Finished with the Premiership

I have been unfortunate enough to see Everton play twice in the last two weeks. I thought last week was bad enough but this week has convinced me that something must be done. And for me, that something is to stop watching Premiership football.
But why, I hear you cry? (Oh, suit yourselves). Well, I'll tell you: Last week Everton played against Man City plus the estimable Howard Webb. Webb seemed to think that the mere fact of an Everton player successfully challenging for the ball was evidence of a foul on his part. Man City are obviously so superior in every way that it is inconceivable to Mr Webb that any player from the lower ranks can dispossess one of the Etihad anointed without stepping over the line between fair play and foul. This week was the icing on the cake, with the cherry on top. Jack Rodwell sees the ball, Rodwell gets the ball, Suarez falls over Rodwell and referee Martin Atkinson sends Rodwell off! Apparently in today's Premier league it is a red card offence to get the ball if your opponent wants it at the same time (if your opponent plays for one of the top 5 clubs, that is). I presume that players from the other 15 clubs are now supposed to stand around like particularly expensive bollards, while the Galacticos amaze us with their artistry. It makes football about as meaningful as a competition as a Nike ad.
This might all seem like sour grapes but it's more than that. I freely admit that both Man City and Liverpool were better than Everton (although not that much better - it may be a partisan view but of the expensively assembled talent available to Liverpool only Suarez and Kuyt would walk into the Everton side, at least on Saturday's showing. I didn't even know Downing was on the pitch until he got substituted). It would be a funny old world if they weren't - Liverpool have spent over £100m since Dalglish returned while Moyes has spent a big fat zero. No, my central point is that if you interpret the rules of the game in a way that only the most prodigiously gifted are allowed to succeed then you snuff out any possibility of an upset, of the underdog succeeding through hard work, or better organisation, tactics or teamwork. You might as well play top trumps before the start of the match: Liverpool - £114m, Everton nowt. Liverpool win!
Although Webb and Atkinson were culpable in these two cases, they're not the ones to blame. The real culprits are the Premiership and most particularly Sky. They've turned the game I and millions of others love into a product. And d'you know? It's a product I'm no longer prepared to buy.
So farewell beloved Everton, I wish you all the best. There will always be a part of my heart that belongs to you and I'm sure I'll sneak a look at the results every now and then. From now on though, the only team I'll be watching is the mighty Carlisle United of Division One. Come on you Foxes!