As often at this time of year, I’m seeking comfort in the arms of other lovers in order to kill time during the NRL season, and inevitably I’m eating from the forbidden fruit of the English Premier League.
One of my greatest admirations from the current crop of players is you never seem to get players harping on about how “they have achieved everything in the game” in the same way as you do in rugby league.
Even from the blokes who have.
The drive of someone like Ryan Giggs (okay pedants, he hasn’t played at a World Cup) who has lifted nine Premier League titles to constantly be yearning yet another title is something to behold. Willie Mason take note.
Like Lance Armstrong, that sort of achievement and professionalism can transcend a sport.
Of course, not everything is roses in the Premier League.
The mortgage the “big four” have on the top echelon can be rather tiresome. But having said that, the idea of a gatecrasher always adds a bit of spice.
For a little while at the start of the season, Hull City seemed to be everyone’s second team as they looked to match it with the big guns.
But their Cinderella story certainly looks like it has gone past midnight, at this stage.
The two next likely characters were Aston Villa and Manchester City, although both in very different ways.
Villa have been driven by the shrewd purchases of Martin O’Neill, his vision funded by the largesse of the American Randy Lerner. But it has been done with dignity and class and Villa now look like really pushing the boundaries.
If they can hold off a resurgent Arsenal, only the biggest kill joy could deny them a place at the top table.
And then there is City.
Bold and brash, they made no mystery of their riches and claimed they were ready to buy, buy, buy their way to the top.
Well, the big boys already had, so why not was most people’s reaction.
But their reaction to the refusal of Kaka has been similar to the spoiled school boy sulking in the corner.
After labelling AC Milan “unprofessional” (a quick comparison of trophy cabinets might serve as a reality check), they have been keen to blame everyone and anyone for the deal not happening.
It wasn’t a good look.
For me it won’t be long before Manchester City‘s reputation joins Tottenham’s as a delusional club, whose only friends are those looking to sell overpriced lemons.
All the talk of a dream team appearing in January now looks to be replaced by Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy (and a freshly fined and perhaps unmotivated Robinho).
Suddenly they proclaim they won’t be paying over the odds for anyone (a few days after spending £14 million on Craig Bellamy). It’s a bit late when for all intensive purposes that is what you have been saying for the last six months.
Who said money doesn’t buy happiness?
But did Kaka find football’s soul? It isn’t like he opted to continue working down the mines.
Of course, it all inevitably leads to someone calling for a salary cap. This time it was Harrods’ owner Mohammed Al-Fayed.
Of course, he conveniently forgot that it wasn’t long ago that he bought his way out of the Championship to enjoy a yearly battle with relegation.
Say what you want about the EPL, but it is certainly compulsive viewing.
It should even, along with the help of Deal or No Deal, get me through the off season.
Midfielder
Guest
Steve As a non football person with an interest in the EPL ... what would make you become a regular A-League watcher ... given you have a passing interest in football via the EPL and I assume by and large understand football laws (rules). Steve just as an aside in 2005 for the first time earned more media revenue from overseas than in their domestic market.
Steve Kaless
Roar Guru
Gents, Some interesting repsonses and I'll actually respond in more detail to them through some further pieces in coming weeks. However, The Bear, I hope you had the chance to return fire to Con and ask him whether some of his business practices had aided in the club's demise? Heard anything? I do know there was a strong question over whether the player's superannuation had been paid during their championship year for one. Enjoy your footy.
Colin N
Guest
It wouldn't surprise me if the Kettering-Fulham match was being televised in Oz beacuse the Macc-Everton game was as well I think, but Macc didn't get much television money from it, because it wasn't live in England.
The Bear
Guest
Steve, there is a lot going on in your own backyard that you may find "compulsive viewing" as well. Last week some fervent Newcastle Jets fans (the Aussie HAL club, that is) were summoned to the Boss of the clubs corporate box, where he proceeded to tear strips of them due to the manner of which some fans were expressing their disappointment of the team languishing at the bottom of the ladder for the last few weeks (hanging their usual banners, but upsidedown miss jane, if you know what i mean. They have gone from 07/08 Champions to 08/09 Cellar Dwellers. As a neutral (I follow QLd Roar), this was a vicarious bon-bon to sweet to describe. Then we now hear Joel Griffiths, practically a cannonised saint amongst Newcastle, is making noises of hitting the ejector seat button, for a Chinese super league club. He may still be playing ACL next year, but in a different coloured jersey. btw off season news of Clive Palmer's Gold Coast United "megaclub" launch gave many people some extra spice for their HAL expansion day dreams. Fly me to the moon...
Sam
Guest
Colin N Yes I know Blackburn did in a sense effectively buy there way to a title. But I suppose that players in that team like Sherwood, Hendry and co. were club players in a sense. Shearer and Sutton were more the stars. Still it gave a chance to other clubs like Villa, Blackburn, Norwich etc to sneak a title. This is what I loved. I was a Man Utd fan for a long time (a little more neutral now). I used to love watching Hughes, Cantona, Giggs, Sharpe and co. do there thing at Old Trafford. It was pure theatre and Cantona for a long time was the conductor. Now you have Ronaldo who on his day can rip a team apart. It is just a little more corporate these days and I hope that these people buying these clubs have football in their hearts. By the way I still am a fan of the three foreigner rule. Maybe a little old fashioned..
Dave
Guest
Colin N Thanks for that...the Kettering v Fulham game is on Setanta Sports here in Oz although not sure if live or delayed.
Colin N
Guest
The League 1 and 2 thing I think is used as a commercial thing and in a sense has worked. The Championship gets a lot more exposure now, whether it is because of the commercial aspect, I'm not sure, but it still gets more coverage than it use to IMO. Dave, as a fan of a lower league English club, I don't think the money particularly flows down the leagues, as exemplified by teams such as Leeds, Luton, Rotherham and Bournemouth, who have suffered administration in the last couple of years. Although the TV deal with Sky involves the football league, it isn't enough to keep certain teams on a firm footing. I think you're right about the non-league, but one thing that has particularly irked me recently is the fact that the Kettering-Fulham FA cup game hasn't been televised, which I would find as a much more interesting game than the Derby-Nottingham Forrest game, which was in truth, a pretty awful game. ITV, who are televising the Harlepool-West Ham game stated that they are commited to supporting lower league clubs. To me, the very fact that they came out with such a statement, shows that they aren't commited to lower league clubs. This was also shown in the last round, when the Macclesfield-Everton game wasn't shown in the UK, which would have meant £160,000 television money for Macclesfield
Brickowski
Roar Rookie
"If they can hold off a resurgent Arsenal, only the biggest kill joy could deny them a place at the top table" I wouldn't classify myself as a kill joy, but as an Arsenal fan the only bright spot that can come from this season is a qualifying spot for next year's Champions League. Sam, The old third division is now known as Coca Cola League 1, I don't know if that's better or worse than the 'First Division'. I think the 'League' title is used to distinguish the lower tiers from the Premiership and Championship.
Slippery Jim
Guest
If you think having the same four clubs there or there abouts at the top of the table is boring, you should steer well clear of the French League which has been won by the same club for the last seven years, who have a stranglehold on the top spot due to UEFA Champions League earnings. In the same period, the EPL has only been won by the same club in two consecutive years.
Dave
Guest
Sam The pyramid structure of football in the UK (from what l can gleem) is in a very healthy state as some money does flow down from the top leagues...also the English FA is putting tens of millions of pounds to grass roots programs...again money gleamed from the top. The non league component, just below the old 4th div, is now televised by Setanta with weekly highlights and live games. The base just appears to be getting broader and stronger. BTW l am a foundation member of MV and have missed 2 games in 4 years and was there last night with 29,000 others to cheer them to victory (and hopefully the championship).
Colin N
Guest
Remember Blackburn bought their way to the title. Also a lot has been mentioned of the big four, but at least four teams, possibly 5 or 6 six next year, can actually win the title. Unlike in Spain, where atm, only Barcelona are in their own race and Serie A, whereby I don't find the football particularly interesting (just a personal preference). A lot of people also complain about the amount of money in English football, but unlike in other countries, the TV money is done as a collective rather than individually, where the likes of Barca and Real are obviously going to make more money from TV revenue than the likes of Numacia and even Villarael, as despite doing so well the last couple of years, still arean't seen as a fashionable club.
Sam
Guest
Dave I agree that the EPL is a league which has advertised the game to the rest of the world, and in a sense has both helped and hindered the a-league. But think of it this way the EPL is your big rock act (say U2) who everyone wants to see and will pay big money to see. Your Australian, Japanese, Dutch etc leagues are your smaller acts. It is a bit like everyone is saying well I only want to see U2 as they are the best. They will pay $200 to go to a U2 concert, but won't pay $10 to see the local act. Do these people really support the industry or the idea that 'something is the best'. In my idea there are too many commercial interests in sport and when this happens the grassroots suffers. Everyone is only concerned with financial interests, not the health of the industry. I just think this scenario is being created to an extent at the moment with the 'big four'. I agree people should watch more a-league as it will be a league which defines football in this nation.
Dave
Guest
Interesting points Steve from a 'non' football person. The EPL, for all its knockers, seems to be the one league in the world where everybody knows something about it...whether it just be the famous clubs, world class players, distant spectre of hooliganism, riches beyond all reasoning etc. Amazingly for us football fans in Oz many in the media still seem to give the EPL precedence over the local version? The fact also that the EPL is interspersed with other competitions such as the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League, then add international tournaments, non league football and one's cup well and truly runneth over! Interesting also that the attendances for EPL are on a par with the days just after England won the world cup and if the top 2 divisions are taken together attendances match those of the halcyon days of the 1950s. So whilst the critics complain the game just seems to get stronger stronger. The rebranding to the EPL and separation of the top division has been a huge success and no doubt there are lessons to be learnt there for all sports administrators.
Sam
Guest
With the 'big four' I think the EPL has lost something. Remember the days in the 90's when Leeds and Blackburn won titles. It seemed to be more of a game for the fans back then. Now it is a shareholders game.. As much as people harp on about the Italians and their negative tactics, I still prefer the Serie A over EPL as a footbal purist. I've always liked the EPL for the passion of the fans and the bold adveturous attacking style of play. I also enjoyed the FA Cup rounds where say a team like Norwich City would beat Man Utd. I hope we can get back to more of this as it seems the Man Utd second team is unbeatable now. Note: It also bugs me how now the English Third Division has become the First division??