Half Empty Premiership Grounds

[Getaway]

There's been a lot of discussion on the boards and in general about falling crowds at Premiership games.

We're putting together an unofficial poll about this and want your views.

Please give us your thoughts on the following:

1. Has the Premiership become boring?

2. Is it too expensive to go to matches?

3. Is there too much Premiership football on TV?

4. Have the players now lost touch with the fans?

and finally:

5. What can be done to bring Premiership football back to the people?


This is taken from the BBC boards, what do you guys think of this personally I think the premiership is not yet boring, but is headin that way. Seats are massively overpriced, there is not enough football on TV and players have definitly lost touch with fans. What can be done? Reduce the price of tickets, bring in player salary caps and restrictions on the number of non-eu foreigners, maybe even return in some way to some form of standing areas in grounds if this could be made safe, how much atmosphere was lost when they were removed.

[Best First]

salary caps won't work because all the best players will go abroad. It only worked with the nfl because no one else plays the sport.

Surely there is too much football on TV, that's half the reason people don't go to games, putting more on won't encourage attenedances.

Personally i think managers need to feel less threatened - its clear that everyone is more worried about not losing than winning these days.

Players need to start acting like professionals rather than rich yobs.

I'm not entirely sure how we get back to more cavalier football but fans need to vote with their feet to see change enacted.

[Impactor returns 2.0]

I totaly agree - I know Besters might not agree with this but no matter where I seem to go, Chelski seems to have pissed everyone off (minus Chelski fans of course)
The story is always the same, its over before its started, 'they' have bought the premm. clearly nothing is that simple but in short I think theres alot of truth to it.
If Roman is still here in 5 years time I think the premm will be dead. ppl are not going to be interested in watching a one horse race. anyhows to the questions.

1. - if it continues in its current form, its fast getting there.
2. I dont think its to epensive at all - but if the play becomes as stagnent as it is right now a better question is, is it value for money? I dont just want to see great players, I want to see them do somthing great!
3. not sure if theres to much to be honest, but I dont like the way skysports dictates when games are played, Sunday games between the big clubs are normally very flat affairs.
4. when u earn £100k a week in must be hard to stay in touch with anything...
5. added time multi-ball ! - I think the world needs some body to deceide what players are worth based on performance, bit like fantasy football. clubs have budgets based on somthing else, and then every club (within reason) can buy players or somthing fairly. yes i gave this 2 mins thought!

[Obfleur]

Personally i think managers need to feel less threatened - its clear that everyone is more worried about not losing than winning these days.

Oh man, great point!
I wanna see players do fantastic **** with the football - not ten guys in the penalty area acting like the friggin Berlin war.

[Brendocon]

Chelsea haven't pissed me off.

I don't really see how they behave differently to Real Madrid or some of the Italian clubs. The only real difference is that they're the only club in England with the resources to do it.

As soon as another club gets the same kind of backing (which is bound to happen eventually), there'll be a bit more parity.

Salary cap? Nice in theory. But I've a funny feeling it might actually be illegal.

[Metal Vendetta]

Football is such a pessimistic game.

Look at the title of this topic. It should read "Half Full Premiership Grounds". Problem solved.

[Best First]

Chelsea haven't pissed me off.

me either. I still think the big Prem clubs are just irritated that their chips have been pissed in as they were comfortable with the status quo.

Agree with the point about sunday games - the 3pm on a sat is a big part of a lot of peoples lives, but boro only kick off ONCE before xmas at 3pm on a sat because of TV. I think thats a major factor.

[Impactor returns 2.0]

I think sunday games are weak affairs, you can almost here the crowd isnt in the mood. a good saturday 3pm to get you going is what its all about!

I also enjoyed the Friday evening game they used to do every now and then, that was cool in da pub.

[Jetfire]

Please give us your thoughts on the following:

1. Has the Premiership become boring?

Yes. People moaned about the Arsenal/Man Utd rivally dominating but at least there were 2 contenders and an element of uncertainly about who would win. Also both clubs didn't just buy the whole of europe with God's money to ensure they obtain ever available hot player. Man Utd spent a lot but at least it was earned from the club.

2. Is it too expensive to go to matches?

Has been for a while. I believe a season ticket at Real MAdrid is £200?!??


3. Is there too much Premiership football on TV?

Yes and no. Too much actually on each week. BUT not enough on the mainstream (BBC/ITV).
Most people don't have sky/digital plus. Therefore there is a generation who haven't seen much live games and didn't grow up with watching football each saturday as routine.
Many people support teams but don't watch them as games are dull, predictable and players don't care. And why should players care when only hundreads of thousands will watch the game and most of the population won't be able to?

4. Have the players now lost touch with the fans?

Yes. They believe they do no wrong, play with no passion and no loyality. remember Matt Le Tiss who stayed at Southampton through loyality? Never agin.
and finally:


5. What can be done to bring Premiership football back to the people?


More British players. The cash in the game gets redisbuted. Clubs forced to provide a section of seats that are affordable (By affordable I mean £10-15 quid) to the "working class" grass roots of the game. Less celeb culture, an England team that cares, get rid players like Beckham who play s##t for 3 years yet still get picked as England Captain, sallary cap europe wide.

[Jetfire]

Chelsea haven't pissed me off.

I don't really see how they behave differently to Real Madrid or some of the Italian clubs. The only real difference is that they're the only club in England with the resources to do it.

But both Spain and Italy were/are having attendance problems before England. Concidence?