Franchising the Premier League?

[Kladze]

I'm totally against this, and hope our owner isn't one of those involved.

Foreign owners 'want end to Premier League relegation'

Several foreign-owned Premier League clubs want to scrap relegation, according to League Managers Association (LMA) chief Richard Bevan.

Bevan fears that if more clubs are sold to foreigner investors they may have enough votes to force changes.

But the Premier League said relegation and promotion were part of its rules and added to league's strength.

Bevan hopes that a parliamentary inquiry into football goverance would also help prevent the proposal.

"We're very keen that the report is successful in helping the Football Association introduce a licensing programme for clubs," he said.

"Because there are a number of overseas-owned clubs already talking about bringing about the avoidance of promotion and relegation in the Premier League.

"If we have four or five more new owners, that could happen."
Nearly half of the Premier League's 20 clubs are under foreign ownership, with rules stipulating that if changes are to be made to the format, 14 clubs must vote in favour of any new reforms.

Blackburn joined the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in this class when they were taken over by Indian-owned Venky's Group last season.

The claim by LMA chief executive Bevan comes a week after the government demanded changes to the way that football is run.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson said that an FA-led licensing system would be brought in to safeguard against issues such as financial mismanagement, asset-stripping owners and tax avoidance.

The government also asked for rules to manage club debts and an overhaul of the FA board.

Last Wednesday, Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre also said the Premier League's overseas television revenues should be skewed in favour of big clubs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15336398.stm

[Alioune DVToure]

Something about this story doesn't sit right. Most of the foreign owners in the Premier League are at clubs in no danger of relegation (City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal *cough*, Villa). Blackburn, Sunderland, QPR and Fulham are the only exceptions that spring to mind. Bolton, Wigan, Wolves, West Brom, Swansea, Norwich, Newcastle, Everton and Stoke are all British-owned. I don't see how this could possibly be a plot by 'foreigners'.

My guess is that it's the latest brainchild of Phil Gartside. He's dipped his toe in this pool before.

[Chinners]

Me as well, I certainly don't want to wait until the FA cup to play the likes of Colchester, Wycombe or Walsall again

[Kladze]

Something about this story doesn't sit right. Most of the foreign owners in the Premier League are at clubs in no danger of relegation (City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal *cough*, Villa). Blackburn, Sunderland, QPR and Fulham are the only exceptions that spring to mind. Bolton, Wigan, Wolves, West Brom, Swansea, Norwich, Newcastle, Everton and Stoke are all British-owned. I don't see how this could possibly be a plot by 'foreigners'.

My guess is that it's the latest brainchild of Phil Gartside. He's dipped his toe in this pool before.

Isn't it 'natural' for even some of those to want to protect themselves 100% from the outside chance though ?

[Tokyo Blue]

Something about this story doesn't sit right. Most of the foreign owners in the Premier League are at clubs in no danger of relegation (City, United, Liverpool, Arsenal *cough*, Villa). Blackburn, Sunderland, QPR and Fulham are the only exceptions that spring to mind. Bolton, Wigan, Wolves, West Brom, Swansea, Norwich, Newcastle, Everton and Stoke are all British-owned. I don't see how this could possibly be a plot by 'foreigners'.

Indeed. I'd like to see his evidence for making this statement.

[Yffi_88]

If one of these clubs happens to go down this year... And for whatever fucked up reason they decide to pass this through the year after... Do you reckon they'll still be up for it.

Remember division 2? Imagine if city fans were told that we'd be staying there for the foreseeable future despite being one of the most well supported teams in the country?

Strange idea.

[Alioune DVToure]

Something about this story doesn't sit right. Most of the foreign owners in the Premier League are at clubs in no danger of relegation (City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal *cough*, Villa). Blackburn, Sunderland, QPR and Fulham are the only exceptions that spring to mind. Bolton, Wigan, Wolves, West Brom, Swansea, Norwich, Newcastle, Everton and Stoke are all British-owned. I don't see how this could possibly be a plot by 'foreigners'.

My guess is that it's the latest brainchild of Phil Gartside. He's dipped his toe in this pool before.

Isn't it 'natural' for even some of those to want to protect themselves 100% from the outside chance though ?

Whether it is or it isn't, it wouldn't make sense for the top 8 clubs in the league to be leading the calls. Perhaps Al Fayed and Venky's might have something to gain from the proposal, but I can't see why Sheik Mansour or Roman Abramovic would care much.

Like I say, this reeks of Phil Gartside. Every time Bolton have a wobble he conjours up a way to protect their long-term status.

[DoomMerchant]

the end of relegation can never happen in English football. As an American, i can tell you that this is such an absolutely powerful tool in this league, and the entire system. If baseball or basketball had such a thing in America those sports would benefit greatly from it. The NFL not so much because in essence our University teams are basically the "lower leagues" as twisted as that is...

Relegation and Promotion are the bedrock of a strong, entertaining system and i cannot imagine any owner who is a true fan embracing any change.

Is it the Venky's guys, maybe and a journo stirring up a shitpot from one fucked up perspective? most likely i'd say.

cheers

[feedthegreek]

its been done in rugby league.

[Yffi_88]

its been done in rugby league.

Different ball-game. So to speak. There is NO way this will happen. The premier league have already come out in the last few hours and said that any attempt will be a non starter.

[feedthegreek]

its been done in rugby league.

Different ball-game. So to speak. There is NO way this will happen. The premier league have already come out in the last few hours and said that any attempt will be a non starter.

im glad to hear that ,i mentioned the rugby league one because its hard to believe any sport
would implement it.

[DoomMerchant]

its been done in rugby league.

Different ball-game. So to speak. There is NO way this will happen. The premier league have already come out in the last few hours and said that any attempt will be a non starter.

im glad to hear that ,i mentioned the rugby league one because its hard to believe any sport
would implement it.

you would only implement it if you felt like your sport would be more viable commercially and competitively if you were to do so, and in the case of football that's absolutely not the case. Maybe it was in the case of Rugby, i have no idea.

cheers

[Alioune DVToure]

The Championship play-off final is, in my opinion, the most high-drama spectacle in world football. Imagine if it were to die the death. Rubbish.

[Chinners]

No relegation/promotion would suck big time. These are probably the same morons that think Celtic/Rangers should get a bye into the Prem rather that stating in the Blue Square thingy like other sides

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

We'll all be American soon anyway. Might as well fall in line.

[Florida Blue]

the end of relegation can never happen in English football. As an American, i can tell you that this is such an absolutely powerful tool in this league, and the entire system. If baseball or basketball had such a thing in America those sports would benefit greatly from it. The NFL not so much because in essence our University teams are basically the "lower leagues" as twisted as that is...

Relegation and Promotion are the bedrock of a strong, entertaining system and i cannot imagine any owner who is a true fan embracing any change.

Is it the Venky's guys, maybe and a journo stirring up a shitpot from one fucked up perspective? most likely i'd say.

cheers

Dommie, you can't even compare the two. The NBA is a hard comparison to make, but if you look at the NHL or MLB the "lower" leagues are teams that are either owned by the teams at the top level or totally populated by players controlled by one or two teams (that would be the NHL) so it would be like allowing the reserves to promote, so it is structurally impossible in those sports. The are essentially the reserves and the EDS we have at City.

Obvioulsy a reserve side would not be in contention to promote, so even if the Chicago Cubs team in the highest level of the minors were in position to say promote and the Cubs were going to drop, they could either promote their own players to assure they are not replaced by their own team. Not only that.. I do not think Des Moines, Iowa would be financially rewarding to the MLB franchise, that system could never work here. And again, impossible to fathom.

Same thing goes even with MLS. MLS is closed to anything but expansion. Could you imagine if the current last place team in MLS the New England Revolution were to be relegated and replaced by the 2nd best team in the NASL (second tier in USA) which was the Puerto Rica Islanders? The Revolution average 13000 per game (lower quarter of MSL) but the Islanders average about 5000 per game. The population of Great Boston is larger than all of the Puerto Rican island. Plus the money is not there to expand the stadium, nor would there be that prize money.

I do agree the Premier League and all of English Football would be forever broken if this were actually true. As a matter of fact, I see no other sport that can realistically do it, and I see no way it could happen in any sport in the USA.

[Yffi_88]

No Blackpoolesque fairytales... No chance at seeing Leeds come up only to get sent straight back down again.... The amount of derby games that would never happen..

NO 99 PLAYOFF REPEATS??

The richest clubs in the leagues would continually dominate. It would become so stale.

Could this be the worst idea of the year so far?

[steveo_88]

Beware any change to a franchise system. Fans are ignored and history doesn't mean diddly squat in a franchise system. I'll tell you something now the SCUM would do everything in their power to get rid of us and claim Manchester as their own, we are always outnumbered as fans at every level of power!

Atlanta (it's not exactly a small City, they weren't the least competitive or the one with no fans) had an NHL Ice Hockey team last season and a half decent one at that, the club is now playing in Winnipeg as the Jets!

In the MLB, NHL there are only a handful of teams that could never be moved:
NHL: The original six.
MLB: Boston Red Sox, Da Bronx Bombers, Chicago Cubs (I still don't understand why people like the Cubs so much, is it because most of the non white Chicago population support the Sox?). Everyone else is up for grabs; there are rumblings in Long Island for the Mets; Los Angeles for the Dodgers and always ALWAYS Oakland (for every franchise Oakland has, remember Los Angeles and Las Vegas really want an NFL team) for the A's.

I've heard whispers the NEW YORK KNICKS could be on their way (That's like moving us to London and if we don't like it tough because fans don't have a say!)!

[Yffi_88]

Not going to happen. End of.

[Ted Hughes]

Ok then, lets bring it in once Bolton & Blackburn have gone down, but you can guarantee it will mysteriously disappear off the agenda if that happens.