The circus that is the football transfer window finally came to end in early September following an excruciatingly protracted summer of speculation; much of which surrounded the move to Real Madrid of the former face of PG Tips, Gareth Bale.
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| (Above: Gareth Bale in one of his more conservative outfits...) |
Come 23.01hrs on deadline-day evening, some are jubilant, many are tipsy, but most are either underwhelmed or frustrated by their respective club's business. However, even for those with revamped enthusiasm, perhaps your side bagged a Nigel Quashie, is there really any reason to get so excited? Doesn’t the deadline day fiasco just detract from the essence of the sport?
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| (.. less conservative. Enough to make Liborace blush!) |
Elite level football has become increasingly detached from its roots as commercial interests have taken hold, and the latest suave looking import from the New World, purchased on the final day to save face, may only serve to strengthen this issue. He will wear the precious jersey, kiss the sacred badge, represent the proud inhabitants of a town he's never even heard of, before invariably holding the club to ransom over his desire for an obscene wage increase (ahem, Mr Benteke). In addition, he'd rather spend a romantic evening with Alan Partridge than sign your overpriced piece of memorabilia; despite the fact you've sung his name all evening and then waited in a horizontal downpour for what seems like a fortnight.
And it's not just the players that have arrived on our saturated shores from far flung parts of the globe. The ownership of the Football League's 92 clubs comprises significant shareholdings for individuals originating from over 20 countries, and circa 30% of the clubs are under foreign control; including last season's top 4 in the Premier League.
It might be the most insultingly obvious statement since Andy Townsend last opened his mouth, but the massive purchasing power and the overall investment that these owners have brought to the league hasn't been born out of the goodness of their hearts; and neither would you expect it to be (especially given the shady backgrounds of a number of the "fit and proper" owners). In the case of Roman Abramovich and Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, they may have sunk vast sums into Chelsea and Manchester City respectively, but in doing so they have thrust their name, and/or their brand, into the global spotlight that the Premiership creates. Football crosses language, cultural and religious boundaries, making it very easy to sell globally and making it a very attractive platform for marketing. Business Sense Magazine points out that though Roman Abramovich may have seen no financial rewards directly from his purchase of Chelsea, “he now has the eyes and ears of the European business world”.
For others, including Manchester United majority stakeholder Malcolm Glazer, the appeal is more traditional; it's all about the money (and presumably... "it's all about the dum dum duh dee dum dum")... a Premier League domestic broadcasting deal worth £3.018bn over 3 years was signed in 2012, corporate partnerships continue to spiral virtuously, and there's a further £1.13bn distributed amongst those participating in UEFA's club tournaments... more than enough to catch the eye of a savvy investor.
You will note however that these astronomical sums are heavily skewed towards those at the pinnacle of the sport, creating a desire amongst stakeholders for a 'quick fix'. With no natural allegiance to football as a whole, yet alone any sense of belonging to the history, culture and geography of their newly acquired asset, is it any wonder that local/domestic based managers, players and even fans, are so dispensable?
Manchester City is a prime case study of the evolution in football and the subsequent effect upon the incumbent followers. Having signed an agreement with Manchester City Council in 1998, 'The Citizens' moved from their scruffy but nostalgic Maine Road
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| (Above: Maine Road in its heyday) |
home to the City of Manchester Stadium in 2003. As you would expect, this new stadium is a vastly superior facility, allowing for a greater capacity and increased corporate facilities, but at the expense of the romance of the old ground. As celebrity fan, and full-time sideburns cultivator Noel Gallagher said during an interview with Sky this year, "I miss the look of fear on opposing fans' faces when they've got to trail through Moss Side!".
In addition to the geographical move, the aforementioned takeover of the club by the U.A.E ruling family in 2008, following Thaksin Shinawatra short tenure, has produced a turnover at board level that has been reflected in the fluidity of the playing and backroom staff. Significant foreign appointments are now rife throughout the structure of the club; notably, Director of Football (Aitor Begiristain), Manager (Manuel Luis Pellegrini), Captain (Vincent Kompany) and headline signings (David Silva, Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko et al).
The combination of all the above factors leaves Manchester City virtually unrecognisable from the club that the long-term fans affiliate themselves with; what have they got left to support? Granted, unseen elements remain the same, but what's on show publicly differs hugely from the entity they grew up with. City are the footballing equivalent of Joan Rivers!
The combination of all the above factors leaves Manchester City virtually unrecognisable from the club that the long-term fans affiliate themselves with; what have they got left to support? Granted, unseen elements remain the same, but what's on show publicly differs hugely from the entity they grew up with. City are the footballing equivalent of Joan Rivers!
With the above model replicated to differing degrees throughout England’s football league, it is perhaps no surprise that a number of the traditional match going fans feel distanced, alienated, and exploited.
Sadly, though the old fashioned terrace going fans still consider themselves the spirit of their respective club, their value is diminishing. The disconnection of the game from its domestic working class roots has been a contributory factor in the increase in wider interest. With finances key, the sport has willingly drifted away from the traditional supporters and values, and in doing so distanced itself from the stereotypes that blighted football for a number of years. The new multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-economic background of followers, as targeted by clubs, unlocks huge marketing opportunities. This encourages Sky Sports and other broadcasting revenues, which, accompanied by the numerous corporate partnerships, generate much of a club's turnover now. The result... the "armchair" fan is king. A study by C.P. Barros and S. Leach (2006) stated that “an uneven playing field exists... in which the market leaders, in terms of turnover, appear to be virtually guaranteed of sporting success”.
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| (For those of you unfamiliar with the lavish attire of the Virgo) |
In the end though, the habitual and social appeals of the game will retain even the most disillusioned of fans; after all why else would I have cobbled together this piece, and why would you be wasting precious Strictly Come Dancing time reading it? Football has become the 24 hour, 7 day a week, soap opera that is totally inescapable! It's as dramatic as a Hollyoaks Christmas Special, as addictive as any of Pete Doherty’s hobbies, and as glamorous as the shiniest of John Virgo's waistcoats. As a result, we’ll continue to be messed around by fixture changes, deprived of our hard earned cash by faceless owners, and slowly relieved of our sense of belonging by the dilution of the club’s culture... but remain completely incapable of stepping away. Meanwhile the next emerging market will titillate those calling the shots, and football, through the medium of exorbitant wealth, will find an even more distant metaphorical planet to inhabit.
- Has your club has lost its character and alienated its die hard support?
- Do you feel more should be done to protect the culture of your club?
Alternatively,
- Do you embrace the overseas superstar and the entertainment they bring?
- Is English football better for embracing change and evolving to fit modern society?
Please leave some feedback and let me know what attachment you have to your club... AND whether the bond can ever be broken.
BC
Twitter: - https://twitter.com/BobbyCowsill
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