Four Points For Away Win in Premiership? - 29/05/2005

The Premiership's Attendances Working Group has suggested that clubs could receive four points for an away win in a bid to make games more entertaining. Many club chairmen and chief executives are concerned that there is a tendency to opt for safety first 4-5-1 formations in a cautious attempt to avoid defeat, producing too much dull play. It is felt that while 4-5-1 may help a team to pick up more points and improve its chances of staying up, it's often not exciting. It is felt that there are too many irrelevant, unmemorable games, especially involving teams in the middle of the table who won't get relegated or get into Europe, and especially towards the end of the season. One chairman told 'The Observer', 'The trend towards 4-5-1 is understandable - but it cannot be good for the Premier League in the long run. There are signs that, combined with the saturation coverage of games on TV and the cost and hassle of attending matches, this could make some fans stop coming.' Some might think that the Premiership is addressing the symptom rather than the cause in terms of the financial gap between the top clubs and the rest. However, the gap between the top and bottom clubs in terms of broadcasting revenue has narrowed. Last season champions Chelsea received £30.7m, while bottom club Southampton were paid £18.4m.