7 sporting breakaways doomed before they began – from Saudi Golf League to XFL

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Sports fans can often be a greedy bunch, and the hunger for more of just about anything means investors are constantly on the look-out for the next big breakaway competition.

That doesn't mean every idea is destined to succeed, however, as Phil Mickelson found out when his 'support' for a Saudi Arabia-funded Super Golf League recently fell flat on its face.

Organisers appear adamant for the league to go ahead despite widespread criticism of the would-be rival to the PGA Tour, though the forecast suggests it's at risk of collapse before it's even begun.

The event wouldn't be alone if it didn't get off the ground as hoped, however, as Daily Star Sport breaks down some famous examples of breakaway leagues that either failed to lift off or enjoyed shockingly short lifespans.

1. Super Golf League

Saudi money claimed an important foothold in western sport when a consortium largely financed by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) purchased Newcastle United towards the end of 2021.

The Kingdom's proposed Super Golf League (SGL) is another opportunity to gain traction in that sector, which is why Hall of Famers like Mickelson and Greg Norman were selected to be ambassadors for the brand.

Household names are often vital in turning the public onto a new idea, but the SGL suffered potentially critical damage when Mickelson—reportedly offered $100million (£75m) per year to join—criticised the Saudi regime.

Which failed breakaway competition would you most like to see revived? Let us know in the comments section.

Quotes from an upcoming biography about 'Lefty' revealed he called the Kingdom "scary motherf***ers" who "killed [journalist Jamal] Khashoggi," adding they "execute people over there for being gay."

Mickelson was the target of a backlash when he went on to suggest he was willing to overlook all that in order to "reshape how the PGA Tour operates," having now instead decided to take a break from the sport.

Norman, 67, has insisted the SGL dream is alive and well, but it may well go unrealised after the likes of Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau each underlined their commitment to the PGA Tour.

2. Global Hockey League

Ice hockey was faced with a major recruitment opportunity in 1991 when the Cold War came to an end and the Iron Curtain fell, leaving many Soviet stars suddenly up for grabs.

Spotting a crack in their market, World Hockey Association founder Dennis Murphy and ex-Winnipeg Jets owner Michael Gobuty sought to take the sport worldwide by creating the Global Hockey League.

Expansion was the aim as that duo sought to bring hockey to European hot spots like Lyon, Berlin, Milan and Rotterdam, but a lack of planning and cohesion among prospective owners meant it failed from the word 'Go'.

3. European Super League

Speaking of leagues under the sea, football's short-lived UEFA Champions League competitor is probably the most infamous example of an ill-conceived sports innovation failing to get off the ground so far this millennium.

It took all of 72 hours for the European Super League to be crushed under the weight of public scrutiny following its announcement in April 2021.

Conceived by the sport's uber-rich as a challenge to European football's establishment, the Super League was a ring-fenced competition aimed to promote (and line the pocket of) a select few organisations.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan were signed up along with the Premier League's 'Big Six' of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

What followed were unprecedented levels of outcry from the community, with fans protesting outside the grounds of those taking part.

The Premier League elite were among the first to withdraw their support, and the other cards soon followed, resulting in the Super League deck collapsing within days of its announcement – although Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are still committed to the seemingly doomed project.

4. National Bowling League

Founded as a would-be rival to the Professional Bowlers Association in 1960, the National Bowling League sought to strike out against the sport's elite by forming its own breakaway tournament.

Setting itself apart from the PBA, players in the NBL would battle against teams of bowlers from other cities in a season that culminated with the 'World Series of Bowling'.

Unlike its rival, the National Bowling League initially offered bowlers salaries, though it too switched to a prize money-based format following the financial difficulties of a first season in which attendances failed to take off.

The NBL never returned for a second season in 1962, and its amateur operation appeared exposed in Eric Dregni's 2005 book 'Let's Go Bowling', which alleged PBA star Don Carter was offered a pig farm to jump ship.

5. Pro Cricket

Despite having its roots traced back as far as the 16th century, cricket has so far failed in its numerous attempts to become a phenomenon on the other side of the Atlantic.

Although one couldn't really say the concept 'succeeded' as such, the short-lived Pro Cricket competition did at least play an inaugural (and final) season following its launch in 2004.

A total of eight teams competed across two divisions split between the east and west coast, playing a one-day format similar to Twenty20, with overs consisting of five balls rather than six.

A combination of poor attendance figures, low TV viewership and a lack of superstar names ultimately meant Pro Cricket folded after a single campaign, with the San Francisco Freedom its sole champions.

Fast forward to today and cricket is on the verge of another break-out attempt in the United States, with Major League Cricket—this time sanctioned by USA Cricket—poised to make its debut in 2023.

6. World 12s

Another example of investors seemingly picking fruit before it's ripe, World 12s was announced in September 2021 as a completely new format of 12-a-side rugby.

The problem, however, was that they failed to tell anyone about it prior to announcing the competition.

Fans have already raised issue with the sport's packed calendar for a number of years, and the sport's global body, World Rugby, swiftly announced it did "not wish to explore concept further at this time."

Tournament organisers planned to host the new competition towards the end of the European summer, shortly before the annual club season kicks off.

Between the timing issues and the obstacle of convincing clubs to release star names to compete in an entirely new contest, the idea never looked likely to succeed in its original concept.

7. XFL

Having made such a success in bringing wrestling to a global fan base, WWE owner Vince McMahon sought to take on the National Football League (NFL) by giving American football a little more X-factor.

Building off the back of wrestling's 'Attitude Era', McMahon and American broadcaster NBC looked to combine the two sports and came up with the XFL, a new, edgier brand of 'football' with its own set of rules.

Most notable among those was an opening 'scramble' for possession rather than a coin toss, players being free to tackle receivers before the catch, and a slippery ball that needed to be sanded in order to be usable.

All parties involved ending up losing money on the venture, however, leading to the XFL closing down after a single season in 2001.

McMahon picked the idea back up for another attempt in 2020 before the league filed for bankruptcy following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

WWE's prodigal son, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, has since purchased the rights to the XFL for a $15million (£11m) and will attempt to make a success where his old boss could not when it relaunches next year.

• Nfl
• Saudi Arabia
• European Super League
• Golf

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