AS SEVERAL English Premier League teams travelled across the Atlantic to play pre-season friendlies in the United States, the debate around whether league games should be played abroad, specifically in the US, rumbles on.

The idea of Premier League games in the US is being pushed weekly by the parties who would look to make money from it, including numerous media outlets and online influencers that would be set to benefit.

Amid all of this, there is little consideration or mention of how it would affect match-going fans and further erode the identity of these clubs — an identity which makes them globally popular in the first place.

Though these pre-season tours will be used as evidence to show there is interest in Premier League games in the United States, they are also evidence that there is no reason for this to happen.

The situation as it currently stands means fans in other countries get to see their teams play exhibition matches, and they are turning up in numbers to do so.

There were 69,879 fans in attendance as Liverpool played Arsenal at the home of the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team — a record for a football match at the stadium in South Philadelphia.

A sellout crowd of 46,122 watched Manchester City play AC Milan at Yankee Stadium in New York City, home of the baseball team and New York City FC.

The Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, home of the South Carolina Gamecocks college football team, is expected to have a sellout crowd of 77,559 for the game between Liverpool and Manchester United on Saturday night.

Fans turn up in numbers to see their teams on tour, and US-based fans of English Premier League teams appear to be more understanding of the situation than those pushing for Premier League games to be played there.

The message from many fans is that they understand these clubs are rooted in the communities from which they emerged, and that taking these teams from their roots would be another step towards making them nondescript sports franchises or brands as opposed to the clubs they fell in love with.

Most US fans support these clubs because they were attracted to the character or identity of the team. The stadiums, cities, players, coaches and fans.

A dream of one day watching Liverpool at Anfield or Aston Villa at Villa Park. A dream that may or may not be realised, but remains part of the allure whether it has been or not.

Using Liverpool as an example, on this current pre-season tour, US fans are getting to witness the club’s first games under new manager Arne Slot.

This is quite a significant moment in the history of Liverpool FC as these are the first steps in the post-Jurgen Klopp era, and US fans are getting the first look.

It is often said that pre-season games and friendlies don’t matter and that nothing can be learned from them. 

While this might be true when it comes to results, there is plenty to learn from how a coach plans to set up their side ahead of the new season, and which players could be set for which roles once competitive games start back home.

The grand, often unique stadiums of US sports are selling out. Fans of the sport, not just of the teams involved, are turning up to witness these touring teams.

It is also a chance to get media coverage of these teams from different angles.

US media that doesn’t cover them week-in, week-out, now has an opportunity to ask questions of people like Slot, Pep Guardiola, Erik ten Hag or Unai Emery, which can offer fresh perspectives.

This also applies to fan media, which regularly get matchday media access on these tours — the kind they would not get back home.

Some of the best coverage of Liverpool on their current tour has come from The Redmen TV and The Anfield Wrap fan media, whose journalists have followed the team across the US.

It can offer something different for fans in comparison to the often more staid everyday reporting you get from traditional media throughout the regular season, especially when it comes to interactions with players in mixed-zone post-match interviews.

It is an opportunity to spread the game and the access to it.

English clubs have toured the globe since the late 19th century, and the history and growth of the game are built on exhibition games and the sharing of the laws of association football around the world.

These pre-season tours continue that spirit in some way, but it is also worth pointing out they are not some form of football philanthropy. They are money-making exercises themselves and can put unnecessary strain on players and coaches due to travel and pre-season workload. 

Ticket prices can also be high, and take advantage of the fact these games are rare opportunities for fans to see their team live.

But though there are such issues to consider, they offer fans in other countries the opportunity to watch their team in their own backyard without compromising a club’s identity or its competitive fixtures.

Interestingly enough, there is a chance for some of these club teams to play competitive football in the United States in 2025 in the Fifa Club World Cup, but the European Leagues are not in favour of this tournament.

This reveals that their motives do not lie in giving something back to overseas fans, but lie solely in how much money they can make from them. They treat overseas fans as customers just as they do local fans. They want all the money from overseas games for themselves.

Supporters in attendance don’t seem to mind that these are friendlies, and such games are still met with enthusiasm. Many also back the idea that domestic league and cup games should remain domestic.

The popularity of these pre-season tours shows that Premier League games do not need to be played abroad to give overseas fans a chance to see their clubs, but work still needs to be done to make sure players are not overworked and that fans have affordable access to games regardless of where in the world they are played.