If you ran the game...

[5ft811st2 Durham]

The most important things to me would be  a cap on how much clubs can get from corporate sponsorship and ending prize money based on league positions.

These 2 things are the main cause for the grotesque inequalities that we see in our game today.

[curiousorange]

It seems that first half injury time is added on again at the end of the game which leads to ridiculous amounts of injury time such as yesterday and last Sunday (and of course, the famous six minutes that appeared at Old Trafford).

Is it not just that more 'stuff' happens in the second half? You tend not to see too many first half substitutions so there is less injury time there.

Two of the four minutes were down to the fact that there were four second half substitutions alone, without taking into account any other breaks in play.

Although I specifically referred to Saturday's game, it does appear to me that stoppage time is entirely arbitary. Yes, more 'stuff' mainly happens in the second half but sometimes the time added on is so great as to be incomprehensible. It's not so much something I would expect to see changing but a personal observation.

[pestria]

Money has always talked, albeit to a lesser extent in the past, and there's so many back door ways of getting around the official rules, so I'd go with the following to level the playing field:


(1) Only 2 subs (of which one is a goalkeeper)

- hopefully fewer players would be happy playing in the stiffs than warming the bench and therefore prefer to go to join a 'lesser' team.
- would also diminish the (average) player's wage bargaining power as there would be fewer top clubs wanting to pay excess wages if the player was unlikely ever to make the team.

(2) Maximum squad size (to say 18)
- would further minimise squad rotation and thereby the advantage of the wealthier/more indebted clubs.
 - in the event of injuries etc a club would be allowed to promote reserves to the main squad provided they had not played more than x games at the level of the league the first team played in,.

(3) Share gate money - a l Mr Woodhall's suggestion

(4) Play all games at 3pm on a Saturday or alternatively 7.30pm on a Wednesday

(5) Play cup replays the Wed after the Sat

(6) Only have 1 European Competition

[bertlambshank]

Remove the Bosman ruling.

How will that help anything?

It would bring down wages and stop players thinking they can sign a long contract,and ask for a move with 18 month's to go.

And what's the alternative? A player not able to move ever if his club says that he can't.

If a club has the right to ditch a player at the end of his contract (say, Marlon Harewood) then a player should have the right to leave at the end of the contract as well (say, Gareth Barry).

There's no loyaly in football, but that applies to the clubs just as much as it does to the players.

Are you saying that football has improved under Bosman?

[Dave]

Remove the Bosman ruling.

How will that help anything?

It would bring down wages and stop players thinking they can sign a long contract,and ask for a move with 18 month's to go.

And what's the alternative? A player not able to move ever if his club says that he can't.

If a club has the right to ditch a player at the end of his contract (say, Marlon Harewood) then a player should have the right to leave at the end of the contract as well (say, Gareth Barry).

There's no loyaly in football, but that applies to the clubs just as much as it does to the players.

Are you saying that football has improved under Bosman?

That element of it, without doubt.

Players have a contract, if they don't have a contract then they go to a different job.

It works in any other form of work, why would you say football was any different?

[TheSandman]

Give a massive pay rise and expense account to the bloke who runs the game and then give my secretary a good seeing to.

Seriously, here are some things I'll do most of them already mentioned.

1. Make refs accountable... Have them in a post game press conference.

2. Limit the number of non-3 o'clock on Saturday kick offs... Lets say two max.

3. Open the accounts of all clubs to independent auditors. Points deductions for those that don't make the criteria that will be pre-agreed. Say certain levels of debt.

4. New kits every two seasons.

5. Abolish transfer windows. Return to the old system.

6. Cut ticket prices... Some are totally ludicrous.

7. Champions League for champions only... Runners up compete in the UEFA Cup.

8.  All takeover deals to be put before my people who will decide if they should proceed. They will administer a beefed up fit and proper person's test (that lives up to the name). If too much debt is taken out in a proposal and the club is leveraged then we will reject the deal.

9. Some kind of proper legislation to ensure fair play financially. Now a salary cap of a certain percentage turnover wouldn't work as it would ensure a natural order of clubs with the bigger clubs like United or Arsenal dominating potentially. Maybe a flat rate but even then this is difficult.

10. You see that centre of excellence... I'd build the sodding thing.

11. Set quotas for academy products and British born players in match squads.

12. Launch a drive for potential coaches to do their badges and increase the numbers of trained coaches.

[bertlambshank]

Remove the Bosman ruling.

How will that help anything?

It would bring down wages and stop players thinking they can sign a long contract,and ask for a move with 18 month's to go.

And what's the alternative? A player not able to move ever if his club says that he can't.

If a club has the right to ditch a player at the end of his contract (say, Marlon Harewood) then a player should have the right to leave at the end of the contract as well (say, Gareth Barry).

There's no loyaly in football, but that applies to the clubs just as much as it does to the players.

Are you saying that football has improved under Bosman?

That element of it, without doubt.

Players have a contract, if they don't have a contract then they go to a different job.

It works in any other form of work, why would you say football was any different?

Bloody hell Dave,I think I am coming round to your point of view! Well done.

[Rancid custard]

5. Abolish transfer windows. Return to the old system.

Good shout. I'm fairly confident player prices would drop a bit with this. Everyone knows you need a striker, there's 3 days left and you don't want to settle on a cheaper alternative so jack up the price...

[badluckeric(gates)]

Make time wasting with the ball IN PLAY an offence called 'not intending to make progress. Specifically targeting running the ball into the corner near the end of matches. This can sometimes start with over 5 minutes plus stoppage time to go and invariably leads to matches fizzling out.
Yes, its ok if its your team 1-0 up but so frustrating if the bbots on the other foot.
Award a free kick and they can attempt a quick launch.