Manchester City Football Club was purchased recently by the Abu Dhabi United Group, fronted by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Fahim, the Donald Trump of Abu Dhabi. It has raised the debate, once again, about money in football. The debate seems to revolve around whether or not the level of commercialisation in football is “good for the game”.
The Premiership is becoming divided into two tiers: clubs still waiting and clubs who have already attracted foreign benefactors. Success is increasingly determined by this arbitrary, off-the-field concern rather than the sporting but equally arbitrary fortunes of twenty-two men and a ball.
So, why are people so concerned? The game may be more commercial that it once was but club football, by it’s very definition, runs on money. Clubs are businesses and the Football Association is a business. They are creatures of the commercial world. In order to limit the impact of business on the game, rules would be needed, rules that would strangle the enterprise out of clubs and make them poor investment opportunities.
If the supporters want the Premiership to carry less prestige, attract less money, fewer world-class players and promote a more honest game where fortunes are determined on the pitch, then they should go ahead and demand reform. On the other hand, I think what they are looking for is right under their noses. It’s called The Football League. And yet they’d hate to see their club relegated to its ignominy; the hypocrisy being, they love the prestige and the glamour of the top flight.
Of course, there’s always international football. Unlike club football, internationals are not controlled by money. The competitions are as presigious as it gets and the players are world class. Unfortunately, games aren’t local or regular enough to quench the public’s thirst for the beautiful game.
