Malta FA president Norman Darmanin Demajo is adamant that his business model for the Premier League, the country’s flagship football competition, will reap significant benefits for clubs. The fans are not entirely convinced.
Somehow, the sums are not adding up in more sense than one.
The Premier League has long been crying out for a new lease of life but, given their limitations, the clubs have done precious little to change the status quo. The MFA head has now decided to grab the proverbial bull by its horns.
He is willing to introduce season tickets for Premier League club fans, something that ought to have been done years ago. Season tickets are a major source of income for professional clubs the world over and it’s no surprise that, in the main, local clubs have responded favourably to the proposal.
Several fans had also called for the introduction of season tickets but the initial recommended price of €230, coupled with the proposed rise in the match day admission fee, caused an uproar among many football followers.
In light of the declining attendances, a cheaper season ticket would, of course, be more attractive and fill empty stands.
The season ticket issue debate could have been avoided had the MFA and clubs engaged in a proper consultation process involving representatives of supporters’ clubs and other stakeholders such as sponsors.
The idea of having a one-size-fits-all season ticket covering all the Premier League and FA Trophy games has also been widely criticised.
Many fans have pointed out that they are only interested in attending their team’s fixtures and, as such, the price of the season ticket should be calculated according to the number of fixtures of each club rather than the entire programme.
While their arguments appear justified, those who call themselves genuine supporters should come forward and give their backing in a tangible form by acquiring season tickets, at a reasonable price, because this would help their clubs generate some much-needed income.
Many Maltese football enthusiasts fork out hundreds of euros to watch their favourite overseas team play and not a few spend thousands to buy season tickets of the big European clubs like Manchester United and Juventus, to mention just two. So what’s wrong in ‘financing’ one’s own home team?
Mr Darmanin Demajo’s blueprint also advocates an increase in the number of Premier League teams, from 12 to 14, from season 2017/18 and a two-round championship made up of 26 match days.
Critics, including some of the country’s leading coaches, believe that the addition of another two clubs in the elite division would further dilute the quality of the championship. Mr Darmanin Demajo and others who support this move, however, see nothing wrong in opening the doors of the Premier League to more teams and more players.
At this stage, it’s hard to know exactly how a potential increase in the number of clubs in a two-round Premier League would affect quality. It may be worth remembering that Uefa’s decision to expand the quadrennial European Championship from 16 to 24 teams a few years back had been universally dismissed as an own goal. Public opinion has changed dramatically since then as some lesser known national teams, like those of Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland and Wales, set the qualifying round alight by securing a place in the finals.
Thus, the idea of a 14-team championship is worth trying provided there is a thorough assessment of its impact in the long term.