---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nearly everything possible has been done…"
description: "\"“Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests;... the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg"
---

#  Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this…

![“Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests;... the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by the Press; ... but the fact remains that it is not yet spoilt, and it has gone out and conquered the world.&quot; J.B. Priestley in English Journey…” quote by J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg)

> ““Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests;... the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by the Press; ... but the fact remains that it is not yet spoilt, and it has gone out and conquered the world." J.B. Priestley in English Journey (referring to football), published in 1934.””

[J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The game is under threat from money, media hype, and commercialism, yet it remains unspoiled and globally dominant.

**In simple terms:** Money and media threaten the sport, but it stays pure and worldwide.

Key Takeaway

Protect the sport’s integrity and enjoy its global reach.

Themes

sports commercialism media integrity globalization

Mood

concerned optimistic

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

- football fans
- sports journalists
- policy makers
- advertisers
- players

Key Concepts

cultural impact economic pressure public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How can fans safeguard the sport’s spirit?
- What role should media play in preserving authenticity?

A Different Perspective

Commercial interests can still erode authenticity despite current resilience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Football Published](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-published-5420115/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Possible Spoil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-spoil-5420117/) [Referring Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/referring-football-5420116/) [Spoil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoil/) [Spoil Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoil-game-1650053/)

## Related quotes

> [We shouldn't put our interests and spoil the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-wanyama/we-shouldn-t-put-our-interests-and-spoil-the-game/)

[Victor Wanyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-wanyama/)

> [If you speak the truth, you spoil the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-caro/if-you-speak-the-truth-you-spoil-the-game/)

[Mike Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-caro/)

> [Do not be tempted to invest in a sample of each golfing invention as soon as it makes its appearance. If you do, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-vardon/do-not-be-tempted-to-invest-in-a-sample-of-each-golfing-invention-as/)

[Harry Vardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-vardon/)

> [Nearly everything possible had been done to spoil the game: the heavy financial interest; the absurd transfer and player-selling system; the lack of any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley/nearly-everything-possible-had-been-done-to-spoil-the-game-the-heavy/)

[J. B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley/)

> [My position is the lack of a position, but, of course, you can't even talk about it; the minute you talk, you spoil the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/my-position-is-the-lack-of-a-position-but-of-course-you-can-t-even/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [Historically, art has always had a market. When one medieval fiefdom defeated another they would drag back its jewels, gold, tapestries and art objects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-glimcher/historically-art-has-always-had-a-market-when-one-medieval-fiefdom/)

[Arne Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-glimcher/)

> [Throw a theory into the fire; it only spoils life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/throw-a-theory-into-the-fire-it-only-spoils-life/)

[Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/)

> [“want to spoil things. I think she”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-hughes/want-to-spoil-things-i-think-she/)

[Kathryn Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-hughes/)

> [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [I don't want to spoil this for anybody but wrestling, sports entertainment, is 'pre-determined.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/i-don-t-want-to-spoil-this-for-anybody-but-wrestling-sports/)

[Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/)

> [All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/all-excess-is-ill-but-drunkenness-is-of-the-worst-sort-it-spoils/)

[William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/)

> [The mother's love is not given to us to spoil us with indulgence, but to soften our hearts, that we may in turn soften…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/the-mother-s-love-is-not-given-to-us-to-spoil-us-with-indulgence-but/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

> [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/)

[Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/)

> [I hate to see prudence clinging to the green suckers of youth; 'tis like ivy round a sapling, and spoils the growth of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/i-hate-to-see-prudence-clinging-to-the-green-suckers-of-youth-tis/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [My rule is, when you are unhappy, think about it. But when you're happy, don't. Why spoil it? You're probably happy for some ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/my-rule-is-when-you-are-unhappy-think-about-it-but-when-you-re-happy/)

[Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/)

## More by J.B. Priestley

> [“To show a child what has once delighted you, to find the child's delight added to your own, so that there is now a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/to-show-a-child-what-has-once-delighted-you-to-find-the-child-s/)

[J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/)

> [ “Both the fanatical believers and the fixed attitude people are loud in their scorn of what they call “woolly minds.”… \[But it\] is the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/both-the-fanatical-believers-and-the-fixed-attitude-people-are-loud/)

[J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/)

> [“During dinner at the Dersinghams in "Angel Pavement"... "Do you ever watch rugger, Golspie?" Mr Dersingham demanded down the table. "What, rugby? Haven't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/during-dinner-at-the-dersinghams-in-angel-pavement-do-you-ever-watch/)

[J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/)

> [“Time's only a kind of dream, Kay. If it wasn't, it would have to destroy everything —the whole universe— and then remake it again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/time-s-only-a-kind-of-dream-kay-if-it-wasn-t-it-would-have-to-destroy/)

[J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/)

[Explore all 5 J.B. Priestley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/)

## More Money quotes

> [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/)

[Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/)

> [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Money is the kind of instrument which is very speedily produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/money-is-the-kind-of-instrument-which-is-very-speedily-produced/)

[Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/)

> [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/)

[Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/)

> [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Maybe you can,t buy a big house.. A new car.. A huge diamond ring.. But if you have just one true friend who loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy/maybe-you-can-t-buy-a-big-house-a-new-car-a-huge-diamond-ring-but-if/)

[Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy/)

> [“Don't allow money to become the yardstick by which you measure the worth of the world around you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james-pritchard/don-t-allow-money-to-become-the-yardstick-by-which-you-measure-the/)

[Andrew James Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james-pritchard/)

> [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/)

[Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/)

[Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/)

> [“The writer must earn money in order to be able to live and to write, but he must by no means live and write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/the-writer-must-earn-money-in-order-to-be-able-to-live-and-to-write/)

[Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/)

> [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [The man who works for the gold in the job rather than for the money in the pay envelope, is the fellow who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-french-johnson/the-man-who-works-for-the-gold-in-the-job-rather-than-for-the-money/)

[Joseph French Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-french-johnson/)

[Browse all 45,172 Money quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests;... the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by the Press; ... but the fact remains that it is not yet spoilt, and it has gone out and conquered the world.\" J.B. Priestley in English Journey (referring to football), published in 1934.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J.B. Priestley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done-to-spoil-this-game-the-heavy/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Money"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done-to-spoil-this-game-the-heavy/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/725/j-b-priestley-2-61184_money_nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done_1484835.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests;... the absurd…” — J.B. Priestley",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "J.B. Priestley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley-2/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Nearly everything possible has been done...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done-to-spoil-this-game-the-heavy/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley-2/nearly-everything-possible-has-been-done-to-spoil-this-game-the-heavy/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
