James Corden's very emotional monologue on The Late Late Show against Super League billionaire takeover

Virgin Radio

20 Apr 2021, 11:34

Talk show host and West Ham fan James Corden has shared his 'disgust' and heartache over the shock announcement of the creation of the European Super League on his US hit The Late Late Show.

The presenter and comedian explained his heartfelt views over the greed and shame behind the shocking recent football announcement saying how he's 'heartbroken' and it's the end of the beautiful game.

His empassioned speech highlighted that the money-sucking move will no doubt lead to the demise of hundreds of smaller football teams.

He told viewers: "Now without boring those of you that don't care, which is basically 100 per cent of this room, the truth is that this whole thing - making this move, these teams, these owners, they will kill hundreds of others of football teams.

"They will kill hundreds of other football teams that compete with them and have competed with them over the years, disregarding the fanbases of those teams and of their own teams who are also devastated.

"Because these aren't small teams. You will have heard of AC Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona... These are the biggest teams in the world and this decision is monumental.

"And I'm heartbroken by it. Genuinely heartbroken. Because the owners of these teams have displayed the worst kind of greed I've ever seen in sport.

"Many football teams in Britain are over 100 years old and they were started by working-class people; dock workers, builders... built by and for the communities that they play in. They are not franchises.

"These new billionaire owners have in the past 10-15 years have been buying up all the top teams and slowly but surely moved them away from the communities and foundations on which these teams were built.

"It's always niggled at the back of fans' minds whether these owners truly understood what it meant to be part of their club, to be part of its history and if they could be true and honourable custodians of their futures.

"Yesterday the realisation hit every football fan hard. It's not just that they don't understand football or what it means to be a fan but it's simply the realisation that they don't care.

"If anything they look at the historical fanbases with disdain. They want a closed shop where the rich get richer, they don't care if the teams that are below them struggle.

"They'll take that money regardless of performances and regardless of success on the pitch. It's disgraceful.

"The statement from the 12 owners and why they've announced such a jaw-dropping plan, during the season where there's still seven games to go, is disgusting.

"Three times they mention the pandemic as a reason to do this. A pandemic that has been catastrophic for clubs and communities across Britain.

"It's hard to express how much these communities rely on football, not just financially which is considerable but also as a focal point of a town's hopes and dreams. That's what it is.

"And these dreams have just been shattered, not just in Britain but all across Europe.

"And the reason these dreams have been shattered and discarded is so that a group of billionaires can buy themselves a bigger boat. Or a second boat."

He added: "Don't forget the people that did this, it's those owners in a decade's time when the Super League's thriving and I'm sure it's got great goals and all those things, and these owners will think that it's all water under the bridge.

"Don't ever forget that it was those owners, they took something so pure and so beautiful and they beat the love and the joy out of it. And they did it for money. They just did it for money and it's disgusting."