Should Football (soccer) take a lesson from American sports?
The recent comments made by Kevin Keegan in relation to the massive gap between the top and bottom teams in the premiership got me thinking about the possible ways that Footballing organisations could potentially change this current trend.Being a Basketball fan myself, I thought about the system that is in place with the NBA and other major American sports. Every year, a draft is made in the NBA in which those players leaving University are taken on by professional teams, with those teams with the worst record getting the first selections from the players available. This system provides the opportunity for weaker teams to take on promising players and develop into real contenders. Although, clearly the right selections must be made in order to improve the team, this system ensures that all teams have opportunities to win NBA titles.
Clearly, there is a massive difference between American and British sport, mainly in the way that players are recruited and the development systems in place. Also, the relegation/promotion element of the Football leagues would not lend themselves to this kind of system. However, if the general public are beginning to become bored with the current state of the game and the largest determinant of a team's success is starting to move towards the ranking of the owner on the rich list then maybe it is time to rethink the way in which the Premier League is organised.
