Premier League All Star Game: what is it, how would it work - reaction to Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s comments

The idea has previously proved lucrative in the United States, with the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant appearing in All Star games in the past
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, has suggested that the Premier League should introduce an ‘All Star’ game.

Speaking at a conference in New York, Boehly said: “MLB did their All-Star game this year - they made $200 million from a Monday and a Tuesday. You could do a North vs. South All-Star game from the Premier League to fund the pyramid very easily.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But, the decision was met with some scepticism. Speaking ahead of his side’s 2-1 win over Ajax, Jurgen Klopp said: “When he finds a date for that, he can call me. Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well and let them play against a football team?

“He forgets about the big sports in America, they have four month breaks.”

Charles Watts, the Goal correspondent for Arsenal simply said “the whole thing stinks” and that if the Big Six really wanted to help, they could do that right now.

However, some fans on Twitter were open to the idea. One fan said: “Todd Boehly is getting far too much stick. What he’s suggested enables the football pyramid to get hundreds of millions in extra cash.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Who on earth wouldn’t want to see a North vs South All-Stars game over the community shield?”

What is an All-Star game?

An All-Star game is perhaps most known in America and basketball. It is an exhibition game that showcases the best players in the sport.

It can be used in many different ways, and teams can be based on region or division, but sometimes the teams can be divided into players with the same nationality.

The All-Star game is held every February in the NBA, and was first introduced back in 1951.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The starting lineup for the basketball All-Star game is selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting.

According to the NBA website, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the most All-Star appearances with 19, closely followed by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James (18).

Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six championships in the 1990s has 14 All-Star appearances under his belt.

How would it work in the Premier League?

After the idea was proposed, many suggestions were made as to how this could function within the current structure of the  Premier League.

One idea was a north vs south game, where the best players playing in the north of England would face off against the best players in the south of England.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.