The Round Ball Game - II

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Pep is backing the same line as Jürgen.


Bayern and PSG are refusing to be part of it.

[LMcD]

Not entirely true, L, though it is club-specific....

Liverpool's home performances this year have suffered terribly from the lack of Anfield and Kop support, and fans watching at home really know and feel that. We've seen our team try so hard, but then their energies peter out through the second half - just when that support so often made the difference.
Many of us can't get to live games for health and other reasons, but we are still utterly devoted, and the atmosphere of a packed stadium on a big European night really burns out of the TV or radio into your room - the famous Istanbul or Barça comebacks showed that unforgettably. We might have got past Real with the Kop in full song.

Real don't even play their home games in the towering Bernabeu this season. The Milan derby at the legendary, empty San Siro was a hollow, saddening sight. But the players still find the motivation - they try their best....

My next-door neighbours always go to every Anfield match they can, and travel far for CL matches - but are still subscribers to Sky and BT and watch other teams too. They hated watching an empty Anfield at first. Would I or they sign up to a new American/Chinese/Multinational corp to watch the Superleague? No bloody chance! I scarcely know any fan that would.

But as I keep saying, watch out for those companies' responses...
Please support the petition and try to save the past and the future of our beautiful game. Never stop fighting till the fight is done

Happy to sign, Jayne!
It may well come down to whether J P Morgan's financial clout is allowed to outweigh the views of those to whom football is a sport, not a series of financial deals. The views and actions of the players will certainly be a factor, but in the end the number of armchair fans willing to take out subscriptions may prove more important to the ESL's backers, whose ideas regarding people's expendability may unfortunately be called into play and prove decisive. One Chinese 'fan' interviewed on TV last night was clearly happy to watch lots of basically incentive-free regular encounters between 'elite' teams without feeling any particular loyalty to any of them.

[Mario]

One Chinese 'fan' interviewed on TV last night was clearly happy to watch lots of basically incentive-free regular encounters between 'elite' teams without feeling any particular loyalty to any of them.

Yup, I saw that clip too.

And this, precisely this, is the reason why THEY will win!

I worked in Asia for over 10 years. It is a HUGE market, which will far outweigh any rebellious cancellations from Europe. Fans who will not renew their Season ticket
(like me) come May/June, will be trampled by others who would walk over hot coals to see Manure play.

Sorry folks, this is the real world. These guys know what they’re doing.

Mario

[DracoM]

Me miserere!
Fear you are dead right. Asia speaks a wish, the money runs.

[eighthobstruction]

Yup, I saw that clip too.

And this, precisely this, is the reason why THEY will win!

I worked in Asia for over 10 years. It is a HUGE market, which will far outweigh any rebellious cancellations from Europe. Fans who will not renew their Season ticket
(like me) come May/June, will be trampled by others who would walk over hot coals to see Manure play.

Sorry folks, this is the real world. These guys know what they’re doing.

Mario

....let them have it....I have long wanted football to go more grass roots without all the shezazze....I'm happy to see decent players playing football (Fullstop)....they don't have to be elite players who only turn up every £3rd game....I'll be just as happy seeing Burnley , Leicester, Villa etc playing for high stakes next April /May.....for me the competition is exciting....hopefully some intelligent rational will prevail and criteria will breath new gas into the game and communities....

[gurnemanz]

Bayern and PSG are refusing to be part of it.

Good for them. Not much of a "European" league without them ...... just heard Chelsea pulling out. Dead in the water?

[jayne lee wilson]

The protests and campaigns are working! The fightback truly begins....!
This is what happens when you think you can ignore fans players and managers! HA!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56823501

Come on now, Fenway and Liverpool....we're waiting....

[DracoM]

We sure are. Man City are out, Chelea out..............come on., Reds................
Can you imagine the savage reception at Anfield if this goes ahead?

[eighthobstruction]

....I have been in intense internal debate about the Glaziers since 2005....the debt....ridiculous....what ever the outcome of ESL, it has come to a crunch with me....I now support BURNLEY and if they ever get in the higher leagues possibly FC United....(all from an armchair these days without Sky or BT)....wiki <<<<Most of the capital used by Glazer to purchase Manchester United came in the form of loans, the majority of which were secured against the club's assets, incurring interest payments of over £60 million per annum. The remainder came in the form of PIK loans (payment in kind loans), which were later sold to hedge funds. Manchester United was not liable for the PIKs, which were held by Red Football Joint Venture and were secured on that company's shares in Red Football (and thus the club). The interest on the PIKs rolled up at 14.25% per annum. Despite this, the Glazers did not pay down any of the PIK loans in the first five years they owned the club. In January 2010, the club carried out a successful £500 million bond issue, and by March 2010, the PIKs stood at around £207 million.[1] The PIKs were eventually paid off in November 2010 by unspecified means.[2] In August 2012, as part of further refinancing, the Glazers sold a number of shares in Manchester United in an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).[3]

Some Manchester United fans opposed Glazer's takeover of the club, particularly once they realised the level of debt that the club would have to take on after having been debt-free for so many years. Disgruntled fans launched the football club F.C. United of Manchester in 2005, which entered the North West Counties Football League and played in the sixth tier National League North from 2015 to 2019. Since 2005, the Manchester United Supporters' Trust has been working on a way of returning ownership of the club to supporters; in 2010, they met with a group of wealthy Manchester United fans – dubbed the "Red Knights" – to discuss a billion-pound takeover bid. However, the bid fell through when the Red Knights refused to meet the Glazers' valuation of the club >>>>

...my mind is made up , a change after 50 years....

[Edgy 2]

Fan power.
Barca and Atletico Madrid pulling out.
Ed Woodward resigned from Man Utd.
Wow

[Mario]

....I have been in intense internal debate about the Glaziers since 2005....the debt....ridiculous....what ever the outcome of ESL, it has come to a crunch with me....I now support BURNLEY and if they ever get in the higher leagues possibly FC United....(all from an armchair these days without Sky or BT)....wiki <<<<Most of the capital used by Glazer to purchase Manchester United came in the form of loans, the majority of which were secured against the club's assets, incurring interest payments of over £60 million per annum. The remainder came in the form of PIK loans (payment in kind loans), which were later sold to hedge funds. Manchester United was not liable for the PIKs, which were held by Red Football Joint Venture and were secured on that company's shares in Red Football (and thus the club). The interest on the PIKs rolled up at 14.25% per annum. Despite this, the Glazers did not pay down any of the PIK loans in the first five years they owned the club. In January 2010, the club carried out a successful £500 million bond issue, and by March 2010, the PIKs stood at around £207 million.[1] The PIKs were eventually paid off in November 2010 by unspecified means.[2] In August 2012, as part of further refinancing, the Glazers sold a number of shares in Manchester United in an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).[3]

Some Manchester United fans opposed Glazer's takeover of the club, particularly once they realised the level of debt that the club would have to take on after having been debt-free for so many years. Disgruntled fans launched the football club F.C. United of Manchester in 2005, which entered the North West Counties Football League and played in the sixth tier National League North from 2015 to 2019. Since 2005, the Manchester United Supporters' Trust has been working on a way of returning ownership of the club to supporters; in 2010, they met with a group of wealthy Manchester United fans – dubbed the "Red Knights" – to discuss a billion-pound takeover bid. However, the bid fell through when the Red Knights refused to meet the Glazers' valuation of the club >>>>

...my mind is made up , a change after 50 years....

Agreed with every single word of this 8o.

Just hearing that Chelsea & Man City have pulled out - confirmed? If so, YEAH!

Also heard Snake-head Woodward has resigned - is there a more obnoxious man around?

Maybe, maybe, it's working. Did I give in too early?

Alright, Man Utd, I'm listening...

Mario

[jayne lee wilson]

Won't be long now.......

https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/04/jordan-henderson-to-lead-player-response-to-super-league-plans/

[antongould]

We sure are. Man City are out, Chelea out..............come on., Reds................
Can you imagine the savage reception at Anfield if this goes ahead?

Any chance of Hartlepool getting in or will our misguided attempt to hang a Spanish spy be held against us .... ???

[johncorrigan]

Any chance of Hartlepool getting in or will our misguided attempt to hang a Spanish spy be held against us .... ???

You've as much chance as the Buddies, anton...actually, more probably!

[LMcD]

You've as much chance as the Buddies, anton...actually, more probably!

Ipswich Town's chances of being invited into the ESL (if the latter actually comes to pass) weren't improved today, which was probably why, according to our local paper, 'Cook was screaming from the touchline throughout this game'.