To super league or to not super league ...

**Poor Student** · 19/04/2021, 4:16 PM

This is a move driven by risk mitigation. The owners of these clubs do not like variability and volatility to the income streams of their business based on qualification for Europe. Their only concern is whether this can be pulled off with the revenue streams they envision. The IPL cricket franchise system would suggest to me you can fabricate something immensely popular and successful from zero tradition if you package it well enough.

I'd agree with John83 in that the LOI is in such a bad position this doesn't even reverberate. It's like a human watching the Titans and the gods battling it out.

**Straightstory** · 19/04/2021, 5:09 PM

This is PERFECT for (Irish) barstoolers. Too many teams, though. I'd just have Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid. Play each other forty times a season, and whoever makes the biggest financial profit through TV deals, merchandising and sponsorship wins.

**SeanDrog** · 19/04/2021, 5:20 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I'd agree with John83 in that the LOI is in such a bad position this doesn't even reverberate. It's like a human watching the Titans and the gods battling it out.

I like that description, hope you don�t mind me borrowing it.

**pineapple stu** · 19/04/2021, 6:29 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

This will impact all European leagues.
UEFA get big money from TV companies because the CL and EL have big clubs in them.
If UEFA dont have the big bucks the money for EL etc will likely fall.
If European money becomes much smaller it will undermine those clubs that are paying big wages on the basis of regular CL /EL money.
At a local level taking the LOI if the prize for winning the league is buttons and European money is reduced it will have to have an impact on playing budgets.

Don't forget UEFA Solidarity income across top flight clubs too. Not sure how much it is these days, but E20k when you're down the bottom of the Premier will pay a few bills.

**TonyD** · 19/04/2021, 6:55 PM

Originally Posted by Straightstory

This is PERFECT for (Irish) barstoolers. Too many teams, though. I'd just have Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid. Play each other forty times a season, and whoever makes the biggest financial profit through TV deals, merchandising and sponsorship wins.

Gives a new twist to the old “can we play you every week ?” Chant. In the future you may well be doing so. I sincerely hope the money men are overestimating the appetite for this, and that the novelty will wear thin pretty quickly. It’s a hope rather than an expectation though, sadly.

**sbgawa** · 19/04/2021, 7:57 PM

If u ask.a typical pool or utd fan outside of the UK who they would rather watch play their team real Madrid or Burnley u can figure out pretty quickly the super league if it happens will be a huge success money wise.

**blueblood** · 19/04/2021, 8:12 PM

Unfortunately if the 6 Nations works this will probably work too, never could understand egg chaser fans getting excited when they play the same 5 teams every year but people don't seem to mind that as long as they chance of winning something

**Mr A** · 19/04/2021, 8:41 PM

If the Premier League kick the big six out we should immediately invite them to the #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld. Packed houses every week. The Irish football public would go mental for it.

**Kiki Balboa** · 19/04/2021, 8:51 PM

Originally Posted by blueblood

Unfortunately if the 6 Nations works this will probably work too, never could understand egg chaser fans getting excited when they play the same 5 teams every year but people don't seem to mind that as long as they chance of winning something

6 nations is a fairly perfect tournament. Nations (ie everybody can get behind) playing against close rivals in Feburary (normally a lull in every other sport). Only 5 games, so every game matters. Can easily sell out stadiums because its only two or three games a year (short supply)

Asking anymore, people would get bored.

**EatYerGreens** · 20/04/2021, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Bucket

There seems to be a lot of lads tweeting LOI clubs saying that they'll start supporting them now. England's difficulties are Irelands opportunities!

Yeah - they'll start supporting them either in their holes or from the comfort of their own sofas.

**Charlie Darwin** · 20/04/2021, 1:25 AM

Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

Yeah - they'll start supporting them either in their holes or from the comfort of their own sofas.

Well they can't exactly go to games tomorrow.

**Bucket** · 20/04/2021, 1:37 AM

Even if they don't go to games, there's always online merchandise to be sold or online streaming of games. Every little helps.

**bennocelt** · 20/04/2021, 6:55 AM

Originally Posted by Mr A

We communicate the community and volunteer aspects of the club constantly. There's no harm breaking it up with the odd bit of humour or opportunism, especially when the club tends to get relatively little coverage nationally so a bit of sark / attitude is justified too, but I totally get you have to be careful as well. When we have no shirt sponsor it's worth it to take an opportunistic one when it pops up- nice engagement numbers to show anyone interested in coming aboard.

Re Bray and Finn Harps and their humour. The Bray one made the rounds over here on the social media in German speaking land, so even if a few handful goggle Bray Wanderers, and next time they are in Ireland.................. its always good to have a decent social media presence.

And to throw a curveball into this discussion. FC Basel fans and board are at loggerheads the last few years, just last week thousands protested by handing in their season club cards. The general running of the club has gone downhill since they sold and got rid of the backbone of a good team a few years ago, have done some shady deals with an obscure team in India but a lot of it has to do with the club giving a lot of focus to their E Sports Division, to the seemingly neglect of the football side of things (I agree with the fans here totally) I wonder is this something to think about with the breakaway teams. That future fans (The youth who never leave their bedroom) might not necessarily care about the real footballing side of things but more the electronic and gaming part, and clubs will increasingly cater to that huge and lucrative market, especially in Asia, to the neglect of the real business they should be caring about, the football on the pitch.

**jbyrne** · 20/04/2021, 7:43 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

The IPL cricket franchise system would suggest to me you can fabricate something immensely popular and successful from zero tradition if you package it well enough.

the IPL wasn't trying to replace existing successful competitions though. there was a void there that needed to be filled....... from my view as someone with very limited cricket knowledge it must be said

**sbgawa** · 20/04/2021, 7:53 AM

Equaly important was it had its own space in the cricket calender which allowed all the players play in it that wanted to before returning to their club/country

**NeverFeltBetter** · 20/04/2021, 8:00 AM

How much leverage do UEFA and the FA's actually have here? The bombast of the official responses yesterday - though not from FIFA, rather interestingly - strikes me as a bit of desperation. I'd say some of the people behind this ESL wouldn't actually mind saying goodbye to their national leagues, being then able to pivot to the NFL model of a season totally, where they play 16 competitive games in a season and a few "play-offs" if they are successful, along with a few pre-season friendlies. Real "event" style calendar. If they stay in their national leagues, they won't be taking them seriously.

What does that leave UEFA/the FA's in terms of a response? Banning players from national teams? Even if that stuck, which I don't think it would, are we certain that it would be the magic bullet some are acting like it is? I'd say a lot of players would take a big paycheque and then the stance of "I'm playing to my value and level for my club, I want to play for my country, it's UEFA who won't let me, blame them".

**sbgawa** · 20/04/2021, 8:08 AM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

How much leverage do UEFA and the FA's actually have here? The bombast of the official responses yesterday - though not from FIFA, rather interestingly - strikes me as a bit of desperation. I'd say some of the people behind this ESL wouldn't actually mind saying goodbye to their national leagues, being then able to pivot to the NFL model of a season totally, where they play 16 competitive games in a season and a few "play-offs" if they are successful, along with a few pre-season friendlies. Real "event" style calendar. If they stay in their national leagues, they won't be taking them seriously.

What does that leave UEFA/the FA's in terms of a response? Banning players from national teams? Even if that stuck, which I don't think it would, are we certain that it would be the magic bullet some are acting like it is? I'd say a lot of players would take a big paycheque and then the stance of "I'm playing to my value and level for my club, I want to play for my country, it's UEFA who won't let me, blame them".

UK Government could kill this dead very quickly.
They are an independent nation answerable to nobody (as the brexiteers would remind you) , bring in a levy (like Ireland did with the banks and insurence companies) of a few hundred million for football clubs operating in the UK without the sanction of the FA.
Or a Law making it illegal for professional football club to play in the UK without the sanction of the FA.
IF they want to stop it they can.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 20/04/2021, 8:11 AM

Whats to stop the clubs from leaving the UK? Or just registering themselves somewhere else.

Tbh the British governments response yesterday didn't re-assure me too much, seemed very wishy-washy. Condemn, criticise, but there was very little in the way of "We can stop this by xxx".

**sbgawa** · 20/04/2021, 8:23 AM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

Whats to stop the clubs from leaving the UK? Or just registering themselves somewhere else.

Tbh the British governments response yesterday didn't re-assure me too much, seemed very wishy-washy. Condemn, criticise, but there was very little in the way of "We can stop this by xxx".

They could leave the UK in theory but is that really likely.
If they did i think you would see a new FC Liverpool playing in the Premier league pretty shortly renting the now empty Anfield (which has a preservation order slapped on it by UK Govt banning redevelopment). (or Sharing Evertons new Stadium
If a Government really wants to stop something they can.
If i had told you 18 months ago the Police would be on the streets making sure you didn't travel more than 5k from your home you wouldn't have believed me.
The question is will they? If its seen as an issue that there are votes in they might

**Kiki Balboa** · 20/04/2021, 9:58 AM

To be honest, I think a bigger problem is that the ESL just seems boring. So far only 12 teams. Lots of meaningless games to qualify for the knockout round. Then you are meant to are about the final, which you never heard of before? Where will it be in 10 years time. It just seems dull. Who would want to watch it once the novelty wears off.

Even the money within the tournament wont be evenly spread, and there are no mechinisms to ensure equality, so no doubt you will have 3 out 4 same teams in the semis every years.