Plan for 39th game 'still on'

[Dirk Gently]

According to recent reports, the most likely target for the PL clubs is the League Cup.

One story circulating is a plan for the PL clubs to have a tournament abroad - maybe pre-season - with 5 groups of 4 teams. The 5 group winners goe straight to the League Cup quarter finals, where they join the 3 of the 72 FL clubs who have been whittled down to this stage.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

According to recent reports, the most likely target for the PL clubs is the League Cup.

One story circulating is a plan for the PL clubs to have a tournament abroad - maybe pre-season - with 5 groups of 4 teams. The 5 group winners goe straight to the League Cup quarter finals, where they join the 3 of the 72 FL clubs who have been whittled down to this stage.

Farcical IMO - and another way to safeguard money to the top 20 teams in the country. All this will do will mean that a "lucky 3" clubs will have the oppourtunity for a money-makling tie against Premiership opposition - and these 3 will more than likely be at the upper echelons of the Championship.

A quick look at the ties to have already taken place (or taking place in round 4) this season - prior to the Quarter finals:

Sunderland v Northampton
Liverpool v Crewe
Brighton v Man City
Aston Villa v QPR
Man Utd v QPR
Chelsea v Burnley

Whilst I don't suggest that the gates at all of these matches would have been huge, it's still a good revenue stream for the league clubs (I know QPR don't necessarily "need" the money but that could easily have been another Championship club with less money).

As with most things related to the Premier League, all this proposal will end up doing is making the rich richer and the poor poorer.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

True.

Still, everyone knows (but no-one in a position of authority wil admit) that:

Milking the footballing cash cow for every penny possible > Making decisions that benefit the whole of football in general.

[Silver Fox]

According to recent reports, the most likely target for the PL clubs is the League Cup.

One story circulating is a plan for the PL clubs to have a tournament abroad - maybe pre-season - with 5 groups of 4 teams. The 5 group winners goe straight to the League Cup quarter finals, where they join the 3 of the 72 FL clubs who have been whittled down to this stage.

Surely as the FL are in charge of the league cup they'd have to be in favour of this wouldn't they? And as far as I can tell these days the FL and PL don't get along

[papereyes]

According to recent reports, the most likely target for the PL clubs is the League Cup.

One story circulating is a plan for the PL clubs to have a tournament abroad - maybe pre-season - with 5 groups of 4 teams. The 5 group winners goe straight to the League Cup quarter finals, where they join the 3 of the 72 FL clubs who have been whittled down to this stage.

Why not just make their own Premierleague cup.
5 groups of four teams each in a foreign location - Far East, Near East, Oceania/I have no idea what to call it but its where Malaysia and Singapore are, South/Latin America, North America.

5 winners, best runner up and 2 play off winners go to a quarter final then semi final and final in Dubai or wherever pays the most.

Don't let it interrupt the rest of the league.

[Dirk Gently]

According to recent reports, the most likely target for the PL clubs is the League Cup.

One story circulating is a plan for the PL clubs to have a tournament abroad - maybe pre-season - with 5 groups of 4 teams. The 5 group winners goe straight to the League Cup quarter finals, where they join the 3 of the 72 FL clubs who have been whittled down to this stage.

Surely as the FL are in charge of the league cup they'd have to be in favour of this wouldn't they? And as far as I can tell these days the FL and PL don't get along

Yep - but what if the PL teams decide to just not take part in the League Cup? It's worth £55M in total to the FL, and the PL think that much of that value comes from "their" clubs' participation. So the PL may think they have the FL by the short and curlies....

The complication is that in all the political chicanery at the start of the PL in the early 90s, the FL agreed to drop a legal challenge on the conditon that PL clubs continued to take part in the League Cup. This is where the lawyers get involved.....

[Dirk Gently]

First details are starting to emerge about the deals being done to enable the PL to play games abroad without opposition.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... 8&refer=uk

Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The English Premier League agreed to help develop soccer in Asia, giving the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool greater access to one of their biggest fan bases in return for offering football know-how.

Richard Scudamore, the league’s chief executive officer, and Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed bin Hammam today announced a tie-up that will see some English teams twin with their Asian counterparts.

Premier League clubs will offer expertise on matters from coaching to community relations and stand to gain from having the Asian ruling body’s consent to play in the region. Bin Hammam has previously criticized visiting European teams for creaming off revenue in Asia and offering nothing in return.
.....

[papereyes]

First details are starting to emerge about the deals being done to enabel teh Pl to play games abroad without opposition.

Didn't Scotland try that in the mid-90s?

[Dirk Gently]

First details are starting to emerge about the deals being done to enabel teh Pl to play games abroad without opposition.

Didn't Scotland try that in the mid-90s?

Quite possibly, and individual clubs have tried it too (Sheffield Utd in China, for example) - but none exactly have the marketing power of the PL clubs.