How about a unified British League Cup?
FOOTBALL fans around the world were relieved and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez frustrated after it emerged that the European Super League would not go ahead.
After receiving overwhelmingly negative feedback from fans worldwide, the “founding members” started withdrawing from the original arrangement left, right and centre.
Interestingly, the cricket world experienced something similar in 2007. Following India’s disastrous showing at the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, which saw them fall in the group stage, the Zee Sports Group launched the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) which thankfully is the forgotten precursor of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The ICL did not get approval from the ICC nor the Indian Cricket Board, and players who participated in it were initially banned from international cricket, though that was eventually overturned. It initially looked full of potential, attracting legends such as Inzamum ul-Haq, Brian Lara and Lance Klusener, while others such as New Zealander Shane Bond and South African Justin Kemp joined it in the prime of their careers.
We all know that the IPL has changed cricket forever but had it not been introduced, the controversial ICL may still be alive today.
As the cricket world has, in some cases reluctantly, accepted that the IPL is now part and parcel of the game, the football world must also accept that traditional ways will have to be open to change if the game is to evolve.
It is evident that now more than ever, clubs need to find ways to improve their finances. If they were all happy, no clubs would have signed up for the Super League.
West Ham manager David Moyes put forward an interesting idea by saying that there should be a unified British competition.
“Could we have a situation where we do invite Rangers and Celtic to Premier League II? Why can we not unite the UK? Why do we have to be England and Scotland and not unite it?” asked the Hammers boss.
While including Celtic and Rangers in the Premier League is a bit radical for some, introducing the Scottish clubs into either the League Cup or FA Cup is surely possible and may actually inject some life back into those competitions.
Let’s face it, something does need to be done to inject life back into England’s two domestic cup competitions. The League Cup, in particular, is viewed as an irritation to fans of some of the elite clubs, with some critics even branding it the “Mickey Mouse Cup”.
Fans of the bigger English clubs would rather they avoid playing in or even lose League Cup games if it meant they could be assured of their best players remaining injury-free for Champions League or league games.
A British League Cup, inclusive of the English and Scottish clubs, would certainly inject some muchneeded passion and interest back into the competition.