The changing face of football

[fenman]

Like many of you , over the years I've been a fan of a particular club . It's not a local club to me so I can't say that I am a supporter in the true sense of the word .However I've been a fan of theirs since the mid 50's .I

[fenman]

Like many of you , over the years I've been a fan of a particular club . It's not a club local to me so I can't say I'm a supporter in the true sense of the word . However I've been a fan of theirs since the 1950's . In that time they've had a few highs but even more lows and at the moment languish in division 1 ( division 3 in old money ) but they've been my team and like their proper supporters I've been happy when they've won and down when they've lost and relegated . Over the years their players and most managers have remained in the hearts and minds of the supporters and various parts of the stadium have been named after them . Recent funerals of their players from the 50's and 60's have seen large turnouts . This isn't unique to this club , its refelected in many clubs throughout Great Britain . Managers did the best job they could with what theyed got and players generally speaking did their best . League titles , promotions and cup wins were a matter of intense pride and displayed on club flags , pennants and letter headings like battle honours on the regimental flags .Relegations were a disappointment but " we'll be back next year " was the attitude , often misguided optimism .

Along came Murdoch , via Sky the premiership comes into being and live games are broadcast virtually all weekend .Sky promises to change the face of football as we knew it . It certainly did that , we now have a situation where an astronomical amount of money is on offer for teams and players in the top division . Managers in the lower half of the premiership and the upper regions of the championship are being sacked after a run of 6 defeats . It now appears that entertaining the fans is secondary to the lust for money . Promotion is no longer a matter of pride but of the riches just one season in it will bring .Qualifying for Europe is no longer a matter of pride its a matter of the promise of even more money , similarly winning the FA cup is no longer a matter of another honour for your battleflag and letter headings but how much money can be generated from it . Many clubs out of the top 4 and in the championship have had more managers than Tendulkar has scored centuries , players are now little more that mercenaries , over paid and yet wanting more if someone will offer it .Will fans in 30 years time look back with affection at players who became legends and stayed with the club through thick and thin and always gave their best ? Is this obsession with money good for football ?.

The reason I pose this question is that last night I went to a county FA meeting ( not Devon or Cornwall ) where the subject wasthe state of grassroots football . Since August 7% of the clubs in the county had folded with the possibility of more before the end of the season . Obviously panic has set in in high places hence the meeting of all the leagues in the county .It appears that one of the reasons for the loss is the lack of money to keep village sports facilities operational . For instances pavilion maintainence , equipment maintainence , goal post replacement etc .

It seems sad that with all the money being squandered at the top level of football non is filtered down to where the bulk of football is played in the way of small grants .

I know that the more intelligent of you will say " that's business , that's what football is all about " but do you think that the game at our level is being destroyed by the way football is being conducted at the top level ?

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

Simple answer fenman - yes - the premier league is destroying local football, along with the TV companies.

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

It will undoubtedly survive, but, at a lot less volume than now. A lot of clubs to fold I think.

[Goldeneye]

At local level you see hard graft by lads who are playing for sheer love of the game.

If that's the case I wish they would look as though they're enjoying it! It seems to me they're always looking for a confrontation rather than 'putting on a show' for those watching.

[Brianmooreshead]

There will always, always be a place for grass roots football, I think one good thing to come out the saturation coverage of top level football is that it brings the game to children. Yes they may ape some of the unsavoury side of modern football ( diving, dissent etc ) but I can't envisage a time when grass roots football will ever dry up. In the town where I live there are now junior sides from u/8 right through to u/16.Plus girls teams. That's a lot of kids playing each week, and it's for certain that a percentage will carry on playing through adulthood.

As for professional football you're absolutely right. Last season showed that whilst " unfashionable " clubs can win things ( Swansea , Wigan ) the power and wealth of the top ( four, five six even ) is now all conquering. The premiership race is probably as close as it will get this season. When Financial Fair Play comes into being Man Utd will be rubbing their hands. 75000 at every home game, untold riches through worldwide sales.

With the wealthy benefactors no longer allowed to subsidise clubs the established elite will just compete amongst themselves. Soon there will be a two tier Premiership and no promotion or relegation - It will happen don't you worry. For those clubs down in the old Div 3 the futures very worrying. I oredict at least twenty closing in the next thirty years

In fifty years time people will be coming on forums like this reminiscing about how Spurs used to be in the top six !

[SteveG]

I'm not so sure I share all the doom and gloom about dozens of clubs going under. If you compare attendance figures in the bottom two divisions to 20 or 30 years ago, you will find that they are miles better now. Back then, three-figure attendances at some grounds were relatively common, and I was present at a number of them myself. Nowadays, they are unheard of, thank God.

As for Financial Fair Play, it is of course specifically designed to ensure that the traditionally rich clubs get even richer at everyone else's expense. It is the exact opposite of 'fair play', and is deliberately intended to be so. However, it is also an obvious restraint of trade, and it will not be long before somebody challenges it in a European or national court somewhere. When this happens, it will fall to bits in about five minutes flat.

There are certainly some trends to be worried about in the modern game, but there are also reasons to be cheerful!