From yahoo

crazy idea!


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Premier League - Premier League goes on tour

Eurosport - Thu, 07 Feb 17:24:00 2008

The Premier League will consider staging matches abroad from the 2010/11 season.


All 20 top-flight clubs have agreed to explore a proposal to increase the season by one game, with the extra fixture being held at locations around the globe on a weekend in January.

Six cities - believed to be Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Melbourne and Miami - are in contention to host the matches, with four top flight teams heading to each one of the five chosen cities.

The addition of a 39th fixture would mean certain teams play each other three times in a season, and it is thought the matches will be decided by a draw, with top teams kept apart.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said a verdict on whether to follow through with the plan is still a year away, with the decision on host cities unlikely to be taken until 2010.

Scudamore said on the Premier League's official website: "We are proud the Premier League is viewed as the strongest domestic football competition in the world by fans at home and abroad, and we are committed to maintaining this position.

"The international round is an exciting and innovative proposal that needs careful consideration before being introduced.

"However, this concept recognises the truly global appeal of the Barclays Premier League whilst understanding that the traditions of the English game have always underpinned our success.

"The globalisation of sport is both an opportunity and a challenge; one that needs addressing in a responsible way.

"Nonetheless, it is critical we retain our English character by improving our efforts to produce home grown talent, deepening our commitment to community engagement and continuing our investment in the grass roots."

The move is sure to bring howls of protests from purists and die-hard fans who are now facing the prospect of having to travel to the other side of the world to follow their team.

But the proposal is likely to be met with approval by clubs looking to develop the Premier League's profile overseas.

Pre-season tours to far-flung destinations are an annual ritual for many high-profile teams but competitive matches have never been played outside England and Wales.

The NFL staged its first regular season game in London last October when the Miami Dolphins played at 'home' to the New York Giants at Wembley.

The Giants, 13-10 winners on that occasion, went on to win the Superbowl, beating the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Arizona on Sunday.

Such was the London experiment's success, another game will be staged at Wembley in 2008 between the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints.

Major League Baseball and the NHL have also staged competitive fixtures overse

I bet Bergkamp is glad he retired then! lol!

Mixed feelings about it really, it'd be cool to go abroad and make a holiday of it whilst watching your team. The Premier League sold its soul a long long time ago.

The tiny crumbs of soul the Premier League has left will be gone if this happens, the idea is ridiculous.

The proposed plans are something along the lines of...

1 extra game a season taking it to 39 games.

The games would take place in January some time.

Matches would be seeded so you wouln't get any teams in the top 5 playing eachother.

I'm sure all the managers are against this, especially the big 4, Fergie et al have been pressuring for a Winter break, more and more fixture pile ups, games possibly called off due to bad weather (winter in January), FA Cup 3rd round starts in January, Carling Cup Semi Finals.

It's bad enough that these clubs do international tours. Thankfully I support a club in League 2 where nothing like this will ever happen!

I think this whole idea is a joke.

The last thing the teams need after a punishing Christmas period is a long haul flight and game of football in 30 degree heat!

its just more proof that the games all about money these days, they dont give a monkeys toss about the fans

The final nail in the coffin of top flight league football. So despressing I feel like crying.

This will not happen.

Who gives a **** if the chinese want to watch live games. If so make them fly here. Don't make players fly for 10+ hours then play football in extreme heat!

This will not happen.


Mate, it will. Not yet, but the ****wits at Premier League HQ have said it will probably come into practice in around 3 years time. They've basically said if England don't do this first and become the trend setters then Spain, Italy, Germany or some other European league will, thus everyone else will end up following. If it doesn't happen in 3 years time, it WILL happen in 5, 10 or 15.

It's horrible to think about but this is just the 1st step. Step 2 will see more Premiership games go abroad, replacing home and away fixtures that would usually be played on English soil and step 3 will be a completely international league where all games are played around the world. Seeing as my team (Arsenal) have a pretty much foreign squad as it is (which I don't agree with, but what can I do?) this was sort of always on the cards. I expect English Premier League clubs in 30 years time to not even be based in England anymore. This may sound completely ridiculous and far fetched but with the influx of foreign owners, OUR English top flight is no longer OURS; It's THEIRS, and they can do what they so wish.

I'm so angry/depressed I just feel like smashing my head against the wall with blind rage.

The bottom line is this; Will this scheme make money? The answer is YES, it will. So I'm afraid it's going to happen.

I'm sure all the managers are against this, especially the big 4, Fergie et al have been pressuring for a Winter break, more and more fixture pile ups, games possibly called off due to bad weather (winter in January), FA Cup 3rd round starts in January, Carling Cup Semi Finals.

we all know that if there was a winter break, the big clubs would just arrange some fixtures in the far east or the states to cash in on their overseas fanbase.

fergie can't complain about the overseas fixture when he's just taken a team over to dubai in the middle of a season.

stupid idea though...this won't help englands cause. and how many people will turn up to see bolton vs wigan in miami or somewhere?

What a bollocks of an idea....

i dont give a **** about football so maybe i'm looking at this from a different point of view,

but the NFL already did this, and it was a massive success in terms of revenue, and increasing the sports image outside of its own backyard.

they said the games will be picked at random, ye right, can you see reading vs blackburn in the USA **** off

There'll be a huge increase in people defecting to lower league sides in the next few years I reckon.

There's an increasing amount of "ex" Chelsea fans at Brentford games for example. The Premiership has sold it's soul (some might say this was done ages ago)