Lets solve the problem of football......

Being a Business teacher and a massive fan of Leeds United (my hometown clunbtw!!!), I would like to solve the problem that is football....


Football, as we all know, is losing its soul, lets face it. If we care about this, how as Economists/Business Studies students can we provide the correct incentive mechanisms to fix it?

You have heard me talk about this in class. Here are some possible ideas:

- The exorbitant salaries at the top end of the game act as a disincentive to care about performances at the national level. Too many of our pampered professionals don’t seem to care, despite professing a love for the national shirt. Let’s test their levels of motivation by asking them to pay a refundable deposit every two years, based on a % of their salaries. If they perform, they get the money back. If they don’t, the money is kept and distributed to the grass roots of the game. If they don’t want to pay this deposit, fine. Give the so-called ‘lesser’ players a chance to show what they can do.

- The American draft system is an excellent idea – bring it into the top levels of football – level the playing field (did you see what I did there?);

- Please hurry up and bring in a system whereby clubs cannot live beyond their means: institute an enforceable system whereby any breaches of a salary/revenue percentage maximum are dealt with harshly, via points deduction and enforced relegation if necessary;

- Re-brand the Champions’ League, for obvious reasons. Back in the day, it was only champions who could win it. 1967 and 1982 are excellent examples. I understand the need for revenue generation in the modern game, but call the competition something else, like the ‘Snouts in the Trough Challenge’;

- Good people of the Home Counties, Manchester United is not for you! There are only two acceptable reasons for supporting a football team: either you have a geographic connection, or a familial one. Any other reason, such as liking the team because they win things, is unacceptable. Fans that are discovered to be breaking these rules should be forced to watch only rugby for the rest of their lives as a punishment.

keep the comments clean please.......