Financial Fair Play / Profit & Sustainability

[The Prophet]

 

[gdm]

1 minute ago, The Prophet said:

 

Who started this ‘big 6’ and whys it still a thing? Spurs it seems got included coz they finished top 4 like twice in a row and built a new stadium and Man Utd have been shite for a decade now 

[Turnbull2000]

Not just revenue, but I'd expect global fan base for the breakaway 6 (even inc. Spurs) are miles ahead of every other club as well. The Premier League probably sees it as commercially desirable to keep those teams at the top.

[The Prophet]

20 minutes ago, gdm said:

Who started this ‘big 6’ and whys it still a thing? Spurs it seems got included coz they finished top 4 like twice in a row and built a new stadium and Man Utd have been shite for a decade now 

 

I assumed it was a financial thing, certainly can't be success based if Spurs are in the conversation.

[r0cafella]

Big financial six makes more sense. 

[TRon]

40 minutes ago, gdm said:

Who started this ‘big 6’ and whys it still a thing? Spurs it seems got included coz they finished top 4 like twice in a row and built a new stadium and Man Utd have been shite for a decade now 

 

 

Spurs and Man U are probably seen as national assets, being one of London's premier clubs probably helped Spurs get govt funding for their stadium. I imagine Man U being the "north's" premier club might allow them to access the same funding for their development around Old Trafford as well, especially since Brexit Jim is a Sir.

[Stifler]

The top 6 is not just about league placing. It’s very political.

They all vote together, aside for Man City and Chelsea who are more newcomers, they have been instrumental in English football politics since they broke away to form the Premier League. Even since then they have had a hand to play in the attempts to create the ESL.

 

It’s only until recently that controversial refereeing decisions have started to go against them. They have had decades of referees giving them every decision, from the big calls, to the soft yellows that took out an opponents key player out of the game.

 

The media has a love in with them. They tend to get the majority of their games shown on TV. Every sports show, every radio show, all the newspaper headlines are about them.

If you were new to football and didn’t have any influences growing up, and in particular live in a no man’s land in the U.K., you wouldn’t support anyone else other than a top 6 club because information and the conversation about anyone else is hard to come across. Even on social media, go on the Premier Leagues Reddit and it’s all them. You can’t put an opinion across against them because you get down voted.

 

The change in KO times for them being on TV helps them create fans across the globe as well. A 12pm Saturday KO is good for those in Asia and the Oceanic to watch. Later KO’s are good for those in America and Canada to watch because it’s during the day there, but before all their major sports start. So even if you want to gain fans across the globe, it’s still harder to do so for a non-top 6 club.

The pundits both here in the UK and across the world are increasingly former players of these clubs. Watch SSN and you have an Arsenal fan watching the Arsenal match, and you obviously had Lawrenson for years being a Liverpool love in laughing stock.

 

 

Edited Monday at 13:58 by Stifler

[Wolfcastle]

Wasn't there a big five in the 80s?

Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton.

Eveton fell away, Spurs like now were only there because of commerce. Now others arren't allowed to do as they did and join the group because of money whilst they've also ensured none will fall away like Everton who were effectively the #1 club in the country given as they were top of the all time table

[TheBrownBottle]

4 hours ago, Wolfcastle said:

Wasn't there a big five in the 80s?

Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton.

Eveton fell away, Spurs like now were only there because of commerce. Now others arren't allowed to do as they did and join the group because of money whilst they've also ensured none will fall away like Everton who were effectively the #1 club in the country given as they were top of the all time table

Yep.  There was also a big four’ after Leeds and us fell away too from the mid-00s (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd).  

 

The ‘Big Six’ is mainly about financial muscle.  Those clubs are six of the ten richest clubs of the planet.  But they are also the ones with the widest reach & fanbase - the social media followers league isn’t a perfect corollary, but it gives a sense of just how wide the gap is (2024 figures):

 

 

[Whitley mag]

4 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Yep.  There was also a big four’ after Leeds and us fell away too from the mid-00s (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd).  

 

The ‘Big Six’ is mainly about financial muscle.  Those clubs are six of the ten richest clubs of the planet.  But they are also the ones with the widest reach & fanbase - the social media followers league isn’t a perfect corollary, but it gives a sense of just how wide the gap is (2024 figures):

 

 

Must be a lot of people in Thailand still following Leicester, gives a sense of how we still need to tap into the Middle East market more.

 

 

Edited Monday at 21:50 by Whitley mag

[Wolfcastle]

1 hour ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Yep.  There was also a big four’ after Leeds and us fell away too from the mid-00s (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd).  

 

The ‘Big Six’ is mainly about financial muscle.  Those clubs are six of the ten richest clubs of the planet.  But they are also the ones with the widest reach & fanbase - the social media followers league isn’t a perfect corollary, but it gives a sense of just how wide the gap is (2024 figures):

 

 

I only knew it from that video series that came out for each of them around the late 80s - more wholesome times. Was either Saint or Greavsie presenting it '6 of the best' or something like that - and wondered why just those clubs.

 

 

Edited Monday at 22:59 by Wolfcastle

[TheBrownBottle]

17 minutes ago, Wolfcastle said:

I only knew it from that video series that came out for each of them around the late 80s - more wholesome times. Was either Saint or Greavsie presenting it '6 of the best' or something like that - and wondered why just those clubs.

 

 

 

I remember those  - every HMV and John Menzies would have them in the sport videos section, even in Newcastle, whereas we had to go to the official club shop on Barrack Road to buy NUFC videos a lot of the time; that club shop was about the same size and had the same decor of a school tuck shop.  Still, I got my ‘Magnificent No. 9s’ video in there with birthday money from my auntie, and managed to get Mick Quinn to sign it for me.  Fuck knows why I chucked it out at some point!

[duo]

14 hours ago, gdm said:

Who started this ‘big 6’ and whys it still a thing? Spurs it seems got included coz they finished top 4 like twice in a row and built a new stadium and Man Utd have been shite for a decade now 

Didn't the cartel put masters in charge? He's basically their puppet 

[macphisto]

3 hours ago, Whitley mag said:

Must be a lot of people in Thailand still following Leicester, gives a sense of how we still need to tap into the Middle East market more.

Very few people follow Leicester in Thailand, all of the traditional teams have big followings and I see quite a few Newcastle tops too; last year I even saw a local wearing the Joelinton hawaii shirt. 

[TomYam]

The PL and team football shirts are very popular in Thailand.

When I first came to work and live here more than 20 years ago the popularity of clubs was approx ManU 50%, Liverpool 25%, Arsenal 15%, others 10%.

Today it's approx ManU 50%, Liverpool 25%, Chelsea 20%, 5% others.

ManU marketing is everywhere, hence they are still hugely popular even when failing.

Somewhat surprisingly, ManC still have a low support base, but that's partly due to ManU historically being called 'Manchester' here as opposed to the ubiquitous and deeply irritating 'United' in the UK.

[JonBez comesock]

Feel like pure shit

 

Just want the APT rules quashed 

[MagCA]

7 minutes ago, JonBez comesock said:

Feel like pure shit

 

Just want the APT rules quashed 

🔜

[The College Dropout]

On 27/01/2025 at 09:28, gdm said:

Who started this ‘big 6’ and whys it still a thing? Spurs it seems got included coz they finished top 4 like twice in a row and built a new stadium and Man Utd have been shite for a decade now 

You didn’t bother reading the article 

 

Its the revenue and everything that drives it. Interest around the world, viewership, fan base etc. 

 

Arsenal had 5 years out the CL. A couple good seasons and they are signing players for £100m and tying down the likes lf Saka to long term deals.  Leicester had 5 good years, couldn’t get close revenue wise. Missed out on CL, relegation - narrowly escaped a points deduction, fighting relegation again. 
 

The new CL format and the new PSR rules makes it virtually impossible for a challenger club to qualify for the CL in successive seasons. I’d be delighted with 3 in 5 tbh swapping with Villa at the expense of Chelsea and Spurs.  

[Miggys First Goal]

Sky Bet actually call it a Big 7 now and we’re in it. 
 

 

[manorpark]

Just now, Miggys First Goal said:

Sky Bet actually call it a Big 7 now and we’re in it. 
 

 

 

Except we do not get Sky Sports News "Big 6 Coverage". They get (at least) 20 minutes detailed and loving coverage every hour. WE get 30 seconds coverage once every three days . . if that !!!

[The College Dropout]

There’s not a big 7 tbf.  We are a few bad decisions away from being Leicester. 

[Likelylad]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

There’s not a big 7 tbf.  We are a few bad decisions away from being Leicester. 

Do you slow down for car crashes?  

[Andy84]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

There’s not a big 7 tbf.  We are a few bad decisions away from being Leicester. 

Come on 

[Hudson]

1 minute ago, Likelylad said:

Do you slow down for car crashes?  

[timeEd32]

26 minutes ago, Andy84 said:

Come on 

 

If you discount the TCD hyperbole then he's probably closer to right than wrong. 

 

We are 12 points ahead of Man United and 17 ahead of Spurs. We will almost certainly finish ahead of both of them this season, but in the grand scheme of things we are nowhere close. Great recruitment and an incredible manager has given us hope, but it's all quite fragile as we have little margin for error.