This was the killer really. Destroyed so many good European Leagues.
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The Bosman ruling was a good thing and was needed. In terms of employment rights it wasn’t acceptable for a club to be able to hold onto a players registration rights beyond the expiration of their contract. The employers had too much power over the individual in those days and it needed sorting.
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Started a thread about this last night, but was too tired to finish it. The Bosman ruling was very much needed and I agree with it as a whole. There is however no denying it has sky rocketed the amount of money involved in the game.
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On the other hand. What was the golden era for fans anyway? According to stories and reports 80s football for fans was all bad facilities and hooliganism was rife…
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It’s a good question but up till about 2000 football was attainable for people to afford mostly.
Can’t get away from hooliganism in the 70s 80s and would never dress it up in a rose tinted way. More and more grounds I stopped travelling too because of it.
Certainly if I was take kids now today would be much better. Problem being it’s almost impossible too do that on cost and availability. I’d also say it’s worse now with timings and days games get scheduled on. Again though in fairness a lot has to do with totally different work patterns now from the 70s,80s,90s.
I’d never for one minute ever try too convince anybody it was perfect because it wasn’t culminating with the tragedy of Hillsborough too confirm that.
The game for me was sort of hijacked on that overnight without any consultation or consideration of the average football fan.
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It’s true, there was hooliganism and poor facilities but you could watch Arsenal play in any top match for just over a tenner before the PL started.
It’s one of the main reasons a lot of my mates stopped going so often.
They couldn’t get tickets without being a club member or having a season ticket and it was too expensive.
At Highbury standing in the North Bank being pushed around with a few thousand other supporters was exciting, when you’re younger but he Emirates is obviously more comfortable.
Before the PL, the best players were only paid a few thousand a week and I remember reading that, after winning the league title against Liverpool in 1989 Thomas, who scored the winner, was on around £400 a week before bonuses, which is around 1% of what PL players now earn.
As @Stroller says, the supporters were never asked or considered when the PL took over, it was all about profit for the clubs and their owners, as well as the media.
Basically, before the big money came in and, you could see players in a local pub but most PL footballers now are treated like film stars and earn more than most of them.
Football was mainly working class and it’s turned into a commercial enterprise that only benefits club owners.
So a lot of the people who used to go to games and who made the sport popular are priced out, to be replaced by fair weather, glory hunting Man U, Chelsea or Man City supporters.
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Same as NBA.
When money takes over, the passion is gone, real fans are gone. Stupid rules come one after another.
Everything is just a show, and revenue means most.
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Time to activate the clause and join Arsenal, Lionel.
You know you want to.
No thanks. Not interested in going bankrupt for a finished Messi.
Finished ain’t the right word, bloke is just putting up normal elite player numbers now.
That’s true. 
Although, I doubt he’ll be putting out these numbers elsewhere, especially here.
Still, he is still a big marketing move. Makes sense for the likes of City and PSG who are trying to become relevant by force.
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Funny how Ronaldo gets called out on the Free kick against Porto and not a mention on Messi penalty last night at a great time for a goal.
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Because even that is ridiculous thing to call out
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He’s turning into my favourite player, playing his part in bankrupting that shit club, then continually choking when it matters. God i love it.
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Fuck his strike from 30 yards last night was absolute top drawer.
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People were talking about the miss in the CL thread?
It was but his miss cost them any real chance of the tie.
Yeah had to score that penalty I do agree, could have got rather interesting then.
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Didn’t see much criticism of it.
I swear he’s one of the worst PK takers ever. It’s mindboggling considering how talented he is and how we’ve seen him develop elsewhere given time like his FKs.