Never forget what the dirty dozen tried to do
In less than two days, a plan to launch a footballing Super League that had been years in the making completely fell apart. Every step, from the embarrassingly meagre launch with branding that looked like it was mocked up in two minutes on WordArt, but presumably cost thousands in consultancy fees, to the gradual collapse on Tuesday night as teams started dropping like flies, was staggering for various reasons.
Firstly, how did they think they were going to get away with it? Secondly, how did they think they were going to get away with it? And lastly, how the fuck did they think they they were going to get away with it?
The whole episode exposed just how out of touch the billionaire overlords who own the world’s biggest football clubs are. Arrogant too – that they did not even seek to consult any fan groups to get a gauge on how the idea might go down speaks volumes. Either they simply don’t care and assumed they could force it through, or they were genuinely so deluded that they thought it would be popular. Either way, it dispels the myth that billionaires are much more intelligent than the average person.
Arsenal put out a grovelling statement, claiming to have listened to their fans’ voices and admitting they made a mistake. John Henry recorded a video message for Liverpool fans, apologising for the negativity brought on the club. But this is just the latest event in a long-running series of attempts to strip football of its soul in the name of profits. Don’t be pacified by their hollow apologies.
The Spanish clubs still seem adamant to make it happen – their levels of debt making them more desperate than their English counterparts – but football fans can be proud to have prevented this coup from taking place.
Now, let’s maintain this energy for every other battle in this war. As my colleague Si Lloyd wrote: Grab the pitchforks.
Enjoy the quiz.
