THE VIC MORGAN COLUMN: It's all hype and no substance in Premiership

6:00am Thursday 29th November 2012 in Sport

IT’S A word we know well.

It first made its way into the English language in the 70s I believe; when a new band arrived on the scene they were often described as the greatest thing to hit music since the last greatest thing.

Yes, that word is HYPE.

You may have noticed it in a multitude of footballing scenarios.

Every time our glorious national team goes off to a major championship we have the same old hullabaloo about them winning the darn thing, only for the inevitable crushing disappointment to follow.

Why am I talking about this? Well, having not been to Meadow Lane at the weekend due to other commitments (ie holidays), I thought I’d settle down for an afternoon of watching some of the games the “best league in the world” has to offer.

Sometimes we moan about what we see in League One but, to be honest, the evidence I saw on Sunday suggested that maybe the Premier League isn't the promised land after all.

Settling down at the Old Pickled Partridge with a nice warming drink I hoped for an exciting afternoon.

Well I should have taken up the offer of a ramble round a nearby supermarket because what I witnessed left me underwhelmed in the extreme.

So why is everything so hyped? The simple answer is MONEY. We're entering a time of the year when you won't be able to move for commercialism.

These days you can't go to a “football match”, you have to go to a “big” match or a “tremendous” game and then, like the Chelsea-Man City boreathon, it turns out to be a damp squib.

But of course the hype sells the product, for that is what it is, to a ludicrous degree. It must have worked because I got drawn into it and watched the matches.

Maybe we need to get a dose of realism about our national game.

After all it has its problems, like the ongoing horror of racism, the swilling around of cash like confetti and the high cost of tickets.

Many aspects of the sport have improved. Seating has made watching games more comfortable and it’s sometimes played at an incredible pace on surfaces that are like bowling greens.

Credit the hard work of the groundstaff for that. At times it thrills and inspires us.

Sadly, though, that hype is becoming a tad tedious.

My old mate Tim Spicer sums things up perfectly on the supporters bus on many occasions.

With the use of a generally terse and colourful phrase Tim hits the nail on the head.

I guess he would say, perhaps in a slightly different way, ‘forget the hype - it’s not all its cracked up to be’.

Still, the Old Pickled Partridge was okay.

Comments(16)

Angolan Red says...
6:54am Thu 29 Nov 12

I agree the hype says we have the best league in the world we dont we have the highest paid league in the world.The sky money should be shared out fairer all the way down the leagues instad of mainly in premier league players pockets. Also the hype goes on and on about the problem is they played 2 games this week, so what thats all they had to do, get real most of us work train and play sport etc.

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Last step says...
6:57am Thu 29 Nov 12

A lot of people wouldn't agree that seating has made watching the game more comfortable.

The Football Supporters Federation's investigation revealed a huge majority of supporters wanted the option to stand. Swindon supprters agreed when The Washbag ran a similar poll.

It's very important that this is taken into consideration at a time when redevelopment of the County Ground is being discussed. Supporters want the option to stand and watch football, not a return to huge banks of unsafe terracing, but the option to safely stand in an area specifically set aside for that purpose.

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BorisIsTheSpider says...
7:35am Thu 29 Nov 12

"It first made its way into the English language in the 70s I believe; when a new band arrived on the scene they were often described as the greatest thing to hit music since the last greatest thing."

Sorry, Vic. As a journalist you should know better than to make statements without checking the facts. The word is of American origin from the 1920s - 1930s. It is short for 'hyperbole'. It was originally used in the sense of to cheat or hoodwink - so I guess you are completely correct in that respect at least!

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southside7 says...
8:59am Thu 29 Nov 12

Last step wrote:
A lot of people wouldn't agree that seating has made watching the game more comfortable.

The Football Supporters Federation's investigation revealed a huge majority of supporters wanted the option to stand. Swindon supprters agreed when The Washbag ran a similar poll.

It's very important that this is taken into consideration at a time when redevelopment of the County Ground is being discussed. Supporters want the option to stand and watch football, not a return to huge banks of unsafe terracing, but the option to safely stand in an area specifically set aside for that purpose.
Here, here, fully support this. As for the Premier League, they can shove it where the sun doesn't shine. If I want to go to the theatre I head to west end not a football ground.

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Oi Den! says...
9:52am Thu 29 Nov 12

To be fair to Vic, he didn't say seating is preferable to standing. He said it's more comfortable. I think most people would agree with that, even if they prefer to stand. Nowadays I'm not too fussed whether I stand or sit, and I do think there should be an option for people to stand if they want to - but not in designated seating areas! If anyone pays for a seat, they are entitled to be able to see the game from it, without having to try to see it through someone's arse. Perhaps I wouldn't be bothered about being forced to stand up to see the game but I would be very embarrassed at blocking the view of people behind.
.
I agree completely with Vic's thoughts on the Premier League. Best league in the world? - you're 'avin' a larf. It's probably the fittest, the strongest and certainly the greediest. That's where the superlatives end.

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Oi Den! says...
9:54am Thu 29 Nov 12

Agree with Boris on hyperbole too. You slipped up there Vic!

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stfc2012 says...
9:59am Thu 29 Nov 12

To be fair to Vic, he said 'I believe' not stating it as gospel. His columns are quite conversational and from a fan eye view so the fact he hasn't googled the origins of each word actually makes it a nice read and a welcome break from the run of the mill articles. The prem is the best league though and like all leagues you get duff games. A game doesn't have to be end to end and 5-4 to be a good game.

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Oi Den! says...
10:36am Thu 29 Nov 12

stfc2012 wrote:
To be fair to Vic, he said 'I believe' not stating it as gospel. His columns are quite conversational and from a fan eye view so the fact he hasn't googled the origins of each word actually makes it a nice read and a welcome break from the run of the mill articles. The prem is the best league though and like all leagues you get duff games. A game doesn't have to be end to end and 5-4 to be a good game.
Absolutely fair comment re the word origin, 2012. It's not of any importance.
On the Premier League though, I don't see what is so good about it. No, a game doesn't have to finish 5-4 but you might expect the best league in the world to produce the best football. I feel I have far more chance of being entertained by Spanish football on a Saturday or Sunday night than I am by any Premier League game. Over-hyped it certainly is.

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MITTED says...
11:35am Thu 29 Nov 12

I was once told by a sky sports presenter that in UK, they actually get more viewers for Football League games than for the Premier League. It is the international viewing audience that brings in the money for them.

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mickry says...
12:08pm Thu 29 Nov 12

You live and learn! I didn't know, though once you point it out it's obvious, that 'hype' is short for hyperbole. What I do know, however, is that 'hyperbole' is not 'of American origin'! Have a look in the dictionary. It's a word which describes the literary device of exaggeration (spelling?) for effect.
Up the Town!
Mick.

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BillyLucas4me says...
12:12pm Thu 29 Nov 12

If you have seats their use should be compulsery, there is nothing worse than a seated area where the guys in front of you keep standing up when they get excited. Once attended such a match. With the terraces make sure the guy in front of you is of your stature and sway with the rest! Stratton banker!

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Lone Wolf says...
12:53pm Thu 29 Nov 12

mickry wrote:
You live and learn! I didn't know, though once you point it out it's obvious, that 'hype' is short for hyperbole. What I do know, however, is that 'hyperbole' is not 'of American origin'! Have a look in the dictionary. It's a word which describes the literary device of exaggeration (spelling?) for effect.
Up the Town!
Mick.
If we really want to get pedantic 'hyperbole' is of Greek derivation from 'huperbole' and means 'exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally' (OED). So if you take this definition literally with reference to premier league football, then it suggests that anything we hear or see should be taken with a pinch of salt.
PDC is quite good at the old 'hype' if you ask me.
Lone Wolf

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Davey Gravey says...
1:31pm Thu 29 Nov 12

I think thepremiership is great. Surely as supporters of a league 1 team trying to make their way through the divisions we should be looking on with envy at the quality on show,not trying to in fault with it. Of course there will be games that are boring etc,but the gulf in class between league 1 and the premiership is massive.

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Oxon-Red says...
4:04pm Thu 29 Nov 12

BillyLucas4me wrote:
If you have seats their use should be compulsery, there is nothing worse than a seated area where the guys in front of you keep standing up when they get excited. Once attended such a match. With the terraces make sure the guy in front of you is of your stature and sway with the rest! Stratton banker!
Billy,

Is "Stratton Banker" rhyming slang ? :-)

COYMR

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Old-Stager, Hilperton says...
5:59pm Thu 29 Nov 12

All the "hype" concerning the Premier League is slowly strangling football and already the performance of our national team is being seriously affected by the lack of home grown players emerging from the lower leagues, as in bygone years.
The intense interest in the Premier League has been "media led" in recent years by the over paid Pundits on Sky and BBC, and morons such as Gary Lineker refer to Man Utd simply as "united", when there are more than a dozen other "uniteds" among the other 91 League clubs.
The decision to "re-brand" the old First Division to the Premier League was the beginning of the decline of our national game.
We have now reached the stage where there are more Bumpkins in the country these days who support the Big Five Premier League clubs on TV rather than follow their local League Clubs, resulting in declining attendances in the Championship, League 1 and League 2.

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Oi Den! says...
6:35pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Old-Stager, Hilperton wrote:
All the "hype" concerning the Premier League is slowly strangling football and already the performance of our national team is being seriously affected by the lack of home grown players emerging from the lower leagues, as in bygone years.
The intense interest in the Premier League has been "media led" in recent years by the over paid Pundits on Sky and BBC, and morons such as Gary Lineker refer to Man Utd simply as "united", when there are more than a dozen other "uniteds" among the other 91 League clubs.
The decision to "re-brand" the old First Division to the Premier League was the beginning of the decline of our national game.
We have now reached the stage where there are more Bumpkins in the country these days who support the Big Five Premier League clubs on TV rather than follow their local League Clubs, resulting in declining attendances in the Championship, League 1 and League 2.
Agree OS. And it wasn't just rebranding; it was a full blown breakaway from the Football League, with the main objective being to concentrate the game's money in the hands of clubs at the top. I don't fully understand the economics but I doubt that it's a coincidence that Football League clubs field a much larger number of loan players than they ever did before the creation of the Premier League - not good for the game in my view.

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