PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Football doesn’t necessarily work like that though. When the Premier League started the two clubs with global cachet in England were Liverpool and Man Utd. English clubs had no way near the pedigree and cachet of Real Madrid or AC Milan globally until everyone in Asia started watching the PL because it was marketed and sold brilliantly - it wasn’t the best in quality but they pushed it better.
On your argument Man Utd and Liverpool would always be the two clubs who global followers of the PL support but there’s been a massive shift where Chelsea started getting a big following because they had big global stars and success. Then Man City - a team that nobody sane supported until ten years ago - are becoming a huge global club because they’re big name players and success. Arsenal went big under Wenger then fell away globally.
If it was all about Pedigree and history then all the kids would be wearing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, AC Milan, Juventus and Inter shirts and the other teams would be irrelevant but they don’t anymore. They want an Mbappe PSG top when PSG have no cachet or pedigree being a team founded in the 70’s with no European success. They don’t want Bayern tops as the German League is not a global pull.
It might be that Saudi fails, I hope it does, but generally outside of the team’s home country support is fluid. If you are in Burkina Faso and you can subscribe to stream PL matches for half a week’s salary or watch Ronaldo v Mbappe on free to air then you will start watching the free to air matches and pick a team with your favourite player or the colour strip you like.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Couldn't they at least pay ridiculous amounts for Cricket? It'd be cheaper, Cricket needs the money more, and you can actually get 5 days play there.
The Saudis are reported to be investing in Yorkshire Cricket Club.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
Edit to add, global audiences will be able to watch the Saudi league without any background of political and social issues being brought into the game which most will be happy about.
But no one will give a fuck. Al Hillal versus Al Jibbal. All in the desert. No one in Bangkok or Shanghai or Nairobi is gonna watch that over Man U versus Arsenal, or Liverpool v City, or Real v Barca, or Inter v AC
You need the passion and the crowds and the history and, dare I say, a bit of boozy fun
I don’t even think the Saudis are trying to do this. They must know it is impossible. I believe this is almost pure sports washing. They want people to see Saudi Arabia in a different light. The interesting place that hosted Mbappe and Ronaldo for a year. The place where they build new cities. Hmm. Saudi Arabia. They have new ideas and do interesting things!
Anything that stops people thinking: Saudi Arabia = beheadings, jihadism, torture, and women in cages
Once they have washed their image, they can move to being more like Qatar or UAE
I know they have the money to waste, but it is pretty expensive sportswashing even for them, which doesn't even seem very likely to be effective.
I wonder whether it has more to do with the Saudi royal succession and internal palace politics? Salman is 87 and while MBS is annointed heir and successor, nothing is ever entirely certain.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Couldn't they at least pay ridiculous amounts for Cricket? It'd be cheaper, Cricket needs the money more, and you can actually get 5 days play there.
The Saudis are reported to be investing in Yorkshire Cricket Club.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
Edit to add, global audiences will be able to watch the Saudi league without any background of political and social issues being brought into the game which most will be happy about.
But no one will give a fuck. Al Hillal versus Al Jibbal. All in the desert. No one in Bangkok or Shanghai or Nairobi is gonna watch that over Man U versus Arsenal, or Liverpool v City, or Real v Barca, or Inter v AC
You need the passion and the crowds and the history and, dare I say, a bit of boozy fun
I don’t even think the Saudis are trying to do this. They must know it is impossible. I believe this is almost pure sports washing. They want people to see Saudi Arabia in a different light. The interesting place that hosted Mbappe and Ronaldo for a year. The place where they build new cities. Hmm. Saudi Arabia. They have new ideas and do interesting things!
Anything that stops people thinking: Saudi Arabia = beheadings, jihadism, torture, and women in cages
Once they have washed their image, they can move to being more like Qatar or UAE
Football is massive in MENA with crowd passions that rival anywhere in Europe or South America.
It is quite realistic for Saudi PL to dominate that market, even if less watched elsewhere.
An interesting argument. But I don't see the Conservatives winning unless:two things happen:
- they pick a popular celebrity candidate, of the kind that has such huge advantage in direct elections like this; and - they recover significantly in national politics.
Boris won narrowly in 2008 when he had good name recognition and Labour were hugely unpopular nationally and in 2012, he was the incumbent, which gives a big advantage in being known.
So good luck to OGH but I'm not sure I'd take 7/1 for Susan Who?
Agreed. The other thing would be needing a popular celebrity candidate who isn’t labelable as a party hack.
None of the Mayors of London so far have primarily been identified by their party affiliation, in the public eye. Khan is the closest to a standard party candidate, but most people don’t regard him as Mr Labour.
Khan is a figure of ridicule. ULEZ has given him a bloody nose because he tried to force it through. It won't be forgotten however much Labour apologise.
No. ULEZ policy is good. The implementation sucks, a bit.
Turing this into culture wars bullshit is so Donald Fucking Trump.
1) London needs cleaner air 2) Historically, the best way to achieve this is incrementally improving standards. As proven many times in many places 3) The “ULEZ policy”that was implemented was just one of a number of possible policies. 4) Not being impressed with 3) doesn’t mean opposing 1 & 2.
What makes me laugh about the Tory attempt to create ULEZ as a culture war issue is that it's their policy. Implemented by Boris for inner London, imposed on the suburbs by Grant Shapps. Where the "it will tax motorists" attack is literally what Shapps demanded as part of the TfL bailouts.
If the Tories want to oppose their own policy that's fine. But claiming - as some have - that this is "typical socialism" is painfully deluded. Perhaps Michael Green is a socialist?
Good morning
Looks as if wood burning stoves are environmentally unacceptable and a ban is looking for them
I think I read you are installing one
We have a woodturning stove. Put it in 13 years ago in good faith, believing it was greener than using fossil fuels (it is).
But the particulates issue has emerged since then. We would not put one in now, nor will we when we move house next year (hopefully).
Aside from the environmental considerations they have some pros (a real fire is a nice to look at) but are also quite a lot of work and create a lot of dust.
As with ULEZ there is a bit of an optics problem, regardless of facts. Wood burning is as ancient as the hills, a naturally occurring phenomenon and returns to the air only the CO2 that it removed in the first place - which is why recently it was commended as the big way forward - part of the 'biomass' revolution.
But more particularly PB wood burners (good people all) will look at thousands of square miles of wood burning forest fires which can be clearly seen from outer space and are all over the world, and wonder in what way their little pile of carefully curated logs is going to make things worse.
Much like ULEZ paying diesel van driving voters of Uxbridge/Hillingdon might look up at the sky as hundreds of planes land in their back garden at Heathrow.
Anyone who thinks there are not millions of votes in this and related issues is delusional.
I burn wood and I'm not a good person, but I can see the fallacies there. We are responsible for what we do, not for forest fires in faraway countries, and we are relatively more responsible to our literal and moral neighbours than to the world in general.
Having said which I am in the middle of nowhere and would be burning oil otherwise, so no change here. I think any ban will be on new installations, in cities, anyway.
But this is another skirmish in the Man-Ent Wars. Trees have virtually no benefit over low lying vegetation, being just vegetation on stilts. They burn, which we now agree is a bad thing whether intentional or not. We no longer need them to build new ships nor to hold birds and animals to shoot and hunt. The interior of a wood is a gloomy and frightening place, and if you plant beech or softwood, as sterile as a shopping centre. And even if they are the bees knees, they are too late. We don't have a 30 year horizon.
Still displaying your stunning levels of ignorance I see.
OK about as content-free a rejoinder as you'll hope to see.
In the light of current events you really need to make a case for tree planting strong enough to outweigh the fact that they are a bloody great unforced error of a fire hazard. You possibly think that was abroad and it couldn't happen here? let me remind you of conditions last summer, and the fact that we'll be 20-30 years further on when your trees are ready to burn.
So, my case is that trees are just vegetation on a useless and dangerous stalk. If you think they have magical powers of carbon capture denied to other photosynthesisers you need to make the case. Obviously we should have some trees for their own sake and the biodiversity they support, but a TREES! YAY! case where they get on the podium with motherhood and apple pie is simply dangerous and damaging.
The environmental benefits of trees are immense. They capture carbon, and generate oxygen. They provide a habitat for all manner of wildlife. Woodlands have an ecosystem all of their own.
They contribute to human well-being, due to their beauty, and shade.
And, of course, they remain extremely useful as sources of wood and fruit.
Been out this morning tree planting . Actually doing something to help the environment rather than just talking about it like Miklosvar.
Been planting mixed woodland of Birch and Ash, Whytch Elm and Oak. The Birch and Ash will grow fast as colonisers and the oaks will eventually dominate long after I am dead and gone. Although to be fair a couple of oaks I planted a decade ago are already 12 ft or so high. The Whytch Elm will be lost to Dutch Elm disease in a decade but in the meantime they will support the colonies of White Letter Hairstreak butterflies that are thriving on the existing elms which are starting to die off. As long as I keep up a steady rotation of planting elms the colonies should continue to survive.
Oaks support, at the last count, around 2,300 different species of organisms. Far more in both numbers and diversity than grassland. Of course I like grassland as well and have been working to convert two horse paddocks I bought along with the house back to chalk grassland. But trees are massively important for biodiversity and also important on slopes for soil stabilisation and for water retention.
Miklosvar is, as usual, talking out of his arse.
Awww, with little plastic tree guards? And, don't tell me, a handful of bone meal in the holes? and some beneficial microfungal additive that you bought specially? Bless.
What is a Whytch elm? How do you convert a paddock back to grass? If it wasn't grass in the first place, it wasn't a paddock. Why plant ash given its inevitable fate? Why plant trees in midsummer at all when you could plant whips in winter at one fifth the cash and environmental cost and waste of little plastic pots and with 5x the success rate? Trees don't retain water, they siphon it up and disperse it in the atmosphere in quite astonishing quantities - 100 gallons of day for a big oak in leaf - the very reverse of what you imply.
More questions than answers here.
I am responsible for 10 or so acres of "the environment" including probably 500 odd trees just counting standards, 10x that including hedging. I find the best way to deal with it is masterly inactivity rather than pratting about. If you want trees just fence it and leave it and trees will come, or at least don't waste your time planting ash trees in july.
All the questions you ask just show your ignorance. As I have said before. Genuinely every time you type something on here you reveal how little you know about the subject. A coupe of decades of an ash tree before it sucumbs to die back is more than enough to provide habitat for hundreds of species. Even when it dies it continues to do that. And if you keep planting in cycles you maintain the environment going forward. And of course as Flatlander points out some Ash is resistant so it is not an inevitable death.
My guess is you are one of the 'Chemical Brothers' farmers spreading your monoculture across the countryside. In other words, part of the problem not the solution. You really are a bit of an arse aren't you.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
Edit to add, global audiences will be able to watch the Saudi league without any background of political and social issues being brought into the game which most will be happy about.
I disagree about the signings of Vialli et al capturing the world's attention. What attracted the world to the Premier League was the English style of football. Hoof the ball into the channels, run after it, put in crosses, etc. Add Bergkamp and Zola to that and it created a strange hybrid that was utterly captivating.
Strangely, I don't think the Premier League would take off in quite the same way if it was starting from where it is now. It's more tactical and there's a much greater emphasis on possession. But it's the established league so it's hard to dethrone.
Could Saudi take off? I guess, but it will need a lot more than Ruben Neves and Kylian Mbappe.
And we've been here before when China were buying up a lot of players (Oscar is still there!). It didn't last long.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
I have a Toyota C-hr - non-plug hybrid, cheaper to buy and atm cheaper to run!
My all electric Zoe is currently a little bit more expensive to run per mile than my diesel Disco Sport. It's a very anomalous situation which needs to change soon because it's distorting the energy market. Essentially petrol and diesel have tumbled in price in the last few months helped of course by the government slashing fuel duty, while electricity has soared per KWh.
Before the Russian invasion it was about a third of the price per mile to charge the Zoe at home compared with diesel.
Your favorite prosthetic friends have released a new one. Half in the Bag on "Oppenheimer and the Hollywood Implosion". They missed a trick in not calling it "Oppenheimer Explosion and the Hollywood Implosion". Anyhoo it's here. Enjoy:
Incidentally, Jay says at one point that "Mission Impossible 7" is underperforming. This is not strictly true but needs to be put into context: it's performing badly compared to "Top Gun: Maverick" (which did unusually well) but is performing well compared to previous "Mission Impossibles". See here for an explanation from Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBS0bcEcsFo
Basically there is an upper limit to how much espionage actioners will gross. A similar problem will hit "Oppenheimer" because, just like "Blade Runner 2049", there is a limit to how much slow, talky older actor-orientated fare around the three-hour mark will gross, even if the reviews are stellar.
There’s a growing understanding in Britain that the country’s vote to quit the European Union, a decisive moment in the international rise of reactionary populism, was a grave error.
The NYTimes is a little one note on this issue. Like Mathew Goodwin, you know what an article will say without any of that tedious reading business.
Yes. I look forward to that surprising NYT article “actually, Brexit turns out to be great”
It’s just never going to happen. Even if Brexit Britain gains the per capita income of Monaco and the geopolitical dominance of China it would still be a terrible idea that went predictably wrong, and any other positive developments will either be a fluke or a lie or proof of Brexity racism
You are forgetting the quotes from locals in the U.K. who just happen to express themselves in American idiom.
Well, many people do grow up on american TV lingo. But it can be a tad suspicious at times. Like when people quote unrealistically articulate children in articles.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
Peak irony and absurdity being the Italian sweatshops staffed exclusively by Chinese workers flown there to preserve the made-in-Europeness of their handiwork - by some accounts the entry point for covid.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
And most other Western European countries are able to do this in at least one industry. Furniture and design for the Nordics, Fashion, food & drink and fast cars for Italy, Precision engineering and cars for Germany, precision everything for Switzerland. Spain has football too, alongside Iberico ham. Ireland exports culture, like Britain.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Football doesn’t necessarily work like that though. When the Premier League started the two clubs with global cachet in England were Liverpool and Man Utd. English clubs had no way near the pedigree and cachet of Real Madrid or AC Milan globally until everyone in Asia started watching the PL because it was marketed and sold brilliantly - it wasn’t the best in quality but they pushed it better.
On your argument Man Utd and Liverpool would always be the two clubs who global followers of the PL support but there’s been a massive shift where Chelsea started getting a big following because they had big global stars and success. Then Man City - a team that nobody sane supported until ten years ago - are becoming a huge global club because they’re big name players and success. Arsenal went big under Wenger then fell away globally.
If it was all about Pedigree and history then all the kids would be wearing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, AC Milan, Juventus and Inter shirts and the other teams would be irrelevant but they don’t anymore. They want an Mbappe PSG top when PSG have no cachet or pedigree being a team founded in the 70’s with no European success. They don’t want Bayern tops as the German League is not a global pull.
It might be that Saudi fails, I hope it does, but generally outside of the team’s home country support is fluid. If you are in Burkina Faso and you can subscribe to stream PL matches for half a week’s salary or watch Ronaldo v Mbappe on free to air then you will start watching the free to air matches and pick a team with your favourite player or the colour strip you like.
The global cachet of the early nineties (when essentially nobody had the internet and most people didn't have satellite or cable) is quite different to the global cachet of today, though. The point was that the EPL could package the (legitimate) history of the English league alongside great visuals of usually full stadiums with fans (and this really is crucial) who are close to the pitch and who are passionate and noisy (or at least, the away allocations culture and compact size of England make for noisy grounds).
Another hugely underrated point is the depth of support in English football. Get halfway down the second tier in Italy or Spain and you're looking at non-league levels of attendance, whereas every club in England* is its town or area's pride and joy and carries the hopes and dreams of thousands. It's social proofing. The football *matters*. Also the fast, direct style of the English game was, at the time, engaging for TV if not the most tactically effective.
Great football in e.g. Italy in the 90s but by god the stadiums did not look good - often half empty, miles from the pitch or surrounded by giant fences.
*yes, there are exceptions like MK Dons, but still.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
Yes, they've somehow managed to be in a position where mass produced products at most a bit better than rivals can be sold at a luxury markups, a very handy position to be in.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
The information on which we based our reporting on Nigel Farage and his bank accounts came from a trusted and senior source. However the information turned out to be incomplete and inaccurate. Therefore I would like to apologise to Mr Farage.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Will Saudi let Israeli teams in to play?
The funny thing about Fabinho's transfer to Saudi Arabia, his son is called Israel.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Football doesn’t necessarily work like that though. When the Premier League started the two clubs with global cachet in England were Liverpool and Man Utd. English clubs had no way near the pedigree and cachet of Real Madrid or AC Milan globally until everyone in Asia started watching the PL because it was marketed and sold brilliantly - it wasn’t the best in quality but they pushed it better.
On your argument Man Utd and Liverpool would always be the two clubs who global followers of the PL support but there’s been a massive shift where Chelsea started getting a big following because they had big global stars and success. Then Man City - a team that nobody sane supported until ten years ago - are becoming a huge global club because they’re big name players and success. Arsenal went big under Wenger then fell away globally.
If it was all about Pedigree and history then all the kids would be wearing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, AC Milan, Juventus and Inter shirts and the other teams would be irrelevant but they don’t anymore. They want an Mbappe PSG top when PSG have no cachet or pedigree being a team founded in the 70’s with no European success. They don’t want Bayern tops as the German League is not a global pull.
It might be that Saudi fails, I hope it does, but generally outside of the team’s home country support is fluid. If you are in Burkina Faso and you can subscribe to stream PL matches for half a week’s salary or watch Ronaldo v Mbappe on free to air then you will start watching the free to air matches and pick a team with your favourite player or the colour strip you like.
At some point the French realised that had a highly desirable global product, and brand, in their luxury goods. Which could be successfully punted to aspirational consumers in the rest of Europe then America and Asia. Probably wasn’t that long ago. All post war, and it has accelerated with globalisation
No one is about to dethrone Chanel
Britain’s been sitting on this amazing sporting pedigree - in globally played sports - all too long, without exploiting it. Now we are. This is good
Wimbledon does exactly the same. We invented tennis and now unsurprisingly we can boast the “oldest most prestigious tennis tournament in the world”. Bring on the green and gold branding, the Rolex and the royals
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
The Germans have done that as well. All those "well its German engineered products" have never been engineered by Germans, but those brands are super strong and the high end versions of those products are still made by them...but the low end aren't much more than badged Chinese products.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
We definitely underperform on that front if you consider what the collective brand of the British Isles ought to be worth.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
We definitely underperform on that front if you consider what the collective brand of the British Isles ought to be worth.
Financial / legal services and creative industry brands are very strong.
Well unless the likes of Natwest continue to spy on the social media of their customers and leak their net worth to journalists.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
We definitely underperform on that front if you consider what the collective brand of the British Isles ought to be worth.
We do. But i find the example of the EPL encouraging
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Well if Australia can join Eurovision...
The other thing, Israel is a part of UEFA.
Could be some tricky away fixtures.
Saudi and Israel have been quietly making friends - possibly
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Well if Australia can join Eurovision...
The other thing, Israel is a part of UEFA.
Could be some tricky away fixtures.
Saudi and Israel have been quietly making friends - possibly
I know, but some of the Israeli football teams are shall we say rather infamously less keen on making friends with their Arab neighbours....or having any Arab players. They make Millwall fans seem balanced and inclusive.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Will Saudi let Israeli teams in to play?
"Israel 'very optimistic' about Saudi Arabia ties within one year"
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Why go through UEFA? Just invite the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are massively annoyed at English clubs finances, to compete in a World League for a few hundred mil each per year along with the Saudis, Inter Miami, Los Angeles and a few others (Celtic, Rangers, Ajax etc) and you have a mix of heritage and global audiences under their umbrella rather than UEFAs.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Why go through UEFA? Just invite the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are massively annoyed at English clubs finances, to compete in a World League for a few hundred mil each per year along with the Saudis, Inter Miami, Los Angeles and a few others (Celtic, Rangers, Ajax etc) and you have a mix of heritage and global audiences under their umbrella rather than UEFAs.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Couldn't they at least pay ridiculous amounts for Cricket? It'd be cheaper, Cricket needs the money more, and you can actually get 5 days play there.
The Saudis are reported to be investing in Yorkshire Cricket Club.
No next door its tech start-up economics 101, where they are taught it totally normal business practices to just lose money forever...but your company will be worth $1 billion because its uses AI or a new social media platform.
What effect do you think Corbyn entering the London Mayor race would have? Do you think he has a chance of galvanising a large vote? People might just be fed up enough. Jamie Driscoll has crowdfunded over 100K for his campaign in the North East, Corbyn could easily match that
I would expect and hope he would get a measly little vote. It could be the cathartic moment - rather like when Johnson realised he didn't have enough support to win the leadership after Truss - that everyone realises a leader is finally finished.
Given switch to first-past-the-post for London 2024 mayoral election, prospective Corbyn voters would come under PLENTY of pressure, mostly from own misgivings, at prospect of maybe electing a right-winger (even by contemporary Tory standards) as mayor.
Plus ideological differences are not exaclty a yawning gap between Khan and Corbyn? Making it tough(er) for the challenger to outflank the incumbent from the left.
On other hand, Corbyn does have more celebrity appeal than any other quasi-declared candidate, including Khan, who is about as charisma-free as Keir Starmer. Which is not to be (entirely) scorned, given past electoral history of this rather peculiar elected office AND even more peculiar office holders.
Inside the Republican effort to force millions of farm animals back into cages Decades of progress for animal welfare are potentially at risk. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/7/24/23801785/cage-free-eggs-pork-eats-act-california-prop-12 ...The EATS Act, short for Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression, was introduced last month by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) with a companion bill in the House from Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and would prohibit state and local governments from setting standards for how agricultural products imported from other states are produced. The bill’s language is not only sweeping, but vague, and some of its potential effects are unclear. For example, it covers the “preharvest” production of agricultural products, but “preharvest” isn’t defined.
If enacted, and if it were to survive likely court challenges, the EATS Act would open up all those cage-free laws to lawsuits, potentially erasing decades of progress for animals suffering on factory farms. The bill would also threaten other farmed animal welfare laws, like California’s and New York City’s prohibitions on the sale of foie gras, a product made by force-feeding ducks and geese...
The Milliard Gargantubrain's job just got a whole lot harder.
I miss "milliards". The US billion killed the UK billion. Boo.
The Koreans use ten thousands, and multiples thereof, rather than thousands. (Which is, I think, the Chinese system.)
So 만 is 10k, and 억 is 10k x 10k.
The terms lakh or 1,00,000 (one hundred thousand, written as 100,000 outside the Indian subcontinent) and crore or 1,00,00,000[1] (ten million written as 10,000,000 outside the subcontinent) are the most commonly used terms in Indic English to express large numbers in the system.
Why some things are considered luxury and others not is an interesting question though, when quality is not always the answer (and even when it is quality, does not justify how much more it will cost).
OK by contrast I am now in the single, most depraved, and spiritually desolate corner of central Lviv
On your own, then ?
No. Here
Ok it looks nice. Ok it is nice. But 100,000 prisoners were starved tortured and beaten to death here. In 2 years. In this tiny corner. It’s weird. They’ve converted an infamous stalag into a gastro-hotel
The food is good
I think I approve. If they turned every haunted place in Ukraine into a mauseoleum then you wouldn’t be able to move for memorials. The whole country is spooky with dark memories
There’s a growing understanding in Britain that the country’s vote to quit the European Union, a decisive moment in the international rise of reactionary populism, was a grave error.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
We definitely underperform on that front if you consider what the collective brand of the British Isles ought to be worth.
We do. But i find the example of the EPL encouraging
Sadly we missed out on really capitalising on footballby not being cold enough to set up the controlling organisations as it was a bit gauche so the French ran amok sorting out UEFA and FIFA etc. leading to that FIFA douche trying to claim football was invented in China.
We do however have amazing branding for schools and Universities and also our reach over time with music, television and film.
I think the Saudis' ultimate aim will be to join UEFA and have their clubs playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Why go through UEFA? Just invite the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are massively annoyed at English clubs finances, to compete in a World League for a few hundred mil each per year along with the Saudis, Inter Miami, Los Angeles and a few others (Celtic, Rangers, Ajax etc) and you have a mix of heritage and global audiences under their umbrella rather than UEFAs.
LIV GOLF....LIV Football....LIV Sports.
Personally, would much prefer LVIV Golf, etc., etc.
Maybe someone on the inside or thereabouts (and outside insider? insider outsider?) might broker a marketing deal, whereby in return for $$$$$$$ investment, aid, whatever from Saudis to Ukraine, LIV can tout this support on behalf of UKR to help take some of the stink off their stinky shit?
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
Couldn't they at least pay ridiculous amounts for Cricket? It'd be cheaper, Cricket needs the money more, and you can actually get 5 days play there.
The Saudis are reported to be investing in Yorkshire Cricket Club.
That won't clean up their image much.
Who, the Saudis, or YCCC ?
I meant the Saudis! Not getting much of a 'wash' there.
The Milliard Gargantubrain's job just got a whole lot harder.
A few weeks ago The Sunday Times finance section was interviewing an American living in Britain about their finances. They quoted them as saying "I'll be ok in ten years when my £401000 pension kicks in".
Nick Miller @NickMiller79 Hard to believe that Mbappe would choose to play in an uncompetitive league, being paid large amounts of money by people promoting the public image of a morally questionable petrostate.
Nick Miller @NickMiller79 Hard to believe that Mbappe would choose to play in an uncompetitive league, being paid large amounts of money by people promoting the public image of a morally questionable petrostate.
Nick Miller @NickMiller79 Hard to believe that Mbappe would choose to play in an uncompetitive league, being paid large amounts of money by people promoting the public image of a morally questionable petrostate.
I'm surprised that the Tories' magnificent victory in Uxbridge hasn't led to any boost for them in today's R&W poll.
Still, I guess it's just a matter of time until ULEZ revulsion spreads nationwide and destroys Labour's narrow lead.
While you do have a point, also seems to me that discovery of "Uxbridge Man" is maybe a little canary in the coal mine (or rather at the airport) re: next GE.
Because my sense (perhaps not entirely incorrect) is that ULEX affect in BoJo's old stomping ground, was NOT due to anti-Wokeism, but rather more mundane considerations, in particular cost of living.
U&SR is check-by-jowl with Heathrow, and based on my limited experience, in Seattle as well as London, zones surrounding big international airports are NOT laps of luxury but places where warehouses and truck terminals are mingled with housing pitched to families working hard to make ends meet while achieving upward mobility (also visa versa).
Decades ago in WA State, a petition-drive got an initiative on ballot to slash automobile license fees, which were based on value of car, to a flat $15 (think that was it).
Strongly supported by conservative Republicans, and strongly opposed by liberal Democrats; no surprise there. But among more middle-of-the-road folks, the divide turned out to be based on income. With higher-income folks tending to vote AGAINST on grounds that state really did need revenue for education, transportation, public health and safety, etc. Whilte lower-income voters were more likely to conclude that, on balance, THEY needed the savings, which were often considerable for 2-car families where both husband & wife needed them to get to work & schlep the kids. And vote FOR the initiative. Which passed narrowly statewide.
Labour is essentially the Australian cricket team.
Not playing anything impressive but waiting for the rain to intervene to guarantee retention of the Ashes.
SKS diminishes daily. GE 2024 is exceptionally hard to call because it is dumb vs dumber, like 2017, and liable to be swayed by runtime cockups by him or Sunak.
The Milliard Gargantubrain's job just got a whole lot harder.
A few weeks ago The Sunday Times finance section was interviewing an American living in Britain about their finances. They quoted them as saying "I'll be ok in ten years when my £401000 pension kicks in".
British athletes competing in next year’s Olympic Games in Paris will carry a new emergency response app for their phones amid growing security concerns.
A report by a leading geopolitical and security intelligence company, seen by The Times, states that the terrorism threat level for Paris remains “severe”, with bomb-carrying drones cited among the potential dangers. There has also been an outbreak of civil disturbance across France this summer after the fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk in an encounter with police officers in a Paris suburb.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) will send a delegation of 1,100 athletes and staff to Paris, with the plan to provide an app that gives them instant access to assistance while also allowing security staff to identify their whereabouts at any given time.
Honestly, Suella Braverman is a naughty word that gets you banned from PB.
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
No dramatic changes on tonight's R&W with a solid 17-point lead for Labour.
In England, it's Labour 46%, Conservative 29%, Liberal Democrat 15%, Green 4.5%, Reform 4.5% and Others 1%.
Boris Johnson's Conservatives won England 47-34-12 in December 2019 so that's a 15% swing from Conservative to Labour and a 10.5% swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat.
Deltapoll has Labour on 49% and the Conservatives on 26% with the LDs on 9%, Greens on 5% and Reform on 4%. That's the GB numbers and would be a 17.5% swing from Conservative to Labour which would be a Labour landslide.
However, as we've seen in Spain, there are polls and there are elections just as there are policies and there is politics. PP underperformed some of their polling but PSOE out-performed all theirs.
Two-party politics are back in Spain with both PP and PSOE advancing in seats and votes and VOX and SUMAR both losing ground (as did a host of minor parties). Sanchez may not have won but he didn't lose as completely as many thought and Feijoo's 136 seat tally looks insufficient for even a minority Government in a way 150 seats wouldn't have.
Feijoo picked up most of the moribund Citizens votes and seats but PP's progress was as much against VOX as it was against the Left so the net effect was diluted.
The four parties control 322 of the 350 seats in the Cortes and the PP/VOX group have 169 with PSOE/SUMAR on 153. The remaining 28 deputies hold the balance - 14 are from Catalonia and 11 from the Basque Country. I suspect there'll be a lot of courting in the Cortes (sorry) - Junts have already said they're not playing unless Catalonian independence is on the table (which it won't be).
If the centre-left parties in Catalonia and the Basque Country supported a new PSOE minority (as they did before) it would be 169-166 which would leave the 5 Basque Nationalists and the single representatives from the Galician, Canarian and Navarrese regional groups holding the balance.
It's looking like Round 2 before too long - will VOX follow Citizens into decline and oblivion? It's certainly a brake on the apparently unstoppable progress of populist nationalism.
PSG accept the £259m bid for Mbappé from Al Hilal.
He’s really going to play in SAUDI ARABIA for a year?
It’s rare that I agree with @kinabalu - but I do here. It’s great for bantz but there is also something melancholy about it
One of the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest sport is gonna become a performing seal in a billionaire’s sporting circus
IF this happens. Mbappe might tell ‘em to fuck off. Go on, Kylian
I wonder how much footballers dream of winning the FA Cup these days as opposed to signing a contract at Mercenary Utd.
I don't understand what the Saudis intend to do long term, though. They can buy some playthings for a short while but it isn't going to change anyone's view of the place, surely?
Way back in the mists of time when Serie A and Primera Liga were the big leagues that everyone watched in the world the Premier League got excited by singing a few big name players - the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. They weren’t at the peak of their careers but they brought a bit of style and stardom.
Then when the Man City project got going they bought Robinho as a big star.
Gradually these smallish statements were added to and as the Premier League got super savvy with selling global tv rights now that the product was a mix of good fun football and stars they made huge money which enabled more stars and because the money was great for players and stars had started arriving more stars went to the EPL and the Spanish and Italian leagues started disappearing in the rear view mirror.
The Saudi league will start being a popular view in a lot of Asia, South America and Africa and the Saudis won’t charge a lot for rights which will make it attractive to broadcasters so people get to see some big names playing that they recognise - much like the Premier league when it started to take off. And then the cycle continues, more top coaches and players will go, not just in the twilight of their careers, and you will possibly end up with a de-facto super league where everyone in the world can choose their new team based on their players with no old loyalties to their local clubs getting in the way.
They will get the World Cup too and no doubt an offer to host FIFA HQ and then job is done.
No. Not going to happen
Why? Because the EPL was in a unique position to take over the top spot of club football leagues. It has the pedigree, the history and the supporters. If you talk to people abroad who really follow English football, this means an enormous amount to them. By supporting Villa or Spurs or Liverpool or Man U or - God knows -Wrexham! - they are buying into an ancient story, a 100 year old club with its bloodlines and taboos, its history of triumphs and disasters. This is absorbed and becomes emotionally meaningful
You cannot confect this out of nothing (and it doesn’t help if your language is Arabic not English)
This is exactly why French luxury goods sell so well. L’Oreal to Chanel to Louis Vuitton to French wine, fashion and cognac. They have a pedigree, A cachet which absolutely cannot be replicated. A Chinese company could start selling perfume or moisturiser “technically superior” to Chanel but Jeez it would have to be incredibly superior to get people buying Xi Biang number 9 not Chanel number 5. And it won’t be superior coz in the end it is just perfume. A pong
English/British sports have the cachet of French luxury goods. The history and pedigree
For the same reason, Saudi cannot actually replace the Masters, or the Open at St Andrews. They can BUY a form of control, but that is different
This is right. Export goods for the global market have in them an essence of that country's character, or perceptions of character. They have to, to succeed. It's not just the intrinsic product itself but the emotion that the consumer gains from it; the culture they're buying in to. And you can't manufacture that out of nothing.
Janan Ganesh did an excellent article on this. On how Europe - especially France and Italy - essentially make a living from selling “Europe” as a posh brand, to everyone else
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
The trouble is we are not sexy. There is still an element of cool though, think about the Union Jack. What we are is sold, old reliable Britain. Sound finance, property rights, legal justice. If you're looking for a one night stand go to France or Italy. If you're looking for a solid partner for the next 40 years, nothing fancy, basic food, bad weather, warm beer, come to Britain.
Honestly, Suella Braverman is a naughty word that gets you banned from PB.
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
Labour is essentially the Australian cricket team.
Not playing anything impressive but waiting for the rain to intervene to guarantee retention of the Ashes.
The Australians have played some impressive cricket through the series as have England. Yes, their mindset was negative at Old Trafford but they wanted to get the job done. In fairness, the rub of the green has gone England’s way (tosses, conditions, Crawley’s innings - read on cricinfo that his century had one of the lowest “control %” since they started to monitor it).
Honestly, Suella Braverman is a naughty word that gets you banned from PB.
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
Its just disgusting. To treat people who are so vulnerable and limited in what they can do for themselves so badly for such small sums. The fact that it is not shocking is the most depressing thing about it.
Honestly, Suella Braverman is a naughty word that gets you banned from PB.
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
Be interesting to see if this provokes as much anger as removing the Mickey Mouse wallpaper.
IF the UK Go-Home Secretary is performing according to the US GOP right-wing Wack-job play-book, then the REAL issue, is a "True" CON standing tall against Woke-Lords at the heart the Deep State Euro/World-Government Conspiracy.
Honestly, Suella Braverman is a naughty word that gets you banned from PB.
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
Its just disgusting. To treat people who are so vulnerable and limited in what they can do for themselves so badly for such small sums. The fact that it is not shocking is the most depressing thing about it.
Honestly, Suella Braverman is a naughty word that gets you banned from PB.
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
Its just disgusting. To treat people who are so vulnerable and limited in what they can do for themselves so badly for such small sums. The fact that it is not shocking is the most depressing thing about it.
Sums up the state of the modern Conservative Party. Utter filth! Seriously, is there anyone dumb enough to vote Tory next time round?
Comments
On your argument Man Utd and Liverpool would always be the two clubs who global followers of the PL support but there’s been a massive shift where Chelsea started getting a big following because they had big global stars and success. Then Man City - a team that nobody sane supported until ten years ago - are becoming a huge global club because they’re big name players and success. Arsenal went big under Wenger then fell away globally.
If it was all about Pedigree and history then all the kids would be wearing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Man Utd, AC Milan, Juventus and Inter shirts and the other teams would be irrelevant but they don’t anymore. They want an Mbappe PSG top when PSG have no cachet or pedigree being a team founded in the 70’s with no European success. They don’t want Bayern tops as the German League is not a global pull.
It might be that Saudi fails, I hope it does, but generally outside of the team’s home country support is fluid. If you are in Burkina Faso and you can subscribe to stream PL matches for half a week’s salary or watch Ronaldo v Mbappe on free to air then you will start watching the free to air matches and pick a team with your favourite player or the colour strip you like.
It is quite realistic for Saudi PL to dominate that market, even if less watched elsewhere.
Strangely, I don't think the Premier League would take off in quite the same way if it was starting from where it is now. It's more tactical and there's a much greater emphasis on possession. But it's the established league so it's hard to dethrone.
Could Saudi take off? I guess, but it will need a lot more than Ruben Neves and Kylian Mbappe.
And we've been here before when China were buying up a lot of players (Oscar is still there!). It didn't last long.
In the end a handbag is a bloody handbag, but slap Chanel or Gucci on it, and it becomes something better. And LVMH is one of the biggest consumer companies in the world, thereby
Britain is capitalising on the cachet we have in sports: coz we invented them all
You can, however, create cachet in new forms of consumer goods. Apple is an example. When a rare example of a first gen iPhone sells for $100,000 (which it recently did) then the Apple brand has clearly become the tech equivalent of a Grand Cru label
Before the Russian invasion it was about a third of the price per mile to charge the Zoe at home compared with diesel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3irn5SxXLA
Incidentally, Jay says at one point that "Mission Impossible 7" is underperforming. This is not strictly true but needs to be put into context: it's performing badly compared to "Top Gun: Maverick" (which did unusually well) but is performing well compared to previous "Mission Impossibles". See here for an explanation from Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBS0bcEcsFo
Basically there is an upper limit to how much espionage actioners will gross. A similar problem will hit "Oppenheimer" because, just like "Blade Runner 2049", there is a limit to how much slow, talky older actor-orientated fare around the three-hour mark will gross, even if the reviews are stellar.
Probably an outlier but a pattern change in early August can't be discounted.
Labour 38%
SNP 21%
Cons 17%
Redfield & Wilton
https://twitter.com/wombat37/status/1683518420745166862/photo/1
Another hugely underrated point is the depth of support in English football. Get halfway down the second tier in Italy or Spain and you're looking at non-league levels of attendance, whereas every club in England* is its town or area's pride and joy and carries the hopes and dreams of thousands. It's social proofing. The football *matters*. Also the fast, direct style of the English game was, at the time, engaging for TV if not the most tactically effective.
Great football in e.g. Italy in the 90s but by god the stadiums did not look good - often half empty, miles from the pitch or surrounded by giant fences.
*yes, there are exceptions like MK Dons, but still.
Nobody is going to care about two Saudi clubs playing each other and interest in Asian football will always be very limited.
But the Champions League must be the most watched annual football competition and the most watched club football competition in the world (ie only beaten by World Cup and Euros which are for countries, not clubs).
So they will want their clubs in the Champions League and to start winning that every year.
Suspect there will be a heck of a fight - with the big English, Spanish, German and Italian clubs battling to keep them out.
Sopel got it right in his. I was wrong, sorry.
No one is about to dethrone Chanel
Britain’s been sitting on this amazing sporting pedigree - in globally played sports - all too long, without exploiting it. Now we are. This is good
Wimbledon does exactly the same. We invented tennis and now unsurprisingly we can boast the “oldest most prestigious tennis tournament in the world”. Bring on the green and gold branding, the Rolex and the royals
Well unless the likes of Natwest continue to spy on the social media of their customers and leak their net worth to journalists.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/24/labour-backs-down-gender-self-id-not-follow-snp-law/
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/06/15/saudi-arabia-may-accept-normal-relations-with-israel
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/may/12/how-beitar-jerusalem-became-infected-with-racism
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-747663
Is Intermediate Economics the class next door?
(Which is, I think, the Chinese system.)
So 만 is 10k, and 억 is 10k x 10k.
Given switch to first-past-the-post for London 2024 mayoral election, prospective Corbyn voters would come under PLENTY of pressure, mostly from own misgivings, at prospect of maybe electing a right-winger (even by contemporary Tory standards) as mayor.
Plus ideological differences are not exaclty a yawning gap between Khan and Corbyn? Making it tough(er) for the challenger to outflank the incumbent from the left.
On other hand, Corbyn does have more celebrity appeal than any other quasi-declared candidate, including Khan, who is about as charisma-free as Keir Starmer. Which is not to be (entirely) scorned, given past electoral history of this rather peculiar elected office AND even more peculiar office holders.
Decades of progress for animal welfare are potentially at risk.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/7/24/23801785/cage-free-eggs-pork-eats-act-california-prop-12
...The EATS Act, short for Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression, was introduced last month by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) with a companion bill in the House from Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and would prohibit state and local governments from setting standards for how agricultural products imported from other states are produced. The bill’s language is not only sweeping, but vague, and some of its potential effects are unclear. For example, it covers the “preharvest” production of agricultural products, but “preharvest” isn’t defined.
If enacted, and if it were to survive likely court challenges, the EATS Act would open up all those cage-free laws to lawsuits, potentially erasing decades of progress for animals suffering on factory farms. The bill would also threaten other farmed animal welfare laws, like California’s and New York City’s prohibitions on the sale of foie gras, a product made by force-feeding ducks and geese...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_numbering_system
Ok it looks nice. Ok it is nice. But 100,000 prisoners were starved tortured and beaten to death here. In 2 years. In this tiny corner. It’s weird. They’ve converted an infamous stalag into a gastro-hotel
The food is good
I think I approve. If they turned every haunted place in Ukraine into a mauseoleum then you wouldn’t be able to move for memorials. The whole country is spooky with dark memories
Life must go on. More prosecco!
Still, I guess it's just a matter of time until ULEZ revulsion spreads nationwide and destroys Labour's narrow lead.
We do however have amazing branding for schools and Universities and also our reach over time with music, television and film.
Maybe someone on the inside or thereabouts (and outside insider? insider outsider?) might broker a marketing deal, whereby in return for $$$$$$$ investment, aid, whatever from Saudis to Ukraine, LIV can tout this support on behalf of UKR to help take some of the stink off their stinky shit?
Tories 495 votes majority and 6.7% swing against them
Surely the term night be better applied to
the LibDem's 11,008 majority and 28.4% swing in their favour
or Labour's 4,161 majority and 21.4% swing in their favour
It's normal to talk up your favoured party, but make it believable rather than laughable.
Not playing anything impressive but waiting for the rain to intervene to guarantee retention of the Ashes.
Nick Miller
@NickMiller79
Hard to believe that Mbappe would choose to play in an uncompetitive league, being paid large amounts of money by people promoting the public image of a morally questionable petrostate.
Because my sense (perhaps not entirely incorrect) is that ULEX affect in BoJo's old stomping ground, was NOT due to anti-Wokeism, but rather more mundane considerations, in particular cost of living.
U&SR is check-by-jowl with Heathrow, and based on my limited experience, in Seattle as well as London, zones surrounding big international airports are NOT laps of luxury but places where warehouses and truck terminals are mingled with housing pitched to families working hard to make ends meet while achieving upward mobility (also visa versa).
Decades ago in WA State, a petition-drive got an initiative on ballot to slash automobile license fees, which were based on value of car, to a flat $15 (think that was it).
Strongly supported by conservative Republicans, and strongly opposed by liberal Democrats; no surprise there. But among more middle-of-the-road folks, the divide turned out to be based on income. With higher-income folks tending to vote AGAINST on grounds that state really did need revenue for education, transportation, public health and safety, etc. Whilte lower-income voters were more likely to conclude that, on balance, THEY needed the savings, which were often considerable for 2-car families where both husband & wife needed them to get to work & schlep the kids. And vote FOR the initiative. Which passed narrowly statewide.
For which his fellow Romans called him a Cunctator!
Can we send you to Ukraine as a new secret weapon?
British athletes competing in next year’s Olympic Games in Paris will carry a new emergency response app for their phones amid growing security concerns.
A report by a leading geopolitical and security intelligence company, seen by The Times, states that the terrorism threat level for Paris remains “severe”, with bomb-carrying drones cited among the potential dangers. There has also been an outbreak of civil disturbance across France this summer after the fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk in an encounter with police officers in a Paris suburb.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) will send a delegation of 1,100 athletes and staff to Paris, with the plan to provide an app that gives them instant access to assistance while also allowing security staff to identify their whereabouts at any given time.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/paris-2024-team-gb-emergency-app-severe-terrorism-threat-z5g5dnxt7
Tories = England
The home secretary acted unlawfully in failing to provide basic support to asylum seekers, including young children and pregnant women, a judge has ruled.
Suella Braverman must introduce changes that will benefit thousands of asylum seekers after five successfully challenged the home secretary in the high court.
Three of the claimants brought proceedings over delays in providing financial support while two challenged over failures to provide cash payments to pregnant women and to children under three years old.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift found that the home secretary broke the law in withholding payments of £3 a week to provide healthy food for children aged one to three and to pregnant women.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/24/suella-braverman-acted-unlawfully-over-asylum-seekers-judge-rules
No dramatic changes on tonight's R&W with a solid 17-point lead for Labour.
In England, it's Labour 46%, Conservative 29%, Liberal Democrat 15%, Green 4.5%, Reform 4.5% and Others 1%.
Boris Johnson's Conservatives won England 47-34-12 in December 2019 so that's a 15% swing from Conservative to Labour and a 10.5% swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat.
Deltapoll has Labour on 49% and the Conservatives on 26% with the LDs on 9%, Greens on 5% and Reform on 4%. That's the GB numbers and would be a 17.5% swing from Conservative to Labour which would be a Labour landslide.
However, as we've seen in Spain, there are polls and there are elections just as there are policies and there is politics. PP underperformed some of their polling but PSOE out-performed all theirs.
Two-party politics are back in Spain with both PP and PSOE advancing in seats and votes and VOX and SUMAR both losing ground (as did a host of minor parties). Sanchez may not have won but he didn't lose as completely as many thought and Feijoo's 136 seat tally looks insufficient for even a minority Government in a way 150 seats wouldn't have.
Feijoo picked up most of the moribund Citizens votes and seats but PP's progress was as much against VOX as it was against the Left so the net effect was diluted.
The four parties control 322 of the 350 seats in the Cortes and the PP/VOX group have 169 with PSOE/SUMAR on 153. The remaining 28 deputies hold the balance - 14 are from Catalonia and 11 from the Basque Country. I suspect there'll be a lot of courting in the Cortes (sorry) - Junts have already said they're not playing unless Catalonian independence is on the table (which it won't be).
If the centre-left parties in Catalonia and the Basque Country supported a new PSOE minority (as they did before) it would be 169-166 which would leave the 5 Basque Nationalists and the single representatives from the Galician, Canarian and Navarrese regional groups holding the balance.
It's looking like Round 2 before too long - will VOX follow Citizens into decline and oblivion? It's certainly a brake on the apparently unstoppable progress of populist nationalism.
Other than that, it's a fair cop.
But closer to the end than the beginning.
File under “whingeing Pom”.