Premiership games in Landsdowne?

ESPN who are very likely to win the worldwide television rights for the Premiership from 2009 onwards want each Premiership team to play at least one game abroad each season. It says on the BBC website it is Premiership chiefs who are driving this but I read about this proposal a few weeks ago on the ESPN site.

Premier League chiefs are discussing plans for each club to play one game a season abroad when the international television contract comes up for grabs in 2010 (Mirror).

Bristol City for Landsdowne?

Oh god wait till the LOI fans get hold of this.

The idea behind playing games abroad is usually to get more exposure in areas where the sport isn't so popular, isn't it?

Ireland must be close to saturation point regarding the Premier League.

imagine if you are a season ticket holder for Bolton, Wigan or whoever and then ESPN/SKY tell your club that one of the home games will be played in Dublin/New York/Delhi or wherever........I wouldn't be too happy that's for sure. So what if the NFL have a roadshow - doesn't mean it will work in other sports. Crazy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Axe Man

Oh god wait till the LOI fans get hold of this.

---

I don't understand what you are getting at?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

imagine if you are a season ticket holder for Bolton, Wigan or whoever and then ESPN/SKY tell your club that one of the home games will be played in Dublin/New York/Delhi or wherever........I wouldn't be too happy that's for sure. So what if the NFL have a roadshow - doesn't mean it will work in other sports. Crazy.

---

Just crazy enough to make them millions...

It won't be in Dublin anyway. It'll be in US and far east.

Of course I don't think it'll happen but I've no dount they've all thought of it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

imagine if you are a season ticket holder for Bolton, Wigan or whoever and then ESPN/SKY tell your club that one of the home games will be played in Dublin/New York/Delhi or wherever........I wouldn't be too happy that's for sure. So what if the NFL have a roadshow - doesn't mean it will work in other sports. Crazy.

---

I'd agree with shakermaker on this, you'd be ****ed off at a home game being played abroad, like would you get a discount on your season ticket?

But when it comes down to it, it's all about money, sure Man United are playing a friendly tonight in Dubai, which is a bit ridicolous in my opinion, but money talks. It was also listed in one of the tabloids yesterday, either the Mirror or the News Of The World, saying that they'd expect it to be pushed as a major marketing idea over the next few years.

But if that's the case, the only teams to make money out of it would probably be the top 4-6, after that the interest in the games would probably drop.

But from a marketing point of view, the Premiership could make a killing, with countries trying to outbid each other to get the top teams to come over and play, like the Man United match tonight, I think their getting £1 million for it.

Could you imagine how bad it could be though if the major matches like Manchester United Liverpool, Arsenal Spurs, Chelsea Man Utd, Liverpool Chelsea etc etc be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

I could see it now. Live from the maracana stadium, Brazil in front of 4 million fans inside the stadium and 3 billion around the world we give you MANCHESTER UNITED vs LIVERPOOL FC.


Yes they will make a mint, but it is hardly good for the game to detach the match from its fans.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

Could you imagine how bad it could be though if the major matches like Manchester United Liverpool, Arsenal Spurs, Chelsea Man Utd, Liverpool Chelsea etc etc be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

I could see it now. Live from the maracana stadium, Brazil in front of 4 million fans inside the stadium and 3 billion around the world we give you MANCHESTER UNITED vs LIVERPOOL FC.


Yes they will make a mint, but it is hardly good for the game to detach the match from its fans.

---

as I say it's crazy. I'd love to see a Barcelona game but I don't expect them to come and play in my back garden. If I'm that interested in the team I'll book a holiday to Spain and one of the stops would be the Nou Camp. This is something I'm planning to do this March. Going to the teams ground and mixing it up with the locals is part of the experience IMO. This is just a sell out and cheapens the sport of football. Pre season friendlies and exhibition is fine, Mid season league games? At the expense of the local and regular fan who has kept his club going all these years by buying a season ticket and the merchanise? Not on. The sport of football has survived without America and if they don't get it then who cares?!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

as I say it's crazy. I'd love to see a Barcelona game but I don't expect them to come and play in my back garden. If I'm that interested in the team I'll book a holiday to Spain and one of the stops would be the Nou Camp. This is something I'm planning to do this March. Going to the teams ground and mixing it up with the locals is part of the experience IMO. This is just a sell out and cheapens the sport of football. Pre season friendlies and exhibition is fine, Mid season league games? At the expense of the local and regular fan who has kept his club going all these years by buying a season ticket and the merchandise? Not on. The sport of football has survived without America and if they don't get it then who cares?!

---

The American Influence in European football is disastrous, Gillett and Hicks at Liverpool Glazier at Man U and Now ESPN(American TV)come up with this? Sport in America has none of the romance or passion of football in Europe, (look at how easily baseball and NFL teams uproot to new locations willy nilly)
and they have no concept of the whole community club thing. everything to them is a franchise and money is their prime motivation. doesn't bear well for the future of the game IMO

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

The American Influence in European football is disastrous, Gillett and Hicks at Liverpool Glazier at Man U and Now ESPN(American TV)come up with this? Sport in America has none of the romance or passion of football in Europe, (look at how easily baseball and NFL teams uproot to new locations willy nilly)
and they have no concept of the whole community club thing. everything to them is a franchise and money is their prime motivation. doesn't bear well for the future of the game IMO

---

I dont think you'll find much objection to the American influence in European football down around our way at the moment :D

As a Watford season ticket holder, I can't wait......can just see it now, Watford v Bolton in Kuala Lumpur on a Tuesday night......bound to bring in amassive TV audience:D

Thats ok, by that time while Wigan are playing Reading in Lansdowne, later that week we'll be playing Milan in Bishopstown.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KevB76

I dont think you'll find much objection to the American influence in European football down around our way at the moment :D

---

Horses for courses my friend,(although a bit of American razamataz could be good for this league to get the barstoolers attention) dont think your american is in it to make a quick buck and I don't see Limerick 37 -v- Sporting Fingal in the Astrodome Bangkok anytime soon

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

Horses for courses my friend,(although a bit of American razamataz could be good for this league to get the barstoolers attention) dont think your american is in it to make a quick buck and I don't see Limerick 37 -v- Sporting Fingal in the Astrodome Bangkok anytime soon

---

ah they'd fill it alright

http://www.sgtowns.com/photos/images/angkorday2/hut.jpg

I'd say they might start off with some kind of small gesture, maybe playing the Charity Shield in the Far East or the States. I doubt they'll end up sending teams off to play on the other side of the world.

One interesting point, in the 2004/05 or 2005/06 the Premiership match with the highest viewing all around the world was......Manchester City vs. Everton. Apparently a lot of Chinese tuned in to see Sun Jiayi and Li Tie playing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by superfrank

I'd say they might start off with some kind of small gesture, maybe playing the Charity Shield in the Far East or the States. I doubt they'll end up sending teams off to play on the other side of the world.

One interesting point, in the 2004/05 or 2005/06 the Premiership match with the highest viewing all around the world was......Manchester City vs. Everton. Apparently a lot of Chinese tuned in to see Sun Jiayi and Li Tie playing.

---

2 games a weekend at the same venue.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...em/7232390.stm

I was just about to post that link myself!

It seems to me like a stupid footballing decision. Teams have to jet off around the world to play one extra game against a side they've already played home and away that season just to make more money for the Premier League. It's squeezing out the real, local fans.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_...254032,00.html

Guardian have a take on it too.

Theres Going to be some bidding war for these games.

More of a football365 man myself.
http://www.football365.com/story/0,1...117069,00.html