My solution for England FC..........

[dickymint]

Set up a team in the premiership. Call them England and run/fund it like a "normal" team. Players choose if they want to play for club or country but not both. Simple as that. Knighthood please

[unrepentant]

dickymint said:

Set up a team in the premiership. Call them England and run/fund it like a "normal" team. Players choose if they want to play for club or country but not both. Simple as that. Knighthood please

Nice idea - a bit like central contracts for cricketers and rugby players.

Umm... who's going to pay the C £2 million a week wages for a squad of 22 players?

[dickymint]

unrepentant said:

dickymint said:

Set up a team in the premiership. Call them England and run/fund it like a "normal" team. Players choose if they want to play for club or country but not both. Simple as that. Knighthood please

Nice idea - a bit like central contracts for cricketers and rugby players.

Umm... who's going to pay the C £2 million a week wages for a squad of 22 players?

FA stumps up initially then it's left to run like any other club?

[unrepentant]

dickymint said:

unrepentant said:

dickymint said:

Set up a team in the premiership. Call them England and run/fund it like a "normal" team. Players choose if they want to play for club or country but not both. Simple as that. Knighthood please

Nice idea - a bit like central contracts for cricketers and rugby players.

Umm... who's going to pay the C £2 million a week wages for a squad of 22 players?

FA stumps up initially then it's left to run like any other club?

Hmm... I can see flaws. £100 mill a year is a lot for the FA to stump up. Then there's the stadium.. Then there's the fact that there's no fan base and that takes years (decades) to build up... Will you abandon your team and switch your allegiance (and season ticket money) to England FC?

[anonymous-user]

Won't they get relegated?

[steil]

Why not do what most companies do - outsource?

We could pay Brasil & Italy say to wear a top with ENGLAND emblazoned on the front/back.