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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: I need a Premier League team
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
Premier League games are now shown on network television in the United States. I've decided to break down and select a team to follow. Problem is I don't know anything about the teams. So, I need help picking a team.
Here are my criteria
1. Manchester United and all other flashy teams are not options.
2. Teams in danger of falling out of the Premier League are not options.
3. My team should be a contender.
4. I want a well run franchise that sticks to the fundamentals. Give me the Premier League equivalent of the Pittsburgh Steelers or San Antonio Spurs. I'm looking for solid and businesslike without the attitude.
5. If none of the teams fit the criteria, I'll go with Liverpool because I already have a t-shirt or Gamaliel's team's biggest rival.
Any suggestions?
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
Contender for what? If you want to root for a potential league champion, you really have no choice but to go flashy- United, Man City, or Chelsea.
If you want a contender for the fourth champion's league spot, you can go a little less flashy. Spurs, Arsenal, and Liverpool would fit the bill. Everton has had a strong start so far, and have a good history of bringing in and starting American players.
If you want a contender for a Europa league spot and you can go less flashy still. Have you considered becoming the only Stoke fan in your city? They were a surprise promotion a few years ago, but have stayed in the top tier by playing nasty defense. Maybe the Baltimore Ravens of the Premiere League?
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"I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
I know at least one Arsenal fan. I like Liverpool's working class reputation which is sort of Steelerish (perhaps unfairly Eaglesish). According to wikipedia, Liverpool has won 18 championships though the last one was 22 years ago (and I have a t-shirt). I'm liking the Stoke City idea. I could be one of the only Stoke City fans in the United States.
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Sioni Sais
Shipmate
# 5713
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Posted
Here's some information about the owners of Premiership clubs. If you rule out the flashy and moneybags outfits then I'm afraid that leaves the losers plus Newcastle, Stoke and Everton.
Everton was a founder member of the old Football League and have been in the top flight (the Premiership, previously Division One) longer than any club except Arsenal. They are English-owned, play decent football and yes, I'm a supporter.
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"He isn't Doctor Who, he's The Doctor"
(Paul Sinha, BBC)
Posts: 24276 | From: Newport, Wales | Registered: Apr 2004
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sewanee_angel
Shipmate
# 2908
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Posted
Take a look at Everton. Or maybe more particularly Moyes at Everton. imo, he does more with less (money). I have really liked what I've seen him do w/ the budget he's got. And cheering on Tim Howard is a plus from a US perspective.
How much do you follow USA players? Would a team become more interesting to you if there was one (or two) interesting Americans on it? Everton have Howard. Spurs have Friedel & Dempsey. Stoke have Cameron. And Aston Villa has a couple.
Posts: 598 | From: a van down by the river | Registered: Jun 2002
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balaam
Making an ass of myself
# 4543
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Posted
What the biggest clubs have is a large squad of players, so they are able to rest players more often.
For excitement try an attacking team, whic means living on your nerves. Try Newcastle, good attack but leaky defence, there are always going to be some good wins and bad losses - like the recent 3-0 defeat - but not many boring games.
Defensive teams can be tedious when they play each other.
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Last ever sig ...
blog
Posts: 9049 | From: Hen Ogledd | Registered: May 2003
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EtymologicalEvangelical
Shipmate
# 15091
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Posted
I support Manchester City, but as they are a moneybags team, then I would agree that Everton would be a good team to support, as they are consistently good in the top half of the table. They also don't sack their manager every five minutes.
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You can argue with a man who says, 'Rice is unwholesome': but you neither can nor need argue with a man who says, 'Rice is unwholesome, but I'm not saying this is true'. CS Lewis
Posts: 3625 | From: South Coast of England | Registered: Sep 2009
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The Weeder
Shipmate
# 11321
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Posted
Manchester City is much less flashy then Man United. I would go for City all the way.
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Still missing the gator
Posts: 2542 | From: LaLa Land | Registered: Apr 2006
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The Weeder
Shipmate
# 11321
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Posted
On the other hand, Newcastle United fans cheer them on with the wonderful Geordie expression 'Haway, the Laads!' And they sing Blaydon Races.
[ 08. October 2012, 19:18: Message edited by: The Weeder ]
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Still missing the gator
Posts: 2542 | From: LaLa Land | Registered: Apr 2006
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Starbug
Shipmate
# 15917
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Posted
Try Southampton, if your nerves can stand it. They've just gone up to the Premiership after seven years of relegation. My husband's a Saints fan - trust me, your life would never be boring! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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“Oh the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do? Assemble a cabinet at them?” ― The Day of the Doctor
Posts: 1189 | From: West of the New Forest | Registered: Sep 2010
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sewanee_angel
Shipmate
# 2908
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by The Weeder:
On the other hand, Newcastle United fans cheer them on with the wonderful Geordie expression 'Haway, the Laads!' And they sing Blaydon Races.
But isn't Newcastle one of those Huge Clubs (tm) that also does not fit the "well run franchise that sticks to the fundamentals" nor equivalent of Steelers/San Antonio Spurs? But maybe their time in the Championship changed them?
Posts: 598 | From: a van down by the river | Registered: Jun 2002
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MarsmanTJ
Shipmate
# 8689
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Posted
West Bromwich Albion are doing rather well, in no danger of relegation, and not really a 'moneybags' team.
Posts: 238 | Registered: Oct 2004
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birdie
fowl
# 2173
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Posted
Another suggestion for Everton here. But you'd have to get rid of your Liverpool shirt...
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"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness."
Captain Jack Sparrow
Posts: 1290 | From: the edge | Registered: Jan 2002
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Panda
Shipmate
# 2951
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Posted
Swansea City! The only Welsh team; still 11th in the table despite a few recent losses, but tied their last game. A cheerfully underdog team that beat Man City and Liverpool last season. And it's their 100th anniversary this year.
Posts: 1637 | From: North Wales | Registered: Jun 2002
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by birdie:
Another suggestion for Everton here. But you'd have to get rid of your Liverpool shirt...
I visited the UK in 1998, right after Arsenal won the double. When I got home, I ran out and purchased an Arsenal shirt. I was a teenager, I didn't know any better.
Flash forward ten years, when I actually started following the premiership regularly. I went through the same discernment process as B.A. is going through now, and managed to settle on Spurs, not even thinking about that old shirt.
That damned Arsenal shirt still sits at the bottom of my drawer, as a reminder of my youthful indiscretion. So you wouldn't be the first person to make a leap of that magnitude.
There, my late night confession for the day. Take it easy on me, please. ![[Hot and Hormonal]](icon_redface.gif)
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"I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Sioni Sais
Shipmate
# 5713
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Posted
Don't worry about the 'wrong' shirt. Think how much you can raise for charity by wearing it for a day.
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"He isn't Doctor Who, he's The Doctor"
(Paul Sinha, BBC)
Posts: 24276 | From: Newport, Wales | Registered: Apr 2004
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
Thanks for your suggestions
I'm liking Everton. Still, they are a bit of a trendy team. After finding out that Liverpool's anthem is "You'll Never Walk Alone," they are looking less appealing. Who has a show tune from Carousel as their song?
Wales is the ancestral home of one branch of my father's family. I'll give some consideration to Swansea City. However, they don't appear to fit the contender criteria very well.
Newcastle United is out. All of NFL and NCAA football teams (except for one) go for the high octane offenses withe often leaky defenses. If I pick a team, I want one that plays solid defense.
I haven't looked into Stoke.
Southhampton and West Bromwich Albion have both been relegated in the past.
If I used Zappa's method of picking the team with the best name, I'd go with Arsenal.
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Jigsaw
Shipmate
# 11433
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Posted
Let's face it, if you rule out the big clubs, and also those who might get relegated, you're not left with much in the middle. That's just the way the Premiership has become, I'm afraid. West Ham (my team, but owned by two pornographers so I guess that rules them out for you) Wigan, West Brom, Southampton, Reading, Norwich, Swansea are all vulnerable to relegation.
I'd go for Stoke City - a decently run club in a town that needs all the help it can get, a great version of "Delilah" sung when they score, and with great pubs if you ever visit. And despite what someone said earlier, they do play some attractive football too.
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You are not alone in this.
Posts: 743 | From: Snorbens, UK | Registered: May 2006
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
Does Everton have a song?
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Jigsaw
Shipmate
# 11433
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Posted
I don't think they have one signature song, but the team run out to the theme tune of the old BBC TV police series "Z Cars", set in that area of Liverpool.
I've heard their fans sing several other songs about past glories, but I don't think they've an equivalent of "Blue Moon" or "Bubbles" or "You'll Never Walk Alone" or "When the red red robin" that are the hallmark songs of other clubs.
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You are not alone in this.
Posts: 743 | From: Snorbens, UK | Registered: May 2006
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goperryrevs
Shipmtae
# 13504
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Posted
Everton or Arsenal.
Moyes has consistently done miracles with no money, and Everton deserve a lot of respect. However, they are not a contender - no chance of them winning the PL.
Arsenal are the only 'well-run' of the bigger teams. They consistently make profit and refuse to overpay players. This results in them selling at least one star player every summer, which results in the media saying "it's the end for Arsenal", who then go on to unearth another star player from somewhere and always stay in the top four. They haven't won anything for a few years, but they have much more chance than Everton.
As an Ipswich fan, my advice is whatever you do, don't pick Norwich. They're a bunch of inbred yokels, unlike the Tractor Boys.
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"Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole." - David Lynch
Posts: 2098 | From: Midlands | Registered: Mar 2008
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
Only 6 teams have a chance of winning the Premier League?
That's worse than Major League Baseball.
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Ariston
Insane Unicorn
# 10894
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Posted
This is painful to admit, but, if you want a chance of winning a trophy, Arsenal might not be the best choice. I'm surprised IF hasn't come along already bandying about both my name and the sorrid details.
Summery: Arsenal is a bit like the Chicago Cubs. They appeal to people across class lines, have a fan base that sticks around even after things start to look bad, play a very particular sort of football that's great fun to watch (if you don't mind not winning all the time), and, most importantly, seem incapable of winning the league, no matter how good they actually are.
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“Therefore, let it be explained that nowhere are the proprieties quite so strictly enforced as in men’s colleges that invite young women guests, especially over-night visitors in the fraternity houses.” Emily Post, 1937.
Posts: 6849 | From: The People's Republic of Balcones | Registered: Jan 2006
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Starbug
Shipmate
# 15917
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
Does Everton have a song?
Yes, they do. Here's a video: http://video.football.co.uk/channel/Everton/video/256
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“Oh the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do? Assemble a cabinet at them?” ― The Day of the Doctor
Posts: 1189 | From: West of the New Forest | Registered: Sep 2010
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Starbug
Shipmate
# 15917
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Posted
Regarding Southampton, they were a great club until Rupert Lowe came along. He made a series of managerials cock-ups, employing coaches to act as managers and then adding insult ti injury by hiring Harry Redknapp, who was hated by the supoortters because he's previously managed their rivals, Portsmouth.
Lowe didn't just drag the team into the lower leagues, he also led them into administration. The club only started to imrove after the finally left and the late Marcus Liebherr bought it. Liebherr's estate and family and now overseeing the club, with greatly improved results.
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“Oh the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do? Assemble a cabinet at them?” ― The Day of the Doctor
Posts: 1189 | From: West of the New Forest | Registered: Sep 2010
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Dormouse
Glis glis – Ship's rodent
# 5954
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Panda:
Swansea City! The only Welsh team; still 11th in the table despite a few recent losses, but tied their last game. A cheerfully underdog team that beat Man City and Liverpool last season. And it's their 100th anniversary this year.
Okay, I don't follow football, and MrD is a Man Utd supporter (even though he's from Kent, he has followed Man Utd since he was about 9 years old, so I will forgive him for being a non-Northern supporter) I vote with Panda for Swansea City. I have (kind of ) supported them since they got into the Premier - in a "how did my boys do?" kind of way, rather than watching every match - but I think it would be good to support the underdogs-who-actually-aren't-doing-too-badly.
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What are you doing for Lent?
40 days, 40 reflections, 40 acts of generosity. Join the #40acts challenge for #Lent and let's start a movement. www.40acts.org.uk
Posts: 3042 | From: 'twixt les Bois Noirs & Les Monts de la Madeleine | Registered: May 2004
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goperryrevs
Shipmtae
# 13504
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
Only 6 teams have a chance of winning the Premier League?
That's worse than Major League Baseball.
More like two or three, outside chance four. Either of the manchesters, if not Chelsea, outside chance Arsenal.
If you really want to pick someone who's got a chance of winning, then that's all you can pick from.
Spurs or Liverpool might get good again, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
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"Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole." - David Lynch
Posts: 2098 | From: Midlands | Registered: Mar 2008
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Starbug:
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
Does Everton have a song?
Yes, they do. Here's a video: http://video.football.co.uk/channel/Everton/video/256
I'd vote for Everton just for the song. A good old music hall style song beats the hell out of '"Blue Moon" or "Bubbles" or "You'll Never Walk Alone" or "When the red red robin"'. What the hell are having those about? ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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Marvin the Martian
Interplanetary
# 4360
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
Southhampton and West Bromwich Albion have both been relegated in the past.
So have almost all of the current Premiership teams, barring the flashy moneybags at the top. The question is how will they get on in the future, not how they did in the past!
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Hail Gallaxhar
Posts: 30100 | From: Adrift on a sea of surreality | Registered: Apr 2003
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Jengie jon
Semper Reformanda
# 273
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Posted
Oh Man City have been relegated in the past. So it is even true of the current flash money bags.
Jengie
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"To violate a persons ability to distinguish fact from fantasy is the epistemological equivalent of rape." Noretta Koertge
Back to my blog
Posts: 20894 | From: city of steel, butterflies and rainbows | Registered: May 2001
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Trickydicky
Shipmate
# 16550
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Posted
There is only one option - West Bromwich Albion. A well run club without loads of money. They buy sensibly and nurture talent. Yes, they have been relegated, promoted, relegated and promoted - which is why we're called 'Boing Boing Baggies'. (That is another reason for supporting West Brom -we're the only team with a decent nickname). But relegation is most unlikely over the next few seasons I think. And if you want to go back far enough (late 1970's) we were the team that really allowed black footballers into a team - Cunningham, Regis and Batson. Although my son supports Stoke, they have a reputation of playing, shall we say, physical football.
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If something's worth doing, its worth doing badly. (G K Chesterton)
Posts: 57 | From: Greater Manchester | Registered: Jul 2011
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Ricardus
Shipmate
# 8757
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Posted
It's worth pointing out there are gradations of moneybags.
Manchester City and Chelsea are basically billionaires playing fantasy football in unlimited cash mode.
Manchester United got rich by a combination of good football and the ability to commercialise absolutely everything. Basically they are the Microsoft of the Premier League.
Wenger at Arsenal IIRC built most of his success on a shoestring budget - scouring the world for teenagers with undeveloped talent and building them up. They seem actually to have declined as they got richer.
I'm not sure about Liverpool, whom I sort-of support (like Dormouse in a 'how did they do this week' way). Last season they seemed to have a lot of free money to waste, and this season they're fielding youth sides and getting hammered.
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Then the dog ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. -- Tobit 11:9 (Douai-Rheims)
Posts: 7247 | From: Liverpool, UK | Registered: Nov 2004
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Ricardus
Shipmate
# 8757
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Posted
To clarify: I think giving young players a chance is a Good Thing. However in Liverpool's case it is partly symptomatic of having Spent All Their Money last season.
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Then the dog ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. -- Tobit 11:9 (Douai-Rheims)
Posts: 7247 | From: Liverpool, UK | Registered: Nov 2004
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LeRoc
Famous Dutch pirate
# 3216
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Posted
quote:
Panda: Swansea City!
Seconded! (Or maybe I should say fifthed or sixted already? ![[Biased]](wink.gif) ) But I've lived in Swansea, so I'm not completely unbiased.
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I know why God made the rhinoceros, it's because He couldn't see the rhinoceros, so He made the rhinoceros to be able to see it. (Clarice Lispector)
Posts: 9474 | From: Brazil / Africa | Registered: Aug 2002
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
2. Teams in danger of falling out of the Premier League are not options.
3. My team should be a contender.
Apart from "The Big Four" (where "4" is actually a number that varies randomly from 2 to 6 between years and you never actually know which it is going to be until about ten weeks in to the season) there are no teams not at risk of relegation. Not even Liverpool.
quote:
4. I want a well run franchise that sticks to the fundamentals. [...] I'm looking for solid and businesslike without the attitude.
There are none. They are all stuffed full of attitude. None of them are run on lines that any sensible business would tolerate for a moment. Welcome to the wonderful world of football.
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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Ricardus
Shipmate
# 8757
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Posted
Q: How do you make a small fortune out of a football club?
A: Start with a large fortune.
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Then the dog ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. -- Tobit 11:9 (Douai-Rheims)
Posts: 7247 | From: Liverpool, UK | Registered: Nov 2004
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
OK, I'll answer the question.
The flashy big-money teams at the moment are both Manchester teams, Arsenal and Chelsea. Arsenal are considerably less flashy than the other three.
In the recent past Spurs, Liverpool, and Newcastle have been at that top level and they are usually the most likely to end up top-middle this, or any, season. Though that doesn't mean other teams won't. But if you want a long-term relationship with a team unlikely to spend much time outside the top flight, those are the best bet.
Me. I'd go for Newcastle, for no other reasons than my Dad's family used to support them (and long, long ago even sometimes play for them)
Which brings us to the other thing. In Britain hardline football support tends to be extremely local, centred around the location of the team, (or sometimes particular ethnic or religious or political affiliations - that's mroe common in Scotland than in England or Wales) But lots of more low-key supporters just pick the biggest teams of the moment.
Which means that the top four(ish) teams will have worldwide support and you can bump into their memorabilia and branded goods pretty much anywhere. For some reason Liverpool is in that category too, even though they are rarely contenders for the top spot any more. Maybe its the Beatles. But you can go into a sports shop anywhere from Seattle to Shanghai (I mean taking in Asia and Africa, not just the Pacific Ocean...) and find branded goods with the logos of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea. And these days Man City as well, and probably also Spurs. There is a certain amount of worldwide support for Newcastle and Everton as well.
Also teams that do well for a while then drop out tend to preserve some nationwide or even international support long after they were contenders. The classic case of that is Leeds, whio haven't been very good for thirty years, or in the Premiership for over ten, but still retain some loyal support from outside their home city, West Ham are in a similar case (though they managed to get back into the Premiership)
So if you want to be cool you want to choose a team not on that list. After all, whoi wants to be a MOTR crowd-follower?
So go for Swansea for some fun football. Every year at least one team tried to take the Premiership by playing fast, fluid, attacking football, while giving away lots of goals. Last year it was Blackpool. This year it is Swansea.
Or else Stoke. No-one in your part of America is likely to have ever heard of the place. They are probably going to stay up, maybe even in the top half of the table. And the chance of meeting a real Stoke fan from Stoke is so low you can pontificate about them to your heart's content, and no-one can say you were wrong.
Though just to be safe I would learn a bit about the club's history and current players, just in case.
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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Zacchaeus
Shipmate
# 14454
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Posted
The Everton tune, if I remember right is an old sea shanty called Johnny Todd, it was used by the BBC for Z cars but it wasn’t set in the same part of the City. Everton are based in the Everton District of Liverpool, Z cars was set in Kirkby one of the large new housing developments outside of Liverpool.
Everton were one of the football teams who released pop songs during the fad to produce them.
Posts: 1905 | From: the back of beyond | Registered: Jan 2009
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by ken:
For some reason Liverpool is in that category too, even though they are rarely contenders for the top spot any more. Maybe its the Beatles.
They did win the Champions League in recent memory, and have quite a history of success. Because you could only get Champions League games on basic cable for many years, I suspect that kind of success matters most to American fans. It does say something that Lebron James, who may be just as famous for his glory hunting fanship as his jump shot, picked Liverpool as his favorite team. He's also a purported fan of the Dallas Cowboys, who haven't won anything since he was 10, so a history of success still apparently matters to that kind of fan.
[ 09. October 2012, 16:53: Message edited by: Og, King of Bashan ]
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"I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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sewanee_angel
Shipmate
# 2908
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by ken:
Or else Stoke. No-one in your part of America is likely to have ever heard of the place. They are probably going to stay up, maybe even in the top half of the table. And the chance of meeting a real Stoke fan from Stoke is so low you can pontificate about them to your heart's content, and no-one can say you were wrong.
Unless Beeswax Altar runs into American soccer fans who follow MLS & the US national team. Stoke have an American, Geoff Cameron, who has a bit of popularity among certain segments of the fanbase.
A chunk of Americans who like soccer and follow the US national team but do not already have a strong favorite team in the EPL (or other European league) tend to follow teams that have US internationals, especially if they're popular players. Now, much of that definition of "follow" is semi-casual--how'd the team do & how'd 'our' guy do type stuff. This phenomena is the reason I'll always have a soft spot for Heerenveen even though I don't "support" them. A young Michael Bradley played there.
Posts: 598 | From: a van down by the river | Registered: Jun 2002
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
OK...Liverpool is officially out of the running. The Lebron James endorsement did it for me. Liverpool sounds like the trendy pick of those trying not to be trendy.
In doing my due diligence, I took a look at Chelsea and Manchester City. Both make Manchester United look appealing. I'm not cheering for an English soccer team owned by billionaires from Russia or Abu Dhabi. Might as well cheer for an English soccer team owned by a billionaire from the United States. At least, Glazer not only made his own money buy made it legally.
The only big team I'm open to considering is Arsenal. Arsenal apparently has plenty of money but it isn't spent on making the team better. I have mixed feelings about that. Everton, Stoke, and Swansea are still in the running as well. Might as well have a look the Spurs while I'm at it.
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
The Premier League needs a salary cap and revenue sharing. Parity would increase the overall value of the entire PL. 5 of the 10 most valuable sports franchises in the world are NFL teams. Just imagine the money that could be made if more Premier League teams had followings in the United States. Yep, English Football could use an injection of good old fashioned American Socialism. ![[Two face]](graemlins/scot_twoface.gif)
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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Twangist
Shipmate
# 16208
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Posted
Spurs are quite well run financialy ... Can't say much more as I am very biased!!
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JJ
SDG
blog
Posts: 604 | From: Devon | Registered: Feb 2011
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Trickydicky
Shipmate
# 16550
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Posted
Ken - Newcastle have just ruled themselves out. Sponsored by Wonga! (a payday loan company that has a reputation of charging exorbitant rates of interest).
West Brom. last time we started this well we won the league. In 1919.
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If something's worth doing, its worth doing badly. (G K Chesterton)
Posts: 57 | From: Greater Manchester | Registered: Jul 2011
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
The Premier League needs a salary cap and revenue sharing.
It would never work in our free-market big-business culture!
Actually there are continual calls for salary caps all over football, and there is a half-hearted attempt to force clubs to limit their wage bill as a proportion of their total income. A straightforward individual salary cap would probably be illegal though. Restraint of trade.
The Premier League already has revenue sharing on the thing that counts, the TV rights. The top clubs get more than the rest though.
quote:
5 of the 10 most valuable sports franchises in the world are NFL teams. Just imagine the money that could be made if more Premier League teams had followings in the United States.
Just imagine the money that could be made if American football had the kind of following all over the world that real football has!
All you need to do is introduce a proper promotion and relegation system so that there is some element of risk and excitement in the game. It ought to matter when a team loses. And get rid of that silly draft system - let the players play for anyone they want to. And start them younger too. None of that college football crap. Its good for the ratings. Makes for longer careers and closer fan identification with the stars. And everyone likes to see some new 17-year-old kid go up against the big boys. Especially when they win. And who in China is going to tune in to Texas v. Rice? (Actually who outside Greater Houston is going to?)
And speed the game up. It takes far too long. Cut out all those ad breaks and time-outs. You ought to be able to finish 60 minutes of play in less than 90 minutes! These days sports fans are busy people who don't have the time to spend to watch three hours of football on TV twice a week! And all that stopping and starting is boring. TV viewers have small attention spans and large remote controls.
As for all that armour and padding - the real foreign money is in merchandising and kids in Aisan and South American countries can't afford all that equipment. The teams should wear shirts and shorts like every other sport. It also adds a little bit more risk back in. Like Rugby. Makes it more exciting. No-one ever admits it but the TV audience like it when someone gets hurt. (Why else would anyone watch motor racing?)
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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Sioni Sais
Shipmate
# 5713
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
The Premier League needs a salary cap and revenue sharing. Parity would increase the overall value of the entire PL. 5 of the 10 most valuable sports franchises in the world are NFL teams. Just imagine the money that could be made if more Premier League teams had followings in the United States. Yep, English Football could use an injection of good old fashioned American Socialism.
A salary cap works for American Football because the NFL is the unchallenged top of the game. The Premier League directly competes with Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A for the top players and to some degree with the national leagues of Germany, France and Russia. There are some very wealthy clubs elsewhere, such as in Turkey and Japan. That leaves alternatives of a Europe-wide agreement on salary caps, which would be open to massive abuse (it has Russian and Italian clubs in for a start) or a European super-league, which would concentrate all the wealth in one place.
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"He isn't Doctor Who, he's The Doctor"
(Paul Sinha, BBC)
Posts: 24276 | From: Newport, Wales | Registered: Apr 2004
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Shire Dweller
Shipmate
# 16631
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Posted
The only clubs capable of winning the Premier League are Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal
Potential winners stretch to Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle, but that's getting fanciful.
Winning the league shouldn't be a criteria (for the reasons outlined in posts above)
I'd suggest a relativly unusual choice is good (suggestions below), because if you pick any of the 'Big' teams (inculding Arsenal or Liverpool) and ever speak to an English person you'll instantly be labelled 'glory supporter' or 'fair weather fan' or assumed to have bought merchandise and then become interested.
A relativly unsuccessful team would make your interest far more interesting.
Everton are your overall best bet. Followed by Tottenham, and Stoke or Aston Villa would make you very unusual.
Dont pick Man Utd for their American owners. I don't like that club but their owners are awful – its not the Glazers own money invested but a series of loans. They're wringing cash from their asset, not building the club for the future.
A reasonable American owner is Randy Lerner at Aston Villa. You can tell he's American because of his Christian name. They're from Birmingham (which is always unfashionable), they're not flash but have some potential to go on a good run occasionally.
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Right around the Wrekin
Posts: 77 | From: Shropshire | Registered: Sep 2011
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
If you get down to little things, it’s kind of cool that Villa advertises for a local charity on their shirt. Don’t think for a minute that I am fooled into thinking that their owners are any less greedy than the rest of them because of it (the same goes for Barca) but it’s kind of cool.
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"I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644
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Posted
The Spurs are out of the running.
I can't get over the big chicken.
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Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan
Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006
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