Loki679

This is the one thing that kind of irks me in all this. Staveley has called for the fans to put the pressure on, which we have in spades but you can't tell me a bunch of us nobheads flooding twitter and writing to your MPs has more pull than the ruler of Saudi Arabia and the richest people in the UK who are also huge donors to the Tory party. We're doing our small part, I guess we just have to hope the real power brokers are using what influence they have behind the scenes.

You must win loads of bets.

Better idea, we ban Penn anyway and club together to buy Rocker a nice big sandwich.

Arsenal's isn't bad, Southampton away is smart and the Man City paisley kit is awesome. Quite like our away and third kits too.

Who?

What was it?

That's also interesting because it would give the PL a way to save a bit of face too. They didn't bow to pressure from the fans or the politicians, they stood firm and extracted further concessions to make the deal acceptable.

I didn't ask what people would object to, and tagging clubs onto an answer about people and trying to suggest it is the same thing doesn't really work imo. So you don't feel clubs in the league can express moral reasons for not wanting a Saudi owned club in the PL? That's surely just your take on things? Why can individuals, human rights groups, other companies all have morality reasons to object to it but clubs can't? Again, I'm not saying any of these objections should stand, I'm saying it will be the reason given, and nobody could argue with it. Are morality reasons part of the O&D test?

It's their Vaux kit from ages ago. Bit of blatant 'always been a massive lads fan' which I'm sure the inbred scrotes won't fall for.

It's my own fault, I went for subtlety and nuance initially when I should have just posted something along the lines of 'This cunt sold yet? lolol'.

Seems a little cruel. Cruel? It was more cruel on anyone having to watch this guy try to play football. Aye, cruel. Poor bugger turns up for his first day back at training 'Who are you then?' 'Er, it's me, Ayoze, remember?' 'Never heard of you mate'

Seems a little cruel.

I still struggle to believe Coca-Cola and the like are even noticing what's going on. The waves we're making aren't exactly gonna shake their boat. They'll be noticing. They'll take even more notice if we include links to their competitors products along with the corruption stuff.

It's Tuesday

Married in Hexham and has a couple of properties up here, and a massive Toon fan apparently. This is ON. Piss off, Luke, there's a good boy.

It's amazing that a parody account of Mike Ashley has emerged as one of the leaders of the revolution

It's the legal battles where I feel you may be misleading yourself. I think we all want to believe that if it gets rejected, PIF will spend millions taking them to the cleaners but i've yet to hear anyone put forward anything that suggests that they'd have any kind of strong case, if any case at all. I think someone yesterday suggested only MA would have a legal angle, if he felt compelled to go down that route. Whether that's right I don't know but in basic terms, if feels like if it gets rejected because of the PL's own test, rather any kind of UK law, then they'll be able to back that up. I just don't see this going legal. I may be completely wrong but I would imagine that the matter falls under the remit of contract law. The O&D test unequivocally states that confirmation will be given within five working days, the PL is in breach of that element of the rules and that has caused the consortium to lose its £17m deposit (which would have been refunded if the PL had issued a refusal). So if it does go to court it will be so they can get the deposit/damages/costs back. Can't see it forcing them to approve I don't think it would be within the remit of a an English court to influence the actual decision (it would possibly be within the remit of the Court of Arbitration for Sport though). But, from my point of view, this is more about speculation of what might be going on behind the scenes and the pressure that might be put on the PL to make a decision. I think if it does get as far as legal action that would probably mean the deal is dead, because it could go on for years. Agreed. As Dokko also said, if there was some legal angle that could taken, I don't know how many of us would have the emotional energy to wait for that to end. The last 18 weeks have been bad enough. IDK how or where this ends, but if it goes beyond this week then its probably going on without my investment. I know you cannot see legal action, i just cannot see how it doesn't end up in the courts somewhere down the line. To contest: * £17m deposit (if true the PL encouraged the bid early doors, before interference from Bein. If there is any evidence of that, the PL will be paying that £17m back to the bidders + legal fees) * Ashley unable to sell an asset (restriction of trade has been mentioned, no idea if valid, but sounds like there's something in it) * Devaluation of asset (Can't sell it to specific people, therefore the value plummets. Only a certain % can afford a club and to run it, the pool isn't huge to begin with) * Sporting competition/fair playing field (Dice is loaded in favour of the big 6, meaning this is no longer a fair competition. Surely has impact on gambling in PL games with interference from the body keeping the big 6 better than the rest) * Time, money and effort gone in to bid and test (Millions will have been spent getting this bid together and going through the test. If they aren't allowed to pass due to other clubs interference then this is money they could possibly as back in a legal case) From what i gather the £17m alone could bankrupt the league. Ashley could claim his asset is £100m worse off now and has to drop the price to that to sell it. Probably another £10m or so on putting the bid together. All this is money i'd be looking at claiming back once it goes tits up, and they will, even if its years down the line. As far as I can see it, there are two likely parties who would be motivated to sue the PL. PIF as they have lost £17m due to the PL dithering and failure to make a decision. But I'm not convinced they would be arsed enough about £17m to go to court for it seeing as they are swimming in cash so it's a drop in the ocean for them. Ashley himself. But again I'm not sure he's that arsed about it either as he's made £17m from nothing and he can still continue to operate the club on a shoestring. If anything he can now justify being even tighter with his money. I suppose the Reubens and Stavely might be a factor, but I'm not sure if it's their money which was put down as a deposit, much more likely to have been the Saudis I'd have thought. Ashley is losing the chance to snap up some undervalued businesses while this is going on. He's standing there with his plate and his little bib tucked into his shirt but the manager won't open the buffet.

Clough and Taylor

Prime Shearer wipes the floor with both of them. Is it heresy to suggest that Prime Shearer wore blue and white? Not at all, 112 goals in 138 appearances. Drogba and Kane could only dream of being as good as he was.

Prime Shearer wipes the floor with both of them.

I think it goes without saying that they mean when each player was in their prime. Why does that go without saying, Stifler? If there are temporal conditions to the question then they should be clearly stated, don't you think?

So how do they get out of this? Do nothing? Ain't going to work now, they have to make a decision and take a side. They're not fit for purpose and need to be reformed. Abolish the PL and bring the whole shebang back under the purview of either the FA or the government. If the big clubs cry and f*** off to form a european super borefest then all the better. I like the sentiment but it would actually destroy the English game No it wouldn't. English football existed long before the premier league and it'll do just fine without it. Fair enough, there might not be billion pound tv deals or £50 a month sports subscriptions but football will get along just fine without the premier league.

So how do they get out of this? Do nothing? Ain't going to work now, they have to make a decision and take a side. They're not fit for purpose and need to be reformed. Abolish the PL and bring the whole shebang back under the purview of either the FA or the government. If the big clubs cry and fuck off to form a european super borefest then all the better.

Start Kane because he's an actual player in his prime Bench Shearer because he's old and retired but could still rally the troops Sell Drogba because there was only three choices.

The PL haven't fucked themselves or painted themselves into a corner, they've simply been exposed for what they are. In an ideal world, the regulatory body would be neutral, wouldn't be beholden to influential stakeholders or commercial interests and decisions would be taken on a purely objective level. The premier league have shown themselves to be nothing more than a pliable instrument to be used by the rich and influential as a weapon to club down anyone that might challenge their elevated status. Competition is dead, corruption is the rule and if you're not in the club then fuck you, you're not getting in.