The Premier League is coming to play LIVE in America. It is no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ and you can quote me on that.
Yesterday at Wembley Stadium, London, England, two football teams, the Dolphins and the Giants took center stage with a capacity 90,000 plus in attendance. The ghosts that stalk the home of English football though must’ve been turning over in their graves because this encounter was far from the ‘beautiful game’ as we know it – unless you’re a moneyman.
To the movers and shakers of the National Football League this has to go down as the smartest piece of business since the AFL and NFL merged in 1966. Gridiron football sold to a country of non-believers in a nice, tasty, regular season package. In fact if reports are to be believed, non-believers could’ve filled Wembley two or three times over such was the demand…I hear cash registers ringing!
And if the till is ticking over, you can bet you’re last dollar that the ears of all the Premier League clubs are in a state of high alert because has there ever been a cartel that has better mastered the art of separating fans from their hard earned?
In what better country to do it than the nation that practically invented commerce…America. “No, never, you’re crazy, not on my dead body” are some of the things you’ll hear from the die-hards but globalization has arrived as demonstrated by the Fins and G-Men extravaganza. The suits at PL headquarters are just bummed they didn’t think of it first.
Traditionalists will say it’s not possible to accommodate one-off matches and that the integrity of the league will be called into question as teams always play each other home and away. Well, excuse me sir, that’s no problem. Have the clubs in question play both matches on US soil to cancel out any advantage.
I think we could conceivably start the experiment next season beginning with Manchester United versus Liverpool, I mean they’re American (owned) clubs anyway. And if we’re thinking big, lets think really big. To be fair, as an owner, I should be able to make money in any fashion I see fit and I’m sure that that is what the Glazers, Hick’s and Gillette’s feel.
If we do a little math you’ll see that the economics of doing this makes perfect sense…to the owners!
Firstly, pick a massive stadium on the East Coast because the time difference is about the only factor that would have to be taken into consideration. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor will do as it seats 107,000. With tickets going for say an average of $100 (which is cheaper than most Premier League tickets) that tabs out to be $10.7 million, which I think is a conservative estimate.
Secondly concessions. With pints going for $8 a piece and 100,000 drinking $40 dollars worth of suds, well, that adds up to another $4 million, again a very conservative estimate! Match programs at $10 would sell at least 50,000 for the collectable appeal, which is worth $500,000.
Thirdly merchandising. If David Beckham can move 400,000 replica shirts in a matter of weeks, I’m positive United and Liverpool could shift 200,000 with a little marketing at $80 each resulting in yet another $16 million.
Fourthly, I’m sure that Virgin, British Airways or some other airline would love to sponsor the two-match series. How about calling it ‘football’s coming home’. That’s surely a $5 million value at the very least.
Finally the boost to the local economy will be staggering as I can pretty much guarantee that 80,000 of the crowd will be from Manchester and Liverpool. Let’s say that roughly, $25 million would be generated from food and lodging sales.
All this adds up to a mind blowing $60 million or so dollars and they’ll be doing this twice in a season…$120 million and I haven’t even factored in the pay-per-view, yet. For that kind of money, United and Liverpool would play on the moon!
As for the true fans who pony up for the season tickets – well the clubs will factor in the cost minus the American clash knowing that the hard-core support will organize their holidays around a trip to America. With the current exchange rate, it’ll almost be cheaper than traveling to Anfield or Old Trafford.
This thing has win/win written all over it with only one downside…how do you police it? Michigan’s finest may need a little help from their brethren on Merseyside and Moss Side because Wolverine fans going crazy will be like a tea party compared to Manchester and Liverpool colliding in a match that matters. But lets not let that little detail spoil the fun eh?
For sure this idea may seem a little whacky and perhaps it won’t happen in the next year or two but within the next ten years…it’s a no-brainer. Don’t be surprised though if a one-off isn’t staged Stateside. I can seriously see the Community Shield played here or even a made up final such as a Super Cup Final involving the League Cup winners versus the FA Cup winners – the Italians did it twice in 1993 and 2003 with RFK and Giants Stadium hosting and if it’s good enough for them…
At the end of the day as much as we’d like to claim ownership to English football that is simply no longer possible. As the NFL has demonstrated, football is global and money rules. If you don’t believe me check out these quotes from West Ham’s non-executive chairman, Eggert Magnusson and American billionaire and Arsenal part owner, Stan Kroenke.
Magnusson: “I can see that happening sooner rather than later (a game in America) – it would be good for the game.”
Kroenke: There is a good chance of getting a game to go over there (America) because both owners could agree to it.”
Businessmen, pure and simple…and always thinking of the bottom line.
Nick,
So if money is what makes the game go around, and I know where you are coming from, what do you make of the financial state of MLS? Is it doomed to fail or must it evolve into a new economic model? I've always wondered whether MLS teams would eventually link up with high-level world class clubs and make the MLS more of a farm league, so to speak. And I don't really mean the Chivas USA model, though that one is interesting. I mean LA Galaxy having a formal arrangement with Manchester United or Chicago Fire/Bayern Munich, etc. so that instead of loaning players out in the Championship or Bundesliga 2, their top prospects might spend some time stateside. It would also allow the big clubs to establish potentially lucrative training academies throughout the US, which might also benefit the US domestic game and the quality of training throughout the Americas.
Nick,
So if money is what makes the game go around, and I know where you are coming from, what do you make of the financial state of MLS? Is it doomed to fail or must it evolve into a new economic model? I've always wondered whether MLS teams would eventually link up with high-level world class clubs and make the MLS more of a farm league, so to speak. And I don't really mean the Chivas USA model, though that one is interesting. I mean LA Galaxy having a formal arrangement with Manchester United or Chicago Fire/Bayern Munich, etc. so that instead of loaning players out in the Championship or Bundesliga 2, their top prospects might spend some time stateside. It would also allow the big clubs to establish potentially lucrative training academies throughout the US, which might also benefit the US domestic game and the quality of training throughout the Americas.
I would love to see a "regular season" EPL game in the states. The league has already began laying a foundation with the annual summer pre-season games and the demand has followed accordingly. But, does the NCAA allow alcohol to be served in its venues even if it is a professional event? Maybe the dollars on the line would be enough to persuade the governing body...?
You're 100% on the money! No pun intended. In fact, UEFA has a golden opportunity to do this in August 2006 when UEFA shifted a Champions League qualifier between Liverpool and Maccabi Haifa to Kiev because of the armed conflict in Israel.
Playing in Kiev did no good for anyone - except maybe for the Ukranians getting to see Liverpool live.
It would have made more sense to play this match in, say, Giants Stadium. Between the New York's large Jewish population as well as Liverpool's huge following here, football fans here would have an opporunity to see a match that meant something.
Plus, the flight time to New York is about the same for both clubs. With proper promotion, 80,000 would have packed the ground.
Of COURSE, something of the kind is going to happen, the question is: the balance. Liverpool-Manchester United and vice versa in the United States, during the league season, can never happen. The home faithful won't stand for it; they can't. Moving Fulham or QPR or Wigan to America is a non-starter: Americans would rally to these guys the same way Milton Keynes has embraced its own carpetbaggers. ... But what about a breakaway Atlantic League that included New York (Cosmos), Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and the Auld Firm, along with 12 England sides? ... Cups? No problem; the Scots and the Yanks, none of whom are members of the Football League OR the English FA, would play in their own domestic cups. ... Relagation? The US sides go back to MLS, the Auld Firm to the SPL. ... Only problem is: when Philadelphia finishes third in the Atlantic League, it must cede its UEFA Champions League spot to ... Chelsea.
Clearly when we are talking about something like this then you would have to have at least one, if not two of the big four clubs involved in the fixture to make it worthwhile and for that reason alone, it would amaze me if this ever happened.
Leaving aisde the logistics, the issues of timing and jet-lag and the fact that none of the major clubs would want to give up home advantage for any game, the EPL is a DOMESTIC competition and with most of the top EPL clubs selling out at home, what would be the point in moving one of the fixtures to somewhere like New York? Just as importantly, the English Football Association learned a valuable lesson when the public, the media and the rest of English football reacted furiously to Manchester Uniteds decision to opt out of the FA cup a few seasons back -albeit with FA support- and I doubt it would make the same mistake again. But equally, English football fans simply would not allow it. There is already a growing resentment about the increasing and damaging influence overseas players, coaches and owners are having on the game and the idea of taking a part of 'our' game to another country simply to fill the coffers of the two clubs involved would simply be a step too far. And don't think the English fans would roll over like the Dolphins and Giants fans obviously did. Something like this would cause riots on the streets!
Other than the MLS, the only way the States will ever get a major competitive soccer fixture on its shores would be if UEFA allowed one of the major European finals to be played there.
Last edited by hornet_king on October 29th at 12:46 PM.
Bottom line is this...when have FIFA, UEFA or the BPL really showed any concern for the tru fans. The answer is very, very rarely and only when it is convinient for them.
Agreed -and the decision to play the 2008 world cup in South Africa is all the proof you need of that!- but the clubs owners certainly have. They might live in ivory towers but they're not totally stupid. Besides, as I said this is a VERY different situation.
The decision to play an NFL game at Wembley was clearly designed to benefit the whole of the NFL long term but what possible benefit would the sanctioning of a decision to play a DOMESTIC league soccer game not only in a neutral venue but in a different continent have for everyone else in the league? Especially when it is already the most popular in the world!
Yes, there might well be a financial benefit to the clubs involved but what about Wigan, Reading, Derby or Aston Villa? And do you not think this would be detrimental to the MLS? Surely even the idea of it undermines the domestic game in the US.
1) I'd love to see the EPL in the US for matches that matter.
2) The comment re: alcohol at these venues is dead-on. Alcohol cannot and will not be served at Beaver Stadium or Michigan Stadium.
3) On the FoxSoccer.com version you mention the "Wolverine and Beaver" fans? Wow... I hope you were kidding or something... otherwise, that sounds like the anti-soccer fan speak that frustrates us all. Beaver Stadium is named for a former president of Penn State and is home to the Nittany Lions.
I can say with all the confidence in the world that there will never be a premier league game in the united states. You're from London, you know what the fans are like, we'd never let it happen. You used to coach me in santa monica at U13 level, I had just moved from england and can tell you even back then, if arsenal played a regular league game in the US I would have been embarrassed, horrendously. I can also say, having spoken to people that went to that NFL game that it was a novelty. I very smart piece of business but no different from some novelty exhibition game, at least in the minds of the fans. It was a more exciting atmosphere because the players were working harder because it counted, but if they played regularly Wembley would never sell out.
I have friends who are season ticket holders at Upton Park, and they pay a ton of money to see the Hammers 19 times a year. How do you think theyd react if one day they got a letter from the ticket office saying "sorry you wont be able to go to the match in two weeks because its being played at Gillette Stadium"?
As far as I'm concerned regular season competitions are meant to be played in English grounds.
In the regular season
West Ham play home games at Upton Park
Pompey at Fratton Park
and so on.
Webster, a regular season prem match is too important for a team to give away a true home game.
However the Carling Cup final would be perfect for the U.S., I would say that an FA cup final would be great too, but the English fans and periphery businesses might not like that. Carling cup is perfect.
Hey, Nick. This piece made me again wonder why the so-called "special relationship" between the US and Britain doesn't include the FA and the USSF. I'm genuinely perplexed at lack of matches arranged between the US and England over the years. Have I got it wrong?
English fans might not like the idea of the FA cup final being held in the US..... in terms of an understatement, that ranks alongside 'those Germans were a bit naughty back in the 1940's'.
Last edited by hornet_king on October 31st at 12:43 PM.
Hornet King, you are spot on son.
Nick, disregarding the crazy figures that you’re throwing around, ($5 mill sponsorship from BA??)a Premier League game will never be played in the US.
As an Englishman Nick, you should know more than anyone how passionate the fans get. Sure the FA & FIFA etc may not have the fan's interests at heart, but the clubs know that gate receipts are their bread & butter. To jeopardize this, is to seriously put the clubs in a dangerous situation.
At the moment, Man Utd season ticket holders are up in arms with the FA Cup scheme that was introduced recently (and have started legal proceedings against the club), not to mention the large number of fans that formed their own break away Man United team, when the Glaziers took over. How do you think the fans will react when their team is taken abroad? How do you think the English media will react? How do you think the players will react? I remember when United went to Brazil for the World Club Championship back in 2000, not only was there uproar from politicians, fans, the media but also from Manchester United players.
Judging by Manchester United's most recent pre-season tours, I don't think the US is high on their list of priorities. Most of the bigger clubs have been targeting Asia and rightly so, with the huge fan bases.
I think your piece is a very short sighted view of a once off novelty event.
Then we all agree the league cup final is perfect, a competitive match with the possibility of getting 2 top teams now that the big four are taking this more seriously, at least Liverpool will probably be there as that is the only thing they'll be able to win. I hear Rafa is going to rest his stars in the league to push for the Carling Cup, oh wait he already has.
MasMaz, please point me in the direction of the posting where I said that I agree with this most rediculous of ideas? Because that's exactly what it is.
WHy on earth would having a 2nd rate cup final in the U.S. be ridiculous?
It accomplishes all the things Webster claims(overstated as usual)in favor of having a competitive match here. Which are all real points that EPL owners are definitely thinking about.
Don't tell me you wouldn't want to tarnish the history of the league cup. All those drunk lymies could invade RFK or even the Rose Bowl on a cheap holiday from their miserable springs in England. Anyway there is enough turncoats that live here now to support even the crappiest of 1st division sides let alone just one of the big four.
Heck even sorry old Watford probably has a few fans here.
Because old boy, it would devalue the English game. And it would do that because it would infer that there is a more important 'market' for English football than that of the English football fan. The fact that it is a second rate cup final is immaterial as is the fact that there are plenty of ex-pat Brits who live in the US.
What is important -I would actually say that it's a certainty- is that it's never going to happen. Not least because even if the FA were to sanction the idea (unlikely) and it received the essential support of UEFA (even more unlikely) the fans would never, ever let the clubs get away with it.
I successfully called in the show on Tuesday and suggested that the FA Cup Semi Finals be held in the USA (Won a shirt for it too :P ). It seems to be the best possible option. Would Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool fans rather play a game at Villa Park than in America? I'd go out on a limb and say that it would be an absolute blast to play the one neutral game that isn't a cup final in New York. Cup finals are traditionally played in Wembley and the Premier Leagues systematic home and away system would be interrupted too much by a game overseas. However a Semi Final, a game that is supposed to be played on neutral ground anyway wouldn't take much away from the English fans.
Now this is just getting silly. Do you not know that FA Cup semi-finals are traditionally two of the biggest games of the year? Games which often involve at least one 'small' team that can be best termed an outide bet and which the rest of the English footballing world throw their support behind.
So leaving aside the logisitcs of travel, hotels, taking days of work, match tickets, etc, etc, why would the fans of those teams give up the opportunity to watch what could possibly be one of the great days in their supporting lives just so American fans can watch the game?
Please.... I know Nick has a show to fill but lets start to talk sensibly.
You too Ringo! Jeez, apparently you expatriate Brits are really against this. I don't really care all that much other than I think it would be cool for us here. I understand that the local businesses etc., in England would be the real losers.
I am aware of that hornet_king however if theres one set of meaningful games that could be in the US then the FA Cup Semis are perfect. The small teams fans can still make it over and the big teams can celebrate the fact that they are likely going to the FA Cup final. What does it matter to English fans if your watching the game from home if its played in New York, Yorkshire or Pyongyang. There are many ex pats in the US who would love a chance to see their teams play in person. There are many die hard fans who watch FSC every weekend to see games. And the great thing about the US Stadiums is that even if you stick 50,000 ex pats in, you still have room for 50,000 tourists. Michigan Stadium holds 107,000 people for gods sake. The Horseshoe in Columbus holds 102,000. Can you really tell me that a capacity crowd in stadiums like that would ruin the game? Look at the UEFA Cup final from last year. Two Spanish teams playing in Scotland. Did it feel like that was in Glasgow? Physical distance means nothing to games involving any of the big four.
Last edited by rdngchris on November 2nd at 10:37 AM.
rgnschris, there are so many things wrong with your post, I don't even know where to begin. But the phrase 'what does it matter...' clearly shows you have no grasp of English soccer culture at all.
Here's an idea, if the ex-pats want to see thier teams in person, why not hop on a plane and fly home. Far better that than impose what would be an exhorbitant levy on fans of English teams many of whom struggle to afford the cost of attending games at home.
Last edited by hornet_king on November 2nd at 12:30 PM.
English fans like to travel. If they put the FA Cup final on the moon it would sell out. The reason ex pats don't travel back is because it is ridiculously expensive to travel to the UK, whereas the USA is very very cheap. A game in the USA wouldn't feel out of place. Though I'm personally on the fence to if they should play here; if there had to be a game over here I think the FA Semis are the best route.
What does it matter if you are watching the game from a pub or at home where that game is played? I understand that all of the BPL and Cup finals have traditional homes but the semis go to cities that place both sets of fans in hostile territory. Why not play somewhere exotic that would move money?
No offence to the American soccer fans posting comments, but the very fact that you think an EPL or Cup game will be played in the US shows just how much you fail to understand the English game.
On a regular basis, there are various former-players, politicians, Sepp Blater and many more pundits expressing their opinion that there are too many foreign players in the game. When the FA Cup was moved to Cardiff for a few seasons, the media went crazy. When Utd went to Brazil, the same reaction. Regardless if the game is a FA Cup Final, or the first round of the Carling Cup, the fans will not be happy and if the clubs do not have the backing of their fans then there is no club.
With the growing dissatisfaction among fans of the commercial aspect of football at the moment, a move like this would only further alienate them from the game.
Apart from the patriotic attitude of the fans, it just isn't feasible. There are numerous sponsorship deals in place with Cup & League competition, TV schedules to keep, fatigue from traveling etc etc I could go on.
With the constant complaints over the amount of games being played, (at the height of the season the top four could be playing twice a week) which footballer in their right mind would agree to flying 3,000 miles to play a game in an unfamiliar stadium, climate and fan base?
Phil_ie you correctly state that the media went crazy when the Cups were moved to Cardiff. A year later though everyone was saying that they were the perfect hosts. Cardiff was set up for the fans, yes travel was a nightmare but trust me Wembley was awful the last time I was there. United went to Brazil on the FA's bidding which was ultimately down to $$. If they really cared about the FA Cup do you think they would've gone...I don't think so. I guarantee you that when the BPL or FA move a game they'll be outrage for 48 hours and then we'll all get on with it because $$ will have spoken. It's a sad state we're in but either you stick your head in the sand or you except the fact that as much as we would like things to stay the same they are destined to change. As Forest Gump would say "that's all I've got to say on the matter".
You clearly haven't been to the new Wembley then Nick. The transport infrastructure is much improved and very impressive.
However, let's return to the central question here and that is what would the English game have to gain from this? From what I can see, very little except publicity and as anyone who has ever spent time in the US already knows, the game is doing reasonably well there anyway so why bother? Yes, for sure clubs might sell a few more shirts but big deal. You can buy Chelsea jersey's at Disneyland already!
As for Manchester United going to Brazil, ask Sir Alex what he thinks about that decision now. He knows it was a huge mistake and so do the FA. I seriously doubt they will ever make it again.
But even assuming they did, what do you think the reaction would be if the game were a stinker? Because let's face it, not many FA Cup semi-finals are what could be called 'classics'. There's simply too much at stake.
Of course if you want passion, as I have already suggested, why not move the Old Firm derby to New York? There's actually more chance of that happening than of either club ever playing in England and financially, that would actually be better for the English game than this ludicrous idea.
Yes , bring the premirship to the USA.
Here's what you do. At the end of this season the FA announces that the top two finishers in the Premiership play each other in the season opener in New York. The fans will then have this info and can take it into account when they buy their season tickets. Clubs could offer seats in a European game as compensation. If this proves popular you could even have finishers three and four playing on the West coast. With enough notice, fans with season tickets get first divs on allocation so they can make the trip into a summer vacation.The clubs could also offer a number of prime seats with travel as prizes to season ticket holders.
Lots of revenue, lots of exposure everyones a winner.
Who will break into the 'B4' and who will avoid the drop. So many questions will be answered over the next nine months because it's back - the greatest show on earth - The Barclays Premier League.
