Just wondered what your opinion was of the plans by the Premier League to play one week of league fixtures in 5 different cities around the world. The head of MLS seems to be unkeen on the idea, but of there were two games played at the HDC, would you go along to watch them? would it depend who was playing? would an Everton -v- Portsmouth game fill the stadium even? Thanks guys.
This would spell the beginning of the end of the premier league for me. We want to keep the league in England. The prem is already a poor enough league, and im sure you'll agree with me stokie that the Championship is much more exciting.
A qualified yes, but finding additional locations other than the HDC will be harder than they think. Keep in mind, the NFL playoffs and college football bowl games are in early January, which could limit the available stadiums significantly. The HDC is actually one of the few warm weather stadiums that would work, but large NFL stadiums in Houston, Phoenix, Miami and Tampa that could otherwise logically host games won't be available because of potential NFL commitments -- they'll have to hold them for potential playoff games or college football bowl games.
If two games were played, I would go see both. People are always down on the PL but I still love it. I'm sure the rest of you are right about the championship being more competitive/interesting, but we don't see enough of it here, just the occasional end of season promotion/relegation battles. Think about this though. Out of all the leagues in the world, which ones would you actually follow. For me it's the prem and Bundesliga, and MLS of course.
I'd definitely go, especially in January, when there's no live soccer in town anyway. Just to clarify, it wasn't the head of MLS who was iffy, it was Sunil Gulati, head of the US Soccer Federation, who said that he would wait to see if FIFA would allow it. MLS would love it, because they would probably get SUM (MLS's marketing arm) to produce the matches in the States, and it would mean big bucks for the owners. Quite frankly, I'm shocked at the reaction from English fans, although I know I shouldn't be. English fans are proving once again that they are the most provincial and small-minded football fans on the planet, and that the world must revolve around them. I understand the point about the extra game unbalancing the schedule, but the hatred directed toward the PL clubs is nuts. If the Dodgers (or in my case White Sox) were to play a series in Mexico or Japan, I'd think it was the coolest thing in the world. I certainly wouldn't threaten to never watch the team again. I really don't get it.
English fans are proving once again that they are the most provincial and small-minded football fans on the planet" And this from someone who lives in a country where only 16% of the nation owns a passport. I think you have your facts wrong Pal....Im English and I would love to see games played all over the world. Everyone I know feels the same. I would stop reading the gutter press if I were you.
Phil, Don't you think it's different for the ex-pats though than it is for fans in England. When I lived there in Orlando I knew many ex-pats who religiously followed the PL, and would've loved to see English clubs play real games here. I'm only speculating, but in England, seems like fans are tired of A. too man foreign players in the league and B. too many Yanks investing in teams, so therefore anything to do with Yanks. Playing in America probably feels like we're completing our takeover of their league. I'm not saying they don't have a reason to hate the idea, but it seems like they do. Sunil Gulati can be described as "iffy" in general.
On our long way down: The Premier League Games Abroad Thread https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=655936 I think the link is a good test sample of how the brits are taking it. If you look at this rationally...This shouldn't even be an issue. Amoung the English and Their Press, there is a strong feeling that their once great "domestic" league is being "raped" of everything sacred. For me personally, I can never accept "The way it's ALWAYS been" as any reason for someone to tell Thomas he can't bring his Muffins to America... Could I have used cornyer analogy?
FWIW: I think a game like that would draw lots of people who never go to LAG games and don't care about MLS. There are upwards of 100,000 British ex-pats living in the Santa Monica area alone. A game staged here would tap into that group - soccer fans who haven't warmed up to our league.
Extra zero there? Or how are you defining the Santa Monica area? Because there are only 90,000 people in Santa Monica to begin with!
Well it's good to hear that at least some English fans are open-minded, but judging by your handle, you're an expat, so it's not really the same. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry, but I don't theink I am. Even the Premiership Supporters Groups are proposing a boycott of matches today IIRC. As far as passports, you can't compare England to the U.S. English fans boast about how they "travel" for games as much as 200 miles each way. Holy cow, 200 whole miles? However will you manage the 3 hour drive? It's a totally different concept than in the U.S. where 4 hours doesn't get you out of your state in many places. I went to school in the Big 10, where Iowans travel en masse to Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, and vice versa. We may not travel outside the country much, but there's plenty of space to cover here as it is.
Every year Chelsea sells out the HDC, even in '06 w/o Beckham, and that's for a friendly against the Galaxy. Now pitch it as a meaningful game, in the middle of a cold English winter, and I'll wager dollars to doughnuts that you could get 60-70K for even a mediocre matchup.
Because I think it would be cool to see my team showcase itself to an entirely different culture and expand the fan base. I'm not one of those people who hate "plastics" or fans who don't happen to be fortunate to live near their favorite teams. The more the merrier, I say.
Point well taken. I picked up this "information" at a meeting of the British-American Business Council, and the person who told me this didn't define "Santa Monica Area." He may have meant the West Side more generally. Or he may have been blowing smoke.
I don't doubt that there are good number, but even 100k for all of LA County would seem like a lot to me. Perhaps there are a lot of people that visit for a few weeks or a month each year, but aren't permanent residents.
I honestly don't understand why people don't get this concept. It's like when people hate a rock band they used to love, just because they got popular... I hope the Philadelphia Eagles play a game in Europe next season.
I don't understand why fans care about sports in business terms. I prefer to watch for the fun of the sport, not the bottom line.
I work in Princeton NJ, and pretty much every other day meet a new Ex-pat from the UK who lives in the area. I saw Euro 2004 in an small-ass Doylestown PA with 100 english dudes there. By 2011, LA will have enough ex-pats (if not American EPL fans) to fill the Rose Bowl for even a mid-table match-up.
OK. I get that. But if you lived through the collapse of NASL, you have some reason to be interested in the long range viability of MLS. Without a strong economic base and incentive, there isn't any sport to watch for fun - at least at the D1 level. And, the more successful the league, the more able to compete for the services of the best players. So there is a sport-related interdependence.
What in Chi's statement or mine said anything about money. You've insinuated that we would like our teams to make sooo much money that they could take over Bolivia... am i right? But in reality, It's a question of progress and change (which sadly is usually driven by money) and are you going to embrace inevitable change or would you rather be reactionary? I realize no sport is ever going to be as good as it was 50 years ago, this romance for the past and tradition is prevelant, even in the US. But it's a new millenium and soccer is THE WORST sport at excepting and trying to provoke change (ie technology, rules, matches) in order to accompany (excuse the cliche) an ever changing world.
I too am a product of the NASL days and it killed me to lose my Aztecs, so yes I do care in the economic viability of the team. There is a big difference between sustaining your existence and whoring yourself out, which is what the EPL is talking about doing. I don't care about NFL games in Europe, MLB games in China or MLS games outside of the US except when MY team is playing. I care about MLS but I'm a Galaxy fan, not an MLS fan! To answer the question about would I watch just any old EPL game in LA, no I wouldn't. I'm a Manchester United fan, I'm not an EPL fan. If United get relegated like they did in '77 then I guess I'm watching Championship matches at the pub when I can. I love soccer. I've watched hundreds of club, HS, college, pro and international matches over the years, but there are only four teams I care about; the US National Team, the Galaxy, Manchester United and Principia College (my alma mater). They have my heart and my checkbook.
So tell me what about the PL plan isn't about money. "Progress," "change,"...to the chairmen of the PL clubs, those are just euphamisms for "increased profits.