European Super League

More than ever, it is difficult to decipher what is going on and what interests different parties have. I’m always amazed in politics how every idea the opposition party has must be the wrong policy, but my party is right all the time.

There’s a big dose of this going on with the proposed European Super League. I have been saying to anybody who is still prepared to listen to me that ultimately there will be a European Super League.

The concept isn’t too outrageous – it’s the manner in which an attempt has been made to achieve this goal.

A step back is called for. This isn’t purely a football matter. It’s a financial issue and this is what capitalism looks like nowadays. You run a business and need to make the biggest buck possible. This, unfortunately, is the shape of the world. I have money to invest and want to make the most of it.

Another step back might be worthwhile. As a business model there’s something wrong. Hark back to the financial crisis of 2007 – 2008 - reckless lending amidst the glorious thought that property prices would keep going up and bad risks would keep out of trouble consequently.

Financial wobbles across the world and how to get out of trouble? Slash interest rates and basically reward all the people who have been acting fast and loose and set the cycle in motion again.

The teams looking to set up the Super league are, for the most part, shedding millions of pounds. A look at Manchester United’s balance sheet will tell you that they run a mountain of debt. Borrow money cheaply and adhere to the new golden rule of finance – become too big to fail.

With funding in place, you can rock the foundations of football.

I am not as opposed to this Super League idea as some. I believe it will come about at some point in time, but it needs to be organised by an independent group who don’t have purely personal interests at heart. It needs to be competitive with the crucial component being that there will be promotion and relegation.

The current format isn’t massively appealing, and I do think that football fans get a raw deal.

UEFA’s plans for a new Champions league don’t exactly get my heart racing. More teams with more uncompetitive games is the way I see it. Instead of six group games there are plans for a league format with 10 games each. It’s unlikely the big boys will be playing each other much at this stage. Then 2 legged play-offs for teams finishing outside the top 8. More games, lower quality.

I wonder what great enjoyment Scottish fans get from watching an uncompetitive title race. At least there are now two teams who might win the league but for the previous nine years it was a procession. If Celtic and Rangers were playing in a European league (maybe tier 2) then the Scottish league would become competitive, and fans might even get to see their club win the title.

The downside would be that you’d miss your big games against Celtic and Rangers but that only goes to confirm the attraction of clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City.

The English pyramid must be in peril. If clubs had to stand on their own two feet this season, then surely quite a few would have gone out of business. The National League is staggering to a conclusion as teams have struggled to survive.

Ultimately a deal needs to be done. When and how is hard to say but grass roots football needs to benefit from receipt of some of this money in a manner that can assist them.

Teams that enter the European League will need to have restrictions placed on them too. Loose money is sloshing around, and caps must be enforced on this new breed of too big to fail.

People say I am a dreamer.