02 May 2021 22:18:53
Surprised at all the aggro towards Gary Neville and Carra.
Never liked Gary as a player and not until recently as a pundit. However I have to say he has spoken eloquently on the topic of the super league and agree with most of what he says on this particular issue.
It’s wrong for anyone to trespass and damage the stadium however we have to keep protesting to try and prevent the threat of the super league that, quite frankly, our owners will keep on pushing until English football gives in.
I don’t know what the correct response is to try and protect the integrity of the football league but we must make sure our voices remain heard and I am pleased that the likes of Gary Neville (despite hating him as a player! ) can speak articulately on the topic and keep up the good fight.
{Ed0666's Note - I think you’re welcome to you’re prerogative and the anti neville brigade welcome to theirs.
02 May 2021 22:46:33
Of course ed0666 everyone entitled to their opinion just expressing me own!
{Ed0666's Note - no worries buddy I happen not to agree with what you’re saying but welcome to the debate.
02 May 2021 23:07:37
The problem I have with anyone working with Sky Sports on this issue is their moralising over how the ESL was going to 'take football away from the ordinary fans' and its defeat is some sort of great victory for the man in the street and such.
The ordinary hob-nail booted chimney sweep supporter, as Ed2 would say, has not won anything from this. The gentrification, for want of a better word, of footie started a long time ago. And Sky were slap bang in the middle of it. "This form of monetising the game is bad, but the form we've been doing for the last 30 years is fine. " seems to be the message.
The only difference between them is the overt 'closed shop' aspect of the ESL (and possibly being kicked out of their domestic leagues as punishment, but that's not an intentional outcome. At least not yet), and that's a secondary issue to the call to arms the likes of Carra and Neville have been issuing. It's all been "they're taking football away from you! Fight back! ". It's already being taken away bit by bit, lads. Has been for 30 years, will continue to be. And the two of you are collecting a salary from an institution who are helping take it away.
And when there's eventually some form European Super League or reform to the CL that's as good as the ESL, you can bet Sky will chuck insane sums of money at it for the rights. Wonder will Carra and Neville quit their jobs in protest?
{Ed0666's Note - But then the double standard is when we let sky bastardize and prostitute the game we love and not do anything about it Did we boycott Sky offerings. Did we protest outside Sky corporate office is Heston, West London? No we laughed at Soccer Saturday, marveled at the fancy production on Monday Night Football etc. it’s all fine and dandy to be xenophobic and blame American owners for the advent of nefarious offerings (I’m generalizing and not calling you a bigot mate) they will look to introduce but 30 years ago a company/media conglomerate more close to home started the ball rolling. I didn’t hear a peep out of anyone then.
02 May 2021 23:30:37
The one thing that does annoy me about Neville is he seems to be focusing entirely on Liverpool and United regarding the ESL and almost absolving the other 4 clubs of any blame. Regardless of who was behind the plan all 6 clubs signed up for it.
{Ed0666's Note - he has a point we were ringleaders and instigators.
02 May 2021 23:43:30
I think these protests won’t have much of an impact on the owners and certainly won’t sway them into selling. The only way you will get their attention is if absolutely no one turned up to matches and if fans stop purchasing club merchandise. First one will be very difficult to carry but what football has showed us in the last few weeks is that anything is possible.
03 May 2021 09:44:35
It's all well and good having a pop at Eufa and Fifa, as well as Sky and BT Sports, but what about the fans. It's the fans that are demanding that we sign this player, or that player for massive fees and wages. It's the fans who demand that we win the PL, CL, FA Cup League Cup. Where do you think the money is going to come from, if not Sky or BT.
{Ed001's Note - just because the fans ask for players doesn't mean they have to go sign them.}
03 May 2021 10:02:01
I had this argument with a few other posters. There’s always a few supporters who play FIFA too much and demand we sign Mbappe, Neymar etc. But that shouldn’t make our owners act the way they have. As I said before I’ve seen protests and banners against the ESL but can’t remember any demanding we sign this player or that.
03 May 2021 10:41:57
Couldn’t agree more with ed0666. When the Premier League broke away from the football league Sky’s offer was too much to turn down and so many of us here grew up without football on terrestrial TV taking it away from many fans. This is one of the arguments against the ESL, seems pretty similar to me. Neville owes his wealth and achievements to the money that the Premier League breakaway brought in. He directly profited from fans restricted access to the game they love. Obviously he wasn’t involved in its formation I’m not blaming him.
I respect his stance now and I didn’t want to see a ESL but the only difference I see is that many of us don’t remember the formation of the PL and are used to Sky’s monopoly of the game. What the six owners tried to create isn’t vastly different from what Liverpool, Man U, Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton started 30 years ago with Sky’s financial incentives.