Al Fayed sells Fulham

[mr_nool]

On the subject of foriegn owners fucking things up i think the the winners hands down are the Venky's they have turned Blackburn into a complete laughing stock.

IN England, yes, but surely Heart's owner was worse.

[Twobob]

IN England, yes, but surely Heart's owner was worse.

Have to agree, Venkys push it close but didnt Rominov bring best friends and family in as players? He was a nutter

[I Just Blue Myself]

On the subject of foriegn owners fucking things up i think the the winners hands down are the Venky's they have turned Blackburn into a complete laughing stock.

IN England, yes, but surely Heart's owner was worse.

Bulat Chagaev was worst.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sport/Game_ ... d=32013702

[Twobob]

Bulat Chagaev was worst.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sport/Game_ ... d=32013702

This bit made me piss!

"May 29: during half-time at the Swiss Cup Final Chagaev is reported to have entered the dressing room as Xamax trailed Sion, shouting “I’ll kill you all” to motivate his players."

[mr_nool]

On the subject of foriegn owners fucking things up i think the the winners hands down are the Venky's they have turned Blackburn into a complete laughing stock.

IN England, yes, but surely Heart's owner was worse.

Bulat Chagaev was worst.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sport/Game_ ... d=32013702

Yeah, that guy is totally fucking bonkers, but I thought it was about the UK,

[Mikhail Chigorin]

If our owners hadn't bought the Club when they did, I wonder what we'd be thinking and how we would now be viewing Thaksin Shinawatra ??

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

If our owners hadn't bought the Club when they did, I wonder what we'd be thinking and how we would now be viewing Thaksin Shinawatra ??

The most uncomfortable time I've ever experienced following City, including Leeds away in the late 70s.

[PrezIke]

Why would that make me feel better? He owns an American sport franchise. I don't want that mentality taking over professional football in this country.

The mentality of the most profitable and successful sports league in the world? One where more than 3 or 4 teams have any shot of winning every year? And where the top players earn way more than prem league players? Yeah that would suck for everyone. You can bitch about american football ticket prices for sure but the league is the top model going.

I'm thinking of two things in particular, to which I have alluded. One - no relegation/promotion which means taking people's dreams away from them. Two - private deals with the television companies. I didn't allude to one particular league but American sport in general. I couldn't care less about how profitable the league is or how much the players earn. Most successful league in the world? By what criteria? Profit? See my first point. If more than 3 or 4 teams can win it, then fair play, that's a good point, but it's always the same teams as they don't have promotion and relegation. A bit like Arsenal/Rags/Liverpool every year, which is boring beyond belief.

sorry if i'm late on this, but i would say that i think it is a stretch to think that an american owner will look to make such changes. firstly, in american professional sport it is not really possible to have relegation because there are no other leagues to be relegated to. there are small pro leagues around, but none are suitable in quality and in earnings to send the last teams in the league out. i think it would be great to have that in american sport, especially in the nba where the draft (which every pro-league in america uses to help the worst teams the most and the best supposedly the least) is so powerful in changing a club's fortune (i.e. draft lebron james/michael jordan). it is commonly known the worst teams in the nba "tank," or intentionally lose to have a better shot at such players.

anyway, the point i want to make is that american sport does not have relegation not necessarily because americans do not believe in it, but because sport is not structured like it is in other nations with tiers of leagues that are connected through an association. however, an american owner trying to bring relegation to the states might get a backlash because it would be a drastic change that probably none of them want anyway (their clubs get to stay in the league automatically). in the same regard then, why would american owners change the premier league so no other teams can enter the league? hard to not see that there would be a huge public outcry that would definitely not benefit them. turning off millions of supporters to their league doesn't sound like a good idea, one would think. to eliminate relegation would be pretty stupid on their part because of the culture that has existed for so long.

secondly, your last point that it's the same teams in american football every year can be explained by what i just stated, that you can't really relegate any pro sport clubs in america to a lower league, when there is no league to relegate them to, not simply because no one would ever support the idea of relegation in america (me being an example of one who likes the idea).

[PrezIke]

I do like the way any team could be successful, but that's due to the draft system, but that wouldn't work here - to get to university here, you have to be clever, not just good at football. Hence, no footballers go.

The banning of relegation/promotion is a real risk though, mooted by several American influences, including Cook. I'll never agree with that and if any City fan thinks it's a good idea, they have a very short memory.

you don't have to draft players from university. actually, in basketball and baseball many players come from high school (baseball, i think almost all) and some come from other nations, of course. ricky rubio was drafted at 17 (the minimum age to be drafted then, i think). the draft works in u.s. sport because of high school sport which is HUGE, sometimes even bigger than professional in some areas. basically, most professional scouts find out about players in high school (sometimes younger).

in europe and elsewhere there is the academy system. how these folks recruit their players i do not know a lot about, but i know many enter the academy system while at a very young age, right? so, hard to see how you can draft players when they already belong to another club. that's why you have the transfer market. someone has to buy them. in most american sports most players do not become professional until they are 18, as they have age limits in each league. sometimes they are a little younger, but that's in certain sports, and more uncommon.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Why would that make me feel better? He owns an American sport franchise. I don't want that mentality taking over professional football in this country.

The mentality of the most profitable and successful sports league in the world? One where more than 3 or 4 teams have any shot of winning every year? And where the top players earn way more than prem league players? Yeah that would suck for everyone. You can bitch about american football ticket prices for sure but the league is the top model going.

I'm thinking of two things in particular, to which I have alluded. One - no relegation/promotion which means taking people's dreams away from them. Two - private deals with the television companies. I didn't allude to one particular league but American sport in general. I couldn't care less about how profitable the league is or how much the players earn. Most successful league in the world? By what criteria? Profit? See my first point. If more than 3 or 4 teams can win it, then fair play, that's a good point, but it's always the same teams as they don't have promotion and relegation. A bit like Arsenal/Rags/Liverpool every year, which is boring beyond belief.

sorry if i'm late on this, but i would say that i think it is a stretch to think that an american owner will look to make such changes. firstly, in american professional sport it is not really possible to have relegation because there are no other leagues to be relegated to. there are small pro leagues around, but none are suitable in quality and in earnings to send the last teams in the league out. i think it would be great to have that in american sport, especially in the nba where the draft (which every pro-league in america uses to help the worst teams the most and the best supposedly the least) is so powerful in changing a club's fortune (i.e. draft lebron james/michael jordan). it is commonly known the worst teams in the nba "tank," or intentionally lose to have a better shot at such players.

anyway, the point i want to make is that american sport does not have relegation not necessarily because americans do not believe in it, but because sport is not structured like it is in other nations with tiers of leagues that are connected through an association. however, an american owner trying to bring relegation to the states might get a backlash because it would be a drastic change that probably none of them want anyway (their clubs get to stay in the league automatically). in the same regard then, why would american owners change the premier league so no other teams can enter the league? hard to not see that there would be a huge public outcry that would definitely not benefit them. turning off millions of supporters to their league doesn't sound like a good idea, one would think. to eliminate relegation would be pretty stupid on their part because of the culture that has existed for so long.

secondly, your last point that it's the same teams in american football every year can be explained by what i just stated, that you can't really relegate any pro sport clubs in america to a lower league, when there is no league to relegate them to, not simply because no one would ever support the idea of relegation in america (me being an example of one who likes the idea).

Thanks for taking the time to make those points. My main motivation for not wanting American ownership of anymore clubs (leaving aside the Glasers and the people at Liverpool, i.e., using them as cash-machines) is that they were in the vanguard of clubs bring the new anti-competition/investment rules into the Premier League, as evidence by the leaked letter to the PL that showed the main culprits were American owners. These new rules stop investment in the playing staff although not the infrastructure of a club (but if you can't invest in players why spend millions on a new stadium/training complex etc.). This has the effect of closing off competition at the top end of the table into perpetuity. This is not how football has been run over here since its inception, nor should it be. The idea that a team like Wolves with its incredibly rich and successful history (or Forrest for that matter) may never get back to the top of English football because they've had the door closed to them makes me puke, and it's just plain wrong. And I fear for the future despite the fact that we should be alright, yet that's hardly the point.

[JamieMCFC]

you don't have to draft players from university. actually, in basketball and baseball many players come from high school (baseball, i think almost all) and some come from other nations, of course. ricky rubio was drafted at 17 (the minimum age to be drafted then, i think). the draft works in u.s. sport because of high school sport which is HUGE, sometimes even bigger than professional in some areas. basically, most professional scouts find out about players in high school (sometimes younger).

in europe and elsewhere there is the academy system. how these folks recruit their players i do not know a lot about, but i know many enter the academy system while at a very young age, right? so, hard to see how you can draft players when they already belong to another club. that's why you have the transfer market. someone has to buy them. in most american sports most players do not become professional until they are 18, as they have age limits in each league. sometimes they are a little younger, but that's in certain sports, and more uncommon.

You can't draft a player right of college in the NBA or NFL. It was agreed upon between the leagues and their two respective player unions. The NBA you have to be out of high school for one year and the NFL three years. Baseball is different in players are drafted from both high school and college but player never goes straight to the majors. He spends years in the minors before getting called up. Billy Beane GM for the Oakland Athletics didn't believe in drafting high school players he talks about it in his book Moneyball which got turned into movie that stared Brad Pitt as Beane. He didn't draft high school kid for years. That philosophy has recently changed. The NHL is a whole different beast when talking about how the draft works and where players are drafted from.

[Twobob]

NFL blah blah blah NBA blah blah blah MLB blah blah blah

rounders, girly rugby and land of the giants - maybe Fulham should get Rory Delap in and make some yardage or what ever the fuck its about.

[JamieMCFC]

NFL blah blah blah NBA blah blah blah MLB blah blah blah

rounders, girly rugby and land of the giants - maybe Fulham should get Rory Delap in and make some yardage or what ever the fuck its about.

Delap wouldn't be able to cut it in over here outside of MLS. So you can shove that opinion right up your ass.

[Twobob]

Delap wouldn't be able to cut it in over here outside of MLS. So you can shove that opinion right up your ass.

Sideways, lubed or beads?

Perhaps you should stick to watching your 'sports' and leave our school girls alone.

[DoomMerchant]

NFL blah blah blah NBA blah blah blah MLB blah blah blah

rounders, girly rugby and land of the giants - maybe Fulham should get Rory Delap in and make some yardage or what ever the fuck its about.

Let me just say this dicksnot:

Congrats to Fulham fans for have a new Billionaire owner who might spunk some cash on you.

Certainly, you ought to feel the same way unless you are just a complete fucking asshole.

Cheers

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Let me just say this dicksnot:

Congrats to Fulham fans for have a new Billionaire owner who might spunk some cash on you.

Certainly, you ought to feel the same way unless you are just a complete fucking asshole.

Cheers

Has somebody upset the loudmouth American?

Come on sweetheart its banter.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Also I love the NBA. And can't wait to tour the states. And think your sports work for you.

Just think some stuff won't translate other side of the pond.

[halnone]

is there any evidence the new owner of Fulham actually wants to change how the league functions, or is this all speculation?

there is a strange anti American sentiment in this thread that i'm struggling to find the reason for.

[DoomMerchant]

Let me just say this dicksnot:

Congrats to Fulham fans for have a new Billionaire owner who might spunk some cash on you.

Certainly, you ought to feel the same way unless you are just a complete fucking asshole.

Cheers

Has somebody upset the loudmouth American?

Come on sweetheart its banter.

Upset? Yes. I'm fucking crying over here. I can't sleep. I can't eat.

I'm just setting this fucker straight. Upset has nothing to do with his posts, tho i will say some fuclers have come off as so anti-American that it's unflattering.

cheers

[JamieMCFC]

is there any evidence the new owner of Fulham actually wants to change how the league functions, or is this all speculation?

there is a strange anti American sentiment in this thread that i'm struggling to find the reason for.

No evidence that he wants to change it. Some people just like to spout shit.