What will the state of football be in, 10 years from now?

[reggio27]

I'm writing this on the back of (another) quite a long discussion, debate, argument with my Dad about football at the moment and where it is going.

He used really enjoy his football and followed Stoke for many years, which he then passed on to me. These days however the interest for him has completely gone. Rarely can I sit through a game without him raising an issue to do with the money in the game. Players wages, Transfer fees and ticket prices. There used to be a time when I would fight the corner for football, but I'm now finding it increasingly hard to.

You can't look in the paper now without seeing a £30 million plus player linked with a move to the premiership or yet another distinctly average player having his wages pushed up close to the £100k bracket. As someone who works incredibly hard for a moderate wage, for me, this is now met with a glance and quick turn of the page, not the excitement it used to bring. I'll never forget the wow factor of one off mega transfers happening, Shearer to Newcastle, Cole to Utd. This is just the norm however these days. The thought of any player under the age of 21 receiving the sums of money Sterling will be on genuinely makes my blood boil. There is a serious lack respect and understanding of the value of money.

There have been massive developments of the game in this country, paid for by the bank of Sky. The amount they have invested has changed the game beyond recognition and as such, while gaining many young fans, will undoubtedly turned many against the sport.

So where will it go next? In 10, 15...20 years?

There is mega money in China, will they become a major competitor to the premier league? Or even surpass it?
There will surely be a time when Sky offer less money for the TV rights. How much will will this affect clubs and the wages paid out? Will more clubs and bigger clubs go into liquidation?
Will we end up with a Euro Super league that so often gets mentioned?

Or will the money issue become so over consuming that the game folds in on itself and we have to start again?

[metalhead]

They'll probably settle the Premier League in August with a Twitter vote, meaning Arsenal will win it every year. The one year they don't win, the Arse fans will start a change.org petition claiming they're being victimized and they'll be awarded the title as not to hurt their feelings.

[norman conquest]

Feb 16, 2016 11:05:32 GMT metalhead said:

They'll probably settle the Premier League in August with a Twitter vote, meaning Arsenal will win it every year. The one year they don't win, the Arse fans will start a change.org petition claiming they're being victimized and they'll be awarded the title as not to hurt their feelings.

And in a 100 years time they,ll talk about Ryan in the same way we talk about wars, plague,s, famine etc.

[metalhead]

Feb 16, 2016 11:12:48 GMT norman conquest said:

Feb 16, 2016 11:05:32 GMT metalhead said:

They'll probably settle the Premier League in August with a Twitter vote, meaning Arsenal will win it every year. The one year they don't win, the Arse fans will start a change.org petition claiming they're being victimized and they'll be awarded the title as not to hurt their feelings.

And in a 100 years time they,ll talk about Ryan in the same way we talk about wars, plague,s, famine etc.

Imbula and Afellay will be spoken in the same breath as Lennon and McCartney

[Mr_DaftBurger]

If it wasn't for Stoke I doubt I would watch much football. The money has not changed the quality much, but bought in cheating at every opportunity as clubs desperately scramble to keep their snouts in the trough.

I just don't understand the China thing. On the occassions I have been there kids are more interested in the NBA than the Premiershit?? Their league system suffered with widespread match fixing and corruption. As the yanks found out in the 70's, you can't build a league with foreign inports, albeit, younger imports, it has to grow from the grass roots. I'm gussing the plan is get the best player and sell the league rights in Asia but that's just going to be like exhibitions matches?

It's all fucked up

[localloser]

Feb 16, 2016 11:17:04 GMT Mr_DaftBurger said:

If it wasn't for Stoke I doubt I would watch much football. The money has not changed the quality much, but bought in cheating at every opportunity as clubs desperately scramble to keep their snouts in the trough.

I just don't understand the China thing. On the occassions I have been there kids are more interested in the NBA than the Premiershit?? Their league system suffered with widespread match fixing and corruption. As the yanks found out in the 70's, you can't build a league with foreign inports, albeit, younger imports, it has to grow from the grass roots. I'm gussing the plan is get the best player and sell the league rights in Asia but that's just going to be like exhibitions matches?

It's all fucked up

China will be wanting a world cup. They've had the Olympics and football is next on their list to get sporting world domination

[Mr_DaftBurger]

Feb 16, 2016 11:20:49 GMT localloser said:

Feb 16, 2016 11:17:04 GMT Mr_DaftBurger said:

If it wasn't for Stoke I doubt I would watch much football. The money has not changed the quality much, but bought in cheating at every opportunity as clubs desperately scramble to keep their snouts in the trough.

I just don't understand the China thing. On the occassions I have been there kids are more interested in the NBA than the Premiershit?? Their league system suffered with widespread match fixing and corruption. As the yanks found out in the 70's, you can't build a league with foreign inports, albeit, younger imports, it has to grow from the grass roots. I'm gussing the plan is get the best player and sell the league rights in Asia but that's just going to be like exhibitions matches?

It's all fucked up

China will be wanting a world cup. They've had the Olympics and football is next on their list to get sporting world domination

No doubt they will get it.

I guess if they can get 10% of the population of China buying shirts thats ermmmmmm a lot of people!

[dadofsam]

We still won't have filled the corners in.

[march4]

I think we are seeing a revolution in the English game, brought about by the TV megabucks.

In the past 30yrs, the big 4 (5) hoovered up everything because they had the extra revenue from Europe. That revenue is now less significant and any Prem club can go out and snatch players from nearly every club in the world.

Hopefully two things are happening that are only the start;
1 Leicester and Spurs challenging for the Prem (let's hope they finish 1st and 2nd)
2 Chelsea in the bottom half, Liverpool now a confirmed mid-table team, ManU again struggling for a Euro spot.

In 10yrs, I fervently hope that we are back to the first 100yrs of English football in that a different team win the League every season and any team can be relegated every season. It is time ManU spent a few decades playing the likes of Vale and Fleetwood in the 3rd Division, Liverpool tasting the Evo-Stik league, Chelsea having to start again at the base of the football pyramid. Football will be unpredictable, exciting and a proper sporting contest.

[lordherefordsknob]

There will be no local supporters in the crowd,it will be full of Asian supporters paying 200 quid a ticket.

All with half and half shirts and scarves and long lens camaras taking pictures all the way through.


A bit like man utd and Liverpool now.

[localloser]

Maybe FIFA will be cleaned up in the next 10 years. There again, maybe not....

[alster]

Feb 16, 2016 11:53:33 GMT march4 said:

I think we are seeing a revolution in the English game, brought about by the TV megabucks.

In the past 30yrs, the big 4 (5) hoovered up everything because they had the extra revenue from Europe. That revenue is now less significant and any Prem club can go out and snatch players from nearly every club in the world.

Hopefully two things are happening that are only the start;
1 Leicester and Spurs challenging for the Prem (let's hope they finish 1st and 2nd)
2 Chelsea in the bottom half, Liverpool now a confirmed mid-table team, ManU again struggling for a Euro spot.

In 10yrs, I fervently hope that we are back to the first 100yrs of English football in that a different team win the League every season and any team can be relegated every season. It is time ManU spent a few decades playing the likes of Vale and Fleetwood in the 3rd Division, Liverpool tasting the Evo-Stik league, Chelsea having to start again at the base of the football pyramid. Football will be unpredictable, exciting and a proper sporting contest.

Bloody hell March that's pretty insightful for you I'd agree with your analysis right up until you get completely carried away in your last paragraph. Where will it all end up, I've no idea I've been predicting the money in the game will implode much like Serie A did in Italy a while back. No sign of it happening for a while yet though.

[Bick]

There is a ceiling to how much the game will grow financially - in terms of how many people watch the game.

I imagine it will peak in about 5 years or so and then will plato when FIFA impose certain sanctions.

The way it has grown over the last 10 years isn't sustainable in the longer term.

[moonoid]

Certainly football has massively changed - in the 70s when I went to see Stoke at the Victoria Ground there was a real connect with the club. I recall having a drink with first team players in Longton like Jackie Marsh. Of course now it's all about the money, despite all this badge kissing nonsense. Let's face it, Spanish and Austrian players know bugger all about the Potteries and the people and will just follow the money as mercenaries always will.

In ten years? Well one big factor is that the average age of the football supporter who attends games is 35 plus. There are young people going, but less than in my youth. Teenagers are less likely to have any connection to local clubs unless they are on TV all the time, i.e. Man Utd, Chelsea etc. Eventually attendances for clubs like Stoke will start to fall. Once this happens it will escalate quickly as the clubs panic and punters no longer see it as a viable activity. Putting up prices and trying to buy their way out will accelerate this decline. Clubs will disappear, apart from a select few. Ultimately, the bigger clubs will only want "fans" as TV extras, to make it look exciting for foreign TV consumption.


In short, we shall lose the game we love in exactly the same way we lost our industries and our local and national identities. 

[dadofsam]

Sepp and Michel will be readying their election campaigns.

[bingbang]

I think most working class supporters will have turned their back on it. Apart from the cups what point is there, the big clubs will get bigger and bigger meaning winning or being competitive in the league just wont happen. You only have to look at spanish clubs now apart from the top 5 or 6 they struggle to half fill their grounds. Last weekend i decided to give going to Bournemouth a miss and went to London for the weekend to see Les Miserables, pound for pound the entertainment value compared to football was way beyond ( ticket £35.00 ). It made me realise there is life other than football, why should i pay £50 to go to Chelsea when i can get as much if not more entertainment for far less. Dont get me wrong i have watched Stoke home and away for 50 years and will continue to do so, but for how much longer ? who knows.!

[march4]

Feb 16, 2016 12:26:33 GMT alster said:

Feb 16, 2016 11:53:33 GMT march4 said:

I think we are seeing a revolution in the English game, brought about by the TV megabucks.

In the past 30yrs, the big 4 (5) hoovered up everything because they had the extra revenue from Europe. That revenue is now less significant and any Prem club can go out and snatch players from nearly every club in the world.

Hopefully two things are happening that are only the start;
1 Leicester and Spurs challenging for the Prem (let's hope they finish 1st and 2nd)
2 Chelsea in the bottom half, Liverpool now a confirmed mid-table team, ManU again struggling for a Euro spot.

In 10yrs, I fervently hope that we are back to the first 100yrs of English football in that a different team win the League every season and any team can be relegated every season. It is time ManU spent a few decades playing the likes of Vale and Fleetwood in the 3rd Division, Liverpool tasting the Evo-Stik league, Chelsea having to start again at the base of the football pyramid. Football will be unpredictable, exciting and a proper sporting contest.

Bloody hell March that's pretty insightful for you I'd agree with your analysis right up until you get completely carried away in your last paragraph. Where will it all end up, I've no idea I've been predicting the money in the game will implode much like Serie A did in Italy a while back. No sign of it happening for a while yet though.

I can dream, mate!

[eddyclamp]

For what it`s worth here is my view.
We have already gone from the European cup to the Champions league . More English clubs are foreign owned and these owners see the bigger picture which I think the powers that be in football fail to recognise
Sooner or later the big clubs , will all negotiate there own TV deals , play in a world league where you might have say Man U playing barca in china or the US making millions in TV revenue. Miles more than they are making now.
As for the rest of us we will just carry on with domestic league minus the big clubs and draw in less money.
These foreign owners in general , don`t give a toss about the history or future of English football or it`s fanbase. it`s all about chasing the coin.

[march4]

Feb 16, 2016 13:18:05 GMT eddyclamp said:

For what it`s worth here is my view.
We have already gone from the European cup to the Champions league . More English clubs are foreign owned and these owners see the bigger picture which I think the powers that be in football fail to recognise
Sooner or later the big clubs , will all negotiate there own TV deals , play in a world league where you might have say Man U playing barca in china or the US making millions in TV revenue. Miles more than they are making now.
As for the rest of us we will just carry on with domestic league minus the big clubs and draw in less money.
These foreign owners in general , don`t give a toss about the history or future of English football or it`s fanbase. it`s all about chasing the coin.

I think that would implode, mate.

Which would be great seeing ManU have to play Market Drayton Town as they try to get back to the Prem.

[carruthers1on1]

In 2002 my dissertation had the catchy title of "the changing composition of football supporters 1989-2002". I interviewed supporters from every league club and some non league fans too. My prediction was that (in the post Taylor Report world) foreign fans and the middle classes would replace the traditional fan base, football would become boring and anodyne and eventually the middle classes would get bored and the Sky money would dry up. The saddest bit was a Villa fan I interviewed who cried with frustration over the phone recounting a story of how a woman in front of him on the Holte End told him off for swearing at the ref (she had a wicker picnic hamper with her) and he felt his world that he'd been introduced to by his father and grandfather was disappearing.

Many of my fears haven't come to pass, but football must find a way of allowing groups of young men to watch football in groups, as that is how you catch the bug

[Danstoke82]

In 100 years, Arsene Wenger will be just a talking head kept alive by machines and still in charge of Arsenal.

Arsenal will still be a bunch of c*nts.

[hoopty]

At the moment the global demand for the entertainment that is the Prem appears undimmed. A greater move towards a format that includes big clubs from shit leagues (Barca, Real, PSG, even Celtic) looks likely. A shorter format Prem with a European equivalent afterwards might be one way. (I'm not advocating this by the way, but it would drive ever higher global revenues.

Longer term the major threat to this is the US. The game is catching on very fast and the league is preofessionalising rapidly. China and other emerging markets will always be able to splurge some cash on some money-driven players but ultimately it is a competitive league that brings in the punters and the US looks a major threat.

[hoopty]

Feb 16, 2016 13:18:05 GMT eddyclamp said:

For what it`s worth here is my view.
We have already gone from the European cup to the Champions league . More English clubs are foreign owned and these owners see the bigger picture which I think the powers that be in football fail to recognise
Sooner or later the big clubs , will all negotiate there own TV deals , play in a world league where you might have say Man U playing barca in china or the US making millions in TV revenue. Miles more than they are making now.
As for the rest of us we will just carry on with domestic league minus the big clubs and draw in less money.
These foreign owners in general , don`t give a toss about the history or future of English football or it`s fanbase. it`s all about chasing the coin.

This is precisely wrong. The reason the Prem is the best in the world is that it has collective TV rights bargaining which keeps it competitive. They know that. The (former) top four know that to grow their revenues fastest it requires a competitive league not just a top two that negotiate their own rights.

[salopstick]

We won't think £500k per week is obscene

[geoff321]

PL reduced to 18 clubs.
PL clubs threaten to withdraw from F.A. and Capital One cup competitions.
Video technology in place.
Match fixing scandals emerge.
Creation of a European super league gets closer.
Sin bins introduced.
Stoke City freeze ticket prices for 17th year.
Tony Pulis returns to Stoke as European scout and head of the Academy.

[trentvale68]

So much depends on the bigger picture; the global economy

Eventually all the unsustainable debt will bring everything down, a worldwide depression that will make football irrelevant

its only a matter of time

[geoff321]

I think you are spot on tv that the global economy is on the verge of recession/depression/collapse but what is unclear is how football would come through that.

[salopstick]

Feb 16, 2016 14:18:29 GMT geoff321 said:

PL reduced to 18 clubs.
PL clubs threaten to withdraw from F.A. and Capital One cup competitions.
Video technology in place.
Match fixing scandals emerge.
Creation of a European super league gets closer.
Sin bins introduced.
Stoke City freeze ticket prices for 17th year.
Tony Pulis returns to Stoke as European scout and head of the Academy.

Tony Pulis cannot spell academy

[sheikhmomo]

The proposed changes to the FA Cup mooted today sound a bit like the final death knell of football to me www.express.co.uk/sport/football/644521/FA-Cup-League-Cup-Premier-League-England-winter-break-fixture-News-Gossip

Plus there are already murmurings from some of the bigger clubs about the indignity of having to qualify through competition for their space at the top trough www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/europes-top-clubs-want-changes-to-champions-league-but-play-down-breakaway-super-league-a6864581.html

There hasn’t been many better times to be a Stoke fan but the wider game makes me sick to the stomach.

[Stretfordpotterer]

Feb 16, 2016 11:53:33 GMT march4 said:

I think we are seeing a revolution in the English game, brought about by the TV megabucks.

In the past 30yrs, the big 4 (5) hoovered up everything because they had the extra revenue from Europe. That revenue is now less significant and any Prem club can go out and snatch players from nearly every club in the world.

Hopefully two things are happening that are only the start;
1 Leicester and Spurs challenging for the Prem (let's hope they finish 1st and 2nd)
2 Chelsea in the bottom half, Liverpool now a confirmed mid-table team, ManU again struggling for a Euro spot.

In 10yrs, I fervently hope that we are back to the first 100yrs of English football in that a different team win the League every season and any team can be relegated every season. It is time ManU spent a few decades playing the likes of Vale and Fleetwood in the 3rd Division, Liverpool tasting the Evo-Stik league, Chelsea having to start again at the base of the football pyramid. Football will be unpredictable, exciting and a proper sporting contest.

I hope this is the start of a more competitive era.

I think a lot of that depends on the impact of losing the CL on Sky.

If it turns out that actually, they have lost very few customers, and BT haven't gained as many as they thought, then the relative value of the CL to broadcasters diminishes significantly and CL football may cease to be the destructor of a level playing field that it's become.