My daughter Hannah and I at the Man City v Liverpool Match at Anfield on 4th April 2018 (my birthday) during the 2018 Champions League quarterfinal.
The concept of the European Super League (ESL) is simply ill-thought and disgraceful an example of pure avarice and pride. For anyone who suports a football club or plays football there is a clear understanding that winning isn't everything but having a fair opportunity to compete is essential. Supporters continue to back their teams despite relegation or failure to win a trophy that is a given for most of them. In fact relegation has come to every team in the UK's top division though for Arsenal the last relegation was in the 1912-1913 season - over a 100 years ago. Only six teams have never been relegated from the English Premier League (EPL) which began in 1992. Five of the current British Teams in the ESL are included in that list whereas Manchester City have been relegated as recently as 2001. Manchester City's current protected 6 status is based on their recent form and wealth, I wonder how Everton supporters feel about that considering they are the sixth team to never have been relegated from the premiership.
The desire of the founders of the ESL to be exempted from relegation is a primary concern. It takes away the integrity of the proposed league, while removing the strong passion to play your best players regularly meaning the competition may simply become a series of half-hearted exhibition matches. Even worse it illustrates the profit-driven decision-making by more wealthy clubs that ignores the desires of their supporters. An offering of 5 teams to be added to the competition every year who can be relegated and promoted, does nothing to make the competition equitable - it only serves to make the current format more galling.
The fact that no supporters from any of the clubs who are founding the breakaway tournament have been consulted, is evidence of the insouciance of the owners towards the views of the fans.
Considering Arsenal FC is currently 9th in the EPL (the two teams below them would go above them by winning games in hand) and that Leicester City FC are third in the league (5th Last year). What right does Arsenal FC have to a protected ESL status especially over Lecester FC that in recent years have preformed consistently better than them ? Besides they have never won Europe's most prized competition the UEFA Champions League (formerly European Cup) much the same as Tottenham FC and Manchester City FC. Even more puzzling is the fact that Everton and Aston Villa's overall trophy count is either one or two respectively below that of Manchester City. Complete histories of amazing clubs are being ignored as a few wealthy clubs seek to increase profits at the cost of equanimity.
Concern for the survival of clubs outside this proposed lavish league has been raised by football pundits and politicians including Boris Johnson. The football pyramid in Britain ensures some money trickles down to even the smallest clubs. TV rights for teams outside the EPL however are bought for much less and smaller grass-roots clubs are already struggling financially. Yet an essential point that no-one has recognised is the dependency the EPL has on the lower leagues for recruiting the best players. If the ESL is successful it could lead to a money drain resulting in the loss of a recruitment pool developed over decades of good investment - in the long run that will seriously damage football and be the demise of the ESL. Even worse the loss of football heritage and loss of club identity has resulted in calls from fan clubs across the UK for action.
Jock Stein from Celtic Football Club who led them to be first British tean to win in Europe when they won the then named European Cup in 1967, said: "Football is nothing without fans". Though an erroneous banner at Old Trafford attributes this quote to Matt Busby. His words still ring out as true today and I hope supporters make this truth felt, by giving up season tickets, boycotting matches and getting involved in petitioning and protesting against this new league. The clubs rely on suporters who by merchandise and TV viewing packages it is time to make use of the power this inbues on us by refraining from support of anything linked to this nightmare proposal. Every football loving person in the UK must challenge the creation of this tournament and we all must have solidarity.
Call on your local MP's to introduce laws that protect football in this country. In Germany it is required that football clubs must allow supporters 50% of the voting rights, perhaps why German clubs have not joined the ESL. Such governance laws should be introduced to the UK, for too long we have sat back and watched as our clubs have been sold on to billionaires and oligarchs, intent on creating formidable business revenue streams to the detriment of the game.
FIFA, UEFA , EPL and footballs associations across the globe are threatening to prevent any players involved in the ESL from joining their competitions. Such action may become necessary if we are to salvage the sport. Players and Managers must be made to understand that exhibited greed by joining the new tournament will not be attractive to anyone.
The fact that neither German or French football clubs have joined this breakaway group should be commended. If nothing else considering that Bayern Munich won last years Champions Leage and Parais Saint Germain are favourites for this year, speaks volumes about the value of ESL. Let's hope common sense prevails and that this ESL is scrapped before more shame is brought into the world of football.
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In 2018 England Manager Gareth Southgate believed the sport should have an open-mind about the idea of the Eropean Super League. I await with interest his comments on the current format of the proposed tournament.
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