In our first ever episode of ‘The Ultra UTD Podcast‘, we discuss one of the most convoluted, yet captivating instances of the football transfer ‘domino effect’ in the history of the game …
We’re going to keep this one brief as I’m sure you’d rather hear my raspy, deep, masculine voice instead. I mean … 1 out of the 3 ain’t bad, I guess … right … RIGHT?! Ahem, but anyway, let’s just focus on the football bit shall we? Yes, that would be far less awkward …
I’ve always had a dream of doing a podcast like this and I’m very happy that the Ultra UTD platform as a whole dovetails well with this ambition. On the podcast, you can expect something different every single week. There’ll be interviews, long-form discussions, explanatory episodes and lotsa other stuff. Basically, all of the things that ‘ultras‘ get excited about, we will be talking through. And I mean come on, who doesn’t love a juicy business story in the football world? Especially when it’s a transfer ‘domino effect’ concerning some of the game’s best players!
Without giving too much away, the timeline begins with (who I believe) to be one of the most technically gifted football players ever in Manchester United’s David Beckham. So, with such enviable qualities with the ball lying dead and rolling at pace, it seemed only logical that a lot of teams would be interested in procuring his talents.
However, where the ‘domino effect’ kicks in here is to do with simple economical factors of supply and demand. In this situation, Manchester United would be resigned to losing David Beckham should he opt to leave Old Trafford, which then leaves the Red Devils searching for a replacement.
But then you also have to factor in the idea that whoever ended up signing the Englishman would have thumbed their nose up to certain competitors in the process. Like when a rival of yours buys the newest designer jacket, and you reckon you’d better get one for yourself to ‘keep up‘. Pretty pathetic example, but you catch my drift!
In short, we have a series of teams who get concerned (‘butt-hurt‘ might be a more apt phrase, now that I think about it!) about how their competitors are doing in the transfer market. They then have to react to the situation by going out and either replacing what was lost, or changing directions completely and embarking on a new project. And when you consider that this domino effect not only includes three of the biggest clubs and players in the world, but also launched the career of one of the greatest players of all time. Then it’s quite a story …