Is it the right change?

It is fair to say that the Champions League is slowly losing the spark it once used to have. This is shown by decreasing interest from viewers, reduced revenue and a host of other things. It is considered the biggest club competition in the world, yet people are increasingly finding themselves questioning the competition and whether it is anywhere near as good as it used to be.

In recent years, it seems as though neutral fans have found it hard to salivate over the Champions League. Admittedly it gathers pace in the knockout stages, but the group stages tend to send the average football fan to sleep. If you take the example of this year’s Champions League, I find it hard to pick a game which genuinely excited me. It seems as though the epic games of old, coupled with constant unpredictability, are a distant memory which has been replaced by predictable match-ups between the finest teams on the continent. Such games tend to be surrounded by enormous hype, yet they have consistently failed to live up to expectations over the years.

Such problems have led to the ever controversial figure that is Michel Platini to propose a new format to European club competition. He has suggested the idea of scrapping the Europa League and expanding the Champions League to 64 teams instead of the current 32. For me, I feel that this is just another one of Mr. Platini’s unimaginative and quite frankly idiotic proposals. Many people tend to disagree with what I’m saying in this aspect, but I feel there is genuine reasoning behind my thinking.

Now if you look at the concept of what the competition is, it is essentially the best teams in Europe competing for the prize of being the number one team in European football. One of the main problems with the competition is the quality of some of the lower ranked teams. It is believed that there are many teams who essentially aren’t in the bracket of the best teams in Europe. Surely adding another 32 ‘mediocre’ teams to the pot adds to this problem? For me, doubling the amount of teams will end up stretching out a competition which is already stretched out far enough. What I mean by this is that people start to find the competition more interesting the further along it gets. Adding more teams and stages to the tournament expands the possibility for more uneventful and boring encounters as well as increasing the possibility of people losing interest altogether.

Of course such a proposal benefits teams such as my club Fulham as it makes the possibility of entering the Champions League more realistic, however I realise that at this current moment, my team isn’t good enough to add to the competition. Indeed it will bring more revenue to the so called lesser clubs, but it removes a lot of integrity from the competition. It is no longer the best teams in Europe competing for the trophy, but a bunch of European teams in a competition.

I feel that there are better ways of dealing with the problem in hand. For starters, I wouldn’t scrap the Europa League. We have this general consensus in this country that nobody takes the competition seriously simply because most of our clubs do not. You will find that throughout Europe, the Europa League is highly regarded. In regards to the Champions League, maybe a more strenuous qualifying system should be implemented. For example, some countries maybe should not be allowed to compete on the big stage until they have proven themselves to be up to the standards of other teams. You will find several teams at the beginning of the qualifying process who have players who aren’t fit enough to play even one half of football. When you remind yourself that it is classed the best European club competition, why should such teams be allowed to compete?

Something needs to be done to help solve this problem that we face, but it is hard to distinguish a solid idea to help improve the Champions League. However I do not feel what Mr. Platini is proposing is an idea that will be beneficial. It is a shame to see such a brilliant competition slowly losing its spark. If such an idea is introduced, I do fear for the integrity of the renowned biggest club competition in the world. Personally, I hope it does not succumb to this as I feel it could be another nail in the coffin which really isn’t needed.

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Are we now the example?

A lot has changed since the days when racism was a part of everyday life on the terraces of England, and it shows how far we have come to dealing with one of the biggest problems to face the game. Unfortunately, in several parts of Europe, what was previously a problem in this country is now rife in their own. I write this following the horrific racial abuse of black England’s Under 21 players in Serbia last month which sent a chilling reminder of what still graces football in some countries.

Rewind back to the 70s, 80s and 90s, racism was pouring out of crowds in England along with the hooliganism which created the stereotype for all football fans. It was something that was causing huge problems for players of different ethnicities trying to play football in this country and fans trying to enjoy a game of football. In addition to this, racist chanting would go hand in hand with any other chant from the crowd as it was seen as the norm, making it impossible for fans of other backgrounds to attend matches.

Luckily today this has nearly been eradicated. You will still find the odd idiot at football matches, but the majority are confident enough to stamp out these idiots nowadays. It’s great to see people of different religious beliefs, backgrounds and ethnicities going to the football and being able to sing and enjoy the game together, it epitomises how far we have come in that aspect.

Moving to different parts of the continent, you will now find the problem in England has moved to fans in other parts of Europe. It is a particular problem in Eastern Europe where racial abuse is subjected to different ethnicities and religions. Political turmoil in certain countries has led to extremely right-wing groups of fans dominating the terraces in these countries and striking fear into fans and players who are deemed different. These fears were a worry which surrounded the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland and Ukraine due to their high amount of racial abuse on the domestic stage. Thankfully the Championships saw a small amount of this, but it still affects the football leagues in these countries.

You will see the ‘Poznan’ being performed by Man City fans, yet the real meaning behind the ‘Poznan’ (created by Lech Poznan fans) was to turn their back and celebrate when a black player had scored a goal. This is seen throughout Poland and plays a big part on matchday. Ukraine, Croatia and Serbia are also known for their extreme views. Serbia have previously been fined by FIFA and threatened with expulsion from competitions due to their racial abuse. England’s black players have suffered first hand abuse from Serbian fans with the most recent being just last month. Ukraine and Croatia also suffer the same problems that Serbia and Poland face and it seems that previous and current political unrest has led to this being incorporated into football.

Russia have been awarded the chance to host the World Cup in 2018 and there are several fears as to whether players and fans of other countries will come under intense surroundings from Russian fans. Peter Odemwingie, previously of Lokomotiv Moscow and now of West Brom, was subject to constant racial abuse from his owns fans when at the Russian club. When he moved to West Brom in 2010, Lokomotiv Moscow fans unveiled a banner with the words “Thanks West Brom” and a picture of banana (below). Odemwingie was critical of the racial abuse he and others received and stressed how big a problem it is in Russia.

The main problem is that the respective Football Associations’ of these countries fail to acknowledge that there is any problem. Take the example of the Serbian FA who denied any racial abuse being directed to black England players in the Under-21 match last month despite clear evidence suggesting otherwise, as well as suggesting Danny Rose’s (victim of the abuse) behaviour was despicable. This makes me believe that we have dealt with the previous problem remarkably. We have the ‘Kick It Out’ movement which has done a lot to combat racism in this country. I feel that we have set an example that other countries can adopt considering how bad the problem was in England previously. You will always have a minority which will constantly be highlighted by the media, but there is nothing you can do about that, we have to look at the positives and there are many of them.

We have had the problems of players supposedly being subject to racial abuse by opposition players and this has put a dark cloud over what the Kick It Out campaign and this country has done to eradicate racism on a fan level. The Luis Suarez and John Terry cases have led to widespread belief that racism is still rife here. There have also been other incidents involving and idiotic minority of fans (see table below for recent events) which once again overshadows the huge progress that has been made. The bottom line is that we should take pride in how far this country has come in the fight against racism, and it would be idiotic to highlight the very small minority of fans who continue to try and ruin what a good job we have done. Other countries should take note from the English and help to unite football fans as one.

Date	Incident	Outcome	Source
15 October 2011	Danny Hylton of Aldershot racially abused two Barnet players.	Hylton was given an eight-match ban and fined £1,000.	Report
12 March 2012	Sky Sports cameras caught an Arsenal fan abusing Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote.	The man was arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public-order offence.	Report
20 March 2012	Crawley Town’s Dean Howell was allegedly racially abused by a Gillingham supporter.	Unknown.	Report
15 April 2012	A 55-year-old man racially abused Didier Drogba during the 2011-12 FA Cup semi-final.	The fan was given a lifetime ban from Stamford Bridge and a three-year football banning order.	Report
6 October 2012	Marvin Sordell claimed he was racially abused by a Millwall fan whilst playing for Bolton Wanderers.	The 13-year-old was given a ban for “the forseeable future”.	Report
31 October 2012	A Chelsea fan was caught making a “monkey” gesture to Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck.	The 28-year-old is banned from Stamford Bridge pending a police investigation.	Report
10 November 2012	Six Millwall fans arrested after unfurling a racist banner aimed at Marvin Sordell.		Report

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Surely a matter of time?

It has long been the discussion of football fans for years, yet we still ask ourselves the same questions every weekend. It takes a football fan with even the most basic knowledge of the game to realise that technology within football needs to be implemented in some form. However opinions tend to vary as to what extent it should be introduced into the game.

It all kick started in January 2005 when Pedro Mendes’ evidently legitimate ‘goal’ in the dying minutes vs Manchester United was so far over the line that you could see it from space, yet it was somehow missed by the linesman, essentially robbing Spurs of the victory. The debate once again ignited in the same year when Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’ was given by the referee which sparked huge controversy as to whether it had crossed the line or not. This goal proved to be crucial as it was the goal that sent Liverpool to the Champions League final. Since then, there have been several replica incidents which have occurred such as David Healy’s disallowed goal in the dying minutes for Fulham against Middlesbrough in 2007, which was clearly over the line. Freddie Sears’ shot for Crystal Palace in 2009 which hit the stanchion (bar/post) at the back of the goal and came back out was remarkably not given. Famously, Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal vs Germany which was evidently over the line was ruled out, and once again caused huge controversy and began the huge and collective belief that goal-line technology needed to be introduced to deal with such incidents.

The question is, to what extent should technology be introduced into football? It’s a question that has varied opinions. For me personally, I feel that it should be used to deal with goal-line disputes and nothing else as I believe that by using it for all aspects of the game destroys the pace of the game. Many would argue that by even introducing it to deal with goal-line disputes could also essentially have a damning effect on the pace of the game as it could be taken advantage of to disrupt the rhythm of the game for self benefit. Therefore the way in which to make both parties happy is by having an instantaneous technological response into the referee’s earpiece to signal whether the ball has crossed the line or not, therefore not disrupting the flow of the game and helping the referee come towards the correct decision. It’s quite simple to introduce and there is the sufficient knowledge and tools to create it. Surely this can only be seen as a positive improvement to the game?

You will see examples of technology in all the other big sports in this country. Take a look at rugby for example. They have the option of video referrals for referees who are unsure of whether to award a try or not which goes a long way to helping produce the right outcome and doesn’t disrupt the flow of the game. Tennis is another example with their hawk-eye system which is currently in place. Each player has the opportunity to challenge calls made by the umpire. Add to this Cricket, who have video referrals for umpires unsure as to whether the batsmen is out or not. Evidently they are different ways of using the technology but they have all managed to improve their sport with the introduction of technology. It suggests that football is light years behind in this sense and that it needs to catch up with everyone else.

Moving back to football, it seems embedded in every football fan to berate the referee and linesmen every week, and I’m no exception to the rule. However, I feel that referees are prone to human error, and that technology in goal line situations is needed to help them out and essentially protect them in these situations. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sympathising with the referees here, but merely emphasising my point. One downside would be that we wouldn’t be able to abuse referees and linesmen on a Saturday afternoon. I for one wouldn’t know what to do with myself!

All joking aside, this brings me to the extra officials behind the goal. Can someone enlighten me as to an instance where they have been of any use whatsoever? If anything, they just seem to get in the way. I cannot count the numerous times in which an official behind the goal has cocked up a decision despite being a few yards from the incident. It seems that UEFA and FIFA are giving some people the opportunity to watch matches for free and disguising them in uniform. If this is the answer, then what is the question?! In my opinion, the sooner we are rid of them, the better.

On another note, you will find that a lot of people will make the valid suggestion that by introducing technology, it removes the fun of discussing and arguing about refereeing decisions. Without a doubt, it annoys you greatly when your team is on the receiving end of bad decisions but it does make you think that there would be a lot less to talk about if there wasn’t human error in football. But with improvements come sacrifices, and I feel that we need to sacrifice this in order to help improve and update the beautiful game into the modern era. We have the options and possibilities to take advantage, we can’t continue to hold back.

Mind you, it seems as if there is positive movement in relation to achieving this with Sepp Blatter (FIFA president) finally changing his stance on the matter. From saying ”it is part of the human nature of our sport” after Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal in 2010 to saying ”goal-line technology is a necessity” after the Euro 2012 game between between England and Ukraine in which Ukraine were denied a goal (interestingly Blatter changes tune when England get the rub of the green, but I won’t go into that). With the possibility of Sepp Blatter’s somewhat controversial tenure as FIFA president coming to a close, it is encouraging to see that he has finally warmed to the idea. The question is, will the new president have the same views? With all the pressure to push technology into football, I can only see the new president having one solution, and that’s to go ahead with it. With goal-line technology soon to be tested in the Premier League, it looks like football is moving ever so close to getting the much needed makeover it so dearly needs.

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The Fan Experience

If myself, or any football fan in England, were to give the lowdown on how we felt we are treated by our clubs in this country, there would be the resounding conclusion that we get it pretty bad here. I’ve looked through various articles coupled with facts and figures which have all shown a very strong correlation between the price of football and attendance figures. It doesn’t take an expert to figure out that the cheaper the ticket, the higher the attendance. Take the example of Germany, where they have seen record average attendances and boast the best average attendances across the five major European leagues. This is represented with 6 out of the top 10 teams with the highest average attendances residing in the Bundesliga and the number 1 spot being occupied by Borussia Dortmund (Figures from the 2011/2012 season). Germany is the prime example of showing other countries how it should be done on all fronts.

Rank	Club	Average Attendance	Season	Stadium and city	Country
1	Borussia Dortmund	80,521	2011–12	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund	Germany
2	FC Barcelona	78,340	2011–12	Camp Nou, Barcelona	Spain
3	Manchester United	75,387	2011–12	Old Trafford, Manchester	England
4	Real Madrid	74,836	2011–12	Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid	Spain
5	Bayern Munich	69,000	2011–12	Allianz Arena, Munich	Germany
6	Schalke 04	61,139	2011–12	Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen	Germany
7	Arsenal	60,000	2011–12	Emirates Stadium, London	England
8	VfB Stuttgart	55,089	2011–12	Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart	Germany
9	Hertha Berlin	54,259	2011–12	Olympiastadion, Berlin	Germany
10	Hamburger SV	53,635	2011–12	Imtech Arena, Hamburg	Germany

I am a Fulham fan and had the luck of being able to go to the Europa League Final in Hamburg back in 2010. I got to experience first hand how brilliantly the Germans deal with fans and help to make the experience of going to a football match as enjoyable as can be. The one thing that struck me as genius was the idea of having a free rail pass in the city for anybody with a match ticket on the day of the match. This goes a long way to help to alleviate added costs which already cripples the average football fan yearly. Whilst entering the stadium and watching the game, you find that staff at the ground are very co-operative and generally nice towards fans, which is a far cry from in England where most grounds tend to treat you as if you are a football hooligan.

In addition to this, you find the very popular idea of safe standing sections at virtually all Bundesliga grounds, which is particularly successful at the Westfalenstadion (Borussia Dortmund’s home ground), where those who wish to stand have the option to, leading to all parties being happy and creating a brilliant atmosphere. Whereas in England, those who want to stand up get constantly harassed by stewards, even when not obstructing the views of others, causing constant problems and anger amongst those people.

However, the main strategy that really is top dog is the price of tickets. If you take Borussia Dortmund as an example, who are a big team on both the Domestic and European stage, you would be surprised to find out that season ticket prices at the club start from as low as €225 which even includes 3 Champions League group games, which equates to around £180. You compare that to Arsenal, whose season tickets start from just short of £1000. Also, the average ticket price at a Bundesliga game is around €15 which is closer to the booking fee for a match than the actual price of the ticket in the Premier League. It is clear that the fan in Germany is treated as a King and it makes you wonder how differently things could be in England. When lower league teams are charging more than the top teams in the Bundesliga, it leads to suggest that we need to adopt several ideas from our good old friends the Germans.

Borussia Dortmund 2012/2013 Season Ticket Prices

category	in EUR
Stammtisch	please inquire
category 1	€ 685,00 / 840,00*
category 2	€ 580,00 / 690,00*
category 3	€ 525,00 / 625,00*
category 4	€ 480,00 / 575,00*
category 5	€ 425,00 / 510,00*
category 5 (handicapped)	€ 170,00 / 200,00*
category 6	€ 365,00 / 430,00*
category 15	€ 845,00 / 1020,00*
wheelchair	€ 90,00 / 110,00*
standing room	€ 187,00 / 225,00*
standing room, Youth	€ 109,00 / 140,00*
standing room, handicapped	€ 95,00 / 110,00*
children (up to 14, blocks 64 and 65)	€ 75,00 / 90,00*
youth (between 15 and 16, blocks 64 and 65)	€ 112,00 / 130,00*

Taking all of this into consideration, it comes as little surprise that football fans are getting more and more frustrated by the cost of following their football team in this present day, especially when you add in the factor of the current economic situation. The problem is that football fans in this country will do their utmost to follow their team. You can include myself in that quota as I’m certain that most of my expenditure is following Fulham. With this in mind, clubs can take advantage of this and cash in big time, which is currently the case. Fans are seen as just another customer rather than a contributor to the club and this is something that needs to be addressed.

You look at clubs in the Premier League such as Wigan and QPR who struggle to sell out games on a regular basis despite having certain capacity stadiums that should be selling out games more often than not. There could be other factors that play a role in this case but it does indicate that many fans can’t afford to go to the football as frequently as they may have previously done or intend to.  You would think that the amount of money that is generated in football, that clubs in England would essentially ‘give something back’ to the fans in relation to cut price tickets. Especially if you consider the idea that a lot of the money generated by clubs is a result of fans taking their wallet out and spending their hard earned cash on tickets, memberships, merchandise etc. But in this current day, clubs look at fans with dollar signs and will take any opportunity to part fans with their money. The cost is crippling the average football fan and unfortunately it doesn’t look likely to change anytime soon.

Read more about the Price of Football.

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