Arsenal supporters join Chelsea fans in voicing their opposition to the Premier League playing matches overseas

Arsenal supporters are the latest to confirm their opposition to the idea of taking Barclays Premier League games overseas after Chelsea fans also revealed their disapproval at the proposal.

The plan has crept back on to the agenda, six years after it was first mooted and rejected in the face of intense criticism, with a few slight alterations, such as taking one of the original 38 games abroad, rather than adding a 39th.

Fans in the Chelsea Supporters Trust were quick to register their disapproval of the new proposal and they have been joined by Arsenal's Black Scarf Movement (BSM).

 

Arsenal fans at Stamford Bridge - some supporters voiced concerns over Premier League games overseas

'The integrity of English football is at risk,' said a BSM statement. 'As ever it seems as if those at the top are focused purely on short-term cash over the long-term interests of the game.

'With clubs continually pressing the loyal, match-going support for more and more money - despite the huge amounts now coming into the game from commercial and television contracts - it is important that those running our clubs, and the FA, see sense in this matter.

'The English football leagues are loved across the globe. As the country which brought the beautiful game to the world, we have a long standing history of passionate, honest competition that has received millions of admirers at home and abroad, over many years.

'This integrity will be shattered if the Premier League is allowed to ratify competitive matches overseas, which are designed purely as a money making exercise.

'In the interests of fair competition we also question how the idea of a 38th match overseas will work. Playing one round of competitive matches at neutral venues will mean one less home match for at least 10 Premier League teams, and with that there is the loss of advantage in home support. Does that really work in the interests of fair play?'

Supporters are also concerned about the knock-on effect on ticket prices and the increasing trends to accommodate corporate interests, television and far-flung fan-bases which are draining atmosphere from English grounds. 

'It should never be forgotten that match-going fans are the life and soul of our game,' the BSM statement continued. 'We appreciate that monster commercial and television contracts have ensured the Premier League and its clubs are rolling in cash and that there is less reliance on income from ticket sales, but without the attendance and passion of the fans at matches, the Premier League would have no brand to sell.

'While it's fantastic that the Premier League has acquired millions of new fans across the globe, the idea of playing a round of matches abroad and the associated issues that come with it, could be disastrous.

'Let alone the immorality of tweaking the competition's rules purely as a means to bring in even more cash, with the complexity and problems that overseas matches could bring, certain clubs also stand to lose millions of pounds bearing in mind one decision or a single goal under enforced different circumstances could mean missing out on European qualification, or relegation.'

The Chelsea Supporters Trust statement was along similar lines: 'The Chelsea Supporters Trust board notes with deep concern the re-emergence in the media of the ‘overseas Premier League game’ idea. We see this concept as fundamentally flawed for a number of reasons and oppose its introduction to top flight football in England.

'The 39th game idea (an extra Premier League game to be played overseas) which was first mooted and widely condemned in 2008 and then subsequently shelved by the Premier League has, inevitably, re-emerged under a new guise, whereby it is apparently proposed that one of the 38 games each Premier League team plays would be played overseas.

'Playing a fixture overseas would inevitably impact on the integrity of the Premier League. Playing football in a different climate and time zone could potentially impact on a team's performance. "Home" advantage would also disappear, giving those clubs playing a nominal "away" game an advantage across the season, as such games would essentially be played on neutral grounds.' 

THE BLACK SCARF MOVEMENT STATEMENT 

'The integrity of English football is at risk. As ever it seems as if those at the top are focused purely on short-term cash over the long-term interests of the game.

'With clubs continually pressing the loyal, match-going support for more and more money - despite the huge amounts now coming into the game from commercial and television contracts - it is important that those running our clubs, and the FA, see sense in this matter.

'The English football leagues are loved across the globe. As the country which brought the beautiful game to the world, we have a long standing history of passionate, honest competition that has received millions of admirers at home and abroad, over many years. 

'This integrity will be shattered if the Premier League is allowed to ratify competitive matches overseas, which are designed purely as a money making exercise.

'In the interests of fair competition we also question how the idea of a 38th match overseas will work. Playing one round of competitive matches at neutral venues will mean one less home match for at least 10 Premier League teams, and with that there is the loss of advantage in home support. Does that really work in the interests of fair play?'

'It should never be forgotten that match-going fans are the life and soul of our game,' the BSM statement continued. 'We appreciate that monster commercial and television contracts have ensured the Premier League and its clubs are rolling in cash and that there is less reliance on income from ticket sales, but without the attendance and passion of the fans at matches, the Premier League would have no brand to sell.

'While it's fantastic that the Premier League has acquired millions of new fans across the globe, the idea of playing a round of matches abroad and the associated issues that come with it, could be disastrous.

'Let alone the immorality of tweaking the competition's rules purely as a means to bring in even more cash, with the complexity and problems that overseas matches could bring, certain clubs also stand to lose millions of pounds bearing in mind one decision or a single goal under enforced different circumstances could mean missing out on European qualification, or relegation.'