An End To Relegation

[robbojunior]

Foreign owners of EPL clubs want an end to relegation.

 

Football threatens to consume itself in greed and disappear up its own arsehole.

 

Arsehole

[StandFree1982]

The EPL is going to become an even more hollow pile of shite.

 

Long may it continue.

[Henry]

How in fucks name is that going to work?

[Moorie86]

How in fucks name is that going to work?

No one goes down

[NorthernLights24]

How in fucks name is that going to work?

 

Possibly like Super League in rugby league. No relegation with places decided by licences etc. Maybe they'll just break off completely and have their own ridiculous league with no chance of any other clubs getting a look in.

 

Imagine how dull a 20 team league would be with no relegation. You'd probably have at least 10 teams by Christmas with absolutely nothing to really play for.

 

I'd hope that any attempt to pass such a stupid proposal would cause a revolt among supporters from every tier of the game.

[Henry]

No one goes down

 

Very good

 

If this was passed tomorrow, would the current EPL teams be in the top league forever-more? While teams in the 'Championship' would be forced to accept the second tier until the end of time?

[Moorie86]

Very good

[NorthernLights24]

Very good

 

If this was passed tomorrow, would the current EPL teams be in the top league forever-more? While teams in the 'Championship' would be forced to accept the second tier until the end of time?

 

That is a good point.

 

When you go through the Championship and League One there are a few clubs who will feel due to their size and stature should be in the Premier League (Leeds, the Sheffield clubs, Nottm Forest etc). Instead you have the likes of QPR, Wigan and Blackburn in the top flight. That is the beauty of the game though.

 

I'd imagine the clubs owned by Americans are driving this. The Americans really don't get relegation at all. Just look at the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS...

[RAZOR]

I'd imagine the clubs owned by Americans are driving this. The Americans really don't get relegation at all. Just look at the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS...

Not defending Americans here but say one thing postive for them, they how to do sports. Cracking entertainment. Very rare to see a team dominate a sport much like teams do all over the world in football.

 

Okay there a few exceptions, Yankees, Bulls in 90s. But it doesnt last forever.

 

A wage cap imo is the way forward.

[Jaws]

This has to go down as one of the most ridiculous proposals i've heard in my life. There's so many things wrong with this it's unreal. Will never happen anyway but the greed behind this just disgusts me.

[DD1903]

An end to relegation would mean an end to the EPL! Fans would leave in droves as the majority of the league would have nothing to play for. Sky would soon lose interest as well. So, infact, go ahead and do it EPL!

[OddJob]

An end to relegation would mean an end to the EPL! Fans would leave in droves as the majority of the league would have nothing to play for. Sky would soon lose interest as well. So, infact, go ahead and do it EPL!

This ^^^

[Ke1t]

I can see this from both sides of the fence.

 

In the US there's no relegation to lower leagues, although there are 'lower leagues' that are operated and exist entirely independent of the major leagues.

 

What this does is consolidate the cash and power within a small group of massive clubs, but also... almost perversely... this increases competition and levels the playing field.

 

The downside being that the rest of the clubs go into 'bush leagues' or the 'minors'... where there's not all that much cash, and none of these clubs play for major trophies or titles.

 

My own personal opinion is that in Scotland it would be a fantastic idea IF it were to be run equitably, rather than for the benefit of Rangers and Celtic in the way the current set up is run. If monies from TV and sponsorship were spread equally between ALL the teams in a locked SPL then competition would increase. If it were to remain the way it's currently run then it would change absolutely nothing.

 

Teams like Peterhead and Arbroath would go off and join minor leagues, and their fan base really doesn't give them the right to be anything but minor league players. If, in the future and by some miracle, teams like Alloa suddenly started pulling in 10,000 people per home game then they could apply for admission to the SPL. If not then there's no reason for them to be considered major players.

 

Unfortunately Scottish Football is corrupt to the core, so it wouldn't work in Scotland.

 

In principle it's a good idea though.

[Ke1t]

This ^^^

 

Not really... you solve that problem by regionalising the EPL into a variety of smaller leagues of, say, ten teams per league. EPL North, EPL South, for example. What that also does is increase the number of Derbies between local rivals, which in itself should increase interest.

 

That way you have various teams playing for regional titles, then a play off with the winners of the leagues for the national title.

 

You could also have regional and national cups. Each league having a league cup, and a national FA cup which could, realistically, be a national league into which all major teams are entered.

[DD1903]

Not really... you solve that problem by regionalising the EPL into a variety of smaller leagues of, say, ten teams per league. EPL North, EPL South, for example. What that also does is increase the number of Derbies between local rivals, which in itself should increase interest.

 

That way you have various teams playing for regional titles, then a play off with the winners of the leagues for the national title.

 

You could also have regional and national cups. Each league having a league cup, and a national FA cup which could, realistically, be a national league into which all major teams are entered.

 

 

I see where you're coming from Kelt, but I think it would still lead to a boring monopoly. I don't think fans would be interested in seeing there team the same teams over and over again - we're bored of it here as well! The yanks have the draft system in place which attempts to - and does to a point - stop the same team winning over and over again. But I don't think these systems would be accepted over here.

[Ke1t]

I see where you're coming from Kelt, but I think it would still lead to a boring monopoly. I don't think fans would be interested in seeing there team the same teams over and over again - we're bored of it here as well! The yanks have the draft system in place which attempts to - and does to a point - stop the same team winning over and over again. But I don't think these systems would be accepted over here.

 

Probably wouldn't be accepted, you're most likely right.

 

The major problem being that people tend to think there's nothing they can learn from foreigners, and in the case of the Yanks no-one wants to know what they think.

 

Something needs to be done though... because more and more clubs are circling the drain financially. It's getting to the point where the gulf between the big clubs and the small clubs is insurmountable, and trying to keep up is just going to hammer the last few nails into the coffins of the smaller clubs.

 

The American model is far more sustainable, and gives a broader range of competitiveness, than the European model.

[DD1903]

Probably wouldn't be accepted, you're most likely right.

 

The major problem being that people tend to think there's nothing they can learn from foreigners, and in the case of the Yanks no-one wants to know what they think.

 

Something needs to be done though... because more and more clubs are circling the drain financially. It's getting to the point where the gulf between the big clubs and the small clubs is insurmountable, and trying to keep up is just going to hammer the last few nails into the coffins of the smaller clubs.

 

The American model is far more sustainable, and gives a broader range of competitiveness, than the European model.

 

I agree completely re the differences in finances, its getting beyond ridiculous, and something needs to be done. The USA route may work, however I don't think the idea being put forward will be along those lines, but more of a "we're alright jack" locked league. What we need is for one of the big EPL teams to go tits up and it will all start to tumble down...

[BrianFaePerth]

But the big difference is the draft system in North America, it keeps the leagues competitive.

 

To use an EPL example, Wigan could draft the best 18 year old prospect, and loan him to Chesterfield in the EyOop Northern Soccer Association to get some games in. He then hopefully makes the step up to the EPL the following season.

 

Equally, Wigan might say we're happy with what we've got, but we'd like Peter Crouch on oor team as there's burds in Wigan needing shagged. So, they'd approach Stoke and say, gie us Peter Crouch and your 5th round draft pick in 2015, and you can have oor pick.

 

In the long run, this would give Wigan a better chance than it does today as the transfer system is about players, not money.

 

This serves no benefit for Man U, Chelsea etc, so would never happen and a closed shop would be hopeless as Wigan could conveniently be de-licenced in favour of Leeds or whoever.