Playing God with Football

[This Is The Daybreak]

If you had the choice and the final say, what would you change about the game today.

-Scrap the League Cup.
It seems to me that despite a history it just seems a bit of a watered down FA Cup. What I'd like to see in its place would be perhaps a regionalised Cup. Hence more derbies and more interest. So there could be a South East Cup with the teams from London and the outskirts taking part. In addition a North West Cup, A Midlands Cup etc. This could go down to non league as well which'll give smaller clubs a big pay day, more derbies And if you win you can have gloating rights over the rest of your area. The final could take place in the largest stadium in the area.

-Kick off times
I have never met a supporter who likes Monday night kick offs or Sunday evening kick offs. I would like to see reduced football on the TV and have the one big match over the weekend being televised on a Saturday evening. Every game (or most of them) being on a Saturday at 3pm.

-Play offs
Play offs should exist down the leagues but why does the winner get a trophy and the team who finishes second doesn't get anything. Scrap Wembley as the venue for the final and give home advantage to the team who finished higher in the league. Likewise a one off semi giving home advantage to the higher placed team

-Wembley Semi Finals
No...for all the obvious reasons. And bring back semi final replays and final replays. Penalties should be a last resort if the replay is a draw.

Any more?

-Champions League
If you finish third in your group you are out of Europe...end of. That's why the UEFA Cup is now mocked at. An inferior champions League. Take out seeded teams, just draw four teams at random meaning if Barcelona are in the same group as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich so be it. More big games from the start and reduces the chances of getting the same teams year after year. Potentially have the winners of their respective leagues going in, none of this 4th place stuff. Increases the appeal of the UEFA Cup as well if the teams who finished second/third go into it as well.

-Bring back the Cup Winners Cup
Great trophy with straight two legged knock outs from the start and exciting draws from the off. Bring it back.

[QuartzGooner]

1 - Make the League Cup a family cup.

All games to be played weekend afternoons, school holidays and half terms.
Group stages followed by knock out rounds, to guarantee each club a few games.
Tickets to be maximum £10 per adult and £5 per child except for the final.
No hard and fast rule on age but encourage clubs to play a few youth players.

2 - FA Cup Winners to go into the Champions League qualifying round one.

[augie]

League Cup - I would keep this competition alive. Personally I like all the david v goliath battles that the fa cup and league cup can generate, plus I like the fact that it brings back a bit of emphasis on the lower leagues and domestic football in general, as opposed to the money motivated European competitions

Kick Off Times I agree with your call for less televised football - the game has gone way past saturation point now and we all know that the game has sold its soul for financial gain. Take away the whole "spectator experience" bullshit and watch the jcl's fcuk off back to the theatre or rugby

Champs League I hate this bastardised competition with a vengeance and that is a principled judgement - you cannot in all sincerity call it a champs league competition whilst letting in the 4th placed teams from some leagues At a push I would consent to the top 2 teams from EVERY European league allowed to compete, and then I would revert it to the old two legged ties that made it so exciting for this kid when he was growing up All this competition does at the mo, is to put even more funds into the clubs that are already ahead of their domestic rivals, and by extending the financial gulf all they are doing is basically shutting the door on any team aspiring to joining europes elite.
For the record I am also against FFP - I know that I am alone in this, but I view this ruling as yet another way for europes elite to maintain the status quo and prevent any other club becoming a realistic challenger either domestically or in Europe. Yes clubs like Dortmund and ath Madrid can upset the odds for a season or two, but realistically their challenge will not be sustained and I would love to see a billionaire pump serious money into clubs like everton and villa (traditionally viewed as big clubs in England) and open up the possibilities domestically and put a stop to the boredom of the same two or three teams winning year after year

[GranadaJoe]

I'd probably abolish the League Cup, but it might be interesting to make it an U23 (plus 2 overage players) competition. It's a competition I really don't give a shit about, but if it could help develop players it might be worth keeping.

[flash gunner]

The European cup has to be for the champions only of each country and played in a knockout 2 leg style from round 1

[Bradywasking]

I would also like the Champions League to revert back to the European Cup format. Champions only , fewer games less tedium. That will not happen. Within the domestic game, greater respect should be shown to traveling fans with kick off times.
Also , and this is real wishful thinking, TV companies that buy the rights to Premier League live or highlights should be under constant scrutiny in a "fitness to practice" code of behavior. The companies will have to offer more than money (and that is why it won't happen either) . They will have to offer and more importantly provide constant quality coverage. Throwing a bunch of cliche ridden ex pros together who spout bias and venom does nothing for football.

I would retain the League Cup and The FA Cup in their current formats. One change, which again will not happen , would be the moving of The FA Cup semi finals from Wembley. Obviously Wembley has to be paid for so revenue has to be maximised, but it takes something from the final.

I personally think the play-offs are the greatest blight on football. Yes the finals are generally good games, but they are Wembley Finals.. , teams get suits , walk out at Wembley, get a trophy and medals and in some if not all cases have an open top bus victory parade , all for failure in the league. They are a money spinner, but a league is a league and a cup competition is a cup competition and neither should be used to decide the other.

[This Is The Daybreak]

I agree, back in the olden days the likes of Stanley Matthews often said what an honor it was to play at Wembley and a career high point. Wembley should be saved for the highest reaches of the game so Cup Finals and if you're fortunate to be capped by your country. Not for Johnstone Paint trophy winners.

Also to watch a Premier League game should be 25-30 pounds on an average ticket price. And should be a consistent price across the teams. I hate that Sunderland can go to somewhere like Craven Cottage for 20 quid and we have to pay upwards of 50 quid. As it goes down the league then it should be 15-25 pounds for Championship, 10-15 pounds for League One and 5-10 pounds for League Two matches.

[gp543]

I would like Liverpool and Tottenham to be relegated and for the law banning terracing in the UK to be repealed.

[Bradywasking]

I would like Liverpool and Tottenham to be relegated and for the law banning terracing in the UK to be repealed.

Seems reasonable

[Rosie_titters]

Bring in a traffic light system for the card system.

Green = warning for taking shirt off, kicking ball away, running in to the crowd etc, etc

Yellow = bit like it is now,

Red = second yellow like now or dangerous play.


Or if not Sin Bin at 10 minutes at a time.

Diego Costa got a 3 game ban for stamping on Emre Can, but Liverpool didn't benefit and lost 1-0, it's the 3 teams after that game, are the ones who benefitting. Surely introduce a sin bin or the player is suspended when the two teams meet again.

[northbank123]

Scrap away goals. For everything. Dreadfully misconceived idea.

Personally I think there is a strong case for scrapping the League Cup.

Sort out the international calendar - too many games whuch interrupt the start of the season for a fortnight. Bring in some sort of pre-qualifying/alternate tournaments so we don't have to go through the circus of Germany playing Gibraltar or Spain playing San Marino.

Train referees on the basics of what warrants a yellow card. Too many games where players get away with endless cynical fouls.

[robbo10]

I'd make referees come out after the game and explain why they did/didn't give a penalty/red card/whatever,I appreciate it's a hugely difficult job but I still think there's a whole lot of decisions being bottled by ref's/linesman,

[Mistical92]

I love football but it's impossible to escape, IMO the season needs to be shorter. Scrap the League Cup, make the PL an 18-team league as it was originally intended to be. Have the season start a month later so there's a longer break, a 10 month season is overkill.

Make those small countries go through pre-qualifying so there are fewer mismatches that no one cares about in international breaks. Fewer international friendlies as well.

My main one: clubs shouldn't be allowed to sell restricted view tickets. If clubs have shitty stadiums that's their fault, not the consumer. If they have to sell them then it should be for half the price of normal view tickets. QPR are charging £50 for a restricted view in March, that is a fucking pisstake. Our ticket prices aren't amazing but the views are top-notch and the stadium is comfortable. QPR is the worst ground in the league by a mile, a complete shithole.

[DB10GOONER]

1. Bring back standing. Safe standing.
2. Bring back the old European Cup. Fuck this boring bloated "Champions" League populated with also rans.
3. Ban Interlull friendlies. Let the coaches all have their players for one weekend long training camp every 2 or 3 months, and then a 2 week training camp before the tournies start. Make them all adhere to this. Fuck em.
4. Ban divers for 6 matches each time and hit them up the pocket for £200K per offence. There's your diving problem sorted right there.
5. Ban Septic Bladder and his French Poodle from any involvement in football ever again.
6. Ban Slackjaw Neville and Michael Owen from all commentary/pundit work.
7. Punch Robbie Savage's lights out.
8. Ban billionaire scum from pimping little clubs like the chav and Citeh.
9. Punch Robbie Savage's lights out.





Okay, some of those things are personal ambitions.

[officepest]

Agree with others with respect to; safe standing, CWC, old-style European Cup. I would also advocate increased use of technology to help get the correct decisions as things don't 'even themselves out'.

Gary Linker to have his tongue cut out.

Robbie Savage to be castrated with bricks.

Garth Crooks to be dropped off a cliff/down a well.