****** all to do with Rotherham? Actually, indirectly I think it has a negative effect not only on the Millers but the rest of football as well. Formed in the early 90’s the Premier League was the quintessential, we’ll look after ourselves and the rest of you can go blow. The majority of money was now being funnelled to just a few clubs. That money, from Sky and sponsorship has increased exponentially. Sadly, the beneficiaries of all that money has mainly been players and agents.
The Premier League for some, is the epitome of quality players playing quality football. For me it has become whole teams of foreigners who I cannot relate to, being paid obscene salaries. It has become as predictable as can be. The top six in a different league to the rest. (Some would suggest a league full of so many foriegners has also had a negative effect on the talent pool for the national team)
The effect on Rotherham? There is still a clamour of chairmen wanting their club to join this elite league. The financial incentive is huge. The effect has been to make the Championship overheat. Huge salaries and transfer fees are becoming the norm for the top clubs. This makes it more and more difficult for smaller clubs like us to compete.
What the future holds for the Premier League I don’t really care. With so many foreign owners, maybe they’ll vote to pull the drawbridge up and end all relegation from their league. That would suit me. The Championship would become the true top league in English football. Maybe without the pull of promotion to the Premier League, costs would not need to be so high. Or maybe the top six will just clear off and join a permanent European league. Who knows.
If there is one consolation in all this. Over half of all the members of the original Premier League who voted it into existence are are now languishing in lower leagues. Karma indeed.
Great minds Royston. I was thinking the same recently over the clamour about our recruitment budget and the knives that are already out for TS; but rich as he is in comparison to most of us, its nothing compared to the wealth sloshing about in the Prem and upper echelons of the Championship. Those below haemorrhage money and the clubs future to try to keep up.
The rise and the rise of the Prem correlates too with the demise of the national squad and the overall failure of the English game in general. I would agree that this is probably due to talent being bought in rather than nurtured from within as in times past. I'd also suggest that this in turn has had an effect on the psyche of footballers, businessmen selling their talents to the highest bidder rather than sportsmen and their love for the game
Foreign players, foreign managers, foreign owners, where is the heart of English/British football now ? I'd suggest its L1, L2 and below with a peppering in the Championship; but perhaps even at a lower level than that in the amateur, youth and school level. But with all the lucre being hoovered up to the top little hope of many developing any further,
