MLS Shown in UK and a Metro supporter in Manchester

"I'm very happy this coverage will be continuing, and it gives us all an excuse to get the video tapes stocked up," said Jason Ford, a Chicago fan in Liverpool. "It's worth it just to hear Ty Keough spend an entire match explaining the offside rule!"

 

Corky Bergin's turning into quite a fiction writer. What a load of malarkey.

Check out this whopper:

"Can't wait. I'm really hopeful DCU will do the biz this season," added Matty Briggs, a DC United fan in Nottingham. "Ben Olsen is still God to us Forest fans, and providing Hristo can keep the lads together, I think we will be enjoying being the nemesis to the MetroStars again."

I'm embarrassed for him at this point.

 

I'm starting a website called UKbasketUS.com, where I can interview my only 3 friends about their love of UK basketball. Corey from Long Island is a big Essex Leopards fan, Steve from Hoboken loves the Chester Jets, and Jim from Westchester lives and dies with the Brighton Bears.

 

I don't know, I found it mildly interesting to read what English MLS fans think about the upcoming season. Hell, I didn't even know there were English MLS fans. Bergin seems to be putting considerable energy and time into the survival and promotion of the league. It might not be as helpful as making snide, anonymous remarks on a message board, but it's something.

 

I would have to imagine most UK fans would thumb their noses at MLS.

HOWEVER, you probably should consider that there are a lot of "footy-mad" fans over there, and there is a definite gap between May and September when there are few meaningful matches played in the UK and the rest of Europe (other than, say, Euro 2004 qualifying). MLS is one of only a few leagues operating in the summer months, so maybe it bridges the gap.

 

Question: Have any of you dumbasses ever been happy in your life, at any time? Personally, I'd rather subscribe to the "MLS football might have some redeeming qualities afterall" school of thought rather than the "I would never join any club that would ever have me as a member" alternative. Make all the snide comments about newbies you want, just don't start bitching about "Eurosnobs" or "Fans of the Other Major Sports" people that have "conspiracies" against us later.

 

hilarious, especially UKbasketUS.com, genius

 

No doubt. With this kind of wit, we'll be laughing all the way to the bank!

 

please don't try to make a valid point here. we're happy being sad and thinking MLS is pathetic. leave us in peace!

 

I've got no problem saying it....

Chris Bergin has a history of posting inaccurate and sometimes outright false stories. He even went as far as to attack me once when I proved him wrong.

In my opinion, he's not about furthering MLS, he's about furthering Chris Bergin. To some, that may pass as journalism, to me it's junk.

And yes, those quotes look completely fabricated to me. As a frequent traveler to England specifically to see soccer and hang with soccer people, I know first hand that MLS "fans" are nearly non-existant there. Sure, you'll find a couple people that may know of Cobi or Alexi from their past glories, but I've yet to meet anyone who could name me more than 2 MLS teams, let alone someone who knows the MetroStars as DC's "nemesis". That doesn't mean they don't exist, but they sure as hell aren't that easy to find.

 

Except that I know two of the three people involved. And one would think that a UK message board devoted to MLS would be the place to find them.

Sachin

 

Then that would be cool if it's true.

Not that I'm not satisfied with your reply, but I assume that when you say you know these guys...you've met them in person?

Bergin's been busted here before making up multiple usernames...I can only assume he does it on his own board as well.

 

What makes me believe it's true is the fan who supports the MetroScum and ManUre! Such a convergence of evil.

 

yeah that's a pretty good one. i too subscribe to the anti-chris bergin fan club newsletter and that's better than anything i've been able to come up with.

 

Let's just say that those quotes weren't made up. I am sure those 3 are probably the only MLS fans in England.

If you are living in England, why in gods name would you follow the MLS? It's like the folks who live here and only follow European leagues, only dumber.

 

I just want to give you an example here and maybe it will change your mind.

Not sure if you know there is an american Steve Reese playing in Rumania, just signed in December for AEK Timisoara. As a result i started looking up their web site, gathering info since the start of the season and go there weekly to see the results and read stories. Find myself turning into a AEK fan.

The english fans have been exposed now to a few americans . Some of them may have taken up to follow this players and their former or present clubs. If its true they show MLS games in UK some english fans may be following MLS and its players on regular basis.

It is certainly easier to criticize and call people names, then to think.

 

Nope doesn't do it. You are a fan of the player, not the team. Send me a PM in 5 years and see if you still follow AEK Timisoara.

Yes, the 5 people who stay up late to watch rebroadcast MLS games in England are helping to keep MLS affloat. snicker.

 

I believe that there are a small number of UK soccer fans who follow MLS to some degree. And, clearly, Chris Bergin's one of them (despite what some might feel about his approach to sports journalism, I don't see how one can doubt the sincerity of his interest in MLS. You might not understand where it comes from, but it seems real.). But I do feel that there are far, far fewer serious, even casual, MLS fans in the UK than there are true EPL fanatics in the States, for example. I also found it telling what Garber said in the March 31 teleconference:

GARBER ON MLS’ PENETRATION IN OVERSEAS MARKETS:
“Our overseas' revenue, while small, continues to grow. We have secured a relationship with KBS, Korean Broadcasting this year which will be a new deal for us. We have just finalized a new relationship with ESPN International that will take our games on the ESPN International network and will also work with us on syndication. So there continues to be more interest in our games overseas. It's something we're encouraged about. But it still is a small business in relation to our other revenues.”

Not even any mention of the UK. I understand that matches are shown there, tape delayed in the middle of the night. I just can't imagine that there's much of an audience. Enough to generate some traffic on a message board, maybe. But not much more.

 

why can't people believe europeans or english people would follow MLS? I'm sure all of us "know" english people or whatever, but my gf is english, i worked there for a few months last summer and i met quite a few people in birmingham who knew stuff about MLS. This was before the World Cup by the way. One friend at work was an everton fan, and new about mcbride when he was at preston, and was hoping moyes would pick him up. there might not be a lot of mls fans in the UK, but there are some, just like there are NFL fans. This is such a stupid thread.

 

Not that it means anything, but I have a few UK co-worker/friends who were following the Revolution's cup run last year through the internet. I suspect that is because when I met them on a trip last spring, we got to talking about the Premiership, etc. and I mentioned our league. They all knew we had some sort of league, and seemed pleasantly surprised when I said average attendance was between 15-20,000, with a few games higher than that. Having a good WC also helped, and the league is at least respected as a legit second-tier foreign league, as opposed to some novelty act.

So there are Brits who at least know of our league, but I doubt any of them could name more than half the teams correctly.

Tom

 

There are more people across the globe who are aware and follow MLS then some people might think.
Does anyone know which other coutries show MLS games besides England and Korea .?

 

To sort of reiterate...

Q. Why do they even bother showing NFL Europe games here in the U.S., when real (American) football fans are well aware that the quality of play is a mere shadow of what you see on autumn Sundays?

A. To fill a gap. To satisfy certain people's need to watch football during the off-season.

The same principle works with regard to people watching MLS abroad. People know that the U.S. is slowly developing into a force in soccer. Our league may not be quite at the standard of the top Euro leagues, but that time may come, eventually. And most of all, MLS guarantees that those soccer nuts out there can watch "footy" year round, if they want.

 

I find it doesnt do MLS any favours for channel 5 to show if after the argentinian league football.
To be honest I watch it if there is nothing else on and Im up late, i dont find it that great or exciting and I dont particularly follow any teams or players but its football and since channel 4 didnt buy the rights to serie A this season its the only football on at 4am on a friday morning.
I believe im the key demographic five is looking to attract

 

You guys are getting bent out of shape for the wrong reason...nobody's saying there are no MLS fans in England.

It's about not being able to believe Corky's info. It reads like it was made up, and based on his previous history, my guess is that it is fabricated. No need to come back with any accusations of MLS-hating, anti-Euro bias, or anything else but the fact that the Corkster's burned any credibility he may have had with his previous shenanigans.