tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28590794254459859752024-02-20T17:49:10.784+00:00FFP Stinks Neutral and dispassionate analysis on UEFA's gallant attempts to protect the integrity of the beautiful game.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-79104229668727169502014-11-28T18:28:00.000+00:002014-11-28T18:28:26.311+00:00Here's one I forgot to post...<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently (ok, in September) did another series of 10
tweets on an FFP-related topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
time it was on the common argument from fans of certain clubs that their
superior wealth is “earned” and ours wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Which is rude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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As a small subset of Twitter users don’t get automatic
notifications every time I tweet, it’s just possible that there are avid
fans(?) of my work(?) that were busy interacting with other humans and may have
missed this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’d hate for that to
happen to any of you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For context, this was shortly after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their</i> mad trolley dash of a summer transfer window…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #8899a6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://twitter.com/BlueBockle"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f98c7; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600"
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<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/sturto/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="//pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/508894391302242304/hqCGTlWV_normal.jpeg"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img alt="Description: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/508894391302242304/hqCGTlWV_normal.jpeg" border="0" height="50" src="file://localhost/Users/sturto/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image002.jpg" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_13" width="50" /><!--[endif]--></span><b><span style="color: #292f33;">BlueBockle</span></b><span style="color: #1f98c7;"> </span><span style="color: #8899a6; font-size: 10.0pt;">@BlueBockle</span></a> · <span style="color: #8899a6; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BlueBockle/status/511817019034173440" title="11:01 AM - 16 Sep 2014">Sep 16</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/10 Utd’s big buys
changed the script. Gone are haughty (& false) claims that the “United way”
shuns the vulgarity of big money transfers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2/10 They now try to
discredit City’s success by saying they spent “their own money not someone
else’s”. Theirs is earned, City’s is given.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3/10 Firstly, moral distinctions between
investment types are naïve. Corporate sponsorship = giving clubs money so they
can win. Simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4/10 The huge increases in Utd deals with
Adidas and Chevrolet show brands will pay a premium to put trophies on shelves.
It’s investment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5/10 The correlation
between Utd’s on-field decline and massive sponsorship increases illustrate
this perfectly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6/10 Anyone, owner or company, putting big
sums of money into the game is trying to help a club succeed as it yields
benefit for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7/10 Those that agree
with this “earned money” argument are saying football should be “biggest brand
today should win everything forever”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8/10 Brand advantage is entrenched. Utd
can’t fail & others can’t progress without investment. Complete antithesis
to healthy competition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt; vertical-align: top;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9/10. New generation of fans see Utd
dominance as natural order & have 0 interest in competition. We should be
distributing not polarising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 18.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 18.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10/10 And </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FFP?src=hash"><span style="background: white; color: #78c1dd; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">#</span><span style="background: white; color: #1f98c7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">FFP</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is all about facilitating the fat cat agenda: </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://t.co/mx3bdsiYzR" title="http://ffpstinks.blogspot.co.uk"><span style="background: white; color: #1f98c7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://ffpstinks.blogspot.co.uk </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Stay tuned for more topical, up-to-the-minute news….<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-38925900213872756732014-07-15T09:37:00.001+01:002014-07-24T14:01:13.880+01:00Instant FFP debate tool - a new free resource<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">United’s new deals with Chevrolet and
Adidas are the perfect illustration of why FFP is sending us to hell in a
handcart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, though, others see it
differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The FFP debate is monotonously predictable so I thought I’d save everyone the trouble by having it once, by myself, and
allowing you to simply link to it, saving you the trouble of having the futile
arguments yourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll save you
time and make Twitter all the less tedious for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Here, Person A and Person B take up the
debate:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Whoa! United’s sponsorship deals are so
huge, how can we ever hope to compete?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>FFP means we can’t invest in top players, or our brand, so we’re stuck
behind them forever aren’t we?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much
for fair play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Nah – you need to do what United have
done and earn it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: How?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Get bigger like we did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Invest in your academy and grow organically
and that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Well that’s not gonna work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any of our players are any good, the top
clubs buy them and we’re back to square one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This can’t be fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And anyway,
if this is a sporting competition, why should it be “strongest brand
wins”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why don’t we share the money out and
have some proper competition?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Because football’s a business now isn’t
it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: So it’s a business but we’re not allowed
to invest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that not seem odd to
you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s important that you only spend what you earn – it stands to reason,
right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Football fans keep saying that as if it’s some kind of eternal moral
truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People invest and borrow in every
other industry and have done in football for over a century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do we have to only spend what FFP
defines as revenue?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Durr!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because you’ll go bust if you spend money you don’t have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Fair enough for clubs that spend beyond
their owner’s means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as long as the
investment isn’t borrowed and isn’t a speculation on future success, it’s safe
as houses, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If an owner transfers
money into a club’s account, surely that makes them more secure not less?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: But what if the owner gets bored and
leaves the club with a cost base they can’t support?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: True, but investment allows clubs to be
more successful and therefore grow their revenue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>City’s revenue is miles higher now than it was
when the Sheikh arrived. It also makes the club attractive to other new owners
and we could introduce measures to make sure owners invest in contingency funds
too, if that’s what we’re really worried about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Yeah, but why should you be handed
money?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>United earned theirs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just financial doping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Well, United are the most popular club
in the country – fair play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the
last twenty years, they’ve worked with the other G14 clubs to make the
Champions League a closed shop that has sent their revenues through the
roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being in the Champions League
year-on-year makes you pretty much untouchable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Exactly – they earned a top four place
every year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: But there’s hardly a level playing field
each August.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It rewards the elite clubs
so much that they can hardly fail to stay there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players want to be in the Champions League, a
new global generation of fans wants to support the teams in the Champions
League, companies want to sponsor teams in the Champions League.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twenty years later, they’re playing a
different game to the rest of the league, financially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not earned – that’s self-perpetuating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: But that doesn’t mean you should let
Arab oil money be used by clubs that haven’t earned it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thinks:
Hmm, bit racist…]</i> But what’s the difference between an owner putting money
in and a huge corporate investing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chevrolet and Adidas are putting in loads and load more cash than Aon and Nike were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why? Because they need
United to be successful if they’re going to get value from the deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they’re investing in giving the manager
enough money to buy top stars to wear their brands and to bring home trophies
that will be paraded before their brands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s investment in making United successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Financial doping is still wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: But we’ve just established that clubs
can’t compete unless they get investment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So what’s the answer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: What’s the problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All clubs should live within their means and
we’ll see who wins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: But you accept that that will always be
the same clubs – primarily United?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: No – only if they perform and earn it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: They just finished seventh – arguably the
most abject failure of any club in Premier League history – and as a result
they’ve just signed the Adidas deal that will push them back to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that how you define “earning” success?
Under what circumstances could United now fail to be the biggest
“earners”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they deserve success forever?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Ok. But if this system is so unfair, why
have all the clubs voted for it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Well, that’s a good point, although they
didn’t all vote in favour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But remember
it’s voted for by club owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
own a mid-table club, the reality is, you’re a million miles away from the top
clubs already and you’re enjoying ever increasing revenues due to the
popularity of the league so the value of your investment is going up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FFP domestically means that you’re under no
pressure to invest your own money (a great defense when the fans demand
signings) and it helps keep the clubs below you at bay if they can’t invest to
catch you up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What it means for fans though is that
they’ll never compete at the top within their lifetimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or their kids’ lifetimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or their kids’ kids’ lifetimes…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">B: Ok, I get the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you know, the more I think about it, I
reckon you’re right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll only get
financial fair play if we redistribute wealth better and put in absolute caps
on transfer spend and salary bills (not linked to revenue).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we could invest more in youth, cheaper
ticketing, better facilities etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly
the established elite will never go for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A: Do you know mate, I couldn’t agree more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fancy a pint?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">B: Nice one. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Manchester+City+v+Manchester+United+Premier+RFcQMOVFqfVl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Manchester+City+v+Manchester+United+Premier+RFcQMOVFqfVl.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-25060945712115127382014-05-20T12:50:00.001+01:002014-05-20T12:52:48.285+01:00City and UEFA settle - 5 things we've learned<div class="p1">
So a settlement was reached and City have been punished.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Here are five things we've learned, or had confirmed, by the whole sorry episode:</div>
<div class="p2">
<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>1. FFP is clandestine</b></div>
<div class="p1">
One of the most telling aspects of City's <a href="http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2014/May/Club-statement-16-May" target="_blank">statement</a> was the reference to transparency. The cause of City's "failure" to comply with the regulations seems to be one of detail and interpretation. They clearly believe they have worked closely enough with UEFA for a shock outcome to have been avoided.</div>
<div class="p1">
Now we can (as some have) blame City's advisers for screwing up, but If UEFA were genuinely committed to helping clubs comply, they could surely have coached City towards compliance. The club's statement talks of their "good faith" and "collaboration" and they clearly feel this hasn't been reciprocated. You could be forgiven for thinking UEFA wanted to catch City out, take its pound of flesh, and placate the baying hordes of the G14 old guard. I'm sure such cynicism would be misplaced, though.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://stitchedupbyphoenix.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Secretive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://stitchedupbyphoenix.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Secretive.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
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<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>2. The "spirit" of the regulations should now be clear to everyone</b></div>
<div class="p1">
We were told to expect that UEFA would not only ensure compliance with the regulations, but with their "spirit". As the stated aims of FFP boil down to financial responsibility i.e. preventing clubs getting themselves into a mess, a la Portsmouth and Leeds, it's difficult to reconcile the level of punishment with that spirit. The club has never, in its entire history, been in a more safe and stable financial position. Equally, UEFA told us that a club's "direction of travel" would be considered in any punishment. City can illustrate rapid movement towards a position of profit and have clearly resisted the temptation to make big splashes in the transfer market, their deals dwarfed by those for Falcao, Neymar, Bale and even Mata and Ozil in the past year. So what exactly is the spirit of FFP again? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTc89pSo18kyorxBC8D6SkMh6Kgfpzqzj7ImD9q1UwjvllOqpBw-Q" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTc89pSo18kyorxBC8D6SkMh6Kgfpzqzj7ImD9q1UwjvllOqpBw-Q" /></a></div>
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<b>3. The legal basis for FFP is flaky, at best</b></div>
<div class="p1">
FFP is currently subject to legal challenge. The lawyer in question not only challenges the legal basis for the regulations themselves but also the sanctions dealt to City for supposed breach. This <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/19/sport/football/financial-fair-play-uefa-dupont/index.html?sr=sharebar_twitter"><span class="s1">article</span></a> sums this up rather nicely. Expect further developments.</div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnZEQAfiVMXfqKCJjWxaL_Q2k4wqXDio-EEQdPH0M-qW36DQpX2Q" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnZEQAfiVMXfqKCJjWxaL_Q2k4wqXDio-EEQdPH0M-qW36DQpX2Q" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>4. In PR terms, City are between a rock and a hard place</b></div>
<div class="p1">
There were plenty of fans excited by the prospect of City rolling out the lawyers and blowing UEFA out of the water. The reason City have chosen not to do this is probably no reflection on the strength of their legal case, as the above suggests. A victory in the courts would first require City to become the enemy of UEFA and of all the established, powerful footballing brands across Europe, many of whom, including Messrs. Wenger, Woodward and Rummenigge have come out in the last few days to reiterate their support for FFP. The Abu Dhabi "project" was as much about building reputation and relationships as it ever was about trophies and the prospect of pushing against all of those footballing bodies, not to mention their commercial partners and their huge collective fan base, was deemed too great a price to pay for the avoidance of these sanctions and the ongoing constraints FFP will bring. When people tell you that FFP is supported by the overwhelming majority of clubs, it's worth remembering that swimming against the tide can come at great cost. </div>
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<a href="http://www.prconversations.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/megaphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.prconversations.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/megaphone.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<b>5. Journalists appear to be slowly getting it</b></div>
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<div class="p1">
Whilst many a journalist and pundit continues to roll out the established clichés around "the importance of only spending what you earn" and the need to prevent "financial doping" without any actual analysis of FFP, there is a growing number for whom the penny is beginning to drop. I suspect <a href="http://ffpstinks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/arise-sir-martin.html"><span class="s1">Lord Samuel</span></a>, for so long a lone voice of reason over orange juice and croissants on Sky's Sunday Supplement, is allowing himself a wry smile as, one-by-one, his colleagues in the written press begin to publish articles criticising FFP. Maybe it's because City are becoming part of the furniture, or because of a deeper mistrust of Platini stemming from his role in awarding the World Cup to Qatar. Who knows? But we've seen articles like <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-city-deserve-much-better-3505526"><span class="s1">this</span></a> and <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/10812167/Uefa-and-Michel-Platini-are-missing-the-real-targets-with-their-50-million-fine-for-Manchester-City.html"><span class="s1">this</span></a> and <a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/columnists/kay/article3985767.ece"><span class="s1">this</span></a> from writers whose condemnation of FFP was conspicuous by its absence during its formative stage.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-90181592733213158802014-04-15T20:09:00.000+01:002014-04-16T09:02:16.684+01:00Turkeys and Christmas<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="EN-US">As I write this, the nation stirs in
anticipation of UEFA announcing its FFP naughty list i.e. the clubs whose
losses exceed the acceptable threshold.
Various media outlets and, of course, Twitter, are already alive with
suggestions that City and PSG will be found guilty and punished, potentially by
expulsion from European competition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Now I’ve covered before why FFP is a
ludicrous, scandalous piece of market rigging, designed by and for the
established elite clubs whose various financial shenanigans miraculously seem
to fall outside of the very specific legislation around owner investment. So I won’t labour the point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What I find interesting is the reaction of
supporters. Not the Arsenal fans,
brainwashed as they are by Wengernomics and their now-immovable moral framework
built around the virtues of revenue maximisation by any means and the shunning
of any form of investment. Their value
system ensures that the “news” of City’s imminent demise is met with puffed out
chests and cries of “about time too”, their only concerns being around leniency
should UEFA fail to disband the club with immediate effect. No, that much was predictable, as are the
similar reactions from fans of the other G14 clubs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What’s more interesting is the response of
the downtrodden. Those poor souls whose
clubs are now the football equivalent of the various districts in The Hunger
Games. Living in their own worlds,
seemingly unaware and broadly accepting of their place in the world and
comforted by the complete control exerted over them by the plump and satisfied
population of the Capitol. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I read one particularly partisan tweet,
which I now can’t find, from a Coventry fan looking forward to UEFA throwing
the book at City. Now he may just not
like Manchester City. Maybe he was one
of those that stormed the Main Stand at Maine Road in the FA Cup in the
nineties (note to self - do some research at some point and insert the specific
year here, you lazy swine. And look again for that Coventry tweet). But I
suspect it reflects the widely-held view I hear from fans of all manner of
clubs that “sugar daddies” are the bane of our game, the “natural order” has
been distorted and FFP is going to restore sanity for the good of all. Sigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So given that they could hardly be more
wrong, why are so many fans in favour of FFP?
Here are three suggestions. Any
more? :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US">The propaganda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">From managers to
chief executives to chairmen. From half-baked
pundits to sanctimonious broadsheet journalists. From UEFA executives to concerned bloggers
with graphs and spreadsheets. Basically
anyone that would like the competitive landscape to be exactly as it was for
the decade prior to City’s takeover is backing FFP, seemingly without feeling
the need to apply even the tiniest amount of dispassionate assessment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">No, it’s time
for that terrible new phenomenon of owner investment that has only emerged in
the last century or so to be stopped.
Football got cozy when the Champions League riches ensured the same
teams succeeded every year and lots of people don’t want that ruined. So they talk about how good FFP will be. And as most folk are simple souls who believe
what they’re told to believe, they buy it entirely. It’s why companies still employ cold-callers. People are gullible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">2)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US">A rose by any other name<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">It’s obvious. Do you want fair play? Yes, please. There endeth the analysis for most
people. If the Tories had called the
Poll Tax “Financial Fair Play” there would have been none of that kerfuffle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">3)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-US">FFP is great for most club owners<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Reality check. You’re worried about owners that want to put
money INTO a football club. Did you know
all the rest are looking to take money OUT?
Scary eh? So for owners looking
to buy a club, enjoy the ride, extract some dividends and sell for a profit,
FFP looks pretty attractive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">If clubs can’t
invest, the chances of a rival from the division below becoming upwardly-mobile
and pushing you down the food chain are suddenly reduced. So now you can retain the status quo more
easily and when the fans get frustrated at the lack of incoming transfers or
the sales of a star player, you can shrug sincerely and say “Sorry folks. It’s FFP.
My hands are tied”. Particularly
handy for the sort of investors a certain ex-United captain was filmed drinking
with perhaps… So if most of the clubs
are in favour of FFP, it must be a good thing right? Right…?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-58042089687950343752014-02-06T19:46:00.000+00:002014-02-06T19:48:59.919+00:00Arise, Sir MartinWith every whining, jumped-up keyboard warrior having a blog these days (ahem) you could be forgiven for thinking the role of the newspaper journalist is becoming redundant. However, there's a link I want to share that provides a timely reminder of the value that great journalism can bring to a chaotic debate.<br />
<br />
Yes, it's your friend and mine, Martin Samuel. Again. I love Martin Samuel. Not just because he and I have exactly the same views on FFP but for many other reasons. He's not afraid to swim against the tide or look beyond the popular rhetoric. He does genuine research and analysis that, when added to his logical reasoning and witty delivery, slices through the swathes of ill-considered bile from the average football fan. He has a top beard.<br />
<br />
And not only does he write great articles, he's also on hand to deal with the barrage of fans who either haven't read them properly or refuse to open their minds to any form of reasoning. In the link below, he collates the idiotic responses of the masses and deconstructs them ruthlessly. Enjoy:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/2007_jawards_msamuel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/2007_jawards_msamuel.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2552828/MARTIN-SAMUEL-THE-DEBATE-The-little-horse-Jose-s-latest-ploy-s-amazing-fans-lap-Chelsea-hypocrites-lucky-rich-rivals-City.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490" target="_blank">Read it and weep</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh - before you go. Martin is not a City fan. This, I think, makes his work all the more satisfying. And it means he's also capable of this, for example - a slightly withering view on City's CEO Ferran Soriano and the Pellegrini appointment: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2334809/Manuel-Pellegrini-long-reign-Manchester-City--Martin-Samuel.html" target="_blank">Mail</a>. <br />
<br />
I don't share his view here (my specs are blue-tinted) but it reassures me that when the Big M writes something positive about City, it's a result of him exercising his brain and then calling it as he sees it. The basic requirement of a journalist, so sadly lacking among many of his so-called peers. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-59433866089576751802014-02-05T13:33:00.001+00:002014-02-05T14:30:46.698+00:00Basically, City are morally superior, right?As I've illustrated in previous posts, City were, along with the rest of the league, victims of a G14 stitch-up. Heroically, they refused to lie down and fought their way to freedom thanks to an altruistic owner who bestowed kindness upon them.<br />
<br />
Without a thought for himself, Sheik Mansour brought world class players to the game's most loyal, long-suffering fans. He began re-generating acres of impoverished East Manchester and even found time to build rooftop pitches for deprived children in Spanish Harlem. This he did in City's name. Not content with that, he set about building a new future for the beleaguered national team through a state-of-the art youth development facility on a scale and quality never before seen on these shores. And he's going to populate it predominantly with good honest local lads from hard-working families*.<br />
<br />
To give so much, despite the evil machinations of the self-serving G14 and the weak and malleable officials of UEFA, City's owner should be awarded a Nobel prize. Instead he is berated by an ignorant and one-dimensional press pack and whispered about in the dark corridors of many a European football institution.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6a/Nobel_medal.png/200px-Nobel_medal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6a/Nobel_medal.png/200px-Nobel_medal.png" /></a></div>
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Now ok, even I'm not quite one-eyed enough to claim this degree of moral superiority**. I am genuinely blown away by the way our new owners are shaping the club's future. But I am realistic, even a touch cynical. If City had somehow found itself nicely settled in the top four and a mid-table club had hit the jackpot and crashed the party, we'd be co-signing those cringeworthy letters*** to the Premier League demanding protection right about now. <br />
<br />
Because the point of this (worryingly long) post is one simple stark reality - ALL CLUBS ARE IN IT FOR THEMSELVES. If you ever doubt this at any point in the future, do smack yourself about the face repeatedly until the notion fades.<br />
<br />
There is no moral high ground here. One of the most offensive things in modern football, even more than Michael Owen's commentary, is the suggestion from the usual suspects (yes, you Arsene) that when they bleat about non-enforcement of FFP they are somehow concerned for "the good of the game". Don't ever let these people tell you they care about the game. Everything they have lobbied for over the last twenty-odd years was about building an advantage, growing their balance sheets and lining their pockets. If the terms were right, they would leave the Premier League in an instant to join a Euro/Global/Inter-Galactic Super Competition. City included.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
* Acknowledgment - D. Cameron<br />
** I probably am<br />
*** Letters like these - <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2261817/Arsenal-Manchester-United-financial-fair-play-plot-ruin-Premier-League--Martin-Samuel.html" target="_blank">as featured in Martin Samuel article</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-59646238574613613752014-02-04T14:46:00.000+00:002014-02-04T14:55:43.731+00:00I have a dreamThe Daily Mail doesn't get much praise. The hilarious comments sections do, but that's about it. But the Daily Mail is the unlikely home of the beacon of light for those that actually choose to understand FFP. Like his namesake Luther-King, Samuel knows he's swimming against a tide of bigotry and ignoran<span style="text-align: center;">ce, but he swims on for you and I. Here is just one example of his fine work</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2261817/Arsenal-Manchester-United-financial-fair-play-plot-ruin-Premier-League--Martin-Samuel.html" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2261817/Arsenal-Manchester-United-financial-fair-play-plot-ruin-Premier-League--Martin-Samuel.html</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-11450219118797755832014-02-04T14:26:00.003+00:002014-02-04T14:26:42.030+00:00What does Financial Fair Play mean?In posts below I've covered how the current financial landscape came to be (i.e. <i>they </i>started it, Miss) and the strange phenomenon of people not knowing/remembering/caring about this (i.e. casting United as a plucky underdog against City's evil might). In my third and probably final series of ten FFP tweets, I started to discuss the meaning of "fair" and how the term is being used and abused in the current debate<span style="text-align: center;">. I may expand on this further in conventional blog stylee as you're probably finding the tweet format annoying. I know I am. Anyway, here it is:</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
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<div class="p1">
1/10 Accepted truth that clubs with most money succeed. As true in Utd's</div>
<div class="p1">
era of dominance as it's been for City, BRFC, NUFC, CFC #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
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2/10 So "financial fair play" must be about sharing all this cash out</div>
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more evenly right? Strangely not. #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
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3/10 Instead it defines "fairness" as a simple revenue race. One most</div>
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clubs can NEVER EVER hope to win. #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
4/10 Firstly,G14 clubs have huge entrenched advantage. Self-perpetuating</div>
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growth over two decades having pushed thru UCL reform #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
5/10 Secondly, there's nowt anyone can do to catch up. Can Villa devise</div>
<div class="p1">
clever marketing strategy to sell more shirts than Utd? #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
6/10 Is it S'land's fault they don't have Arsenal's corporate market on</div>
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doorstep? Can West Ham get Chevrolet to give them £50m p.a? #ffp</div>
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<br /></div>
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7/10 Fans of these clubs are frustrated but far more likely to grumble</div>
<div class="p1">
about oil sheiks than the clubs that stitched them up. #FFP</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
8/10 Whilst fans of the elite repeat ad nauseum that their financial</div>
<div class="p1">
strength is "earned" not the result of the stitch up #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
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9/10 And nobody acknowledges that FFP should be about eliminating</div>
<div class="p1">
financial disparity, regardless of where £ comes from #FFP</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
10/10 Policies that give everyone a broadly equal crack of the whip. Now</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
that would be fair… #FFP #mcfc</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-87806956592855895362014-02-04T14:16:00.001+00:002014-02-04T14:17:50.647+00:00Who's wrong and who's wronged?Inspired by the response to my first 10 tweets in the post below (wouldn't it be easier if they put the oldest post at the top of the page? I dunno), I did another ten. This time, my tweets were in response to an article that was written by a real life journalist (who does stuff like this, just not for free). A week later he hasn't passed any comment. Probably just busy...<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">1/10 My tweets on FFP yesterday got great response – ta! Wanted to follow up re. this article <span class="s2"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/10604418/Manchester-City-...-the-team-I-really-wanted-to-hate-following-lottery-win-but-now-cannot-help-but-admire.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/10604418/Manchester-City-...-the-team-I-really-wanted-to-hate-following-lottery-win-but-now-cannot-help-but-admire.html</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s3">2/10 <a href="https://twitter.com/LukeEdwardsTele"><span class="s4">@</span><span class="s5">LukeEdwardsTele</span></a></span> article is great example of partial/selective understanding of <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23mcfc"><span class="s6">#</span><span class="s7">mcfc</span></a> 's current status and associated morality #ffp</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
3/10 He rightly states we won the lottery and jealousy of others is perfectly understandable. I'd have felt same if Everton, Villa etc. #mcfc #ffp</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
4/10 He's wrong when he says it's unfair on EVERYONE else. The G14 agenda that created two-tier division is scandalously unfair #mcfc #ffp</div>
<div class="p3">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
5/10 They made success incredibly lucrative and cut the rest of us out. Yet Luke wanted United, very much part of that, to beat City to title #mcfc #ffp</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p5">
6/10 G14 clubs had top places stitched up forever till Mansour came <span class="s8">along</span> and they couldn't get FFP pushed through quickly enough to stop #mcfc #ffp</div>
<div class="p5">
<br /></div>
<div class="p6">
7/10 The established elite use emotive words like "fair", "organic", and even "doping" to create moral agenda. Ultimate irony given<span class="s8">…</span> #mcfc #ffp</div>
<div class="p6">
<br /></div>
<div class="p7">
8/10 ..it is them thru pressure on UEFA that have consigned the rest of English football to generations of mediocrity and dreams of finishing fifth<span class="s9"> #mcfc #ffp</span></div>
<div class="p7">
<span class="s9"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p8">
<span class="s10">9/10 I</span><span class="s11">'m sure <a href="https://twitter.com/LukeEdwardsTele"><span class="s12">@</span><span class="s13">LukeEdwardsTele</span></a></span> is a perfectly good chap and we all enjoy seeing the mighty fall. I'd suggest he tries to enjoy the… #mcfc #ffp</div>
<div class="p8">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p8">
<a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02306/gl_2306552b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02306/gl_2306552b.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a>10/10 wailing and gnashing of teeth and desperate analysis of #mcfc 's accounts from the greedy fat cat clubs instead. #mcfc #ffp</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-18943841420982368072014-02-04T13:43:00.000+00:002014-02-04T14:30:24.202+00:00A brief history of FFP - important you get this before we go any furtherPeople like to talk about the impact of wealthy owners on the competitive landscape. Fair enough. Crucially though, most start from a completely false premise - that football was fair before these owners arrived. The reality is that the game had already been deliberately distorted years before the likes of Sheikh Mansour had his first taste of Holts Mild and fell in love. <br />
<br />
So I've explained how we got to the current state of play in ten easy steps, each in their original form i.e. not exceeding 140 characters, including hashtags. You're quite welcome:<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
1.Elite clubs wanted lion's share of growing money in football. They set up a pressure group, G14 to reform game in their favour. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FFP"><span class="s1">#</span><span class="s2">FFP</span></a><br />
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<div class="p2">
2. G14 threatened breakaway so UEFA created UCL that rewards elite clubs massively, creating huge wealth gap #FFP<br />
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<div class="p3">
3. Wealth gap self-perpetuates through sponsorship, more fans, more success, more cash. Becomes hard to fail #FFP<br />
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<div class="p3">
4. All other clubs go from being in reasonable contention to being well adrift of "Big 4" that are top 4 every year #FFP<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
5. Wealthy individuals see opportunity to revive those clubs and gatecrash the party #FFP<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
6. Elite clubs get scared and pressure UEFA. They create #FFP which makes contrived distinction between sources of wealth #FFP<br />
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<div class="p3">
7. Corporate investment from sponsors, gate receipts, TV revenue (highest among elite) = good #FFP<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
8. Non-borrowed private investment = bad. No action on redistribution of wealth or preventing debt #FFP<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
9. Gatecrashers find/contrive ways to increase revenue to comply with #FFP<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="p3">
10. Fans of elite clubs and semi-informed (often biased) analysts wail and gnash teeth. The end. #FFP</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-58963930771171351292014-01-31T16:52:00.001+00:002014-02-04T14:02:33.629+00:00About meI'm a football fan. More specifically a Manchester City fan.<br />
<br />
You need to understand that, I suppose, but I would say that my views on FFP, G14 and the established elite in English and European football were particularly strong when we were skint and they are every bit as strong now that we're loaded (heh heh).<br />
<br />
My personal life and previous convictions are not important. We're talking about FFP - focus.<br />
<br />
You can find me on Twitter: @BlueBockle or on the excellent <a href="http://www.bluevibe.co.uk/">www.bluevibe.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
I had no intention of blogging until one day, the barrage of ill-informed, brain-washed drivel being bandied around on Twitter about City's finances got the better of me. I tweeted a series of ten tweets in response and, with a little help from @Spider_Manc gained another 100 followers and lots of nice comments. I did the same the following day with similar results. So I thought, "what the hell?" and decided to convert these sets of tweets into short blogs. This way, if there is a broadsheet journalist that doesn't favour the established elite (it's possible - stop laughing) they might quote me then I'll be asked to go on TalkSport. But it'll be them wot call me, right?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859079425445985975.post-74745972712844678702014-01-31T16:39:00.000+00:002014-02-04T14:00:43.686+00:00WelcomeHello there and welcome to my new blog, FFP Stinks. I came up with that myself.<br />
<br />
I recently noticed how easy it is to become a "recognised FFP analyst". You just need some partisan views, a blog and a few spreadsheets.<br />
<br />
Actually, I won't be providing any spreadsheets. Or graphs. I won't even be reading a single financial report. And that's because the real story of FFP is not in the detail. It's not about clubs' creative revenue reporting, the propriety of sponsorship deals or player ammortisation. They'll tell you it is, but it aint.<br />
<br />
It's about cartels, anti-competitive practice, greed and manipulation. And I can explain all of that without the use of numbers.<br />
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Hurrah for me!<br />
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