EPL 20/21

[Michael W]

13 hours ago, jamamafegan said:

 

This wouldn’t even have that much of an impact. Man United are a global brand and sell millions of shirts across the world. They have a massive gloryhunting following, so diehards choosing not to go will simply have their seats taken by someone else. Even then, I’m sure Man United are one of the 10 or so Premier League clubs that would still be turning profit by playing in empty stadiums every home game.

 

The way to really hit him is to hit the broadcasters. If people stop paying for Sky Sports, Sky will very quickly stop chucking billions at the league. Granted this isn't a means to an end in itself as there will be all those "future fans" abroad that will probably keep paying for it anyway. But if you can put a dent in Sky, you'll reduce the broadcast revenue somewhat. 

UK fans boycotting merchandise I agree isn't going to achieve much at all. 

[Guest]

25 minutes ago, Michael W said:

The way to really hit him is to hit the broadcasters. If people stop paying for Sky Sports, Sky will very quickly stop chucking billions at the league. Granted this isn't a means to an end in itself as there will be all those "future fans" abroad that will probably keep paying for it anyway. But if you can put a dent in Sky, you'll reduce the broadcast revenue somewhat. 

UK fans boycotting merchandise I agree isn't going to achieve much at all. 

I'm probably not alone in as much that I use the English football purely for gambling purposes as opposed to actually "enjoying" a match. I find much of it pretty boring as it's become a non contact sport and is just athletes running into space much of the time, there's very little individuality nowadays as it seems to have been coached out of them and I really can't remember the last time I watched an English based player dribble past players with the ball the way you would see Messi do in la liga. Personally I find the Italian and German football much more incident packed and entertaining as you rarely come across the slow negative tippy tappy boring dross that you often get in the EPL.

I know lots of you rip into Souness but he has a point when he talks about the lack of passion, in fact recently there's been virtually no emotion shown by anyone, they don't question decisions even if they're blatantly wrong and many would give you the impression that they don't really care as ultimately they'll still be going home with their 50k+ for the game back to their trophy wife to their £4m mansion with the Porsche and Ferrari in the driveway, so I suppose who can blame them.

As for paying for Sky, surely IPTV is the sensible route ??

[HalfCutNinja]

14 hours ago, jamamafegan said:

 

This wouldn’t even have that much of an impact. Man United are a global brand and sell millions of shirts across the world. They have a massive gloryhunting following, so diehards choosing not to go will simply have their seats taken by someone else. Even then, I’m sure Man United are one of the 10 or so Premier League clubs that would still be turning profit by playing in empty stadiums every home game.

I’m all for the protest and don’t get the outrage from some posters here. I don’t think the people who trespassed should escape punishment but I’m equally not arsed if they do.

I’m not shedding any tears for them either. These are the same guys who would tell you ‘my nan could score in the SPL’ or ‘your club plays in a pub league.’ At least my club isn’t almost £500 million in debt and run by foreigners who don’t care.

 

Its the only power that fans have. Man Utd have an average attendance of about 75k, with 53k season ticket holders and over 100k on the waiting list. 

These people are not tourists. The vast majority are obviously going to be people who live close enough to attend games semi regularly, or there would be no point getting a season ticket. If fans of all the big six organised a mass boycott of home games and shirts for say two years, all of a sudden all those clubs would be playing in half empty stadiums, and be down hundreds of millions. 

Then sponsors and advertisers would be a lot less keen to spend big bucks, and the owner's business model disrupted and profits hit hard. That is the only way regular fans can ever affect change now and the only power they have.  Here is a topical example of the power of that potential https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9533435/Manchester-Uniteds-largest-sponsor-Adidas-unhappy-club-falling-shirt-sales.html

Protests will achieve nothing, if they want these owners gone they need to boycott. Nothing else has any possibility of having any effect. 

[Derry Alli]

8 minutes ago, HalfCutNinja said:

These people are not tourists. The vast majority are obviously going to be people who live close enough to attend games semi regularly, or there would be no point getting a season ticket. 

I know of 4 people in Dundee who have Man Utd season tickets. They make money on them every single year by selling (effective hiring their card) tickets for games. It is a money maker and it allows them into important games. 

Two of them have a season ticket for AC Milan, too. 

[HalfCutNinja]

3 minutes ago, Mr. Alli said:

I know of 4 people in Dundee who have Man Utd season tickets. They make money on them every single year by selling (effective hiring their card) tickets for games. It is a money maker and it allows them into important games. 

Two of them have a season ticket for AC Milan, too. 

I don't see that being a particularly big factor and is likely to be a very small percentage. As I said, football is a business these days. These owners are thousands of miles away and always cocooned in a wee bubble. They couldn't give the slightest f**k if fans are on the streets protesting every day for the next thousand years.

The only power a fan has these days is as a consumer, and the only language these people understand or care about is money. So if you want to affect change you have to go down that route, everything else is a waste of time.

[Derry Alli]

4 minutes ago, HalfCutNinja said:

 They couldn't give the slightest f**k if fans are on the streets protesting every day for the next thousand years.

The only power a fan has these days is as a consumer, and the only language these people understand or care about is money. So if you want to affect change you have to go down that route, everything else is a waste of time.

I agree with you. Which just makes what happened yesterday even more laughable. 

This whole "it's been coming for 15 years" is a crock of shite. If it had, it would have happened long before now. 

[jamamafegan]

I know of 4 people in Dundee who have Man Utd season tickets. They make money on them every single year by selling (effective hiring their card) tickets for games. It is a money maker and it allows them into important games. 
Two of them have a season ticket for AC Milan, too. 

I think that’s absolute shitebag behaviour tbh. They’re potentially doing a genuine Manchester United fan out of a season ticket just so they can make some money - but they’ll then turn up for the big games like the gloryhunting, tourist fans they are. It’s ticket touting in the football world. Do any of them have a season ticket for Tannadice or Dens?

[Derry Alli]

Just now, jamamafegan said:

Do any of them have a season ticket for Tannadice or Dens?

 

One does for Dens. Two of the other three work offshore but go to United games, no idea if they're season ticket holders. The other doesn't follow Scottish Football. 

[jamamafegan]

One does for Dens. Two of the other three work offshore but go to United games, no idea if they're season ticket holders. The other doesn't follow Scottish Football. 

So a bunch of wanks then

[Michael W]

4 hours ago, WATTOO said:

I'm probably not alone in as much that I use the English football purely for gambling purposes as opposed to actually "enjoying" a match. I find much of it pretty boring as it's become a non contact sport and is just athletes running into space much of the time, there's very little individuality nowadays as it seems to have been coached out of them and I really can't remember the last time I watched an English based player dribble past players with the ball the way you would see Messi do in la liga. Personally I find the Italian and German football much more incident packed and entertaining as you rarely come across the slow negative tippy tappy boring dross that you often get in the EPL.

I know lots of you rip into Souness but he has a point when he talks about the lack of passion, in fact recently there's been virtually no emotion shown by anyone, they don't question decisions even if they're blatantly wrong and many would give you the impression that they don't really care as ultimately they'll still be going home with their 50k+ for the game back to their trophy wife to their £4m mansion with the Porsche and Ferrari in the driveway, so I suppose who can blame them.

As for paying for Sky, surely IPTV is the sensible route ??

I never really watch it either. I did when I was at home as we had Sky Sports, but I rook one look at the price of it when I moved out and just never bothered. Easily enough found other things to do with my time. 

The only game I've watched this season start to finish was Liverpool v Spurs just before Christmas because it was on Prime. I've just no motivation for the product and I've seen far too many shit games on time, especially between the bigger clubs. 

There are indeed "options" for those that want to watch it but don't have Sky Sports. But the evidence would suggest few people are really doing that given Sky can continue chucking more money at the PL. One of my greatest bugbears, that - people moan about Sky ruining the game etc. and the money pumped at it, then still pay for the subs. Stop it: bin the sub and cut their money supply off. 

 

[Derry Alli]

36 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

So a bunch of wanks then

 

Just remembered there is actually two Dundee fans I know. The one I forgot him and his old man both have ST at Old Trafford (as well as Dens). 

[jagfox]

Black Country derby. Hopefully get a few goals and a few cards...

[raith_94]

Sky's category-C comms in full Crocker mode, reminding us it is a derby game every 30 seconds.

[Scotty Tunbridge]

Weather is stinking.

[The Master]

Some game this at Turf Moor. 

[Jambomo]

It’s cracking. I wasn’t going to watch it as well since I find Burnley boring to watch!

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

Sometimes it doesn't go VAR enough.

[Ro Sham Bo]

34 minutes ago, Jambomo said:

It’s cracking. I wasn’t going to watch it as well since I find Burnley boring to watch!

Yeah I've watched a few of their matches this season and most of them have been horrible but this is great stuff. Non stop attacking. 

[The Master]

How did that not go in?

[PB1994]

5 hours ago, Michael W said:

There are indeed "options" for those that want to watch it but don't have Sky Sports. But the evidence would suggest few people are really doing that given Sky can continue chucking more money at the PL. One of my greatest bugbears, that - people moan about Sky ruining the game etc. and the money pumped at it, then still pay for the subs. Stop it: bin the sub and cut their money supply off. 

 

It is not really as simple as that though. I would imagine that a large proportion of people who have sky sports don’t just have it for the football. I watch the NFL, Cricket and golf so it is actually good value for money based on how often I watch it. The only football I actually want to watch with Sky is the Scottish games as I usually find the English games really boring but will stick them on if there is nothing else to watch.