by Tony Attwood
One might have expected that after Liverpool’s win of the league last season they might have been able to bask in the glory of that campaign for a while. After all they did have a very good run especially as by late February this year their league record showed played 27, won 26, drawn 1. A record every team would have loved to have had; they were utterly idolised by the media.
But now the media is not so impressed. The idols have fallen from their pedestal. Why is that?
First we must notice that the idolisation did involve ignoring some games. No one really bothers too much about the FL Trophy games in which the under 21s play the first teams of three League One and Two sides, although my pals and I like to go and see who’s up and coming. Arsenal get through the mini-league most years, so seeing results showing Liverpool lose to Oldham and Accrington (the latter by 5-2) and draw with Fleetwood, and thus exit in the group stage was interesting, although the media chose to ignore it.
Defeats to Villa (again 5-2) in the league cup, and Atletico Madrid twice in the Champs League, followed by the unexpected 3-0 away defeat to Watford, and losing to Chelsea in the FA Cup, gave us a slight smile – they were winning the league by a mile and a half, but at least not getting a double or an unbeaten season. Of course, by the time those potential attainments were off the table, we were in dire trouble ourselves with a second managerial change after years of stability, but few outside of our fan base were really interested in Arsenal by then, apart from those who wanted to gloat.
From that 18 February defeat in Madrid onward, Liverpool played 15 games in the Premier League and the Champions League winning seven, losing six. Arsenal’s last 15 games saw us win 10 and lose four. They won the League (of course the much bigger prize), we won the FA Cup. Few seemed to notice their decline in form. Or our cup win!
When a large number of Liverpool fans gathered to celebrate their title win, there was some condemnation (we were after all in lockdown) but little comment on the fact reported by the BBC that the local council were reduced to asking people who had friends in the crowds to text them to ask them to come home. Normally the authorities losing control of the city is news, but not in Liverpool it seemed. So it was forgotten, rather like the seven wins in 15. After all, they’d won the League for the first time in 30 years, and this virus thing, well, Boris was in charge and we were going to have a world beating track and trace system, so it was all right. Wasn’t it?
Then later, much later, when John Henry and Joel Glazer proposed Project Big Picture, Liverpool weren’t particularly condemned for it. Indeed some reported that Henry was saying his PBP had been a victory as the PL agreed to discuss the idea further in the now promised strategic review! Few disagreed in the media.
As we’ve noted before, the Glazer family’s “B” shares in Manchester United give them the right to a mega annual dividend no matter whether the club makes a profit or not. And so the club does need a profit to keep that family in the lifestyle of opulence and luxury which they demand. Thus perhaps it was not surprising that the plan said nothing about the biggest problem in football finance: clubs gambling on their future.
The current structure encourages Championship clubs to get into mega debt as they attempt to buy their way into the Premier League by spending more and more on players. And it encourages Premier League club owners to spend as much as they wish on players. And I write that knowing full well that Arsenal spent more than any other club in the last window.
The notion of 25% of funds being given to the EFL would do nothing to stop this insanity but would make the Championship clubs even more dependent on the largess of the Premier League. With that sort of money the Premier League clubs would pretty much own the Championship clubs because they would be their bankers. If the PL clubs wanted future reform, as the paymasters, they could demand what they wanted, and the Championship would have to accept it.
But then, who needs competition?
Once again we have a cheating lying conniving US citizen trying to seize power together with a group of non tax paying foreigners who own English Football clubs. In the case of one individual, he should be dressed in a condom as he delves into the depths looking for cigar smoke from a usually ping pong playing orifice. Yes, it is what we often refer to John Henry as – a big dick.
The shameless attempt to take control of a league that has already lost its soul to greed is not surprising. The younger generation of England’s football loving families will not be able to see quality live football for a long time. Their recreation on a Saturday afternoon has now been set to make money for the wealthy at ungodly times, impacting homework and family meal times. There is no discussion or consultation that would normally be seen as mandatory before society was deprived of its national sport.
The finger of blame must point to the FA and the government for allowing foreign ownership of Football clubs without any financial examination and limiting terms and conditions to safeguard the social benefit of the game.
We cannot accept legal entities as shareholders to safeguard moral obligations when financial benefit is involved. Shareholders of football clubs must be individuals with British nationality. The FA should not have members beyond the age of 70 and again must be British Nationals.
The officials must be FIFA qualified and appointed by ballot 14 days prior to matches. There must be a pool of at least 28 officials on a simple retainer basis with additional match fees when appointed.
Following this basic change in the structure of English Football, the financial equations can be worked out to cater for all levels of the game. The assurance that the income that the game generates is to remain in the UK will grow everything that depends and supports the game in the UK.