The Premier League’s mooted idea to put on a 39th match in the season – to be played at glamorous cities around the globe – has garnered a mixed reaction. And now, the mighty force in world football that is the Australian Football Association has poo-pooed the idea. On the grounds that the Premier League circus would take attention away from its avowed intention to have the game taken more seriously over there, Down Under.

And before anyone says anything smart, the national team being called The Socceroos is only puerile to the rest of the world. Over in Australia it’s, well, very Australian.

Anyway, UK fans with loads of money and prawn sandwiches have welcomed the idea of following their sporting heroes out to Melbourne or Bangkok. And why not? If you’ve got the money, you’re entitled to travel all that way to see a game like the riveting spectacle Liverpool and Chelsea served up at the weekend. In fact you’re not entitled to see it, you deserve to see it. Over and over again until you give up your will to live.

Of course, the clubs think it’s a good idea – the latest stop on the Premier League gravy train could be on the moon as long as the price was right. Anyone got tickets for Derby versus Reading at the MCG?

(Image: from jamescridland’s flickr stream)