New boy Lucas wonders what the point of the Premiership will be when all of the Big Four are backed by foreign billions.

David Dein, one of the crucial figures behind Arsenal’s rise over the last decade, has resigned, reportedly over an issue of the team’s sale. I will say that I really, really hope, for the sake of English football, that Arsenal aren’t about to be totally bought of by an American. First off, that would throw money into the team, which sucks, because, well, it’s Arsenal, and secondly this whole “America buying into the EPL” thing needs to stop. Right now. It is a certainty that with more foreign ownership, with more

These are people who have no knowledge of the game (for instance, Tom Hicks, new co-majority owner of Liverpool, referring to them as a “franchise”, and then as “the Liverpool Reds”,) and are in it solely for profit, which to my mind goes against the whole spirit of the footballing endeavor. Hicks was also, as it happens, one of the major financial backers of both of George Bush’s elections. So that’s the kind of guy who’s involved now.

If Arsenal wind up being sold off to Stan Kroenke, who at this point has about 11% of the shares, that will mean that the entirety of the “Big Four” are foreign-owned, three of them by Americans. And Americans, of course, know shit-all about football.

What we’ve seen from this huge inflow of money is an ugly, ugly thing. Chelsea, of course, with their negative tactics, unnecessary-by-any-standard diving and big titted midfielders, are a perfect example of what happens to these teams. Money comes in, the passionate, loyal players are shoved out in favor of superstars, and of course the jackass fans start to appear, making it somehow possible for a two-time defending champion to play in front of near-silence from their home “fans.”

We haven’t seen this from Manchester United, bought by the brothers Glazer, but that is probably more of a factor of the creative core of the team (Giggs, Scholes and such) already being present at the time of the purchase. Credit goes to United for managing to play good or even, and as seen in the Roma game, brilliant football.

While Liverpool have shown the kind of steadfast work you’d expect from a team with such history, seeing the amount of players they’re linked with is troubling. That last goes for Arsenal, who would undoubtedly take the money and clear out all the crap from their team despite Arsene Wenger’s constant blather about building from the ground up. I worry about seeing two more Chelsea’s, dominating the league and ruining the game. Who can possibly compete with these teams, already unchallenged at the top of the Premiership, when backed by billionaires?

I root for Tottenham Hotspur, and what is a step behind the big four will become an ever widening chasm- supporters of Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and all the other big-club hopefuls will see this as well. And I can’t even imagine what it’s like for Watford or Charlton, looking awestruck at the clubs above them. Fuck.


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