[Baggies]

On the back of the circus these last few days, it got me thinking, if you were supreme leader of World Football, what changes would you make to the game?

A couple from me:

Players international qualification - I see no reason why a player who had played for England or France and who no longer gets picked, shouldn't be able to then go on to represent another county they may qualify for (like in Rugby League). Players like Fikayo Tomori for example faces an uncertain future with England, however he is locked in thanks to the 1 cap 2 years ago. Why shouldn't he be allowed to play for Canada or Nigeria if he can't get a game for us? Raheem Sterling is coming off the back of a poor season and despite being only 26, it's possible with players like Sancho, Foden, Greenwood, Rashford and Bellingham coming through that he might be sidelined by the time Qatar 2022 comes around. Why shouldn't he be allowed the option of finishing his career for Jamaica? Nationality is a complex thing in this day and age. When the "next Neymar" Jamal Musiala declared for Germany (over us, The USA and Nigeria), he spoke of how difficult it was to pick between the land of his birth and the land he sees as home (us). Why shouldn't he be allowed to switch half way through.

I'd make a rule to say that if you have not played for a nation for 2 years and you qualify via ancestry/birth, you are allowed to switch nationalities. I would however have control measures to say players from smaller nations cant go to bigger ones and maybe say you can only go from a top 20 ranked nation to one lower down the rankings.

VAR - Instead of reviewing every decision, make it like cricket. The only decisions that are reviewed are those that are flagged by either the manager or the captain. Each team gets 1 review and if they get it right, they keep it. It would stop the constant reviews and puts the onus on the teams to make their calls correctly. If you lose your review, you only have yourself to blame.

[SmethDan]

I would not rule out strategic nuclear air strikes on Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath.

[Scooby Doo]

Salary Cap: Each League. % of revenue of each club.

Ticket Prices: Determined by finishing league position

Home Grown Quota: Introduce No. of Academy players minimum selection in squads

Reform European Football: CL for Champions / UEFA Cup for next / Cup Winners Cup

International: represent where you are born. No residencies.

TV: Free To Air football. Set amount paid. Increase with inflation.

Merchandise: Set prices. Across the board.

[beechyboy90]

Cap away ticket prices

Actually enforce financial fairplay

Scrap VAR

Scrap pointless international friendly breaks

Take big sides out of johnstone paint or whatever it's called these days.

Make champions league for champions only
Bring back cup winners cup UEFA cup for the rest.

Reinstate 3PM kick offs across the board. No friday or monday night games.

Ensure tv deals are for the whole 92 not just the elite. Or failing that allow league 2 and league 1 to have own tv deals to increase revenue.

[skyclad99]

Still favouring the nuclear strike option personally.......

[Hull Baggie]

Cap away ticket prices

Actually enforce financial fairplay

Scrap VAR

Scrap pointless international friendly breaks

Take big sides out of johnstone paint or whatever it's called these days.

Make champions league for champions only
Bring back cup winners cup UEFA cup for the rest.

Reinstate 3PM kick offs across the board. No friday or monday night games.

Ensure tv deals are for the whole 92 not just the elite. Or failing that allow league 2 and league 1 to have own tv deals to increase revenue.

Agree with everything apart from removing bigger sides from Johnstones Paint/Papa Johns trophy as it's only the U21 sides (Cat 1 academy) from some Premier league/Championship clubs that take part.

In a way it's giving those players a taste of "real" football and it's not as if any U21 side has won the trophy since they came into it in 2016/17.

[skyclad99]

Cap away ticket prices

Actually enforce financial fairplay

Scrap VAR

Scrap pointless international friendly breaks

Take big sides out of johnstone paint or whatever it's called these days.

Make champions league for champions only
Bring back cup winners cup UEFA cup for the rest.

Reinstate 3PM kick offs across the board. No friday or monday night games.

Ensure tv deals are for the whole 92 not just the elite. Or failing that allow league 2 and league 1 to have own tv deals to increase revenue.

Would go with most of that. I would not scrap VAR, but as someone else has already mentioned, give each team 3 reviews, and once they are gone, that's it. Some bloke sat in a room 200 miles away 'reffing' the game through VAR is killing it.

I think that the TV deal thing could be problematic too. With the greatest respect to them, Crawley Town v Barrow is not a very saleable product, but I fully agree with your point that the top teams need to support the pyramid below them in some way, shape or form.

[tommcneill]

Scrap VAR completely.
Champions League for Champions of something only (League, FA  Cup and League Cup) make them competitive again
TV deal is for all leagues and not just the Prem.
Cap salaries
Cap ticket prices and make it free travel to games inc in the cost of tickets on trains etc (Like Germany)

Id keep international friendlies but also reintroduce the England B side

[costa blanca baggie]

I’d adopt most of the ideas above, but only if I get some financial kick back. I’d also require hundreds of free tickets for Major Finals. Priority, obviously, goes toward the nuclear strike. Only, and I cannot stress this enough, when the wind is in the right direction. (Toward Wolverhampton... not Smethwick).

[Standaman]

Fan ownership and involvement is instinctively the way forward but the omnishambles that is Real Madrid and Barcalona isn't a great advert.

The much vaunted 51% rule in Germany is on first glance is fine and probably one of the key issues that derailed the SL. However it is a cartel that protects established West German Clubs and the expense of those in the East. Add the ratchet effect of CL money and it's handed the keys of the kingdom to Bayern Munich. It should also be noted that the rules don't apply to Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen because they are regarded as works teams. All I can say that Kai Havertz must be grateful that he doesn't have to fit his football in around his work as a lab technician now he has moved to Chelsea.

Yet it is only fan ownership that will anchor clubs to their communities and make clubs responsive to their fanbase. However you can't let them vote in megalomaniacs making wild promises nor can it be used to pickle a hierarchy in aspic.

Now I know all things American sports are deeply unpopular right now but there are lessons to be learned. Firstly clubs operate under a tight set of operating rules laid down by the leagues (substitute FA/PL/UEFA). Secondly a lot of revenue is pooled and distributed evenly among clubs which along with the draft and wage caps and floors ensures competitive balance in closed leagues.

Promotion and relegation however does nothing for competitive balance and just creates instability and risk without reward that is not an argument against open leagues but an argument for a better managed transitions between the various levels of competition. The first step on that path is a more even distribution of the games resources and tight control over the way in which clubs can operate.

A few ideas hardwired wage caps set at a level where all teams in any given league can be competitive. Promotion and relegation triggers automatic realignment within players contract.

All players contracts have a fixed release clause built in that is aligned to the value and length of the contract. Clubs can discount these fees if they want to release a player but they can never charge more.

Players can hire agents and agree fees as percentage of their earnings but no agent can have a fee related to a transfer fee. They are at liberty to advice clubs but can only do so on a hourly rate all charges are invoiced and invoices are lodged with the football authorities.

All under 16 academies taken out of club control and placed with the national FA. On graduation each club can have a fixed number of draft picks who are given a two year professional contract the club has a 1 year option at 50% of the league wage cap and a fee set at the league wage cap and a fee set at 100% of the league cap if it takes up the option.  All 16 to 18 contracts are the same base terms.

How we wrestle control of game from the billionaire class is an entirely different question. However once in control I wouldn't mess with me. If you break the rules or even think about breaking them the punishment would be brutal. You know the old cliché "can they do it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke?" they would be finding out whether they can do it on a wet Wednesday in Matlock and trust me that makes Stoke feel like the South of France.

[SmethDan]

Split gate receipts 50-50.

Reduce concourse refreshment costs to those found in local shops.

Safe standing.

Free public transport with the cost of a ticket as already mentioned.

Ban the use of plastic clappers and musical instruments in stadiums.

Mike the Refs.

Interview Refs post match to question contentious decisions.

Prevent managers, coaching staff and players from chewing gum; especially with their gobs open.

Press ahead with the nuclear option should the wind be in the right direction.

If not ban sales of fish in said affected/infected areas and starve 'em out.

[Albionic]

Rule 1. ban Claret & Blue
Rule 2. ban peuce and black
Rule 3. Give me while ...

[baggie53]

Rule 1. ban Claret & Blue
Rule 2. ban peuce and black
Rule 3. Give me while ...

You forgot the tactical nuclear strike on the seal pen

[zippyandbungle]

I’d adopt most of the ideas above, but only if I get some financial kick back. I’d also require hundreds of free tickets for Major Finals. Priority, obviously, goes toward the nuclear strike. Only, and I cannot stress this enough, when the wind is in the right direction. (Toward Wolverhampton... not Smethwick).

If you bomb villa wouldn’t the fallout need to pass smith wick to get to dingle land?

[SmethDan]

If you bomb villa wouldn’t the fallout need to pass smith wick to get to dingle land?

Smethwick should be fine but West Brom would definitely be in the path of fallout. Pray for high wind swirls around West Brom or only bomb the buggery out of the Seal Pen if the winds are favourable for other directions. I wouldn't rule out bombing Molineux either to be honest. And if the fallout from Molineux drifts across the Britannia then all's well and good.

[wodenson46]

Salary Cap: Each League. % of revenue of each club.

Ticket Prices: Determined by finishing league position

Home Grown Quota: Introduce No. of Academy players minimum selection in squads

Reform European Football: CL for Champions / UEFA Cup for next / Cup Winners Cup

International: represent where you are born. No residencies.

TV: Free To Air football. Set amount paid. Increase with inflation.

Merchandise: Set prices. Across the board.

All of this plus VAR revue system similar to Baggies except would have one review each half

And of course the nuclear options as a base point

[lewisant]

I'd address the Academy system and how clubs can just cherry pick from others and use it to financial advantage. Louie Barry being the perfect case study. Chelsea being another and how they have sometimes had 40+ players out on loan, none of which have ever even got close to the first team.

[SmethDan]

....Chelsea being another and how they have sometimes had 40+ players out on loan, none of which have ever even got close to the first team.

Human harvesting.