Has The Premier League Now Become Obcene?

[mickd1961]

I feel it has.

£50 million for Kyle Walker..........KYLE WALKER FFS!!

It's been gradually getting worse over the years but I feel it's gone to hell in a handcart this summer.

I went to watch Stourbridge FC's first friendly of the summer the other night.....640 attending a pre season game of a Northern Premier League team,this is three levels below the football league.

Average leave match attendance last season was 828 I think,not much below teams at the lower end of League Two.

The number of lads I know at Stour who have given up watching Villa/Wolves/Albion/Blues and Walsall is quite alarming.

To a man they all say the same thing,over priced,over paid,Prima Donna attitudes especially to fans.

Don't be surprised at the gaps in our crowds this season........if people like me,Des,Chris etc can give up our unconditional attendance then clubs need to be very scared because WHEN a club like Albion has it's inevitable relegation you suddenly find yourself with 9000-10000 crowds as the glory hunters depart.

I'm not sure Albion "get it",the Premier League itself certainly doesn't.

Neymar for £196million.....that really is sick.

[WBA53]

I feel it has.

£50 million for Kyle Walker..........KYLE WALKER FFS!!

It's been gradually getting worse over the years but I feel it's gone to hell in a handcart this summer.

I went to watch Stourbridge FC's first friendly of the summer the other night.....640 attending a pre season game of a Northern Premier League team,this is three levels below the football league.

Average leave match attendance last season was 828 I think,not much below teams at the lower end of League Two.

The number of lads I know at Stour who have given up watching Villa/Wolves/Albion/Blues and Walsall is quite alarming.

To a man they all say the same thing,over priced,over paid,Prima Donna attitudes especially to fans.

Don't be surprised at the gaps in our crowds this season........if people like me,Des,Chris etc can give up our unconditional attendance then clubs need to be very scared because WHEN a club like Albion has it's inevitable relegation you suddenly find yourself with 9000-10000 crowds as the glory hunters depart.

I'm not sure Albion "get it",the Premier League itself certainly doesn't.

Neymar for £196million.....that really is sick.
couldn't agree more with you mick,add to footballers kicking a bag of wind about for a living current BBC tv and radio presenters,mostly over paid and idiots.do a proper job like most of us and get paid peanuts,im chief monkey

[vikingwarriorking]

couldn't agree more with you mick,add to footballers kicking a bag of wind about for a living current BBC tv and radio presenters,mostly over paid and idiots.do a proper job like most of us and get paid peanuts,im chief monkey

We can rage against the absurdities, disgusting transfer fees, inflated salaries but the stark reality we can do very little. Sure we can choose watch Stourbridge and the like if that floats your boat but if it's the Baggies or nowt then we have to face the harsh truth that the new owner & the Board don't get it- that you need to pay to play in the Premiership.
This profit obsession is laudable but it can only end one way sometime soon and that is relegation & if we persist in that model we will never be back at the top table
If you do not have the resources to compete not with the top 7 - Everton now doing **** or bust but with Palace, Stoke, Bournemouth , Huddersfield even then one day and soon you will be found out.
It wasn't even that much of a fun ride recently but that will be over shortly.
No point complaing about the excesses of the Premier League- no point hoping for glory- we are what we are, playing way beyond our resources. That is something but the reality is it's over and sometime soon

[holmleighchris]

Sky chucks massive money at it for the rights to televise, the stupid owners then hand it all over plus more to the players and to other, mainly foreign, clubs to bring in more players to throw money at.
Meanwhile the entertainment falls and fans start leaving their clubs to seek their football rush lower in the chain, or, not bothering with it at all.
There were 650 at a Brimscombe & Thrupp v Forest Green Rovers friendly down here last week.

[WBA53]

Problem is premier football clubs don't need the paying punters at the turnstile anymore sky are responsible for that fact

[Yarmbaggie]

Agree about Sky and no longer clubs relying upon the fans. However for me there is one other big factor me that is so many of the younger generation are just fixed and hooked on all this hype and big fees. They are the future, not us over 60s and all they seem to want is Fantasy whether that be football, big brother or Britains got talent.
We have a generation who want everything, appreciate nothing and Sky and tv are giving them what they want. Rant over but I really do fear for what society of self obsessed and money oriented people we are seeing in this generation.

[stripes39]

Problem is premier football clubs don't need the paying punters at the turnstile anymore sky are responsible for that fact

You're quite right 53 from a financial perspective. Where it would hurt them is if their global 'product' was played out in front of half empty stadia to the millions that watch around the world. Sadly, many supporters in the modern era have been bought up on Sky and all its hype and think the current state of things quite normal. Many of course do not to the benefit of smaller local clubs. I'm tempted to join them having seen this week that Neymar has been offered a £45M signing on fee by PSG along with £595K a week - a deal which is reportedly 95% complete. This type of ludicrous deal will of course send ripples in to the Premier League as the agents beat a path to their Chaiman's door.

[goodlordmurphy]

The Premier League has become obscene in many ways, as I have stated many times on here I have a passion for cricket and the Premier League is operating in the same way as the Indian Premier League, faceless clubs with too many foreigners makes it hard to maintain any allegiance. Only international matches making the same appeal as we had a few years ago.

[holmleighchris]

All excellent points. I do wonder if the wheels will come off in our lifetime.
I only ever watch Albion & England games now. Record MOTD and only watch bits of it that have strange incidents or worth seeing goals.
Chelsea v Man Utd has no appeal. Who wins the league is irrelevant to me, I know it won't be us or another like us.
Of course, following Leicester's heroics there is an outside chance of a club doing something spectacular every 20 years or so.

[GLAWSTERBAGGIE]

All excellent points. I do wonder if the wheels will come off in our lifetime.
I only ever watch Albion & England games now. Record MOTD and only watch bits of it that have strange incidents or worth seeing goals.
Chelsea v Man Utd has no appeal. Who wins the league is irrelevant to me, I know it won't be us or another like us.
Of course, following Leicester's heroics there is an outside chance of a club doing something spectacular every 20 years or so.


Season ended a few month's ago , no world cup , no euros , no football. ?. used to miss the footy in close season, not any more, been quite a nice summer. Sky has ruined it, they have controlled and saturated it. Can you honestly say you have missed it?

[Johnny on the spot 1]

Agree about Sky and no longer clubs relying upon the fans. However for me there is one other big factor me that is so many of the younger generation are just fixed and hooked on all this hype and big fees. They are the future, not us over 60s and all they seem to want is Fantasy whether that be football, big brother or Britains got talent.
We have a generation who want everything, appreciate nothing and Sky and tv are giving them what they want. Rant over but I really do fear for what society of self obsessed and money oriented people we are seeing in this generation.

Great post Yarn yes the younger generation seem to want everything yesterday , but going back to footy we are in the division which is obscene & most players are over rated & earn far to much money , but let's embrace where we play our football & try to compete its not just west Brom who have to pay over the odds for players its all the teams , & this is where every other team out side the prem wish they were ,& are striving to be their so spend a bit Albion on quality keep us in the best league in the world & competitive.

[Newcy Wolf]

Great post Yarn yes the younger generation seem to want everything yesterday , but going back to footy we are in the division which is obscene & most players are over rated & earn far to much money , but let's embrace where we play our football & try to compete its not just west Brom who have to pay over the odds for players its all the teams , & this is where every other team out side the prem wish they were ,& are striving to be their so spend a bit Albion on quality keep us in the best league in the world & competitive.

Purely out of interest, why do you think it is "the best league in the world"?

[Johnny on the spot 1]

Purely out of interest, why do you think it is "the best league in the world"?

Hi Newcy i think its such a competitive league & the hardest league in the world to win . Not that west Brom will ever win it .

[Newcy Wolf]

Fair play.
My argument has always been that if we have the best league in the world, why do the Spanish and German clubs always grab the trophies at club AND international level?

[Johnny on the spot 1]

Fair play.
My argument has always been that if we have the best league in the world, why do the Spanish and German clubs always grab the trophies at club AND international level?

I have no idea buddy & you make a valid point but i still think that premier league is still a lot harder to win , & has a lot more quality team in it than any of the top leagues in any other country ,

[saltnshake]

Fair play.
My argument has always been that if we have the best league in the world, why do the Spanish and German clubs always grab the trophies at club AND international level?
Technically it isn't the best league in the world, that would probably be the Spanish League, but the games in the prem are not as one-sided as some of the games in other countries here any team can beat another on their day and the top teams have to work harder to win games than which probably doesn't help when the teams play in Europe.

[BaggiefromStafford]

Fair play.
My argument has always been that if we have the best league in the world, why do the Spanish and German clubs always grab the trophies at club AND international level?

Good point, but it's all media hype about the Prem beening the best league on the world. don't believe a word of it.

[holmleighchris]

Last season the top 6 lost 35 games between them. They played each other 30 times. A few of those would have been draws, lets say 5. That means the top 6 lost 10 games between them all season to the lower 13 clubs.
Most competitive league?

[talkSAFT]

Fanzines predicted the future pretty well about 20 years ago: letters to Grorty Dick were saying that Murdoch would ruin the game, and the only possible way to halt the decline was NOT TO BUY SKY. It became a national campaign.
I've never subscribed and the only way to get Football back to how it was is if every proper fan cancelled their subscription. That would work if only the fans could see it, and explain it to their kids.
I've no idea how much Sky charge, but the stay-at-home fans could probably afford to go back to watching live football instead, and those games would be Saturday 3 o'clock kick-offs!

[Roymit]

Fanzines predicted the future pretty well about 20 years ago: letters to Grorty Dick were saying that Murdoch would ruin the game, and the only possible way to halt the decline was NOT TO BUY SKY. It became a national campaign.
I've never subscribed and the only way to get Football back to how it was is if every proper fan cancelled their subscription. That would work if only the fans could see it, and explain it to their kids.
I've no idea how much Sky charge, but the stay-at-home fans could probably afford to go back to watching live football instead, and those games would be Saturday 3 o'clock kick-offs!

I can't disagree that Sky has helped inflate the cost and fees involved in football, but if you want a real villain who made the greatest impact and change in English football then how about David Dein of Arsenal? He was the genius who pushed for home clubs keeping their gate receipts instead of the 50/50 split that football had always insisted on since the League's foundation. Dein (and Arsenal) were also prime proponents of the Premiership - a competition that ensured in effect 6 or 7 clubs would only be in a chance of winning. Leicester were a glorious exception but there's no doubt that the Premiership and the change in the allocation of gate receipts knackered a lot of "smaller' clubs while making the rich ones even more rich, and I would say profligate.

[WBA1955]

Football'doesn't'entertain.The'old'players'earned' £80-£100pw'and'they'thrilled'crowds.
Today's'players'earn'millions'and'are'as'dull'as'd ishwater'they'take'themselves'too'seriously
Does'anyone'feel'entertained'when'they'come'away'f rom'the'Albion'today
It'was'the'reason'most'of'us'fell'in'love'with'the 'club,win'or'lose'you'expected'to'see'something'di fferent,outrageous'even
The'great'characters'are'gone,the'game'is'full'of' cheats
At'least'people'of'my'generation'saw'the'best'time s

[Bombers right foot]

Well said 1955, some of these modern football fans should look at The Big Match etc on you tube, proper football played by proper footballers on proper pitches watched by proper fans, players these days think more about doing their hair and how their numerous tattoos look, give me characters like Willie Johnston, Stan Bowles etc anytime over the modern over paid prima donnas we have to put up with these days.

[Newcy Wolf]

I read somewhere that you could get a season ticket cheaper at Barcelona than at Leicester.
The price of a season ticket at the mighty Bayern Munich is dwarfed by the price to watch the current Premier League champions Chelsea.

I'm not sure how accurate these figures are but the average footballers salary apparently is:

Premier League £45,000 p/w
Bundesliga £28,000 p/w
Serie A £25,000 p/w
La Liga £23,000 p/w

If these figures are correct, next time you hear the interview with a foreign player who has just signed for a Premier League club stating he has "always wanted to play in the Premier League", the real reason why is probably due to the figures above.

[Albionic68]

Those figures, or near enough, were reported in the Daily Mail.

Nearly THREE years ago.

I'd imagine they're well off the mark by now.

Absolutely obscene.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2833020/Premier-League-wages-dwarf-Europe-flight-players-England-earning-average-2-3million-year.html

[Newcy Wolf]

I didn't spot the date.

If the figures are that old you could probably put God knows what percentage on top of that.

It would be interesting to see if the difference between Premier League salaries and those in the better foreign leagues ;D is still ridiculously higher.

[Albionic68]

I'd imagine it would still be ridiculously higher.

Then again when it comes down to it I wouldn't mind being a Rand or two behind the average paid player in the South African top flight ;D .

[WBA1955]

There'is'a'Spanish'chef'in'our'local'called'Castro '(cool'name),and'he'is'a'fan'of'Malaga.For'half'th e'price'of'our'ST'he'gets'to'see'Messi,
Ronaldo'etc
Over'here'he'and'his'son'go'to'watch'Albion-as'you'would'expect

[phild]

BOMBERS QUOTE 'players these days think more about doing their hair and how their numerous tattoos look'

That sounds like womens football ;D

[Albionic68]

BOMBERS QUOTE 'players these days think more about doing their hair and how their numerous tattoos look'

That sounds like womens football ;D

The great irony of this being he used to have a fkn perm :O ;D .

[BaggieBlood]

I have a different perspective and love football in the same way as when I discovered the game and thank God for the premier league.

I honestly believe without the riches of the prem we wouldn't have attracted the likes of Paul Thompson and chancer Peace.

Who knows how long that 16 year wait would have continued for.

Regards the players, the market decides a player's worth, Brunt will earn £30k-40k and exceptional talents like Neymar more, and they generate the income.

Fact is the players in the past were treated like pieces of meat.

Louis Edwards former Chairman/owner of Manchester United used to rake in the gate receipts and then gave his players out of date meat, explains why the like Law, Charles and Greaves went abroad in the 50's and 60's.

There was an Albion documentary put on here a few months ago called the saturday men and I remember a scene in it where there are some fans sitting in a cafe and one said they need to pay the players more or something to that effect.

Now the players are getting their market value.

Imo it's much better that the money gets spread out than an owner hoarding it all, and paying around 18% corporation tax, in the rare circumstances when they hadn't avoided it.

That way the taxman gets his 40% share and the players usually have employees like drivers and cleaners etc who pay tax and they look after their families (unless you're giggs who just s hags them) and buy expensive things paying 20% vat and increasing companies revenues which in turn creates more jobs.

The premier league clubs are profitable and therefore there shouldn't be an issue unless you get bad ownership like at Leeds, Palace and Leicester in the past.

If a team gets relegated it's bad ownership if the owner hasn't insisted on relegation clauses.

We should be proud that we have the best league in the world watched and envied by all.


The TV income is shared equally amongst prem clubs, unlike in Spain where barca and real get the vast majority of it.

Those waiting for the prem to implode should not hold their breath.

The American sports tv deals inspired the premier leagle Imo and they are getting higher and higher as new bidders like Netflix and Facebook are mooted to be interested in bidding.

I keep hearing all this stuff about non league teams being better now, but their entrance prices are much higher than before the premiership was created and the players there have tattoos too.

We all have a choice. If you don't like sky prices don't pay.

I don't.