ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Broken Dreams

I have just finsished reading an excellent book, written by an investigative historian called Tom Bower. The title is Broken Dreams and I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is an in-depth investigation into the "bung" culture, agents, bent managers, Chairmen, Foreign Owners, the FA and the Premiers League. As far as I am aware, no-one mentioned in the book has sued the author, so the contents must be accurate.

His investigation into foreign ownership made me glad that we have not gone down that road... yet! Everton as a club appear to get a thumbs up in the way they are run: only Peter Johnson's mad spending spree with money he never really had comes under the microscope.

Compared to other teams: Spurs, West Ham... we come out of it smelling of roses. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Read this book and you may change your mind on foreign ownership!
Austin Heath, Liverpool Posted 29/03/2010 at 15:19:47

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Spragg Johnson
1 Posted 30/03/2010 at 08:00:45

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Yep ... one of the best football books around ... check out "How they stole the game" by David Yallop which looks at FIFA conspiracies too ... quality invetsigative journalism.

Nick Wall
2 Posted 30/03/2010 at 08:43:22

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I've read it too, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Maybe time someone wrote a sequel, as more and more clubs and owners are having their dirty dealings exposed.

Nick Entwistle
3 Posted 30/03/2010 at 08:50:07

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Boooo foreigners! They look different and talk funny!

James Cadwaladr
4 Posted 30/03/2010 at 09:04:15

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Another book for you to try in the same vein is a book called "The Beautiful Game?" by David Conn... and also a book called The Foreign Revolution but I can't remember who that is by. Both, especially the first, are well worth a read.

Ellen West
5 Posted 30/03/2010 at 15:54:21

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Having a go at the Royal family, Nick? Tut, tut...

Charles King
6 Posted 30/03/2010 at 15:11:15

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Will read as soon as possible, I fear the game is on the point of meltdown with these revelations becoming commonplace and no real actions being taken.

As much as supporters everywhere love their clubs, this blind loyalty has allowed many arseholes to abuse the situation. Peter Storrie at Portsmouth I suspect is representative of many in the game, gratuitously milking the club financially whilst cultivating a caring benevolent image. So sucessful in this deceit, fans were chanting his name a few weeks ago whilst the dreadful truth of him extracting £1.8m from the club made the MPs expenses scandal look frugal.

Who would blame Portsmouth fans for saying "stuff it, the thieving gits can piss off"... you can fool some of the people etc. I think in this modern age of alternative entertainment, confirmation of these abuses, whether foreign or domestically influenced, will be fatal within a generation if not addressed.

James Flynn
7 Posted 04/04/2010 at 04:08:34

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Domestic (beyond national pride) or foreign doesn't matter. It's "Good" ownership that counts, not where the owners come from. The Glazers tend to be the foreign ownership whipping boys in England. Not sure why and don't care. But they're known in America for owning an NFL franchise and doing well in what's called in America "a small market". They’re respected as savvy businessmen.

They bought Man U (and are NOT selling them ever) because they understand the path of world pro league soccer. MLS in a few years, maybe 5, all teams will have their own soccer facility. 5 teams do not currently, but have development in place or about to happen. At that point, MLS will switch to the European pro league schedule, which Blatter has been bugging them about for a few years now. That point is also the fork-in-the-road for MLS and the top Euro football leagues.

If MLS decides to be a feeder-league for EPL, La Liga etc, things couldn't be better for Europe as America has basically turned into a soccer country. For the last 20 years virtually every child plays soccer, combined with something like 30 million immigrants from soccer-mad countries. We're at the cusp of an explosion in soccer talent. So, one path to take at the fork is remaining a Euro minor league. This is difficult to believe. Once MLS has its own facilities and is on the Euro schedule, the very American instinct to be (or own) the best will kick in; the other path to take from the fork.

Any top player on earth will be fair game, not just available to a handful of top sides in Europe. Combined with the explosion in available domestic talent in the US. At this point, I think the Champion's League will be replaced by a permanent one like EPL, La Liga, etc. The Glazers understand this and WILL ensure Man U is one of the teams in Europe’s new top league. I know that's no new idea and is discussed regularly. The final settling of MLS will move that discussion to a reality. As MLS has several foreign owners, what’s left is how well the organization is run, not if the organization is owned domestically.

ps: As a Toffee fan I couldn’t care less, but Man U fans will come around to liking the Glazers. They’re well-respected in America’s NFL for trying hard routinely (and being successful mostly). Plus, they’ll still be there pushing when SAF is dead and gone. Man U fans can bitch (pack of front-running whiners), but the Glazers are used to success and will see it through.

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