Question one – Are you against rich foreign owners in the Premier league?
Yes. Most definitely. They have ripped the soul out of our beautiful game.
Question two – Do you want Crystal Palace to win the Premier League and play with Europe’s elite?
Yes of course I do. That would be amazing.
Okay, go back to question one writes STUART IONS.
The argument that rich foreign investment has ruined our beautiful game is a hot topic. There is no doubt that the influx of foreign money has brought some of the finest players to our shores, putting the Premier League under a huge spotlight.
Worldwide television coverage, new fan bases, merchandising opportunities on a global scale. Wherever you go in the world, people know of the English Premier League. People can name the stars. On a recent trip to America I was able to watch Palace play Everton while casually having breakfast at the hotel bar. People seemed genuinely interested in the game. Football is big business, it is opening doors to a whole new audience.
There are of course many negatives to the new path football has taken. With great change comes great sacrifice. It has become clear that our grass roots football is suffering. Home grown players have to cut there teeth in the lower leagues. Clubs seem unwilling to let their academy stars gain experience in the top flight instead loaning them out to earn their stripes.
Crystal Palace have fantastic youth system but even we know the realities of the modern game. Previous first team regular Jonny Williams has been deemed not quite ready for the top flight and has been shipped out to Ipswich Town for a second consecutive season. One could argue how are players to gain Premier League experience if they are not playing in the Premier League.
Top stars earn a disgusting amount of money and this in turn makes ticket prices and merchandise costs sky high. The average man on the street can no longer afford to go and see his club and is seemingly replaced by tourists. The reality of modern football is pretty sad at times.
Before the Premier league was formed, I remember Crystal Palace finishing third in the old First Division. We were not the most elegant team and we did not have any megastars. We did, however, have a terrific team spirit and through hard graft we deserved our best ever finish in the top tier.
The league was more of a level playing field back then, the billionaire owners had not come to the forefront. Do not be fooled, there was still a lot of money being thrown around, just not quite to the extent that is now. Finishing third in the league was one of our, if not the greatest achievement. It was sad that we did not get the reward of a trip to Europe that we so rightly deserved.
I have said in the past in this column that I am a realist and I am also an optimist. But optimism is quashed completely when it comes to this grim reality. We will never finish as high as third in the top flight again without massive amounts of investment in our club.
I love what the current group of owners have done for Crystal Palace. Chairman Steve Parish has received some terrible abuse for his financial decisions and for appearing to hold the purse strings too tight. They are good astute businessmen who do not want to see our club dragged through the gutter again. I truly believe they are doing things correctly and making the best decisions for the club in our current situation.
With that said, they can only take our club so far, even they have admitted as much. Talk of a American takeover is very much on the cards. Huge investment could change our small family club into a global brand and put us on a level par with some of our Premier League counterparts. It could also rip the heart and soul out of the club. Change is inevitable if a takeover is to happen.
It is now that we need to be realistic. Are we happy flirting with relegation in the Premier League every season? Maybe being relegated and being a top half Championship club? Or do we want to go toe to toe with the big boys in the top half of the Premier League? Then maybe take on the cream of the crop in Europe?
I have always been opposed to foreign investors. I have never wanted my club to be ruined by a barmy lunatic like Vincent Tan, but the times are changing and it is not getting easier competing with the elite.
We have the best fans in the country in my opinion. We have been through some very challenging times in the last twenty years. I think we deserve some good times, I think we deserve some rewards. I think the Nou Camp needs to see the noise that OUR fans in red and blue can make. We have paid our dues so maybe it is our turn.
I cannot see what the future holds. I do not know if change will be good for us but what I do know is, no matter what, our wonderful fans will always stand by this club. As long as we are here and we still have a club to support nothing else should matter.
Sitting on the fence? Perhaps I am but it truly gives me the best view of what is about to unfold.
Come on you Palace!
