[Jedi Knight]

has the heart and soul been ripped out of football? has the modern business world erradicated what football was once about? or are we overly sentimental regarding the beautiful game?

[Joe]

No way brother!

[Jedi Knight]

this should be interesting and should evoke some passionate retorts.

[Joe]

I love it too much baby!

[ryantheowl]

Originally Posted by Joe

I love it too much baby!

And me!

[squid]

going to be a pessimist and say that the game is starting to suffer from certain business practices within the game.

[Matt the Thrasher]

I believe that certainly English football lost it's soul when it took Murdochs millions.
Man Utd dominated for a decade simply because they were the richest team, Chelsea are now richer and therefore more successful it's all about money .

[theo kawala]

Originally Posted by squid

going to be a pessimist and say that the game is starting to suffer from certain business practices within the game.

yer all this business and cheating diving its starting too really mess up the beautiful game

[sdrawrof]

In England yes, in Italy, probably, in Spain, forget about it, in France, its starting, in Germany its still okay. I think that yes moeny has effected it, but lets not forget that the individual players, for the most part got good becuase they play with passion, and they are baught because they are good. However money sucks that away, and this can be seen clearly if one looks at the English national team. I don't think that is good, but its reality. I think that money not only hurts the teams but the individual players.

[aisuru]

i think it's getting that way, for the reasons mentioned in the 'Rivals' thread.

there's the odd moment of soul left in the game. there's still the odd player that genuinely wants to play for the club he signs to, and genuinely plays for the love of the game. Ronaldinhio always has a smile on his face, and looks like he's having a good time, as if he's having a kick-about down the park. Roy Keane signed for Celtic after being a supporter as a kid, and having the ambition to play for them.

the World Cup generally rises above money, but it's slipping too. the level of cheating that goes on isn't good for the game, and the antics of the Togo squad this year aren't what the World Cup is supposed to be about.

the cheating gets down to every level. there's far too much diving these days, as we all know, but what about the constant firing the arms up in the air every time there may be a slight advantage to be had? players used to try and keep the ball in, whereas nowadays they often seem intent on allowing the ball to run out to gain a throwin or a goal kick. a good wing back should be keeping posession of the ball from the opposing forward, outplaying him, and then delivering it back up the park for a counter-attack.

[squid]

I thin one of the major aspects which is takingthe soul out odf the game is all the big buy outs. the likes of Abramovic, the dude at Portsmouth and the potential buy out of west ham where clubs will be opperating outside thre operating costs and dont really need the money of the fans as much as they have in the past.

Football clubs used to be community institutions and fans had a major part of a clubs success. Nowadays this is disappearing and i dont thik its really only happning in england. Real Madrid have been mentioned. I'm worried that the sport might get as commercialised as American Football.

[beartons]

Originally Posted by Jedi Knight

has the heart and soul been ripped out of football? has the modern business world erradicated what football was once about? or are we overly sentimental regarding the beautiful game?

without a shadow of a doubt,of course it has, ball players were destroyed in place of a no lose policy! and the mafia own it,just like boxing between 1900-1950s, it is corrupt, and even the players are not my heros anymore, the vast majority are arrogant and obnoxious cheats and mercineries who couldnt care less for the football fan! i watch the big games if they are on telly,but i will not pay for a football strip or subcribe to sky or pay joke prices to watch over-paid mediocrity! not to say the odd football genius is still out there,but it is harder to find one who is down to earth and humble and loyal !

[aisuru]

i think you're right there Squid. it's happening in Scotalnd too, with Hearts having their own Russian benefactor. only he's got no clue what he's doing, and is ruining the club.

on a somewhat parallel note, notice how Gretna's fan-base has changed somewhat since Mileson took over and they starting getting places? there's a fair few supporters turned up at Hampden in May who weren't standing about at Raydale Park five or six years ago.

[squid]

Originally Posted by aisuru

i think you're right there Squid. it's happening in Scotalnd too, with Hearts having their own Russian benefactor. only he's got no clue what he's doing, and is ruining the club.

on a somewhat parallel note, notice how Gretna's fan-base has changed somewhat since Mileson took over and they starting getting places? there's a fair few supporters turned up at Hampden in May who weren't standing about at Raydale Park five or six years ago.

Yeah they had a major turn out but its easy to support a club punching well above its weight. Good supporters are there at the bad times as well.

[Jedi Knight]

i suppose it all depends on one's definition and perceptions of football. For me the soul has definitety been ripped out of the game. It really is no longer about a cheap form of escapism, community and entertainment. Fans are never consulted about changes to the game and big business really does DICTATE what happens within the game. i'm only in my early 30's and already i can sound like an old man when i say i can remeber when most games in the uk were on a Saturday at 3pm and it cost u the price of a pint to go. Football wasn't really that different for me when i was young compared with my dad who went in th 60's. There have been more changes in the last 15 years than the last 100. the playing field was never level to begin with but it is certainly worse now when u consider the power that the big 14 clubs wield. The romance has definitely gone out of the game now.

[squid]

i still maintain that this is the greatest sport on earth. Its just that there are loads of supsect aspects of the game now that are rearing thier head. I mean look at this thread. there has been numerous topics that could be deemed to effect the sould of the game. the diving, money grabbing, big buy outs, clubs buying competitions, corruption, money grabbing players, managers and agents. by christ this is a hell of a long list! Its now up to the fans to keep the soul in the game.

[Jedi Knight]

valid points my easteemed friend. For me though, and maybe i'm being overly sentimental, but it is no longer the humble game for the masses it once was. I still love it though. then again my dad bought me a football when i was 2 weeks old, so i never really stood a chance

[waynelyp90]

Football is undeniably losing its once soul. After a big discussion with aisuru in the 'Rivals' section, I think I somehow realise football is now more than a game. It is not just Manchester United, it's a global pandemic.

Players are leaving clubs that nurture them due to low wages and low regcognition. Top young players nurturers like West Ham can't get to their best in league satndings since their nurtured players were used as products to sell to rich clubs. We can see it from a few examples on this with all the tapping players incident. Players are now more attracted to money rather than loyalty. Players like Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Raul and Del Piero is now endangered species.

Besides, all sorts of way were used to get victories. Bribes, diving, changing ref's mind had all changed football. European football is getting stronger and stronger nowadays since their financial power often made player's from other continents, such as Asia and Afica move to them. Leagues at this weaker nations can't improve if all the players are moving out.

Although football had changed very much towards the negative way. I still think it haven't completely lose its soul yet so I hope anyone out there, who is capable of turning things around must quickly buck up.

PLEASE SAVE FOOTBALL FOR OUR SAKE.

[Jedi Knight]

the players you metioned, plus Henrik Larsson when he was at Celtic, are a dying breed of players who feel a sense of loyalty to both their respective clubs and their fans. There is still hope!!

[Jedi Knight]

however, i still feel fans are as passionate about their clubs as ever. I can see more people taking an interest in lower division clubs, as the romance of football and the community spirit of these clubs still exists there.

[prince of darkness]

Every professional sport has the same problems as football, simply because sport is big business. And where there's big business there's power and we all know power corrupts.Having recently been to the bad place (parkhead) in corporate hospitality I could see the game definatly does not belong to the 'ordinary' fan anymore.

[Malaka 69]

i say no because all sports are a business and yes football is big business but without the fans clubs wouldn't exist which is why businesses won't take the total piss because they need a club to be successful in order to make money. It's the one thing we hold over business men, our loyalty. we still support our teams as always

[goldenHuddlestone]

Surely for a sport to have so much money pumped into it is justification that many many fans see it as the pinmacle of their lives in the most extreme cases