The Premier League 2

[Silent Bob]

I'm surprised there's not been a thread about this: BBC SPORT | Football | Premier League | League to discuss two-tier plan (I'm sure someone will be happy to tell me if I've missed it)

The latest self interested money making scheme from the Premier League, unfortunately it seems this one might have more legs then the "39th game" fiasco. The plan is for two "Premier Leagues" of 18, with more money going to those who are relegated to the second tier, and only one promotion/relegation to the Football League, making it ever closer to the dream of all Premier League chairman, a league from which they can't get relegated and lose all that television money. Oh and to make it seem less like pure greed and more of a "shake up" Celtic and Rangers could join.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Pure greed.

It would be interesting to watch as a neutral, but it would mean it would be pretty much impossible for clubs like Brighton to get into the elite league. Look at the top flight now, teams like Hull and Stoke would have absolutely no place in that league either. Even West Brom would be better imo!

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Isn't it all Bolton's chairmans idea? Wonder why he'd be so interested in it


Tossers.

 

[Simon Morgan]

Edit: misread

 

[Simon Morgan]

Plans like this just serve to widen the gap between the PL and mere mortals. It's not THAT hard to get into the PL nowadays anyway, in my opinion. The Championship is a far more interesting league than the PL and I think the footballing authorities would be better off promoting that, rather than commercially recreating it.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

We might aswell all go part time if this happens. Total greed selfish arseholes the lot,only thinking about themselves and the here and now. What will happen when a few of the bigger lesser clubs slip out of the prem 2 will they want a prem 3 ? Also forget the FA cup and league cup. The death of grass roots football after we have opened our back door to non league teams they slam the door shut on teams like ourselves.........so angry......prem teams can all go feck themselves..........prawn sandwich anyone ?

 

[Curious Orange]

Sounds like the same old plan that gets trotted out every couple of years by the chairman of a club that is in danger of relegation, and then promptly gets stamped on by every other interested party such as UEFA, The FA, The Football League etc.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

We might aswell all go part time if this happens. Total greed selfish arseholes the lot,only thinking about themselves and the here and now. What will happen when a few of the bigger lesser clubs slip out of the prem 2 will they want a prem 3 ? Also forget the FA cup and league cup. The death of grass roots football after we have opened our back door to non league teams they slam the door shut on teams like ourselves.........so angry......prem teams can all go feck themselves..........prawn sandwich anyone ?

It sounds like it may well be rejected but again for the wrong reasons. Apparently they need 14 teams to vote in favour for it to happen and the top four will apparently vote against as will Villa, Everton, Tottenham probably. However, this is not because it is a crap idea and they are against it, it is because they will lose some income due to having to share it round more and there is no chance of them being relegated at the moment.

The whole thing is sickening and I am starting to take a real dislike to Gartside. I remember when Bolton were in Division 4 and he is trying to make absolutely certain that no team can climb from there to the top flight again.

 

[Tooting Gull]

You're right, there should be a decent thread about this. It's potentially huge, although there is a long way to go. If this ever gets to a vote the key will be how many clubs are absolutely, rock-solid confident they will never fall out of a 20-team Prem Lg, and so aren't that bothered about sharing more with a Prem 2. You're talking Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - if that number got to seven, they could kill it off.

There's loads of angles to this, but one is the Rangers and Celtic thing on a practical level.

OK, if they come in as two of an 18-team Prem Lg 2 - what happens if they get relegated? Do they go into (what is now) League One - and having seen both of them this season, that is not impossible. Or would they go back to the Scottish leagues.

The proposal is for only ONE team to go up and down between Prem Lg 2 and the Football League (already outrageous). But if the one team relegated is Scottish, Rangers and Celtic aren't going to want to play in effectively League One. So if they went back to Scotland again, and won that league, who would get the one place and go up the next year - a Rangers team that had come top of the Scottish league, or the winners of the Football League?

The whole thing is pure greed from average Prem Lg teams. And we have until 2013 to at least try and give ourselves a chance because we're in no one's top 36 at the moment.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

It sounds like it may well be rejected but again for the wrong reasons. Apparently they need 14 teams to vote in favour for it to happen and the top four will apparently vote against as will Villa, Everton, Tottenham probably. However, this is not because it is a crap idea and they are against it, it is because they will lose some income due to having to share it round more and there is no chance of them being relegated at the moment.

The whole thing is sickening and I am starting to take a real dislike to Gartside. I remember when Bolton were in Division 4 and he is trying to make absolutely certain that no team can climb from there to the top flight again.

yep like wigan-ath, hull city , stoke city , fulham and themselves have all been down in the basement (maybe not stoke?)......short memorys eh

 

[Slough Seagull]

Isn't it all Bolton's chairmans idea? Wonder why he'd be so interested in it


Tossers.

Yep - Gartside is all over it...

They also want to include the bigots from north of the border. Next step... an Irish franchise to tap into the pockets of the premiershite supporting glory boys from across the Irish Sea?

On the 'plus' side...Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are likely to be against the plan as it would affect their income. Others such as Aston Villa, Tottenham and Everton, who may consider it unlikely they would ever drop out of a 20-team Premier League, may also have misgivings.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Thinking about it lets get our heads together with some positive input and ideas why dont we break away from them and form a "The real football Elite premier premiership championship leagues" sounds better for a start and would piss them off

 

[Finchley Seagull]

yep like wigan-ath, hull city , stoke city , fulham and themselves have all been down in the basement (maybe not stoke?)......short memorys eh

I know, it is ridiculous. Once they get there, they get greedy and don't want to ever go back. The Premier League has no interest in grass roots football anymore, it is just about money.

What happens if a team like Leeds are in League One when this starts. What are the odds they will be invited in over someone like Blackpool despite being below them?

 

[Paxton Dazo]

Will just follow Spurs in Europe if any shit like this happens.

 

[sten_super]

It is pure self-interest and greed on Gartside's part. He wants to basically be guaranteed large TV revenue for Premiership clubs even if relegated, so wants to create a second league with a tied-in TV deal. He also, as others have said, would ideally like to do away with promotion/relegation between the FL and the 'Premier League 2'.

In terms of finding 7 clubs to veto the idea, I think you would manage that. Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Everton and Man City (off the top of my head) would all vote against it I suspect.

It's funny that he's now suddenly all for wage caps as well. Didn't see him saying that when they bought in Okacha, Campo and Anelka on massive wages, did we?

 

[Wardy]

Money grabbing tossers. The current system is bad enough without making it worse.

 

[beorhthelm]

i really dont see whats in it for Bolton. they will go from a team with a chance of Europe every year to one fighting to get in to the top teir, while probably getting less money than now.

as soon as you mention Rangers and Celtic, you know it wont fly. They dont want to be stuck in teir two of the ENGLISH premier league, when they get a go at Europe every year. Obviously its a chicken and egg situation for them to do better in Euro, but if they really wanted it they'd have made it happen by now.

and what happens to the rest of the Football League? 2 divisions of 19 and 1 of 20 by my reckoning, screws up the game. Dont think the FA will approve it.

so really this is just a headline grabber for someone who wants to be in the press.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Crap idea leave things how they are.

HOWEVER, I wonder if some of remarks on here would be retracted if Brighton got to the top flight?

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

did i read somewhere that if celtic and rangers join the english leagues fifa will insist on there being a great britain team ?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

i really dont see whats in it for Bolton. they will go from a team with a chance of Europe every year to one fighting to get in to the top teir, while probably getting less money than now.

as soon as you mention Rangers and Celtic, you know it wont fly. They dont want to be stuck in teir two of the ENGLISH premier league, when they get a go at Europe every year. Obviously its a chicken and egg situation for them to do better in Euro, but if they really wanted it they'd have made it happen by now.

and what happens to the rest of the Football League? 2 divisions of 19 and 1 of 20 by my reckoning, screws up the game. Dont think the FA will approve it.

so really this is just a headline grabber for someone who wants to be in the press.

I agree with Simon Jordon, If they want to join the league they should cough up 100 million each