Changed teams in 5 minutes, eh?

I'd like Cardiff to win, but I'd take any of these clubs.

One of the things I love most about English football is the promotion/relegation. I love that, in theory, a team can be promoted up through the years from an amateur community team to the highest level of professionalism based purely on merit is awesome.

Another is the FA Cup for the same reason -- I love that basically any organized team in the entire country can enter the competition and, if they're good enough, can win it.

The only thing we have like that is the US Open (which is still pretty sweet for the same reasons).

I'd love to see Liverpool play Cardiff again next season. They were great.

meanmutton: One of the things I love most about English football is the promotion/relegation. I love that, in theory, a team can be promoted up through the years from an amateur community team to the highest level of professionalism based purely on merit is awesome.


Only the theory is great. In practice it sucks. Only two or three teams really have a chance to win the title.

The Cups are a rare consolation for mid level teams if they can pull some upsets.

At least in North America any pro team is conceivably a decade away from a title after 5/6 years of tanking and then drafting right. Might not win, but the chance is there. (Rays, Nationals, Penguins)

Reading and Southampton will never win the Premiere League.

Decillion: meanmutton: One of the things I love most about English football is the promotion/relegation. I love that, in theory, a team can be promoted up through the years from an amateur community team to the highest level of professionalism based purely on merit is awesome.


Only the theory is great. In practice it sucks. Only two or three teams really have a chance to win the title.

The Cups are a rare consolation for mid level teams if they can pull some upsets.

At least in North America any pro team is conceivably a decade away from a title after 5/6 years of tanking and then drafting right. Might not win, but the chance is there. (Rays, Nationals, Penguins)

Reading and Southampton will never win the Premiere League.

for some teams, yeah. But in 1977, Wimbledon were a non-league team. In 1986, they reached (what is now) the Premier League. in 1988, they beat Liverpool in the FA Cup back in the days when winning the FA Cup was, in someways, more important and prestigous than winning the league. In 1997, they were on course for an impossible treble (finished 8th, reached the semi finals in both cups). Likewise, Wigan were a non-league team in 1978, and are now, somewhat improbably, mainstays in the Premier League.

Yes, it's incredibly hard nowadays when Man City are spending £150million a year in salaries, but semi-professional teams CAN claw their way out of non-league and get into the ranks of the professionals, but for now League One seems to be their limit as for how far they can actually go. And anyone who says the FA Cup doesn't matter should take a trip to any one of the rundown non-league grounds on First Round days if the semi-pros have a home tie against a league side. Proper football that.

I cheer on Birmingham City for the simple reason that my dad took me to see them play when I was four, oh and he supported them all his life like his dad before him etc etc.

\Zulu army...though not so much of that sung anymore...
\\So close secret agent McCleish, so very close...

COME ON YOU IRONS!

Can any UK farkers enlighten me on some lower league teams? I was going to start rooting for Rotherham Utd. down in League 2 but then I found out Howard Webb is from Rotherham so that's out. Now I think I am going to support Sheffield Wednesday in League 1. From what I gather they have had some moderate success in the past but have fallen on hard times and are looking to put it all back together again and somehow that appeals to me. Nothing against 'Pool fans and Hillsborough disaster etc. I just thought the name, crest, and history for the club are interesting. Also apparently Michael Palin of the Python is a fan? Sounds like that seals the deal for me. Anything else interesting UK or very worldly US farkers can tell me about the club?

TonnageVT: I actually saw Ipswitch Town play Watford in Watford. They travel really well are utter scumbags, great awaymouth breathing. drooling inbread support.

Fixed that for you

Langston: [xenios.cti.gr image 208x248]
GO IPSWICH TOWN

/don't know jack about The Championship

The only thing i miss from the East Anglian derby is the six points. Much better to play and beat our new local rivals, Spurs.

/Ipswich is a hole
//the team fits right in

TonnageVT: I'm cheering for Blackpool, just to have Ian Holloway and his wonderful rants back in the premier league again.

Preach it brother, preach it.

Norfolking Chance: TonnageVT: I actually saw Ipswitch Town play Watford in Watford. They travel really well are utter scumbags, great awaymouth breathing. drooling inbread support.

Fixed that for you

Langston: [xenios.cti.gr image 208x248]
GO IPSWICH TOWN

/don't know jack about The Championship

The only thing i miss from the East Anglian derby is the six points. Much better to play and beat our new local rivals, Spurs.

/Ipswich is a hole
//the team fits right in

TonnageVT: I'm cheering for Blackpool, just to have Ian Holloway and his wonderful rants back in the premier league again.

Preach it brother, preach it.

Interesting. I like getting the UK inside scoop on these things. Do you have any opinions on Shef. Wed.? Certainly their fans can't be too bad if Michael Palin is one.

Seminorm Null: Norfolking Chance: TonnageVT: I actually saw Ipswitch Town play Watford in Watford. They travel really well are utter scumbags, great awaymouth breathing. drooling inbread support.

Fixed that for you

Langston: [xenios.cti.gr image 208x248]
GO IPSWICH TOWN

/don't know jack about The Championship

The only thing i miss from the East Anglian derby is the six points. Much better to play and beat our new local rivals, Spurs.

/Ipswich is a hole
//the team fits right in

TonnageVT: I'm cheering for Blackpool, just to have Ian Holloway and his wonderful rants back in the premier league again.

Preach it brother, preach it.

Interesting. I like getting the UK inside scoop on these things. Do you have any opinions on Shef. Wed.? Certainly their fans can't be too bad if Michael Palin is one.

The only person I know that is a Wednesday fan is a really cool guy so that is my opinion on the matter. They used to be mainstays in the Championship with their rivals Sheff United and that derby was one of the biggest in the country back in the day. They seem to be the less popular club of the city because of the success that Sheff United had in the Premier League oh so many years ago. They also have a cool logo with an owl.

Haha thanks. Yeah the owl logo and est. 1867 pretty much did it for me, can't get too much cooler than that. Owls rock. Thanks for the info, that makes me more determined to support them if Utd. has been having more success recently than Wed. and enjoying more support. Gotta support the underdog!

mattwakeman: I cheer on Birmingham City for the simple reason that my dad took me to see them play when I was four, oh and he supported them all his life like his dad before him etc etc.

\Zulu army...though not so much of that sung anymore...
\\So close secret agent McCleish, so very close...

Lived in England as a military brat and played under Birmingham colors. Cheering for BC to get back into the premier league.

I think you've got that a bit backwards. Wednesday were always the bigger club, sticking around the First Division a lot longer than United. However, when Wednesday were relegated out of the Premier League they fell like a stone until they hit League One, while United managed to yo-yo between Championship and Premier League before ending up in League One. In laymans terms, United have been more successful in the last decade or so, Wednesday for about 100 years before that

sloughtown4ever: I think you've got that a bit backwards. Wednesday were always the bigger club, sticking around the First Division a lot longer than United. However, when Wednesday were relegated out of the Premier League they fell like a stone until they hit League One, while United managed to yo-yo between Championship and Premier League before ending up in League One. In laymans terms, United have been more successful in the last decade or so, Wednesday for about 100 years before that

All of my opinions were from what I had gleaned since following the sport which was about 10 years ago so that is probably why I had it backwards. I didn't know about the history before then.

I like the relegation/promotion as well. Note that Southampton was in League One last year, and has now been promoted two straight seasons. Pompey, where I live (recently transplanted American), just got relegated after being docked points for being bankrupt -- the second time they've been relegated due to points lost for financial screw-ups in 5 years.

Unfreakable: bump

Nice.

Seminorm Null: Can any UK farkers enlighten me on some lower league teams? I was going to start rooting for Rotherham Utd. down in League 2 but then I found out Howard Webb is from Rotherham so that's out. Now I think I am going to support Sheffield Wednesday in League 1. From what I gather they have had some moderate success in the past but have fallen on hard times and are looking to put it all back together again and somehow that appeals to me. Nothing against 'Pool fans and Hillsborough disaster etc. I just thought the name, crest, and history for the club are interesting. Also apparently Michael Palin of the Python is a fan? Sounds like that seals the deal for me. Anything else interesting UK or very worldly US farkers can tell me about the club?

Many years ago, around the time of USA 94, Wednesday were the first English club I'd ever heard of, because John Harkes played for them. Also that year, I was ten and my family took a vacation to Disney World and we shared a table at some Epcot eatery with an English family whose patriarch was an Owls fan. So I'm good with Sheffield Wednesday.

Greatest Show on Earth, subby?
Whateva.

Link

sloughtown4ever: but semi-professional teams CAN claw their way out of non-league and get into the ranks of the professionals, but for now League One seems to be their limit as for how far they can actually go.

A. Tell that to the six or so Conference North/South teams I've brought up to the PL in FM over the years! :D
B. League 1 is still pretty incredible when you think about it. The average player salary in League 1 is something like £70k ($113k), which is a lovely amount of money for playing a sport two divisions below the "majors." And the clubs have got to be worth anywhere from £20-75m.

It would be very interesting, I think, to get an accurate accounting of how much of his own money Dave Whelan has put into Wigan over the years, and to compare that to how much he'd be able to sell the club for now.

Anyone have a link to a feed?

Come on Blackpool, we need Hollliway back in the premier league. Football focus is much duller without you

Decillion: meanmutton: One of the things I love most about English football is the promotion/relegation. I love that, in theory, a team can be promoted up through the years from an amateur community team to the highest level of professionalism based purely on merit is awesome.


Only the theory is great. In practice it sucks. Only two or three teams really have a chance to win the title.

The Cups are a rare consolation for mid level teams if they can pull some upsets.

At least in North America any pro team is conceivably a decade away from a title after 5/6 years of tanking and then drafting right. Might not win, but the chance is there. (Rays, Nationals, Penguins)

Reading and Southampton will never win the Premiere League.

Teams ebb and flow. Looked at objectively, the complaints about the same teams 'always winning everything' don't stand up. Chelsea were nowhere ten years ago. Man City have recently been down two divisions, Newcastle were recently relegated.

Man UTD on the wane? Possibly.

In respect of the play-offs - Blackpool would probably be fun. Still have a soft spot for Chris Hughton at Birmingham. Of the others - too many London teams already, and I don't like Allardyce. And as for Cardiff, well - they ARE Welsh.

Also, Sheffield Wednesday called that because that was the night when the originating cricket club met.

Lord Jubjub: So for actual results:

Cardiff 0-2 West Ham

Assuming that away goals count in the tie-breaker, West Ham is likely to go to the final.

/West Ham is a recently relegated side. If they can score two goals on a hostile pitch, I would think they would keep a clean sheet at home.

Away goals do not count.

midpoint: And as for Cardiff, well - they ARE Welsh.

Blackadder : Have you ever been to Wales Baldrick?
Baldrick : No, but I've often thought I'd like to.
Blackadder : Well don't, it's a ghastly place. Huge gangs of tough sinewy men roam the valleys terrorising people with their close-harmony singing. You need half a pint of phlegm in your throat just to pronounce the placenames. Never ask for directions in Wales Baldrick, you'll be washing spit out of your hair for a fortnight.

Link

/Oblig

Norfolking Chance: midpoint: And as for Cardiff, well - they ARE Welsh.

Blackadder : Have you ever been to Wales Baldrick?
Baldrick : No, but I've often thought I'd like to.
Blackadder : Well don't, it's a ghastly place. Huge gangs of tough sinewy men roam the valleys terrorising people with their close-harmony singing. You need half a pint of phlegm in your throat just to pronounce the placenames. Never ask for directions in Wales Baldrick, you'll be washing spit out of your hair for a fortnight.

I think it's all just hater talk. If that many people really hated Wales, it wouldn't be the largest city in England.