How would YOU 'fix' Football?

[The Prophet]

Good thread. Where to start...

 

Off the top of my head (in the Premier League).

 

Bin VAR.

Overhaul PGMOL.

Bring an independent regulator.

Bin FFP and bring in wage and spending caps.

 

I'd love to overhaul ownership of clubs, but the horse has truly bolted in that regard.

[TheBrownBottle]

21) stop referring to the PIF ownership as ‘the project’

[FLUMPO235]

4 hours ago, FloydianMag said:

I wonder which clubs would be the biggest beneficiaries of 3pm PPV model?

Well in my proposal they would be taxed and the money distributed by down the pyramid. The big clubs already do better out of the current deal. The ppv model should leave no club worse off would be the proposal. Some may well be better off as always. 
 

for me it’s for the fans, as usual the money element is the evil shadow. But I think it’s this day and age, everyone should be able to watch their teams home and away games as they happen and not be held back by travel, disability, costs or other demands in their life. 
 

one way around it could be the ppv is handled by the PL themselves and the money distributed at the end of the season based on equal share and a league position element. That way everyone would get a fair share. As I say, it’s not perfect and details would be complicated. But at the moment it’s the fans who can’t get to home and away games who suffer and get 9mins on motd or 2 min YouTube highlights. Even Sky’s 30 min highlights on a sat are now crappy. I’m sure you used to be able to press the red button and pick your match highlights at 9pm. Now I have to record the 30mins and it’s on at 2am or similar. 
 

[FloydianMag]

2 minutes ago, FLUMPO235 said:

Well in my proposal they would be taxed and the money distributed by down the pyramid. The big clubs already do better out of the current deal. The ppv model should leave no club worse off would be the proposal. Some may well be better off as always. 
 

for me it’s for the fans, as usual the money element is the evil shadow. But I think it’s this day and age, everyone should be able to watch their teams home and away games as they happen and not be held back by travel, disability, costs or other demands in their life. 
 

one way around it could be the ppv is handled by the PL themselves and the money distributed at the end of the season based on equal share and a league position element. That way everyone would get a fair share. As I say, it’s not perfect and details would be complicated. But at the moment it’s the fans who can’t get to home and away games who suffer and get 9mins on motd or 2 min YouTube highlights. Even Sky’s 30 min highlights on a sat are now crappy. I’m sure you used to be able to press the red button and pick your match highlights at 9pm. Now I have to record the 30mins and it’s on at 2am or similar. 
 

Interesting and could work if PL handles all monies and profits to be distributed equally and of course merit based prize money. Can’t see the old cartel clubs being happy however, they’d want the lions share which they don’t get under the current model.

[Kid Icarus]

If we're just doing quick wins as opposed to bringing down capitalism (  ) then off the top of my head I'd go with:

 

• Implement the offside system that's used in the Champions League
• No rule changes or new technology without 2/3rds of the clubs in the league giving approval and with each club's decision being decided by board/owner vote worth 49% and fan vote worth 51%
• Under no circumstances should there ever be wage caps for players - it's nigh on one of the only jobs in the world where the workers who genuinely create the wealth get a big chunk of the profits. Wage caps just mean more money for the people who do nothing, and none of that money comes back to fans. 
• An independent regulator with paid fan representatives and consultation from each club. Each year every club has a fan vote on whether they're happy with their fan representative. The regulator should have things like a robust whistleblowing channel and lifetime exclusion for anyone with any vested interests with other clubs or related football organisations.
• No ex-team's players commentating on their current games, unconscious bias is noticable
• Food only allowed on the concourse during the match
• A mobile-data specific EMP that stops all fans from filming, taking photos, or being on their mobiles during the match. Phone calls are permitted for emergencies
• No more than 3 football kits per season, the home kit is released every 2 seasons, away kit and 3rd kit every 1 season. Special editions and retro kits etc are allowed, but none can be worn by players in any matches. All sponsorship deals must be anchored to these rollout periods and not be altered (eg no asics blue star, McEwans blue or gold on the same kit)
• If a team plays in stripes, they must have stripes on the back and use a contrasting colour for the name and numbers - no panels

 

[TBG]

Get rid of the 'superstars'.

 

Make it so 11 random men get the call on a Saturday morning to say they've been called up to represent their team. 

 

Injured? Think of those brave men and women operating drones, dropping bombs on civilians, keep calm and carry on. 

 

 

[Paully]

Scrap using Wemberlee for FA Cup semis - the whole idea of getting to the final (other than winning it) should be to play at Wemberlee!

[Thumbheed]

Things I think are spoiling the game:

 

Fan ownership rule: The club belongs to the town, city and people it's in. Having private owners do whatever they want to a club against the wishes of the local fans is crazy to me. The 51% rule would kill the strength in the PL but as a concept its miles ahead of anything we have. If not 51% then some other sort of meaningful accountability to the fans.

 

Scrap FFP: Owners are to provide collateral to offset any financial mismanagement which jeopardises the future of the club.

 

Scrap VAR: It's hard to ignore the obvious benefits of it but it's made the game so sterile and not being able to fully celebrate a goal is just ridiculous. I also enjoy the controversy of sports. Keep offside and goal line tech though.

 

Diving: I want more leniency in the game. Tired of the stop start nature of the game and how the most minimal of infringements are deemed fouls which constantly ruin the flow of the game.

 

Handball: I just don't know how to manage this. People say penalise deliberate handbills only but who actually deliberately handballs? And how can you tell the difference between an accidental one and a deliberate one?

 

The rules changes so much for a reason. Maybe make it more objective and say any handball is a penalty on the basis that irrespective of intent any ball that strikes the arm changes the potential outcome of a phase of play and should warrant that penalty. Only exception to this would be if it bounces of a body part onto your hand. Harsh but fairer than the current mess.

 

 

 

 

[Adam]

I've thought about FFP but I can't quite work out a solution. Only idea would be that you have a set cap that applies to all teams in a league, possibly backed up by funds held in a different account to stop clubs going bust. 

 

On the pitch somes idea, these are coming from other sports so not expecting them to be liked

 

Substitutions: Currently its a total pisstake how long it takes. Change it, so that it still happens when the ball is out, but the board is held up (Say Isak off, Wilson on), then the game restarts. Wilson can't come on until Isak gets off either at the far side or runs over to the 4th official. If you have multiple subs then they have to sort themselves out, no more slowly walking off nonsense. 

Offside: Make it be daylight between players, I know this just moves the goalposts but its far less intrusive and reduces the nose being offside nonsense we have now. I'd mandate the automated offside system in all top leagues too. 

 

VAR: I personally don't mind it, but they are way too slow and inactive. Using automated offside would help them out,  I'd like to try a challenge/referral system too, one challenge per half/game. Boils my piss as well when you can clearly see on a replay that its a corner and not a GK but VAR don't do anything, those moments can have just as much impact as a freekick etc.

 

Sin Bins: I'm a big fan of these, far better than a worthless yellow card. How you introduce them to football I'm not sure but the current idea for cynical fouls and backchat is good. I suppose you could make a blue card (what a shit colour) count towards players yellows for suspensions and if they get booked again in that game its a red. 

Backchat to officials: Anyone swearing at the ref is an instant sin bin, no fucking about stop all the moaning and pressuring officials. Doesn't happen in other sports as they do something about it. Or you make the team captain responsible for their teams actions, so if two players rush the ref thats two yellows and the captain gets sent off. 

Refs writing names on cards: Does my head in when someone is fouled and the ref takes 40 seconds to pull out a card and book someone. Don't stop the game flowing you can write it down or book them later. 

[LFEE]

Transfer window opens June. No winter transfer window. No replacing a manager mid season unless out of work. No loaning of players. No multi-club ownership. Smallest club in corresponding division can spend as much as the biggest but not exceed.

 

Once window closed fixtures are announced July 1st with all the TV fixtures in place up until end of January.
 

Season tickets then go on sale knowing 3/5th the fixtures and 100% players for that season.
 

After FA Cup 3rd round fixtures fixture’s for February & March confirmed with TV.

 

April & May games the TV broadcasters can do what they want at a weeks notice.

 

Cap away games at £20 without transport included. Offer official travel at a higher price capped at £80.

 

Increase safe standing areas in grounds. Tickets need to be swiped to exit ground before final whistle and records kept and loss of priority for Home cup games and ST the following season if thresholds exceeded.

 

Official klaxons, airhorns,drums etc permanently fixed in key areas of grounds for weekly use.

 

 

[Coffee_Johnny]

1. Make offsides easier to determine. So unless the attacker’s torso is ahead of the defender’s (clear daylight/gap). It’s onside. Still prevents goal mooching and hoof ball. 
2. Prevent academies and centres of excellence signing kids from overseas/out of region. Non-regional players only come in at full contract stage, over 18 (or 21) stage.

3. Keep technology to aid referees’ decision making, invest in improving the timeliness, validity and reliability of judgements.

4. Let clubs sign some players they can afford to but limit numbers to 25 of over 21 players in squad, by including any on loan. 

 

 

[Yorkie]

21 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Tickets need to be swiped to exit ground before final whistle and records kept and loss of priority for Home cup games and ST the following season if thresholds exceeded.

 

Like it. 

[Exiled in Texas]

10 hours ago, Kanji said:

I’ll have a go:

 

7. VAR is used but fully transparent while live. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitely this…. Make the decision/thought process open so everyone can hear the discussion and see the same images that the VAR team are reviewing. Knowing that your discussion is public (and therefore open to review) wil force more accountability.

[Shearergol]

Make it so part of the ball needs to actually touch the line so corners are taken from the actual fucking corner.

 

Only allow captains to talk to the ref

 

have the ref mic’ed up.

 

go back to divisions 1 to 4.

 

sack ffp off. Massively biased view on this as I want to see us take over the world before I die. Realistically it just needs fixing so that all clubs can have a fighting chance.

 

[Exiled in Texas]

1 hour ago, Adam said:

Refs writing names on cards: Does my head in when someone is fouled and the ref takes 40 seconds to pull out a card and book someone. Don't stop the game flowing you can write it down or book them later. 

Nah, you gotta take time to write down the number and reason code for the yellow. No way does a referee remember everything.

plus the extra time to write things down gives the players a litle more time to cool their emotions etc.

 

I once sent off a player for two yellows (thought I had miss-written his number) when he made a second yellow card foul, only to have the his identical twin brother come back off the bench saying he got the first yellow (and I had the number right the first time).

 

[Yorkie]

All yous asking for more rugbification of football are dead to me.

[Kid Icarus]

Yorkie you were definitely gaslighting me (and yourself) with the refs mic'd up thing like. I found the discussion from last time and you were definitely up for it

[bobbydazzla]

25 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

All yous asking for more rugbification of football are dead to me.

Entrance to all football stadiums denied unless wearing:

 

 

 

Edited February 15 by bobbydazzla

[Yorkie]

5 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Yorkie you were definitely gaslighting me (and yourself) with the refs mic'd up thing like. I found the discussion from last time and you were definitely up for it

 

Mate I've explained this to you already. Mic em up sure, for accountability, but I don't want to hear them during the game, whether that's on tele or - heaven for-fecking-bid - at the stadium. What Sky have done this season by publishing the dialogue after the fact is perfectly fine (Michael Owen notwithstanding). There's nothing to be gained from hearing them in real time beyond increasing the theatre around the whole thing, which is the last thing we should want.

[sushimonster85]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

(Michael Owen notwithstanding)

 

Just a fantastic thing to read. And applicable in so many situations. 

[Stal]

When I was younger I always thought that the higher you get in the league, the less you should be able to spend on players. Not sure I agree with that now.

[Kid Icarus]

9 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Mate I've explained this to you already. Mic em up sure, for accountability, but I don't want to hear them during the game, whether that's on tele or - heaven for-fecking-bid - at the stadium. What Sky have done this season by publishing the dialogue after the fact is perfectly fine (Michael Owen notwithstanding). There's nothing to be gained from hearing them in real time beyond increasing the theatre around the whole thing, which is the last thing we should want.

 

You did man  At least when we were talking about it.

  

On 09/05/2023 at 14:48, Yorkie said:

Having to listen to the referees during the game will be another horrendous imposition created by this collective shitshow, but sadly it's absolutely necessary at this point.

 

I'm pleased we agree more than I thought we did though, whether through my own misunderstanding or whatever. I wouldn't have them mic'd up for the public to listen to as a standard practice at all like, it would still be another layer of pressure and pantomime villiany.

[timeEd32]

I think I'm interested in changing less than most, at least in terms of the actual sport.

 

The game itself:

• Automated / semi-automated offsides - The Premier League having people draw lines is almost as dumb and prone to error as the NFL still having old men guess where the ball belongs and other old men walking chains up and down the sideline.
• VAR needs more transparency and consistency - Faster decisions mostly watching at full speed. The intense focus on super slow motion and stills distorts so many decisions. If you can't decide quickly then move on.
• Ban stutter steps on penalties - one of the biggest stains on the sport

The financial side:

• Simpler rules with clearer punishments
  • UEFA's costs to revenue limit makes sense with escalating set of fines if it's exceeded. You can spend more than you make if you're willing to pay for it.
  • Clubs that are spending more than they make should be forced to front the cash into some kind of escrow account.
  • No punishments other than fines as long as you have the money
• Ban multi-club ownership within a continent - Like for real even if the second club is in Finland's third division (this probably violates laws but figure it out)
• Block leveraged takeovers. The only allowable debt is 'good' debt (e.g. infrastructure)
• Prevent clubs from giving away equity of future TV/sponsorship rights (call it the Barcelona Rule)
• Global cap on agent fees related to both transfers and wages
• Incentivize clubs to keep (actual) homegrown talent and incentivize the player to stay. 
  • Maybe X amount of TV money set aside to help clubs pay the gap in a player's market value?
  • Base wages don't count against cost figure?
  • Bonus payment for every local player at the club?

The last one goes against the idea of simplifying, but it seems worth it to me if it keeps even just a few more players at their original club for longer. The current model encourages the opposite.

[Yorkie]

12 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

You did man  At least when we were talking about it.

  

 

I'm pleased we agree more than I thought we did though, whether through my own misunderstanding or whatever. I wouldn't have them mic'd up for the public to listen to as a standard practice at all like, it would still be another layer of pressure and pantomime villiany.

 

Fair enough, looks like I did on that occasion. I no longer hold that view and have made the point before today about post-game being more appropriate. 

 

The better solution is to fuck it off altogether, obviously. 

[Rafalove]

Fines proportional to clubs revenue stream for racism.

 

bring fan ownership in to football

 

 

All international football should be played at the end of the club season.