The Draw of the Saudi League

[Colburn_Claret]

It proved to be a humiliating weekend for Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson's Al-Ettifaq after they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Al-Riyadh in front of fewer than 700 supporters.
In the report it said Clitheroe had more fans at their match against Newcastle Town.

Is money really that important. Probably yes to someone who doesn't have any, but these people are rich already. Very sad.

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

China tried it recently, America have tried several times. It never works, or if it does, then it’s brief and fades away again.

You can’t buy public interest.

[Florian]

The saudis probably werent arsed watching henderson play for liverpool before he moved never mind 5 mins down the road

[Rick_Muller]

When they start shipping fans over in bulk for free holidays I may be interested for two weeks or so…

[JohnMcGreal]

Henderson shouldn't be called up for England again.

[bfcjg]

When they start shipping fans over in bulk for free holidays I may be interested for two weeks or so…

As long as you are tea total you'll have a cracking time .
I agree with all the sentiments, football has to grow organically, it can't be thrust on people somewhat like American football here.
Henderson isn't good enough for England, Gerrard isn't competent to manage in anything other than a 2 horse race league. FIFA are pathetic when it comes to rich people and bend over backwards to help in anyway.

[Gaia]

Just 696 people watched Gerrard's team lose. Clitheroe had a higher attendance at the weekend.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... a-31255018

[bumba]

Henderson will still be picked along with any English player that goes to Saudi because Southgate won't criticise a country he wants to manage in next summer because it's the only way he gets a managerial payday when England has moved on

[Pickles]

China tried it recently, America have tried several times. It never works, or if it does, then it’s brief and fades away again.

You can’t buy public interest.

Not quite sure that's right. MLS has grown and continues to do so. Seems to be plenty of public interest. Atlanta United's average attendance is 47,000. Most teams average over 20,000.

[Rick_Muller]

Not quite sure that's right. MLS has grown and continues to do so. Seems to be plenty of public interest. Atlanta United's average attendance is 47,000. Most teams average over 20,000.

But that has taken years and years to get to those levels and also large amounts of cash too. US fans would soon lose interest without the big star names going over for retirement. They’re the league most likely to be affected by the Saudi league in the short to medium term.

[daveisaclaret]

MLS is thriving now that teams have moved away from big star names going over for retirement. Other than Messi (the best player ever) and Busquets (signed as a boon for Messi) there aren't many in that bracket now and the designated player salary exemption is largely just used for good footballers. Totally ignorant to think US fans would lose interest without them.

The Saudi league on the other hand is tragic and it's right that English players who take that money ahead of retirement shouldn't play for the country. Agree with the above sentiment that Southgate doesn't want to upset them in case they will pay him after next summer.

[CrosspoolClarets]

The MLS is certainly growing fast because Americans love sport but have rubbish ones as their national games (my view of course, they won’t agree). The comment about Saudi is spot on though.

Beckham picking up a MLS franchise for $25m on retirement, as a condition of his move to LA Galaxy, has got to be the deal of the century. That, and the % of turnover he also negotiated. The value of the MLS has rocketed since.

[Boss Hogg]

Wouldn’t notice or care if Al Sadd beat Al Etifaq 20-0 or the other way round. Playing there is only for cash at the expense of a relevant football career ( if you are not past it). As mentioned above the Japanese and Chinese leagues were the next big thing a few years back. Not sure they are any more relevant now. It’s a bit like building a really expensive castle in the USA. There’s no history and it’s not interesting.

[Spijed]

Saudi Arabia should never be given the World cup, nor should it ever be encouraged, and nor should any country where there is no interest in football.

[Chester Perry]

People seem to be following the wrong news items about the Saudi league - It is going to last, it is a country that has a long standing love of the game (not like this country, but then no country supports football like this country) and grow and some of the media deals that have been signed up around the world would appear to confirm that.

[claret2018]

I’m sure Henderson is gutted. I suppose the £700k a week might go some way in consoling him.

If I got the chance to do an easier version of my job for 7 times the money I’d go and do it, as would you.

[JohnMcGreal]

I’m sure Henderson is gutted. I suppose the £700k a week might go some way in consoling him.

If I got the chance to do an easier version of my job for 7 times the money I’d go and do it, as would you.

That's fine. But it seems like Henderson wants the best of both worlds. He wants to earn silly money by playing in a mickey mouse league yet still expects to be taken seriously as a top level footballer.

He's not and his international career should be over.

[Jamesy]

When they start shipping fans over in bulk for free holidays I may be interested for two weeks or so…

I hope you are teetotal Rick and not gay.

[Big Vinny K]

The MLS is certainly growing fast because Americans love sport but have rubbish ones as their national games (my view of course, they won’t agree). The comment about Saudi is spot on though.

Beckham picking up a MLS franchise for $25m on retirement, as a condition of his move to LA Galaxy, has got to be the deal of the century. That, and the % of turnover he also negotiated. The value of the MLS has rocketed since.

Isn’t it the rumour that is the kind of deal Messi has also negotiated for joining the MLS.

The reason why MLS is growing fast is because America has a huge population and the cost and how difficult it is to get tickets for American football, ice hockey, basket ball and baseball.
Obviously we love our football and think their football is nowhere near as good. But they feel exactly the same about their game.
If you think the MLS will be anything other than their 4th or 5th favourite sport then check out the stadiums and crowds they get for college football. It dwarfs our Premier League crowds and this is not even the NFL. 8 out of the 10 biggest sports stadiums in the world are college stadiums !!
It’s a multi billion sport at college level !!
Try and find the equivalent in college soccer in the states and you’ll see one man and his raccoon watching the games !!

[Spijed]

Isn’t it the rumour that is the kind of deal Messi has also negotiated for joining the MLS.

The reason why MLS is growing fast is because America has a huge population and the cost and how difficult it is to get tickets for American football, ice hockey, basket ball and baseball.
Obviously we love our football and think their football is nowhere near as good. But they feel exactly the same about their game.
If you think the MLS will be anything other than their 4th or 5th favourite sport then check out the stadiums and crowds they get for college football. It dwarfs our Premier League crowds and this is not even the NFL. 8 out of the 10 biggest sports stadiums in the world are college stadiums !!
It’s a multi billion sport at college level !!
Try and find the equivalent in college soccer in the states and you’ll see one man and his raccoon watching the games !!

Even the marching bands at college games are a massive event.

[Big Vinny K]

Even the marching bands at college games are a massive event.

Aye - they will be given the TV audiences and 100k plus fans in the stadium !
The college coaches are on £10m a season !

Up to a couple of years ago the only people not making a fortune out of it were the players. A recent court ruling has changed that now though.

[IanMcL]

When they start shipping fans over in bulk for free holidays I may be interested for two weeks or so…

Now you're talking!

[IanMcL]

What I don't appreciate is the BBC duddenly including results and fixtures from there. Zero interest in a 'non' league.

[jrgbfc]

I’m sure Henderson is gutted. I suppose the £700k a week might go some way in consoling him.

If I got the chance to do an easier version of my job for 7 times the money I’d go and do it, as would you.

I don't understand that argument. He was already a multi millionaire, it's not like he was struggling to pay off his mortgage and going to food banks. The extra money won't make any real difference to his life.
Personally I'd rather earn a bit less money and not have to uproot my family to live in a backward, oppressive dump. Also agree with those saying he shouldn't be playing for England, but Southgate will keep picking him out of stubbornness.

[claret2018]

I don't understand that argument. He was already a multi millionaire, it's not like he was struggling to pay off his mortgage and going to food banks. The extra money won't make any real difference to his life.
Personally I'd rather earn a bit less money and not have to uproot my family to live in a backward, oppressive dump. Also agree with those saying he shouldn't be playing for England, but Southgate will keep picking him out of stubbornness.

He can set his family up for life for a couple of generations by doing a couple of years there.

Also I don’t think any rich person has ever thought “I’ve got enough money now”

[claret2018]

That's fine. But it seems like Henderson wants the best of both worlds. He wants to earn silly money by playing in a mickey mouse league yet still expects to be taken seriously as a top level footballer.

He's not and his international career should be over.

That’s nothing to do with him though that’s on Southgate.

[Boss Hogg]

What I don't appreciate is the BBC duddenly including results and fixtures from there. Zero interest in a 'non' league.

They are trying to make sure nobody or anything feels excluded. Yet the Saudis would exclude the things they promote. The Women’s League is given more coverage by them than the Championship. I thought the Championship was supposed to be the 5th best supported league in Europe too and it also has a long history.

[bobinho]

Saudi Arabia should never be given the World cup, nor should it ever be encouraged, and nor should any country where there is no interest in football.

Of course, FIFA will point to Qatar and claim the “success” of that WC shows clearly there is massive interest in the Middle East. That’s roughly what the press release will say, but what it actually means is “Saudi Arabia will pay us ridiculous amounts of money to stage the competition there, and that money will ensure our gravy train continues for the next few generations of bent officials here at the worlds governing body for football”.

[jrgbfc]

Saudi Arabia should never be given the World cup, nor should it ever be encouraged, and nor should any country where there is no interest in football.

It's basically a done deal they'll be hosting in 2034. A cynic might think staging it across 3 continents in 2030 is to enable them to take it back to Asia as soon as possible.

[TheFamilyCat]

I mentioned this on another thread but I find it really odd seeing kids wearing shirts of a team they'd never heard of 6 months ago. PSG, Real etc, fair enough ad they are giants of the game but Al Nasser FFS (I don't even know if that's right and have so little interest that I can't be arsed to even Google it).

[mkmel]

When they start shipping fans over in bulk for free holidays I may be interested for two weeks or so…

Not me thanks.

They could offer me a free holiday for a few weeks and throw in £1000 pw spending money and I still wouldn't set foot in that place

[Big Vinny K]

Not me thanks.

They could offer me a free holiday for a few weeks and throw in £1000 pw spending money and I still wouldn't set foot in that place

Completely agree.
Same with Dubai, Qatar etc

[Rick_Muller]

I hope you are teetotal Rick and not gay.

Cock au vin not on the menu then…???

[IanMcL]

They are trying to make sure nobody or anything feels excluded. Yet the Saudis would exclude the things they promote. The Women’s League is given more coverage by them than the Championship. I thought the Championship was supposed to be the 5th best supported league in Europe too and it also has a long history.

What irritates me about the Women's League is that they don't actually say it is a womens match they are talking about! It's called the Womens Super League! They just say that Aston Villa are playing Manchester United and then waffle on. Inly then do you determine that it is women, when you have no idea who the players are.

[Big Vinny K]

What irritates me about the Women's League is that they don't actually say it is a womens match they are talking about! It's called the Womens Super League! They just say that Aston Villa are playing Manchester United and then waffle on. Inly then do you determine that it is women, when you have no idea who the players are.

What are you talking about ?
I tend to work out it’s the women’s league as there are women playing.

As for getting more coverage than the Championship - there is no equivalent of final score which covers all 4 men’s divisions for a few hours every Saturday. They do however have some tv rights to cover the WSL which will be at a fraction of the cost you would need to pay to cover the championship
The BBC have no TV rights to cover the championship but if you look on the bbc sport website there is a lot more coverage of the championship than there is about WSL.

[IanMcL]

What are you talking about ?
I tend to work out it’s the women’s league as there are women playing.

As for getting more coverage than the Championship - there is no equivalent of final score which covers all 4 men’s divisions for a few hours every Saturday. They do however have some tv rights to cover the WSL which will be at a fraction of the cost you would need to pay to cover the championship
The BBC have no TV rights to cover the championship but if you look on the bbc sport website there is a lot more coverage of the championship than there is about WSL.

I didn't say what most of your reply covers.

In response to the bit covered by my post....
RADIO!

[Rileybobs]

What irritates me about the Women's League is that they don't actually say it is a womens match they are talking about! It's called the Womens Super League! They just say that Aston Villa are playing Manchester United and then waffle on. Inly then do you determine that it is women, when you have no idea who the players are.

To be fair I thought the same a few weeks ago when the BBC reported that Scotland had beaten Romania which I thought was a pretty impressive feat, turns out it was Rugby Union.

[willsclarets]

That's fine. But it seems like Henderson wants the best of both worlds. He wants to earn silly money by playing in a mickey mouse league yet still expects to be taken seriously as a top level footballer.

He's not and his international career should be over.

I agree it should be over, but that's not his fault. If he gets picked for England he's going to show up. I remember capello making Beckham make the move to Milan if he wanted to continue his England career. He didn't do much right capello, but agree with that decision

[Colburn_Claret]

He can set his family up for life for a couple of generations by doing a couple of years there.

Also I don’t think any rich person has ever thought “I’ve got enough money now”

That's sad if true. Personally I think there will be many players, who have already made it rich, who'd prefer to play infront of proper crowds and sod the money.

I packed in my last job, 50 hours a week shifts, to take a 2 day a week part time job, for a lot less money. I can confidently predict JH has a lot more money than me.

[Tricky Trevor]

What irritates me about the Women's League is that they don't actually say it is a womens match they are talking about! It's called the Womens Super League! They just say that Aston Villa are playing Manchester United and then waffle on. Inly then do you determine that it is women, when you have no idea who the players are.

That ticks me off even more on sky when a transfer scrolls across the bottom of the screen and you only catch, “signs for Manchester Utd”. So you wait for it to come around again and as it arrives they go to adverts and next time around it’s ladies football.
They’ve signed for Manchester Utd ladies, ffs.

Back to the thread and MLS took off on the back of the success of the USA ladies World Cup wins and has long been a popular female sport in the US because they don’t play NFL.

[Big Vinny K]

That ticks me off even more on sky when a transfer scrolls across the bottom of the screen and you only catch, “signs for Manchester Utd”. So you wait for it to come around again and as it arrives they go to adverts and next time around it’s ladies football.
They’ve signed for Manchester Utd ladies, ffs.

Back to the thread and MLS took off on the back of the success of the USA ladies World Cup wins and has long been a popular female sport in the US because they don’t play NFL.

NFL is the men’s league. The women do play American football and have their own leagues.
The growth of the MLS has got very little or nothing to do with the success of the USA ladies World Cup wins. Like most things in sport its growth is largely down to money and rich people wanting to own a sports club. It’s also become a lucrative way for players and coaches from overseas to revitalise or end their careers whilst living in a country with a high standard of living.
Plus the Americans and Canadians love their sport. They go watch sport as families and it’s culturally different to how we and other parts of the world watch football.

[chekhov]

That's fine. But it seems like Henderson wants the best of both worlds. He wants to earn silly money by playing in a mickey mouse league yet still expects to be taken seriously as a top level footballer.

He's not and his international career should be over.

Haven’t read all the thread so may have been stated: Henderson IS earning silly money and has been SELECTED to play for his country.
The person taking him seriously as an international footballer is Gareth Southgate.

[Spijed]

He can set his family up for life for a couple of generations by doing a couple of years there.

Also I don’t think any rich person has ever thought “I’ve got enough money now”

That's fair enough but he's completely two faced and a hypocrit when he complains about the criticism he's received regarding his move.

It comes with the territory. If he doesn't like it he can easily come back to England.

[yTib]

i wonder how the average saudi citizen feels about their natural resources being spunked on toys of the rich and powerful.

[Big Vinny K]

i wonder how the average saudi citizen feels about their natural resources being spunked on toys of the rich and powerful.

I’m guessing they feel the same as they have done for the last 40 or 50 years.

Though not sure what an ‘average Saudi citizen” is…..they don’t exactly have working class citizens. Just like Qatar, Dubai, etc they will import the workers in to wash their Bentleys and clean their palaces.

In terms of these new rich footballers they’ll just import even more workers.

As for Henderson he’s puddled if he thinks he’s going to avoid criticism. He’s chosen to play in a country with one of the worst human rights records in the world. He will every day come across massive inequality of wealth between himself and imported workers who have nothing and he will be now directly contributing to this. Add into this the discrimination against women, LGBT, and everything else and Henderson would be better just keeping his mouth shut.

[yTib]

Though not sure what an ‘average Saudi citizen” is…..they don’t exactly have working class citizens.
In terms of these new rich footballers they’ll just import even more workers.

contrary to popular belief not all saudis drive around in bentleys and have man-servants.

their gdp per capita is less than holland or denmark.

[JohnMcGreal]

Haven’t read all the thread so may have been stated: Henderson IS earning silly money and has been SELECTED to play for his country.
The person taking him seriously as an international footballer is Gareth Southgate.

Henderson sat down for an interview ahead of the Italy game and when asked about whether his move to Saudi Arabia would harm his international career, he seemed to be of the view that it made no difference and that he still ought to be considered for selection.

Southgate clearly agrees with him but I think they're both wrong.

[Woodleyclaret]

It's sad that Holland a country who have produced some of the best footballers have never had the World Cup.Perhaps there aren't any brown envelopes in Holland.

[Big Vinny K]

contrary to popular belief not all saudis drive around in bentleys and have man-servants.

their gdp per capita is less than holland or denmark.

Comparing gdp per capita between Arab states like Saudi, Qatar etc to the likes of Netherlands and Denmark tells you absolutely nothing about the economic situation of the respective countries.

How much of the Saudi population is made up of dirt cheap foreign workers from Asia and the poorer surrounding nations ?

Who owns nearly all of the land in Saudi Arabia ?

Why do the vast majority of Saudi nationals refuse to work in traditional sectors ?

Are there many countries in the world with a more unequal distribution of wealth ?

So when you say contrary to popular believe not all Saudis drive Bentleys and have man servants yes you are correct. But a vastly bigger proportion of Saudi nationals do than countries like ours or the ones you mentioned.

gdp is merely an average - there are many other economic indicators which show a far better picture of what is actually happening in Saudi.

The corruption in Saudi is massive. The lack of disclosure as to the true wealth and oil reserves etc of the multi billionaire Saudi owners means they are not even included by the likes of Forbes on rich lists anymore.

Henderson is all part of this now. Hope he’s having a lovely time.

[claretonthecoast1882]

It's sad that Holland a country who have produced some of the best footballers have never had the World Cup.Perhaps there aren't any brown envelopes in Holland.

I know you like to make daft comments on most things but do you like stadium capacities might have anything to do with that.

How many grounds in Holland do you think have a capacity over 30,000 ?