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116 reviews for:
The Club: How the Premier League Became the Richest, Most Disruptive Business in Sport
Jonathan Clegg, Joshua Robinson
4.2 AVERAGE
116 reviews for:
The Club: How the Premier League Became the Richest, Most Disruptive Business in Sport
Jonathan Clegg, Joshua Robinson
4.2 AVERAGE
ইংল্যান্ডের ঐতিহ্যবাহী কিন্তু প্রাচীনপন্থী ফুটবল কাঠামোর শীর্ষ স্তরটি কিভাবে ঝাঁ চকচকে মসৃণ বিশ্বখ্যাত ইংলিশ প্রিমিয়ার লিগে পরিণত হলো, সেটার বর্ণনা দিয়েছেন দুই ক্রীড়া সাংবাদিক।
নব্বইয়ের দশকের শুরুতে টিভি সম্প্রচার স্বত্বের বিপুল অর্থ বদলে দিল ক্লাবগুলোর আয়ের উৎস। আর সেই পথ ধরে ক্লাবগুলো দ্রুতই institution থেকে business venture এ পরিণত হলো, যেখানে বিনিয়োগকারী-খেলোয়াড়-বিশ্বজুড়ে ছড়ানো ভোক্তা সমর্থকদের মাঝে দিয়ে চাপা পড়ে গেল ক্লাবগুলোর স্থানীয় সমর্থকরা। বিপুল অর্থব্যয় করে বানানো অত্যাধুনিক স্টেডিয়ামে মনোযোগ বেশি থাকে hospitality box এর দিকে, আর টিকেটের দাম বাড়তে থাকে বহুগুণ। ট্রান্সফার মার্কেটের উন্মাদনা, স্পন্সরদের বিজ্ঞাপন আর মালিকদের ফুলেফেঁপে ওঠা- সব মিলিয়ে ইংলিশ প্রিমিয়ার লিগ এখন এক বিরাট দক্ষযজ্ঞ।
এই দক্ষযজ্ঞের বর্ণনা দিতে গিয়ে লেখকরা মূলত ক্লাবগুলোর মালিকপক্ষ, কর্মকর্তা আর প্রিমিয়ার লীগের কর্মকর্তাদের বয়ানের সাহায্য নিয়েছেন। লেখায় উঠে এসেছে প্রিমিয়ার লীগের উজ্জ্বল সব চরিত্র, স্যার এলেক্স ফার্গুসন থেকে ভিনসেন্ট কোম্পানি। লেখাটা শেষ হয়েছে ২০১৮ তে, তখনই জানা যাচ্ছে বেশ কিছুদিন ধরে ইউরোপিয়ান সুপার লীগের আলাপ হচ্ছে। গত মাসের সুপার লীগ কাণ্ডের পর এই বইটা তাই একটা ভালো একটা perspective দিলো।
প্রিমিয়ার লীগ যারা দেখেন, কিংবা যারা স্রেফ ফুটবল দেখেন এবং ফুটবলের পেছনের জগতটার কর্মপদ্ধতি, প্যাঁচঘোঁচ আর টাকাপয়সার ঝনঝনানি নিয়ে জানতে চান- সবার জন্যই বইটা সুপাঠ্য হবে।
When I spotted this book at the University Bookstore one day, I felt like this was a book I wanted to read. Not unlike a lot of Americans, I was first enraptured into the football craze in 2014 with the World Cup, and followed the Premier League the following year. I also became a fan of the Men in Blazers show, which also helped garner interest in the sport. Therefore, the drama behind the scenes provides an interesting glance on how they got to this point.
Robinson and Clegg treat this as a human drama combined with an age of empires, starting with the derelict state of English football in the 1980s--with decaying stadiums, a rise in hooliganism, and general disinterest in the sport. What stood out to me the most was the near lack of television coverage, considering the status of the sport. However, a series of events led to the twenty-two highest clubs of the Football League wanting to breakaway, due to an increase in television. And so, in 1992, they formed their own league, beginning an odyssey featuring money, stadiums, and new fans from across the globe.
Their writing style is well done--they are not only informative, but also add a bit of snark to the narrative. For example, a bad broadcasting deal "was the rare negotiation that left everyone involved completely unhappy" (21). There are several others in which I found throughout the book, though I don't remember them from the back of my head. Combined with their quotations and interviews from different people across the creation of the Premier League, it feels like the reader has access to the boardrooms and bars alike.
The structure is also well-done: starting from the beginning of the Premier League to the development of the game through changes in manager, owners, and even lunch. We get to see how Chelsea and Manchester City garnered the funds needed to become two of the biggest clubs in the world, and how the latter slowly changed the game. Simultaneously, we see the rise and fall of Blackburn Rovers, and how they didn't have a plan after they won a Premier League. The use of money also contributed to the downfall of Bradford City, which I also found curious.
I also appreciated the story of how the United States plays into this. Originally, the Premier League took inspiration from the NFL, and tried to adapt some of their tactics. Over time, the United States developed its own intrigue with the sport; how the NBC took over from Fox was fascinating. Another substantial theme was how the sport became a representative of the intense capitalism that played into the game. The latter chapters, which showed how increased ticket prices and development was eating away from the soul of the game.
A great book, whether you're a sports fan, a history nerd, or someone who wants to learn something new. (7.5/10)
There is clearly change brewing on the horizon with things like Project Big Picture being circulated. But the authors bought in too highly to the status quo that existed when they were writing this book. Believing that Manchester City was an impossible dynasty to topple when the same things were being said about Manchester United 10 years ago. This is a shame as there are real trends taking place as the top of the league is becoming more of a closed shop. And detail on the fear that is growing among other European big clubs about the dominance of the English game would have been welcome.
All in all the first half of this book is a solid 4 stars but the history work gets a little shaky and the narrative loses cohesion in the second half as the authors report on the recent past.
