I have been thinking about Caroline Flint’s comments on social housing tenants, and listening to the debate about it in my local Labour party, and I will probably return to that topic, but for now here is something else that is totally unworkable and unfair…

Of course I am talking about the Premier League’s plans to play competitive games overseas, so the football clubs can can collect some huge piles of Euros,  Yen, Dollars and Bahts to add to their huge piles of pounds.

In a way I can see the appeal.  After the NFL played one of their games at Wembley I could see how there could be some benefits to the game, especially if some of the income was shared out in the lower levels, but how to  move a fixture abroad without upsetting the fans who couldn’t see the game as easily or cheaply and teams who would give up a home advantage for the game?  It all looked totally unworkable and unfair, and then the boffins at the Premier League came up with a way to make it even more unworkable and less fair: add extra fixtures.

The idea is, apparently, to have one extra game each – ten extra games – with the teams chosen by Trevor pulling balls out of a velvet bag, and for those games to be played overseas. To make it even worse they suggest that the top teams should be seeded to make sure they do not play each other and to make more games a bigger box-office prospect.

Imagine a season when there are a few clubs fighting for the top spot or, much more likely, fighting to avoid relegation with three or four teams who could get relegated on the last day.  Us West Ham supporters don’t have to cast our minds back too far to imagine that!  Now imagine that one of those teams gets their extra game against a Man Utd and the other gets their extra game against a team already relegated.

If that system was in place this year and Fulham were scheduled to play Arsenal three times in the season and Birmingham were scheduled to play Derby three times.  Wouldn’t you feel a bit miserable about it if you were a Fulham supporter?

And this seeding business…   You have to assume that the draw is made before the season.  It would be rough to only find out that you are playing your extra game against Chelsea when your team had already settled in the danger zone.  So if the draw is made before any games are played how do you know who is going to be the top teams?  Let’s at least have some attempt at pretending that the contenders for the title are not pre-ordained!

Its a way of splitting up the richer clubs isn’t it?  The decision will be based more on replica strip sales in the Far East than on anything else.  I can’t see the citizens of Bangkok queueing round the block for tickets to see Reading play Wigan so they have to guarantee a game featuring one of the few clubs they follow and probably make it a condition that you have to buy tickets for both games.

And another thing.  Would this round of extra games  be included in the normal TV contracts for the season or would they be another separate package to sell for even more profit?  The whole thing is motivated by revenue.

And the sad thing is that if this comes about it will upset more people and get more publicity than any attempts by misguided ministers to stigmatise the poor.