that is simple. Its our friggin' league man. This our God given right as English football fans. I was born here in England and these are English clubs that we are talking about.

If you chose to support an EPL club from somewhere else in the World, then that is your choice. Nobody forces anyone to support an English club, and nobody forces anyone to buy any EPL merchandise either.

Of course we see how this crackpot scheme would benefit the foreign fans, but the truth is that the foreign fan abroad, is way down low on our list of considerations.

Overall the clubs don't give a crap for us fans in England, and I wouldn't think they care much more about the foreign fans either. Its just your money that they want, and they won't need that for much longer if the TV deals get any more ridiculous.

This is a situation concerning the English fans alone. We are the only fans with a right to a voice in all of this, and the word is that the fans over here just aint gonna have it.

 

[RobbieD_PL]

Absolute Bollocks idea! And that's coming from someone all the way in Aussie. Sure it would be nice to see class teams, but not for such important games - especially at the end of the season. And the third-leg idea is absolute-crap too - I honestly think 39 is nothing more than a shamless sexual-position. Meaningless friendlies should be enough to satisfy foreign-fans deisre to just see a particular team, rather than determining their ultimate fate. In any case, seeing foreign teams play eachother wont improve the Domestic League/NT situation in those places in the end. Look at our A-League - we've taken immense strides because there is a motivation here in Australia finally to do so. That's the only way we can improve our own systems here. I think this is what you meant by being a true football fan, shinji, having to suffer for a sport that's in the popular minority. Believe me mate, I've had to endure pain for the Socceroos and Australian football. But seeing high class teams in this way isn't the way to go.

PLAY DOMESTIC FOOTBALL DOMESTICALLY! DUUUUUUHHHH!!!!!!

I pity you pede, your league/country is meant to be the bastion of football. Look what's it's been turned into.

And newbie original - You might as well move here to Australia - The way you're thinking ALL the games would be played overseas beacuse of demand which isn't really that high anyway Not as much when compared to the native fans, so to speak

 

[itsbeenpickedup]

It doesn't massively benefit real fans overseas. For a start if you supported Man United would you care about going to watch Wigan vs Everton? You'd have to be lucky enough that your club was eventually drawn near enough to you that you could attend. Also, you wouldn't actually be attending a proper English league game in any case. To do that, you have to come to England, where one team will then be the home team. So aside from it being a clearly unfair idea on clubs fixtures wise, and also their 'real' fans, I don't see it being of benefit to many people.

I'm not saying people wouldn't turn up, because there'd probably be a big fuss made of it and stuff, but how many actual fans (especially of the lesser known teams) would be at the ground? You'd get people there who just want to watch some decent soccer, but how many of them could tell the difference between Fulham vs Aston Villa and some random MLS game anyway? It would all just be totally overhyped crap and a bunch of people not caring much, if at all, about the result. Not really what proper football is about.

Anyone wanting to attend a proper English league match needs to come to England. It's pretty simple. If you can't do that then sorry. If anything why can't some random countries just host the European finals? No team gets to be at home in them anyway, and there'd be better football, and probably only big clubs with a lot of overseas support.

 

[Help?]

The way i see it. If you support an english club and live outside of England, then just save up some cash and take a weekend trip down to england or go there for a holiday. Its gonna be a much better experience than having to go to some nearby city and watch the same teams play it out. Sure might be a bit more costly, but hey if people can afford to go to the carribeans once a year then why not england?



BTW, a few posts back there was talk of players making millions, hence they should be able to take an extra game. Whether they make millions or not, that doesn't make their body any less tired from extra budren, we have already suffered in terms of quality of football at WC 2006 and EURO 2004 because of top players playing too many games. Just because i get paid 100k pounds a week instead of 100 pounds doesn't mean that my body will be able to handle more physical activity a year.

 

[Zakov]

lol, this recent article coming from Richard "Mr.Crabz" Scudamore made me laugh....
here:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=507089&cc=4716

Strategic play he says!! He obviously wants the money badly, for coke i reckon!!XD

also, notice that the Asians(read the article) only want to see the big four.

'The matches should have big teams from England like Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool and there should be a good marketing for the matches from companies here in Saudi Arabia.'

lolz, then what about teams like Bolton and Reading??

why can't they settle for something like the Premier League Asian Cup thingy for pre-season??

 

[Help?]

Lol, you gotta love the Saudi's requirement of "Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool". And what the states want Sunderland and Reading?

 

[MaestroZidane]

^^ I wouldn't seeing Reading, sunderland or Fulham...