Football league chairman have agreed to meet and discuss proposals that would see all drawn matches decided from a penalty shootout.
A working party of the 72 club chairman has been set up to look at the idea and how to make the game more entertaining.
The idea would see a bonus point awarded to the shoot out winners. The idea came from Football League Chairman, Lord Brian Mawhinney, he said, “I suggested that for drawn matches each team gets a point and then maybe the team that wins the penalty shoot-out gets a point. The chairmen decided to use this proposal to have a broader look at a range of ideas”.
The news that this could be approved as soon as next season has prompted several managers to condemn the plans. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger spoke of a similar experience when managing Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan, he said, “I saw this in my first year in Japan, it did not have spectacular results. The draw is part of the culture of the game and I would not like that to disappear”.
West Brom boss, Tony Mowbray, has also insisted there’s no need to change an already winning formula, he said, “Football’s been going for a long, long time and I’m pretty sure that the present league chairmen wouldn’t want to be burdened with changing the game. I don’t think there’s alot wrong with it. I think the game’s in fine fettle”.
Many managers are of the opinion that the change is too radical, Bournemouth boss, Kevin Bond said “I don’t agree with is as it’s too much of a radical change, I do believe some rules need to move with the times but that would be too much of a drastic measure”. There were some managers that took a more light-hearted approach and seemed to see the idea as slightly farcial with Fulhams manager Chris Coleman even suggesting the players run out with ‘clown noses on’! Plymouth boss Ian Holloway was his usual humorous self, he said, “Has an American taken over the football league or something? They dont like draws in their soccer matches do they!”.
The fans have also spoke out, Alex Duell a die-hard fan of promotion chasing Yeovil from League One said, “It’s an absolute joke, imagine if a team went down on the final day of the season due to a shoot-out, it’s a lottery and a complete farce”.
It appears Lord Brian Mawhinney will have his work cut out trying to pass the law change. If however he does succeed it will be presented to the Football League’s annual general meeting in June as an motion for rule change.
