Thursday 7 February 2008

What are they thinking!?


The English Premier League is considering the idea of staging some matches around the rest of the world. The league season will be extended so each team plays 39, rather than 38 games. The10 extra games would be played at five different venues, with cities bidding for the right to stage them. It is understood the additional fixtures could be determined by a draw but that the top-five teams could be seeded to avoid playing each other.

I have to say I completely disagree with the proposals being offered here, and for two main reasons;

Firstly, it is possible that the Premier League will be decided by balls being pickes out of a hat, rather than form or consistency. If two teams are on equal points at the end of the regular 38 game season, and the draw sees one of them set to play Aston Villa, whilst the other team gets pitted against Derby, this is not fair! We already have two domestic cup competitions for the 'magic' of the draw to be seen in, and it would be riduclous for a team to have performed consistently as well as another team over 38 but to potentially lose the league because of when they were pulled out of the hat.

Secondly, with the exception of the 'big 4' and possibily one or two other, Premier League clubs are struggling to fill up their stadiums with fans from the area local to a team. Sure, international games featuring Man U and Arsenal may well be sold out, but will smaller clubs who don't have the same international recognition or fanbase be so successfull? Unlikely!

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