tomclare
9th June 2005, 15:21
September 1st 2005, will mark the 51st anniversary of the day that I really fell in love for the first time in my life. It was on that day that I entered Old Trafford for the first time for the purpose of watching a Manchester United first team fixture. Although a half a century will have passed since that occasion, I can remember it as though it was yesterday, and how it began this love affair that is as strong today, as it was when it started all those years ago. It was a sunny, balmy, autumn Wednesday evening. There were no floodlights at Old Trafford then, so the game had a 6:45 p.m. kick off time. The fixture was against opponents that had traveled what to me, in those days, was an enormous distance across the Penines. They came from the steel city of Sheffield, and were called “Wednesday” or “The Owls.” I was a little over nine years of age that day, and attended that game without my parents’ permission – but that is another story for another day. United won 2-0 that evening with two goals scored by the late Dennis Viollet, and United’s team lined up; Wood; Foulkes, Byrne; Whitefoot, Chilton (capt), Edwards; Berry, Blanchflower, Webster, Viollet, Rowley. The total cost to United of putting that team out was 31,500 pounds. Only four players (Byrne, Chilton, Berry and Rowley) were left from the Championship winning team of 1952, and seven players (Wood, Foulkes, Byrne, Edwards, Berry, Blanchflower, Viollet) would suffer the horrors of Munich less than four years later. Today, only two (Foulkes and Whitefoot) from that team survive. It was also the season that saw Chelsea lift the Championship for the only time in their history, and ironically, their last away game that season was at Old Trafford, which I also saw, with United turning out victors by 2-1.
Since that balmy autumn evening, a lot of water has run under the bridge. Today, the game, the way that it is administered, and also the Premier League, bears no relation to the way things were back then. It’s hard for me when I look back over all those years to decide if that scruffy little street urchin who entered Old Trafford that evening, changed to become the suspicious, sometimes cynical old bugger of a fan that I am today, because of the way that the game has actually evolved; or is it because I feel that the game has been hi-jacked from the genuine fan , or is it because that I simply feel that over the years, the game has simply lost its soul? I suspect it’s because of the latter, but I will let you who read this article decide.
Don’t get me wrong, as I said in the opening statement, my love for Manchester United is as strong as it ever was, and I will carry that love with me until the day that I draw my last breath; but my fears for the game of football, can at times bring tears to my aging eyes. I look back to that first evening game and remember the people who stood around me – men in flat caps, fresh from a days work, some straight up from the pit (yes, there was one in the heart of urban Manchester in those days) smelling of Woodbines and last night’s beer. It was a chattering throng, excited by what was about to happen at Manchester United. Football in those days was a cheap commodity for the working man – I first paid six pence (2 and 1/2p today) as a Junior and the adults paid 1/3d (7p today) and the programme was just 4d (2d today). Supporters of either club could stand together without fear, and could shout and encourage their team along, and the banter was always good natured and friendly with no malice. Youngsters like myself could freely come and go to see our heroes in the flesh – it became a ritual, and the Monday morning talk in the schoolyards and factories was always about which match you had been to see the previous Saturday. It’s all a far distant cry from what I see nowadays.
When the Premier League began at the start of the 1992-93 Season, something akin to that had been in the offing for a number of years. The death knell for a lot of clubs was signed back in 1981 when the big clubs threatened to form a ‘Super League’ as they attempted to secure the game’s income for themselves. They were actually bought off by an agreement that they could keep all their home gate receipts. In 1985, a further breakaway was averted by the ‘Heathrow Agreement’ which allowed the First Division clubs to retain 50% of all TV and sponsorship revenue. So in 1992-93, the Premier League began, breaking with over 100 years of tradition, where the money was shared out amongst all member clubs, and found its way down the leagues and grassroots football. From that moment on, the top clubs would take the lion’s share of the money available, and as far as they were concerned, the rest could ‘go to the wall.’
In 1954 when I attended that first match, there was no sponsorship, no advertising, and very little television money. But were we the fans any the worse off? Is the football today any better than it was back then? Personally, I don’t think so. Between 1954 and 1985, the year that clubs were allowed to keep half of their tv and sponsorship revenue, 14 different clubs were Champions of England; England won the World Cup; Liverpool 4 times, Forest 2 times, and United and Villa 1 time each, won the European Cup. Since 1981, the year that clubs were allowed to keep their home gate receipts, there has only been 7 winners of the English League. Surely, those stats must tell us something? To me it means that there is a gulf so wide between the teams with the money, that the days of Clubs like Villa, Forest, Derby County winning the League are unlikely to be seen again – unless they have a benefactor willing to bankroll them as Abramovich has done at Chelsea.
It cannot be good for the game when this situation exists. Real supporters do, or should, care about other clubs. Do we want to be eventually left with just the Premier League? As I see it, the Premiership is all about one thing – money. What I see today is players on millionaire’s wages, agents deciding who plays where and when, SkyTelevision determining on what day and at what time clubs will play, loyalty by both players and clubs meaning nothing at all, and contracts not being worth the paper they are written on. There is no honesty in the game anymore. I am told that the modern game is a far better spectacle than it ever has been – but can that be really true when I see the things that I see going on week in and week out in games? The blatant cheating, diving, getting fellow pros into trouble, the questioning and haranguing of referees, the arrogance and contempt for other teams and their supporters, the gutter tabloid press and their pontifications, and the ramblings of so called knowledgeable tv pundits, some of whom would have you believe that the game only began on the day that they started playing.
There is no doubt about it, the formation of the Premier League and the introduction of the Sky television money has had huge effects on the game – especially on the fans and their pockets! Where the fan has been forced to shell out more of his hard earned income with each passing season, we’ve seen people become involved in the game on the pretence of being investors, but have taken far more from it, than they have ever put into it. That’s all money being lost to the game – it’s the same with the insatiable greed of player’s agents. I shrivel when I see the likes of Peter Kenyon being interviewed by the media and have to listen to him spouting forth about football matters – people like him in my opinion are nothing more than parasites. Let’s nail a myth – the big business tycoons have not saved football – for a relatively small investment they have made millions out of the game – not one of them has lost out from football investment Even loans to clubs are usually loans made at a high interest rate and have to be paid back by us the fans. The fan has certainly not gained from football becoming a billion pound industry – as I said he has to pay out more each season. It’s interesting to look back to 1991 at Old Trafford, when there was room for 20,000 to stand. And the cost? 4 quid for an adult and 90 pence for Juniors. Just look at today’s situation!
Football today is full of avarice and greed. I said it in a thread on another forum yesterday, Football Clubs are not like any other businesses – they have a duty to the fans and the local communities in their areas – they are dear to the hearts of many thousands of fans who support their teams. The formation of the Premier League has been like year zero – previous football history did not happen. The new owners and present day media would like to forget where football came from. Football today is dominated by personalties, especially at Boardroom level, who more often than not, boast egos bigger than the players! They also see a need to see a return on their investment and this includes Mr. Abramovich - and now, Malcom Glazer!
Has anyone ever given any thought as to what would, or could happen if the bubble bursts, as one day it surely will? Loyalty to clubs has been built up throughout the history of the game by the generations of working class fans, passing their club allegiance from generation to generation. The transformation of the game away from the working class support is cutting the new generation off from watching live football. The deals with the tv companies plus the increased revenue from ticket sales, sales of merchandise, saw the value of clubs soar on the Stock Exchange. However, I think that it is true to say that today, the City’s love affair with football is well and truly over. All clubs including United have seen the value of their shares fall – that is of course until the M & M affair and now Mr. Glazer’s inflated buyout. What would happen then if a recession was once again to hit the country? It could lead to clubs going even deeper in debt, more and more would be put into the hands of the receivers or even go bankrupt, and this certainly includes some of the so called bigger clubs. Today there is so much put on corporate hospitality, but in the event of a recession jobs would be cut, corporate hospitality would be the first thing a company would slash, and suddenly all that revenue would be lost to the clubs. There would also be unemployment on a large scale obviously affecting the ‘bread and butter’ supporter even more revenue from the grass roots support lost. Television revenue would also be hit. In a recession luxuries such as satellite subscriptions would again be hit on a large scale – companies such as Sky would suffer huge losses of revenue. The actual revenue on offer to the premier League from television companies would be vastly reduced and that would certainly affect future deals with the Premiership. It’s all hypothetical I know – but it could happen and where would that leave the Premiership?
As far as I am concerned it isn’t good for the game that all the money is concentrated into the coffers a just the top clubs. The boom for the few has led to the widening gap not just between the Premier League clubs and the lower divisions, but also within the Premier League – it’s become a league within a league.
Just what does the future hold for our beautiful game? I only wish that I had a crystal ball, but one thing is for sure, I don't like what I am seeing today.
I
Since that balmy autumn evening, a lot of water has run under the bridge. Today, the game, the way that it is administered, and also the Premier League, bears no relation to the way things were back then. It’s hard for me when I look back over all those years to decide if that scruffy little street urchin who entered Old Trafford that evening, changed to become the suspicious, sometimes cynical old bugger of a fan that I am today, because of the way that the game has actually evolved; or is it because I feel that the game has been hi-jacked from the genuine fan , or is it because that I simply feel that over the years, the game has simply lost its soul? I suspect it’s because of the latter, but I will let you who read this article decide.
Don’t get me wrong, as I said in the opening statement, my love for Manchester United is as strong as it ever was, and I will carry that love with me until the day that I draw my last breath; but my fears for the game of football, can at times bring tears to my aging eyes. I look back to that first evening game and remember the people who stood around me – men in flat caps, fresh from a days work, some straight up from the pit (yes, there was one in the heart of urban Manchester in those days) smelling of Woodbines and last night’s beer. It was a chattering throng, excited by what was about to happen at Manchester United. Football in those days was a cheap commodity for the working man – I first paid six pence (2 and 1/2p today) as a Junior and the adults paid 1/3d (7p today) and the programme was just 4d (2d today). Supporters of either club could stand together without fear, and could shout and encourage their team along, and the banter was always good natured and friendly with no malice. Youngsters like myself could freely come and go to see our heroes in the flesh – it became a ritual, and the Monday morning talk in the schoolyards and factories was always about which match you had been to see the previous Saturday. It’s all a far distant cry from what I see nowadays.
When the Premier League began at the start of the 1992-93 Season, something akin to that had been in the offing for a number of years. The death knell for a lot of clubs was signed back in 1981 when the big clubs threatened to form a ‘Super League’ as they attempted to secure the game’s income for themselves. They were actually bought off by an agreement that they could keep all their home gate receipts. In 1985, a further breakaway was averted by the ‘Heathrow Agreement’ which allowed the First Division clubs to retain 50% of all TV and sponsorship revenue. So in 1992-93, the Premier League began, breaking with over 100 years of tradition, where the money was shared out amongst all member clubs, and found its way down the leagues and grassroots football. From that moment on, the top clubs would take the lion’s share of the money available, and as far as they were concerned, the rest could ‘go to the wall.’
In 1954 when I attended that first match, there was no sponsorship, no advertising, and very little television money. But were we the fans any the worse off? Is the football today any better than it was back then? Personally, I don’t think so. Between 1954 and 1985, the year that clubs were allowed to keep half of their tv and sponsorship revenue, 14 different clubs were Champions of England; England won the World Cup; Liverpool 4 times, Forest 2 times, and United and Villa 1 time each, won the European Cup. Since 1981, the year that clubs were allowed to keep their home gate receipts, there has only been 7 winners of the English League. Surely, those stats must tell us something? To me it means that there is a gulf so wide between the teams with the money, that the days of Clubs like Villa, Forest, Derby County winning the League are unlikely to be seen again – unless they have a benefactor willing to bankroll them as Abramovich has done at Chelsea.
It cannot be good for the game when this situation exists. Real supporters do, or should, care about other clubs. Do we want to be eventually left with just the Premier League? As I see it, the Premiership is all about one thing – money. What I see today is players on millionaire’s wages, agents deciding who plays where and when, SkyTelevision determining on what day and at what time clubs will play, loyalty by both players and clubs meaning nothing at all, and contracts not being worth the paper they are written on. There is no honesty in the game anymore. I am told that the modern game is a far better spectacle than it ever has been – but can that be really true when I see the things that I see going on week in and week out in games? The blatant cheating, diving, getting fellow pros into trouble, the questioning and haranguing of referees, the arrogance and contempt for other teams and their supporters, the gutter tabloid press and their pontifications, and the ramblings of so called knowledgeable tv pundits, some of whom would have you believe that the game only began on the day that they started playing.
There is no doubt about it, the formation of the Premier League and the introduction of the Sky television money has had huge effects on the game – especially on the fans and their pockets! Where the fan has been forced to shell out more of his hard earned income with each passing season, we’ve seen people become involved in the game on the pretence of being investors, but have taken far more from it, than they have ever put into it. That’s all money being lost to the game – it’s the same with the insatiable greed of player’s agents. I shrivel when I see the likes of Peter Kenyon being interviewed by the media and have to listen to him spouting forth about football matters – people like him in my opinion are nothing more than parasites. Let’s nail a myth – the big business tycoons have not saved football – for a relatively small investment they have made millions out of the game – not one of them has lost out from football investment Even loans to clubs are usually loans made at a high interest rate and have to be paid back by us the fans. The fan has certainly not gained from football becoming a billion pound industry – as I said he has to pay out more each season. It’s interesting to look back to 1991 at Old Trafford, when there was room for 20,000 to stand. And the cost? 4 quid for an adult and 90 pence for Juniors. Just look at today’s situation!
Football today is full of avarice and greed. I said it in a thread on another forum yesterday, Football Clubs are not like any other businesses – they have a duty to the fans and the local communities in their areas – they are dear to the hearts of many thousands of fans who support their teams. The formation of the Premier League has been like year zero – previous football history did not happen. The new owners and present day media would like to forget where football came from. Football today is dominated by personalties, especially at Boardroom level, who more often than not, boast egos bigger than the players! They also see a need to see a return on their investment and this includes Mr. Abramovich - and now, Malcom Glazer!
Has anyone ever given any thought as to what would, or could happen if the bubble bursts, as one day it surely will? Loyalty to clubs has been built up throughout the history of the game by the generations of working class fans, passing their club allegiance from generation to generation. The transformation of the game away from the working class support is cutting the new generation off from watching live football. The deals with the tv companies plus the increased revenue from ticket sales, sales of merchandise, saw the value of clubs soar on the Stock Exchange. However, I think that it is true to say that today, the City’s love affair with football is well and truly over. All clubs including United have seen the value of their shares fall – that is of course until the M & M affair and now Mr. Glazer’s inflated buyout. What would happen then if a recession was once again to hit the country? It could lead to clubs going even deeper in debt, more and more would be put into the hands of the receivers or even go bankrupt, and this certainly includes some of the so called bigger clubs. Today there is so much put on corporate hospitality, but in the event of a recession jobs would be cut, corporate hospitality would be the first thing a company would slash, and suddenly all that revenue would be lost to the clubs. There would also be unemployment on a large scale obviously affecting the ‘bread and butter’ supporter even more revenue from the grass roots support lost. Television revenue would also be hit. In a recession luxuries such as satellite subscriptions would again be hit on a large scale – companies such as Sky would suffer huge losses of revenue. The actual revenue on offer to the premier League from television companies would be vastly reduced and that would certainly affect future deals with the Premiership. It’s all hypothetical I know – but it could happen and where would that leave the Premiership?
As far as I am concerned it isn’t good for the game that all the money is concentrated into the coffers a just the top clubs. The boom for the few has led to the widening gap not just between the Premier League clubs and the lower divisions, but also within the Premier League – it’s become a league within a league.
Just what does the future hold for our beautiful game? I only wish that I had a crystal ball, but one thing is for sure, I don't like what I am seeing today.
I