Chelsea FC, The FA and Home Grown Players

Courtesy of Flickr user Phil Cole

So Greg Dyke and the FA have a plan.

The stated aim of this plan is to increase the number of English players playing at the top level of English Football, thereby ultimately making the England national team stronger and progressing past the typical quarter final loss to Germany on penalties.

Surely this forward thinking plan is to be welcomed by all in our national game, from the likes of Chelsea FC at the top of the Premier League, through to Cardiff City in the Championship, and all the way down to Cambridge United in League 2.

The advantages to the English FA are obvious. Increased worldwide brand recognition would lead to even more foreign trips extolling the “English way”, all expenses paid of course. After all who wouldn’t want to be invited to the football hot spot of St. Lucia in the middle of January!

Progressing past the group stages of a competition every 2 years would generate extra sales of highly priced replica shirts from the slightly skeptical, but hopeful British public, which would of course generate more income for the all expenses paid lunches at the FA headquarters.

So the FA would gain financially, but what about the game of football in this country itself, and how would this current plan affect the real revenue generators, the likes of Chelsea FC, and other teams who have any realistic ambitions to win the top European competitions?

Next: The new proposals