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[Football] The Future of Football



Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 24, 2007
10,164
Arundel
Many of you will disagree with what I write here (often) but this is my honest assessment of where football for all Premier League clubs is heading. Never has this been witnessed so clearly than at Old Trafford yesterday.

Premier League football is a product and a product has customers and those customers need entertaining in what they want, not, necessarily, in a way that's in the interest of football.

As more and more clubs are stock market listed the Director's responsibilities change from a traditional Board at a club to one with legal responsibilities to it's shareholders, and these responsibilities, however much you disagree with them MUST be met.

A once great club is now merely a ticker on the stock market, a club once measured on its success on the field will be equally measured by percentage point movements in its share price.

Football is now secondary to the commercial interests of a football club, it has to be, that is the law, you cannot now risk everything on a Champions League win you must ensure there is a continual focus on your brand and how that builds around the World. Fans are customers and are becoming tourists, it was so clear last night, barely anyone, other than Albion fans cheering the players off at the end. And they'd just reached the Semi Finals of the FA Cup.

Why should we worry?

With this brand building comes lucrative contracts and with that comes sponsors and sponsors demands, demands that see clubs go to far flung places to enter tournaments that are not in the interest of the club and it's league position but bring in much need supporters and build the brand. On the flip side this brings in cash and that can be spent on players with immediate skills the club needs, there won't be a need or commercial plan that makes sense to grow talent, just buy the best player from Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and increase the fan base yet further. We have a choice, and it's a stark one, we either join this brand building and attempt to keep up, or not let the gap increase yet further, or we can't compete.

We needn't worry the TV money will always be there, but in Asia and around the World will come the demand and football grounds will become sanitised and crowd noises introduced to make up for the lack of atmosphere.

The Championship and League One will survive off the crumbs of the EPL and, slowly the Championship will be absorbed into the EPL or EPL II.

I fear two trips to Old Trafford this season have shown me where football is heading and I, for one, know we need to join the circus otherwise we'll fall too far behind to ever compete, and that makes me sad.

Whinge over I'm off to take the dog for a walk ......

UTA
 


sussex_guy2k2

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2014
3,678
Football is like dating. In the good old days, you only really got to f*ck the women you saw in the local pubs or clubs, and in that sense you were competing against a tiny few, meaning you had a chance to bag the best looking broad. Things have changed though, with the development of social media and globalisation. Now you’ve got people from all over trying to f*ck the local hottie because she has access to them and they have access to her, and the likelihood is they’re taller, better looking and better paid than you. Life goes on - you either improve yourself or you f*ck someone of your level.
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,903
Living In a Box
What will interest me is say in five years we are a consolidated Premier League club but that possibly means no success at winning anything, would we still have 8,000 fans still unable to get a season ticket ?

Yesterday was just a corporate football day but our fans are now as bad, seeing far too many half and half scarves on Brighton fans these days, and now those pesky cardboard give me shirt signs.

Sadly we are morphing towards a soulless Premier League existence
 
Last edited:


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
7,934
Eastbourne
What will interest me is say in five years we are a consolidated Premier League club but that possibly means no success at winning anything, would we still have 8,000 fans still unable to get a season ticket ?

Yesterday was just a corporate football day but our fans are now as bad, seeing far too many half and half scarves on Brighton fans these days, and now those pesky cardboard give me shirt signs.

Sadly we are morphing towards a soulless Premier League existence

Was the journey more exciting and interesting than the destination ?
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,903
Living In a Box
Was the journey more exciting and interesting than the destination ?

About right, in a few years I think fans may actually get bored of this.

Several Wolves fans a dreading promotion that I know as they know the conseque
 




Brighton Mod

Its All Too Beautiful
Regarding the future of football, I had a converstaion at our last home game and wondered how long the game has at its current level of live matches, viewed at the stadium. When we play Leicester, take a look at the demographic of those in attendance, because its high, few teenagers and fewer children. As the older fans drop of the purch, who is there to replace them, look at the empty seats on televised matches and just listen to the silence from the Manchester United followers.
 


Renegade1

New member
Mar 7, 2018
385
'Crowd noises introduced due to lack of atmosphere'?

The spanish company who have just bought Serie A tv rights have stated the part of the stadium where the cameras pan onto must be filled with fans.Therefore you will get the impression the stadiums are filled whilst on the other side they will be empty.

Football has been a business for years.However I dont think owners get into it to make money.It's about ego,vanity and status.

With transfer fees going out of control(200mNeymar,145mCoutinho)tv deals,shirt deals,sponsership just cannot keep up with it.Owners have to find a way to cheat fair play and put their own money into clubs to be number one.
 


Bob'n'weave

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2016
1,970
Nr Lewes
I think our financial roots, TB, #Dynasty etc makes the 'sell out' scenario less of a worry. Nothing to say we can't compete with the big boys in 3,4 or 5 seasons without selling our footballing soul. Manure sold out to the yanks and it has changed them, maybe forever, so what, doesn't mean it's the only way to survive or compete at top level, it's not a standard requirement. I disagree that it is the future of 'football', I think it is a choice clubs have to make depending on their set ups, ours is good so we don't need to be punting ourselves to corporates for 'investment'. Maybe we are just lucky? :shrug:
To see BHA competing at the pinnacle of world club football is just amazing. I really don't want to go back to jumpers for goalposts, always dreaming for a pop at the PL or a cup run. This is the best it's been for me since 78, long may it continue.

:albion2:
 




Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
11,595
Cumbria
Regarding the future of football, I had a converstaion at our last home game and wondered how long the game has at its current level of live matches, viewed at the stadium. When we play Leicester, take a look at the demographic of those in attendance, because its high, few teenagers and fewer children. As the older fans drop of the purch, who is there to replace them, look at the empty seats on televised matches and just listen to the silence from the Manchester United followers.

Lots of youngsters in E335 last night. When I got to my seat, I thought I had walked into a creche. But they made plenty of noise!
 


AmexRuislip

Trainee Spy 🕵️‍♂️
Feb 2, 2014
33,727
Ruislip
What will interest me is say in five years we are a consolidated Premier League club but that possibly means no success at winning anything, would we still have 8,000 fans still unable to get a season ticket ?

Yesterday was just a corporate football day but our fans are now as bad, seeing far too many half and half scarves on Brighton fans these days, and now those pesky cardboard give me shirt signs.

Sadly we are morphing towards a soulless Premier League existence

I spoke to Marc Sugerman, the other night about Albions PL adventure, and all the corporate stuff that ensues with it.
I did sort of say that I do miss the Championship sometimes, but that thought didn't last that long :wink:
 


Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Aug 8, 2005
26,454
I agree entirely with the sentiment of this thread.

Nothing about the Premier League has been unexpected but I have beeen shocked a little about how poor an experience the away trips to the big guys have been. Their fans have completely sold out. Their is a tourist feel to the match. It’s like an exhibition. Yes you might get the odd decent result but it will only be because they didn’t give a shit for whatever reason. The gap is massive.

I have enjoyed trips away to the bottom 10-12 far more than those to the top six. I may even not bother with some of them next season if we are still here next season.
 




Westdene Wonder

New member
Aug 3, 2010
1,787
Brighton
Customers need entertaining.... you are so right thats why after a season in the Premiership its quite clear that clubs in the bottom half of the league have to play very defensive set ups with just one striker up front wingers having to play deep,entertaining it is not.
If we return to the Championship then we have the opportunity of playing at a standard which we will be comfortable and can play entertaining football
 


Westdene Wonder

New member
Aug 3, 2010
1,787
Brighton
I agree entirely with the sentiment of this thread.

Nothing about the Premier League has been unexpected but I have beeen shocked a little about how poor an experience the away trips to the big guys have been. Their fans have completely sold out. Their is a tourist feel to the match. It’s like an exhibition. Yes you might get the odd decent result but it will only be because they didn’t give a shit for whatever reason. The gap is massive.

I have enjoyed trips away to the bottom 10-12 far more than those to the top six. I may even not bother with some of them next season if we are still here next season.

I understand that the seating available for away fans is poor despite the massive stadiums,then of course you have fans standing up and blocking the view, when you consider the price of seats its not difficult to note that Sky and BT offer another option
 


the captain

New member
May 21, 2013
14
i totally agree with this thread .There was an interesting discussion on 6 o 6 last night spurs fans were complaining of 50% rise in ticket prices [!!!}.I recall a thread on here berating the atmosphere at the Emirates and a guy replies that all the die hards who used to make all the noise can no longer afford to go .Football used to be a working man's sport where the week's frustrations/tedium could be released on a Saturday afternoon .Now it is being taken over by football tourists ,there are significantly less teenagers & younsters .I teach in newcastle and only about 10% of the boys on the football team I run go to see the toon regularly as it's too expensive they usually go to cup games where the club puts on cut price deals.Although I don't condone the behaviour of the WestHam fans last weekend there is a bit of me that sympathises with them The old Bolyjn ground had a great [sometimes scarey!] atmosphere and they have lost it foreevr ,I can still remmber that feeling when we left the Goldstone .It's all about greed in my opinion too much football on the telly means we become bored [and then they change the bloody game to7:45 for the TV audience which makes it very difficult for away fans to get there anyway].However there is of course always hope clubs like Burnley are managing to stay in the premier league and generally hold onto the heart of the club.
grumpy old man
 




Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 15, 2008
31,763
Brighton
I don't know if that is entirely true. It might be where the premier league is heading, or the top end of it, but it ignores why a lot of owners get into owning clubs. The owners of Man City do it for the prestige and the sociopolitcal advantages it brings to own one of the top clubs in one of the top leagues in the world. It's a conversation starter, and common interest that helds grease the wheels of their business. Chelsea is a plaything for Abramovic. Brighton is a passion and a family lineage for Tony Bloom. They have no interest in making money from it, so no interest in floating the club on the market. Their are owners like that throughout the league.

I also think an issue is that markets are up and down, and can be affected by global trends, individual companies affected by outside forces, that could be detrimental to Man Utd, so floating a club on the market is not a guarantee for success. Indeed look at United now, their only hope of success this year is the FA cup, which has lost a bit of its shine, to say the least. Trailing behind Man City, barely ahead of Liverpool.

It hasn't given Man Utd such a massive advantage that everyone around them is looking at them going "Maybe we should do that..." so I don't know if we can say football is heading that way on current evidence.


EDIT: That's not to say finance and the efforts to make a profit aren't an issue, they clearly are and have been for years. If it's taken you two trips to Old Trafford this year to see that, I don't know that you've been paying attention for the last lot of years. Just, I don't think we have to worry about clubs rushing to join the stock market and put a legal requirement to protect investors over football.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,007
Burgess Hill
Many of you will disagree with what I write here (often) but this is my honest assessment of where football for all Premier League clubs is heading. Never has this been witnessed so clearly than at Old Trafford yesterday.

Premier League football is a product and a product has customers and those customers need entertaining in what they want, not, necessarily, in a way that's in the interest of football.

As more and more clubs are stock market listed the Director's responsibilities change from a traditional Board at a club to one with legal responsibilities to it's shareholders, and these responsibilities, however much you disagree with them MUST be met.

A once great club is now merely a ticker on the stock market, a club once measured on its success on the field will be equally measured by percentage point movements in its share price.

Football is now secondary to the commercial interests of a football club, it has to be, that is the law, you cannot now risk everything on a Champions League win you must ensure there is a continual focus on your brand and how that builds around the World. Fans are customers and are becoming tourists, it was so clear last night, barely anyone, other than Albion fans cheering the players off at the end. And they'd just reached the Semi Finals of the FA Cup.

Why should we worry?

With this brand building comes lucrative contracts and with that comes sponsors and sponsors demands, demands that see clubs go to far flung places to enter tournaments that are not in the interest of the club and it's league position but bring in much need supporters and build the brand. On the flip side this brings in cash and that can be spent on players with immediate skills the club needs, there won't be a need or commercial plan that makes sense to grow talent, just buy the best player from Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and increase the fan base yet further. We have a choice, and it's a stark one, we either join this brand building and attempt to keep up, or not let the gap increase yet further, or we can't compete.

We needn't worry the TV money will always be there, but in Asia and around the World will come the demand and football grounds will become sanitised and crowd noises introduced to make up for the lack of atmosphere.

The Championship and League One will survive off the crumbs of the EPL and, slowly the Championship will be absorbed into the EPL or EPL II.

I fear two trips to Old Trafford this season have shown me where football is heading and I, for one, know we need to join the circus otherwise we'll fall too far behind to ever compete, and that makes me sad.

Whinge over I'm off to take the dog for a walk ......

UTA

There is a legal duty towards the shareholders but they will only benefit if the brand is successful. Man Utd have been a brand for decades and there are more clubs not like them than there are those that are like them. I agree that our away games at the big 6 have been disappointing but that is probably because we are not a great draw for the season ticket holders and they sell their tickets on their respective ticket exchanges and that's why the tourists pick them up for games against the likes of us.

I've been watching Brighton for over 40 years and in all that time they have been a business. We all know that previously they weren't run very successfully but they are now. Who knows what will happen in the future.

As for Utd, their problem is that they have never been able to replace Ferguson.
 


Mayonaise

Well-known member
May 25, 2014
2,114
Haywards Heath
Was the journey more exciting and interesting than the destination ?

To be honest, this was the way of things back in the late 70s when we last made the top flight - promotion is the holy grail but once you are there, you are forever just fighting to survive.

But lets take the positives too as there are many. The Amex is full every game and we are on match of the day by right. I am loving this season but I do take the OPs point and suspect that you are right.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,365
West west west Sussex
Several Wolves fans a dreading promotion that I know as they know the conseque

I'll hazard a guess I was saying much the same 12 months ago.

It turns out I was loud, loud wrong.
I've loved every minute of this season, and I worry for anyone who hasn't.

It's down to the club to not turn us into the Premier Leagues 'Albion', and follow in the shite-laced footsteps of West Brom, until the inevitable.

Anyone thinking that's likely clearly hasn't been paying attention.
 




Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,386
Withdean area
I don't know if that is entirely true. It might be where the premier league is heading, or the top end of it, but it ignores why a lot of owners get into owning clubs. The owners of Man City do it for the prestige and the sociopolitcal advantages it brings to own one of the top clubs in one of the top leagues in the world. It's a conversation starter, and common interest that helds grease the wheels of their business. Chelsea is a plaything for Abramovic. Brighton is a passion and a family lineage for Tony Bloom. They have no interest in making money from it, so no interest in floating the club on the market. Their are owners like that throughout the league.

I also think an issue is that markets are up and down, and can be affected by global trends, individual companies affected by outside forces, that could be detrimental to Man Utd, so floating a club on the market is not a guarantee for success. Indeed look at United now, their only hope of success this year is the FA cup, which has lost a bit of its shine, to say the least. Trailing behind Man City, barely ahead of Liverpool.

It hasn't given Man Utd such a massive advantage that everyone around them is looking at them going "Maybe we should do that..." so I don't know if we can say football is heading that way on current evidence.


EDIT: That's not to say finance and the efforts to make a profit aren't an issue, they clearly are and have been for years. If it's taken you two trips to Old Trafford this year to see that, I don't know that you've been paying attention for the last lot of years. Just, I don't think we have to worry about clubs rushing to join the stock market and put a legal requirement to protect investors over football.

Football clubs are not going down the floating as a PLC listed company model. That was a little fad about 20 years ago, Southampton, Spurs and Millwall for example. Instead they all effectively private limited companies, majority owned by wealthy individuals or overseas state funds.

They also seem immune to cyclical recessions etc, as the PL guarantees £B per season, from sports loving punters all over the globe having more leisure time and enough money to subscribe to PL football on TV.
 





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