Category: Sports Bar
As initiatives go, the 39th game idea that has been proposed over the last couple of weeks by the Premier league is definitely new, definitely bold, definitely startling, but is it good?
In short, the idea is that an extra game be tact onto the current 38 game Premiership season, however the last round of matches would all be played abroad, most likely outside of Europe. The thinking behind this proposal is two-fold. Firstly it is to insure the continued growth of the Premier league as a global brand. Games abroad would equal more international exposure, and more international exposure, one has to inevitably conclude, would mean more bargaining chips when the next TV rights deals are discussed. This in turn would lead to more money being generated that ultimately would end up going back to the Premiership clubs. The theory being more cash to the clubs would mean better facilities for match going fans, better youth training programs etc.
Secondly it is believed that should these proposals be given the green light, it would help to level the Premiership playing field some what. The Premier league argues that currently the big 3, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea already benefit massively every season from playing pre-season matches away from Europe and that by allowing a 39th game to be played every season by all clubs in a foreign destination, would serve to aid all equally. The long-term thinking is that if some of the smaller clubs were able to get a bigger piece of the financial pie, that this would in time enhance the Premiership's appeal over all leading to more competition and possibly break the big three's strangle hold over the top of the table.
All of these factors taken into account then, you can only say that the Premier league would seem to have very venerable aspirations when offering game 39 as an idea, however, there are many detractors voicing their opinions to these plans too.
For starters the Premier league is a domestic league and it isn't easy to see how clubs can reasonably justify taking games abroad, and away from the very people that support them week in week out. It would hardly seem fair for example, if having followed your club all around the country for 38 games of a season you were then asked to fly to Dubai to see a game that could well prove to be the most pivotal one in a clubs season, determining relegation or the last gasp grabbing of a champions league slot for example. also, It has long since been a bugbear of fans that they are steadily being priced out of the game by money hungry football clubs and it is difficult to imagine that a proposal such as this one, is going to do much to quell those complaints.
It is also difficult to see exactly how such a system could be implemented in such a way as not to give one team an unfair advantage over another. The current format sees every side playing every other side twice during the season. Once at home and once away. A 39th game would upset this balance. It isn't terribly tough to envisage a scenario where by two clubs, for sake of argument Manchester United and Arsenal, are top of the table level on points going into the 39th game and suddenly, United are faced with a 24 hour flight to Sydney Australia to face 3rd placed Chelsea, while Arsenal have just a 6 hour flight to New York to play bottom of the table and already demoted Derby County. This could hardly be viewed as a fair, or indeed satisfactory way to conclude a season.
It should also be pointed out that over the last few years there have been increasing calls for the English Premiership to take a leaf out of the book of many other European based leagues and introduce a month long rest period mid-way through the season to give tired players a chance to rest. Proponents of the mandatory rest period claim that players are over tired and more prone to sustaining injury because of the greater demands being placed on their bodies by having to play ever more games for club and country, both domestically and internationally. So the idea of tacking on yet another game to the end of the domestic season, plus a lengthy travel period into the equation, isn't likely to please these people much either.
So the question is a simple one really. Are you in favor of the Premier leagues plans or not? Do you believe that this is nothing more than a blatant attempt to extract even more money for the right to show Premiership football on Television? Or is this genuinely something that could help to balance the Premiership's economic scales and ultimately lead to greater competition at the top of the table?
Dan.