We have decades of history within the Champions League, which isn’t perfect by any means, but importantly, we qualified for it on merit. “Business development” - even on its own terms, it’s a fucking insane strategy that alienates fans who have followed this club for their whole lives, risking boycotts, protests, the club’s reputation and potentially even our silverware and standing.
Liverpool Football Club is not just a “business”. It’s an institution that represents an entire city. It reflects the values of its citizens and has (mostly) been on the right side of that through history. With this decision, the owners are spitting in the face of fans, who they’ve not consulted for any of this, and told us that their moral objections don’t matter because dollar is to be made. It’s reprehensible and shits on everything the likes of Bill Shankly stood for. Enough is enough.
In 1992 it was millionaire owners breaking away to make more money for their own clubs. Over the last 30 years, the players have become millionaires thanks to the influx of TV money and globalisation and the owners are now made up of billionaires who are now having their turn at maximising the value of the clubs they own.
It’s all just escalated immensely over the last 30 years to the point where local owners doing it for the good of their local community are long gone at the top of the game. The game has invited in oligarchs, gulf states, American billionaires and any number of consortiums, chancers and speculators who were only here in the hope of making money or washing their image.
And UEFA and the PL have been complicit and quite happy to go along with this so I have no sympathy for them. But it would seem staff, players and fans are once again seen as secondary considerations. Imagine being a player sat in that dressing room tonight thinking about what this might mean for your club and international career. You could find your international aspirations curtailed based on the whims of billionaire owners that probably only see international football as an inconvenience and a risk to their assets for no financial gain.
And then fans are left sitting at home wondering whether the club they’ve held as close to their hearts as they do friends and family is something they can still support. Decades of emotional investment into something that some absent billionaire owners have just completely changed without consultation. The conflict of not wanting to be part of this but the fear of being left on the outside or falling behind as we did in 1992 is hard to process.
The only things fans can do to show their disdain is stop going, stop buying merch, stop subscribing to TV channels. Our only leverage is to cut ourselves off from something central to our lives and that we’ve already been somewhat cut off from for a year anyway. And the chances are that there are enough people around the world who are happy enough with this situation for it to not make any difference anyway.
My overriding feeling is just disillusionment. Disillusioned that the game has come to this. Disillusioned that our club is part of this. Disillusioned to think we could see some of our history struck from the record books. Disillusioned that this was all done without the consultation of staff, players and fans. Disillusioned that unlike some of their previous missteps this one can’t just be rolled back should it need to be and it just gets swept under the carpet as another learning error.
Disillusioned with it all and struggling to see how my love of the game comes back from this.
I reject the idea that Henry has not been invested in winning titles. He has spent millions not only on players and staff, but on training facilities and Anfield expansion. And furthermore, has helped to actually deliver a League title and the CL. I cannot and will not understand the hate of the man who brought us out of mediocrity hell and actually returned us to the top of the heap. Again - if you want integrity, go and support Tranmere Rovers. I want to see us competing at the highest level, and I’m not naive enough to think that you can get there by having “integrity” or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Money rules the world, there’s no escaping that.
I think an interesting point in all of this is that ultimately the ones with the most power here are the players. I will be very interested to see what statements come out from the likes of the PFA and FifPro.
I clearly state (and have numerous times) that the concept of this being “closed” is the problem for me. Meritocracy is key, you need consequences for your actions or failings. So I agree with you.
My point really was a lot of people keep posting examples like Neville, Carragher, PSG etc. As these bastions of integrity, when infact they are literally looking out for themselves under the guise of fighting for the common man. They are utter hypocrites.
I still think despite all of the backlash this is a first opening salvo on the road to reform by the current bodies… Who have done nothing to further football in 20 years.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion of course, but I find it astonishing that you’d choose to support Liverpool of all teams if this is genuinely your attitude.
Integrity, fair play, respect, collectivism, solidarity etc. Those principles are in this club’s DNA, from Shankly through to Hillsborough. No one’s naive enough to pretend we’re not part of the same profiteering culture as everyone else in this day and age, but I repeat: Liverpool is not just a business. It is an institution: and ordinary fans are as part of that institution as anyone. We are Liverpool FC, not the American owners.
With respect, I think your post was accurate more than a decade ago. Not wanting to accept that the club we love is a temple to the capitalist $$$ is understandable and the owners have mostly not completely gone full “yank” on us. So far. But the club, its values, its history, its amazing fans and everything about it is now in the hands of a business.
If this goes ahead, would you rather not be involved?
Listening to the radio, reading forums and a quick mooch on social media, I can see riots in the next few days
No, I wouldn’t to be blunt. I think it’s a disgrace. And I know a lot of fans feel the same. It’s the death knell for football, which is already a mess but a line has to be drawn somewhere.
I don’t accept that our club, its supporters and values are all dwarfed by capital. We can always fight back. I’d rather fight and lose than capitulate to the money men. And I think we will.
I agree, there will be a fight. I hope it’s peaceful.
Going a step further, this could be the start of a true European (World?) super league where we play weekend for the league and weeknights for the cup. Fucking domestic games off entirely. Again, I suspect that’s a plan their holding close to their chest to reveal once we see the flop (to use a poker parlance)
There’s no question, this is the biggest development in sporting infrastructure in my lifetime.
I’m not suggesting trashing the stadium or anything if that’s what you mean! But I do think we need protests, potentially boycotts etc. It’s sad, but it may be the only way to make them listen.
Already heard that Spion Kop are removing their banners ASAP. Nobody turning up to the first game back would be the perfect protest. Nothing would shout louder.
Sure. And I enjoy that aspect of being a Liverpool fan. But I mostly enjoy watching us playing in big matches against the best and having a chance to beat them. The fact of the matter is, in order to compete at the highest level, you need to have the finances, and you don’t get the finances by having “integrity, fair play, respect, collectivism”. If that is a bridge too far for you, then professional sports are not for you.
Only those who can,for whatever reason,get to a match,can hurt them by not going but the big money is made elsewhere and that is where you hurt them.Are worldwide Lfc fans gonna stop buying merchandise and subscriptions for long enough to hit the owners pockets.
