The concentration of wealth and attention on a tiny number of globalised superclubs is leading to moments of remarkable drama and quality – but at a terrible priceA recent Set-Piece Menu podcast eloquently made the case for fandom as a broad church. When the Premier League is marketed so aggressively all over the world, when overseas television rights bring it so much revenue, when players and managers and owners are often foreign, they argued – quite reasonably – who is to deny the travelling supporter from Baltimore or Bangalore their seat in the stadium, the right to call themselves a fan? All of that made sense.On an intellectual level I agreed with it. It fitted my general liberal, globalised worldview....
Demise is another warning that huge social value of clubs cannot beat the cold, hard edges of a free marketA good day to bury Bury. The swell of public sympathy at Bury FC’s expulsion from the English Football League was tangible on Wednesday morning. And yet, as ever with Big Football, the wheels will continue to grind on.Thursday will bring the Champions League draw, with further details of how Europe’s club elite plan to divvy up the season’s £2bn revenue. Friday promises more news on a potential mega‑move for the house of Neymar, with the proposed £135m transfer to Barcelona playing itself out up to deadline day. Beyond that, the Premier League fixture list will continue to fill the skies...
In the Premier League and beyond clubs have a set place in the pecking order and despite the odd Leicester-style success that is not likely to changeIn politics it is said that when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. In sport when Manchester United fire a manager – which is rather often nowadays – the chain reaction is felt throughout football. And nowhere more, at present, than at Tottenham. The way the media reacted after José Mourinho was ousted from Old Trafford, it seemed it was already a done deal that Mauricio Pochettino would be United’s new manager next season. It was almost as if it was an embarrassing inconvenience that he had to play along with being Spurs...
As the club prepare to lift the Premier League trophy with the most expensive squad in football, the vision is coming to fruitionWhen Liverpool went to the Etihad Stadium for their smash-and-grab victory over Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final second leg it was odd to hear their fans sing the straight version of We Shall Not Be Moved – “just like a team that’s going to win the European Cup”.City fans’ version of that anthem was lyrically adjusted 19 years ago, when supporters who grew up on a team of internationals in the early 1970s found themselves trailing around League One while Manchester United were on their way to the treble. Watching in disbelief defeats that 1998-99 season...
The rebuilt stadium cost £757m in 2007, far less than the £600m on offer, but the proposed deal makes sense - especially for grassroots footballOf all the questions prompted by the Football Association’s announcement that it is considering selling Wembley for about £600m to the car parts and NFL billionaire Shahid Khan, one, bluntly, was whether that is actually enough money. Related: FA promises £600m Wembley windfall will go to grassroots football Related: FA holds talks to sell Wembley to Fulham owner Khan in £900m deal Continue reading...