While English football fans have been sat twiddling their thumbs waiting for the Premier League season to start, a myriad of our country’s finest teams have been jet-setting around the world, strutting their stuff at pre-season tournaments on all corners of the globe.
Europe, Asia and Australia have all played host to top-tier English teams this summer, however one of the most popular locations has been America -a nation who traditionally believe football is a game best played with the hands.
While our names for the sport may differ, there is no doubt about the rise of football in the United States (probably propelled by the their nation’s impressive performances at this year’s World Cup ) which earlier this week broke the record for the largest attendance of any football (or soccer) game ever played in America,109,318 – and neither team was American.
The match, Manchester United verses Real Madrid, is one that no football fan would want to miss but the massive attendance symbolises a willingness of fans to get out and watch the beautiful game at its best, which can only be a good thing for the future of soccer in America.
Big names like Manchester City, Liverpool, Roma, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Olympiakos were also amongst the teams competing in the International Champions Cup friendly tournament in Miami this summer, with all teams drawing in enthusiastic (one woman cried just at the sight of Steven Gerrard) and impressively sized crowds in their own right. But just how hungry for football does this make America?
Travel back in time to 2008: Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore raises the idea of extending the Premier League season by one game in order for each club to stage an extra match in a far-flung city (in places like America) to raise the profile of the teams and league. The idea was met with laughter from the likes of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and little more was said.
Fast-forward to 2014: After a number of years' worth of pre-season tours and friendly tournaments on foreign soil, the Premier League has clearly proved that overseas fans want to come out and watch the best the game has to offer.
And, with the NFL pencilling in a London-based team within the next 10 years due to amazing demand for tickets for their regular matches on in the city; and with UEFA’s European Championships set to be hosted across a whole continent in 2020 – the sporting world doesn't seem as big as it once did.
Richard Scudamore is maybe now having the last laugh as his idea shows more and more potential with the passing of each and every pre-season; and one man, Joe Bailey, former chief executive of Miami Dolphins seems to agree:
“This, in my opinion, is a very, very good idea and a big, bold statement by the Premier League. It’s for the critics, the ankle biters I like to call them, to query it, but left to the critics, nothing would ever get done.
“I think eventually people will say, ‘Why were we so stupid that we didn’t do it before?’