4fr4.com
This is new website of mine. called 4fr4.com
www.4fr4.com
Saturday 17 July 2010
Sunday 11 July 2010
Have a trophy between reserve SPL sides and lower division sides
I have an idea fopr a trophy cvaslled the North Britain open an idea for SPL reserve sides to play against lower divsion SFL and non league teams to help develop Scottish soccer.
As we all know the 3 European sides of Germany, the Netherlands and Spain have all reached the top 3 places in the world cup of 2010. Surely it is is no coincidence that these sides allow their big clubs reserve teams to play in the lower divisions of their leagues.
We should do the same in our country so that our top young players struggling to get to Celtic and Rangers first team can get to play real sides too. Here is an idea for Scottish football.
Have the 12 SPL reserve sides play against the 10 first teams of the third divison and some non league sides in a trophy league format.
In the old days the best Scottish young player would get into the Celtic team no problem as he only had other Scottish players in his way nowadays the best Scottish player might struggle. Simply because a great foreign player is in the way. So now we need some system so that the top SPL sides can play their young players with potential in another trophy where they can develop.
In Spain and Germany the second team are run as different squads so Bayern Munich II, and Real Madrid B Barcelona B play almost as different sides. I do not think any Scottish sides other than Rangers and Celtic could afford two separate squads. So my view is we should just play the old reserve style squads we used in the past. Where a player can move week in week out from reserve to first team. So that clubs like Hamilton and Dundee would not have to pay for two squads of players, and still give their younger players another chance.
To ensure clubs did not play their first team in the reserve team trophy and that this trophy was used to develop young players rules could be used such as a rule that if as a player has played in a SPL match in the last week he cannot play in the North Britain cup. And that only 5 over 25 year olds are allowed in each squad. This would ensure you would not simply have Celtic playing their first team against sides, and that they would not tire out young players.
My format would be have have 12 SPL reserve teams, 10 third division teams and 14 non league sides from Scotland and Northern England, and 4 other reserve teams invited from other countries. The teams to invite could be Newcastle United reserves, Man Utd reserves, Sunderland reserves or the Shetlands, or even under 21 teams from Ajax and other countries.
Creating a format of 40 teams.
There would be 4 groups of 10. Each team plays eachother once. As in the six nations of rugby. Teams would play 9 matches in the group stage. I admit there would controversy over whether you play 4 or 5 home games in the group. But remember this is not a trophy about getting attendances and in the SFA cup you can have a different number of home and away games by luck of the draw.
The aim is to qualify for the final 16.
The top 4 teams of each group go through to the final 16. A straight one tie knockout then takes place until the final which is two legs.
In total teams will play 9 games if they don't get past the group stages.
Plus 5 matches if they get through all the group matches.
I think, this would allow teams to play younger reserve team players against other real sides as they do in Germany and Spain without having to place reserve sides in the actual league.
rsmithinternetemail@yahoo.co.uk
As we all know the 3 European sides of Germany, the Netherlands and Spain have all reached the top 3 places in the world cup of 2010. Surely it is is no coincidence that these sides allow their big clubs reserve teams to play in the lower divisions of their leagues.
We should do the same in our country so that our top young players struggling to get to Celtic and Rangers first team can get to play real sides too. Here is an idea for Scottish football.
Have the 12 SPL reserve sides play against the 10 first teams of the third divison and some non league sides in a trophy league format.
In the old days the best Scottish young player would get into the Celtic team no problem as he only had other Scottish players in his way nowadays the best Scottish player might struggle. Simply because a great foreign player is in the way. So now we need some system so that the top SPL sides can play their young players with potential in another trophy where they can develop.
In Spain and Germany the second team are run as different squads so Bayern Munich II, and Real Madrid B Barcelona B play almost as different sides. I do not think any Scottish sides other than Rangers and Celtic could afford two separate squads. So my view is we should just play the old reserve style squads we used in the past. Where a player can move week in week out from reserve to first team. So that clubs like Hamilton and Dundee would not have to pay for two squads of players, and still give their younger players another chance.
To ensure clubs did not play their first team in the reserve team trophy and that this trophy was used to develop young players rules could be used such as a rule that if as a player has played in a SPL match in the last week he cannot play in the North Britain cup. And that only 5 over 25 year olds are allowed in each squad. This would ensure you would not simply have Celtic playing their first team against sides, and that they would not tire out young players.
My format would be have have 12 SPL reserve teams, 10 third division teams and 14 non league sides from Scotland and Northern England, and 4 other reserve teams invited from other countries. The teams to invite could be Newcastle United reserves, Man Utd reserves, Sunderland reserves or the Shetlands, or even under 21 teams from Ajax and other countries.
Creating a format of 40 teams.
There would be 4 groups of 10. Each team plays eachother once. As in the six nations of rugby. Teams would play 9 matches in the group stage. I admit there would controversy over whether you play 4 or 5 home games in the group. But remember this is not a trophy about getting attendances and in the SFA cup you can have a different number of home and away games by luck of the draw.
The aim is to qualify for the final 16.
The top 4 teams of each group go through to the final 16. A straight one tie knockout then takes place until the final which is two legs.
In total teams will play 9 games if they don't get past the group stages.
Plus 5 matches if they get through all the group matches.
I think, this would allow teams to play younger reserve team players against other real sides as they do in Germany and Spain without having to place reserve sides in the actual league.
rsmithinternetemail@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday 16 May 2010
Wednesday 21 April 2010
A good article
A good article on the fact that UEFA do not stand in the way of nations forming their own multi national trophies look a the royal league, and CIS cup in Russia.
uefa do not stand in way of multi National trophies
uefa do not stand in way of multi National trophies
Thursday 1 April 2010
Monday 29 March 2010
Misconceptions about small Football clubs
Misconceptions about small Football clubs
1. No one cares about them
This claim is utter rubbish. The people who support and play for them care about them as much as if not more than Manchester United or Rangers fans care about their clubs. I do not support a small club bit I am intelligent enough to know people who support them support them as passionately as big clubs supporters do.
So when you say who cares about Albion Rovers V Harrogate. Remember the people who support those clubs do. I do not care who win the Europa cup or English FA Cup if my team are not involved. I am not arrogant enough to think the teams involved would not care.
2. They cannot travel long distances
Often well meaning and patronizing people will say that it is a joke for small clubs to travel more than a few 100 miles.
Utter drivel. The supporters of Manchester United, Newcastle United can travel long distances and have work, but still travel. So why can the people playing games not travel long distances These supporters of big clubs enjoy traveling long distances why would small clubs players not enjoy this. They like to travel and test themselves against sides from other places. If they didn't we would just have county leagues. If a fan can enjoy traveling from Newcastle to watch Newcastle play Fulham. Why can a player not enjoy traveling a shorter distance to play a game.
3. Fans of these clubs do not care about games between teams from far away places
No, that is not true. The fans of these clubs like to see their clubs play clubs from other parts of the country just as fans of your club like to see your club play against teams from all over the place. To prove they are the best at that level.
4. You need massive sponsorship deals and TV rights to travel long distances across the UK
No that is no true. Clubs such as Wick and Fort William, play in the Highland league and face often 5 hour journeys. Yet the players still do these games as they get a kick out of testing themselves against teams over a wide region. Why did they join the Highland league if not? You do not need multi million pound contracts to travel up down the UK on a coach. This is not the 19th century travel is relatively easy.
So support the North Britain and Anglo Scottish cup now!
north britain cup
isle of man houses
1. No one cares about them
This claim is utter rubbish. The people who support and play for them care about them as much as if not more than Manchester United or Rangers fans care about their clubs. I do not support a small club bit I am intelligent enough to know people who support them support them as passionately as big clubs supporters do.
So when you say who cares about Albion Rovers V Harrogate. Remember the people who support those clubs do. I do not care who win the Europa cup or English FA Cup if my team are not involved. I am not arrogant enough to think the teams involved would not care.
2. They cannot travel long distances
Often well meaning and patronizing people will say that it is a joke for small clubs to travel more than a few 100 miles.
Utter drivel. The supporters of Manchester United, Newcastle United can travel long distances and have work, but still travel. So why can the people playing games not travel long distances These supporters of big clubs enjoy traveling long distances why would small clubs players not enjoy this. They like to travel and test themselves against sides from other places. If they didn't we would just have county leagues. If a fan can enjoy traveling from Newcastle to watch Newcastle play Fulham. Why can a player not enjoy traveling a shorter distance to play a game.
3. Fans of these clubs do not care about games between teams from far away places
No, that is not true. The fans of these clubs like to see their clubs play clubs from other parts of the country just as fans of your club like to see your club play against teams from all over the place. To prove they are the best at that level.
4. You need massive sponsorship deals and TV rights to travel long distances across the UK
No that is no true. Clubs such as Wick and Fort William, play in the Highland league and face often 5 hour journeys. Yet the players still do these games as they get a kick out of testing themselves against teams over a wide region. Why did they join the Highland league if not? You do not need multi million pound contracts to travel up down the UK on a coach. This is not the 19th century travel is relatively easy.
So support the North Britain and Anglo Scottish cup now!
north britain cup
isle of man houses
Wednesday 24 March 2010
The 2009 North Britain cup
Hello and welcome to the 2009. North of Britain Cup final.
Second leg.
May
Ilkeston Town F.C of the Conference North played Ayr United of the Scottish second division in the North Britain Cup.
The final watched by a capacity cheering on the teams to decide who are the champions of North Britain.
Second leg.
May
Ilkeston Town F.C V Ayr United F.C
Ilkeston Town F.C of the Conference North played Ayr United of the Scottish second division in the North Britain Cup.
The final watched by a capacity cheering on the teams to decide who are the champions of North Britain.Ilkeston is a town within the Borough of Erewash, in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the River Erewash, from which the local borough takes its name. Its population is around 37,000. Its major industries were traditionally coal mining, iron working and lace making / textiles, but these have all but disappeared in the last few decades. The town is close to both Derby and Nottingham and is near to the M1 motorway. Although Ilkeston lies within Derbyshire, it is closer to Nottingham.
North Britain Cup
North Britain Cup
My other idea added onto the Anglo Scottish cup is the North Britain Cup.
This would involve teams from the Scottish second division, and the Scottish third division, as long as they are not playing in the Anglo Scottish cup. New Anglo Scottish Cup
OK so we know my idea to have a trophy involving the top 20 sides in the Scottish league who have not qualified for Europe, but what about trophies for sides outside of that. I say all the other Scottish league sides could play the teams from Conference North.This would be a similar level of clubs in attendances and give teams a chance to play sides from other countries. A good adventure for sides.
If top 3 Scottish second division sides were playing in the Great Britain cup, this would leave 17 teams from Scotland in trophy. So that would means 21 sides from Conference North and 17 teams from the Scottish league in the trophy. Now there would a differing number os sides from Scotland each year due to the number of sides in Europe.
But a typical year might see 17 sides from the Scottish league and 21 sides from Conference North. That equals 38 sides.
I would then have a two legged cup tournament.
There would need to be a preliminary round to get down to a final 32, from some of the sides selected by random. Then simple last 32, last 16, quarter final, semi final then a two leg final.
I would have the first 2 rounds (including the preliminary round) as two legged so every team would be guaranteed atleast one home game in the competition. The next 3 rounds would be one leg, with luck of the draw deciding who gets home advantage. The final a two leg final. This is because the final cannot be played at just one teams home ground but it would tough to choose a neutral venue, for teams 100's of miles from eachother.
Preliminary round two legs
Last 32 Two legs
Last 16 One leg
Quarter final one leg
Semi final One leg
Final two legs.
If you play every round you would play 9 games.
I would also support a south Britain cup played by teams from Welsh league that did not qualify for Europe and teams in the Southern Conference.
My other idea added onto the Anglo Scottish cup is the North Britain Cup.
This would involve teams from the Scottish second division, and the Scottish third division, as long as they are not playing in the Anglo Scottish cup. New Anglo Scottish Cup
OK so we know my idea to have a trophy involving the top 20 sides in the Scottish league who have not qualified for Europe, but what about trophies for sides outside of that. I say all the other Scottish league sides could play the teams from Conference North.This would be a similar level of clubs in attendances and give teams a chance to play sides from other countries. A good adventure for sides.
If top 3 Scottish second division sides were playing in the Great Britain cup, this would leave 17 teams from Scotland in trophy. So that would means 21 sides from Conference North and 17 teams from the Scottish league in the trophy. Now there would a differing number os sides from Scotland each year due to the number of sides in Europe.
But a typical year might see 17 sides from the Scottish league and 21 sides from Conference North. That equals 38 sides.
I would then have a two legged cup tournament.
There would need to be a preliminary round to get down to a final 32, from some of the sides selected by random. Then simple last 32, last 16, quarter final, semi final then a two leg final.
I would have the first 2 rounds (including the preliminary round) as two legged so every team would be guaranteed atleast one home game in the competition. The next 3 rounds would be one leg, with luck of the draw deciding who gets home advantage. The final a two leg final. This is because the final cannot be played at just one teams home ground but it would tough to choose a neutral venue, for teams 100's of miles from eachother.
Preliminary round two legs
Last 32 Two legs
Last 16 One leg
Quarter final one leg
Semi final One leg
Final two legs.
If you play every round you would play 9 games.
I would also support a south Britain cup played by teams from Welsh league that did not qualify for Europe and teams in the Southern Conference.
A new Anglo Scottish cup
OK I have improved on my idea of Great Britain Cup.
Here is my new idea for a football tournament between Scottish, English and Welsh sides.
A cup between the Scottish and English league sides called the Anglo Scottish cup. This would be a great soccer trophy idea.
The Competitors
1. The top 20 teams in Scottish league who have not qualified for Europe.
2. The English League one and League two teams. That is 48 sides.
This equals 68 teams.
So 17 groups of 4.
The format.
Group stage.
20 Groups of 4, played home and away. Each group must have one atleast one Scottish side.
Knockout stage
The top teams from each group qualify for the last 32. As you can tell that is only 17 teams. As you can see 15 teams are still needed for the rest of the last 32. So then the best 15 runners up go through to next round. There is then a last 32, a last, 16, a Quarter Final, Semi - Final and then a final. All one leg each.
This would be a fun great tournament, with lots of interesting teams to see.
It would be a great replacement for European football something that most English league one and two sides can realistically never aim for. This is also true of many Scottish league sides.
Benefit for Scottish sides
Scottish sides would benefit enormously in getting to play other bigger sides, from a different league. Plus they would be able to gain experience of European style tournament. Attendances in the old Anglo Scottish cup for Scottish English matches were very high higher than normal league matches.
Benefits for English sides
The opportunity to play different teams form other countries. Many teams in England will pay the same sides over and over again. this gives them some different set of teams to play. Plus English sides used to get very good attendances in the Anglo Scottish cup.
This would have much chance as the football league trophy of having a good chance.
Timing of the trophy
I would play the group stages in late summer to mid autumn. I would not play the matches in winter or late autumn as you do not want to have team traveling up from the South of England 400 miles to find the game has been snowed off. Then the knockout stages could happen from mid spring to summer.
The teams in this trophy would not be in European matches. So the games could played until the end of the season.
A typical group to be expected could be
Oldham Athletic
Lincoln City
Hartlepool
Falkirk
or
Milton Keynes Dons
Northampton Town
Queen of the South
Burton Alboin
A glamour draw could be
Leeds United
Norwich City
Hibernian
Northampton Town
Change the final destination each year.
The trophy final could be held in England and Scotland in turn each year.
The final could be played at Hampden (or Murrayfield, Celtic Park or Ibrox) the Millennium stadium (In Wales) and Wembley (Or Old Trafford, or another big English ground) in turn.
This would be a great fun trophy with the opportunity to play other sides from other countries to play in major stadiums in a final.
My old idea was the Great Britain Cup. I realise that it might be embarrassing for sides to lose to Welsh league sides (until the bigger sides join their league), but I have another idea for Welsh sides.
great british cup
Here is my new idea for a football tournament between Scottish, English and Welsh sides.
A cup between the Scottish and English league sides called the Anglo Scottish cup. This would be a great soccer trophy idea.
The Competitors
1. The top 20 teams in Scottish league who have not qualified for Europe.
2. The English League one and League two teams. That is 48 sides.
This equals 68 teams.
So 17 groups of 4.
The format.
Group stage.
20 Groups of 4, played home and away. Each group must have one atleast one Scottish side.
Knockout stage
The top teams from each group qualify for the last 32. As you can tell that is only 17 teams. As you can see 15 teams are still needed for the rest of the last 32. So then the best 15 runners up go through to next round. There is then a last 32, a last, 16, a Quarter Final, Semi - Final and then a final. All one leg each.
This would be a fun great tournament, with lots of interesting teams to see.
It would be a great replacement for European football something that most English league one and two sides can realistically never aim for. This is also true of many Scottish league sides.
Benefit for Scottish sides
Scottish sides would benefit enormously in getting to play other bigger sides, from a different league. Plus they would be able to gain experience of European style tournament. Attendances in the old Anglo Scottish cup for Scottish English matches were very high higher than normal league matches.
Benefits for English sides
The opportunity to play different teams form other countries. Many teams in England will pay the same sides over and over again. this gives them some different set of teams to play. Plus English sides used to get very good attendances in the Anglo Scottish cup.
This would have much chance as the football league trophy of having a good chance.
Timing of the trophy
I would play the group stages in late summer to mid autumn. I would not play the matches in winter or late autumn as you do not want to have team traveling up from the South of England 400 miles to find the game has been snowed off. Then the knockout stages could happen from mid spring to summer.
The teams in this trophy would not be in European matches. So the games could played until the end of the season.
A typical group to be expected could be
Oldham Athletic
Lincoln City
Hartlepool
Falkirk
or
Milton Keynes Dons
Northampton Town
Queen of the South
Burton Alboin
A glamour draw could be
Leeds United
Norwich City
Hibernian
Northampton Town
Change the final destination each year.
The trophy final could be held in England and Scotland in turn each year.
The final could be played at Hampden (or Murrayfield, Celtic Park or Ibrox) the Millennium stadium (In Wales) and Wembley (Or Old Trafford, or another big English ground) in turn.
This would be a great fun trophy with the opportunity to play other sides from other countries to play in major stadiums in a final.
My old idea was the Great Britain Cup. I realise that it might be embarrassing for sides to lose to Welsh league sides (until the bigger sides join their league), but I have another idea for Welsh sides.
great british cup
Monday 22 March 2010
Football in the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man Football League is a football league for clubs on the Isle of Man run by the Isle of Man Football Association.
List of League winners
1896–97: Peel
1897–98: Gymnasium
1898–99: Ramsey
1899–00: Ramsey
1900–01: Ramsey
1901–02: Ramsey
1902–03: Gymnasium
1903–04: Gymnasium
1904–05: Gymnasium
1905–06: Gymnasium
1906–07: Peel
1907–08: Ramsey
1908–09: Douglas Wanderers
1909–10: Douglas Wanderers
1910–11: Ramsey
1911–12: Ramsey
1912–13: Ramsey
1913–14: Castletown Metropolitan
1914–15-1918–19 (no competition due to World War I)
1919–20: Gymnasium
1920–21: Ramsey
1921–22: Peel
1922–23: Castletown Metropolitan
1923–24: Castletown Metropolitan
1924–25: Castletown Metropolitan
1925–26: Rushen United
1926–27: Ramsey
1927–28: Coly
1928–29: St Marys
1929–30: Braddan
1930–31: Braddan
1931–32: Peel
1932–33: Peel
1933–34: Peel
1934–35: Peel
1935–36: Rushen United
1936–37: Braddan
1937–38: Braddan
1938–39-1945–46 (no competition due to World War II)
1946–47: Onchan
1947–48: Peel
1948–49: Peel
1949–50: Castletown Metropolitan
1950–51: Castletown Metropolitan
1951–52: Ramsey
1952–53: Peel
1953–54: Peel
1954–55: Peel
1955–56: RAF Jurby
1956–57: St Georges
1957–58: Peel
1958–59: Peel
1959–60: Peel
1960–61: St Georges
1961–62: St Georges
1962–63: Peel
1963–64: Peel
1964–65: Peel
1965–66: Peel
1966–67: Douglas High School Old Boys
1967–68: Pulrose United
1968–69: Pulrose United
1969–70: Pulrose United
1970–71: Pulrose United
1971–72: Peel
1972–73: Peel
1973–74: Peel
1974–75: Peel
1975–76: Peel
1976–77: Peel
1977–78: Rushen United
1978–79: Rushen United
1979–80: Rushen United
1980–81: Rushen United
1981–82: Castletown Metropolitan
1982–83: Douglas High School Old Boys
1983–84: Peel
1984–85: Rushen United
1985–86: Rushen United
1986–87: Gymnasium
1987–88: Rushen United
1988–89: Douglas High School Old Boys
1989–90: Douglas High School Old Boys
1990–91: Douglas High School Old Boys
1991–92: St Georges
1992–93: Pulrose United
1993–94: St Georges
1994–95: St Georges
1995–96: St Marys
1996–97: Douglas High School Old Boys
1997–98: St Marys
1998–99: Castletown Metropolitan
1999–00: Peel
2000–01: Peel
2001–02: Peel
2002–03: St Marys
2003–04: St Georges
2004–05: St Georges
2005–06: Laxey
2006–07: St Georges
2007–08: St Georges
2008–09: Peel
isle of man houses
The Isle of Man Football Association (IoMFA) is the governing body of football on the Isle of Man. The IoMFA is not a member of either UEFA or FIFA, but is a member of the English Football Association (FA) and has the status of a County Football Association, despite the Isle of Man being a Crown dependency.
The Isle of Man national football team is the national football team of the Isle of Man and is controlled by the Isle of Man Football Association. The team plays in a yellow and red home kit and an all navy blue away kit.
The main competition the Isle of Man national football team takes part in is the biennial Football at the Island Games. Isle of Man has won three Silver Medals in 1993, 1999 and 2003.
List of League winners
1896–97: Peel
1897–98: Gymnasium
1898–99: Ramsey
1899–00: Ramsey
1900–01: Ramsey
1901–02: Ramsey
1902–03: Gymnasium
1903–04: Gymnasium
1904–05: Gymnasium
1905–06: Gymnasium
1906–07: Peel
1907–08: Ramsey
1908–09: Douglas Wanderers
1909–10: Douglas Wanderers
1910–11: Ramsey
1911–12: Ramsey
1912–13: Ramsey
1913–14: Castletown Metropolitan
1914–15-1918–19 (no competition due to World War I)
1919–20: Gymnasium
1920–21: Ramsey
1921–22: Peel
1922–23: Castletown Metropolitan
1923–24: Castletown Metropolitan
1924–25: Castletown Metropolitan
1925–26: Rushen United
1926–27: Ramsey
1927–28: Coly
1928–29: St Marys
1929–30: Braddan
1930–31: Braddan
1931–32: Peel
1932–33: Peel
1933–34: Peel
1934–35: Peel
1935–36: Rushen United
1936–37: Braddan
1937–38: Braddan
1938–39-1945–46 (no competition due to World War II)
1946–47: Onchan
1947–48: Peel
1948–49: Peel
1949–50: Castletown Metropolitan
1950–51: Castletown Metropolitan
1951–52: Ramsey
1952–53: Peel
1953–54: Peel
1954–55: Peel
1955–56: RAF Jurby
1956–57: St Georges
1957–58: Peel
1958–59: Peel
1959–60: Peel
1960–61: St Georges
1961–62: St Georges
1962–63: Peel
1963–64: Peel
1964–65: Peel
1965–66: Peel
1966–67: Douglas High School Old Boys
1967–68: Pulrose United
1968–69: Pulrose United
1969–70: Pulrose United
1970–71: Pulrose United
1971–72: Peel
1972–73: Peel
1973–74: Peel
1974–75: Peel
1975–76: Peel
1976–77: Peel
1977–78: Rushen United
1978–79: Rushen United
1979–80: Rushen United
1980–81: Rushen United
1981–82: Castletown Metropolitan
1982–83: Douglas High School Old Boys
1983–84: Peel
1984–85: Rushen United
1985–86: Rushen United
1986–87: Gymnasium
1987–88: Rushen United
1988–89: Douglas High School Old Boys
1989–90: Douglas High School Old Boys
1990–91: Douglas High School Old Boys
1991–92: St Georges
1992–93: Pulrose United
1993–94: St Georges
1994–95: St Georges
1995–96: St Marys
1996–97: Douglas High School Old Boys
1997–98: St Marys
1998–99: Castletown Metropolitan
1999–00: Peel
2000–01: Peel
2001–02: Peel
2002–03: St Marys
2003–04: St Georges
2004–05: St Georges
2005–06: Laxey
2006–07: St Georges
2007–08: St Georges
2008–09: Peel
isle of man houses
The Isle of Man Football Association (IoMFA) is the governing body of football on the Isle of Man. The IoMFA is not a member of either UEFA or FIFA, but is a member of the English Football Association (FA) and has the status of a County Football Association, despite the Isle of Man being a Crown dependency.
The Isle of Man national football team is the national football team of the Isle of Man and is controlled by the Isle of Man Football Association. The team plays in a yellow and red home kit and an all navy blue away kit.
The main competition the Isle of Man national football team takes part in is the biennial Football at the Island Games. Isle of Man has won three Silver Medals in 1993, 1999 and 2003.
Thursday 18 March 2010
Alex Ferguson to manage Real Madrid
Alex Ferguson to manage Real Madrid
My big prediction is this.
1. After all the rumours are Real are looking for a new manager.
2. Fergie is having to cope with big debts at the end of his career at Man Utd.
3. Wayne Rooney is being targeted by Real.
4. Ronaldo is already at Real.
And most importantly
5. Real Madrid need a manager who can bring both success and attacking football style, with an ability to handle top players.
Well who better than Alex Fergie?
He has already won more league titles, FA Cups, and League Cups than any other manager in English football.
Why spend the last few years of his career at the great club, when they do look like they could have a bit of trough, when he could go to another club who look like they are just on the cusp of domination?
People say Jose Mourinho will be the next Real Manager. I like Mourinho but he plays a more tactical game, than Real fans tend to like. Just like Capello, who won a title and was moved on. Capello is a genius, but is he right for Real?
Arsene Wenger is stuck too Arsenal, the former Madrid manager Vicente del Bosque, who now manages Spain could be good option too as she can provide style and success. Josef "Jupp" Heynckes could be another target.
isle of man houses
My big prediction is this.
1. After all the rumours are Real are looking for a new manager.
2. Fergie is having to cope with big debts at the end of his career at Man Utd.
3. Wayne Rooney is being targeted by Real.
4. Ronaldo is already at Real.
And most importantly
5. Real Madrid need a manager who can bring both success and attacking football style, with an ability to handle top players.
Well who better than Alex Fergie?
He has already won more league titles, FA Cups, and League Cups than any other manager in English football.
Why spend the last few years of his career at the great club, when they do look like they could have a bit of trough, when he could go to another club who look like they are just on the cusp of domination?
People say Jose Mourinho will be the next Real Manager. I like Mourinho but he plays a more tactical game, than Real fans tend to like. Just like Capello, who won a title and was moved on. Capello is a genius, but is he right for Real?
Arsene Wenger is stuck too Arsenal, the former Madrid manager Vicente del Bosque, who now manages Spain could be good option too as she can provide style and success. Josef "Jupp" Heynckes could be another target.
isle of man houses
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Scottish football fans need to be more intelligent
Scottish football fans need to be more intelligent
I am a fan of a Scottish football, but we have to support innovative, creative ideas. I am fed up the being insulted whenever I put forward a new idea in football. With people calling me mad or an idiot or nerd etc;
In Scottish rugby they punch above their weight because they pout forward new ideas and accept them.
Scottish rugby is far smaller than Scottish football. Yet we have reached every World cup quarter final. In football we're are the opposite.
We have bigger clubs yet fail at international level.
We need better preparation and more intellectual ability in the game, with dynamic ideas and innovators not afraid to try new league structures.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
I am a fan of a Scottish football, but we have to support innovative, creative ideas. I am fed up the being insulted whenever I put forward a new idea in football. With people calling me mad or an idiot or nerd etc;
In Scottish rugby they punch above their weight because they pout forward new ideas and accept them.
Scottish rugby is far smaller than Scottish football. Yet we have reached every World cup quarter final. In football we're are the opposite.
We have bigger clubs yet fail at international level.
We need better preparation and more intellectual ability in the game, with dynamic ideas and innovators not afraid to try new league structures.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Old Firm need to take example of rugby
How is it that Glasgow and Edinburgh rugby sides have created a European league with Italy, Wales, Ireland and Wales. While Celtic and Rangers sit around twiddling their thumbs too scared to create a European super league with big sides from smaller countries. Why is it rugby is dynamic and reactive while football tends to be stuck in the mud?
isle of man houses
isle of man houses
Monday 15 March 2010
BBC 606 website has out me off football fans
I never would have believed this a few months ago but it really is true football fans tend to be more unreasonable rude, offensive ill mannered, than rugby fans, from what I have seen on the BBC 606 website. While rugby fans tend to be reasonable, intelligent and open to serious debate.
I went on the football 606 and rugby 606 on the BBC websites over the last few months and posted some of my ideas for reform in the games. And the difference in how people communicated and welcomed new ideas was like night and day.
Whenever I put forward any article no matter how nerdy structural, and surely therefore uncontroversial the football fans would post abusive messages with straight swear words. I would then delete these abusive posters posts and then be greeted for weeks by the same people coming back time after time, like I was their pet project for abuse, insulting me and then complaining about how unfair it was I deleted their abusive bizarre ranting posts.
On the football 606 website people would simply greet my ideas with comments like "call the mental asylum, "not you again" "do you have to post this idea all the time" (even though there are 100s of articles a day posted on 606, and they had no real need to read my posts) "you're an idiot" "you're mad" "the mods need to ban you" "nurse another ones escaped". I would then get into slanging matches with these people, because I feel the need to respond back. And ended up feeling mentally exhausted miserable having wasted my time arguing with complete fools, and being none the wiser.
The football fans would then drumb into me bizarre ignorant points, that they seriously believe such as that ;
1) Grown men in the physical peak are unasble to get on coaches and travel down to Yeovil, or any other English town, from Scotland, as this would bankrupt them or leave dead through psychical exhaustion from travel. Even though old ladies can get on buses and travel from Glasgow to London every week.
2) That no one would be interested in watching a European league with games like Celtic V Porto or Ajax V Benfica. The person knew this as he once had a minor job at a bankrupt TV company that ran rights for games like Hamilton V Falkirk (I like those two clubs but they do not compare to Benfica or Porto). This seemed to leave the impression on him that every single TV - football idea is unworkable. As he spent ages lecturing me that his very minor jobs in a collapsed TV company made him an expert on all TV matters. He would leave deeply abusive posts about my idea. And therefore this in his view, this enabled him to use foul language on me for disagreeing with him. Before once again lecturing me over and over again for deleting his foul mouthed rants. Where he would be joined by his other troll pals who would equally rant and rave at me before complaining about me deleting their abusive posts. It was utterly bizarre. People who claimed they did not want to read my posts would come back day after to read my posts and tell me what terrible person I was for deleting their abusive posts. They would then complain to the moderators. Yet even more bizarrely the 606 online website has a rule that you are not allowed to delete to many comments, even if they are abusive, so I was the one who ended up getting in the moderators bad books.
Meanwhile every time I made a comment about rugby, the rugby fans simply greeted my comments with serious respect and put forward their own views in a polite manner. They did not feel the need to swear. If they disagreed they just put forward different view in an articulate manner. The discussions were polite with a good nature. That is except of-course when the football fans found my posts via would you believe in my member page, which they specifically had to look up, they would then troll onto the rugby board, and once again would then turn the argument to an abusive slanging match.
My jaw has dropped at this discovery.
I do not mean this was once off. I mean every single rugby fan was polite. While around 95% of football fans were rude aggressive, passionate in trying to humiliate me, passionately asking the moderator to get me banned for simply disagreeing with them, or arguing back. There then the other type of irritant who read my slanging matches and would always come down in favour of the people who had insulted me first because I had deleted their more abusive posts I was responding too, so they decided to join in on blaming me.
The whole group tended to behave like typical bullies where loads of then would gang up on me 3 or 4 at a time and take pleasure saying things like hey lads come over here take a look at this one, before congratulating eachother on abusive posts. When I deleted their posts, pathetically they would once again post numerous posts lecturing me once again on how unfair it was I had deleted their posts and how they would report me to the moderator for made so many deletions.
Other would leave just simply abusive comments only without explanations for their opinion.
The football fans on BBC 606 online were in general odious odious aggressive bullying vindictive petty trivial sinister people desperate to have anyone they disagreed with banned, while bizarrely tolerating often racist and politically incorrect articles.
That is another bizarre thing other users of 606 seemed to find it OK to post some bizarre politically incorrect racialist, sectarian articles and comments, but then seemed to be emotionally agonized at someone posting rather nerdy posts about Scottish football reorganization.
I am not using 606 again. I feel emotionally drained bitter, brow beaten, humiliated, depressed, beaten after using the service. Worst of all that will please those bullied me there. The rugby fans are OK the football fans on BBC 606 just sapp any energy out of you.
The Scottish football fans, English football fans and Welsh football fans were all the same though. The mentality of Scottish football fans needs to improve. I suppose England can get buy with their tonnes of cash. But Scottish football will go knowhere with this energy sapping attitude.
I will still argue for my ideas though as nothing would irritate them more than my ideas happening.
isle of man houses
I went on the football 606 and rugby 606 on the BBC websites over the last few months and posted some of my ideas for reform in the games. And the difference in how people communicated and welcomed new ideas was like night and day.
Whenever I put forward any article no matter how nerdy structural, and surely therefore uncontroversial the football fans would post abusive messages with straight swear words. I would then delete these abusive posters posts and then be greeted for weeks by the same people coming back time after time, like I was their pet project for abuse, insulting me and then complaining about how unfair it was I deleted their abusive bizarre ranting posts.
On the football 606 website people would simply greet my ideas with comments like "call the mental asylum, "not you again" "do you have to post this idea all the time" (even though there are 100s of articles a day posted on 606, and they had no real need to read my posts) "you're an idiot" "you're mad" "the mods need to ban you" "nurse another ones escaped". I would then get into slanging matches with these people, because I feel the need to respond back. And ended up feeling mentally exhausted miserable having wasted my time arguing with complete fools, and being none the wiser.
The football fans would then drumb into me bizarre ignorant points, that they seriously believe such as that ;
1) Grown men in the physical peak are unasble to get on coaches and travel down to Yeovil, or any other English town, from Scotland, as this would bankrupt them or leave dead through psychical exhaustion from travel. Even though old ladies can get on buses and travel from Glasgow to London every week.
2) That no one would be interested in watching a European league with games like Celtic V Porto or Ajax V Benfica. The person knew this as he once had a minor job at a bankrupt TV company that ran rights for games like Hamilton V Falkirk (I like those two clubs but they do not compare to Benfica or Porto). This seemed to leave the impression on him that every single TV - football idea is unworkable. As he spent ages lecturing me that his very minor jobs in a collapsed TV company made him an expert on all TV matters. He would leave deeply abusive posts about my idea. And therefore this in his view, this enabled him to use foul language on me for disagreeing with him. Before once again lecturing me over and over again for deleting his foul mouthed rants. Where he would be joined by his other troll pals who would equally rant and rave at me before complaining about me deleting their abusive posts. It was utterly bizarre. People who claimed they did not want to read my posts would come back day after to read my posts and tell me what terrible person I was for deleting their abusive posts. They would then complain to the moderators. Yet even more bizarrely the 606 online website has a rule that you are not allowed to delete to many comments, even if they are abusive, so I was the one who ended up getting in the moderators bad books.
Meanwhile every time I made a comment about rugby, the rugby fans simply greeted my comments with serious respect and put forward their own views in a polite manner. They did not feel the need to swear. If they disagreed they just put forward different view in an articulate manner. The discussions were polite with a good nature. That is except of-course when the football fans found my posts via would you believe in my member page, which they specifically had to look up, they would then troll onto the rugby board, and once again would then turn the argument to an abusive slanging match.
My jaw has dropped at this discovery.
I do not mean this was once off. I mean every single rugby fan was polite. While around 95% of football fans were rude aggressive, passionate in trying to humiliate me, passionately asking the moderator to get me banned for simply disagreeing with them, or arguing back. There then the other type of irritant who read my slanging matches and would always come down in favour of the people who had insulted me first because I had deleted their more abusive posts I was responding too, so they decided to join in on blaming me.
The whole group tended to behave like typical bullies where loads of then would gang up on me 3 or 4 at a time and take pleasure saying things like hey lads come over here take a look at this one, before congratulating eachother on abusive posts. When I deleted their posts, pathetically they would once again post numerous posts lecturing me once again on how unfair it was I had deleted their posts and how they would report me to the moderator for made so many deletions.
Other would leave just simply abusive comments only without explanations for their opinion.
The football fans on BBC 606 online were in general odious odious aggressive bullying vindictive petty trivial sinister people desperate to have anyone they disagreed with banned, while bizarrely tolerating often racist and politically incorrect articles.
That is another bizarre thing other users of 606 seemed to find it OK to post some bizarre politically incorrect racialist, sectarian articles and comments, but then seemed to be emotionally agonized at someone posting rather nerdy posts about Scottish football reorganization.
I am not using 606 again. I feel emotionally drained bitter, brow beaten, humiliated, depressed, beaten after using the service. Worst of all that will please those bullied me there. The rugby fans are OK the football fans on BBC 606 just sapp any energy out of you.
The Scottish football fans, English football fans and Welsh football fans were all the same though. The mentality of Scottish football fans needs to improve. I suppose England can get buy with their tonnes of cash. But Scottish football will go knowhere with this energy sapping attitude.
I will still argue for my ideas though as nothing would irritate them more than my ideas happening.
isle of man houses
Scottish Rugby is more intelligent than Scottish Football
Scottish Rugby is more intelligent than Scottish Football
No wonder our rugby side over performs, and our football side under performs.
The rugby side and set up is full of educated, dynamic, forward thinking, people wh0 plan for every world cup and plan for every match with detail.
Scotland despite having far less money and player base than Wales or Ireland have qualified for the quarter finals of every single Rugby world cup, and won 3 grand slams. Wales and Ireland have not qualified for knockout stages on more at least 2 occasions each. I am not boasting about this as it is tough to get past the group stages.
But you have to ask why have Scotland over performed?
Meanwhile in football we have failed to qualify for the knockout stages of any world cup despite having some of the best players in the game at various periods. Such as Kenny Dalglish, Dennis Law, Jimmy Johnstone, Jim Baxter, Souness, Hansen etc:.
The reason for this the preparation, training, attitude, intelligence of Scottish rugby is better.
A good example of the difference is in that in 1954 Scotland qualified for their first world cup and brough warm jumpers on the basis the world cup was in Switzerland and that as Switzerland was full of mountains the country would be cold. In reality it was a hot summer tournamernt and Scotland got walloped 7-0 in their first game.
Meanwhile for the 2003 rugby world cup the Scotland rugby side even trained in the hot greenhouse in London to get use to the climate of Australia.
Scottish rugby is dynamic and innovative inventing the sevens tournament, playing in the first world cups, taking part in every rugby European cup, being founder members of the celtic league. In the professional era quickly recognizing that their semi pro club sides were not capable, they quickly set up pro sides to compete.
Compare this Scottish football, not playing in the first world cups, or European championships, an attitude of fear and mocking of change and innovation.
An attitude from the fans of mocking any new ideas, calling new ideas nerdy, or mad, or idiotic, even if these ideas happened in the past. Also an awful inferiority complex of not wanting to do anything that is not done in England. On the fear that the English fans might mock us if we do many new ideas.
How bizarre is it that Glasgow and Edinburgh play in a European rugby league (the celtic league) but Celtic and Rangers fans mock and pour scorn on any notion of Celtic and Rangers attempting to create a Western European super league on the notion that traveling long distances it too hard.
The Scottish rugby union managed to create clubs to play in the British and Irish rugby cup trophy too. Too them it seemed pereclty seisble som,e players want to to test themslcves against players from around the British Isles. Worth a try after all a dynamic sport should try new ideas.
Yet when I put forward my idea of a football Great British cup I was told by the ill informed football fans that small clubs with a few thousand fans would be unable to travel long distances and that they would go bankrupt with such incredible journeys to far away lands like Yeovil and Doncaster. Even though little old ladies travel on bus journey from Glasgow to London every week. Or that no one would watch them games even though the anglo scottish cup broke attrendances records in the 70s.
My jaw drops at the lack of creativity, ambition, innovation and conservative nature of Scottish football fans.
So as well as sectarianism, and obbsession with Engliosh football the lack of intelligence, and innovation in Scottish football in another reason we fail to do out best with pour resources.
Who on earth would have though we have Scottish rugby sides playing a European league before Celtic and Rangers.
No doubt some boring old firm fan will claim oh but we do have some big ideas. We could join the English league. Or some other tedious quitter mentality idea. Maybe Scottish rugby is better of just being played by the better educated.
great british cup
western european league
isle of man houses
No wonder our rugby side over performs, and our football side under performs.
The rugby side and set up is full of educated, dynamic, forward thinking, people wh0 plan for every world cup and plan for every match with detail.
Scotland despite having far less money and player base than Wales or Ireland have qualified for the quarter finals of every single Rugby world cup, and won 3 grand slams. Wales and Ireland have not qualified for knockout stages on more at least 2 occasions each. I am not boasting about this as it is tough to get past the group stages.
But you have to ask why have Scotland over performed?
Meanwhile in football we have failed to qualify for the knockout stages of any world cup despite having some of the best players in the game at various periods. Such as Kenny Dalglish, Dennis Law, Jimmy Johnstone, Jim Baxter, Souness, Hansen etc:.
The reason for this the preparation, training, attitude, intelligence of Scottish rugby is better.
A good example of the difference is in that in 1954 Scotland qualified for their first world cup and brough warm jumpers on the basis the world cup was in Switzerland and that as Switzerland was full of mountains the country would be cold. In reality it was a hot summer tournamernt and Scotland got walloped 7-0 in their first game.
Meanwhile for the 2003 rugby world cup the Scotland rugby side even trained in the hot greenhouse in London to get use to the climate of Australia.
Scottish rugby is dynamic and innovative inventing the sevens tournament, playing in the first world cups, taking part in every rugby European cup, being founder members of the celtic league. In the professional era quickly recognizing that their semi pro club sides were not capable, they quickly set up pro sides to compete.
Compare this Scottish football, not playing in the first world cups, or European championships, an attitude of fear and mocking of change and innovation.
An attitude from the fans of mocking any new ideas, calling new ideas nerdy, or mad, or idiotic, even if these ideas happened in the past. Also an awful inferiority complex of not wanting to do anything that is not done in England. On the fear that the English fans might mock us if we do many new ideas.
How bizarre is it that Glasgow and Edinburgh play in a European rugby league (the celtic league) but Celtic and Rangers fans mock and pour scorn on any notion of Celtic and Rangers attempting to create a Western European super league on the notion that traveling long distances it too hard.
The Scottish rugby union managed to create clubs to play in the British and Irish rugby cup trophy too. Too them it seemed pereclty seisble som,e players want to to test themslcves against players from around the British Isles. Worth a try after all a dynamic sport should try new ideas.
Yet when I put forward my idea of a football Great British cup I was told by the ill informed football fans that small clubs with a few thousand fans would be unable to travel long distances and that they would go bankrupt with such incredible journeys to far away lands like Yeovil and Doncaster. Even though little old ladies travel on bus journey from Glasgow to London every week. Or that no one would watch them games even though the anglo scottish cup broke attrendances records in the 70s.
My jaw drops at the lack of creativity, ambition, innovation and conservative nature of Scottish football fans.
So as well as sectarianism, and obbsession with Engliosh football the lack of intelligence, and innovation in Scottish football in another reason we fail to do out best with pour resources.
Who on earth would have though we have Scottish rugby sides playing a European league before Celtic and Rangers.
No doubt some boring old firm fan will claim oh but we do have some big ideas. We could join the English league. Or some other tedious quitter mentality idea. Maybe Scottish rugby is better of just being played by the better educated.
great british cup
western european league
isle of man houses
Record defeat for Swansea City
The two record feats for Swansea City FC are an 8-0 defeat to Monaco and an 8-0 defeat to Liverpool.
- 0–8 v Liverpool, FA Cup 3rd Round Replay, 9 January 1990
- 0–8 v AS Monaco, European Cup Winners' Cup First Round Second Leg, 1 October 1991
- The last game Swansea played in Europe was 10-1 aggregate defeat to French Giants Monaco.
- Welsh clubs in the English league no longer play in Europe.
Saturday 13 March 2010
Friday 12 March 2010
How Hamilton or Airdruie can win the SPL.
In the present set up no teams of Hamiltons side can every win the SPL. What is needed is way teams of that ilk can get 10 million a year in tv money, and crowds of 20,000. Well if they played in the EPL they would get this. Yet if they played in the EPL they could not play in the SPL.
So what is needed is for Hamilton to be able to play in a league where they crowds of 20,000 and 10 mill tv contracts while still playing in the SPL.
Hey presto my Western European Super league idea.
If Hamilton got promoted just to division one under a great boss they would get huge crowds against teams like Bruge, Rapid Vienna, Boavista etc: they would get the tv contract and the big crowds and be able to challenge the old firm.
The present set up will never see sides even like Hearts win a title, let alone Hamilton, so we need to change the set up cut the league to 22 games a season, then in second half the season play a western european super league (from all the small western european countries such as Portugal Holland etc?) of 3 divisions, of 20 games a year, good Scottish sides other than the SPL could get promoted to this .
This would enable ambitious Scottish sides to challenge for european trophies like even Fulham and Bolton can from England.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
So what is needed is for Hamilton to be able to play in a league where they crowds of 20,000 and 10 mill tv contracts while still playing in the SPL.
Hey presto my Western European Super league idea.
If Hamilton got promoted just to division one under a great boss they would get huge crowds against teams like Bruge, Rapid Vienna, Boavista etc: they would get the tv contract and the big crowds and be able to challenge the old firm.
The present set up will never see sides even like Hearts win a title, let alone Hamilton, so we need to change the set up cut the league to 22 games a season, then in second half the season play a western european super league (from all the small western european countries such as Portugal Holland etc?) of 3 divisions, of 20 games a year, good Scottish sides other than the SPL could get promoted to this .
This would enable ambitious Scottish sides to challenge for european trophies like even Fulham and Bolton can from England.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Here is my idea in full.
1. Travel
People say well how can you travel such distances?
Well these are grown men. They can get on a coach and travel down the country not trouble. Just 3 away games in summer is not too much too ask. Motherwell traveled to Albania, Romania and South Wales at the start of the season in a few weeks, wihtout even being warned well in advance of their opponents, as this was a cup, in the Europa cup. Clubs from Ireland have traveled to Russia for Europa cup matches. So how can traveling to Yeovil or Exeter be too much to ask even for Peterhead. Clubs in the Welsh league travel to the Latvia and Estonia in the Europa cup, Some go to Malta and Cyprus. How is getting on a coach to Yeovil or Torquay too much?
Some people talk like we live in Siberia, or like that the motor engine does not exist. These games would in late summer to early autumn, and early spring to early summer so call offs would not be an issue.
Alta Idrettsforening is a sports club from Alta, Norway in the Norwegian second division they travel 1731 KM to get to Olso. They play a full league with huge away journeys every week. I am talking about a club whose record attendance is 3000. I am talking about trophy where it would only be 3 away games in the group stages.
In the USA they have a MLS traveling across an entire continent of North America. In Norway they travel a far larger geographic area for their national league.
2. Size of clubs - not glamorous enough
The English naysayers claim look how am I supposed to as Milton Keynes fan get excited about a game to Partick Thisle. My response is well you play in league one not La Liga. Fair enough if you play La Liga getting worked up about a game against Partick Thislem but look you play in League one against trams like Oldham and Tranmere. If you get decent crowds against them I do not see why you would get decent crowds against similar teams like Partick Thisle. Plus the group stages would contain two English sides of the ilk of Oldham and Tranmere. So this would allow you to playu some othert teams from other countries. if similar level. Milton Keynes will never play in Europe So this is the best way top play in trans national competition.
The Scottish naysayers
One Hearts fan told me hey One would not even pe the curtains to see Plymouth play Hearts. Well why? Plymouth are a massive club by Scottish standards they would be up there with Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts they are bigger than Dundee United./ Why is playing such clubs worse. What gets me is these are them people who argue for an 18 team league which would just bring in clubs like Ayr, Airdrie ad Raith Rovers who struggle to 3000 at homes matches but. These supporters of an 18 team league claim bringing in such clubs would revolutionaries Scottish football because clubs would get to play different teams and the league would therefore in their mind more completive. Yet when you ask for them to play bigger clubs from league one and league two where clubs get upto 20,000 fans at Norwich and Leeds or more typically 6000 fans you here people say oh well I would not open my curtains to watch these English league on teams.
Teams in league one are like Dundee United and Motherwell in terms of attewndances between 5000 and 8000 normally, and league two is like St Johnstone and Airdrie and Hamilton in attendances so it would be a decent level to play against. If it make sense in the SPL to play teams like Hamilton and St Mirren why does it not make sense to play teams like Bury and Aldershot.
3. Too many games
In England they play a 46 game season plus 7 games in the Football league trophy. So this is only another 4 games on top of that if you remove the football league trophy, if a team goes all the way. So mot much difference.
1. Travel
People say well how can you travel such distances?
Well these are grown men. They can get on a coach and travel down the country not trouble. Just 3 away games in summer is not too much too ask. Motherwell traveled to Albania, Romania and South Wales at the start of the season in a few weeks, wihtout even being warned well in advance of their opponents, as this was a cup, in the Europa cup. Clubs from Ireland have traveled to Russia for Europa cup matches. So how can traveling to Yeovil or Exeter be too much to ask even for Peterhead. Clubs in the Welsh league travel to the Latvia and Estonia in the Europa cup, Some go to Malta and Cyprus. How is getting on a coach to Yeovil or Torquay too much?
Some people talk like we live in Siberia, or like that the motor engine does not exist. These games would in late summer to early autumn, and early spring to early summer so call offs would not be an issue.
Alta Idrettsforening is a sports club from Alta, Norway in the Norwegian second division they travel 1731 KM to get to Olso. They play a full league with huge away journeys every week. I am talking about a club whose record attendance is 3000. I am talking about trophy where it would only be 3 away games in the group stages.
In the USA they have a MLS traveling across an entire continent of North America. In Norway they travel a far larger geographic area for their national league.
2. Size of clubs - not glamorous enough
The English naysayers claim look how am I supposed to as Milton Keynes fan get excited about a game to Partick Thisle. My response is well you play in league one not La Liga. Fair enough if you play La Liga getting worked up about a game against Partick Thislem but look you play in League one against trams like Oldham and Tranmere. If you get decent crowds against them I do not see why you would get decent crowds against similar teams like Partick Thisle. Plus the group stages would contain two English sides of the ilk of Oldham and Tranmere. So this would allow you to playu some othert teams from other countries. if similar level. Milton Keynes will never play in Europe So this is the best way top play in trans national competition.
The Scottish naysayers
One Hearts fan told me hey One would not even pe the curtains to see Plymouth play Hearts. Well why? Plymouth are a massive club by Scottish standards they would be up there with Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts they are bigger than Dundee United./ Why is playing such clubs worse. What gets me is these are them people who argue for an 18 team league which would just bring in clubs like Ayr, Airdrie ad Raith Rovers who struggle to 3000 at homes matches but. These supporters of an 18 team league claim bringing in such clubs would revolutionaries Scottish football because clubs would get to play different teams and the league would therefore in their mind more completive. Yet when you ask for them to play bigger clubs from league one and league two where clubs get upto 20,000 fans at Norwich and Leeds or more typically 6000 fans you here people say oh well I would not open my curtains to watch these English league on teams.
Teams in league one are like Dundee United and Motherwell in terms of attewndances between 5000 and 8000 normally, and league two is like St Johnstone and Airdrie and Hamilton in attendances so it would be a decent level to play against. If it make sense in the SPL to play teams like Hamilton and St Mirren why does it not make sense to play teams like Bury and Aldershot.
3. Too many games
In England they play a 46 game season plus 7 games in the Football league trophy. So this is only another 4 games on top of that if you remove the football league trophy, if a team goes all the way. So mot much difference.
Thursday 11 March 2010
Study of Lille the club playing Liverpool in Europa cup
Lille 1-0 Liverpool (Hazard) -Europa Leauge (11.3.2010) HQ
Lille's football club, the Lille O.S.C., is one of the major teams in the French football league. They have won 8 major national trophies and now regularly features in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.
Lille is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium. It is the capital of the Nord-Pas de Calais region and the prefecture of the Nord department.
Isle of Man Houses
Lille's football club, the Lille O.S.C., is one of the major teams in the French football league. They have won 8 major national trophies and now regularly features in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.
Lille is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium. It is the capital of the Nord-Pas de Calais region and the prefecture of the Nord department.
The Deûle is a river of northern France which is currently channeled for the main part of its course (from Lens to Lille). The upstream part is still partly free-flowing and is known as the Souchez. The Deûle flows into the Lys (right bank) in Deûlémont.
The Souchez is formed from the union, in the village Souchez, of two smaller brooks, Carency and Saint-Nazaire.
The channeled part comprises two branches:
The high gauge canal known as Canal de la Deûle which ensures the connection between the channeled Lys and the Scarpe (a tributary of the Scheldt) in Douai,
The Canal de Lens, fed by the Souchez, which connects Lens with the Canal de la Deûle at Courrières.
The original inhabitants of this region were the Gauls, such as the Menapians, the Morins, the Atrebates, and the Nervians, who were followed by Germanic peoples, the Saxons and the Frisians, and the Franks later.- French Division 1 Winner: 1933 as Olympique Lillois, 1946, 1954
- French Division 1 Runner-up: 1936, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 2005
- French Division 2 Winner: 1964, 1974, 1978, 2000
- UEFA Intertoto Cup Final Round Winner: 2004
- French Cup Winner: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955
- French Cup Runner-up: 1939, 1945, 1949
- Latin Cup Runner-up: 1951 (lost to AC Milan 5-0 at San Siro, having beaten Sporting Clube de Portugal 7-5 on aggregate in the Semis)
Isle of Man Houses
Sunday 7 March 2010
Celtic would be picked on in English football league
The issue of what a club from Scotland waving Irish flags would be treated like in England has to addressed. I am fed up with Celtic fans saying they should leave Scotland because they claim the "establishment" are against them and then in the next breath wanting to join the English league, which is politically a far more right wing, far more middle class, far more patriotic about the Empire and far more monarchist nation.
How are Celtic going to find it easier to put forward their values, their views, their clubs imagery, and songs about Irish history, in such a league. They are a Scottish club who wave Irish flags, have history connected to Republicanism, Irish history, and a small number of fans who have done controversial issues over remembrance day, and other issues.
How are Leeds, Chelsea, Millwall or middle class Tory Southern English towns going to react to Celtic? Southern English towns are very nationalistic and largely very died in the wool tory.
Celtic fans live in this grass is "greener" on the other side oh English people will love us attitude.
Scotland is a left wing more working class country, with a large history of secular republicanism. Plus it does have a large independence movement. With some in Scotland being passionately against the concept of Britain as a nation. So making statements about Irish history and Britain, England, abuses buy the British empire, the Queen does not spark the same level of controversy in Scotland as it would in England.
England is a more right wing nation especially the south with a history of loving the monarchy, a patriotism and pride in the British Empire. How are Celtic going to be treated playing there?
What Celtic should do is cut the numbers of games int he SPL to 22 games, and try and create a European league, with other small European nations. A league where no one cares if they wave Irish flags or have issues with republicanism, or the royalty.
Celtic would be a foreign club with foreign values in the English league. They would not be the establishment club. In Scotland we have Hibernian and Dundee United, with similar support to Celtic. As well as largely working class towns, whose culture is like that of Celtic. What is their like that in England? It would be Glasgow Celtic versus the rest. The foreign club in the English league.
English people have told me they would be furious if a Scottish or Welsh side won and English trophy.
isle of man mansion
western european league would help stop domination
How are Celtic going to find it easier to put forward their values, their views, their clubs imagery, and songs about Irish history, in such a league. They are a Scottish club who wave Irish flags, have history connected to Republicanism, Irish history, and a small number of fans who have done controversial issues over remembrance day, and other issues.
How are Leeds, Chelsea, Millwall or middle class Tory Southern English towns going to react to Celtic? Southern English towns are very nationalistic and largely very died in the wool tory.
Celtic fans live in this grass is "greener" on the other side oh English people will love us attitude.
Scotland is a left wing more working class country, with a large history of secular republicanism. Plus it does have a large independence movement. With some in Scotland being passionately against the concept of Britain as a nation. So making statements about Irish history and Britain, England, abuses buy the British empire, the Queen does not spark the same level of controversy in Scotland as it would in England.
England is a more right wing nation especially the south with a history of loving the monarchy, a patriotism and pride in the British Empire. How are Celtic going to be treated playing there?
What Celtic should do is cut the numbers of games int he SPL to 22 games, and try and create a European league, with other small European nations. A league where no one cares if they wave Irish flags or have issues with republicanism, or the royalty.
Celtic would be a foreign club with foreign values in the English league. They would not be the establishment club. In Scotland we have Hibernian and Dundee United, with similar support to Celtic. As well as largely working class towns, whose culture is like that of Celtic. What is their like that in England? It would be Glasgow Celtic versus the rest. The foreign club in the English league.
English people have told me they would be furious if a Scottish or Welsh side won and English trophy.
isle of man mansion
western european league would help stop domination
Many small nations have 10 to 12 teams in their league
Many small nations have 10 to 12 teams in their league.
Over the recent debate over whether we should have a 12, 18, 20 team league you get alot of ill informed people saying "but no other nations have 10 or 12 teams in their league". They then say "every other league in the world has 16, 18 or 20 teams in the league".
This just shows the mindset and arrogance of some ignorant people who do not even read things before the make such wild statements.
It is largely followers of the big western European nation leagues who think every other league in the world is like theirs, and that they do not even bother to check up this is true. The followers of the major leagues are so arrogant they just presume any statement they make will be true without checking their facts first. This shows most people who follow football do not study football in any detail, apart from looking at the Italian, Spanish, German, English and French leagues.
The fact is Scotland is not the size of any of these nations, so to look at the leagues and look to those as the structure of our leagues is not sensible.
The fact is the leagues most like Scotland, in terms of population, and football interest, which are probably Denmark, Norway, Finland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, and Albania. Norway and Croatia have 16 team leagues, but of all the others I just mentioned they all have 10 or 12, or 14 team leagues. Finland has 14. Austria and Switzerland have 10, Denmark has 12, Slovenia has 10 and Slovakia has 12.
In fact in the British Isles Northern Ireland has 10, the republic of Ireland has 10 and even the Welsh league is not going to a 12 team league.
SO when people say
BUT EVERY OTHER LEAGUE IN THE WORLD HAS 18 TEAMS.
THAT IS COMPLETE RUBBISH.
Danish Superliga has 12 teams.
Here is how many teams are in each league
Over the recent debate over whether we should have a 12, 18, 20 team league you get alot of ill informed people saying "but no other nations have 10 or 12 teams in their league". They then say "every other league in the world has 16, 18 or 20 teams in the league".
This just shows the mindset and arrogance of some ignorant people who do not even read things before the make such wild statements.
It is largely followers of the big western European nation leagues who think every other league in the world is like theirs, and that they do not even bother to check up this is true. The followers of the major leagues are so arrogant they just presume any statement they make will be true without checking their facts first. This shows most people who follow football do not study football in any detail, apart from looking at the Italian, Spanish, German, English and French leagues.
The fact is Scotland is not the size of any of these nations, so to look at the leagues and look to those as the structure of our leagues is not sensible.
The fact is the leagues most like Scotland, in terms of population, and football interest, which are probably Denmark, Norway, Finland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, and Albania. Norway and Croatia have 16 team leagues, but of all the others I just mentioned they all have 10 or 12, or 14 team leagues. Finland has 14. Austria and Switzerland have 10, Denmark has 12, Slovenia has 10 and Slovakia has 12.
In fact in the British Isles Northern Ireland has 10, the republic of Ireland has 10 and even the Welsh league is not going to a 12 team league.
SO when people say
BUT EVERY OTHER LEAGUE IN THE WORLD HAS 18 TEAMS.
THAT IS COMPLETE RUBBISH.
Danish Superliga has 12 teams.
Here is how many teams are in each leagueAlbania · 12 Andorra · 8 Armenia ·8 Austria · 10 Azerbaijan · 12 Belarus · 12 Belgium · 16 Bosnia and Herzegovina 16 Bulgaria · 16 Croatia · 16 Cyprus · 14 Czech Republic · 16 Denmark · 12 England · 20 Estonia · 10 Faroe Islands · 10 Finland · 14 France · 20 Georgia · 10 Germany · 18 Greece · 16 Hungary · 16 Iceland · 12 Israel · 16 Italy · 20 Kazakhstan · 14 Latvia 10 Lithuania · 8 Luxembourg ·14 Macedonia · 12 Malta · 10 Moldova · 12 Montenegro · 12 Netherlands · 18 Northern Ireland · 12 Norway · 16 Poland · 16 Portugal · 16 Republic of Ireland · 10 Romania · 18 Russia · 16 San Marino · 15 Scotland · Serbia · 16 Slovakia · 12 Slovenia · 10 Spain · 20 Sweden · 16 Switzerland · 10 Turkey · 18 Ukraine · 16 Wales 12 from neat year | |
| western european super league | |
| | |
Saturday 6 March 2010
Glasgow Celtic would be picked on in English league
I am not being anti English here or sectarian here. I am speaking a fact of life.
Does anyone think a Scottish club would be allowed to win the English league or win any serious trophies?
It is the English league. Do you think proud Englishmen would be happy for Glasgow Celtic to win their league? Do you think fans English fans who wave the English and British flags and cheer on their English national side in national games and club trophies. Do you think they would be happy for a side waving Irish flags representing Scotland to win their trophies?
It would be as unlikely as an Englishman supporting Ac Milan against Man Utd in the European cup final. England is like any other nation in this respect.
Any issue of bias in the Scottish league would pale into insignificance in the English league.
We Scottish are in two way mindset over the issue of Britain sometuimes we see ourselves as British and Scottish, sometimes just Scottish. So when some Celtic fans make a statement Ireland, or World war one, or over wars fought by Britain that does not often anger us as much as it would an English side.
Any issues of bias in Scotland would place into insignificance in league where you are see as a Scottish side who wave Irish flags and have had connections to Irish republicanism in the past.
We Scots do not have some passionate pride in Empire.
Look at the way some English columnists reacted to recent Celtic fan issues on the controversy over remembrance day. Do you think the English would not react?
How would Millwall, Leeds Chelsea react to Celtic. How would the elites - establishment of England react to a Scottish team who wave Irish flags and have some controversial fans in their midst.
Celtic would become the most unpopular club in England.
What you face in Scotland would be noting And you would have longer journeys win any trophies or qualify for European matches.
My idea is European league where there is not this issue of are you British etc?
I have not said anything sectarian or anti English. I am proud of Celtic as a Scottish club but it would be agony for them in England. I assure you. The controversy around Celtic would be enormous, and this would be nationwide controversy.
You would not be the plucky Scottish side, with great fans who have a love affair with Liverpool, and many other English sides, you would be the controversial Scottish side who sing controversial songs, about Britain. A Scottish side in the English league waving Irish flags, with an element of their support doing controversial stuff on remembrance day, and on special days in Britain. How many trophies would you win? You would win as many trophies as Red Star Belgrade would if they joined the Croatian league.
You would be as popular as Partizan Belgrade in the Croatian league.
The better idea is to cut the number of games in the SPL to 22, then form a mini league with smaller nations across Europe just put your mind to it for more than few weeks. Go back to Uefa time after time to get it done.
isle of man houses
Does anyone think a Scottish club would be allowed to win the English league or win any serious trophies?
It is the English league. Do you think proud Englishmen would be happy for Glasgow Celtic to win their league? Do you think fans English fans who wave the English and British flags and cheer on their English national side in national games and club trophies. Do you think they would be happy for a side waving Irish flags representing Scotland to win their trophies?
It would be as unlikely as an Englishman supporting Ac Milan against Man Utd in the European cup final. England is like any other nation in this respect.
Any issue of bias in the Scottish league would pale into insignificance in the English league.
We Scottish are in two way mindset over the issue of Britain sometuimes we see ourselves as British and Scottish, sometimes just Scottish. So when some Celtic fans make a statement Ireland, or World war one, or over wars fought by Britain that does not often anger us as much as it would an English side.
Any issues of bias in Scotland would place into insignificance in league where you are see as a Scottish side who wave Irish flags and have had connections to Irish republicanism in the past.
We Scots do not have some passionate pride in Empire.
Look at the way some English columnists reacted to recent Celtic fan issues on the controversy over remembrance day. Do you think the English would not react?
How would Millwall, Leeds Chelsea react to Celtic. How would the elites - establishment of England react to a Scottish team who wave Irish flags and have some controversial fans in their midst.
Celtic would become the most unpopular club in England.
What you face in Scotland would be noting And you would have longer journeys win any trophies or qualify for European matches.
My idea is European league where there is not this issue of are you British etc?
I have not said anything sectarian or anti English. I am proud of Celtic as a Scottish club but it would be agony for them in England. I assure you. The controversy around Celtic would be enormous, and this would be nationwide controversy.
You would not be the plucky Scottish side, with great fans who have a love affair with Liverpool, and many other English sides, you would be the controversial Scottish side who sing controversial songs, about Britain. A Scottish side in the English league waving Irish flags, with an element of their support doing controversial stuff on remembrance day, and on special days in Britain. How many trophies would you win? You would win as many trophies as Red Star Belgrade would if they joined the Croatian league.
You would be as popular as Partizan Belgrade in the Croatian league.
The better idea is to cut the number of games in the SPL to 22, then form a mini league with smaller nations across Europe just put your mind to it for more than few weeks. Go back to Uefa time after time to get it done.
isle of man houses
Thursday 4 March 2010
Llanelli afc europa league evidence of my idea being great
Llanelli afc europa league
This game is surely evidence of how successful a Great British cup would be.
great british cup
Tonnes of fans traveled down to see Llanelli. In the start of this season.
The Scottish side played sides in Wales, Albania, and Romania. Did this bankrpupot the club did it cause players to collpase due to exhuatiion Nope? These are grown adults they can do 3 foreign trips to England and Wales a year no problem. I have driven that distance myself no problem.
This game is surely evidence of how successful a Great British cup would be.
great british cup
Tonnes of fans traveled down to see Llanelli. In the start of this season.
The Scottish side played sides in Wales, Albania, and Romania. Did this bankrpupot the club did it cause players to collpase due to exhuatiion Nope? These are grown adults they can do 3 foreign trips to England and Wales a year no problem. I have driven that distance myself no problem.
Tuesday 2 March 2010
BBC website should not cut servcies.
In this age of viruses the BBC website is great.
It means you can use a website you can trust and not visit newspapers who have adverts for who knows what.
The only ads I trust are good adsense. Other advertisers are often filled with trojan stuff.
What is happening is the capitalistic elites are forcing the state run company to cut services and run themselves down to help some elitist crooks make more money.
I want the BBC websites to be bigger so we can have a website we can rely on will not be filled with trojans, viruses, crooked companies trying to steal out personal info.
LET US NOT GIVE INTO SELFISH CAPITALIST ELITES WHO WANT US TO USE WILD WEST WEBSITES TO GET OUR INFO.
I run my own websites. I do not expect that the state run groups should deliberately make themselves rubbish to help me.
Everyone should get a chance to work for the state. There should be no fix on who works for the state. Then that equals fairness.
isle of man houses
It means you can use a website you can trust and not visit newspapers who have adverts for who knows what.
The only ads I trust are good adsense. Other advertisers are often filled with trojan stuff.
What is happening is the capitalistic elites are forcing the state run company to cut services and run themselves down to help some elitist crooks make more money.
I want the BBC websites to be bigger so we can have a website we can rely on will not be filled with trojans, viruses, crooked companies trying to steal out personal info.
LET US NOT GIVE INTO SELFISH CAPITALIST ELITES WHO WANT US TO USE WILD WEST WEBSITES TO GET OUR INFO.
I run my own websites. I do not expect that the state run groups should deliberately make themselves rubbish to help me.
Everyone should get a chance to work for the state. There should be no fix on who works for the state. Then that equals fairness.
isle of man houses
Celtic and Rangers make Scottish football fail
Having such division leads to disunited nation.
We fail because half the Celtic fans support Ireland and half the Rangers fan support England. How can we succeeded when we have players leaving to join Ireland and other players supporting out main rivals. How do we have chance? When we have so many traitors.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
We fail because half the Celtic fans support Ireland and half the Rangers fan support England. How can we succeeded when we have players leaving to join Ireland and other players supporting out main rivals. How do we have chance? When we have so many traitors.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Monday 1 March 2010
highlights - celtic Vs Al Ahly -( The Wembley Cup 2009 )
highlights - celtic Vs Al Ahly -
part 1 of 2 ( The Wembley Cup 2009 )
2
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
part 1 of 2 ( The Wembley Cup 2009 )
2
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Saturday 27 February 2010
A British cup for
Here is my idea the Great British cup.
The trophy would have the top 20
Here is the idea in full
great british cup
The trophy would have the top 20
Here is the idea in full
great british cup
The Coronation Cup was a one-off football tournament to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 between four English and four Scottish clubs held in Glasgow in May 1953. This tournament, like the Empire Exhibition Trophy, was held in very high regard by football clubs, as at the time it allowed teams to test themselves against teams from another country in the days before European football.
Celtic and Hibernian met in the final at Hampden Park, Celtic coming out the winners 2–0 before 117,000 spectators. Celtic's victory meant that they became the unofficial champions of Britain.
The Great British Cup
Here is my new idea for a football tournament between Scottish, English and Welsh sides.
A cup between the Scottish, Welsh and English sides called the Great British cup. This would be a great soccer trophy idea.
The Competitors
1. The top 20 teams in Scottish league who have not qualified for Europe.
2. The English League one and League two teams. That is 48 sides.
3. The top 12 sides in the Welsh league.
This equals 80 teams.
The format.
Group stage.
20 Groups of 4, played home and away. Each group must have one Scottish side and can only have one Welsh side. Each group must also have atleast one Englisgh league side and one English league two side.
Knockout stage
The top teams from each group qualify for the last 32. As you can tell that is only 20 teams. As you can see 12 teams are still needed for the rest of the last 32. So a preliminary round then takes place between all the runners up of each group and the 4 best 3rd placed teams, to decide the last 12 teams for the final 32 sides.
There then follows a knockout stage cup this can be two leg or one leg.
This would be a fun great tournament, with lots of interesting teams to see.
It would be a great replacement for European football something that most English league one and two sides can realistically never aim for. This is also true of many Scottish league sides.
Benefit for Scottish sides
Scottish sides would benefit enormously in getting to play other bigger sides, from a different league. Plus they would be able to gain experience of European style tournament. Attendances in the old Anglo Scottish cup for Scottish English matches were very high higher than normal league matches.
Benefit for Welsh sides
They would make huge amounts of money compared to games they nornally play in,. So it would give them much needed revenue.
Benefits for English sides
The opportunity to play different teams form other countries. Many teams in England will pay the same sides over and over again. this gives them some different set of teams to play. Plus English sides used to get very good attendances in the Anglo Scottish cup.
This would have much chance as the football league trophy of having a good chance.
Timing of the trophy
I would play the group stages in late summer to mid autumn. I would not play the matches in winter or late autumn as you do not want to have team traveling up from the South of England 400 miles to find the game has been snowed off. Then the knockout stages could happen from mid spring to summer.
The teams in this trophy would not be in European matches. So the games could played until the end of the season.
A typical group to be expected could be
Oldham Athletic
Lincoln City
Haverfordwest County
Falkirk
or
Milton Keynes Dons
Northampton Town
Queen of the South
Aberystwyth Town
A glamour draw could be
Leeds United
Norwich City
Hibernian
Northampton Town
Change the final destination each year.
The trophy final could be held in England, Scotland and Wales in turn each year.
The final could be played at Hampden (or Murrayfield, Celtic Park or Ibrox) the Millennium stadium and Wembley (Or Old Trafford, or another big English ground) in turn.
We could have the Northern Irish and Republic of Ireland sides in it too, but this would mean a different name, for the trophy, plus some clubs might have issues with travel over the sea on a week night, rather than all the matches being played on one island, where easy road transport is always a main option.
This would be a great fun trophy with the opportunity to play other sides from other countries to play in major stadiums in a final.
Isle of Man houses
A cup between the Scottish, Welsh and English sides called the Great British cup. This would be a great soccer trophy idea.
The Competitors
1. The top 20 teams in Scottish league who have not qualified for Europe.
2. The English League one and League two teams. That is 48 sides.
3. The top 12 sides in the Welsh league.
This equals 80 teams.
The format.
Group stage.
20 Groups of 4, played home and away. Each group must have one Scottish side and can only have one Welsh side. Each group must also have atleast one Englisgh league side and one English league two side.
Knockout stage
The top teams from each group qualify for the last 32. As you can tell that is only 20 teams. As you can see 12 teams are still needed for the rest of the last 32. So a preliminary round then takes place between all the runners up of each group and the 4 best 3rd placed teams, to decide the last 12 teams for the final 32 sides.
There then follows a knockout stage cup this can be two leg or one leg.
This would be a fun great tournament, with lots of interesting teams to see.
It would be a great replacement for European football something that most English league one and two sides can realistically never aim for. This is also true of many Scottish league sides.
Benefit for Scottish sides
Scottish sides would benefit enormously in getting to play other bigger sides, from a different league. Plus they would be able to gain experience of European style tournament. Attendances in the old Anglo Scottish cup for Scottish English matches were very high higher than normal league matches.
Benefit for Welsh sides
They would make huge amounts of money compared to games they nornally play in,. So it would give them much needed revenue.
Benefits for English sides
The opportunity to play different teams form other countries. Many teams in England will pay the same sides over and over again. this gives them some different set of teams to play. Plus English sides used to get very good attendances in the Anglo Scottish cup.
This would have much chance as the football league trophy of having a good chance.
Timing of the trophy
I would play the group stages in late summer to mid autumn. I would not play the matches in winter or late autumn as you do not want to have team traveling up from the South of England 400 miles to find the game has been snowed off. Then the knockout stages could happen from mid spring to summer.
The teams in this trophy would not be in European matches. So the games could played until the end of the season.
A typical group to be expected could be
Oldham Athletic
Lincoln City
Haverfordwest County
Falkirk
or
Milton Keynes Dons
Northampton Town
Queen of the South
Aberystwyth Town
A glamour draw could be
Leeds United
Norwich City
Hibernian
Northampton Town
Change the final destination each year.
The trophy final could be held in England, Scotland and Wales in turn each year.
The final could be played at Hampden (or Murrayfield, Celtic Park or Ibrox) the Millennium stadium and Wembley (Or Old Trafford, or another big English ground) in turn.
We could have the Northern Irish and Republic of Ireland sides in it too, but this would mean a different name, for the trophy, plus some clubs might have issues with travel over the sea on a week night, rather than all the matches being played on one island, where easy road transport is always a main option.
This would be a great fun trophy with the opportunity to play other sides from other countries to play in major stadiums in a final.
Isle of Man houses
Bring back the Anglo Scottish cup.
I would like to see the return of the Anglo Scottish cup.
What about sides in the English league one and Scottish teams in the premier and first division that did not qualify for the European trophies.
So if the top 22 sides in Scotland have 5 sides in Europe that means 17 sides from the country in the trophy. Plus about 24 sides in league one. So that means about 41 sides.
Have groups of 4. So 6 games a year plus a knockout stage.
Now obviously 4 does not go equally in 41 equally. So you would need to find 3 other sides these could be from league two or the Scottish second division.
So a target would be 44 teams in each year,
So that is 11 groups of 4.
You could have the top teams in each group going through plus the best 5 runners up.
I would love to see my sides play some average sized English sides of similar level.
The old trophy got very good crowds similar to European trophies.
It was actually abandoned because the English clubs were too successful not because of lack of attendances so if we dropped it to league one level you could have more competitive trophy.
It would be great perpetration for European football for Scottish sides in the premier. I would not like to see a British league as traveling to England each week is too much of an ask for clubs in Northern Scotland. But some one off games in a cup would be a novelty and fun for the fans.
It would be a decent level of a tournament.
There are normally some good names in league one like at present Leeds United, Norwich City, Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Swindon, Tranmere. OK you would not moramlly expect a Leeds United, but there are always a few teams who have a good name. Plus the rest of them are all decent sides.
These would get attention from the fans.
Texaco Cup
Anglo Scottish Cup
Isle of Man Houses
What about sides in the English league one and Scottish teams in the premier and first division that did not qualify for the European trophies.
So if the top 22 sides in Scotland have 5 sides in Europe that means 17 sides from the country in the trophy. Plus about 24 sides in league one. So that means about 41 sides.
Have groups of 4. So 6 games a year plus a knockout stage.
Now obviously 4 does not go equally in 41 equally. So you would need to find 3 other sides these could be from league two or the Scottish second division.
So a target would be 44 teams in each year,
So that is 11 groups of 4.
You could have the top teams in each group going through plus the best 5 runners up.
I would love to see my sides play some average sized English sides of similar level.
The old trophy got very good crowds similar to European trophies.
It was actually abandoned because the English clubs were too successful not because of lack of attendances so if we dropped it to league one level you could have more competitive trophy.
It would be great perpetration for European football for Scottish sides in the premier. I would not like to see a British league as traveling to England each week is too much of an ask for clubs in Northern Scotland. But some one off games in a cup would be a novelty and fun for the fans.
It would be a decent level of a tournament.
There are normally some good names in league one like at present Leeds United, Norwich City, Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Swindon, Tranmere. OK you would not moramlly expect a Leeds United, but there are always a few teams who have a good name. Plus the rest of them are all decent sides.
These would get attention from the fans.
Texaco Cup
| Season | Winners | Runners-up | Aggregate score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Heart of Midlothian | 3–2 |
| 1971–72 | Derby County | Airdrieonians | 2–1 |
| 1972–73 | Ipswich Town | Norwich City | 4–2 |
| 1973–74 | Newcastle United | Burnley | 2–1 |
| 1974–75 | Newcastle United | Southampton | 3–1 |
Anglo Scottish Cup
| Season | Winners | Runners-up | Aggregate score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–76 | Middlesbrough | Fulham | 1–0 |
| 1976–77 | Nottingham Forest | Leyton Orient | 5–1 |
| 1977–78 | Bristol City | St. Mirren | 3–2 |
| 1978–79 | Burnley | Oldham Athletic | 4–1 |
| 1979–80 | St. Mirren | Bristol City | 5–1 |
| 1980–81 | Chesterfield | Notts County | 2–1 |
Friday 26 February 2010
Sunday 21 February 2010
Sheikh Mansour should not have given so much cash to Manchester City FC
I think it is is immoral of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to have put so much money into Manchester City FC.
This is football club not a charity.
When there is so much starvation, poverty and economic misery in the world and what do these billionaires spend their money on a silly football club, thousands of miles from their own country to win some title that has nothing to do with their own people.
I like football, I am obsessed by it. But there is too much money in the game. And now some royal born individual wastes stackloads of cash on a silly football club that is not even in his own country.
I would not even want these people to invest in my club. I do not such money. It is bnot right. A football club should be built by its own people on the back iof it own communities and the clubs own supporters whether they be local or international.
The club is not winning on the back if its own people it is on the back of a play thing for a billionaire. That says nothing about the club just that they got lucky.
How can someone with that sort of money be wasting their time in a football club in silly football league, thousands of miles away.
What about dealing with poverty in Ethiopia, Iraq, even Manchester. Why waste money giving stack loads of money to already wealthy people in football clubs?
It angers me, it frustrates me, it shocks me, it perplexes me, why, who has the Sheikh done this for?
Is it a status symbol?
I would have no problem if this was like Jack Walker who was Blackburn man who invested in his own club because it was his dream. But this makes no sense the man has no connection with Manchester why did he give all this cash to football club he has no connection with. Why? I do not understand? When there are so many charities, needy people who could do with this money.
You can change the world with that sort of money and what do you do with it you buy a silly football club who already had tonnes of millionaires and give them even more millionaires.
HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (born 1970) is a United Arab Emirati politician and member of ruling family of Abu Dhabi emirate. He is the half brother of current President of UAE, Emir (ruler) of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He also owns Manchester City FC.
isle of man houses
This is football club not a charity.
When there is so much starvation, poverty and economic misery in the world and what do these billionaires spend their money on a silly football club, thousands of miles from their own country to win some title that has nothing to do with their own people.
I like football, I am obsessed by it. But there is too much money in the game. And now some royal born individual wastes stackloads of cash on a silly football club that is not even in his own country.
I would not even want these people to invest in my club. I do not such money. It is bnot right. A football club should be built by its own people on the back iof it own communities and the clubs own supporters whether they be local or international.
The club is not winning on the back if its own people it is on the back of a play thing for a billionaire. That says nothing about the club just that they got lucky.
How can someone with that sort of money be wasting their time in a football club in silly football league, thousands of miles away.
What about dealing with poverty in Ethiopia, Iraq, even Manchester. Why waste money giving stack loads of money to already wealthy people in football clubs?
It angers me, it frustrates me, it shocks me, it perplexes me, why, who has the Sheikh done this for?
Is it a status symbol?
I would have no problem if this was like Jack Walker who was Blackburn man who invested in his own club because it was his dream. But this makes no sense the man has no connection with Manchester why did he give all this cash to football club he has no connection with. Why? I do not understand? When there are so many charities, needy people who could do with this money.
You can change the world with that sort of money and what do you do with it you buy a silly football club who already had tonnes of millionaires and give them even more millionaires.
HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (born 1970) is a United Arab Emirati politician and member of ruling family of Abu Dhabi emirate. He is the half brother of current President of UAE, Emir (ruler) of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He also owns Manchester City FC.
isle of man houses
Saturday 20 February 2010
Western European League would help stop old firm domination
The Western European League would help stop old firm domination.
Have half the season as the Scottish league but cut it to 22 matches a year then have the second half as a European super league., with promotion and relegation. So all Scottish sides, including the old firm carry on playing in a reduced in number of games Scottish league but have a second half of the season as the European league.
So instead of the old firm joining the English premier league they could create a new league with countries in Western Europe outside of the big leagues in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy. The league would consist of 3 divisions run in conjunction with Scottish league.
The number of Scottish sides would not be set it could 1, 4, 7. There is relegation and promotion to the league and up the divisions each year.
When I tell people about my idea of the western European league.
They often say that it would lead to old firm domination. What load of rubbish.
We already have old firm domination. My idea would enable a window for clubs to challenge the old firm.
Western european Super league
The old firm have won every title since 1985 because the current Scottish set up ensures only the old firm have the money. Oh by the way it is not due to SFA, or some conspiracy, that the old firm have so much money, it is due to the fact they have more fans and get higher attendances and merchandising.
In the present set up the old firm will get every league, every title. So do not give me some guff that the problem with my idea is that old firm will get more money and dominate the league. What a weak argument against my idea. That already happens.
Now the fact is my idea would make it far more likely the SPL can be won by a non old firm side.
Why?
Because if a non old firm side got into the European Super league premier, they would get the 5 - 9 million pounds TV money from being in the premier league. Suddenly they would be able to challenge for the title.
At present no Scottish side has the money to challenge the old firm. If we had a European super league that every club could gain promotion to, where they could get 5 - 9 million pounds a year, then even clubs like St Mirren, Airdrie United and Greenock Morton under good managers (of the Coyle level) gain promotion to this league then could get the money that could enable them to win the championship with a good manager.
That's right folks my idea would enable teams to realistically challenge for the SPL.
Bang! My idea is the best their is.
All the other ideas would never match my idea in gaining more success for the SPL sides, gaining the old firm the big league they want to play in while at the same time enabling other sides to challenge for the SPL.
A) A 16, 18, 20 team league would not make any difference to how dominant the old firm are in fact it would probably make them even more dominant.
B) The old firm leaving the league would destroy Scottish football.
C) The current situation is just rubbish as the Scottish sides cannot compete in European trophies, and the old firm win every league.
My idea would shake things up.
Western European Super league
My idea for football is the western European Super league.
So instead of the old firm joining the English premier league they could create a new league with countries in Western Europe outside of the big leagues in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.
Have half the season as the Scottish league but cut it to 22 matches a year then have the second half as a European super league., with promotion and relegation.
The wide area
A league in Western Europe could encompass teams from, Scotland, Holland, Portugal, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Faeroe Islands, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
Massive population region
This region has a combined population of 100 million, without the major Western European nations, that is larger than any country in Western Europe. OK I accept the likes of Andorra and the Faroes are unlikely to produce any teams to qualify for this league, but they could play in the qualification tournament. Nations like Portugal and Holland have plenty of large sides, for this set up.
Continue with both Domestic and the new League
The set up would be that each league carries on with their national league but cuts the number of games in half to 18 - 24 games per league. This would open up a new spot for another league for 18 - 24 games. Qualification for European trophies such as the Europa cup, would still come from performances in domestic trophies.
So for instance the Scottish league would be cut from playing eachother 3 - 4 times a year to just two times a year, to just 22 games a year, instead of the current 38. Opening up 16 more weeks, to play another league this would be the western European super league.
The first half of the year would be the Scottish league, the second the western European super league.
How to get extra games for Scottish sides not in European league
The Scottish sides that do not qualify to play in the Western European league could have extra competitions to make up for the loss of games such as an Anglo-Scottish cup, bringing back the group stages of the league cup bringing back the tennents sixes tournament, and they would have to play qualification tournament to gain promotion to the west European league anyway.
So you could have two leagues run over the year instead.
In Mexico they have a winter and summer league so you can run two leagues a year.
These countries have some massive teams which together would form a strong league. Yet it would enable to continue to run their own leagues to qualify for European competition from.
The Set up of the league
Premier 21 teams play eachother once a year. 4 teams relegated each year.
First division 21 teams Play eachother once a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
Second division Play eachother twice a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
A qualification tournament for sides to qualify for the league, to replace sides relegated from the second division.
There is no limit on the number of teams from each country in the league.
Some might say well how can you only play eachother once a year. Well they do that in the FA and Scottish cup in soccer, in the six nations in rugby, the NFL in American football against sides outside their conference. 20 matches would be enough games against big teams to determine the champions of the league. You do not need to play eachother home and way as there are plenty of big teams to draw in crowds for the home matches.
10 home and away matches a year is enough to make income but also prevent the tedium of a long season where you travel huge distances for mid table mediocrity as you would do if it was just a 40 game league.
Problems with joining the English League
My issue with joining the English leagues is clubs like Rangers and Celtic could go years without winning a trophy or qualifying for Europe. While by having both a Scottish league and European League they would gets the best of both, they would a domestic league to win trophies in and qualify for Europe from, and a major league with very large teams to play against. They could have their cake and eat it. Rather than watching somebody else (mainly Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool) eat the cake in the English league
Compare the worst that can happen in English Leagues to the worst in this set up
If Rangers got relegated to the English second division they would have no chance of winning major trophies no European football and no massive sides playing them. Plus if Rangers or Celtic were just middle table cannon fodder in the English Premier they might never win trophies or qualify for Europe. This is the entire genius of my idea. If Rangers were relegated to Second divsion of the European league they would still be playing in the SPL challenging for the title , cups and qualiftying for Europe. So you do not give the self defeating goal of joining the English league to do better in Europe but never qualifying for Europe because the side are not big enough to get a European place in the English league.
This way even a poor Rangers or Celtic team will still challenge for trophies in the Scottish league and qualify for Europe, even when in the second division of the Western European super league.
Each team on a level playing field
If Scottish sides join the English league they will be playing a in a foreign league who will have a financial and nationalistic reasons to support the English sides over Scottish sides. Plus in the English league, all Celtic and Rangers previous history will be written off with them, starting off on zero trophies, compared to other teams starting off with 100 + years of history. How ridiculous is that? In the Western European Super league they would be starting off on zero league titles but so will every other team. Plus no one country will dominate referees or other ideas that could bias leagues going to one country. While if you just play in another countries league it is a bit naive to think they will give you the same treatment as their own sides.
Compare the teams in each league
A typical Premier might have
1 Ajax
2 PSV
3 Feyenoord.
4 Benfica
5 Porto
6 Sporting Lisbon
7 Rapid Vienna
8 Celtic
9 Rangers
10 Anderlecht
11 Club Brugges
12 Copenhagen
13 Grasshopers Zurich
14 Basle
15 Vittese Arnhem
16 Boavista
17 IFK
18 AIK
19 Rosenborg
20 Standard Liege
21 Slavia Prague
A first divison might have
1 Mechelen
2 Malmo
3 Hearts
4 Brondby
5 Sparta Prague
6 Brann Bergen
7 Austria Vienna
8 Genk
9 SC Braga
10 Vitoria De Guimaraes
11 Twente
12 SC Heerenveen
13 ADO Den Haag
14 Gronigen
15 Germinal Beerschot
16 FC St. Gallen
17 AZ Alkmaar
18 Roda JC
20 FK Teplice
21 Neuchâtel Xamax
Second division
1 Aberdeen
2 Stabæk
3 Vålerenga
4 Viking Fotballklubb
5 IFK Norrköping
6 Helsingborgs IF
7 BSC Young Boys
8 Sturm Graz
9 Haka
10 Odense Boldklub
More glamorous sides
In my view this league would not just be as big as the EPL but bigger plus would have more glamorous teams from more different nations and far more glamorous cities. Lets face it what is better a trip to Vienna or Birmingham, Copenhagen or Coventry, Lisbon or Swansea, Swindon or Amsterdam.
With all respect to those English and Welsh cities. Remember this league would have national capitals. The lower leagues of England are just provincial cities.
OK toward the bottom you do not get sides like Man Utd, but that is true of every league. Look at the 52nd the best team in England, or Italy, or Germany.
North East and South East leagues too
I would support a similar set up for North East Europe and a South East European league.
This league would give an opportunity for smaller countries to play in bigger leagues, while keeping their own national leagues running, so not destroying their own leagues.
Plus have a small Anglo Scottish cup too.
Also some will say well how can you decide who the Scottish champions are in 22 games.
1. Well we decide who the world champions are in far less games in a World cup.
2. The Scottish 1890–91 league title was just a 18 game season.
3. The 1891 - 92 Scottish league season was just a 22 game season.
4. The 1892-93 Scottish league season was just a 18 game season.
5. The 1893 - 94 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season.
6. The 1894 - 95 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
7. The 1895 - 96 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
8. The 1896 - 97 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
9. The 1897 - 98 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
10. The 1898 - 99 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
11. The 1899 - 1900 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
12. The 1900 - 01 Scottish division one season was a 20 game season while the second division was 18 games.
13. The 1901 - 02 division one season was just 18 games the second division was 22 games.
14. The 1902-03 Scottish division one and division two season were both 22 games.
15. The 1903-04 Scottish division two was just 22 games.
16. The 1904-05 Scottish division two was just 22 games.
17. The 1905-06 Scottish division two was just 22 games.
18. The 1906-7 Scottish division two was just 22 games, as was 1907-08, 1908-09, 1909-10, 1910-11, 1911-12.
So this drivel where people say but it has never been done before a 22 game season is rubbish. Tonnes of Celtic and Rangers and Hearts titles have been won in 22 games or less seasons. Will you start to discount those titles then.
20. Oh and Preston won the first English title 1888–89, and the second in 1889- 90 both seasons were won in a 22 game season. Oh and the second division of English football was 22 games in 1892- 93.
21. Oh by an example La Liga was a 18 game season for 1929, 1929-30, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1932–33. Plus it was a 22 team league in 1934–35, 1935–36, 1939–40, 1940–41.
But they you still stick to your argument that the league could never have been 22 games eh!.
Another weak argument against my idea.
Isle of Man Houses
Have half the season as the Scottish league but cut it to 22 matches a year then have the second half as a European super league., with promotion and relegation. So all Scottish sides, including the old firm carry on playing in a reduced in number of games Scottish league but have a second half of the season as the European league.
So instead of the old firm joining the English premier league they could create a new league with countries in Western Europe outside of the big leagues in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy. The league would consist of 3 divisions run in conjunction with Scottish league.
The number of Scottish sides would not be set it could 1, 4, 7. There is relegation and promotion to the league and up the divisions each year.
When I tell people about my idea of the western European league.
They often say that it would lead to old firm domination. What load of rubbish.
We already have old firm domination. My idea would enable a window for clubs to challenge the old firm.
Western european Super league
The old firm have won every title since 1985 because the current Scottish set up ensures only the old firm have the money. Oh by the way it is not due to SFA, or some conspiracy, that the old firm have so much money, it is due to the fact they have more fans and get higher attendances and merchandising.
In the present set up the old firm will get every league, every title. So do not give me some guff that the problem with my idea is that old firm will get more money and dominate the league. What a weak argument against my idea. That already happens.
Now the fact is my idea would make it far more likely the SPL can be won by a non old firm side.
Why?
Because if a non old firm side got into the European Super league premier, they would get the 5 - 9 million pounds TV money from being in the premier league. Suddenly they would be able to challenge for the title.
At present no Scottish side has the money to challenge the old firm. If we had a European super league that every club could gain promotion to, where they could get 5 - 9 million pounds a year, then even clubs like St Mirren, Airdrie United and Greenock Morton under good managers (of the Coyle level) gain promotion to this league then could get the money that could enable them to win the championship with a good manager.
That's right folks my idea would enable teams to realistically challenge for the SPL.
Bang! My idea is the best their is.
All the other ideas would never match my idea in gaining more success for the SPL sides, gaining the old firm the big league they want to play in while at the same time enabling other sides to challenge for the SPL.
A) A 16, 18, 20 team league would not make any difference to how dominant the old firm are in fact it would probably make them even more dominant.
B) The old firm leaving the league would destroy Scottish football.
C) The current situation is just rubbish as the Scottish sides cannot compete in European trophies, and the old firm win every league.
My idea would shake things up.
Western European Super league
My idea for football is the western European Super league.
So instead of the old firm joining the English premier league they could create a new league with countries in Western Europe outside of the big leagues in England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.
Have half the season as the Scottish league but cut it to 22 matches a year then have the second half as a European super league., with promotion and relegation.
The wide area
A league in Western Europe could encompass teams from, Scotland, Holland, Portugal, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Faeroe Islands, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
Massive population region
This region has a combined population of 100 million, without the major Western European nations, that is larger than any country in Western Europe. OK I accept the likes of Andorra and the Faroes are unlikely to produce any teams to qualify for this league, but they could play in the qualification tournament. Nations like Portugal and Holland have plenty of large sides, for this set up.
Continue with both Domestic and the new League
The set up would be that each league carries on with their national league but cuts the number of games in half to 18 - 24 games per league. This would open up a new spot for another league for 18 - 24 games. Qualification for European trophies such as the Europa cup, would still come from performances in domestic trophies.
So for instance the Scottish league would be cut from playing eachother 3 - 4 times a year to just two times a year, to just 22 games a year, instead of the current 38. Opening up 16 more weeks, to play another league this would be the western European super league.
The first half of the year would be the Scottish league, the second the western European super league.
How to get extra games for Scottish sides not in European league
The Scottish sides that do not qualify to play in the Western European league could have extra competitions to make up for the loss of games such as an Anglo-Scottish cup, bringing back the group stages of the league cup bringing back the tennents sixes tournament, and they would have to play qualification tournament to gain promotion to the west European league anyway.
So you could have two leagues run over the year instead.
In Mexico they have a winter and summer league so you can run two leagues a year.
These countries have some massive teams which together would form a strong league. Yet it would enable to continue to run their own leagues to qualify for European competition from.
The Set up of the league
Premier 21 teams play eachother once a year. 4 teams relegated each year.
First division 21 teams Play eachother once a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
Second division Play eachother twice a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
A qualification tournament for sides to qualify for the league, to replace sides relegated from the second division.
There is no limit on the number of teams from each country in the league.
Some might say well how can you only play eachother once a year. Well they do that in the FA and Scottish cup in soccer, in the six nations in rugby, the NFL in American football against sides outside their conference. 20 matches would be enough games against big teams to determine the champions of the league. You do not need to play eachother home and way as there are plenty of big teams to draw in crowds for the home matches.
10 home and away matches a year is enough to make income but also prevent the tedium of a long season where you travel huge distances for mid table mediocrity as you would do if it was just a 40 game league.
Problems with joining the English League
My issue with joining the English leagues is clubs like Rangers and Celtic could go years without winning a trophy or qualifying for Europe. While by having both a Scottish league and European League they would gets the best of both, they would a domestic league to win trophies in and qualify for Europe from, and a major league with very large teams to play against. They could have their cake and eat it. Rather than watching somebody else (mainly Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool) eat the cake in the English league
Compare the worst that can happen in English Leagues to the worst in this set up
If Rangers got relegated to the English second division they would have no chance of winning major trophies no European football and no massive sides playing them. Plus if Rangers or Celtic were just middle table cannon fodder in the English Premier they might never win trophies or qualify for Europe. This is the entire genius of my idea. If Rangers were relegated to Second divsion of the European league they would still be playing in the SPL challenging for the title , cups and qualiftying for Europe. So you do not give the self defeating goal of joining the English league to do better in Europe but never qualifying for Europe because the side are not big enough to get a European place in the English league.
This way even a poor Rangers or Celtic team will still challenge for trophies in the Scottish league and qualify for Europe, even when in the second division of the Western European super league.
Each team on a level playing field
If Scottish sides join the English league they will be playing a in a foreign league who will have a financial and nationalistic reasons to support the English sides over Scottish sides. Plus in the English league, all Celtic and Rangers previous history will be written off with them, starting off on zero trophies, compared to other teams starting off with 100 + years of history. How ridiculous is that? In the Western European Super league they would be starting off on zero league titles but so will every other team. Plus no one country will dominate referees or other ideas that could bias leagues going to one country. While if you just play in another countries league it is a bit naive to think they will give you the same treatment as their own sides.
Compare the teams in each league
A typical Premier might have
1 Ajax
2 PSV
3 Feyenoord.
4 Benfica
5 Porto
6 Sporting Lisbon
7 Rapid Vienna
8 Celtic
9 Rangers
10 Anderlecht
11 Club Brugges
12 Copenhagen
13 Grasshopers Zurich
14 Basle
15 Vittese Arnhem
16 Boavista
17 IFK
18 AIK
19 Rosenborg
20 Standard Liege
21 Slavia Prague
A first divison might have
1 Mechelen
2 Malmo
3 Hearts
4 Brondby
5 Sparta Prague
6 Brann Bergen
7 Austria Vienna
8 Genk
9 SC Braga
10 Vitoria De Guimaraes
11 Twente
12 SC Heerenveen
13 ADO Den Haag
14 Gronigen
15 Germinal Beerschot
16 FC St. Gallen
17 AZ Alkmaar
18 Roda JC
20 FK Teplice
21 Neuchâtel Xamax
Second division
1 Aberdeen
2 Stabæk
3 Vålerenga
4 Viking Fotballklubb
5 IFK Norrköping
6 Helsingborgs IF
7 BSC Young Boys
8 Sturm Graz
9 Haka
10 Odense Boldklub
More glamorous sides
In my view this league would not just be as big as the EPL but bigger plus would have more glamorous teams from more different nations and far more glamorous cities. Lets face it what is better a trip to Vienna or Birmingham, Copenhagen or Coventry, Lisbon or Swansea, Swindon or Amsterdam.
With all respect to those English and Welsh cities. Remember this league would have national capitals. The lower leagues of England are just provincial cities.
OK toward the bottom you do not get sides like Man Utd, but that is true of every league. Look at the 52nd the best team in England, or Italy, or Germany.
North East and South East leagues too
I would support a similar set up for North East Europe and a South East European league.
This league would give an opportunity for smaller countries to play in bigger leagues, while keeping their own national leagues running, so not destroying their own leagues.
Plus have a small Anglo Scottish cup too.
Also some will say well how can you decide who the Scottish champions are in 22 games.
1. Well we decide who the world champions are in far less games in a World cup.
2. The Scottish 1890–91 league title was just a 18 game season.
3. The 1891 - 92 Scottish league season was just a 22 game season.4. The 1892-93 Scottish league season was just a 18 game season.
5. The 1893 - 94 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season.
6. The 1894 - 95 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
7. The 1895 - 96 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
8. The 1896 - 97 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
9. The 1897 - 98 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
10. The 1898 - 99 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
11. The 1899 - 1900 Scottish Division One and Division two seasons were both a 18 game league season was just a 18 game season.
12. The 1900 - 01 Scottish division one season was a 20 game season while the second division was 18 games.
13. The 1901 - 02 division one season was just 18 games the second division was 22 games.
14. The 1902-03 Scottish division one and division two season were both 22 games.
15. The 1903-04 Scottish division two was just 22 games.
16. The 1904-05 Scottish division two was just 22 games.
17. The 1905-06 Scottish division two was just 22 games.
18. The 1906-7 Scottish division two was just 22 games, as was 1907-08, 1908-09, 1909-10, 1910-11, 1911-12.
So this drivel where people say but it has never been done before a 22 game season is rubbish. Tonnes of Celtic and Rangers and Hearts titles have been won in 22 games or less seasons. Will you start to discount those titles then.
20. Oh and Preston won the first English title 1888–89, and the second in 1889- 90 both seasons were won in a 22 game season. Oh and the second division of English football was 22 games in 1892- 93.
21. Oh by an example La Liga was a 18 game season for 1929, 1929-30, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1932–33. Plus it was a 22 team league in 1934–35, 1935–36, 1939–40, 1940–41.
But they you still stick to your argument that the league could never have been 22 games eh!.
Another weak argument against my idea.
Isle of Man Houses
16, 18, 20 team league would not make a difference.
Why is it all we ever hear about in terms of reform in Scottish football.
IS the two most tedious ideas?
These are ;
1. Changing the premier to 16, 18, 20 teams.
2. Celtic and Rangers joining the English league
I have been over point 2 that is it disgraceful traitors idea to destroy Scottish football. But my issue with idea 1 of explaining the premier league is that it is pointless ideas.
Expanding the premier to 16, 18 or 20 teams is waste of time.
Let me say I do not care if the premier is 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 teams. What I would say is that it would not have any impact on Scottish football quality if we did such a thing of expanding the league. It is s pointless idea.
I am fed up with every time Scottish football fails some people immediately say oh expand the league to 16, 18 2o teams and this would magically transform Scottish football. Why?
It would have no impact at all. We had a 10 team league in 80s when we qualified for world cups. In fact our most successful spell of world cup qualification 5 in row. From 1974 to 1990. 4 of them happened when we had a 10 or 12 team league. We also had Aberdeen and Dundee United challenging and winning titles. We had Aberdeen winning A European trophy. So what evidence is that expanding or contracting the number of teams in the league makes any difference. All this is that small sides are desperate to play in the premier sop put forward the 16, 18, 20 team idea as if it is the panacea to every problem in Scottish football when it is nothing to do with anything. It is like a euro skeptic who turns every political debate back to the EU, because they are so obsessed with the issue,as if it has anything to do with what we are talking about.
Would expanding the league make our league more money?
No. How would adding small sides in towns of 20,00 to 40,000 people to the league add any more TV money.
Would increasing the size of the league make out players better?
No. Why wold it? How does playing small sides from the first division make the players any better than playing better sides int her SPL?
The only affects would be.
A. Celtic and Rangers and other Scottish clubs in Europe would have even less money, and would be even less likely to do anything in Europe.
B. Small sides would have more of the TV money. But so what. If take that attitude why do not we share all the premier teams gate receipts and revenue with non league teams in Scotland and then we can do EVEN worse in European football.
C. Other teams get to play Rangers and Celtic
What expanding league would not have any impact on is.
A) The quality of football. Why would having team that struggle to get 3,000 to 4,000 at their home games improve the standard the league.
B) Style of football. One argument put forward is having more teams would make the league m ore open well look at league one and league two ion England which have more than 2-0 sides and have far more turgid style of football because there are low quality leagues,. Inviting worse teams into the league increases the chances that the league would be even more turgid.
I support Inverness but I do not see why we need to expand the league if we are not good enough to be in the premier fair enough. I do not see why we have to expand the size of the league to pretend we are better than we are.
It is just a selfish reaction of opportunistic clubs wanting to expand the league so they can get some of the TV money.
I would rather me give more resources to the top clubs. I do not mean Rangers and Celtic. I mean the ambitious clubs. As the only way our clubs can compete in Europe is if we concentrate our best players in the top clubs that play in Europe.
What would you have have, We share Scottish football resources out more evenly so that our elites clubs are worse and do rubbish in Europe.
2. We concentrate resources int he elite clubs so our clubs do better in Europe that is what they do in rugby they have concentrated the resources and elite clubs so the clubs do OK.
If anything we have too many professional soccer sides in Scotland.
Spreading the resources of Scottish football may sound a good idea, but it will just mean the elite clubs do worse and we as a country have worse record in Europe.
A 16, 18, 20 team league
WILL NOT IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR CLUBS IN EUROPE.
So the choice is
1. Do you want the league to be more equal, but with rubbish performances in Europe.
2. Do you want us to win in Europe but with a system where all the clubs can strive and be ambitious not just the old firm.
Look do not tell me all I care about it the old firm. I do not want them to join the English league. I want them to do well in Europe just as I want all Scottish clubs to do. But I think we should make sure our clubs in Europe have more resources. Sharing the TV revenue with more clubs is just going to make our clubs even worse.
isle of man mansions blog
IS the two most tedious ideas?
These are ;
1. Changing the premier to 16, 18, 20 teams.
2. Celtic and Rangers joining the English league
I have been over point 2 that is it disgraceful traitors idea to destroy Scottish football. But my issue with idea 1 of explaining the premier league is that it is pointless ideas.
Expanding the premier to 16, 18 or 20 teams is waste of time.
Let me say I do not care if the premier is 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 teams. What I would say is that it would not have any impact on Scottish football quality if we did such a thing of expanding the league. It is s pointless idea.
I am fed up with every time Scottish football fails some people immediately say oh expand the league to 16, 18 2o teams and this would magically transform Scottish football. Why?
It would have no impact at all. We had a 10 team league in 80s when we qualified for world cups. In fact our most successful spell of world cup qualification 5 in row. From 1974 to 1990. 4 of them happened when we had a 10 or 12 team league. We also had Aberdeen and Dundee United challenging and winning titles. We had Aberdeen winning A European trophy. So what evidence is that expanding or contracting the number of teams in the league makes any difference. All this is that small sides are desperate to play in the premier sop put forward the 16, 18, 20 team idea as if it is the panacea to every problem in Scottish football when it is nothing to do with anything. It is like a euro skeptic who turns every political debate back to the EU, because they are so obsessed with the issue,as if it has anything to do with what we are talking about.
Would expanding the league make our league more money?
No. How would adding small sides in towns of 20,00 to 40,000 people to the league add any more TV money.
Would increasing the size of the league make out players better?
No. Why wold it? How does playing small sides from the first division make the players any better than playing better sides int her SPL?
The only affects would be.
A. Celtic and Rangers and other Scottish clubs in Europe would have even less money, and would be even less likely to do anything in Europe.
B. Small sides would have more of the TV money. But so what. If take that attitude why do not we share all the premier teams gate receipts and revenue with non league teams in Scotland and then we can do EVEN worse in European football.
C. Other teams get to play Rangers and Celtic
What expanding league would not have any impact on is.
A) The quality of football. Why would having team that struggle to get 3,000 to 4,000 at their home games improve the standard the league.
B) Style of football. One argument put forward is having more teams would make the league m ore open well look at league one and league two ion England which have more than 2-0 sides and have far more turgid style of football because there are low quality leagues,. Inviting worse teams into the league increases the chances that the league would be even more turgid.
I support Inverness but I do not see why we need to expand the league if we are not good enough to be in the premier fair enough. I do not see why we have to expand the size of the league to pretend we are better than we are.
It is just a selfish reaction of opportunistic clubs wanting to expand the league so they can get some of the TV money.
I would rather me give more resources to the top clubs. I do not mean Rangers and Celtic. I mean the ambitious clubs. As the only way our clubs can compete in Europe is if we concentrate our best players in the top clubs that play in Europe.
What would you have have, We share Scottish football resources out more evenly so that our elites clubs are worse and do rubbish in Europe.
2. We concentrate resources int he elite clubs so our clubs do better in Europe that is what they do in rugby they have concentrated the resources and elite clubs so the clubs do OK.
If anything we have too many professional soccer sides in Scotland.
Spreading the resources of Scottish football may sound a good idea, but it will just mean the elite clubs do worse and we as a country have worse record in Europe.
A 16, 18, 20 team league
WILL NOT IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR CLUBS IN EUROPE.
So the choice is
1. Do you want the league to be more equal, but with rubbish performances in Europe.
2. Do you want us to win in Europe but with a system where all the clubs can strive and be ambitious not just the old firm.
Look do not tell me all I care about it the old firm. I do not want them to join the English league. I want them to do well in Europe just as I want all Scottish clubs to do. But I think we should make sure our clubs in Europe have more resources. Sharing the TV revenue with more clubs is just going to make our clubs even worse.
isle of man mansions blog
Thursday 18 February 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
