Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7232390.stm)

The English Football Association have suggested that clubs in the English Premier League play extra games outside the UK. Just like how the Miami Dolphins held one of their games in London this year.

Personally I feel like the FA - the organisation which are meant to support our national game - our selling us, the football fans, out. They say this move is good because it'll bring a lot more money into the game, which it will. But this money will go towards the broadcasters and the top clubs, and will widen the gap between the rich and the poor in the leagues.

They're effectively killing off the smaller clubs by doing such a move, which is absolutely outrageous. Most of these clubs have got over a 100 years of history, and so many supporters, who stand by their clubs no matter what they go through. With the bigger clubs signing lucrative deals and having millions upon millions of pounds flowing through them, there's absolutely no chance of any of the smaller clubs breaking through into the big time any more. It's pretty much useless even trying. We might get promoted into the premier league, and we'll just get slaughtered week in, week out. In the past, it was ANYONE'S league, now it's just a toss up between 4 clubs.

Not only this, but this move will encourage even more foreign players into our game. The supporters don't want to watch their home town playing in Australia, fielding a squad full of Africans and Asian. It's fucking ridiculous. The fans want to see their local talent on the pitch and they want to be able to say that their club operates with the fans in mind: not just ran as a business with money in mind.

Congratulations to the FA on proposing such a move. They've neglected the fans and the grassroots efforts of our nation once again, just for a few extra bucks.

Why not just play friendlies abroad? We have Euro teams come over here every summer and draw well so why not just do that? They'd end up with the monies (like they need more :rolleyes:) and keep the important matches in home grounds.

i'd say its a dangerous move for english futbol, but not necessarily. if this starts to happen then we'll see. what i'm worried about is an eventual reformatting of the league's system. i don't think i'll care too much about club futbol anymore if things ever evolve into what its like with american sports leagues, and that has a better chance of happening if the big dogs get greedy. the relegation system is near and dear to me. i like the idea of smaller towns getting into the big show with homegrown talent. futbol should be sponsored by the people of the country, and if other people really want to see a team they should visit. random friendlies here and there are cool but i dont think it should be made a big deal (pun intended).

purity and substance should be preserved. foreign players.. who cares. i know for a fact as a member of real madrid there are votes cast for prospects. it's nice that the supporters can have a real hand in things, and i don't want to see that change to something cold and impersonal.

I just think it's plain impractical.

Yeah, Rangers and Celtic from Scotland were supposedly on the move to the English leagues although they would have to start from the bottom and work there way up from there.