Press-ed back again

[dave.woodhall]

I always feel down after Chelsea and City games. Particularly Chelsea as it's just so different down there to how it was. The 'experience' is now like going to the theatre in the West End with tourists buying the spare tickets off touts. As a family man myself I should like the sight of not just Father and Sons but Mom, Dad and two point 4 with their extra long blue and white scarves skipping between the away coaches and smiling patronisingly at the away fans tuanting them with glory hunter jibes (that was me slightly pissed, not my proudest moment) but I don't. I want the sport of my youth when, yes Leeds,Liverpool and eventually Man U dominated but in between Ipswich, Everton, Arsenal and even us,once ,had a realistic chance.

Now to just to have the privilege of being one the fixtures in between Super Sundays we sacrifice cups to do so. Bah Humbug.

'Domination' was different then. There was always a couple of clubs at the top, but others were always getting in between them. Eight different teams won the league in the sixties and then six different ones in six years before Liverpool started the only real period of domination prior to the Premier League starting.

[Clampy]

I always feel down after Chelsea and City games. Particularly Chelsea as it's just so different down there to how it was. The 'experience' is now like going to the theatre in the West End

A west end theatre ticket would probably have been cheaper.

[robbo1874]

I agree with that too. Football does need to change and maybe that's the change needed.
I was only saying this to all my colleagues at work, they all support the super clubs and they all want it too. Their arrogance is not just a want of it but they are bored of the set up as it is. This is wrong on so many levels but I would be glad to see the back of them now too.

I was chatting to my brother, a Wolves fan, he doesn't even want his club to make the extra push in January on transfers to try and reach the Premier. He'd rather they keep with their plan even it meant missing out on promotion.

salary cap is the only answer, but it will never happen.

They have it in Aus in 'soccer' Aussie rules, league and union and it largely works. Yes certain clubs still dominate in each code to a degree, but only a few clubs would start the season thinking: we've got no chance this year.

It will never happen in the premiership though, not least because of the premier league's own vested interest in attracting the best players and its self proclaimed mantle of 'best league in the world' a salary cap would even things out and ensure no club dominates like utd did, but vested interests wouldn't allow it to happen

[cheltenhamlion]

The runners up in the 20 or 30 years prior to the Premier League makes for interesting comparative reading as well.

[dave.woodhall]

The runners up in the 20 or 30 years prior to the Premier League makes for interesting comparative reading as well.

Which is probably the even bigger problem. Southampton, Watford and Ipswich could dream of finishing second then. Now, seventh is the limit.

[cheltenhamlion]

Indeed. Not only is it the clubs themselves that are interesting but the volume of different clubs also.

Since Sky invented football only 8 clubs have finished second.

[Clampy]

I agree with that too. Football does need to change and maybe that's the change needed.
I was only saying this to all my colleagues at work, they all support the super clubs and they all want it too. Their arrogance is not just a want of it but they are bored of the set up as it is. This is wrong on so many levels but I would be glad to see the back of them now too.

I was chatting to my brother, a Wolves fan, he doesn't even want his club to make the extra push in January on transfers to try and reach the Premier. He'd rather they keep with their plan even it meant missing out on promotion.

salary cap is the only answer, but it will never happen.

They have it in Aus in 'soccer' Aussie rules, league and union and it largely works. Yes certain clubs still dominate in each code to a degree, but only a few clubs would start the season thinking: we've got no chance this year.

It will never happen in the premiership though, not least because of the premier league's own vested interest in attracting the best players and its self proclaimed mantle of 'best league in the world' a salary cap would even things out and ensure no club dominates like utd did, but vested interests wouldn't allow it to happen

Bearing in mind you had Richard Scudamore saying that Man Utd having a poor season was bad for the premiership, then you're probably right.

[ROBBO]

I know it may be sacriledge for some but it may be better for some local rivals to merge just to survive (not Villa of course) but wouldn't Walsall and Wolves be better off?
As for a super league, no way that Sky would allow that to happen.
I have noticed when commentators speak about our forward line they never seem to mention the fact that our two main strikers have been out of action for a long time.

[dave.woodhall]

I agree with that too. Football does need to change and maybe that's the change needed.
I was only saying this to all my colleagues at work, they all support the super clubs and they all want it too. Their arrogance is not just a want of it but they are bored of the set up as it is. This is wrong on so many levels but I would be glad to see the back of them now too.

I was chatting to my brother, a Wolves fan, he doesn't even want his club to make the extra push in January on transfers to try and reach the Premier. He'd rather they keep with their plan even it meant missing out on promotion.

salary cap is the only answer, but it will never happen.

They have it in Aus in 'soccer' Aussie rules, league and union and it largely works. Yes certain clubs still dominate in each code to a degree, but only a few clubs would start the season thinking: we've got no chance this year.

It will never happen in the premiership though, not least because of the premier league's own vested interest in attracting the best players and its self proclaimed mantle of 'best league in the world' a salary cap would even things out and ensure no club dominates like utd did, but vested interests wouldn't allow it to happen

Bearing in mind you had Richard Scudamore saying that Man Utd having a poor season was bad for the premiership, then you're probably right.

The bottom line is - why should the Premier League worry? Gates are steady, if not rising, and their TV deals are bigger every time. The top clubs' supporters want to see them win every game and the rest of us don't matter.

[Clampy]

The media can be just as bad. I stupidly had a quick read of the Mirror's football pull out on Saturday morning. Darren Lewis did a big feature on our game, he didn't mention the away team at all.

[PaulWinch again]

The media can be just as bad. I stupidly had a quick read of the Mirror's football pull out on Saturday morning. Darren Lewis did a big feature on our game, he didn't mention the away team at all.

Darren Lewis is a terrible journalist.

[Tony Erdington]

The bottom line is - why should the Premier League worry? Gates are steady, if not rising, and their TV deals are bigger every time. The top clubs' supporters want to see them win every game and the rest of us don't matter.

this I agree with, I think the expression that fits slightly, is

Big fish in a small pond,

 and if these big fish go to play in a bigger pond, oh dear maybe they'll be ever so slightly over looked as small fry, or have to invest more of their business balance sheets to keep up with the Barcelona's Real madrids, some how think most of the EPL  lot would cry enough, so as I said before they will keep swaggering round the rest of us giving it the big I am attitude. Plundering and not investering.

[Meanwood Villa]

Despite being firmly entrenched as an also-ran when we get knocked out in an early round of the FA cup after resting a few players you'll still get people saying the league's more important than cups. Very depressing.

[Meanwood Villa]

And I agree that the European super league won't happen. They've already got the best set up possible with the Champions League: wallop domestic opposition on a Saturday, have a more challenging game on Tuesday/Wednesday, make shitloads of money. Repeat next season and for evermore.

[dave.woodhall]

this I agree with, I think the expression that fits slightly, is

Big fish in a small pond,

 and if these big fish go to play in a bigger pond, oh dear maybe they'll be ever so slightly over looked as small fry, or have to invest more of their business balance sheets to keep up with the Barcelona's Real madrids, some how think most of the EPL  lot would cry enough, so as I said before they will keep swaggering round the rest of us giving it the big I am attitude. Plundering and not investering.

They do invest - most still make losses every season.