In a summery July, in the midst of pre-season, half of the Premier League teams have set up
base with camps and fixtures held in America as they prepare their squad ahead of the
upcoming season in the top flight. A mere ten years ago we were ranting at the fact that
games were being shuffled around to different kick-off times to suit broadcasters schedules.
Now we’re talking about moving games to the other side of the world. How soon will it be
till games like Chelsea-Manchester City’s clash in Philadelphia or Manchester United versus
Arsenal in California actually mean something to the table?
Cast back to 2008 when the idea of playing a round of Premier League games across the
Atlantic first came around. The league proposed an additional 39 th round of fixtures to be
played overseas but faced immediate backlash from most managers as well as associations
including the Football Association. FIFA also rejected the idea but have since spoke about
changing their policy of domestic games being played overseas.
The roles are completely reversed with American football. All 32 NFL teams played games in
London every season whilst some top baseball teams have started to follow in their
footsteps. This year’s NFL sees teams play five games overseas. The purpose? To continue
building brand awareness beyond the USA. The International Series – as they call the round
of fixtures – first started to play in London in 2007. 36 matches later, there is now an
estimated 14 million NFL fans in the UK.
Another thing to consider is player welfare. One thing that perhaps the NFL have not quite
got right with their International Series is that once squads return the subsequent match
after is not played to their usual standards due to the impact that time zones and diet can
cause with over 6 hours of flying. Seasons are already gruelling enough for footballers, with
more and more fixtures set to be played. The World Cups and European Championships are
expanding, the Champions League and Club World Cup have increased their formats. That’s
more fixtures for players to contend with. With minimal time for rest, how can a round of
fixtures even be considered in America? It would take a week in itself to give players time to
relax after muscle-stiffening plane journeys, adjustments to time zones and training
preparation before a matchday can be fathomable. With over 50 games on average that
players contend in, it is no wonder why the number of injuries is only increasing. Last
season, there were 655 separate injuries recorded by Premier League players; an increase of
11% from the season before. If you were to throw in an innocuous trip to the States, that
rise would should only get grow further. What good would unfit players be to the thousands
of fans in America that pay to see them? And let’s not get started on the environmental
impact it will have on the climate.
In the professional sporting world, football has and will most likely always be regarded as
number one. Taking portions of domestic seasons in Europe over to America symbolises a
fruitful financial opportunity for all whilst also bringing teams closer to the millions of fans
they have who live outside of Europe. Clubs would benefit massively with commercial
revenue estimates of almost £10 million from pre-season tours alone. Although these
friendly games have no meaning, tickets are still selling out in hours, with more than
250,000 supporters attending. Last year, the inaugural Summer Series saw six top flight teams play nine matches across five different cities. It’s no surprise that the biggest teams in
Europe are treating the States like a bus stop in the summer. If a quarter of a million people
are watching a game with no meaning, the desire for a domestic game which would impact
the table would be even more sort after. The demand to watch Premier League matches in
the USA is obvious.
It is clear there is a significant financial gain from playing across the pond. Leading executive
of NBC sports, Jon Miller, signed a £2.2 billion six-year deal to exclusively show every
Premier League game from the 2022/23 to 2027/28 seasons. With the USA population
waking up at 2am to watch a fixture, it is evident why the American broadcasters are
pushing for an in-season match to be played. So why shouldn’t fans in other countries watch
their favourite team play?
Like most things that our friends across the pond get their hands onto, the moment the
Premier League becomes a live American entertainment, it will inevitably lose its luster.
They’ll glorify the matches with national anthems before kick-off and half-time shows with
mascots and marching bands. The typical American cringe is not wanted in the greatest
league in the world.
The English Football League is like no other. The culture, the history and the supporters.
That cannot be shared and replicated in other countries. Fandom is generational – passed
down from father to son and so on. Local fans are the heart of clubs. They are the ones that
buy season tickets and watch their beloved club week in, week out. To take that away would
be an insult.
Likewise, It plays into the hands of the Premier League big boys as asymmetry would be
unintentionally created. For the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, it would be like
playing an extra home game for them as tens of thousands of fans would flock to see them.
Whereas the likes of Southampton and Ipswich Town wouldn’t receive that kind of
following; thus, putting them at a disadvantage. The financial gap between the top and
bottom half of the tables is at its biggest yet – this will only increase with a move for games
in the USA. How are teams expected to compete against the conglomerates if they can’t
strengthen their squads? As more and more clubs are being taken over by American
investors; they could be key figures if this was idea was to take off in years to come.
It is clear that money is taking over. Football is all about greed.
This isn’t how football should be played. But it is where football is heading.
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