Any Urgent critical issues that need addressing in English football now ?

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Like the 8 second rule a lot. Not sure it's totally enforced but it's gotten better. I personally think the second offense in a game deserves a yellow card. Some really long 8 second counts. It should start once they have possession of the ball (including laying on the ground clutching the ball). Some of them act like it's a mating session with the ball.

In my younger days (many moons ago) played in an adult league and my team gradually got better and better. worked it's way up to city championship level. Home team supplied the ball. Did a lot of research on balls and went with a Puma 18 panel all white ball. It was markedly lighter and very, very lively. Didn't use it on wet or snowy pitches. It was vastly different than the standard match ball of the day.

The other thing i did was research pitch dimensions. Football is rather ambiguous on what a field can be. we had a large patch of good grass for the pitch and I marked it huge. Had to be a rectangle but beyond that there is a lot of latitude.

Both of the above were huge "home field" advantages. Had a lot of in shape players and the lively ball created a lot of chances. It's an unbelievable difference.

We used to change the dimensions of the pitch under Revie to suit the opposition and would do that to both length and width.

The dimensions have less variability now and once you set them you need to stick to them for a season to stop that old rise.

[cherrypie7]

so are we are all happy in the 2025/26 new rules introduction and enforcement of them.......

including the 8 second rule for goalkeepers...... the stricter rule for player referee interactions via the captains only approach meaning only one player from each team may approach for explanations of important decisions to prevent refs being hassled..... and the use of the lighter Puma balls dilemmas ..... plus the ability for referees to communicate VAR decisions to fans in stadiums direct all now in force ?

i am ok with the 8 second rule which sees goalkeepers penalised for holding the ball for more than eight seconds...... so a corner will be awarded to the opposing team if a keeper exceeds this time limit now.

also the player ref interaction were only the team captain is permitted to approach the ref during a match and that other players who do will receive a booking..... all ok for me.

not sure on technology and the VAR ref cam trials....... as the the league is now testing referee cameras on the officials shirts in selected matches to provide a different perspective for replays.......

other changes that may not suit the purists including me that have crept in are those tv reporter touchline interviews...... also allowing reporters to conduct touchline interviews with recently substituted players.........
no probs either with how players warm up with the number of substitutes allowed to warm up simultaneously along the sideline been increased from three to five to align with the five subs rule.

good that referees are also now generally maintaining stronger measures to reduce time wasting and disruption tactics....... obviously the added on time has been crucial in many matches so far.....resulting in many late goals scored and conceded.

for me....... the new Puma lighter ball which Arteta claims has become more unpredictable for goalkeepers is a game changer....... as it is more like a volleyball and it moves in the air so much unlike all previous balls used in competition....... it is also extremely slippery which makes it difficult to handle......so there will be a lot of mistakes this season handling it for keepers....... you certainly will not be seeing many clean catches this season..... and many strikers have complained its harder to control because of its movement......... so more miss hits and spills over the ninety minutes awaiting as winter weather approaches...... on the Green Green Grass of Home !

MOT

Firstly, thanks for this wonderful information and topics of discussion.
1. No, i do not like the new ball.
2. I do like the 8 sec rule
3. I do not like ref cams. Less cameras interfering with the beautiful game the happier I am. No need for it.
4. I do not like the introduction of 5 subs which happened last season i think. Changes the game too much, and provides too much advantage to big clubs with deep benches. I think 3 is enough. But I can see its merits as it makes the game more exciting and it gives reserves more opportunities. Also lessens injuries. So I can see all those advantages but it makes football feel like basketball.
5. On the topic of fair play rules, I think they are very difficult to understand, and they favor established clubs with massive revenue streams. That is inherently unfair. I think newly promoted clubs should be exempt from the rules, the first season they go up, i.e. do not include the 1st season in the 3 year calculation.Thats fair I think.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

The other thing which is a shame is access for families and kids who are not season ticket holders.

You can get hospitality packages but that ends up being around £120 min per person which prices whole swathes of the next generation of fans out of the market.

The influx of American owners has been good in some respects but it’s definitely moving to the US model where a lot of sports charge a lot and thus for those lucky enough to be able to afford it attending a game is a once per year treat.

Yes you can always watch on TV for less money but there is nothing like going to a game in person especially as a kid.

[WTF11]

The other thing which is a shame is access for families and kids who are not season ticket holders.

You can get hospitality packages but that ends up being around £120 min per person which prices whole swathes of the next generation of fans out of the market.

The influx of American owners has been good in some respects but it?’s definitely moving to the US model where a lot of sports charge a lot and thus for those lucky enough to be able to afford it attending a game is a once per year treat.

Yes you can always watch on TV for less money but there is nothing like going to a game in person especially as a kid.

Agreed on all counts.

Now watching Eastleigh (yes, I know, they aren't in the PL!) for around ?20 a match (?1 more if you buy your ticket on the day!), including an excellent pie! And as I have a concessionary bus pass I can get there for free!

Not sure that watching LUFC play other PL sides is worth it any more.

[spaldy]

Wonderful

we have the same ref that missed a flagrant handball against Sunderland several years back and hasn't reffed a prem game all year.

They decide to put the village clown on an important potential relegation battle game.

It really does speak of just how corrupt and inept the FA is.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I know a lot of people who watch lower league or non league football and take their kids and have a lot of fun.

Does the pie come with gravy or southern liquor WTF? 😎

[WTF11]

I know a lot of people who watch lower league or non league football and take their kids and have a lot of fun.

Does the pie come with gravy or southern liquor WTF? 😎

Think your view of "Southern" is a bit skewed. Liquor you can still get in London, but by the time you get to the south coast the choice is limited to gravy.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Not the greatest fan of liquor so glad gravy still rules outside the M25.

[Monaco_Totty]

Pie prices in PL this season comparisons for the gastronome-connoisseurs among us

https://footballgroundguide.com/news/premier-league-pies.html

The National League has some cracking teams presently for Eastleigh to play, below.



FWIW, National League York City home section tickets at the LNER Community Stadium now cost my adult York mates 23pounds with concessions for over 65s at 18pounds, with students &12-16 year olds at 11pounds & 8pounds if younger, all tickets subject to a 2pound increase on the day of a match if you dont book online 'tho. Gotta be decent pricing as York are pulling in 6,500 to watch 'em currently in their modern 8,500 capacity stadia set in a retail shopping park.The stadia is owned by York council as a multi-purpose venue serving as a community hub with various facilities, including a library & swimming pool & is used for a variety of other community events too 365 days a year selling a decent variety of pies too.👍

[WTF11]

It would probably be possible to reproduce what MT says about York, and my comment regarding Eastleigh, many times over. Fact remains that the PL clubs don't care whether fans can afford to pay the prices they charge or not, they know for certain that enough can and will. The 24/25 average attendances at Scum (73k), Spam (63k), Spuds (61k) and Liverpool (60k) and a few others would support that assertion. Even if that proves to be marginally incorrect, we know that PL clubs no longer depend to any significant degree on gate receipts so their "take it or leave it" attitude to ticket affordability is cemented in place by financial independence of fan-based revenues, and that includes LUFC.

The enforced "divorce" of fans from their clubs has been underway for quite some time, brought about by the structural changes at the head of footballing authorities and commercial agreements that reflect the priorities of those new "movers and shakers" rather than the fans who have for decades been the lifeblood of football the world over.

This is what I meant when I suggested that matters such as the 8-second rule, body-worn cameras etc were "fiddling while Rome burns". At its highest level, the game isn't just drifting away from grass-roots supporters, it's being driven at high speed away from them, to the detriment of all.

[Oranje White]

Sick to death of the virtue signalling. If Leeds take the knee this weekend my Subscription will not be renewed. Absolutely sick of these millionaires living in gated communities telling us how to live with immigrants and criminals who hate us. Never thought I'd ever not love football, but I'm almost there now. Won't be long I think.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Sick to death of the virtue signalling. If Leeds take the knee this weekend my Subscription will not be renewed. Absolutely sick of these millionaires living in gated communities telling us how to live with immigrants and criminals who hate us. Never thought I'd ever not love football, but I'm almost there now. Won't be long I think.

There should be awards for the best pie and gravy and value for money! Bonus league points for the winner would shake things up 😎