[Archived] Who Owns Football?

[AllRoverAsia]

This is a tale of superb Corporate organisation or of something completely different.

The City Football Group (CFG) is the holding company established to oversee the creation and administration of a network of linked clubs and other footballing operations. The company is run as a holding company under parent company the Abu Dhabi United Group  (ADUG) along with Chinese part-owners China Media Capital and CITIC Capital. The company's aim is to own a team on each continent, each with the identifier "City" in its name.

City Football Group, Headquartered at Ethihad Campus, Manchester currently has the following active football club subsidiaries:
Manchester City F.C. (100%)
New York City FC (80%)
Melbourne City FC (100%)
Yokohama F. Marinos (20%)
Club Atlético Torque (100%)

To see how the system works you need to read the following Guardian article but a quote teaser is:

"The CFG has effectively turned the A-League (Australian) into a de facto academy."

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/19/likely-big-money-aaron-mooy-move-sets-alarm-bells-ringing-in-a-league

[Pedro]

Chuck Norris

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The Illuminati.

[Stuart]

Surely the correct answer is: agents.

Aided by the UEFA rule book, of course.

[Dunnfc]

Sam allardyce 

[Dunnfc]

2 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

This is a tale of superb Corporate organisation or of something completely different.

The City Football Group (CFG) is the holding company established to oversee the creation and administration of a network of linked clubs and other footballing operations. The company is run as a holding company under parent company the Abu Dhabi United Group  (ADUG) along with Chinese part-owners China Media Capital and CITIC Capital. The company's aim is to own a team on each continent, each with the identifier "City" in its name.

City Football Group, Headquartered at Ethihad Campus, Manchester currently has the following active football club subsidiaries:
Manchester City F.C. (100%)
New York City FC (80%)
Melbourne City FC (100%)
Yokohama F. Marinos (20%)
Club Atlético Torque (100%)

To see how the system works you need to read the following Guardian article but a quote teaser is:

"The CFG has effectively turned the A-League (Australian) into a de facto academy."

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/19/likely-big-money-aaron-mooy-move-sets-alarm-bells-ringing-in-a-league

I did some initialisation works for the Beswick land and regeneration scheme they've got on, safe to say including etihad airways these chaps mean business.

[Tony Rover]

They defenitly have their fingers in a lot of pies. Sad how the games gone really. If it wasn't for my son I might of slid off the radar. Quite conflicted state of mind at the min, I hate how Venkys have bombed us out of the premier league but the lower down you go the more it gets back to what it should be about. Too much money at the top of the game will always invite corruption, the whole model needs to be changed but I fear we're far to gone to turn this ship around, ICE BERG RIGHT AHEAD!

[JayPeeBee40]

I own mitre.. You want a kick about..?  

[Paul]

Like many I wasn't aware of this but I'm not surprised by it. Other than going to Ewood I haven't watched a game, live or on TV, for several years.

Sky and the PL started the rot which has resulted in me losing all interest in a game I once loved.

The beautiful game has become the ugly sister for me.

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

Like many I wasn't aware of this but I'm not surprised by it. Other than going to Ewood I haven't watched a game, live or on TV, for several years.

Sky and the PL started the rot which has resulted in me losing all interest in a game I once loved.

The beautiful game has become the ugly sister for me.

The influence CFG have built in the game is immense and shown up in Australia where the transfer system works in favour of CFG.

Interestingly CFG in March 2017 bought Club Atlético Torque. Formed in just 2007 they are based in Montevideo and play in the Uruguayan 2nd division.

The Academy and scouting systems will come next, as happened in Australia, plus support for football in the host country and the building of a 'close' relationship with the local FA. In no time CFG will have most of the top local youth talent plus access to the other South American markets for recruitment.

Local football development is certainly well up on the agenda and I applaud them for that.

Footballer trading within a system they themselves can influence much more so.

Agents are perhaps not needed as much in this at many stages or can be carefully selected and managed.

Look at the behaviour of Man City in youth recruitment in recent times.

You may be interested in this article from earlier this year:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/jan/13/nyc-fc-manchester-city-football-mls

[AllRoverAsia]

12 hours ago, Stuart said:

Surely the correct answer is: agents.

Aided by the UEFA rule book, of course.

I rather suspect that the CFG plan involves them dictating to the agent, if not already 'owning' said agent.

Other CFG subsidiaries:

City Football Academy
City Football Marketing
City Football Services
City Football Japan
City Football Singapore
City Football China

[JacknOry]

But Mourinho insists he paid more than 26m euros (£23m) tax in Spain, and that he has not been informed of any case against him.

Based on that figure, Mourinho would have been paid around £19m a year during his time with Real.

[Mattyblue]

On 20/06/2017 at 04:53, Paul said:

Like many I wasn't aware of this but I'm not surprised by it. Other than going to Ewood I haven't watched a game, live or on TV, for several years.

Sky and the PL started the rot which has resulted in me losing all interest in a game I once loved.

The beautiful game has become the ugly sister for me.

Good point you make.

A few years ago my Dad said something on the lines of 'I love Rovers, but I'm not particulary interested in football anymore'.

i remember at the time thinking that it was an odd thing to say, but as time goes on I am getting to that way of thinking more and more. It saddens me, because I believe English football is a special institution - it is wound so deeply into the nation's fabric - look at the fact clubs in the fifth tier can pull in crowds of 7/8000+, I love the heritage of the game in this country, but it's rotten.

[Stuart]

I've not been able to work out if it's sour grapes or not but I've no interest in most other teams, can't be bothered watching overhyped PL games (is Stoke v Bournemouth really that exciting?), have no enthusiasm for what other teams are doing, and am losing all interest, let alone pride, in the England team.

I think a large part of it is because of what Venkys have stolen from us Rovers fans. Pride, passion, even the pleasure of watching us play has gone. It's a duty, a burden, a cross to bear (that gallows humour expression has never been so apt).

I would sum it up by saying that they have stopped us from competing. We have always been plucky underdogs, momentarily bully boys but have always competed. By their priority on player value over competing on the pitch they have taken away our purpose as a football team, and our purpose as football fans.

Yes, we are all coming to terms in our own way to the situation. But to do so is to keep our heads down and ignore the future - hoping for the best - while the problem lingers around like flies in a stinking latrine. It gives me no satisfaction at all but I really hope bad things for the Raos.

[Leonard Venkhater]

24 minutes ago, Stuart said:

I've not been able to work out if it's sour grapes or not but I've no interest in most other teams, can't be bothered watching overhyped PL games (is Stoke v Bournemouth really that exciting?), have no enthusiasm for what other teams are doing, and am losing all interest, let alone pride, in the England team.

I think a large part of it is because of what Venkys have stolen from us Rovers fans. Pride, passion, even the pleasure of watching us play has gone. It's a duty, a burden, a cross to bear (that gallows humour expression has never been so apt).

I would sum it up by saying that they have stopped us from competing. We have always been plucky underdogs, momentarily bully boys but have always competed. By their priority on player value over competing on the pitch they have taken away our purpose as a football team, and our purpose as football fans.

Yes, we are all coming to terms in our own way to the situation. But to do so is to keep our heads down and ignore the future - hoping for the best - while the problem lingers around like flies in a stinking latrine. It gives me no satisfaction at all but I really hope bad things for the Raos.

This nails it for me. It sums up the bit that my wife (and children's mother) does not understand haha...

[Paul]

On 21/06/2017 at 08:28, Mattyblue said:

Good point you make.

A few years ago my Dad said something on the lines of 'I love Rovers, but I'm not particulary interested in football anymore'.

i remember at the time thinking that it was an odd thing to say, but as time goes on I am getting to that way of thinking more and more. It saddens me, because I believe English football is a special institution - it is wound so deeply into the nation's fabric - look at the fact clubs in the fifth tier can pull in crowds of 7/8000+, I love the heritage of the game in this country, but it's rotten.

English football WAS a special institution but when teams became made up of players whose names one couldn't spell let alone pronounce it died for me. There has to be some sort of affinity or ability to identify with the players. Fans need to be able to understand something of their club's players. Today that has gone and with it the game has changed forever. Of course many players haven't cared about the fans for decades but one used to be able to at least imagine a connection today such a thought is laughable. 

I could name players from decades ago but last Friday at a pub quiz couldn't name a Spanish player in a Chelsea strip. Cesc Fabregas apparently, I've heard of him.

None of this is helped by the ridiculous level of hype from every media outlet in a never ending effort to sell more coverage. I doubt more than 0.1% of commentators, experts, analysts or whatever have anything interesting to say. Most of them can't even put together a meaningful sentence yet our national media overflows with their nonsense. Frighteningly millions lap it up in an unquestioning fashion never wondering about what is put in front of them. 

And what is put in front of them? Drivel. Meaningless statistics on run rate, completed passes, assists, fancy diagrams, blah, blah. Useful to managers I'm sure but do fans really care? I doubt it - "did you see how he hit that pass" does it for me. 

The whole game is a meaningless money making machine which will eventually crash when TV stops earning from advertising surrounding the game. Hopefully soon.

The disappointment has to be skill levels are better than ever but without passion mean nothing.

[broadsword]

On 20.06.2017 at 04:53, Paul said:

Like many I wasn't aware of this but I'm not surprised by it. Other than going to Ewood I haven't watched a game, live or on TV, for several years.

Sky and the PL started the rot which has resulted in me losing all interest in a game I once loved.

The beautiful game has become the ugly sister for me.

And what a slag it is.

Wouldn't touch it with yours.

[lraC]

Despite all the comments above (I agree with all of them) we all care enough about the game and BRFC to read and comment on here. It still has one hell of a pull if you fell in love with you team at one point. I am sure we all feel differently than we once did, bit not caring what happens to out beloved Rovers, is unlikely to happen to any of us. Boycotting, NAPM protesting, getting behind the lads etc is all about helping the greater good, which is getting Rovers back to the top.

[AllRoverAsia]

Good posts above.

Presently I have enjoyed watching the England U20s WC win and also the U21s at the Eoros. More enjoyable than any league football, I have found.

TV and football are in a long term marriage with no divorce in sight.

The scope for further international penetration is still immense for the PL and PL 2, still quaintly known as the Championship.

Media and football authorities want to market 40+ teams to the unsuspecting world mass markets.

I wrote John Williams on this subject years ago with no response and made posts on here a long time ago on overseas marketing.

Oppotunity knocked and was passed up.

[bob fleming]

20 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Good posts above.

Presently I have enjoyed watching the England U20s WC win and also the U21s at the Eoros. More enjoyable than any league football, I have found.

TV and football are in a long term marriage with no divorce in sight.

The scope for further international penetration is still immense for the PL and PL 2, still quaintly known as the Championship.

Media and football authorities want to market 40+ teams to the unsuspecting world mass markets.

I wrote John Williams on this subject years ago with no response and made posts on here a long time ago on overseas marketing.

Oppotunity knocked and was passed up.

To achieve what exactly? 

Stay in the Premier League? Finish 6th at a push? That's the best we'll ever get to ever again I'd suggest, and even then the odds aint pretty (thanks to the Rao family, look how far we've fallen etc). 

Of course, I'd take that tomorrow. But really? Rushing back to what exactly? In the relatively short time we've been out of the top flight things have changed immensely. As was posted elsewhere and undoubtedly noted by most on here, average players are now going for 10's of millions. Good to average players are now going for the price the Walker Trust sold the club to Jerome bloody Anderson. The bstards have nigh on caught up with us in terms of TV money (Etc) brought in already, and they've been in the top flight for what? 4 seasons?

Would it really matter if we were Big in Japan? Unleashed in the East even? The top 6 or 7 have it sewn up good and proper this time. 

So until we get to a position of having the chance to do the double over the mighty Stoke and Swansea, and all the romance that that brings, I'll go along with trying to do doubles against Bury and Rochdale instead. I don't have a choice really. Every games a first round League Cup match or a Lancs Cup tie (on a wider scale) these days.

To answer the question, Who owns football? $$$$$.

Football willingly sold it's soul to Sky in 1992. Oh and it was great. Course it was. We were everywhere and the bstards  down the road weren't. (No wonder they're bitter. They'll never ever get even remotely close to doing what we did.)

Now no one gives a damn about the national team, or anyone else for that matter. They did to begin with. But now Spurs are building a new ground so that's really triffic. Liverpool have just spent 30 odd million - no one blinked - no one cares.

It's boring as hell now. Arsenal could play Man U in ten mins and I could be barely arsed to reach for the tele control.

Of course all this lack of interest can be put down to Rovers decline, I'm too close to judge really. Thoughts?

[AllRoverAsia]

Bob: I think with me it's a case of what could have been if the Unts had not FUsU.

Jack set us up to be positioned to take advantage of the big money to come from TV selling English football to the UK and international mass markets.

It did not take many brain cells to see it coming but people wanted short term profits at our expense.

Around this part of the world forward looking English teams were touring since the 70s, Liverpool come to mind and they remain a presence.

We should have been part of the bandwagon taking the Sky cash and I am bitter that we are not.

I do not give a feck how expensive players are now. If we had stayed up we would be buying at the market rate like Hudds are today.

I watched us in the Third in the 70s and liked it. I knew no better. Today I would rather play Stoke in the PL than Bury in the Third anyday.

We missed out and it should not have happened.

Anyway we are where we are. Big money is coming to Championship, soon to be PL2, I am sure of that. There will be an increasing effort to sell it to tv markets overseas and it will become cash rich.

We need to get back to be part of it.

Side effects in future will be it will become more difficult to get into PL2 and I predict a reduction of numbers and promo places.

If we don't aspire then that is the time to chuck it all in and take up crochet.

BURNLEY: We will be playing them in the Championship in Season 2018-19. You heard it here first.

 

[Stuart]

7 minutes ago, bob fleming said:

Of course all this lack of interest can be put down to Rovers decline, I'm too close to judge really. Thoughts?

Good post. I think they can be very closely aligned.

"Football 1992" started with an idea of marketing the game to the world by getting into bed with Murdoch, and everyone involved getting rich on the back of it. Including the monopoly seller of satellite dishes.

This has taken us to overseas oligarchs turning football clubs into 21st century yachts and giving ideas to other overseas no-marks, with huge egos and empty wallets, buying clubs with debt in order to sell the stock room, fixtures and fittings, while getting rid of and replacing the staff.

The timing of Jack's takeover was absolutely perfect, his money wouldn't have bought a Tim Sherwood, let alone an Alan Shearer or a Chris Sutton in 2017 but in the early 90s it put us on the world map before we had Google, let alone those little red pins on Google maps. We were swept off our feet, head over heels, the town came together and we rode a magnificent wave together, and a legacy was left to help us to have a 10 year echo, which was cruelly, wantonly (and neglectfully from the PL perspective) cut short. Leading to our 'artificial descent' into oblivion.

Conversely, the Raos timing couldn't have been any worse. The money given to abject managers and players was at the expense of that legacy which was whored out to anyone who was a 'nice man' or a 'like a family member'. Our surfboard ran aground just when the wave machine really started up and the PL put up a massive fence around the whole resort.

Our loved one had a ticket to the ball, she had the dress and the steady bf(s) to drive her the short distance. Things weren't perfect but we had an honest marriage. Venkys came in, kicked him out, vandalised the car and sold the ticket to next door's unfortunate looking daughter, who went to the ball instead, and having come home for a week looks like she's left home for good. She's booked in for cosmetic surgery and could well be set for the life ours should have had.

The question is, which divorce will come first, the unholy union between Rovers and the Raos, or the poligamist marriage between the Premier League and the TV companies? The latter are made for each other, they are all money grabbing whores; the former were an arranged marriage against the bride's wishes and the husband doesn't even visit the marital home, let alone speak to the children. Still he keeps sending those alimony cheques and he's promised us a bike for Christmas so all is well. Not sure which Christmas, and we've needed to lower our expectations from a Boardie to an second hand shop one, but still, he promised.

Yes, I think it's fair to say that football has taken  Rovers on a journey that has terminated here. We can blame the Raos but ultimately we have to blame football's (d)evolution for letting them in.

[AllRoverAsia]

The Sky and PL marriage is rock solid.

No use now in weeping and wailing. We have to try to jump into their bed.

Yes they are whores but very rich ones.

Huddersfield showed that a total lack of morals pays a rich dividend.

I would have no problem being a football whore now the standard is set.

[Stuart]

4 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

I would have no problem being a football whore

I think that is the line that has been drawn for many.

Its why lower League football fans don't support the successful clubs and why many Londoners support United.

[AllRoverAsia]

9 minutes ago, Stuart said:

I think that is the line that has been drawn for many.

Its why lower League football fans don't support the successful clubs and why many Londoners support United.

To clarify: I would have no problem being a football whore following Rovers in the PL

And so would most Rovers fans and those fans of other lower league clubs imho in a hearbeat.

May not be nice or PC correct but it is reality.