General : ESPN, BT, Euro, Premier and Sky Sports news

[harry_hitch]

Originally Posted by bubblegun

Wasn't this idea put about before but the EU would rule this was a cartel arrangement and therefore illegal.

It may well of been, but I believe (may be wrong, happy to be corrected) Barcelona and Real Madrid sell their games on tv to their fans in Spain. How would that be different to the scenario just posted I wonder?
Besides, even if that suggestion was illegal, there should be nothing stopping the Premier league setting up a rival channel as competition to Sky/BT etc.

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by andy_m

I don't know, but I do know that English football as a whole would be healthier and probably less prone to financial management in pursuit of the money the Premier League (not EPL or English Premier League, thank you very much!) brings. A season where the club that wins the FA Cup, but has to effectively give up on the resulting European place because regaining its Premier League place is more important than anything else, and that is solely because of the money involved, just makes me a bit sad, really.

I have to agree the Premier League IMO has been the ruin of Football in this Country. Its all about money and nothing else the richest clubs are at the top year after year and true competition for the League title has disappeared. As someone who stood on the terraces at White Hart Lane in the 1960's it saddens me see the state of football in the Country today. Very little of the money generated by the EPL makes it to grass roots football and that is why we have few youngsters coming through who are truly world class (Jack Wilshire) is the only one who come to mind. The Spanish and Germans grasped the nettle over 10 years ago and look at them now. The FA have overseen this terrible situation come to pass. I apologise for this rant in advance, but it saddens me to see this happen.

[andrewbrown]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

I have to agree the Premier League IMO has been the ruin of Football in this Country. Its all about money and nothing else the richest clubs are at the top year after year and true competition for the League title has disappeared. As someone who stood on the terraces at White Hart Lane in the 1960's it saddens me see the state of football in the Country today. Very little of the money generated by the EPL makes it to grass roots football and that is why we have few youngsters coming through who are truly world class (Jack Wilshire) is the only one who come to mind. The Spanish and Germans grasped the nettle over 10 years ago and look at them now. The FA have overseen this terrible situation come to pass. I apologise for this rant in advance, but it saddens me to this happen.

Spot on. Tickets in Germany are between €15-25 a game. Tickets in England are £35-70 per game. Season ticket at Bayern Muenchen is €150, my season ticket at Anfield was £850...

[colin25]

Originally Posted by andrewbrown

Spot on. Tickets in Germany are between €15-25 a game. Tickets in England are £35-70 per game. Season ticket at Bayern Muenchen is €150, my season ticket at Anfield was £850...

More a symptom of rip off Britain

[andy_m]

The Spanish and Germans have managed to create world class leagues full of great players and highly paid foreign stars whilst keeping prices affordable for their fans, their clubs financially solvent (in Germany at least) and strong in European competition, and, ensuring that their national teams remain competitive. If those are the factors by which you measure success then the Premier League simply hasn't been one.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by colin25

More a system of rip off Britain

Absolutely and l cannot see nowt changing.

[piquet41]

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

I have to agree the Premier League IMO has been the ruin of Football in this Country. Its all about money and nothing else the richest clubs are at the top year after year and true competition for the League title has disappeared. As someone who stood on the terraces at White Hart Lane in the 1960's it saddens me see the state of football in the Country today. Very little of the money generated by the EPL makes it to grass roots football and that is why we have few youngsters coming through who are truly world class (Jack Wilshire) is the only one who come to mind. The Spanish and Germans grasped the nettle over 10 years ago and look at them now. The FA have overseen this terrible situation come to pass. I apologise for this rant in advance, but it saddens me to see this happen.

Totally agree.

---------- Post added at 21:47 ---------- Previous post was at 21:43 ----------

Originally Posted by andy_m

The Spanish and Germans have managed to create world class leagues full of great players and highly paid foreign stars whilst keeping prices affordable for their fans, their clubs financially solvent (in Germany at least) and strong in European competition, and, ensuring that their national teams remain competitive. If those are the factors by which you measure success then the Premier League simply hasn't been one.

Agree again. What I would like to see is an "Football/EPL channel" I could then subscribe to Sky Sports and not bother with "Rip-off" EPL. Subs for Sky Sports would be lower, thereby anyone who does not like football could enjoy all the sports that Sky covers at lower cost and those who want to watch Premier League football could subscribe to the "Football channel"..... yeah I know, not likely to happen.

[alwaysabear]

I would support your idea as I am no longer an avid football fan well not soccer anyway and anything that makes Sky Sports subs cheaper has to be good.
The amount of money these over rated prima donas get paid makes my blood boil.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

I stood on the terraces at WHL long before they had seats, and the first record l heard was Ringo Starr, and the talent then was superb, and they played REAL football, not like the footballers who now fall over for the TV cameras.

Thats why l say footballers of today would not last five minutes today.

With Tv at every ground in the PL, you only have to blow a kiss and oops over they go.

[Mikey1981]

Originally Posted by andy_m

The Spanish and Germans have managed to create world class leagues full of great players and highly paid foreign stars whilst keeping prices affordable for their fans, their clubs financially solvent (in Germany at least) and strong in European competition, and, ensuring that their national teams remain competitive. If those are the factors by which you measure success then the Premier League simply hasn't been one.

Also every single game is available via sky bundesliga live or LIGa Total.

[coulsontom]

Originally Posted by colin25

More a symptom of rip off Britain

german stadiums built with gov subsidising.

standing=more ppl=can afford to give cheaper prices.

[Chad]

There are a couple of very basic things to consider when comparing German football to English football. Firstly Germany has a population of 82 million, almost 30 million more than England. Secondly Germany has 3 top leagues containing 56 clubs compared to England's 92 clubs spread over 4 main leagues. In terms of population to club ratio, German football has a massive advantage over English football.

[colin25]

Originally Posted by Chad

There are a couple of very basic things to consider when comparing German football to English football. Firstly Germany has a population of 82 million, almost 30 million more than England. Secondly Germany has 3 top leagues containing 56 clubs compared to England's 92 clubs spread over 4 main leagues. In terms of population to club ratio, German football has a massive advantage over English football.

Not sure that stands the real test.

Yes, there are too many clubs and leagues...but population difference is moot.

Good players will still come through, just not as many. But the FA system is flawed.

And as raised in other posts, trying to get as much as possible money has caused some of this.

i don't agree that sky has caused the problem, they are merely adapting to the situation. It is the FA that decides how to sell the rights, not sky.

The big problem at the moment is, how to reverse something that you put in place (re selling rights).

Clubs don't want less money, so changing the methodology will be hard, if not impossible unless sky etc refuse to pay the money

[DaMac]

German youth football isn't all that either, what have they won recently? Also a few of Germany's better players of recent years where raided from Poland
(Basil, don't mention the ...)

[johnasimmons]

39 days to go and still no news about BT Sport launching on Virgin Media... surely talks between them don't take this long?