Premier League and FA run by donkeys, says Mohamed Al Fayed

[AtW]

I don't want to see a draft system where tradition, history and youth development mean absolutely nothing.

But that's exactly the point - buying players for huge amounts of money makes a mockery of history, youth development etc - why develop if player will move to higher paying club? There is 0 loyalty because of that.

American sport is joke and even with their system the top stars are still earning more than prem players. $20m per annum for a basketball payer FFS!!

When idiot Beckham joined US soccer team he was the top paid player and only 1 of such players allowed per team.

[snaw]

I don't want to see a draft system where tradition, history and youth development mean absolutely nothing.

American sport is joke and even with their system the top stars are still earning more than prem players. $20m per annum for a basketball payer FFS!!

The draft system and the salary cap are two different things.

Can't remember which sport it is, btu basically the salary cap is in place, but teams can go above it - with a penalty. Basically every $ above, they pay twice that amount to the sporting authority to be redistributed back to the game. Means the rich clubs can still spend more, just not astronomically more - makes the playign field more level.

On the -ve side, I've heard Americans talk about how they miss the days of dynastic teams. Good teams rearly stay together long because the salary cap means good players want more money and end up moving to other clibs who can accomodate that.

[BrilloPad]

I say let the market decide. If fans are stupid enough to pay enough money that the so called stars (I prefer the term jessies) can earn £100k per week then fine. More fool the fans and well done the "stars".

Supply and demand. Works every time. I would also be in favour of short-selling the stars.

[snaw]

I say let the market decide. If fans are stupid enough to pay enough money that the so called stars (I prefer the term jessies) can earn £100k per week then fine. More fool the fans and well done the "stars".

Great in principle, problem is a lot of clubs are seriously putting thier futures in jeapordy, playing catch-up or just treading water and then if they get relegated they're in serious trouble. Yeah it's financial mismangement at board level, but it happens.

And btw, the fan portion of a clubs income these days isn't that large for lots of clubs - it's TV money that's doing it, and players demanding ever greater salary increases.

[BrilloPad]

Great in principle, problem is a lot of clubs are seriously putting thier futures in jeapordy, playing catch-up or just treading water and then if they get relegated they're in serious trouble. Yeah it's financial mismangement at board level, but it happens.

And btw, the fan portion of a clubs income these days isn't that large for lots of clubs - it's TV money that's doing it, and players demanding ever greater salary increases.

The bad should go to the wall. Put a shopping centre in place of the stadium?

You make a good point about the TV money : but where does that come from? Isn't most of it sky sports which is paid for by the fans?

Obviously some comes from BBC. So I pay for nonsens to be on telly.

[snaw]

The bad should go to the wall. Put a shopping centre in place of the stadium?

You make a good point about the TV money : but where does that come from? Isn't most of it sky sports which is paid for by the fans?

Obviously some comes from BBC. So I pay for nonsens to be on telly.

End of the day I like how things are right now, without any changes. But I'd be for for a salary cap, done correctly, and I worry that there are a few clubs which seem rather close to the wall (Inc my english one - fulham) should things go a bit pear shaped ...

I think at some point a salary cap will come, and there are lessons to be learned from American sports in this respect.

[Turion]

English football clubs should be owned and run by English people, not jumped up foreign billionaires who make nothing but trouble and should be deported.

[shaunbhoy]

Players are a football clubs biggest assets, they make or break the club, the club is nothing without them.

Fans, surely?

[sasguru]

Provided no public money is being used by the clubs let them do what they want. If they pay too much and go bust, so be it. That's the private sector in action.

HTH

[swamp]

The bad should go to the wall. Put a shopping centre in place of the stadium?

You make a good point about the TV money : but where does that come from? Isn't most of it sky sports which is paid for by the fans?

Obviously some comes from BBC. So I pay for nonsens to be on telly.

I agree. Market should decide 100%.

My club, Arsenal, are well run and prudent. There are large debts over the new stadium but these are being well managed. Wenger is also famous for his thrift dealings in the transfer market -- many clubs lower than us have spent far more. And the club has an overall pay structure which it sticks to.

Liverpool and Man U are all heavily in debt, but they are 'Channel Tunnel' clubs in my eye. They will always be rescued somehow; Anfield and Old Trafford will never be shopping centres. Chelsea has enormous debts and relies 100% on Abramovich's generous loans. Candy & Candy will convert Stamford Bridge into uber prime flats the moment the oligarch leaves.