Generally, is football in this country in decline?

The following is an extract from a message sent into football 365 and he makes some valid points:

Sunday, Bloody Super Sunday
I used to really enjoy English football, I really did. I used to build my entire weekend around 'The Big Match' on a Sunday afternoon, MOTD on a Saturday evening, trips to Goodison on a wet October afternoon - football wasn't my 'life' as such, but it had a pretty damned major part in it. So why is it that I can't even sit through five minutes of a Premiership match nowadays (apart from my beloved Everton and even that is becoming pretty difficult these days)?

Well...

1) I don't like the players. I can't relate to these over-paid over-rated whingers. There are a handful out there who command respect, but look at most of them on Saturday (or Sunday, Monday, etc.) and look at their petulant behaviour. I just don't like them. There used to be a time (probably before my time, thinking about it) when you could consider the footballers as 'one of us'. Nowadays, not only are footballers 'one of them', we can't even pronounce their names.

2) TV. I live abroad, but I get access to every live game and the 3 o'clock kick-offs too. I can pick and choose as I like, but surely the hype is getting to the players' heads? Best league in the world, my arse. In Germany, the fans went on strike when the TV companies threatened to move the games from Saturday afternoons. Result? Most games are played on a Saturday afternoon, and the Bundesliga provides great entertainment in front of full grounds. SKY could improve things massively by putting most games on a Saturday afternoon, making them all pay-per-view (there's your money angle) and putting one game on the Sunday. Enough, really.

3) Stop that stupid Premiership music before every game, stop the hand-shaking. It's pathetic.

4) Ever since stadiums were forced to go all-seater, the atmosphere at games has been tepid. And so far over the last two seasons, so has the football. Surely part of the thrill was the atmosphere? Go to places like the Riverside and St. Mary's and it's like sitting in a library - and no amount of furry mascots trying to 'pump up the crowd' will help. It's c***. Oh, and it costs bloody loads.

5) What's with all these 'light balls'? They're rubbish. So they go faster, they bend more, whoopee-doo. The faster the game goes, the less skill there is, and seeing as most of the Premiership is devoid of skill, why not revert to a heavier ball? Slow the game down a little, instead of running all over the place and hoofing it over the bar all the time - and for chrissakes, bring back the tackle! Every tackle seems to get penalised these days.

6) The top three: yawn. No one will be able to compete with them, so they don't even seem to bother - look at West Brom going to Chelsea - I know Robson is no great technician but he decided to field a bunch of reserves to save his team for another match they could win. Isn't this a sad indication of the way things are in the Premiership nowadays? Teams have given up even TRYING to beat them! Chelsea don't even seem to be trying but they're winning every game to nil.

So until the Sky falls in on the Premiership and there's a massive financial crisis, I don't see it changing. What will change is that, apart from Everton, I'm not going to watch it. I notice plenty of people doing the same thing. I'm not going to read all the transfer gossip because it's all lies. I'm not going to read 'exclusive interviews' with players about 'how big a match is'. I'm going to watch the South American leagues, the Bundesliga, and I'm going to read more books, spend more time on the golf course, and maybe some more time with the wife...and probably save a bit of money.

I hope it sorts itself out eventually, in fact I'm pretty sure it will. Until that moment, I'm not coming back.
Pete Fox, Paris

Posted By: Tomblander, Sep 14, 13:33:02