What constitutes a successful pre-season tour? Well that depends on what aspect of the tour you look at. Ask any manager and they will tell you that getting the players together, improving on fitness, getting competitive game time, working on new tactics, formations and set-pieces for the up and coming season are all aspects that contribute to a successful pre-season. Ask any owner, marketing and PR manager and they will tell you it’s about selling a product, creating an image, making some money.

The pre-season of old used to involve marching up and down the local hillside, sweating off the previous summer’s indulgences. These days they are spent in luxury hotels abroad, weaving the odd friendly in between a sponsor’s launch party, a merchandise squad signing session, followed by some light weight lifting.

This year Manchester United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bolton and Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in America in search of a little extra revenue from the potential gold mine of the untapped American market. In seasons gone by Manchester United have travelled to Asia to train in front of 40,000 fans in Malaysia. A counterfeiting crackdown has meant that it is not beneficial at the current time to travel back to Asia. In the past Birmingham have travelled to China and Blackburn and Everton to Australia seeking the popular support created by such players as Brett Emerton and Tim Cahill respectively.

In 1994 Sir Alex Ferguson complained of having to travel too much before the season began. That year they went to Ireland, Scotland, Wolves and London. Manchester United this year began their tour in Canada and finish in Mexico. In between they will have played games in Philadelphia and Houston.

What the real monetary value of such exploits is remains unknown. It is very difficult to measure brand image gain of such exercises. Yet whilst it is unsure as to whether there are any long term benefits to these far flung expeditions east and west, what is certainly questionable is whether there are any true benefits for the players or whether the tours only serve to tire them out before the rigours of another arduous season has even begun.

In these days of congested fixture schedules, European football and summer championships every two years surely there must be something to be said for simply resting as much as possible in the off-season. The world’s best have had to endure a 38 game league season, perhaps six, seven maybe eight domestic cup matches, numerous European ties, a month’s world cup action and just when they thought they were ready to put their feet up, they are being asked to embark on a tour of the East Coast of America? Ok so it helps sell a few shirts, but at what cost?

Speaking of his side’s North American tour, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp had this to say:

“I would be a liar if I said it was the perfect way to prepare for the new season, because it is not. We have found it difficult to get the training sessions in that we want. But that is the game now—we just go where we are told.”

In most instances, with the marketing out of the way, when the real football begins the facilities are of course top of the range, but can the same be said for the weather? In Philadelphia this year Manchester United’s players were faced with 35 degree heat. Portsmouth’s training this year was cancelled as they were caught up and stranded in Chicago due to a lightning storm. Hardly ideal.

Some teams don’t seek the extra revenue. Some managers have more control over where they send their teams during the summer. For nine consecutive seasons Arsenal have gone to Austria to improve their fitness, playing low key games in front of small support to help boost confidence and team spirit. Liverpool find themselves there this season having been to Asia in 2003, 2007 and 2009 (seasons which did not follow major international tournaments). Yes, Austria is still abroad, but the location is carefully selected for football purposes only. There are no launch parties or impromptu signing sessions here, just running, weights, football, relaxation, running, weights, football and a little bit more relaxation.

Football clubs are becoming franchises just as they are in the US. With more and more foreign owners coming into the EPL looking to make a quick buck these lucrative tours to pastures new will become more and more commonplace and in the end the only winners are the share holders. The pre-season money making jollies at present are another example of how football has changed over the years, become more than just a sport but a business.

This article was first published on bleacherreport.com

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