WHEN Des’ree released the single ‘Crazy Maze’ back in 1994, the opening two lines were: “Money don't make my world go 'round. I'm reaching up for the higher ground.”

The same lyrics are, of course, ironically sung by Ricky Gervais’s famous character David Brent, during a scene in The Office a few years later.

Funnily enough, those lyrics about financial gain and morals are quite apt as present - regarding some of the biggest news in European football.

It is a saga which, to be honest, could be seen as its own mockumentary.

You have all heard and read about it by now. Twelve of Europe’s powerhouse clubs want to break away from the norm of UEFA-sanctioned competition and start their own cash-ladened event – the European Super League.

Fifteen expected founder members, including the Premier League’s big six, are proposed to launch and never leave the midweek tournament across the continent – with billions of pounds on offer for each of them.

Yes, five ‘lucky’ sides will qualify and be invited to play alongside them each season, in a 20-team midweek tournament which could decimate the Champions League as we know it.

But the whole thing begs the question - if there is no relegation or other consequences for founder clubs losing in it, what is the point?

Look at our own prime example of a football club in Cherries.

Twelve years ago, they were almost out of existence – scrapping for everything under Eddie Howe, while being hit with severe financial uncertainty.

Across two spells as manager, Howe piloted the Dorset club to England’s elite level and spent five years there.

As it has been written before, that journey was remarkable.

But if Cherries, like the rest of the top-flight at that time could not even have the chance to regularly break into Europe’s exclusive club – why try to compete?

The heart and soul of football is clubs looking to progress, striving to be better. If you can only go so far due to an elite collective at the top level, it rips the soul out of it.

If you win, you get reward. If you lose, there should be consequences. That’s football and life.

Leicester showed everyone what could be achieved when they won the Premier League title in 2016.

They earned the right to compete at Europe’s top table on merit the following season and it was a breath of fresh air to see them in it.

Yes, football fans love to see the big names and best players battling it out on the global stage, but the proposed revamp - not agreed with by the governing bodies of the game – would take so much variety out of football as we know it.

What would happen if a wealthy owner took over another European club outside of the Super League founders and transformed them into a powerhouse of the game? Would they suddenly get an invite to join the league?

This is why success has to be determined by performances and sporting merit, instead of settling for who is the biggest and best right now.