A leading FSG figure has said that he’s ‘determined’ to pursue a ‘crazy idea’ which is bound to many Liverpool fans.
Sara Germano wrote a lengthy piece for the Financial Times on the Reds’ owner John Henry which mentioned a quote from club chairman Tom Werner about the prospect of Premier League fixtures being taken outside of England played in several locations across the globe.
The 74-year-old said: “I’m determined one day to have a Premier League game be played in New York City.
“I even have the sort of crazy idea that there would be a day where we play one game in Tokyo, one game a few hours later in Los Angeles, one game a few hours later in Rio, one game a few hours later in Riyadh and make it sort of a day where football, where the Premier League, is celebrated.”
Werner acknowledged that the idea is set to grate with local-based supporters and floated an instant suggestion: “Let’s figure out a way to offer them very cheap travel [and] accommodations so that if Liverpool is playing Nottingham Forest, we will support fans coming to New York and make this an attractive thing for the fans as well.”
Liverpool and the Premier League might have a global fanbase, and supporters outside of Europe may find it very difficult to attend games at Anfield (indeed, it can be hard even those in the UK and Ireland), but Werner’s suggestion cannot be allowed to materialize .
For dedicated fans who attend every single match their team plays, that pilgrimage to the stadium they call home is a sacred ritual. Many long-standing English traditions (Saturday 3pm kick-offs, FA Cup replays) have already fallen by the wayside or been greatly reduced; taking domestic fixtures overseas would be outright sacrilege.
Some may argue that the NFL holds matches in London annually for lovers of the sport outside the USA, and that the Premier League could easily return the favor, but it flies in the face of the local supporters who’ll still be devoted to their club long after the current board, manager and players have left.
That’s not to mention the logistical strain it would put on the sport’s most valuable assets – the footballers themselves who are already subjected to relentless schedules and thousands of air miles at the behest of avaricious executives with zero understanding of even the basics of sports science.
Liverpool and other Premier League clubs already try to accommodate their non-UK fan base by playing lucrative pre-season friends in all corners of the world. Taking domestic matches to other nations would be a step too far.
The English top flight might have a global reach, but we’ve already seen football pulled further and further away from its roots over the past 30 years. Werner’s idea would be a worrying extension of that trend, if it ever becomes a reality.
