Wake up, before it's too late!

Those were the days vs. Greed culture

Here we go again. Suitcase packed, passport in hand and we’re off to a new event. This time we are preparing for a Norwegian Studentcruise 2008. In Oslo around midnight, heading for a hotel nearby and cruising off for a night in the Nordic sea Wednesday.

Now with my ass solid planted in the flight seat, I will blog my 2nd post today. Living in UK, I get the same question from friends at least twice a week; you must watch a lot of football games in England. The answer is: No, I don’t. I don’t watch LIVE football at all. I’m fed up, in a way I’ve had enough. Just tired.
Last two games I watched in London were West Ham vs. Liverpool and Tottenham vs. Liverpool. For the Hammers game I came 20 mins into the game! (Sorry, Taggy - I really messed it up on that night. Still embarrassed and I owe you one.)

For the end of season game between Tottenham and Liverpool, we were 8 guys in the executive box. Special guest was Jan Mølby, and we were actually spending more time watching Gillette Soccer Day on the TV, paying attention to our bets and asking quiz questions to each other.
Why have I lost interest? I really don’t have a good answer. I might be a moaner, because I'm not even an English - and still I have a go at the Beautiful Game!
Pardon me guys, but Premiership today is all about business, nothing else. (Man City is the latest example) I’m just fed up, and some of us can hardly afford to go to the odd games anymore. I feel sorry for the diehard working class fans and I’ve sort of made my decision. Can't even remember last time I was at Anfield! (Sad isnt it?)

Ok, let's start lightly: An decent match ticket could cost around £40 (if you are lucky to get one!), football match programmes cost £10, burgers £7 and pints £4,5 (and you thinking Norway was expensive?) Who can afford this in the long run?

UEFA chief Michel Platini is crying out about the game’s increasing debt problems. With the credit crunch, there are serious warning signals all over. In today's Daily Mail coloumn writer Des Kelly points out a few interesting facts about the Premier League:

- West Ham United could be in serious financial difficulties due to Icelandic bank crisis (Icelandic owner and Icelandic main sponsor)
- Liverpool FC are owned by two Americans who hate each other and they bought the club with funds they borrowed from struggling banks.
- Newcastle United’s owner Mike Ashley are trying to sell the club. He only bought it a year ago!
- Tottenham Hotspur is a BIG club in England. Now they have to fight relegation, financial problems and manager chaos.
- At Portsmouth the wage bill takes up 90% of the club’s turnover!
- Wigan, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Fulham all have to deal with massive debts
- and don’t forget Man Utd’s staggering liability of £600m!

English football has played an important part of my life since early childhood, but now I worry about its future. The culture of greed will soon have a negative boomerang effect. No one will miss me at Anfield, neither the club nor the players on the pitch. But the smaller clubs? One empty seat makes no difference. Neither do 10 seats. What if we see 100 empty seats before Christmas? 1000 empty seats before end of season?

Wake up, soon it might be too late!