Shays Given Tim Flowers

You would be entrenching the current system. Teams with huge revenue streams and massive stadiums would always pass this 'test'. But what about the likes of Liverpool who are trying to rebuild? They would most definitely be beyond any artificial wage 'threshold' that the league would set, and why would you blame them? They are trying to rebuild, to grow, because the rewards are great if they succeed. Make the rewards far more easily attainable and you will have more clubs competing for it. More clubs competing it will lead to a higher quality of matches and a higher quality of the league itself. But instituting a salary cap or a percentage of revenue would be the worst way to accomplish this because it would entrench the financial advantage that the teams in the Champions League already have. I mean, if you told me I could design one system that would forever protect the positions of the best four or five teams in the league, bar completely unrealistic rules, I'd institute a salary cap or a percentage of revenue that they could spend on wages. It would have a disastrous effect on competition. I really need you to explain how ensuring that clubs could only spend a uniform amount on players and wages would be disastrous for competition. EDIT: I have just seen above. Will reply to it in a bit.

Liverpool are still far richer than most clubs despite the absence of recent success.

Doyle by name....

Well I disagree that it would be unenforceable but it is your thread and I am loathe to derail it by talking about competition law and such, for numerous reasons. I disagree it is unfair because we are talking about making the game fair. What fans should be bothered about is a fair competition. If this means the worlds best players go to different leagues than our own so be it. The product we watch will be better, because it will be fairer. The game must always be bigger than the prize. The current wage system isn't fine. Money and success are inextricably linked in football. Until there is a fair financial system in place football can't be fixed.

A wage cap and a transfer cap would probably sort out far more in terms of making the game fairer.

Things done changed. Dave, sorry for ruining your Fatwa.

It was from the .com match report for this day in 2008.

Kevin Keegan. Post match comments in his first game back.

"We've got a fantastic owner here. He's not a chairman - he doesn't want that - but he's given us a lot of responsibility and we've got to make sure we encourage him to stay in this for the real long haul. People like him don't turn up at a football club every day of the week and twice on Sundays. He's incredible. He's got no ego. You're used to dealing with egos all over the place in this game, not just with chairmen and owners, but he's very unassuming. If we get this place going, we will have the best owner in this country. But that's an 'if' until we get it going."

The progress that was being made with the football under Keegan (II) was brilliant. That Coventry game was evidence of us having the potential to become a great fluid football team. All academic now, but considering without him we went on to get relegated im loathe to criticise his record during that second spell.

What the fuck is a 4-1?

Allardyce not Yorkie.

Can't wait for you to get thrown into the abyss you fat fucking waste of space shit cunt.

That's so rich.

If we get cabella i'd drop sissoko for him.

Could actually do with some game time..... Even at reserve level. Ben Arfa trying to do too much is 10 x better than Shola trying to do anything. For a start he can hold the ball up and bring people into play. You know, that one thing Shola is supposed to be able to do.

When all is said and done its ridiculous how much game time he has had this season.

Jonas is a shrewd loan for Norwich. He will win free kicks and help to run down the clock in games they are hanging on for points in. He fits the situation they are in very well. Plus it's not like they paid any money. They need to attack teams and give it a go. I love Jonas but the last thing they need is him lumbering around on the wings, not providing for their strikers. Norwich are all huff and no creativity, pace or excitement as it is. Fair enough if he starts out wide for them.

I have no idea why I bothered to do that.

Jonas is a shrewd loan for Norwich. He will win free kicks and help to run down the clock in games they are hanging on for points in. He fits the situation they are in very well. Plus it's not like they paid any money.

Aren't Monaco a bit above him?

Sorry I meant bequeathed.

I don't understand... Only half joking. As much as the FA are corrupt plenty of regulatory bodies charge their members such fees for the most innocuous of things.

You probably have to pay some sort of admin fee to have the FA endorse your ownership.