FOOTBALL POLITICS....and City

[Ted Hughes]

That piece of FiFA was an excellent read. It certainly muddies the water on the right of FiFA to govern. Considering the corruption crisis surrounding FiFA at the moment, I'm not sure if that is good or not. I think that is an area that will probably be tested again quite soon.

You might also find the terms of the current UeFA/ECA "Memoranda of Understanding" interesting. Especially the part that covers the right of the ECA to be part of UeFA planning. To me it seems to say that UeFA are unable to anything without the approval of the ECA. Please have a read and see what you think.

A last point regarding a revamped CL, That may well happen but on current evidence a super league would seem to be a league format rather than a cup competition.

The factors driving it would seem to be the clubs' percieved huge increase in income and both Bayern and Juve have openly stated their club's need for more meaningful games. Bayern consider they have outgrown their domestic competition.

Just a note. Though I have posted the factual evidence and given my opinion on how I thing this will probably evolve, please don't mistake it for my support of it. The reason I started this thread was to make sure members were aware of what is currently on the agenda and maybe warn against it. I still hate the greedy bastards for what I see they have done already, are doing now and are planning to do in the future. If their plans turn to shit, I will be a very happy man.

I don't think anyone would accuse you of supporting it!

If you note the last line re players being released for international duty & the relevant insurance liability etc, that ties in with your o.p. It looks like the clubs are going to use that as the starting point of future arguments. I imagine we are also 100% in support there. Then we have the corruption of Qatar & the ideas of forcing everyone in Europe to change the pattern of their league programmes to fit in with the stupid fucking idea of playing it in winter.

But as I said, if they do actually decide to split completely from FIFA, they will have to form a new sporting body & invite national teams to join in a new competition too, or otherwise they will lose half the players (the ones who give a shit about their national teams anyway).

Presumably they wouldn't want to go down that line, but if the clubs are all stood together on this, then we could see the threat of a breakaway force big changes at FIFA/UEFA & it becomes even more obvious how Platini has positioned himself to be on the inside, rather than the outside if the shit hits the fan. What a pity for him, if he gets nailed for corruption re Qatar, before he can cash in.

[Im_Spartacus]

Given the amount of self interest in football, would a breakaway not just end up with a situation where the shop is even more closed than the ECA are already pushing for, and thus as loathesome a prospect as this might be, we should support FIFA and Uefa in any coming battle.

The thread is seemingly going down the route of discussing whether we would be in or out, but I'd dread to see us in an alternative 'competition' where competition would be stifled by ridiculous (or non existent) barriers to entry, and where the biggest players in the ECA would still try to stack the odds in their favour by plotting against the less influential ones in such a breakaway (eg galatasaray)

Either way, it looks like football is on its way to hell in a handcart if the cartel cannot be broken come 2018

[Ted Hughes]

Given the amount of self interest in football, would a breakaway not just end up with a situation where the shop is even more closed than the ECA are already pushing for, and thus as loathesome a prospect as this might be, we should support FIFA and Uefa in any coming battle.

The thread is seemingly going down the route of discussing whether we would be in or out, but I'd dread to see us in an alternative 'competition' where competition would be stifled by ridiculous (or non existent) barriers to entry, and where the biggest players in the ECA would still try to stack the odds in their favour by plotting against the less influential ones in such a breakaway (eg galatasaray)

Either way, it looks like football is on its way to hell in a handcart if the cartel cannot be broken come 2018

I don't agree with that at all. It will look after itself of course, but I think it could finally tame the influence of future Blatters.

I don't want to see City playing exclusively in a European superleague. I would knock it on the head if that happened. I would rather stay behind with the Evertons etc & find ways to fuck them up (the obvious one being banning player sales between the two organisations, which imo fucks theirs up terminally, immediately).

But it doesn't make any sense to form an invitation only superleague; there is more money in developing the way things are now than in breaking away, much more money. It does make sense to use it as a weapon v FIFA, to take control of the game.

We will end up with two leagues running side by side & the League & FA Cups being completely devalued. Everyone down to about 7th place will be playing European football, every week, maybe even on some Saturdays/Sundays & international football will have to fit around it.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Welcome back John )) , please get rid of the fuckign yellow font....its unreadable you twunt.

Thanks Carl, to be called a twunt by you makes me feel comfy to be here...:-)
Yellow font gone.

Hi John, it really is good to see you back.....but I'm going to miss the yellow font as I thought it was terrific.....

[Socrates]

Welcome back John )) , please get rid of the fuckign yellow font....its unreadable you twunt.

Thanks Carl, to be called a twunt by you makes me feel comfy to be here...:-)
Yellow font gone.

Hi John, it really is good to see you back.....but I'm going to miss the yellow font as I thought it was terrific.....

I've often thought Carl should use a dark blue font for all his posts...

[carl_feedthegoat]

Welcome back John )) , please get rid of the fuckign yellow font....its unreadable you twunt.

Thanks Carl, to be called a twunt by you makes me feel comfy to be here...:-)
Yellow font gone.

Hi John, it really is good to see you back.....but I'm going to miss the yellow font as I thought it was terrific.....

I've often thought Carl should use a dark blue font for all his posts...

I might end up going back to caps as my eyesight up close is getting worse.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I might end up going back to caps as my eyesight up close is getting worse.

Get an eye test, you're of the age to need a set of readers now.

[carl_feedthegoat]

I might end up going back to caps as my eyesight up close is getting worse.

Get an eye test, you're of the age to need a set of readers now.

Probably , but as I'm a victim of fashion and a vain cunt Id rather just struggle......thank fuck for the internet and zoom.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Probably , but as I'm a victim of fashion and a vain cunt Id rather just struggle......thank fuck for the internet and zoom.

It's 2014 most ppl wearing glasses don't even need em. Fashion my friend.

[mr_nool]

It's 2014 most ppl wearing glasses don't even need em. Fashion my friend.

Carl is stuck in the Red Khemer fashion. Any one who reads books, wear specs, and/or has a university degree should be lined up and shot.

That's three bullets for me, by the way.

[mcfc1632]

In the FIFA in trouble thread I made a post -in response to Beefy's assertion that Blatter should go -which might be better in here:

"Fully agree - as all football loving and decent minded people must, but...............

at the risk of seeming paranoid I just wonder if all this is bringing into the light a carefully orchestrated plan by a number of self-serving people (the core of the ECA where the real power lies) to simply take over football.

We have seen a number from that cohort - including Gill - move into positions of influence/control with the timing convenient for changes at the top of football . Could there be a an agreed plan to install their puppet into Blatter's position whilst putting one of their own into the UeFA role - along with control of all the key functions?

Conspiracy theorist/paranoid? or could (perversely) Blatter, albeit IMO an amoral and corrupt narcissist, be a blocker to this group? - hence the concerted attacks to make sure that all the moves can happen to schedule in 2015."

FWIW, I have a real gut feeling that the only way for CITY to be secure (likely through being accepted as 'in the ECA club') is for the Sheik, along with Qatar and other partners to get control of the media outlets. Such control is the only sure way to bring the conspiracy to heel and even force through changes that are wanted.

I think that Al Jazeera is already owned by Qatar, if the Sheik and trusted partners could get control of the SKY and Fox groups then they could call the tunes - now that would be big investment.

[Cocacolajojo1]

It's 2014 most ppl wearing glasses don't even need em. Fashion my friend.

Carl is stuck in the Red Khemer fashion. Any one who reads books, wear specs, and/or has a university degree should be lined up and shot.

That's three bullets for me, by the way.

When he rules the world, you can live at my place. It'll be a safe haven for academics.

[Im_Spartacus]

I think that Al Jazeera is already owned by Qatar, if the Sheik and trusted partners could get control of the SKY and Fox groups then they could call the tunes - now that would be big investment.

Jazeera rebranded midway through this season to BeIN sports, and they made it crystal clear that they intend to dominate sports media not just in the Middle East, but globally.

The first warning shots across sky's bow was the agreement they have with BT which saw Andy Gray return, which was painted as part of a 'strategic alliance' an alliance that I can only see as being specifically setup to smash sky sports at the next bidding round for premier league rights

Sky will be fucked without premier league football, and BT have already massively eroded their rights to other content such as Rugby, champs league.

At that point you may start to see more equitable coverage (the coverage on BeIN / Jazeera is perfectly balanced and non-partisan) and without the sky foghorn to sell the sky 4's wares, the balance of perceptions may just start to swing away from them which will then do them significant damage commercially.

[Ted Hughes]

It's 2014 most ppl wearing glasses don't even need em. Fashion my friend.

Carl is stuck in the Red Khemer fashion. Any one who reads books, wear specs, and/or has a university degree should be lined up and shot.

That's three bullets for me, by the way.

When he rules the world, you can live at my place. It'll be a safe haven for academics.

But academic.

[Ted Hughes]

I think that Al Jazeera is already owned by Qatar, if the Sheik and trusted partners could get control of the SKY and Fox groups then they could call the tunes - now that would be big investment.

Jazeera rebranded midway through this season to BeIN sports, and they made it crystal clear that they intend to dominate sports media not just in the Middle East, but globally.

The first warning shots across sky's bow was the agreement they have with BT which saw Andy Gray return, which was painted as part of a 'strategic alliance' an alliance that I can only see as being specifically setup to smash sky sports at the next bidding round for premier league rights

Sky will be fucked without premier league football, and BT have already massively eroded their rights to other content such as Rugby, champs league.

At that point you may start to see more equitable coverage (the coverage on BeIN / Jazeera is perfectly balanced and non-partisan) and without the sky foghorn to sell the sky 4's wares, the balance of perceptions may just start to swing away from them which will then do them significant damage commercially.

It shouldn't be forgotten that HRH already has a partnership with BSkyB, co-owning an Arabic news channel. It's not out of the question that partnership could be taken further if Sky needed investment & Abu Dhabi saw it as worthwhile.

[patrickblue]

It shouldn't be forgotten that HRH already has a partnership with BSkyB, co-owning an Arabic news channel. It's not out of the question that partnership could be taken further if Sky needed investment & Abu Dhabi saw it as worthwhile.

Who's HRH Ted, is it this guy

[youtube]yu3662QOiSE[/youtube]

[john68]

MCFC1632

Quite some time ago, I started a similar thread that ended with the same conclusion/warning, that those G14 clubs were looking to control global football and its finances. Sadly, that thread never had legs and I had not done enough research to push it further. The deeper I have gone into this, the more I am convinced it is the case. At the time, it seemed so ridiculously outlandish and so far down the line that even I doubted it could possibly be true.

About 10 years ago, the global income from football was reported to be around 508Bn. Whether that was £s, $ or Euros I can't remember, but nonetheless, it is a huge figure and over the last 10 years or so, God only knows what the astronomical figure has become now? But certainly astronomical to interest the global big boys.

To fully understand this, it is necessary to look how events have unfolded over the longer period, how the G14 have evolved, the battles won and lost, the political maneuverings, the role of the press and the relatively recent arrival of the giant/global commercial, industrial TV/Media and sports as sponsors and partners. Some of the biggest and most powerful companies and interests on the planet all networking together. Now that is scary.

As long and as deep as I may have researched, I don't suppose I have even scratched the tip of the iceberg on this. I have only been able to access and draw together information that has been reported and already in the public domain. The vast majority of this will have obviously been done in privately out of any public gaze.

I am now getting the scent of a major battle currently taking place with the present campaign by the Europeans assisted and supported by their American partners and global commercial and media interests.

To explain this, I will try and deal with each separate faction, in the hope that others can add their knowledge tobuild up a bigger picture.

[john68]

The G14/ECA

In the late 80s a group of clubs got together to form a lobby group to pursue their own self interests and maximise their profit within UeFA.
By the 90s, they had succeeded in forcing UeFA to change the competition and financial structure of the European Cup into the Champions League, gaining control of the income and TV revenues, choosing their opponents, and building a wall around it to keep the money in and everyone else out.
In 2005/06, The Gi4 published an internal policy document that announced a sea change in their ambitions and role.....

It states: "From the beginning, G14's strategy was to act as a 'professional lobbying' organisation on behalf of Europe's top-level clubs ... It was felt in 2001 that, only in extreme cases and as an ultimate recourse, should G14 contest and fight openly on issues. . . it may be that we have now reached the point where we might wish to reconsider this latter approach."

In 2005/06, The G14 co-signed with Royal Charleroi in a case about compensation for players on international duty. The implications of this was to challenge the legal right of FiFA and UeFA to regulate football. The G14 won this battle.

During all this time, representatives from the G14 clubs maneuvered into strategic and positions of power on the more critical committees that governed UeFA. They also became represented on the committee that represents UeFA in its dealing at and with FiFA.

This effectively meant that the G14 effectively controlled UeFA and had a big influence within FiFA.

In 2008, (at UeFA's insistence) the G14 officially disbanded and formed the larger ECA. A "Memorandum of Understanding" was signed giving them recognition as the sole European clubs' representative body by both FiFA and UeFA. They also got the right to sit on UeFA's policy committee and the agreement that the ECA had the right to be consulted on UeFA policy.

On a commercial note, global conferences like "Soccerex" and "Leaders in Sport" were formed to open the door to other global interests. Though Soccerex is mainly a football/business based conference, Leaders in Sport is a by invitation only, much wider and globally based conference that has brought in some of the biggest global companies.

We now know that many of the old G14 clubs have been effectively dumped and that there are currently 9 European clubs driving this forward. Though it seems that they have effective control of UeFA, the widespread support of the ECA and some of the most powerful global partners. They are not driving this alone.

It should also be remembered that 75% of the total global income from football is earned by European clubs.

[john68]

The Media.

Considering the length of time this shit has been going on, the size and seriousness of the issue, its implications for both domestic, European and global football and the import of those involved, The reportage of events has been mainly confined to a small number of writers and a small number of outlets. At no time have the mainstream and/or sports TV and media ever covered any of this to any depth.
All of this info has been in the public domain for a long time but, certainly the most widely read/watched or popular media have remained silent. Not only have they been silent in any criticism, but domestically, they have knowingly and actively assisted what is going on by their unrelenting and widespread sycophantic coverage of the involve Sky 4.

Regarding the current coverage of the FiFA corruption issue; FiFA record of corruption has been know for many years. It has been reported then forgotten. Significantly it is aimed only at the Qatar bid whilst the Russian bid had largely remained ignored.

Whilst I support this reportage, vehemently attacking Blatter and FIFA, I have to ask, "Why now?". Why only now and not before? From the statements being made, it is obvious that what we have now is a concerted effort and partnership between UeFA, the ECA, their global commercial partners and the media.

Should Blatter be removed, there will be a power vacuum. A power vacuum that, if filled by the Europeans with Platini at its head, the ECA dominating its committees and their global commercial partners backing it, would give them all they could ever have dreamed of and more.

[john68]

If any of you are in any doubt about the high level of commercial networking that is currently going on and partnerships being forged. May I suggest you Google "Leaders Sport Summit New York 2104" (My apologies, I don't know how to do links).

The lists of those attending, the agenda and the guest speakers and masterclasses will give you some idea. The last summit was held a few weeks ago in New York and the next summit is to be held in London in October.