The Premier League: Dull as Dishwater

What a great article, Ell - I wish I could have written it!

It’s very sad how the match-going experience has been systematically destroyed. I’ve tried hard to adapt, but I still yearn to get back to the car at 5.00pm on a Saturday after the match to tune in to BBC “Sports Report”.

I smiled at your mention of players passing the ball across the 6 yard line. Yesterday, Keane took the ball to the left-hand corner of the 6 yard box and passed it to Tarkowski at the right hand corner, who immediately picked up the ball. It was a more obvious penalty than O’Brien’s handball, nonsensical, but it went largely unnoticed apart from a half-hearted call from a single Arsenal forward.

My own solution to date has been to retain my Everton season ticket. The spreading around of our games has a benefit, in that it makes it easier for me to watch my grandsons play on a Saturday and Sunday morning, and for me to follow a non-league team who kick off at 3.00pm on a Saturday. The quality may not be quite as high, but when the ball goes into the goal I take a quick glance at the ref and the lino, and I know exactly what’s going on.

Got home at 11.45 last night,( mainly cos I stayed until the final whistle, unlike many streaming out at 70 minutes, at 0-1 ! a common trait at BMD) from a home game on a Saturday!

I live 7 miles from the ground, didn’t even stop for a pint after the game.

Great article Ell, you nailed it with the 3pm Saturday analogy. The game was played at that time to accommodate the working person. It was a socialist game for the people who worked all week and rested and socialised over the weekend.

That game has long gone.

Don’t even start on daft kick off times. Flying ‘home’ from NY to see family and hopefully catch a game at the new place. Booked trip be home Feb 11 to 22nd to see either Bournemouth on 11 or MU on 21st. Those games now moved to 10th and 23rd. Praying for a home 4th round tie.

That’s a great article Ell and you write what I feel.

I’m more than twice your age and now attend home games with my son, daughter and grandson which sweetens the pill but it’s not as enjoyable as it used to be.

I still look forward to going to the game and going to Bramley Moore was supposed to make going into town afterwards a chance to sit with family and mates and enjoy a proper chat and a drink.

In reality it’s a bit of a military operation trying to co-ordinate everyone largely due to the random kick off times.

The aftermath of the Arsenal game resulted in trying to squeeze onto a too small train at Sandhills already largely full of people returning home from the city centre.

And don’t start me on VAR! It’s the worst thing that could have happened to football.

I’ve read the article now Ell, and believe that if this was put on any of the biggest mainstream media websites, then it would draw a lot of attention because it’s exactly how a lot of match going fans currently feel.

We all love football, and I’m sure if the fans of every club in the EPL, got together and said enough is enough with regards certain things like kick off times, then things might change but, this isn’t going to happen and I’m sure a lot of what you call the legacy fans, will slowly drift away.

Massive respect Ell, 35 years of age, you have stood the test of time and watched your team only through an era of managed decline. The new ground is amazing and will hopefully help our club, in it’s quest to become what it has been before, but I was talking to a Liverpool fan, about a week ago and he said him and his season ticket supporter mates, who have been going to Anfield together, since around the time you was born Ell, have been having similar discussions about leaving the game behind.

I suppose it’s going to be a lot easier for those lucky bastards though, because unlike yourself, they have seen their club, win everything.

Excellent article. I had to laugh though when I saw it because I had been doing one on much the same lines.

I was going to point out that we have quite possibly seen our last Saturday 3pm kick-off at Bramley-Moore this season, in the Premier League at least. Just study the rest of our home games.

We now have that many Monday night games, it's like following a pub darts team.

There is widespread frustration among match-attenders of all clubs and that is increasing.

I do wonder if the problem is that the people running the game are obsessed with TV viewing figures, advertising and broadcasting income.
And that they can't see they are slowly strangling the goose that lays the golden egg.

Sorry to hear of your problem with the fixture changes, Paul, 4. Nothing can be planned until the TV companies make their pick for the month. And even then, it can change further.

If you can change your flight Paul, I will give you my ticket for either game, even if you choose the game against the Mancs, mate!

Totally agree. TV and technology kills the excitement. 62 years a blue for me. Went to almost every game throughout the late 60’s and the 70’s. Then as I moved across the country and brought up a family of blues we saw great and terrible days but the football was always interesting. We gave up our season tickets in the early 2000’s as the Sky “revolution” made it impossible to attend so many games together. Then the Champions League money tore the league apart.

Now we have the international breaks, VAR, subs benches worth hundreds of millions, and even more CL money. Soon we’ll go to roll on/off subs, VAR scratching goals off at the end of a game, and AI referees working from drone cameras. That Fulham game was the most spoiled match I’ve ever seen. That’s the future.

And I still couldn’t get tickets for a game at a reasonable kick off time at the weekend. Thankfully due to our bigger ground capacity at least I get to some games now, but at ridiculous cost and often with massive transport issues.

I have friends who support Championship and lower League clubs who still love the game and get to see a decent competitive game most weekends. TV even messing with that now.

Time we took a look at what we’ve done to the game.

Completely agree with this. I grew up, in football terms, in the 1970s. Football was affordable, accessible and aimed at the people who walked through the turnstiles.

During lockdown, I spent way too much time watching old games from the 70s and 80s. There was just as much skill, but the big thing for me was that the game was a big slower and gave more time and space for footballers. And you could tackle properly thn, too. There are far too many people on the pitch these days who are athletes first, footballers second.

Same off the pitch. Back in 1985 I had aspirations to be a journalist. I wrote to Everton asking if I could interview Gary Lineker for the ESCLA Newsletter. I got a hand-written letter from the man himself, giving his phone number, asking me to call him to set something up. A week later, I interviewed him in the Weld Blundell. Imagine trying that these days.

Maybe I'm turning into my much-missed arl fella. But you're welcome to convince me I'm wrong.

I agree with all of this. When I was a kid footy was a working class men's game. 'Unfortunately at some point the penny dropped with our globalist overlords of football's potential to distract the masses, and also to manipulate them. Footy is now global, for a global audience. 'it is used as a vehicle for all sorts of social messaging, and also to corral correct behaviours. VAR| is a part of this, it's not an accident in my view. We are now at the mercy of unseen bellends who decide whether we have scored a goal, often minutes after the event. It's another reminder, we're in charge. The horrible truth is Everton no longer belongs to us, nor does football. It was taken away in a thousand little ways.

Wow, Paul, you got to interview Gary Lineker, at the peak of his powers. Fantastic.

Ell, I applaud your article. Like a few on this thread I am also more than twice your age. I was privileged to see every home game in the late sixties which in many ways was a Golden Age for the match going fan. The terraces heaved with the sway of the crowds who created their own atmosphere with pre-match chants and singing. If you were not in your ‘spec’ in the middle of the Street End by 2.30 p.m. at the latest you could forget it.

We had no need of the deafening cacophony from the modern sound systems or giant tifos, not that the latter are in any way offensive. It’s just a little sad that clubs and supporters groups find it necessary to adopt measures such as those employed on Saturday night to hype up the pre-match build-up. I suspect for many youngsters it was the highlight of the night because the action which followed was, to use your headline, as dull as ditch water.

The spontaneity has most certainly drifted away from the game, both on and off the pitch. Managers, even Guardiola, are highly suspicious of players performing any special tricks. Nothing matters but wins, points and league placings but above all the money which comes with success. Failure to meet expectations is perceived as a catastrophe. The incessant media focus on the latest managers ‘under pressure’ plays to the modern appetite for soap operas with a starring cast perceived as dunces, charlatans or downright villains; notwithstanding the fact that the majority of managers know far more about the game and the management of footballers than any of us or the majority of pundits, could ever hope to know.

But none of the many irritants of the game in the 21st century compare with the abomination which is VAR. I found it staggering that 19 Premier League clubs voted to retain it. I have heard it said on countless occasions that there is nothing wrong with the system other than the people operating it. Well, seven years after its introduction, here we are still suffering obvious inconsistency on a game by game, week by week basis. The aim for greater precision on matters of judgment was always a false pursuit, robbing fans in the Premier League of those moments of unbridled joy we once enjoyed when the ball hit the net. If clubs really think VAR is benefiting anyone playing or watching the game they really are more out of touch than I imagined.

I was very fortunate to watch football in the last century. I am sorry new generations will not have the opportunity to enjoy what was once a unique spectator sport. Now it is just another event.

Well written Ell and of course much of what you have written is true. However, I do feel that we the fans must share some of the blame for many of the changes that have taken place. I go back a little further than you and started watching Everton play regularly when Johnny Carey was the manager. I loved the way the team played in those days, but we didn't always win so John Moores sacked Carey and appointed Harry Catterick. Catterick was of course much more successful, but I never warmed to him and to this day still prefer the Carey way. And that seems to me to be the crux of the problem, supporters generally want to win at any cost.

If you take for instance our game v Arsenal, generally we did OK with a scratch team. But then there was a normal coming together of players in the penalty area, and everyone is screaming penalty. Or the defence of any corner when defenders principal job seems to stop their opposite number from getting anyway near the ball. What chance does the referee have ?

Much to my surprise, this season I have loved watching Jack Gealish, not since Alec Young have I seen a player caress a football in the way he does. However, his weekly salary is probably twice as much as many of his team mates, playing in what is supposed to be a team of eleven players.

So yes things have changed, and clearly not always for the better. But on Saturday, fearing a very late journey home, I choose to stay at home and watch the game on TV. I could not have done that in the past, so progress there at least.

Amen to all of the above, the game is enduring a slow death, the peoples game used to be affordable, accessible, and the players were regular guys. The disconnect now is massive, and its all down to money, dirty stuff at the best of times, ever since sky came in and cashed up the product, thats what the game is now, a product to sell to the masses.

If the fans acted as one and stopped going, stopped paying, empty stadiums, no atmosphere, no match day kerching at the tills, they might just get their game back.

3pm Saturday, every team, every week, doesnt that sound good, whos game is it?

Anthony, that’s a very generous offer. Unfortunately, due to work, flights are unchangeable.

Great article Ell,
Paul 10, says it best with football was affordable and aimed at the people who walked through the turnstiles.They no longer care about the match going fans anymore, Saturday at 3pm!! Television took over a long time ago and look at all our games now being played on Mondays at 8pm!!

Great honest report Ell.
I totally agree with all above comments.

The Sky and the other Media channels effectively run football now and dictate who can and when they can go the match.

Theres not the buzz and excitement of days gone by now at any ground.

Even preseasons gone flat.

Too much football on TV, and the sacred Saturdays at 3 p.m. are now a novelty.

VAR and the concious bias of the EPL management, has damned the once great game to a mediocrity in terms of fairness and transparency. When are City going to be charged?

Looking at the Everton, Bayern and Ajax teans of the early 70s last night with my lad. Brilluant footage abd dome great players.

Those were the days that moulded my football beliefs and aspirations.

I don't see the "Cash Cow" approach to the EPL changing any time soon.

What would be very positive is if Everton could get back into Europe.

Away trips in Europe, happy days and great memories.

It would be amazing if this could happen in the next 2-3 years.
Outside chance, and lets see.

And to be consistent and play every year?

Dream, dream,dream dream dream. Yep thats it but Everton is looking in good shape as a club, but success on the pitch would be a tsunami of emotion and impetus that will take Evertonians to a better place.

A top 10 place this season is possible but praying for a couple of new players in, this next transfer window.

All The Best of the Seasons Greetings to all Evertonians!
💙🤍⚽️🍻🍻🍻

Superb article, Eli. All my thoughts of the modern game are captured in your excellent piece.

I keep wanting to stop but it's like a drug. There's been a couple of times in my 40 odd years of supporting Everton that I've wanted to take a break, just for my mental health. It's the fear of stopping attending the games or following every kick and then missing out on a big win that draws me back in. Just one more game.

As they say, it's the hope that kills you.

Hopefully we can beat Sunderland in the cup and get another home game so you can get to experience our new ground then Paul

I can't imagine watching a game in the stadium and being the only people that have no idea what is happening. I watch cricket and the occasional rugby game live and that is definitely not the case. What do they think is going to happen if they see it in the stadium too? in cricket you actually hear the thoughts of the TV umpire as they go through it.
I lost interest in the EPL as a competition years ago. In sporting terms it is a terrible spectacle. The final table usually resembles the salaries table and is pretty predictable. 2 teams have a shot at the title, 3-4 teams more often than not start to get cut adrift and then we're expected to give a shit about whether a team comes 3rd or 4th? or even 7th because they might get into Europe. Clubs celebrate coming 4th????
I am only interested these days in watching us play and I'm in NZ so only have sky sports as an option. I can't justify $60 a month to watch us play when depending on when the match is I can't watch live anyway:) Has anyone got any feedback on Everton TV... it's only about 6-7 dollars a month here and watching full games delayed is no great hassle. I'm well past getting up at 3 in the morning to watch live:)

I can't say that I enjoyed your article Eli, because so much of it rings true and it's depressing.

The spontaneity has gone. Once only the most obvious of offsides or fouls would negate a goal. Now we have computerised slide rules desperately trying to find a reason, any reason, to expunge a goal.

The spirit is dead.

The players all cheat in their choreographed career ending 'injury' rolls. Only to emerge sprinting away 2 minutes later.

Time wasting. How long is the ball actually in play? 50 of the 90 minutes if we're lucky.

Referees have a thankless role, and it's one they invariably play badly.

FIFA is corrupt to the core, and would rather suck up to DJT with a peace prize rather than address the ills of the game. And yes, concerning the forthcoming world cup, I'm sure Donald and his cronies do get a large 'piece'.

Administrators, IT techies, bankers, corporations, et al, have ruled that our game no longer exists and it is we, the traditional fans that have become 'the clear and obvious error'.

A thoroughly depressing read, Ell, but I'm not here to shoot the messenger.

I think you have expressed the disillusionment of millions of fans with a chilling accuracy.

He's searching for the memory of a lost paradise.

In his youth or a dream. He cant be precise.

He's chained forever, to a world that departed

It's not enough. It's not enough

A superbly constructed dissection of what I genuinely feel the majority of supporters aged over 25/30 probably feel. I wonder if this could be somehow fowarded to a few mainstream media publications, digital or paper, and see if at least one of them might publish a realtively unaltered version. It would be interesting to see the reacton.

Off topic but you will be seeing alot more of me (or should I say I will be seeing a lot more of you) on here as the demise of Toffeeweb continues. No explanation needed but just thank heavens for Lyndon's inititive with Evertonia.

Merry Christmas and Happy New year one and all, and your families, whatever the results throw at us...

We probably all naively thought that VAR would somehow rid the game of dubious biased decisions towards the sky six. Instead it has helped them even more and has absolutely ruined the spontaneity and unbridled joy of watching a goal go in. It took an age for the powers that be to come up with an implementaion which could be manipulated. I now watch more non premier league games where on field decisions are final and it's a much better fan experience than pausing emotions while a bunch of numpties pour over every action, praying for a reason to chalk off a goal.

Altogether now...
Premier League corrupt as fuck..

Alan 24, Well said, if the kick on Barry had been on an Arsenal player it would have been given as a penalty. We have had so many go against us and it will sadly continue. Corrupt!!!

After that fairly Profound read,
I would like to take the opportunity to wish Lyndon and my fellow Toffeemen and Women. a very Merry Christmas
🎅

I for one thought VAR would improve the game, how wrong can you be. Offside if your hand is ahead of the defender, ridiculous.

I remember a goodfew years ago, final game hometown chelski.
Ourplayergot tackled from behind and a clear foul not given. Chelsea went up the pitch and equalised. We went from EUFA Place to 8th and no Europe.

I thought VAR would get rid of that, how naive.

The diving and holding the face when nowhere near is awful
Losing the will to watch the game these days

VAR should be scrapped because there is so much inconsistency, around subjective decisions, which gives me a feeling that that the EPL, are just simply kidding the life out of us imo.

Instead of telling us that they have made a decision, tell us why they have made the decision, and instead of leaving it to Dermot Gallagher, to line his pockets and take the heat away from these referees, let the men in the middle start answering the questions, along with their boss Howard Webb.

Pre recorded shows tend to tell me that they are just pushing their own pre-conceived narrative, and the only way to take away the feeling that the game is corrupt, would be to put the people who are making a lot of very inconsistent decisions on a very regular basis, in the firing line, and let them tell us why they are also making these decisions, on a weekly basis.

If this happened, I genuinely think that within twelve months that at least 33% of referees would be seeking alternative employment

What a great article Ell. How sad that you should feel like this at the age of 35. When I was that age we had won the league four times. It was great to be an Evertonian. ‘What’s our name?’ rose from our terraces, as did ‘Champions’. An integral power in the ‘Big Five’. It was our present not just our history for which we were recognised. They were proud times. They were great times.

I fully agree with the sentiments regarding the Premiership, but wonder if we would feel as antagonistic towards the Premiership if we were still part of the media ‘Big Six’ elite. Ell, would you still feel the same if Everton had won the Premiership four times in your lifetime?

Like many, I loath what is happening to my game, but also wonder how much my resentment of most things Premiership are amplified due to the demise of Everton as a footballing powerhouse.

I agree with most of the article and it's nothing new. Year on year the powers that be manage to ruin the game. Has there been any changes that have improved football over the premiership era?

Yellow card offence for the tackle from behind was a good move.

The sports science developments have players playing longer and recovering from injuries quicker.

The technical level of football has improved but also brought a sterile possession based game.

The pitches are better, I can't think of much else.

Watching the championship is more of an honest game. More or less the same refs who let play go, don't fall for the diving and cheating work that one out.

Watched a great championship game yesterday Wrexham 5 -3 Sheffield United, no VAR, spontaneity from players and fans as goals went in and stood.
The inconsistency and forensic technicality of VAR is the biggest blight on Premier League football
Imo.

Jeff#31, I went to a derby match, Marine v Southport. Marine were awarded two penalties, one of which was harsh, and there was a stonewall third that wasn’t given.

The ref made his decisions, everyone just got on with the game. A capacity crowd of 2,314, people having a pint watching proceedings, loads of kids present.

It was a cracking afternoon, with the most expensive ticket costing £16.50, concessions and kids aged 11-16 £11.50, under 11s free.

Peter#32 that’s how it should be,3 officials making the decisions and sometimes getting it wrong,but everyone acknowledging that’s how it is,
rather than 7 officials, 6 cameras, dodgy angled “ lines”, pressure to change referee’s minds, and 5 minute waits before celebrating,…or not!
It’s ruined the game.
Yesterday at AFCON, Egypt v S.A,last minute handball to S.A for a possible penalty equaliser, the angle the ref was given to review whether it was in or out the box was corrupt, it was in, he gave it outside, the camera view was at pitch level!

Makes you wonder WTF?

They have decided the penalty shout v Arsenal should have gone in favour of Everton!!!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cz9vwvde2y0o

Gerry, so they tell us now the ref and VAR got it wrong. I mean so what? Unless the result is changed its a pointless exercise (sorry about the pun) in fact what is the point of publicly releasing their decisions anyway??

Unless they have the ability to award or deduct points it's an internal exercise that should not be shard publicly as all it does is stoke the fires of incompetence or corruption!

Award the penalty, award the goal, change the match result.

Oh and yes, Happy New Year from Down Under!

...totally agree, Christine - incompetence and corruption - at 74 years of age I just detest football nowadays - pathetic goal-kick and offside flag rules, backwards and more backwards play - diving/acting/grappling in the box at corners - diving and rolling about - haven't watched a full Premier League game in over a year...even spent no more than 20 minutes recently trying to watch those free AFCON games.

Other than that, have a Happy New Year, young lady...

It comes across to me that they are a very transparent organisation and also not above criticism either, Christine!

Sadly I have to agree with most of the comments here.

The younger generation have been brought up on this crap which has turned many teams into robots. I have the not so great privilage of watching most of the games many times over and it amazes me how the powers to be allow so many things to happen which is making the game so frustrating.

Why do referees have to hold up the taking of a corner kick so he can talk to players in the box who are pushing and pulling each other. The players all know the rules so the referee should just get the kick taken and call the first shove,push,pull or shirt tug he sees which would see more penalties and stop all these antics.

Then the question of long drawn out celebrations after a goal is scored. This is getting out of hand. In the old days players would shake the hand of the scorer whilst trotting back to the halfway line.

Only a select few teams can work the ball from their own third in a capable

manner but many others are useless and just end up in trouble. Players run with the ball 30 yards and then stop, put their foot on it and pass it back 40 yards. Very few players are allowed to run at defenses because the object is always to keep possession no matter what.

The offside rule is crazy. A linesman (or woman) doesn't flag when the offense occurs but a long time later when the move is ended--why??? Which idiot dreamed that one up. Also the rule should be changed so that it is only called when there is clear daylight between the players not when they are level and maybe separated by a fingernail or toenail.

A late challenge, that is, going over the ball has become a disease. Some get yellows,some may get a red but others don't get punished at all and this is where VAR should be used as referees are so inconsistent. This has resulted in these incidents becoming more commonplace as players know they can usually get away with it.

I know many may dispute my comments but control of the game has gone to ruin despite VAR which is not foolproof