[GocartMozart]

i'm starting to agree with those against this idea. It only hurts the domestic FAs in Asia which are already dealing with competition from the EPL. In the USA I could see it be a benefit if it was used to boost the popularity of the sport, rather than a way to establish a foothold for the EPL in the USA>

[USAManUtd13]

It's too bad that the MLS isn't for this because I was really excited about it. It would be exceptionally easy to work out the logistics for teams not in the FA Cup or CL. Fulham, for example, doesn't play again until the 23rd; plenty of time to make a leisurely trip to NA, play, and return before the next fixture. Clubs in the tournaments will have a tougher time, but maybe this could be implemented in a rolling process (i.e. have teams with a more open schedule test it out for the first year and then try to work it out to get the top teams involved).

Dempsey (Fulham) played an EPL game on Sunday, flew to Houston, TX, trained with the USMNT until Wednesday, played Mexico on Wednesday, flew back to England and played another EPL match on Saturday...surely this proposition could be worked to be less hectic than that.

[funkdoctorspock]

I'm still of the opinion that its a dumb idea. The amount of traveling that teams have to do already. Not to mention those that are in CL & UEFA competitions respectively. If the league wants to promote itself so badly worldwide, they should setup preseason friendlies in countries/markets they are interested breaking into.

That way you:

a. don't piss off Fifa
b. don't piss of country football boards
c. don't diminish your product during the season by having your teams traveling across the globe to play.

I really hope David Gill indicates that United aren't in favour of this. Hopefully that sentiment snowballs among other clubs.

Man Utd to deal blow to '39th step'?

Manchester United chief executive David Gill is expected to deliver a blow to the Premier League's proposal for overseas games by telling the Football Association board tomorrow that the club opposes the plans.


Gill is one of only three top-flight representatives on the FA board, so it will be an uphill struggle for Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards to persuade the other members to back the scheme for each club to play a 39th match in a foreign city.

The best the Premier League can hope for is to be given more time to develop their proposals, and it is thought that the Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney will argue the case for that course of action.

But with Gill in opposition, even that may be in doubt if the other board members - of whom half come from the amateur game - feel the plan on the table is unworkable.

In that case, the league will have little option but to go away and return with an entirely new concept of how to harness overseas interest.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore had a meeting today with his FA counterpart Brian Barwick, and FA chairman Lord Triesman, where he presented the plans in detail.

But the opposition within the FA has hardened over the past two weeks and Triesman has made it clear there are four hurdles for the league to overcome, and that if the objections are not dealt with the league will have to drop the idea.

These are ensuring there is no adverse impact on England's 2018 World Cup bid, that there is no impact on fixture congestion or the fortunes of the national team, that fans are not opposed to the move and that the format of the competition is fair.

Triesman said: 'So far we have not had sustainable answers to that.'

Gill is expected to tell the FA board that with the current plan, there is no chance of overcoming those hurdles. He may also point out that those in charge of Liverpool have the same view.

Scudamore hopes to fly to Zurich next week to persuade FIFA president Sepp Blatter of the benefits of the plan ahead of the March 14 FIFA executive committee which will look at the proposal.

Scudamore conceded yesterday for the first time that the idea will be dropped if it does not get the all-clear from FIFA and the FA.

Blatter has already reacted with clear hostility to the concept.

ESPNsoccernet - England - Man Utd to deal '39th step' blow?

[GocartMozart]

Spanish and German leagues back '39th step'

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - The Premier League's controversial 'international round' concept was backed on Wednesday by leading officials from the Spanish and German leagues.


Earlier this year the Premier League proposed to play an extra international round of fixtures, in five cities around the world from the 2010/11 season but after a widespread opposition and a rejection from the FA, plans seemed to have been put on the back-burner.

However, those behind it may dig out their plans for a 39th round of matches again after being given rousing support from representatives of some of the rest of Europe's major leagues, who jealously look on at the Premier League's enormous global reach and income.

Speaking at the Soccerex Forum at Wembley Stadium, Francisco Roca Perez, CEO of the Spanish league, said: 'I thought it was a great idea, it seemed quite natural.

'I was really surprised by the reaction and many of the criticisms were misunderstandings of what the objectives are.

'I think this first step has reached a mass opposition but eventually it will become normal as this league and these teams are so well liked all over the world.'

Tom Bender, director of marketing for the Bundesliga, also backed the plan but said it had been badly presented.

'I think it was very good example of how a good idea can be ruined in three seconds,' he said.

'It was not sold very well. I think it's a great idea, commercially fantastic, but the repercussion was tremendous and they (the Premier League) did not fight back.

'Some things make sense in marketing but you have to be careful how you tell people about them.'

Bender said that German clubs had been reluctant to get involved in overseas expansion plans until money was waved in front of them.

'All our clubs say they want to get into the overseas market but when we approach the individual clubs they say 'no thanks',' he said.

'We have had to change our approach, make money available and some teams came forward and they have played friendlies in places like Poland and China as representatives of the Bundesliga.'

The fourth edition of the Soccerex Forum, a series of seminars and 'networking opportunities' attracted representatives of more than 100 clubs representing 25 nations, together with hundreds more delegates from all aspects of the football industry.

ESPNsoccernet - Europe - Spanish and German leagues back '39th step'

this doesn't want to die, does it