Nothing ‘Super’ about the ESL
The ‘European Super League’ project represents all that is wrong about the modern game…
While the European Super League project proved short-lived after launch (at least in its current form) the abomination that was mooted represents all that is wrong about the modern game.
While Fair Game was not set up as a direct response to the proposals laid out by the self-titled ‘Big Six’ and others, it is, sadly, a reflection of the need for our presence and the proposals that we have laid out.
The chasm between football ownership and fans at the top end of English football has never been greater. For the sake of 30 (or more) pieces of silver, the Beautiful Game was on the verge of being betrayed and sold to the highest bidder, acting purely in the interests of a few boardroom fat cats. That was, at least, until the fans had their say.
The only continued presence any football club can rely on is its supporters. And yet the fact that Supporters Trusts of all six English teams involved in the breakaway felt the need to issue a joint statement condemning the ESL plans demonstrates just how kept in the dark these fans were, right up to the point of announcement. It is their – our – pressure that proved pivotal in bringing down the ESL, not those concerns voiced by politicians and others.
Further down the football pyramid, clubs with a tiny fraction of the resources available to the ‘Big Six’ have nonetheless maintained much healthier dialogue. If a football club the size of AFC Wimbledon can run a full consultation process with its supporters over groundsharing proposals with the London Broncos, surely the top teams could have conducted some simple market research over such ideas that would turn football on its head.
The fact that Bayern Munich, the largest side in Germany where fan ownership of clubs is taken far more seriously, remained entirely absent from the ESL is telling in itself. Fair Game believes that embedded fan engagement at all clubs, and fan representation on boards, is critical to keep clubs rooted in their own communities.
Proposals struck a dagger to the heart of football
And the fact remains that, while the integrity of our domestic competitions remain under threat, the ESL proposals aimed to damage exactly where the footballing model is currently most successful – namely the models of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
The top European competition may not be perfect; UEFA have essentially admitted as much by unveiling its own new plans to revamp the competition; but it remains the greatest and most sought-after prize in club football. English sides have lifted the European Cup just twice in the past 12 years – half the total managed by Real Madrid in the same timeframe, and less than that of fading lights Barcelona. It therefore clearly retains its competitive charm and attraction. Liverpool fans taunt rivals over their six European Cup successes more than any other measure. What good would that have been if they were no longer able to play in the competition?
Meanwhile the Premier League remains a national and global triumph, with opportunities for the great to rub shoulders with the good. Leicester City, still revelling in their Premier League success from five years ago, are preparing for their first FA Cup final in the lifetimes of most of their fans – again demonstrating the continued competitive nature of that competition. It’s notable that while there are plenty of clubs throughout the pyramid who seemingly battle relegation year on year, those constantly-suffering supporters nonetheless aren’t voicing opposition to the promotion-relegation system.
Where football really has its greatest issue is the imbalance and failure of funds to trickle down the system to the lower leagues. That is why, at the same time as billionaire owners seek to make trillions, there’s a juxtaposition with clubs like Dover Athletic, whose chairman has admitted investing £200,000 of his own money to keep his side afloat this season, albeit in relegation to the National League South. How must he feel about the greed at the top of the pyramid?
We may have struggled to afford to lose these six clubs to the ESL, but far more tellingly, they could not afford to lose us either. If football truly is nothing without fans, then now is the time for those fans to stand up and be counted, and for football’s owners to actually listen to them, before it’s too late.
Fair Game is holding a series of open panel and discussions over the next few weeks. They are an essential part of Fair Game’s process in developing real and long-lasting solutions to the problems facing football. You can register to take part in the sessions by visiting the events section of our website www.fairgameuk.org