Quote Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone View Post
The globalisation of the PL has been steadily creeping in over the last several years via firstly players and managers, then ownership and all the while sponsorship, TV rights and merchandising.

It's only an English League by virtue of where the games are played and the team names.

So yes the next move will be to create non friendly games across the global reach. Saudi may be that destination, although maybe Saudi based teams will try to buy their way into the PL.

Another twist in the gradual move to a franchised teams basis, disconnected from their local supporters. cf the Manchester United Surreyfication starting in the 80s.

Glad to see the PL piss off.

The model is all over: NFL regular season games in London, Germany, Canada, Mexico; MLB regular season games in London this weekend. The IPL franchises buying into South Africa, USA, Caribbean leagues. It an inexorable change across most sports.

Remember Rollerball?
As you know I take an interest in NFL and beyond just the games, I was explaining the draft to a luddite friend yesterday (actually because the MLB draft was on UK news), and she wondered if such a drafting process would ever hit football. I'm not sure its possible for a worldwide sport but it may put the 'Gulf states', with their deep pockets, back into the mix instead of BEING the mix.