February 06, 2007

EPL takeover trends.: The recent takeover of my beloved Liverpool by American businessmen Gillett and Hicks led me to ask the question, wherein lies the ownership of England's premier football clubs? And what brought about the globalization of the EPL? The BBC answers.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:45 PM - 7 comments

Excerpt:

The Liverpool buy-out takes the number of foreign owners of Premiership clubs to seven [the other six being Chelsea (Russia), Manchester United (US), Portsmouth (Russia), Aston Villa (US), West Ham (Iceland), Fulham (Egypt)]. Add in the overseas companies who control Blackburn, Bolton, Newcastle and Tottenham and it means over half of the Premiership is now based outside of England.

posted by worldcup2002 at 11:54 PM on February 06, 2007

I'm not too sure this is good for the game long term. Sure it pumps money in now, but a lot of these business men have no real ties to the club, but then again, business is business.

posted by Fence at 02:42 AM on February 07, 2007

Fence, business-is-business is probably better for the game than the kind of crap you've got at Chelsea. The "spend into debt, hope the sugar daddy doesn't withdraw and cause collapse of club" model seems far more likely to do damage.

posted by rodgerd at 04:01 AM on February 07, 2007

The owners have also promised Liverpool a new stadium. Given the emerging problems with Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport, another reason for not wanting Thaksin Shinawatra around your footy club.

posted by owlhouse at 05:32 AM on February 07, 2007

I'm hoping this means more EPL coverage in the U.S. and more of its style of pro soccer here. Give us promotion and relegation from the MLS on down, where local beer leagues can climb up from the bottom of the U.S. football association. But it's probably just about money.

posted by rcade at 07:34 AM on February 07, 2007

Give us promotion and relegation from the MLS on down, where local beer leagues can climb up from the bottom of the U.S. football association. Here, here! I've long wanted to see soccer here set up like it is elsewhere. We do have the US Open Cup, which is a bit akin to the FA Cup, but not nearly as prestigious. The SuperLiga with the Mexican top-flight clubs will be interesting, as well, and represent one more step toward European-style football in the US, at least structurally if not on the pitch. But I would definitely like to see some kind of stratification wherein the Milwaukee Wave or Madison 56ers or Rochester Rhinos could claw their way into the top league.

posted by rgchappell at 03:44 PM on February 07, 2007

Until MLS change their integrated ownership structure, at the very least, there will be no relegation. English clubs have become global marketing entities, it's not just the ownership that've come in from elsewhere but the players and fans as well. So not troubling to me and actually I would look for some non-North American ownership in the NBA and NHL to come soon. As for the 'Pool I'm certainly hopeful that the new ownership will improve the quality of our purchases from the uneven record of the past five years or so.

posted by billsaysthis at 05:54 PM on February 07, 2007

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