VOTE: 39 Games and Overseas Matches for Premiership?

Anyone got strong views on this, have your say on LFC.TV tonight

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N158800080211-1231.htm

Tonight at 9pm on ’This is Anfield’ on LFC TV we’re talking about the Premier League's proposed '39th league game'. Are you for or against the idea? Call us on 0845 234 4567 after 8.45 and have your say.
Former Reds boss Roy Evans and Farm frontman Peter Hooton will be joining presenter Matt Critchley in our studios to take your calls.
 
Is this the right way for Premier League clubs to maximise their global fan base?
 
Can you understand why the Premier League are proposing this change to the league rules?
 
Would you ever travel to see Liverpool versus Wigan at the Sapporo Dome in Japan?
 
If you've got a view on the most talked about football story of the year, we want to hear from you. We'll also be reacting to the goalless draw at Chelsea - was it a good result in your eyes or were all three points there for the taking?
 
And, last but certainly not least, we'll also be giving one viewer a chance to step out in front of the Kop and take part in a penalty shoot-out at half-time during the Middlesbrough game on Saturday February 23. The winner and a friend will also be presented with a full Liverpool kit courtesy of Carlsberg.
 
The show gets underway from 9pm GMT and we'll be taking your calls from 8.45pm on 0845 234 4567.
 
If you don't want to ring in then you can contribute by emailing thisisanfield@liverpoolfc.tv or by posting your thoughts online via the link below.

there was a big article in the west australian (west oz paper) saying that aus is a contender for this nonsence, its a F***ing crap idea, as eddie said it should be a different thing all together like a play off or in my opinion it should just be a one for a hand full of clubs. it will kill the players from travelling and the league will go down hill. can you imagine them trying to fit this in with international duty?

im all for exibition matches or a top 8 play off or something but the prem should not be fuct with!

Surely the average Football Fan these days has enough trouble paying for matches as it is, what with all the travelling and expense involved, when you support a top team like Liverpool, who are often involved in big games and more importantly big finals.

You are not going to want to pay to see the Reds take on Wigan in somewhere like China, when your saving up to go to the Champions League Final, it's a ridiculous way to get more money out of the fans.

They are slowly squeezing the life out of our game and it's just becoming money, money, money.

Unfortunately it seems like it's not for the working class anymore, you have to almost be made of money to follow a top team.

They are pricing the die hard footy fan out of the game, and they only want these corporate big wigs with plenty of dosh.

Rant over 

On Thursday, the 20 Premier League clubs agreed to look into the possibility of playing an extra round of matches every season - abroad. I'm totally against this decision, and am trying to show that there's a critical mass of fans who don't want their teams going to play an English Premiere League game somewhere outside of England. So I made this poll - and I want to invite people to go and vote and maybe if we get enough votes we can send it to the people in charge. Here's the link:
http://www.pollsb.com/polls/poll/6334/do-you-support-the-english-premier-league-s-intent-to-go-global-and-stage-one-round-of-league-matches-per-year-overseas

Money money bloody American influence our players play enough games as it is, only benefit fans abroad who could get to see our wonderful team

I wanna see our wonderful team in the flesh instead of on tele

Personally think its a crap idea. Anyways the Football Federation of Australia has rejected the idea anyway stating that it wishes to concentrate on promoting the Domestic competition the Hyundai A-League. Kudos to them for that!

And also its spelt Sydney not Sidney.

I hate the idea, and it would ruin atmospheres at Anfield etc.

I understand fully that we have extremely large global support across the world, and i feel for them, as they struggle to watch games not being in England to watch a British club. But at the end of the day, as somebody said before, it is called the English Premier League, it should be played in England, not bloody Tokyo.

Im totally against the idea! I wonder how the bitter bas**rds Everton will feel, they wont be a peoples club anymore they will have global support, on this note i hope it doesnt come to fruitation, i would hate so much to see them Blue Bitches get money and world wide support, they dont deserve it, they have no history!

Matt

  


Asia warms to 39th-game proposal


Staging Premier League matches in Asia could boost the continent's standard of football, says its top administrator.

Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam confirmed he is no longer opposed to AFC member states hosting English top-flight matches.

When the Premier League floated its 39th-game idea it drew huge criticism.

"It is now up to them if they want to present fresh plans. I am willing to listen and give my advice," Bin Hammam told BBC Sport.

"It's up to us to improve our level of football, but we would like the Premier League to help and support that process.

 I've gone on record as saying that the idea that it will come back in exactly the same form as announced in February is wrong

Chief executive Richard Scudamore told the BBC that the Premier League remains "keen to develop something internationally and globally" and will spend the next year examining the options.

Bin Hammam was initially against the Premier League's 39th-game proposal where a round of matches would be played outside England.

But he has changed his mind after meeting senior Premier League officials and gaining assurances that they would seek Football Association, Uefa and Fifa approval before the AFC was asked to allow matches to be staged in its territories.

Bin Hammam told BBC sports editor Mihir Bose: "The Premier League is a brand which has a huge fan-base across Asia, and I believe it has the will and initiative to help develop and support the game there."

Bin Hammam wants to improve the standard of Asian football to generate more income for AFC members and their leagues.

"You cannot stop fans from wanting to watch the best games, and the Premier League is one of the best football products in the world," he said.

"But the desire of broadcasters in Asia to screen Premier League matches rather than their local leagues is where the imbalance is happening.

 

This is bollocks. Even when clubs seem to be desperAte to raise funds by whatever means, the majority vote was AGAINST the 39 game. Why the F**k do the tossers at the f.a. keep persisting with it or even keep trying to find another alternative.  If it were played in Andorra, Everton would go for it, then they just might win a European Match. HA HA HA.

I like the idea of getting the the Prem League brand around the world.  But not sure on the 39th Game. 

It can't be the last game of the season as it would not be right Liverpool winning the league in Asia. They could do mid season and do a position round, i.e 1st play 2nd, 3rd plays 4th and so on.  But would anyone in Japan or the states watch Fulham Vs Hull. 

There must be an alternative.

I read something about the debt in football, how does scudamore work out the fact that it costs money to get to foreign places surely not to mention hotels and such, the 39th game for me is just ridiculous. A barcelona/Real madrid game in england or inter/ac milan game in germany how does it make sense for this. In scudamores head and with the current economy how would proper football fans afford it?

It is a piss take, and while I'm all for places around the world getting to see the Premier League, surely advertising it as a brand would make people visit our country more rather than taking it to them.

Plus, it makes me cringe thinking of the NFL matches at Wembley. Is that how we want our clubs to be seen around the world, because I'm sure a lot of people would take the same view.

I have an idea, just an idea though.

Scrap international breaks, go overseas in that period if they want this to happen. I know many locals are very much against it but for someone like myself who will not watch Gerrard, Carragher and Reina live in front of my eyes ever i would love it to spread around the world so i can have the chance to do so. If it comes to Sydney i know sure as hell whatever match it is, it'll be packed out. 80,000 seat stadiums packed to the rafters just wanting to watch one game, any game. If hey pick the right location (SYDNEY!) then it could provide a massive boost to any team, exposure to the league. I know the world cup started a massive upswing in youngsters signing up to play and this would be no different.

Surely the average Football Fan these days has enough trouble paying for matches as it is, what with all the travelling and expense involved, when you support a top team like Liverpool, who are often involved in big games and more importantly big finals.

You are not going to want to pay to see the Reds take on Wigan in somewhere like China, when your saving up to go to the Champions League Final, it's a ridiculous way to get more money out of the fans.

They are slowly squeezing the life out of our game and it's just becoming money, money, money.

Unfortunately it seems like it's not for the working class anymore, you have to almost be made of money to follow a top team.

They are pricing the die hard footy fan out of the game, and they only want these corporate big wigs with plenty of dosh.

Rant over 

It`s not about local PL fans having to save to travel to the 39th game.
They see 19 games a season at home and 19 games around England.
I`ts about filling a stadium in Asia,Africa or S.America with new fans and ex-pats living abroad.
It`s about TV rights,sponsorship and shirt sales........
It`s about money and power.
I`m not for it,I can see ManUre coming out off this the best out of the PL,somehow we`ll get shafted as usual.

The PL needs to ask the players what they think about an extra shift at the end of the year.

What happens if a team win the PL on the last day? All the loyal fans who've gone week in, week out all season won't get to see their players lift the trophy?

Silly idea.

So much for the ENGLISH Premier League!

...We play a tonne of games out of England every year. Why not have one more that counts? Every team is at an equal disadvantage because they all have to travel.

It's not like 1 extra game will bother the players, if it does eliminate 1 pre-season warm up game.

This game isn't for fans in England. The premier league is bigger than England, by being the best it is also the biggest. The game not something that you should consider a burden, that you must go to. This is so EPL fans world wide can get a taste of what it is like to watch a real football match.

...We play a tonne of games out of England every year. Why not have one more that counts? Every team is at an equal disadvantage because they all have to travel.

It's not like 1 extra game will bother the players, if it does eliminate 1 pre-season warm up game.

This game isn't for fans in England. The premier league is bigger than England, by being the best it is also the biggest. The game not something that you should consider a burden, that you must go to. This is so EPL fans world wide can get a taste of what it is like to watch a real football match.

The games should be for everyone, I agree, but it is the EPL after all and I agree with what Paulrobbo said, what if your team wins the title on the last day of the season ??    I know which game I'd rather watch, a pre-season friendly or the final game of the season with a possiblity of lifting the EPL trophy - no contest.     You can't just drop a pre-season friendly and replace it with that. 

Pre-season friendlies are for the world wide fan base to have the opportunity to see the mighty Reds.   

It's not like 1 extra game will bother the players, if it does eliminate 1 pre-season warm up game.

Could you imagine Rafa or Fergie's face to this suggestion?

This game isn't for fans in England. The premier league is bigger than England,

Don't you think then that this suggestion then devalues our league?

Bollocks it's Richard Scudamore's latest brainwave to suck cash out of more mugs.

What happens if a team has already won the league before the end of the season? Makes the whole idea nonsensical.

Will La Liga, Serie A, the SPL do the same.

...We play a tonne of games out of England every year. Why not have one more that counts? Every team is at an equal disadvantage because they all have to travel.

It's not like 1 extra game will bother the players, if it does eliminate 1 pre-season warm up game.

This game isn't for fans in England. The premier league is bigger than England, by being the best it is also the biggest. The game not something that you should consider a burden, that you must go to. This is so EPL fans world wide can get a taste of what it is like to watch a real football match.

But people must go. They'll want to go. You can't just dismiss something like this so easily. It is a burden to the local people of each club. We're not a club from East Asia. We're a club from England. Come here and see a proper football match!

I get sick to the back teeth of people saying football is a global brand now and you just have to face it. Fair enough, but that doesn't mean we have to be happy with our local club being flaunted about for the wrong reasons. And I'm sure other English club fans will feel the same.

If we're all happy to say the league is not for England anymore and it's too big then we might as well play each game in a different country and be done with it.

In my eyes, if this ever comes to pass, then it's opening a big can of worms.

Anyone who's for this needs their head testing. I can undersand the exciting prospect for reds who live across the world to see our team play near them and have a chance of actually seeing an important game with their own eyes. But it would be another step of suffocating the local fan and the base of which all football clubs have come from.

If I was passionate about the Great Wall Of China. I'd go see it for my self. I wouldn't want a section of it broken up and shipped over here for me to see it. There'd eventually be no wall left after a while....

If I was passionate about the Great Wall Of China. I'd go see it for my self. I wouldn't want a section of it broken up and shipped over here for me to see it. There'd eventually be no wall left after a while....

Excellent analogy.

I think this sums up the debate in its entirety.

It shouldn't be the last game of the season. It should be a mid season game or an early season game. But i do want it to come. It's only one game which english fans will miss out on. There will still be 38 games for you guys to see.