The potential Premier League rule change that would be a nightmare for Arsenal, Man Utd, and Chelsea
The top flight is considering the prospect of matches played on foreign soil... again
Not all away days are created equal, logistically speaking. Sunderland to Cardiff on a Saturday lunchtime for the opening day of the Championship season? Tough break. A Merseyside derby on a random afternoon in December? Positively leisurely.
But until now, the very worst that the travelling British football fan has had to contend with, at least on a domestic level, has existed within the confines of the relatively meagre dimensions of our battered little island. That may be about to change.
Once again, like a cold sore on a first date, the debate surrounding Premier League matches being staged abroad has reared its ugly, itchy head. This really should have been put to bed by now. Indeed, it has, more than once. Perhaps the mistake we made was not driving a wooden stake through its heart after saying nighty night.
As far back as 2008, the English top flight has been toying with the notion of exporting its product. The idea back then was to hold a 39th game - an international round, if you will - in which clubs would jet off around the globe, peddling the brand like a franchised reality TV series, gorging themselves on TV rights fees and ticket sales in far-off climes.
More recently, NBC Sports executive Jon Miller and Premier League chief Richard Masters have been scheming away once again, with the latter suggesting that the ‘door looks ajar’ for fixtures to be held in the USA.
And now, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has given his opinion on the matter. When asked if there was a possibility of English teams contesting domestic matches on foreign soil, he said: “I think that’s the way it is going. We’ve seen some other leagues across Europe have some of their competitive games held elsewhere. All 32 NFL teams have now played in London and all of them have had a great experience. We have some of the top baseball teams now playing in London.
“We’ve got seven Premier League clubs in London but when you look at the way the Premier League works, a lot of the revenue they receive is TV rights. Liverpool, the team that I support, are currently on tour in America. I think the point that the Premier League would make and some of the owners would make is, why can’t their fans in those countries benefit from a competitive game? The key thing for me is to make sure our fans don’t lose out.”
He’s certainly right about that last point. While the suits and their financial overlords remain hyper-fixated on the status of the Premier League as a global product, the average supporter could not care less. There is no clamour from the terraces for such extravagant upheaval, for squads to rack up air miles and fatigue in the name of hollow pageantry.
Perhaps it is the Football Supporters’ Association themselves who put it best. In a tweet directed at Khan, they wrote: ‘We defeated Game 39 in 2008 and we’d attack any attempted revival with a full blown, two feet off the ground, studs to the knee tackle. A quick question. Are you really saying you’d be happy to see the North London derby played in LA or NYC? We suggest you talk to matchgoers (or the PM!) to find out what supporters really want - and we’re happy to meet you.’
Because, you see, the simple fact is that this pleases nobody but the coffer counters and a small handful of spectators stateside. The Premier League, as it has been since its inception, is straightforward and perfectly balanced. Each club plays their rivals twice a season, once at home and once away; that is all we get, and that is all that is needed. A 39th game complicates matters, puts profit before logic.
It also cheapens the integrity of the Premier League by pandering to money, by chasing fleeting spectacle in the name of trends and search spikes. Maybe that works for American sports who essentially have a monopoly on the global marketplace as it is, but for a domestic football top flight, it feels phoney and avaricious.
We are frequently told that the Premier League is the best division in the world. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. Regardless, one thing is for sure, it doesn’t need meddling with. Not like this.