Care for the Community

The Blizzard

"But what if football rethought its relationship with TV? What if you could come up with a plan that would, at once, revitalise local support, help smaller clubs market themselves better, boost attendances and, yes, increase the size of the pie for everyone?

In Episode Sixty Six of the Blizzard Podcast, we revisit Gabriele Marcotti's thought experiment 'Care for the Community' from Issue Six, first published in September 2013.

In it, he posits that for the betterment of the game throughout the UK a radical rejig of football's relationship with TV is needed. Through regionalising broadcasts, reducing the number of Premier League games on national TV and ensuring that clubs only get to appear on TV, and thus benefit from the money that comes with, by selling out their stadiums, Gab's proposal would provide a shot in the arm for clubs throughout the country.

To do it, though, we have to throw out a few ideas that the game considers 'sacrosanct', and it would take a leap of imagination (as well as some negotiation). Let's see if you agree with him.

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