Golden opportunity for the FA to reform and stand up for the good of the English game?

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Football is rotten to its core and the corruption and bungs go down to its very roots.

Someone on the radio today said he'd had enough of the corruption in the game and would watch non-league football from now on, we'll I'm sorry mate the systems the same just take the noughts off, that's all.

Football is on a knife edge at the moment, the FA Cup is devalued and that played it's part in the romance of football. Leicester gave the FA a reprieve last year but money will "normally" buy you success or stop others being successful.

The amount of debt in football is incredible and the ones making the most out of the game can walk away as the whole lot comes crashing down around everyone in the game, my love of football is diminishing and my love of the national team is nonexistent.

Substantial changes are needed but the FA have too many with a vested financial interest and they don't have the will, back bone or permission of their true masters to make any changes, it's sh1t!

 

[pasty]

I'm beyond caring now. I support Brighton, enjoy watching and supporting them, but don't give two shits about the rest of it. I know plenty who feel the same.

Completely agree. I watch very little non-Albion football nowadays. Sadly Murdoch still gets my money for my love of cricket, and other general sports. But football now? All leaves me a bit m-eh to be perfectly honest.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The FA reminds me a bit of the BDO / PDC relationship in darts. The structure is basically sound but the people at the top are dinosaurs impervious to change and have been usurped by a younger, sexier, more savvy organisation. In many ways the BDO "World" championship is reminiscent of the FA's flagship FA Cup - both are weakened events masquerading as something globally significant.

Imagine what might have happened had the FA top brass come up with the idea of the Premier League before Rick Parry and Sky?

 

[Hastings gull]

Completely agree. I watch very little non-Albion football nowadays. Sadly Murdoch still gets my money for my love of cricket, and other general sports. But football now? All leaves me a bit m-eh to be perfectly honest.

It is attritional, isn't it - last season was the first when I have made little effort to watch Match of the Day, preferring the Championship programme, and I can't say that I have missed it. I have rarely seen it this year, perhaps a few glimpses on sunday morning whilst having a cuppa before walking the dog. As yet I have not given up the Sky subscription, but slowly but surely, the time will come. The fact that the last 5 years with the Albion have given us relative excitement might subconsciously have something to do with this. Slowly, however, I feel that fans may say that enough is enough, and it may take some catastrophic event for a boycott to start. Of course it is hard to turn your back on your team, but Albion fans did do it under Archer, so a tipping point does occur.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Rooting out corruption costs big money/resources and frankly the Premier League (in the form of the clubs) have it, and the FA - especially post-Wembley, probably don't have enough to do the job properly.

Cleaning up the game is clearly in the best interests of all stakeholders, so IMHO the Premier League/20 clubs should divert more money specifically to some sort of anti-corruption task force for policing, investigations, enforcement and legal action. This could be a levy, one per cent of the TV deal, whatever, but some of the sleaze is clearly still there and has to be nailed for good.

 

[Doc Lynam]

The zeitgeist has never been stronger for the FA to take on Murdoch and the PL.

 

[theboybilly]

I cannot think of another "industry" where the "customers" come absolutely last in the thoughts and actions of those that run it.

Southern Railway?

 

[Drebin]

]I'm beyond caring now. I support Brighton, enjoy watching and supporting them, but don't give two shits about the rest of it. I[/B] know plenty who feel the same.

This latest embarrassment should really really be the last and final wake up call English football needs. But it won't be will it? The FA will muddle on, England will continue to talk themselves up and then flounder, Big Sam will get another job in a few months and the industry as a whole will just carry on in its corrupt murky manner sucking more and more money out of its supporters or spending millions it doesn't have.

Not just me then. Cancelled subscription this summer to all channels I got football on. Not missing it at all.

Got me bonus points with the Mrs too!

 

[Ernest]

The FA reminds me a bit of the BDO / PDC relationship in darts. The structure is basically sound but the people at the top are dinosaurs impervious to change and have been usurped by a younger, sexier, more savvy organisation. In many ways the BDO "World" championship is reminiscent of the FA's flagship FA Cup - both are weakened events masquerading as something globally significant.

Imagine what might have happened had the FA top brass come up with the idea of the Premier League before Rick Parry and Sky?

They could have stopped them but saw the cash and wanted some