The brilliant article demonstrating the gulf in football

[Narcosis]

Most welcome. Also:

Really good, but also depressing, article

My exact reaction reading the article first time. It's depressing that we won't ever compete at the top of the league unless we fall lucky with some billionaire throwing money at us.

[ericlegrisly]

Well done to Narcosis for putting this in the thread on disparity. It deserves its own thread as it shows beyond doubt how non-competitive football at the top is now for the majority of clubs outside the moneybags few. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot...30431.html

I'd be quite happy for the top clubs to fuck off and play in a European superleague, for the domestic english game to experience an enormous economic shock and for the game to return to a more equitable model. I'd quite happily accept an inferior footballing 'product'. I love playing football but supporting the Albion is a tribal thing and if you told me I'd have to watch far inferior footballers playing against other inferior footballers in an equitable league I'd snap your hand off.

Completely agree - but.  It's already the case that if any player shows extra promise or delivers, one of 'the six' buys him, at whatever age, so you end up never having a 'star' or a club legend (Astle, Regis, Bomber, whoever) because they get bought.  Football is absolutely fucked, and beyond repair I'm afraid.

[Fido]

If such a Superleague came about it would just keep expanding as football knows no limits in terms of wringing the money sponge. It would also be a bit of a Pyrrhic victory if you won the league without Man U/City/Liverpool/Chelsea etc anyway. A much better solution would be for the Champions League (and Europa League for different reasons) to be a knockout from round 1/qualifiers. Stops the cash cow that only 6/7 benefit from every season.

[hudds]

If such a Superleague came about it would just keep expanding as football knows no limits in terms of wringing the money sponge. It would also be a bit of a Pyrrhic victory if you won the league without Man U/City/Liverpool/Chelsea etc anyway. A much better solution would be for the Champions League (and Europa League for different reasons) to be a knockout from round 1/qualifiers. Stops the cash cow that only 6/7 benefit from every season.

If The "Big 6" fugged off and we won the proper English League, I would see that as worthwhile Fiders.  The reason for the European League format was to wring the money out if it as "Champions League" to prevent a split.  (Champions League my arse).  A knockout format wouldn't suit them.  Fuck them.  Just fuck them.  They would come crawling back.

[Ministry Of Silly Signings]

Well done to Narcosis for putting this in the thread on disparity. It deserves its own thread as it shows beyond doubt how non-competitive football at the top is now for the majority of clubs outside the moneybags few. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot...30431.html

I'd be quite happy for the top clubs to fuck off and play in a European superleague, for the domestic english game to experience an enormous economic shock and for the game to return to a more equitable model. I'd quite happily accept an inferior footballing 'product'. I love playing football but supporting the Albion is a tribal thing and if you told me I'd have to watch far inferior footballers playing against other inferior footballers in an equitable league I'd snap your hand off.

Completely agree - but.  It's already the case that if any player shows extra promise or delivers, one of 'the six' buys him, at whatever age, so you end up never having a 'star' or a club legend (Astle, Regis, Bomber, whoever) because they get bought.  Football is absolutely fucked, and beyond repair I'm afraid.

Good point. Any good young talent soon gets poached-often before even turning pro, Barry for example. Kids 12 years old have agents, academies promise the earth to get parents to get kids to sign, talking about money, playing for England etc. A work colleague new of a kid at Albion, who suddenly `lost interest`, his parents said he was giving up football etc. The following season this lad was playing for Man Utd or whoever, a drive down his street showed his dads knackered old Vauxhall had been replaced with a BMW, New double glazing fitted etc. Obviously some money changed hands.

---

If such a Superleague came about it would just keep expanding as football knows no limits in terms of wringing the money sponge. It would also be a bit of a Pyrrhic victory if you won the league without Man U/City/Liverpool/Chelsea etc anyway. A much better solution would be for the Champions League (and Europa League for different reasons) to be a knockout from round 1/qualifiers. Stops the cash cow that only 6/7 benefit from every season.

If The "Big 6" fugged off and we won the proper English League, I would see that as worthwhile Fiders.  The reason for the European League format was to wring the money out if it as "Champions League" to prevent a split.  (Champions League my arse).  A knockout format wouldn't suit them.  Fuck them.  Just fuck them.  They would come crawling back.

The Champions League has totally distorted Many European leagues. Countries like Bulgaria, Hungary etc, used to produce some decent sides who could give the likes of Man Utd etc a good game. Now, a club gets into the Champions League group stage, makes several million quid for finishing bottom, and then dominates their league for years, Ludogorets in Bulgaria have won the league about 9 years running, Dynamo Zagreb about 10 of the last 12.

[CA Baggie]

Well done to Narcosis for putting this in the thread on disparity. It deserves its own thread as it shows beyond doubt how non-competitive football at the top is now for the majority of clubs outside the moneybags few. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot...30431.html

I'd be quite happy for the top clubs to fuck off and play in a European superleague, for the domestic english game to experience an enormous economic shock and for the game to return to a more equitable model. I'd quite happily accept an inferior footballing 'product'. I love playing football but supporting the Albion is a tribal thing and if you told me I'd have to watch far inferior footballers playing against other inferior footballers in an equitable league I'd snap your hand off.

Completely agree - but.  It's already the case that if any player shows extra promise or delivers, one of 'the six' buys him, at whatever age, so you end up never having a 'star' or a club legend (Astle, Regis, Bomber, whoever) because they get bought.  Football is absolutely fucked, and beyond repair I'm afraid.

Good point. Any good young talent soon gets poached-often before even turning pro, Barry for example. Kids 12 years old have agents, academies promise the earth to get parents to get kids to sign, talking about money, playing for England etc. A work colleague new of a kid at Albion, who suddenly `lost interest`, his parents said he was giving up football etc. The following season this lad was playing for Man Utd or whoever, a drive down his street showed his dads knackered old Vauxhall had been replaced with a BMW, New double glazing fitted etc. Obviously some money changed hands.

Was that Yan Dhanda from a few years ago when he moved to Liverpool, aged about 14?  Parents did well with their house so I was told.  I should add allegedly I guess...

Good article but misses out how the big clubs steal the youngsters and how Chelsea for years have abused the system with signing players to loan out just to generate income, we've seen it with Connor Gallagher, had to sign a new deal before he could get a loan move.  The players and agents are only too ready to stay at these clubs and accept the loan moves, hopefully new legislation on the number of loans will put an end to the player-farming tactics.

Watching the Albion go from the top of the First Division down to the 3rd wasn't much fun, but every win gives you exactly the same buzz so a life without the "top 6" would hardly feel like a hollow victory.  I suspect though it's more likely to go the over way with a PL2 the way Champo clubs are trying to hoover up what little money finds its way to that level.