The Arsenal Globetrotters

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:45 pm

All this talk of playing Premier League matches overseas has angered many supporters and most see it only as a revenue / publicity generating exercise by the Premier League.

I like the idea of Arsenal playing overseas but against foreign teams from that particular country and not as part of some travelling circus. For me it has stirred up memories of the â€˜European Super Leagueâ€™, which for a number of years was being considered by Europeâ€™s elite clubs within the G14.

The possibility of a breakaway Super League was obviously opposed by all those clubs who were not in contention of being in it and by many fans who thought it was a ridiculously impractical idea. I personally would much rather Arsenal travel across Europe to play a top European team like Barcelona than head off to Hong Kong, (as great a city as it is) to play the likes of Wigan Athletic. I personally would rather us play Europeâ€™s top clubs week in and week out rather than some of the dross fixtures that the Premier League throws up for us against the likes of Derby County & Birmingham City.

No thrills airline have made the feasibility of getting around Europe to see our beloved team easier and cheaper, look how often we sell out our Champions League away fixture allocations.

Long Haul travel is not so easy and in fairness, the Premier League are not hoping that we UK based fans travel to the Middle East or beyond, they want to fill the stadiums with as many corporate monkeys as they possibly can squeeze in amongst the Champers and Caviar and will be charging at least two camels per seat.

What next? In years to come will we see the â€˜Arsenal Globetrottersâ€™ playing at the MGM Las Vegas, with a tired and washed out Adebayor throwing buckets of confetti at members of the audience whilst silver haired Cesc plays the old exploding football trick on some poor unsuspecting stooge from the opposing side. I sincerely hope not.

One day I hope it will be no more Riverside, lots more Nou Camp.

Red Gunner · Post by **Red Gunner** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:13 pm

I posted this before but I am not sure if you read it. It is about why we shouldn't have a European Super League:

What a great idea a Super European League is, eh? Arsenal would challenge for it regularly, wouldnâ€™t they? Let's say there is a SEL, which clubs go into it:

Arsenal
Chelsea
Man Utd
Liverpool
Barcelona
Valencia
Real Madrid
Sevilla
Roma
Inter Milan
Juventus
AC Milan
Bayer Munich
Ajax
PSV
Olympiakos

Although playing big clubs throughout the whole season is mouth-watering and travelling to Nou Camp, Bernebau, San Siro and the likes is great; but the fatigue of the players and the disappointment of the fans will be massive. Arsenal would not challenge for that league every season nor will others. You are also taking a lot away from the small clubs who wouldnâ€™t be able to progress without playing against big clubs.

The league would be all about making money rather than winning the league. The ticket prices will be as big as ever. It will be a franchise league with brands whose target is to make money. In the end of the season, fat business directors will review the profits and if they are good; the directors wouldnâ€™t care if their club is mediocre on the pitch.

It will be all about making money as I said before but one day fans will have enough and will turn away. I know I would. Stupid club directors have to remember that we are the fans and not some customers or clients as they are starting to refer to us.

One day I hope it will be no more Riverside, lots more Nou Camp.

One day you'll get bored of losing in big stadiums like Nou Camp and hope for the traditional good old northern three points.

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:29 pm

the fatigue of the players and the disappointment of the fans will be massive.

Why is a two hour flight any worse than a six hour coach journey up North?

Finishing 21 points behind Manure was a touch disappointing.

Arsenal would not challenge for that league every season nor will others

Why wouldn't they?

Why would this be any different to playing in the Premier League, every team starts the season challenging for the title, some with more success than others.

The league would be all about making money rather than winning the league

Are you really naive to think that the Premier League isnt all about the money

One day you'll get bored of losing in big stadiums like Nou Camp and hope for the traditional good old northern three points.

Why do you not think Arsenal could not hold their own up against other European teams?

Red Gunner · Post by **Red Gunner** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:15 pm

Wayno wrote:
the fatigue of the players and the disappointment of the fans will be massive.
Why is a two hour flight any worse than a six hour coach journey up North?

Finishing 21 points behind Manure was a touch disappointing.

Most fans would be disappointed because their clubs wouldn't win; only one set of fans would be happy. Plane flights give you more fatigue than coach drives do.

Arsenal would not challenge for that league every season nor will others

Why wouldn't they? Why would this be any different to playing in the Premier League, every team starts the season challenging for the title, some with more success than others.

Our chances of success would be slashed so would of other clubs; which would make a lot of clubs not as successful as they would be in their domestic leagues.

The league would be all about making money rather than winning the league

Are you really naive to think that the Premier League isnâ€™t all about the money

The league will become a franchise and our club will become brand. I know the Premiership is making money right now but that would take it to new levels.

One day you'll get bored of losing in big stadiums like Nou Camp and hope for the traditional good old northern three points.

Why do you not think Arsenal could not hold their own up against other European teams?

I think it is a little bit harder to be winning away to the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan than it is to the clubs like Middlesbrough.

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:02 pm

Khalid, all of your points would also apply to every other team in the league.

Jet lag is virtually non existent within European short haul travel These are athletes at the peak of their game not tourists necking as much grog as they can on their way to Benidorm.

Why would any team feel that Ashburton would be an easy place to come?

I am sure tha the Arsenal marketing men would tell you that Arsenal are already a brand.

You say only one team would be happy, yes and the same already applies in the Lower Leagues, winners happy everyone else also rans.

I would hope it would be harder to win in Milan than in Middlesborough, the idea of a Super League whilst as well as increasing revenue would be to rasie the level of competition. No more one sided affairs against crap teams like Derby.

I would much rather see Kaka play than Savage.

Red Gunner · Post by **Red Gunner** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:19 pm

Although, I don't really like your European Super League idea; I'd rather have that than an odd game abroad that is neither home or away.

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:26 pm

With the G14 gone, any chance of a European Super League has all but vanished, so don't lose any sleep Khalid....it aint gonna happen.

Red Gunner · Post by **Red Gunner** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:38 pm

Wayno wrote:With the G14 gone, any chance of a European Super League has all but vanished, so don't lose any sleep Khalid....it aint gonna happen.

They are gone, I didn't know

I read something on teletext about an agreement between G14 and UEFA/FIFA but I didn't think that was it for G14. I just read that there is a new group now, called European Club Association which has effectively replaced G14. I think it is much weaker than G14 and they'll have less influence than G14; we are not even in it but some Malta club is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Club_Association

Wayno · Post by **Wayno** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:52 pm

Paul Kelso
Wednesday January 16, 2008
The Guardian

The G14 group of leading European clubs is expected to disband after dropping all outstanding legal actions against Fifa and Uefa as part of a deal struck between the professional game and the governing bodies yesterday.

The dissolution of the G14, first revealed by the Guardian last October, is part of a deal, finalised in Zurich yesterday, to compensate clubs when their players appear for national teams. In return the G14 will drop legal actions including the case brought by the Belgian club Charleroi over the Moroccan player Abdelmajid Oulmers and the French club Lyon over Eric Abidal. The deal also effectively ends any prospect of a breakaway European super league.

The deal is a victory for the professional clubs who have long campaigned for compensation when players are released, but the disbandment of the G14 will be welcomed by Uefa, which has exerted significant diplomatic pressure to reduce its influence. Uefa courted major clubs both inside and outside the self-selecting group of 18 clubs, inviting them to join a club forum that made the G14 less relevant.

The G14 executive insists that its aims have been met in the financial concessions. The organisation will be replaced by a more representative European clubs' association, which will be established this month with more than 100 representatives, including at least one from each of the 53 Uefa member associations.

The terms of the compensation agreement for players on international duty are yet to be thrashed out, but Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, and his Uefa counterpart, Michel Platini, described it as a "historic" day for football. "Something very special has happened today," Blatter said.

Red Gunner · Post by **Red Gunner** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:44 pm

Looks like Wenger thinks it'll happen anyway

"The end of the G14 is the death knell for the idea of a European Super League run by the clubs, but Uefa may still decide to do it," said Wenger

"The clubs have agreed never to run any competition that is not under the auspices of Uefa or Fifa, but I believe a European Super League will happen under Uefa."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 24,00.html