Three weeks ago the moment that I had been waiting over 12 months for arrived. I put down my Blackberry and picked up my new phone. It was a great feeling to get rid of a phone I had wanted to throw in the skip for so long.
The BlackBerry Curve was the first smartphone I ever got and back in 2010 it was up there with the best and most popular devices out there. It was fast and reliable, had great access to emails, the internet was good and most of my friends had this device. Building on that last point, BlackBerry was the ideal phone for contacting your friends, notably through the BB Messaging service. If I'd had my BlackBerry for a year, then the first part of the post would have been a lot different, but sadly it was a 24 month contract and the second year was where the problems started.
The most notable issues were the almost constant freezing whenever I tried to do anything which the phone considered 'too fast' and separately the 'white screen' that appeared suddenly without warning. Add to this the back falling off, along with parts of the sides and the top, then you get a picture of how the phone was operating towards the end.
So with my contract coming to an end I was faced with a choice, which phone should I get next? There were many options out there, go with Nokia who are trying to fight their way back in to the market or possibly Sony or HTC. As I really looked at this it became an obvious battle between Samsung and Apple. Do I plump for the Galaxy S3 or wait for the iPhone 5, which was expected late Sept/ early Oct, to come out?
Both phones would have been great choices, they are fast, have great apps, produce perfect pictures and generally make your life easier. The differences between the two are minimal and in the end it comes down to preference. Some people will buy an iPhone simply because it is an Apple product, whilst others will choose anything but an iPhone in order to be anti-Apple.
I will admit I was leaning towards that first group, wanting to have an iPhone because of how good the previous models had been. Plus having a friend tell me how amazing his iPhone was didn't help Samsung's cause. The main thing that put me off the S3 was just how big it was. It's funny how the first mobile phones were huge and slowly they got smaller but now it seems we're heading back the other way again, although at least they are remaining thin! Samsung have, however, revealed a smaller version of the S3 will be released, possibly solving the size issue for many potential customers.
I think in the end a lot of it does come down to reputation. Apple has long had a reputation as a game changer, as being the top dog in the pen. You know if you buy an Apple product, the chances are you're going to be pretty happy with the quality of the device. Samsung have managed to achieve this now and are a major player and rival of Apple, so much so it created the court battle between the two over patents this year. Do you think Apple would have bothered if Samsung were barely scratching the service in the mobile world? Me neither.
Reputation is the biggest issue facing Nokia and BlackBerry right now. Both companies have been at the top at some point, most notably Nokia who used to rule the mobile land. Interview people on the street and I guarantee 90% will have had a Nokia at some point but they were overtaken and took too long to catch up. Slowly the fallen giant is making it's way back with the Lumia range and will be pinning a lot of its hopes on the new Lumia 920, due for release in Europe in November. Blackberry has the same hopes pinned on the BlackBerry 10, after a fall from grace as it was passed by touchscreen technology and its own major failures. It remains to be seen if these devices can revive the fortunes of each company but the worrying thing will be where could they go from here if they don't?
In the end I went for the new iPhone and have not regretted it at all. It's a great device and an even better one when compared to my old BlackBerry. It is everything I thought it would be and what I explained it was in this article. The question now is could I ever see myself going back to a Blackberry after converting to Apple? Well I like to look at it this way, if you upgraded from a tricycle to a Ferrari, would you ever go back? Anyone knows though that nothing stays the same forever and nobody stays on top forever, so we shall see if anyone can truly knock Apple off their perch in the future.
But as the old saying goes, if you can't beat them, join them and I think I will be joining them for a good while yet.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Race to the top is on again!
They say don't look at the table until after 10 games, then you start to get a picture of the teams who'll be battling at the top come May and the teams fighting for their lives. If this is the case then Cardiff must be feeling pretty happy at the moment, with Peterborough slightly more concerned.
Following on from this theory then Birmingham are in for a long hard season, one of last season's play off teams are languishing in twenty first place, just three points above the drop zone. Take a closer look though and the former League Cup winners are just six points from the play offs, showing just how close and unpredictable the Championship really is.
This is why the Championship is arguably the most competitive league in the world, so called 'upsets' happen every week. Peterborough had lost seven games in a row before they went to Hull, who are doing quite nicely in the top ten, and put three past them in front of their own fans. Cardiff had won three on the bounce when they travelled to Crystal Palace and were two to the good at half time but lost 3-2. I wonder what odds you would have got on Palace at the break? These kind of results happen in every league but not as frequently as in the second tier, which is the reason why it's so tough to get out of. Whoever finishes top of a league usually deserves it and this is no more true than in the Championship, a gruelling 46 match, nine month marathon.
So who will triumph in May and will there be a surprise package or a late runner like Reading?
As I have said before, this league is unpredictable and 20 out of the 24 teams will have genuine hopes of promotion this season. Even as late as March that number will have only whittled itself down to about 16. It is very hard to predict who can last the distance, many times teams have threatened to stay but couldn't quite hold on.
This year Cardiff are looking strong, especially at home after winning all five games so far, and I feel they will be up there once again. But can they handle the pressure? It has got to them in the past having been play off finalists in 2010, losing to Blackpool, and semi finalists in each of the last two seasons. I think they will finally handle the expectation and pressure and I'm tipping them for success this year as I feel their home form will take them up.
Wolves were another team well fancied and after an early season wobble, are starting to hit their stride as their new manager gets acquainted with a new league. Stale Solbakken is best known for his very successful time with Danish club FC Copenhagen, where he won five titles. The Norwegian arrived at Wolves on the back of a less successful period though with then Bundesliga side FC Koln. It has taken them time to adjust to a new league and their new manager, starting off with an opening day loss to Leeds, but they are sitting pretty in third. I feel out of the three relegated sides that they will have the best chance of bouncing straight back as everyone is pulling in the same direction there, which is not the case at the other two. I'm not sure if they will make automatic promotion but I wouldn't fancy meeting them in the play offs.
Now this may seem biased to some people, based on the fact I support this team, but I really feel this could be the year Leeds get back up and I will explain why. Firstly we have Neil Warnock and there is nobody out there more experienced to get a team promoted, he's only done it the seven times! He knows this league better than anyone and the types of players needed to get you up. Take a look at QPR last season. Who would have thought a team that relied on Shaun Derry in the heart of midfield could get you up, but Warnock did and Derry was integral. Leeds are currently seventh in the table, joint with sixth placed Huddersfield on goal difference. This has been a good effort given the open fixture list which included Cardiff, Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Hull, Bolton and Nottingham Forest. All of whom are expected to be near the top come May. They have also done this without last season's top scorer Ross McCormack for the last month. Every club's fans think they could win promotion and I am no different. I feel that with the right investment in January, if this takeover goes through before then that is, that a few tweaks would see Leeds hard to stop.
There are plenty of other teams I could consider for promotion. Blackburn will be up there but I feel the crowd unrest with the board and the pressure for whoever their new manager is, will be too much. Similarly with Leicester, recent rumours of Nigel Pearson under pressure despite them being second in the league. Is there smoke without fire and could this unease tell in the end? There is also Blackpool, Forest, Brighton and Bolton who will be making a charge. There could also be the possibility of a team making a late run, just as Reading did last year and Crystal Palace several seasons ago. The Royals were languishing in the bottom half in November but put in a sensational run to win the league comfortably by the end. If they can shore up their defence Burnley could be a bit of a dark horse this year, if they can keep hold of free scoring Charlie Austin.The league really is wide open but I feel Cardiff, Wolves and Leeds will be the lucky ones this year.
These are only my predictions and if I was certain to be right then I would be a lot richer as well! Please comment on who you think will reach the promise land this season. After all the banter, the emotion and the unpredictability is why we love this game so much.
Following on from this theory then Birmingham are in for a long hard season, one of last season's play off teams are languishing in twenty first place, just three points above the drop zone. Take a closer look though and the former League Cup winners are just six points from the play offs, showing just how close and unpredictable the Championship really is.
This is why the Championship is arguably the most competitive league in the world, so called 'upsets' happen every week. Peterborough had lost seven games in a row before they went to Hull, who are doing quite nicely in the top ten, and put three past them in front of their own fans. Cardiff had won three on the bounce when they travelled to Crystal Palace and were two to the good at half time but lost 3-2. I wonder what odds you would have got on Palace at the break? These kind of results happen in every league but not as frequently as in the second tier, which is the reason why it's so tough to get out of. Whoever finishes top of a league usually deserves it and this is no more true than in the Championship, a gruelling 46 match, nine month marathon.
So who will triumph in May and will there be a surprise package or a late runner like Reading?
As I have said before, this league is unpredictable and 20 out of the 24 teams will have genuine hopes of promotion this season. Even as late as March that number will have only whittled itself down to about 16. It is very hard to predict who can last the distance, many times teams have threatened to stay but couldn't quite hold on.
This year Cardiff are looking strong, especially at home after winning all five games so far, and I feel they will be up there once again. But can they handle the pressure? It has got to them in the past having been play off finalists in 2010, losing to Blackpool, and semi finalists in each of the last two seasons. I think they will finally handle the expectation and pressure and I'm tipping them for success this year as I feel their home form will take them up.
Wolves were another team well fancied and after an early season wobble, are starting to hit their stride as their new manager gets acquainted with a new league. Stale Solbakken is best known for his very successful time with Danish club FC Copenhagen, where he won five titles. The Norwegian arrived at Wolves on the back of a less successful period though with then Bundesliga side FC Koln. It has taken them time to adjust to a new league and their new manager, starting off with an opening day loss to Leeds, but they are sitting pretty in third. I feel out of the three relegated sides that they will have the best chance of bouncing straight back as everyone is pulling in the same direction there, which is not the case at the other two. I'm not sure if they will make automatic promotion but I wouldn't fancy meeting them in the play offs.
Now this may seem biased to some people, based on the fact I support this team, but I really feel this could be the year Leeds get back up and I will explain why. Firstly we have Neil Warnock and there is nobody out there more experienced to get a team promoted, he's only done it the seven times! He knows this league better than anyone and the types of players needed to get you up. Take a look at QPR last season. Who would have thought a team that relied on Shaun Derry in the heart of midfield could get you up, but Warnock did and Derry was integral. Leeds are currently seventh in the table, joint with sixth placed Huddersfield on goal difference. This has been a good effort given the open fixture list which included Cardiff, Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Hull, Bolton and Nottingham Forest. All of whom are expected to be near the top come May. They have also done this without last season's top scorer Ross McCormack for the last month. Every club's fans think they could win promotion and I am no different. I feel that with the right investment in January, if this takeover goes through before then that is, that a few tweaks would see Leeds hard to stop.
There are plenty of other teams I could consider for promotion. Blackburn will be up there but I feel the crowd unrest with the board and the pressure for whoever their new manager is, will be too much. Similarly with Leicester, recent rumours of Nigel Pearson under pressure despite them being second in the league. Is there smoke without fire and could this unease tell in the end? There is also Blackpool, Forest, Brighton and Bolton who will be making a charge. There could also be the possibility of a team making a late run, just as Reading did last year and Crystal Palace several seasons ago. The Royals were languishing in the bottom half in November but put in a sensational run to win the league comfortably by the end. If they can shore up their defence Burnley could be a bit of a dark horse this year, if they can keep hold of free scoring Charlie Austin.The league really is wide open but I feel Cardiff, Wolves and Leeds will be the lucky ones this year.
These are only my predictions and if I was certain to be right then I would be a lot richer as well! Please comment on who you think will reach the promise land this season. After all the banter, the emotion and the unpredictability is why we love this game so much.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Club over Country?
As England prepare to take on the might of San Marino, football fans across the country are mourning the break from their clubs.
The international break is a great time, it is your chance to get behind your country, for rival fans to come together but the emotion is not quite the same as it is with your club.
One difference between club and international football is fans become more invested in their clubs because they play more often and read news about them every day. It is hard for international teams to build momentum when they only play once or twice every few months, whereas clubs can sometimes play up to four times in a week. If you loved watching something, which would you prefer, having to wait two months to see it again or seven days?
Club football is more personal, every fan supports their country, but your club is what separates you from everyone else. You don't get the banter and the rivalry with internationals like you do with clubs. It means more if you're a Liverpool fan to beat Manchester United then it does for England to beat Germany. I'll bet you're more likely to meet a few United fans on your way to work to banter with then you are a bunch of Germans; though if you happened to live in Germany it would be a lot easier!
Success may play a part in it for some as well. The continuous failures of the England team to replicate anything near to the 1966 triumph has become frustrating. I think every club must have had 'some' form of success since the national team has.
International football is a great concept though and I would be outraged if it was decided that because people prefer their clubs that it should be done away with. Tournament football is brilliant because it is a few weeks focused entirely on watch your country, who play up to seven games, but with England it is usually maximum of four.
The players can also have an effect on your interest on the international stage. If your national side has a lot of your club players you become more invested but if your clubs players aren't there, then you may feel your team is not represented.
There will be plenty of people that disagree with this and I am not saying that I do not like internationals, because I do, just my club means more to me when it comes to football. I feel more passionate, more emotional and more invested with my club. If they lose I feel down but a win makes me feel great and on top of the world.
A couple of years ago I was studying in California and it was around the time my team, Leeds United (please keep reading after hearing who I support), were trying to get promoted from League One. Leeds were playing Bristol Rovers at home and just needed a win to guarantee promotion. California is eight hours behind so when the game kicked off at 3pm UK time, it was 7am where I was. During my time in California I lived in a shared room, which is an important part to the story. I woke up to listen to the game and suffered as Leeds went down to 10 men and then 1-0 down. Just after hearing Leeds equalise I managed to find a video link to the game in time to see Jermaine Beckford put Leeds ahead, upon which I shouted in excitement, thus waking my room-mate up! I could not contain my joy at this victory, that was a result of nine months worth of work for my team. Now I have seen some great England games, goals and drama, Beckham's free kick (you know the one) being a prime example, but I just don't feel that sheer joy I experienced at 8.20am, 5,000 miles from home, could be replicated watching someone in a England shirt rather than a Leeds one.
There is no doubt I would choose my club first but come every other summer you will find me in the middle of the pub, beer in one hand, crisps in the other, cheering on my country.
The international break is a great time, it is your chance to get behind your country, for rival fans to come together but the emotion is not quite the same as it is with your club.
One difference between club and international football is fans become more invested in their clubs because they play more often and read news about them every day. It is hard for international teams to build momentum when they only play once or twice every few months, whereas clubs can sometimes play up to four times in a week. If you loved watching something, which would you prefer, having to wait two months to see it again or seven days?
Club football is more personal, every fan supports their country, but your club is what separates you from everyone else. You don't get the banter and the rivalry with internationals like you do with clubs. It means more if you're a Liverpool fan to beat Manchester United then it does for England to beat Germany. I'll bet you're more likely to meet a few United fans on your way to work to banter with then you are a bunch of Germans; though if you happened to live in Germany it would be a lot easier!
Success may play a part in it for some as well. The continuous failures of the England team to replicate anything near to the 1966 triumph has become frustrating. I think every club must have had 'some' form of success since the national team has.
International football is a great concept though and I would be outraged if it was decided that because people prefer their clubs that it should be done away with. Tournament football is brilliant because it is a few weeks focused entirely on watch your country, who play up to seven games, but with England it is usually maximum of four.
The players can also have an effect on your interest on the international stage. If your national side has a lot of your club players you become more invested but if your clubs players aren't there, then you may feel your team is not represented.
There will be plenty of people that disagree with this and I am not saying that I do not like internationals, because I do, just my club means more to me when it comes to football. I feel more passionate, more emotional and more invested with my club. If they lose I feel down but a win makes me feel great and on top of the world.
A couple of years ago I was studying in California and it was around the time my team, Leeds United (please keep reading after hearing who I support), were trying to get promoted from League One. Leeds were playing Bristol Rovers at home and just needed a win to guarantee promotion. California is eight hours behind so when the game kicked off at 3pm UK time, it was 7am where I was. During my time in California I lived in a shared room, which is an important part to the story. I woke up to listen to the game and suffered as Leeds went down to 10 men and then 1-0 down. Just after hearing Leeds equalise I managed to find a video link to the game in time to see Jermaine Beckford put Leeds ahead, upon which I shouted in excitement, thus waking my room-mate up! I could not contain my joy at this victory, that was a result of nine months worth of work for my team. Now I have seen some great England games, goals and drama, Beckham's free kick (you know the one) being a prime example, but I just don't feel that sheer joy I experienced at 8.20am, 5,000 miles from home, could be replicated watching someone in a England shirt rather than a Leeds one.
There is no doubt I would choose my club first but come every other summer you will find me in the middle of the pub, beer in one hand, crisps in the other, cheering on my country.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
The FA CUP - Losing the magic
For a number of years now every time the FA Cup comes back around one question is always raised. Has the FA Cup lost its magic?
The oldest domestic cup competition in the world used to be the pinnacle of a team's season.
It used to rank alongside the league title as the trophy each team would most like to win.
Unfortunately this famous trophy has been eclipsed by the ever powerful Champions League.
Lack of interest
For teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, the most likely winners, the FA Cup has become a 'nice' thing to have and not a necessity anymore.
Their lack of interest is clear in the early rounds of the competition, with countless changes being made.
This of course can backfire as Manchester United found out against Leeds last year.
But do you really think Manchester United fans would have cared at all if they had gone on to win the Premiership or Champions League? I don't think so.
It's not just the teams at the top that make the changes anymore.
Most recently Blackpool made nine changes in a third round tie with Southampton, which the club went on to lose.
Manager Ian Holloway said he made the decision because his team had little chance of winning the competition and he wanted to focus his entire aim on staying in the Premiership.
Now some people will argue he is right but how is this devaluing the competition any less than the teams at the top?
Domination
The third round of the FA Cup will always be special, there's always that dream tie that pits a star studded team against a bunch of part time minnows.
That is what the FA Cup is all about, but as the rounds progress and the small teams inevitably get knocked out, the same teams triumph again.
In the last 15 competitions only one other team outside what was known as the so called 'big four' (Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool) has won the trophy.
That was Portsmouth and in doing so they nearly put the club out of existence.
The Semis
So with the cup seemingly losing its magic what has the FA done to re-energize the competition?
That's right they've ruined the magic of the one time trip to Wembley now by staging the semi finals there.
This has seriously devalued the magic of the final.
Now if you're going to win the trophy you have to make two trips to the home of football.
I'm not sure of any other country that does this.
Congratulations on winning at Wembley, but you haven't won a trophy, you're prize is that you get to come back again to try and win the trophy next time.
What was wrong with the old format?
The semi finals were played at neutral grounds, like Villa Park and Old Trafford, and fans could head to Wembley for one special day knowing if they win they will have a trophy.
Another point about staging the semi finals in London is how does this benefit the teams in the north?
It costs enough through tickets and food and petrol just for fans to make one trip to Wembley let alone two.
Outgrown
The power of the Champions League keeps on growing and it is a magnificent competition, where the best players can compete against each other to really see who's the greatest.
Sadly it has out grown the one treasured and famous FA Cup and it is hard to see a reversal any time soon.
The FA Cup is still a great competition but it is becoming increasingly unimportant for more and more teams each season.
The teams at the top of the Premiership want to win other things more, the teams at the bottom want to focus on staying up.
This mentality is beginning to spread downwards as well.
The teams at the top of the Championship, don't want a cup run getting in the way of their chances to hit the big time.
Some people say that Leeds' famous win over Manchester United last year and their matches against Spurs were the reason for their remarkable slump that nearly cost them promotion.
The fans
The FA Cup has got to a stage now where it is at most third best, behind Europe and the league, but it still maintains its magic within the fans.
It is true, everyone is looking for promotion or a title but when the FA Cup comes around every fan is eager for their team to do well.
To lift the famous trophy is fast becoming a rare thing for many teams given the domination at the top.
So if your club has a run in the competition you should enjoy it because it might not happen again for a while.
The world's oldest cup competition must be kept alive within the fans because if they lose interest like some clubs could be accused of doing, then I fear it will become a third rate trophy.
Friday, 27 March 2009
From their club to their country
Why is that when you think of Steven Gerrard in a red Liverpool shirt, you think he's on of the best midfielders in the world? But put him in an England shirt and the whole view changes. The same goes with many English players who perform week in week out for their clubs but as soon as England rolls up, their form disappears.
Frank Lampard is a classic case, his form for Chelsea over the last six years has been extraordinary, sometimes hitting 20 goals a season, many outside the box i might add. He's up and down the pitch more times than a yo yo, putting the effort in that all fans want their players to out in for the club. However, Lampard has been continuously criticised for his performances for England. Lampard can put the ball in the net from 25 yards for chelsea no problem, but for England it's not even on target. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Lampard had the most shots off target in the competition. Subsequently he has been subject to boos from some England fans, i feel this is wrong as how can booing a player make them better?
Many people will disagree with me on this but i feel Wayne Rooney has seriously underperformed for England. When he first played for England, he couldn't stop scoring and terrified teams in the 2004 Euro Championships. But since then he has scored only about 4 or 5 goals for England in 4 and a half years. Is that world class?
Steven Gerrard is a player that is the heart and soul of Liverpool football club, mention Liverpool and he is the first name that comes to mind. He has saved that goal and won them so many games with last minute goals and world class performances but his England performances are also questionable. I am not saying he vastly under performs but compared to his performances for Liverpool there is a huge differences between the red and the white.
The question remains as to why these world class players can't turn it on for their country, is it because they prefer to play for their club then the country, no i don't think so. I do feel it is down to how different in style they play for their club then their country. For example, Gerrard has the license to do what he likes on the pitch as he has two defensive midfielders there to protect the defence for him. For England he does not and so has to be more cautious and not focus on what he does best. England have the problem of having world class players that play in the same position and are forced to choose between them, like Lampard and Gerrard. For some reason they both can't play together in the centre of midfield, this is because they both like to move forward which would leave the centre of the pitch exposed.
If someone can answer the riddle of how to get these players to put in the performances they do for the clubs for their country they'll be a very rich person. If Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney etc, played for England like they do for their clubs then England wouldn't be waiting very long for a major tournament trophy at all.
Frank Lampard is a classic case, his form for Chelsea over the last six years has been extraordinary, sometimes hitting 20 goals a season, many outside the box i might add. He's up and down the pitch more times than a yo yo, putting the effort in that all fans want their players to out in for the club. However, Lampard has been continuously criticised for his performances for England. Lampard can put the ball in the net from 25 yards for chelsea no problem, but for England it's not even on target. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Lampard had the most shots off target in the competition. Subsequently he has been subject to boos from some England fans, i feel this is wrong as how can booing a player make them better?
Many people will disagree with me on this but i feel Wayne Rooney has seriously underperformed for England. When he first played for England, he couldn't stop scoring and terrified teams in the 2004 Euro Championships. But since then he has scored only about 4 or 5 goals for England in 4 and a half years. Is that world class?
Steven Gerrard is a player that is the heart and soul of Liverpool football club, mention Liverpool and he is the first name that comes to mind. He has saved that goal and won them so many games with last minute goals and world class performances but his England performances are also questionable. I am not saying he vastly under performs but compared to his performances for Liverpool there is a huge differences between the red and the white.
The question remains as to why these world class players can't turn it on for their country, is it because they prefer to play for their club then the country, no i don't think so. I do feel it is down to how different in style they play for their club then their country. For example, Gerrard has the license to do what he likes on the pitch as he has two defensive midfielders there to protect the defence for him. For England he does not and so has to be more cautious and not focus on what he does best. England have the problem of having world class players that play in the same position and are forced to choose between them, like Lampard and Gerrard. For some reason they both can't play together in the centre of midfield, this is because they both like to move forward which would leave the centre of the pitch exposed.
If someone can answer the riddle of how to get these players to put in the performances they do for the clubs for their country they'll be a very rich person. If Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney etc, played for England like they do for their clubs then England wouldn't be waiting very long for a major tournament trophy at all.
Friday, 20 March 2009
Most exciting one yet?
Following last weekend's set of games the Premiership has once again become that little bit more interesting. The most interesting aspect to the Premiership is every single team in the division has either something to gain or lose. The battles are becoming so itense as the season reaches it climax.
Many would say the title race is the most interseting part of the Premiership this season, with Manchester United going on their amazing run of clean sheets and winning run. Because of this, they were stating to become known as the 'untouchables', that was until they were beating by Liverpool at home on Saturday.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea are creating some excitement as they attempt to overhaul Manchester United at the top. From Liverpool's point of view they have never been in a genuine title race since the Premiership began and this is the team that has won the most league titles in English history. However this season is their greatest chance, they have kept battling to keep in touch with Manchester United and are still in with a shout.
Chelsea, who have had major problems from within the club this season, through changing their manager and player unrest, have started to bounce back. They seem to be a 'little roll' at the moment and any slip from Manchester United could see Chelsea or Liverpool take over at the most vital stage of the season. So finally there is more than just a two horse race going on, as is usually the case.
I feel the most fascinating part of the Premiership this season is the relegation battle. At the moment there are only 6 points (2 wins) seperating the bottom 11 teams. Anyone could go down. It is the closest battle the Premiership has ever seen and the best part is no one knows how it is going to end. Everybody is beating each other down there and it doesn't appear as though teams can get on a run and drag themselves away from danger.
Many are predicting, including me, that up to 6 teams could have a chance of going down on the final day of the season. The excitement and pressure will be unbelieveable. The coverage will be amazing and is something that many people will not want to miss.
People say football is just a game, try telling that the teams' fans who have something to win or lose.
Many would say the title race is the most interseting part of the Premiership this season, with Manchester United going on their amazing run of clean sheets and winning run. Because of this, they were stating to become known as the 'untouchables', that was until they were beating by Liverpool at home on Saturday.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea are creating some excitement as they attempt to overhaul Manchester United at the top. From Liverpool's point of view they have never been in a genuine title race since the Premiership began and this is the team that has won the most league titles in English history. However this season is their greatest chance, they have kept battling to keep in touch with Manchester United and are still in with a shout.
Chelsea, who have had major problems from within the club this season, through changing their manager and player unrest, have started to bounce back. They seem to be a 'little roll' at the moment and any slip from Manchester United could see Chelsea or Liverpool take over at the most vital stage of the season. So finally there is more than just a two horse race going on, as is usually the case.
I feel the most fascinating part of the Premiership this season is the relegation battle. At the moment there are only 6 points (2 wins) seperating the bottom 11 teams. Anyone could go down. It is the closest battle the Premiership has ever seen and the best part is no one knows how it is going to end. Everybody is beating each other down there and it doesn't appear as though teams can get on a run and drag themselves away from danger.
Many are predicting, including me, that up to 6 teams could have a chance of going down on the final day of the season. The excitement and pressure will be unbelieveable. The coverage will be amazing and is something that many people will not want to miss.
People say football is just a game, try telling that the teams' fans who have something to win or lose.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Football's relationship with money
Prices Go Up As Our Money Goes Down
As the country tightens its belt and many industries are on the verge of collapsing one seems to be largely unaffected, football. The English Premiership is the most profitable league in the world, far greater than that of La Liga in Spain or Seria A in Italy.
English clubs are becoming more dominant across Europe; this is evident in the major European club competition, The UEFA Champions League. There have been five English clubs in the final of the competition in the last four years; with the most recent final being an all English contest. This dominance is due to the strengths of the club’s squads, made possible as the English game gets richer and richer.
One of the main reasons for the increase of money in the English game is the vast amounts being received from TV revenue. For the football season of 2006/07 Premiership clubs received £464m in TV revenue. However, after this season a three year deal was signed with the Premier League to increase the amount received by 63% to £758m. At the end of the 2006/07 season Manchester United topped the table earning themselves around £32m in TV revenue. This is a stark contrast to the 2007/08 season where Bolton earned £32m in TV revenue despite finishing quite far down the table in 16th position.
This point is further backed up as the team that finished bottom of the table in the 2007/08, Derby County, earned more than the team that finished 4th in the previous season. Even suffering relegation is made slightly easier from this new TV deal as the parachute payments given to relegated clubs increased from £6.5m to over £11m.
The TV coverage of English football is getting better each season, more games than ever are being broadcast for the nation to enjoy. Every team is watched live on TV multiple times over the season, some more than others; the more successful a team is, the more chance their games will be shown live. The success of this coverage is unrivalled, with millions paying for the privilege to watch the best that the English game has to offer every year.
As it has been mentioned the UEFA Champions League is the biggest club competition in Europe and some may argue the world. Due to the size and importance of the competition, the TV coverage is extensive and so the revenue generated is large for all the teams that are involved. Every game is shown live throughout the competition, through interactive on Sky Sports and ITV, which means the further a club reaches the, more TV revenue they receive. Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are the only English teams to be involved in the Champions League in recent seasons, and so are the only ones to benefit from the large TV revenue.
Due to the large increase in the amount of TV revenue received, all of the clubs in the top flight of English football now make enough to comfortably cover the costs of lowering season ticket prices. This is the real issue that the clubs must now face up to. Football is fast becoming only readily accessible to the wealthier people among us as research shows that there is an increasing percentage in the number of middle and upper class supporters. Around 40% of the nation’s fans that regularly go to matches earn over £30,000 and London club’s fans earn over £40,000 a year. This shows the growing costs that are now involved with following the top division teams in England and how much you may have to earn to follow your team.
Season Ticket prices have always grown over the years but the prices they are reaching are forcing supporters to abandon following their teams. This season’s season ticket prices have risen by an average of 8% this is despite inflation being at 3% at the time these prices were released. This means that clubs are raising the prices 5% more than they need to.
Each club has given its own explanation for the increase in their prices, Sunderland have announced that the small increase was acceptable due to consecutive years of freezing their season ticket prices. Tottenham Hotspur were quite upfront with their reasons, commenting that prices need to be increased to help move the club forward both on and off the pitch.
The average cost of a mid price season ticket is now estimated at £590, this however is nothing compared to the side with the most expensive, cheapest season ticket, Arsenal. The London based club’s cheapest season ticket has risen from £885 to £925 this is £275 more expensive than the next highest club. Arsenal director Danny Fizman has defended the 4.5% increase this season explaining that this price has cup and Champions League games built into it, something most clubs do not do. He also pointed out that Arsenal had not increased their season ticket prices over the previous four years and due to inflation had to increase them at some point.
Those reasons are acceptable for someone who does not know how profitable Arsenal football club are both on a match day and throughout the year. In the last six months of 2007 Arsenal’s end of year profits rose by 54% and they made a pre tax profit of £20m. Also due to their new stadium they made a match day income of £41m.
So with Arsenal becoming richer and richer the question still remains that even with inflation surely they can afford to repay their fans with cheaper season tickets. Can’t they?
One of the most exposed groups of the social pyramid are students. Football clubs are obviously not aware that students have a limited amount of money and therefore can’t afford to pay these prices to see their teams during the season. It has been found that only a third of clubs offer some kind of discount, this however is only available to students aged 16 to 19 years old. Most clubs however do not any discount to anybody over the age of 16, these include Arsenal and Manchester United, despite their large profits each club makes. Chelsea, although considered to be one of the most expensive clubs to follow, does offer a discount exclusively to students. Blackburn doesn’t offer any discounts to students but charge cheaper prices to young adults up to 21, of which they include students.
A study has shown that only 8% of fans that attend games are aged between 16 and 24, this is a reason that clubs like Charlton and Queens Park Rangers do not feel it is worthwhile to offer any discounts to students. However, Championship side Preston North End offer a large discount to students over the normal adult season ticket price, with students saving £180.
When compared to football, rugby is a far cheaper option to watch. Leeds Rhinos last season not only became rugby league world champions but back to back super league (top division) champions and their season ticket prices are over £50 cheaper than the third division football club in the same city, Leeds United. Both clubs do offer discounts on season tickets to students with Leeds Rhinos offering a saving of £100.
Furthermore on the comparison between rugby and football, Wigan Warriors (Rugby) and Wigan Athletic (Football) are both in the top divisions of their sports but again it is the rugby club that offers the cheaper prices.
From an outside point of view the cost of tickets to watch the football each week might not seem that bad but the spending does not just stop with the tickets. Firstly there is the cost of fuel if you are travelling by car, this depends on how far you live from your team’s stadium and the fuel prices at the time. There are other travel costs too, like train and bus journeys; over the season these costs can build up greatly. Food and drink at a football stadium are extremely over priced with drinks costing sometimes 50% more than they would in a shop and food is a similar percentage.
Fans wanting to show their support by wearing their team’s colours and replica kits have to pay over £40 for the top team’s shirts. These shirts don’t last for four or five years either, most clubs change their kits every two years, some even change it in consecutive years.
Some football fans can be accused of being too passionate about something that’s been called ‘just a game’ but for the money they spend to follow their teams, don’t you think they have the right to become heavily involved and voice their opinions?
English football clubs are spending millions in the transfer windows every year and give outrageous wages to players who don’t really care about the club they’re playing for. Surely it’s now time for someone to stand up and stop these rising ticket prices before the real driving force of the clubs, the fans, are driven away for good.
As the country tightens its belt and many industries are on the verge of collapsing one seems to be largely unaffected, football. The English Premiership is the most profitable league in the world, far greater than that of La Liga in Spain or Seria A in Italy.
English clubs are becoming more dominant across Europe; this is evident in the major European club competition, The UEFA Champions League. There have been five English clubs in the final of the competition in the last four years; with the most recent final being an all English contest. This dominance is due to the strengths of the club’s squads, made possible as the English game gets richer and richer.
One of the main reasons for the increase of money in the English game is the vast amounts being received from TV revenue. For the football season of 2006/07 Premiership clubs received £464m in TV revenue. However, after this season a three year deal was signed with the Premier League to increase the amount received by 63% to £758m. At the end of the 2006/07 season Manchester United topped the table earning themselves around £32m in TV revenue. This is a stark contrast to the 2007/08 season where Bolton earned £32m in TV revenue despite finishing quite far down the table in 16th position.
This point is further backed up as the team that finished bottom of the table in the 2007/08, Derby County, earned more than the team that finished 4th in the previous season. Even suffering relegation is made slightly easier from this new TV deal as the parachute payments given to relegated clubs increased from £6.5m to over £11m.
The TV coverage of English football is getting better each season, more games than ever are being broadcast for the nation to enjoy. Every team is watched live on TV multiple times over the season, some more than others; the more successful a team is, the more chance their games will be shown live. The success of this coverage is unrivalled, with millions paying for the privilege to watch the best that the English game has to offer every year.
As it has been mentioned the UEFA Champions League is the biggest club competition in Europe and some may argue the world. Due to the size and importance of the competition, the TV coverage is extensive and so the revenue generated is large for all the teams that are involved. Every game is shown live throughout the competition, through interactive on Sky Sports and ITV, which means the further a club reaches the, more TV revenue they receive. Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are the only English teams to be involved in the Champions League in recent seasons, and so are the only ones to benefit from the large TV revenue.
Due to the large increase in the amount of TV revenue received, all of the clubs in the top flight of English football now make enough to comfortably cover the costs of lowering season ticket prices. This is the real issue that the clubs must now face up to. Football is fast becoming only readily accessible to the wealthier people among us as research shows that there is an increasing percentage in the number of middle and upper class supporters. Around 40% of the nation’s fans that regularly go to matches earn over £30,000 and London club’s fans earn over £40,000 a year. This shows the growing costs that are now involved with following the top division teams in England and how much you may have to earn to follow your team.
Season Ticket prices have always grown over the years but the prices they are reaching are forcing supporters to abandon following their teams. This season’s season ticket prices have risen by an average of 8% this is despite inflation being at 3% at the time these prices were released. This means that clubs are raising the prices 5% more than they need to.
Each club has given its own explanation for the increase in their prices, Sunderland have announced that the small increase was acceptable due to consecutive years of freezing their season ticket prices. Tottenham Hotspur were quite upfront with their reasons, commenting that prices need to be increased to help move the club forward both on and off the pitch.
The average cost of a mid price season ticket is now estimated at £590, this however is nothing compared to the side with the most expensive, cheapest season ticket, Arsenal. The London based club’s cheapest season ticket has risen from £885 to £925 this is £275 more expensive than the next highest club. Arsenal director Danny Fizman has defended the 4.5% increase this season explaining that this price has cup and Champions League games built into it, something most clubs do not do. He also pointed out that Arsenal had not increased their season ticket prices over the previous four years and due to inflation had to increase them at some point.
Those reasons are acceptable for someone who does not know how profitable Arsenal football club are both on a match day and throughout the year. In the last six months of 2007 Arsenal’s end of year profits rose by 54% and they made a pre tax profit of £20m. Also due to their new stadium they made a match day income of £41m.
So with Arsenal becoming richer and richer the question still remains that even with inflation surely they can afford to repay their fans with cheaper season tickets. Can’t they?
One of the most exposed groups of the social pyramid are students. Football clubs are obviously not aware that students have a limited amount of money and therefore can’t afford to pay these prices to see their teams during the season. It has been found that only a third of clubs offer some kind of discount, this however is only available to students aged 16 to 19 years old. Most clubs however do not any discount to anybody over the age of 16, these include Arsenal and Manchester United, despite their large profits each club makes. Chelsea, although considered to be one of the most expensive clubs to follow, does offer a discount exclusively to students. Blackburn doesn’t offer any discounts to students but charge cheaper prices to young adults up to 21, of which they include students.
A study has shown that only 8% of fans that attend games are aged between 16 and 24, this is a reason that clubs like Charlton and Queens Park Rangers do not feel it is worthwhile to offer any discounts to students. However, Championship side Preston North End offer a large discount to students over the normal adult season ticket price, with students saving £180.
When compared to football, rugby is a far cheaper option to watch. Leeds Rhinos last season not only became rugby league world champions but back to back super league (top division) champions and their season ticket prices are over £50 cheaper than the third division football club in the same city, Leeds United. Both clubs do offer discounts on season tickets to students with Leeds Rhinos offering a saving of £100.
Furthermore on the comparison between rugby and football, Wigan Warriors (Rugby) and Wigan Athletic (Football) are both in the top divisions of their sports but again it is the rugby club that offers the cheaper prices.
From an outside point of view the cost of tickets to watch the football each week might not seem that bad but the spending does not just stop with the tickets. Firstly there is the cost of fuel if you are travelling by car, this depends on how far you live from your team’s stadium and the fuel prices at the time. There are other travel costs too, like train and bus journeys; over the season these costs can build up greatly. Food and drink at a football stadium are extremely over priced with drinks costing sometimes 50% more than they would in a shop and food is a similar percentage.
Fans wanting to show their support by wearing their team’s colours and replica kits have to pay over £40 for the top team’s shirts. These shirts don’t last for four or five years either, most clubs change their kits every two years, some even change it in consecutive years.
Some football fans can be accused of being too passionate about something that’s been called ‘just a game’ but for the money they spend to follow their teams, don’t you think they have the right to become heavily involved and voice their opinions?
English football clubs are spending millions in the transfer windows every year and give outrageous wages to players who don’t really care about the club they’re playing for. Surely it’s now time for someone to stand up and stop these rising ticket prices before the real driving force of the clubs, the fans, are driven away for good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)