Comments on: Premier League plan matches abroad - your views

By: Cy Nical

Cy Nical — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:50:04 +0000

Vincent, your sweeping generalisation on the thoughts of a footballing nation are way off the mark.It’s the greed of the EPL big-wigs like Scudamore you should be targeting not ‘the English.’

By: Arnold

Arnold — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:41:38 +0000

On Thursday, the 20 Premier League clubs agreed to look into the possibility of playing an extra round of matches every season - abroad. I’m totally against this decision, and am trying to show that there’s a critical mass of fans who don’t want their teams going to play an English Premiere League game somewhere outside of England. So I made this poll - and I want to invite people to go and vote and maybe if we get enough votes we can send it to the people in charge. Here’s the link:
http://www.pollsb.com/polls/poll/6334/do -you-support-the-english-premier-league- s-intent-to-go-global-and-stage-one-roun d-of-league-matches-per-year-overseas

By: Vincent

Vincent — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:07:32 +0000

The English are so full of themselves.

Not content with annointing themselves as the best league in the world, now they have assumed that everyone is dying to watck the kick-and-rush that the EPL serves up.

What makes them think that cities will bid to host the kinds of rubbish that Chelsea vs Liverpool serves up?

By: sara

sara — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:54:22 +0000

is there not one game a year held in toronto that involves an english premier team? i know there was one last year….i want to buy tickets for my boyfriend who is from england but i can’t find any information…if anyone has any information about this i’d really appreciate it

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:36:16 +0000

This would only result in more cash for the chairmen of the clubs (many from overseas) and more to the already grossly overpaid players, who would want more recompense for their extra games, travel fatigue (!!!), etc, and I do not think that much would find its way back into the game.
Extra travelling costs would be incurred for any supporters wanting to fly to the overseas venues, as if the current costs of existing matches was not enough.
If the additional matches were on the basis of being drawn “out of a hat” and if the points would qualify for the actual league, then this would be horrendously unfair to clubs such as Derby if drawn against Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, etc, especially if their fellow strugglers were drawn againt less imposing opposition.

By: Diana

Diana — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:28:57 +0000

I am from Singapore and the Premier League is quite popular over here. It will be a dream come true for those who are big fans of the Premier League here. The plan to stage overseas matches had been noted over here as well given I understand Singapore is one of those venues being considered. I had found a mention of my country over here - http://www.sportinglife.com/football/new s/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/02/ 08/SOCCER_Premier_League_SPL_Nightlead.h tml&TEAMHD=soccer

But what I am worried is whether the players can take it. The Premier League fixtures is congested to begin with. And there are clubs who has Champions League, UEFA Cup committments as well. That makes me disagreeing with the idea even though the Premier League popularity here in Singapore is there. It has always been given wide media coverage here. Newspaper reports, cable TV coverage of the matches.

I do like the Premier League (and I do support Manchester United as well) but if this is happening at the expense of the players’ fitness, I am totally against it.

By: Five Times

Five Times — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:48:20 +0000

Yes, time to reward the legions of foreign fans that have fuelled the EPL, and perhaps win a few new fans for the non-big4 teams.

But of course it should be done properly to avoid player exhaustion and teams just going overseas to have a holiday.

Hope it happens, I’m excited!

By: Kevin Fylan

Kevin Fylan — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:07:14 +0000

I think the winter break idea might work, if they’re going to push ahead with this. Earmark a couple of weeks in January to play the games abroad. I expect there’ll be a lot of opposition in Egland, as Mark says, but it already seems like fans abroad are enthused.

By: Mark Meadows

Mark Meadows — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:47:32 +0000

if it is a 39 game season that has to mean that a team will play another side three times but all the others twice. Obviously they will pick Manchester Utd v Liverpool, Arsenal v Tottenham, Chelsea v West Ham etc but then surely for some clubs thy get an easier extra game and a chance for 3 simple points, despite the talk of seedings.
If you are going to do it, it should stay as a 38 game season (i agree with kev on player burnout) and one game like ManU v Liverpool should be played abroad…obviously Man U wouldnt agree to that as they’d lose the old trafford revenue hence they shamelessly try to play Liverppol three times and rake it in.
i expect some fans to go on strike for this, we could see some empty stadiums and shirt sales plummeting in the coming months.

By: clement

clement — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:55:32 +0000

It’s certainly a step in the wrong direction to solve scheduling problems and fatigue, but I live in NY, so I think it’s a great idea. You could easily sell out the 80000 seats in the Meadowlands at an unrully price for any arsenal or chelsea match