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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Thursday February 7 2008
Time: 3:31PM
UK time is: 18:37:56
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Pompey - and the rest - abroad...
...and I do not mean in the uefa cup or champions league, I mean further afield than Europe, and not as part of a cup as part of the league schedule!
There are 'proposals' being drawn up that could see each premier league club play a league fixture in some of the biggest cities around the world in places such as Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Sydney, Johannesburg, Dubai and Beijing.
These fixtures would count towards the regular premier league season, but would be an extra 39th game being played - the opponents would be decided upon a draw but the current league placing at the time would narrow this down.
Clearly this is another exercise to cash in on the global appeal and marketability of the premier league, and whilst this will earn even more money for clubs - including Pompey - which ultimately should be a good thing if it is used in the right way, how is it proposed that the fans get to these games?
Granted Pompey, as well as every other club have overseas fans but how many of these 'real fans' will be able to get to games before other 'fans' snap up the tickets, which depending on our opponents would sell out pretty fast...
To me this idea just does not seem right, I know it is only one fixture and would maybe give others the chance to see Pompey when maybe they would not but and as much as the thought of Pompey playing in America, South Africa, Australia, China and so on does appeal to me... it only does so in a pre season tour way to be honest, it just seems wrong the thought of playing a league game on overseas soil.
My major concerns are that if this happens - which although all 20 premier league clubs have agreed on this in principle it might not, this must be stressed - 'one game per year' could, and in fact probably would soon turn into two, then three and so on...
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Your Comments
Can you imagine you're fourth at the end of the 38 normal league games, and you play Manchester United in Hong Kong for the 39th game......You loose, and you finsh 6th cos Spurs played Reading, and Everton plyed Derby counrty........It's a ***** idea......
FloG
I can only the big 4 making shed loads more out of it & the rest will get the crumbs. There maybe some benefit but no doubt the home fans won't get a say.
storagematt
And with the top 5 teams being seeded to aoid playing each other FloG's example could well happen. The rich get richer....
eastneydave
If pompey finish 4th one season, behind Chelsea, Man U, and Arsenal, with we imagine Spurs 5th, even if you can't play them, you still can play Everton, Villa, Liverpool, Newcastle, and on one game nobody knows what can happen, if you had the Injury and the red card, you could play a game that normally doesn't exist and doesn't count (just for Money) without the true team and miss the Champions League for What???? Business.....i hope french football won't look at English football and copy this s*** idea....
FloG
sorry for all those none english here, but its the ******** english premier, its all about money, I can understand people would want to watch games from abraod, why dont they come to england and watch like the rest of us, ridiculus!!!
Gleams
this is just another way for the big teams to make more money in the long run and there is no fair way of doing it like flog says you end up playing a good team whilst your rival plays bottom of the league it all just stinks!!!!
knocker
One word from me....Yuk!
UKTony
However....(brain now in gear) could the boot be on the other foot and we manage to nick a european place at the expense of one of the "bigger" clubs?
Nope; still don't like it
UKTony
Rug, you are correct, just money making and the thin end of the wedge. At this rate, will we need a new ground? Its certainly not an idea for the true fans.
007
its a farce, why do they need more money, BBC rumours, ESPN going to bid out skysports for the biggest premier league package, great.
Gleams
I can't believe they are taking this idea seriously. Is it 1st April today? If they want to arrange separate competitions then thats one thing, but as PART of the league matches?!!! I thought everyone complained there were too many matches?
tracyc
problem is there not going to listen to the fans, who from the looks of BBC and on here, hate the idea, there going to listen the the chinese and the americans, that are willing to give them crazy ammounts of money
Gleams
Bollox.
NinjaTim
Not too popular I would say it summing up the views above. We went to Hong Kong to widen the interest surely that sort of thing is enough!! League tables will look stupid home, away and neutral ground.
eastneydave
I think having an extra game against just some random opponent would be unfair, if anything it should be one of the 38 (but then again that would be unfair for the team who is supposed to host that fixture). The baseball and hockey leagues in the North America, have both hosted regular season games in japan and england, respectively, to increase the revenue and popularity of the sports and leagues, I think its sort of stupid, but its just business and they are trying to expand their operations. Although I would love to see 2 English teams playing for the season on the line, it I probably wouldn't get to see the game because the tickets would be ridiculously expensive. If anything they should just create another cup (like the Barclay's Asia Cup), im sure it would do the trick.
whitestones
I hate the chief scrudamore, or watever, Im going to make a banner for the bolton game! Hes a evil little man, I HATE him.
Gleams
*shock* i break my silence! no, i have to comment on this, as i have, for a long time, thought premier league teams should play abroad, possibly so as to further the brand, and enhance the image as the best league in the world, but partly, as i dont think of it as the English premier league anymore. ts just the "premier league" - and an international one at that. however, i think that this is the wrong aproach. clearly they want to make the games have some significance, or no-one would bother watching them, but possibly one way of doing this could be to have an inter league competition. premiership teams play la ligua teams in coresponding positions, and legue that overall comes out on top can be recognised - officially - as the strongerst league in the world.
pompeycarpet
well im looking for a petition carpet, its ludicrus.
Gleams
I kind of agree with Carpet here, I have always thought the premier league play too few matches (up the fizzy pop's) and if the extra game is 1st plays 2nd, 3rd plays 4th and so on so what? We'd get to play West Ham - tricky fixture that - not. Just imagine the whole of the Premier League flying off round the world on one specific weekend. Sounds fantastic to me. Really exxciting
Et_tu_Pompeii
okay, i started writing on this, but i had too much to say, but basically the timing is wrong. really wrong.
jbaker
If it is a serious suggestion then I agree that it should be one of the EPL games not a friendly and it should be treated in the same way as an intenational break. It would be unfair to teams who played in Sydney to have to come back and play again straight away against a team who may mave played in New York. Jet lag on the long flights takes a few days, not hours, to fully recover from.
frattonaussie
it devalues the euro comps
russellm
doesnt it devalue the premier league full stop? what if a league title was 'won' as a result of this 'bonus game' or a club is relegated becuase of it, or avoids relegation all because of a 'bonus game' aimed purely at making more money...
pompeyrug
I dont see how this fixture should be any different than any other and why it would 'devalue' the league, all they are doing is playing 1 game in front of a different crowd, big deal. The only problem I see is that it means that some teams will be potentially unhappy at playing the best team in the league an extra time with precious points on the line. Also i agree with frattonaussie, jet lag is a factor perhaps it would be best to have the game at the start or end of the season, to minimize that (that what the National Hockey League did)
whitestones
If 'the' game is in anyway connected to gaining points for the premier league It stinks.... 100% stinks... Why is the English Premier League called the 'English' premier League... er.. maybe it's because it's 'English', and the way that is set up is on an equal home and away basis... If they want a separate competition I'm not so against the idea .. but one suggestion was the top team in Italy or Spain play the top teams in England and other countries ... Isn't that the Champions League?.... Which itself, over the years, has been devalued because of money.... I've always found it odd how a non champion can win the champions league....... Finally, I don't accept how taking the game abroad will 'reach' more fans .. So Pompey play in Hong Kong ... hardly gonna help the guys in Canada is it !! ...... No the whole thing stinks the Premier League will get richer and become even more elitiist...
Chix
agreed whitestones, as long as its on neutral ground then its good for both teams, although the whole "english" thing is hard to swallow
jbaker
i think the idea stinks - i dont like it all, i know not everyone feels the same, but vital arsenal have started up a petition against this, granted it might not make a blind bit of difference but if we do not sign it it certainly will not have a hope in hell... those that are against this idea check out his article and then sign the petition - to do so click here.
pompeyrug
I've had time to think about this and I can't see it working. Just from a viability point- many countries support leagues other than the EPL so the countries selected would have to be chosen carefully. In Australia it would be a full house for an Australian team against an EPL team, or an EPL team against, for example a top Greek or Italian team. Thats because we have a very diverse ethnic population. I am doubtful they would turn out in such numbers to see Fulham against Reading or similar. Overseas fans also like to see top name players and will come to a game to see them. I wouldn't bet on the star players being allowed to travel to these games.No star players no supporters.
frattonaussie
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