Ladies and gentlemen it is time to smell the roses. Corporate man, notably overseas corporate man has hijacked the UK national sport. The response to allegedly illegal/legal activities at West Ham is testimony to the anarchy that prevails within UK football. The officials concerned are out of their depth. Faced with the funding and expert legal counsel many can now bring to the table they have run for cover like frightened rabbits.
Even the head of the PFA considers any point deduction would not have been sporting! Tell me Mr. Taylor how is a club, fielding players whose registration will not have met PL rules had full details of their contracts been declared sporting? The club concerned has clearly gained an unfair advantage even though the PL was also culpable in failing to make further enquiries at the time. Questions were plastered over virtually every media!
Sport is about people taking part on the basis of the same rules - otherwise it is pointless. We may as well go back to gladiators & Christians. Entertainment, possibly, but sport it was not. The decision re West Ham rules breach in sporting terms is comic. In business terms I almost understand why Brown & Aldridge took the risk. How else could they attract 2 world class players in a business at the mercy of overseas entrepreneurs?
One thing these guys are not is sporting. Sporting principles do not enter the corporate environment especially in global and US markets. It is dog eat dog and if they can be successful and make more money by being bigger & nastier than anyone else guess what? Rules are there to be bent or ignored. Why do you think the US is the most litiguous society on the planet. A contract is not a document to honoured and supported it is something to be exploited.
It is not for nothing US sporting authorities throw a blanket over these guys in terms of the player contracts, recruitment programs, salary caps and TV revenues, sporting goods marketing in the NFL, NBA & MLB.
Our quaint British football authorities have stood back and watched inequitable decisions over gate receipts & television monies ferment the inequalities in separating our national game from sport. Is it any wonder a Russian, 2 sets of Americans now own our 3 top PL clubs with a 3rd American banging on the door of the fourth? Magnusson almost looks East End by comparison.
Charlton has given me great pleasure and no little heartache for over 40 years but I have seen enough of corporate politics and skullduggery in my professional career not to have to suffer its invasion into my favorite pastime.
I fervently wish the guys the best today at Blackburn and against Tottenham & Liverpool. The recent efforts of the board, management, players and supporters deserve reward but I will be turning my attention to other pastimes in the future.
Grapevine 49
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I am not anti foreign owners but, without a strong governing body and as more clubs outside the top tier change hands, it's only a matter of time before owners with little empathy with the "soul" of the game (at least as many British 40-somethings and older understand it), especially those more familiar with a franchise system, move to scrap relegation from the PL or spin out into a European Super League. The big clubs have shied away from a European Super League to date but under foreign owners, it's time will come and sooner than the media and FA think.
The horse had bolted I'm afraid.
In any event, until then......COME ON YOU REDS!!!
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