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EFL Slams European Super League Plans
Monday, 19th Apr 2021 15:48

The EFL has issued a statement condemning the breakaway European Super League (ESL) which Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham have agreed to join along with six clubs from Spain and Italy.

News of the ESL emerged yesterday with the clubs involved jointly issuing a statement confirming their plans last night. The proposals have been roundly condemned throughout football.

The EFL statement reads: “The EFL stands with the Premier League, The FA, PFA, LMA, the FSA and colleagues across European professional football in condemnation of proposals which attack the foundation of open and fair competition upon which our game is built.

“A strong pyramid based on promotion, relegation and ultimately European qualification, is fundamental to our game’s continued success.

“The EFL opposes any reform that doesn’t support competition integrity or offer clubs the prospect of one day competing at the highest end of the game.

“Collective reform efforts should be focused on creating conditions that foster long-term sustainability at all levels of the domestic football and remove the current, almost impossible financial pressures created as a result in the huge difference of revenues allocated to the Premier League in comparison to the Championship and Leagues One and Two.

“The EFL has long stated that the economics and governance of the English pyramid should be reset and we remain committed to working with the Premier League, The FA and the game’s stakeholders to deliver that vision, so that English professional football can thrive in communities across the country for generations to come.

“At its heart, football is a game for supporters and the widespread rejection of these proposals must be acknowledged.

“EFL clubs are an integral part of the towns and cities from which they take their name and, in many, deliver the biggest single form of communal activity in their local area.

The EFL’s collective response to the pandemic in the face of significant challenges highlights just how vital they are to the life of the nation and anything that fundamentally weakens that system must be resisted.

“Having pioneered the world’s original League format in 1888, it is ironic that proposals which would serve to destroy the value of sporting merit were announced on the weekend of the League’s 133rd anniversary.

“Across EFL competitions, any club can triumph over another and fans of all clubs regardless of size and status, must always be afforded the hope that successes on the pitch will be rewarded.

“The Championship is one of Europe’s most prominent divisions and the gateway to England’s top tier.

“The introduction of a predominantly closed European competition at the elite end kills a part of the game and the League system we established over a century ago.

“Similarly, the rejection of these proposals, does not represent an endorsement for UEFA’s own proposed reforms, which themselves represent a significant challenge to English football’s domestic programme.

“Under both proposals, the EFL has concerns about the future of the League Cup which provides vital income to EFL clubs, is the breeding ground for stars of the future and provides the top and bottom of the English pyramid the opportunity to win the first major trophy of the season.

“The EFL will continue to work with colleagues across the game at home and abroad, to defend our national game, protect our members and ensure that fans continue to have a healthy, vibrant and enduring pyramid system that they can continue to be proud of.”


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Europablue added 16:25 - Apr 19
Hopefully this gets the government to act to legislate to make all clubs partly fan-owned like in Germany. Why we have allowed Americans to buy out our culture going back generations, I will never know. It's not that all American owners are bad, but they need to respect and understand why are league system is the best in the world.
3

KernewekBlue added 16:28 - Apr 19
What a greedy, shambolic bunch of £$%^&*'s!

I don't know if Countdown's Susie Dent is reacting to this news by posting this "Word of the Day" on Facebook today but this came up in my news feed...

'ingordigiousness': extreme greed; an insatiable desire for wealth at any cost.

Just about sums up the people involved in this proposed new set-up.
7

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:55 - Apr 19
The gulf between these business operations and the "average" fan is wider than a trip to Mars. Liverpool, the "Peoples' Club"? Give me a break! I wonder how PC feels about this? Personally, I'd let them go their own way and make sure that they left the PL and that none of their players could play for their countries. Freeze them out and the rest of us will get on with the ups and downs of promotion and relegation that give every team at least a chance of exciting (or depressing) their fans. You won't be missed!
9

Northstandveteran added 16:59 - Apr 19
I'd say

"Go for it!"

However, these teams must be banned from all domestic competitions and if they want to return when their fans, who are clearly against this don't attend, enter English football again in the 4th division.

Sky have already made the premier league exclusive, so perhaps a shake up of our leagues, including an increase of teams in the top flight might benefit every team outside of the 'Big Six'

The F.A and League cups may even become competitive, exciting and respected once more.

6

Danishtractor added 17:10 - Apr 19
What is a club in any case? Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It's not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. It's the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It's a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father's hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.
6

SpiritOfJohn added 17:11 - Apr 19
This could be the biggest own goal in history. No consultation with fans, no consideration for tradition or fair play. The reputation of these famous clubs now lies in tatters for the sake of the multi millionaires who want to stick their heads ever deeper into the trough. I hope they drown in their own greed.
8

Danishtractor added 17:11 - Apr 19
Sir Bobby Robson
1

Michael101 added 17:14 - Apr 19
New headline Ipswich go to Northampton looking to SCORE A GOAL.
0

Europablue added 17:45 - Apr 19
Danishtractor It's what it should be about
0

KernewekBlue added 17:47 - Apr 19
Is our ultimate target as a club, now with American owners, to eventually get "promoted" into the new European Superleague?

It seems that a few overseas owners of English clubs are at the forefront of driving this thing through and it makes me wonder just what our owner's real intentions are?

Did they know of these plans? Were they aware all along of what was afoot?

As investors, here to make money, is this potential cash cow of European millions and billions seen as the pinnacle of possible achievement to attain the most return on their investment?

This could be the death of the beautiful game as we know it!
1

BettyBlue added 18:00 - Apr 19
Once you sell off the clubs to the Americans and the middle eastern money men you have no control on the game.

They can do what they like to make money.
2

stiffy501 added 18:37 - Apr 19
Let them go and play in their league, the so called big six have been manipulating the rules to their advantage for years. Ban them from playing in the premier league as you can't play in two leagues at the same time.Ban them from entering any domestic cup competitions. Scrap the unfair academy system and re-organise the rest of the clubs into a competitive English Football league with the fairer distribution of wealth and where skill and talent bring success not who's got the most money. ah we can dream lol
4

runningout added 18:52 - Apr 19
it sounds like a league played alongside premier league with no relegation. It's already been voted for by the so called big six. I think as they voted for it they should be automatically abolished from Premier league. If they want to come back, start in League 2
0

bluesince76 added 18:54 - Apr 19
There needs to be a complete reset how money is distributed through leagues maybe this will be the catalyst for a change in how football is run.
2

runningout added 18:56 - Apr 19
Sorry Stiffy. Missed your comment. I basically repeated it
1

Skip73 added 19:01 - Apr 19
Kick the 'big six' out forever. They won't be missed one bit. When their Micky Mouse Super League fails and they want to come back, don't allow them to. They've made their bed.
2

Saxonblue74 added 19:12 - Apr 19
Sadly this is what football has become. With respect, why have our American friends invested in Ipswich Town? With the sole objective of making it to the land of milk and honey that is the Premier league! If this goes ahead (and I sincerely hope it doesnt) then will there be any consequences or benefits for the Championship or EFL? I doubt it. Something has to change in football. If the top teams in Europe have to form a breakaway league in order to stay out of debt then what hope is there for the game as a whole? This is however the biggest opportunity for fans to have an influence. Surely just stay away and watch it fail? As much as I love all things ITFC and could never choose another club they would never see another penny from me if they tried pulling a stunt like this!
1

RobsonWark added 19:51 - Apr 19
If this goes ahead the 6 English teams should be kicked out of the Premier League and banned for 50 years. If they want to re-join after 50 years (because their Super League has gone down like a lead balloon with fans and they are not getting the TV viewers they thought they would to justify their GREED) they should start of again at the bottom of the football pyramid like Wimbledon did again.

We could also invite Rangers and Celtic to join the English league like the Welsh clubs have. We could then have a British Premiership. Rangers and Celtic are massive clubs and there would be so much excitement with them in the league rather than these other so called "top 6 clubs" owned by money grabbing foreign owners!
0

istanblue added 20:08 - Apr 19
This is what happens when globalism takes over domestic sport.
0

bobble added 22:59 - Apr 19
this is great as it will result in a restoration of our football league without premier league cash distorting the game.
now all clubs will have a chance again not just the ones with the biggest investors..
hopefully we will revert to the top 3 automatically go up and the bottom 3 go down in a 1st/2nd/3rd/4t division tournament like the good old days..

i must go and put $300 on west ham to be european champions next year...
1

arc added 02:23 - Apr 20
The Football League (note: that's the name, not "EFL") should show some initiative and invite the fourteen PL teams left behind to rejoin the league. Leave the FA stuck with a moribund, vacant PL. The new England-Spain-Italy kickabout (not fully European, not elite without half of Europe's finest, not a real competition if it's by invitation) will wither on the vine soon enough.
1

Michael101 added 08:49 - Apr 20
These clubs hadn't just dreamt up this idea ,they have been playing this for years and you can bet they have some top lawyers in place to take to court anybody who gets in there way.***going evil bar stewards
0

Michael101 added 08:52 - Apr 20
###king evil.doh . Also my above post should be on the other page,
Don't laugh one day you will be old .
0

BettyBlue added 10:31 - Apr 20
Great news , football finally due for a big collapse.

1

VanDusen added 11:00 - Apr 20
The reality is though - if some of this outrage had been properly directed over the past 60 years at all of the incremental changes which have benefitted these big clubs maybe it could have been stopped. Abolishing the maximum wage; moving to 3 points for a win; getting rid of shared gate receipts; establishing the Premier League; creating a 'champions' league admitting teams who were last champions before we won the title (!). All these moves have been sponsored by the big clubs in order to further shore up their power - and I find it a little rich that their 'fans' (many of whom haven't even been to the city, let alone a game) kick up a fuss and just want the status quo. Now a European Super League is inevitable - even if it gets derailed this time and we get another move to stitch up more money through the Champions League, it will just happen in five years time.

As a 100% Town fan I have felt for 20 years there is frankly little point currently playing these six brands - we are nothing but cannon fodder in a game stacked against us. Kick them out for good - never let them back - and real football fans may actually get back the sort of exciting and unpredictable league I grew up with in the 80s. Yes - there will be a massive deflation in wages and everything else surrounding the English game. But if football was a viable business before TV and the Premier League came along then surely it can be again? Just a few people higher up the chain will have to get used to dealing in thousands rather than millions again.
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