Barcelona - Dundee United 1987 uefa cup qtr final nou camp
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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
My fave video of Prisencolinensinainciusol
My fave video of Prisencolinensinainciusol
Prisencolinensinainciusol is a song composed by Adriano Celentano, and performed by Celentano and his wife, singer/actress-turned-record producer Claudia Mori. A very popular performance of the song, broadcasted by RAI, shows Celentano with showgirl Raffaella Carrà, who is dancing and lyp-synching to Mori's vocals. It was first released as a single on November 3, 1972, and later on his album Nostalrock. The lyrics are pure gibberish, often described as sounding like American English as heard by a non–English-speaker.
isle of man houses
Prisencolinensinainciusol is a song composed by Adriano Celentano, and performed by Celentano and his wife, singer/actress-turned-record producer Claudia Mori. A very popular performance of the song, broadcasted by RAI, shows Celentano with showgirl Raffaella Carrà, who is dancing and lyp-synching to Mori's vocals. It was first released as a single on November 3, 1972, and later on his album Nostalrock. The lyrics are pure gibberish, often described as sounding like American English as heard by a non–English-speaker.
isle of man houses
so tomorrow can only go on
so tomorrow can only go on
My new idea for Bond movie name.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Song sung by Shirley Bassey.
My new idea for Bond movie name.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Song sung by Shirley Bassey.
Make a Scottish pro rugby side in a new town
I think the next time a third pro rugby union side is devlopedin Scotland it should be put in one of the new towns to create a hot bed in one of the new towns. Such as East Kilbride or Glenrothes.
Look at the way Llanelli back their rugby union side. Scotland should try and get one of their decent sized towns to be rugby town. We have tonnes of pro football sides, we do not need any more pro football sides we could do with some pro sides in other sports such as rugby union.
East Kilbride is the largest scottish town without a senior football team. The rugby union authoties should take a chance and develop rugby union in a working class town.
isle of man mansions
Look at the way Llanelli back their rugby union side. Scotland should try and get one of their decent sized towns to be rugby town. We have tonnes of pro football sides, we do not need any more pro football sides we could do with some pro sides in other sports such as rugby union.
East Kilbride is the largest scottish town without a senior football team. The rugby union authoties should take a chance and develop rugby union in a working class town.
isle of man mansions
We need to cut our obbsession with football
I like football I am obsessed by it. It is like painful drug to me.
My teams Aberdeen and Scotland are doing rubbish right now so it is like a seriously agonizing painful drug.
But I cannot escape this.
Yet in my view the media should cut their interest in football.
If you looked at the sports sections of our papers you would think that the only sports in the world was football.
We should raise the profile of other sports. Football sides that do not go up high up the divisions should be punished with little media coverage.
The sports section of a paper should have no more than 40% at most about football except on cup final days in each country and world cup matches. But an average week should have rugby union, rugby league, ice hockey, baseball etc:
More sports should be reported on such as motor racing etc:
Take Scotland we should have more teams in other sports rather than 20 pro sides in football. It does not do us any good having so many pro football sides. It just spreads the resources more thinly.
isle of man mansions
My teams Aberdeen and Scotland are doing rubbish right now so it is like a seriously agonizing painful drug.
But I cannot escape this.
Yet in my view the media should cut their interest in football.
If you looked at the sports sections of our papers you would think that the only sports in the world was football.
We should raise the profile of other sports. Football sides that do not go up high up the divisions should be punished with little media coverage.
The sports section of a paper should have no more than 40% at most about football except on cup final days in each country and world cup matches. But an average week should have rugby union, rugby league, ice hockey, baseball etc:
More sports should be reported on such as motor racing etc:
Take Scotland we should have more teams in other sports rather than 20 pro sides in football. It does not do us any good having so many pro football sides. It just spreads the resources more thinly.
isle of man mansions
We should not pay to watch football on TV
We should not pay to watch football on TV
Football should free to watch in TV.
The premier league is a cartel. Why if you want to watch Man Utd should you have to pay to watch Wigan or Blackburn or vice versa. It is a commercial cartel. If you want to watch Man Utd you have to pay to watch all the other clubs.
Imagine if when you went to football ground you had to pay to weatch all the other games in the league too. It is a cartel no wonder these clubs mnake sop much money. It is surely a cartel by every football league, that makes football supporters pay more money than they need to.
The football clubs exploit the supporters passion for the teams to get more money our of them than they need and therefore pay players in sane wages.
Football tickets should be 10 pounds for adults and 5 pounds for children.
There should be less money in the game.
isle of man houses
Football should free to watch in TV.
The premier league is a cartel. Why if you want to watch Man Utd should you have to pay to watch Wigan or Blackburn or vice versa. It is a commercial cartel. If you want to watch Man Utd you have to pay to watch all the other clubs.
Imagine if when you went to football ground you had to pay to weatch all the other games in the league too. It is a cartel no wonder these clubs mnake sop much money. It is surely a cartel by every football league, that makes football supporters pay more money than they need to.
The football clubs exploit the supporters passion for the teams to get more money our of them than they need and therefore pay players in sane wages.
Football tickets should be 10 pounds for adults and 5 pounds for children.
There should be less money in the game.
isle of man houses
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Cut the league in half in number of games
We need to cut the number of games in the SPL in half and have other trophies
The league is getting more and more tedious, and people are turning to the English league. We all know the results after 22 matches. Cut it down to 22 then play other trophies such as
1. A european super league with other countries such as Holland, Belgium, Portugal - Which all socttish sides can qualify for
For the other sides that do not qualify make up the loss of matches with
1. Bring back Group stages of the league cup = 8 matches - Groups of five with two clubs and best third place teams through to next round.
2. Bring back Anglo scottish cup 6 match group stage
3. Bring back Tennents sixes worth 2 matches
I would find this more enjoyable it would re liven Scottish football with opportunities for our side to qualify for a premier league style European super league and play other trophies.
And more trophies to win.
Can you take any more years of the tedium we have had a for the last 10 years?
It will just get worse.
Every year the same thing happens.
1. Old firm say they hate scottish football
2. Old firm run away with league.
3. Old firm apply to join English league but turned down
4. Old firm knocked out of Europe before Christmas
5. old firm run away with league
6. Old firm apply to join English league but turned down
7. Old firm win league
If we created a European super league cut down the number of games in the league by half, we could get an answer to all these problems.
We could have Vienna playing Celtic. for European titles.
The league is getting more and more tedious, and people are turning to the English league. We all know the results after 22 matches. Cut it down to 22 then play other trophies such as
1. A european super league with other countries such as Holland, Belgium, Portugal - Which all socttish sides can qualify for
For the other sides that do not qualify make up the loss of matches with
1. Bring back Group stages of the league cup = 8 matches - Groups of five with two clubs and best third place teams through to next round.
2. Bring back Anglo scottish cup 6 match group stage
3. Bring back Tennents sixes worth 2 matches
I would find this more enjoyable it would re liven Scottish football with opportunities for our side to qualify for a premier league style European super league and play other trophies.
And more trophies to win.
Can you take any more years of the tedium we have had a for the last 10 years?
It will just get worse.
Every year the same thing happens.
1. Old firm say they hate scottish football
2. Old firm run away with league.
3. Old firm apply to join English league but turned down
4. Old firm knocked out of Europe before Christmas
5. old firm run away with league
6. Old firm apply to join English league but turned down
7. Old firm win league
If we created a European super league cut down the number of games in the league by half, we could get an answer to all these problems.
We could have Vienna playing Celtic. for European titles.
Western European Super league
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 accedpt the likes of Anodraa 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 divsion Play eachother twice a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
A qualification tournament for sides to qualifty for the league.
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.
isle of man houses
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 accedpt the likes of Anodraa 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 divsion Play eachother twice a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
A qualification tournament for sides to qualifty for the league.
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.
isle of man houses
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
I hate football but can't leave it
I really hate football, my teams do rubbish but I keep coming back for more.
How do I cure myself?
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
How do I cure myself?
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Acecoollo
What we need is a western European super league.
This way clubs in the small countries could have bigger sides to play against.
The concept of an "European Super League" consisting of the best football clubs from across Europe has been discussed for years and has occasionally been officially proposed, but the idea has not yet gotten off the ground.
Here is a link to my idea
western european super league
isle of man houses blogspot
This way clubs in the small countries could have bigger sides to play against.
The concept of an "European Super League" consisting of the best football clubs from across Europe has been discussed for years and has occasionally been officially proposed, but the idea has not yet gotten off the ground.
Here is a link to my idea
western european super league
isle of man houses blogspot
Manchester United 2012
Manchester United 2012
After going bankrupt in 2011 Manchester United have bounced back by winning
Manchester United win the english North West Counties League with a undefeated run under the guidance of Denis Law the new Manchester United manager. Top scorer Bobby Charlton who has returned from retirement with Jack Charlton to save their club.
This season Manchester United mount stunning challenge to reach the first round of the FA cup.
80,000 turn up to see the games.
isle of man houses
After going bankrupt in 2011 Manchester United have bounced back by winning
Manchester United win the english North West Counties League with a undefeated run under the guidance of Denis Law the new Manchester United manager. Top scorer Bobby Charlton who has returned from retirement with Jack Charlton to save their club.
This season Manchester United mount stunning challenge to reach the first round of the FA cup.
80,000 turn up to see the games.
isle of man houses
Rename Europa Cup
I think name Europa cup sounds too much like the European cup.
They should have chosen a name like UEFA Shield, or Continental Challenge Shield.
http://www.isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
They should have chosen a name like UEFA Shield, or Continental Challenge Shield.
http://www.isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Football clubs going out of business is not the end of the world
Football clubs going out of business is not the end of the world
Portsmouth will just be reformed if they get put of business, OK they will have to start at the bottom of the English pyramid. OK that will take 10 - 12 years to get back but during that time they will win countless non league trophies and rise up back to the league. Is that really a crisis.
As far as English football is concerned does it matter if Portsmouth or Hull in the Premier. Therer will be plenty other teams to replace Portsmouth, and Portsmouth can spoend their time rising up through the divisions.
isle of man houses
Take the example of Fiorentina.
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A seasons. After climbing back up the Italian football system in the early 2000s, Fiorentina are currently competing in the Serie A.
Portsmouth will just be reformed if they get put of business, OK they will have to start at the bottom of the English pyramid. OK that will take 10 - 12 years to get back but during that time they will win countless non league trophies and rise up back to the league. Is that really a crisis.
As far as English football is concerned does it matter if Portsmouth or Hull in the Premier. Therer will be plenty other teams to replace Portsmouth, and Portsmouth can spoend their time rising up through the divisions.
isle of man houses
Take the example of Fiorentina.
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A seasons. After climbing back up the Italian football system in the early 2000s, Fiorentina are currently competing in the Serie A.
2001 heralded major changes for Fiorentina, as the terrible state of the club's finances was revealed: they were unable to pay wages and had debts of around USD 50 million. The club's owner, Vittorio Cecchi Gori, was able to raise some more money, but even this soon proved to be insufficient resources to sustain the club. Fiorentina were relegated at the end of the 2001-02 season and went into judicially controlled administration in June 2002. This form of bankruptcy (sports companies cannot exactly fail in this way in Italy, but they can suffer a similar procedure) meant that the club was refused a place in Serie B for the 2002-03 season, and as a result effectively ceased to exist.
The club was promptly re-established in August 2002 as Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola with shoe and leather entrepreneur Diego Della Valle as new owner, and was admitted into Serie C2, the fourth tier of Italian football. The only player to remain at the club in its new incarnation was Angelo Di Livio, whose commitment to club's cause further endeared him to the fans. Helped by Di Livio and 30-goal striker Christian Riganò, the club won its Serie C2 group with considerable ease, which would normally have led to a promotion to Serie C1. However, due to the bizarre Caso Catania (Catania Case) the club skipped Serie C1 and was admitted into Serie B, something that was only made possible by the Italian Football Federation's decision to resolve the Catania situation by increasing the number of teams in Serie B from 20 to 24 and promoting Fiorentina for "sports merits". In the 2003 off-season, the club also bought back the right to use the Fiorentina name and the famous shirt design, and re-incorporated itself as ACF Fiorentina.
The club's unusual double promotion was controversial, with some suggesting that Fiorentina did not deserve it. However, the club remained in Serie B and managed to finish the 2003-04 season in sixth place. This put the Viola in a two-legged playoff against Perugia (the 15th-place finisher in Serie A) for a top-flight place during the next season. Fiorentina completed their remarkable comeback by winning the match 2–1 on aggregate, with both goals scored by Enrico Fantini, to gain promotion back to Serie A. In their first season back in Italian football's top flight the club struggled to avoid relegation, only securing survival on the last day of the season and only avoiding a relegation playoff based on their head-to-head record against Bologna and Parma. In 2005, Della Valle decided to appoint Pantaleo Corvino as new sports director.
Aberdeen need to have more ambition
Aberdeen FC need higher attendances and should only be ambitious in the transfer market.
Instead of prioritizing buying players from Swindon just buy good SPL players who are known to be better than average like Serverin and Nicholson.
Buy Good youth players from Celtic and Rangers but only those who have done well for club such as Burke, Charlie Adam quality not some player who never played from them.
isle of man houses
Instead of prioritizing buying players from Swindon just buy good SPL players who are known to be better than average like Serverin and Nicholson.
Buy Good youth players from Celtic and Rangers but only those who have done well for club such as Burke, Charlie Adam quality not some player who never played from them.
isle of man houses
Big countries should share out European TV money
The big countries should share out European TV money.
In the UEFA / Europa cup if you draw a big club from a big country you get to keep all the TV money from the home match. In the European cup all TV money is given back to the big nations sides regardless of where the game was played.
Say if Hamilton draw Lyon in the UEFA/ Europa Cup.
In the home game Hamilton get all the TV money the french pay to watch the home Hamilton V Lyon game.
In the European cup all that money is just given to Lyon.
As money is allocated at the end of the season to the countries by UEFA directly according to the TV audiences.
This just means small sides never get the TV deals they can get in the UEFA cups. Sin giving the big clubs an advantage.
In the UEFA / Europa cup if you draw a big club from a big country you get to keep all the TV money from the home match. In the European cup all TV money is given back to the big nations sides regardless of where the game was played.
Say if Hamilton draw Lyon in the UEFA/ Europa Cup.
In the home game Hamilton get all the TV money the french pay to watch the home Hamilton V Lyon game.
In the European cup all that money is just given to Lyon.
As money is allocated at the end of the season to the countries by UEFA directly according to the TV audiences.
This just means small sides never get the TV deals they can get in the UEFA cups. Sin giving the big clubs an advantage.
Swansea and Cardiff should join Welsh league
Why not what are they going to win in the English leagues?
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Monday, 15 February 2010
Celtic and Rangers make Scottish football lack unity
Celtic and Rangers division is the reason Scottish football often fails. It causes a lack of unity in the national team. That causes the team to fail to reach the knockout stages of tournaments.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Wrexham should join the Welsh league
Wrexham should join the Welsh league.
At present they are in the conference why is that any better than playing in a Welsh league they could win every year and get into the Europe Champions league from.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
At present they are in the conference why is that any better than playing in a Welsh league they could win every year and get into the Europe Champions league from.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Put English clubs in the Welsh Marches in the Welsh league
My idea is to have the English league sides such as Cardiff City, Wrexham Swansea City Newport and Merthy Tydfil in the Welsh league but allow English sides from the Welsh - English borders into the league. So that clubs such as Hereford, Shrewsbury, Chester etc could join. At present Welsh sides do poorly in Europe as the English based sides refuse to play in the league is to get Welsh marches sides into the league. Currently a small number of teams based in Wales play in the English leagues, of which Cardiff City and Swansea City are in the Football League. Other teams that play in the English leagues are Wrexham, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay. I would like to put all of these teams in the Welsh league. Now the problem is that these clubs to do not want to play in a league that gets attendances of a few 100 instead of playing in a league where the teams get thousands watching their matches. But if we invite English sides from Welsh borders, into the league, with the Welsh sides, (based in the English league) from the old Welsh Marches that would mean a few larger sides in the league. That would surely be an attractive proposition for the teams to play in.
The Council of Wales, based at Ludlow Castle, was reconstituted as the Council of Wales and the Marches, with statutory responsibilities for the whole of Wales together with, initially, Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
Now obviously we would struggle to get clubs that get into the championship into the Welsh league, but say clubs like Chester or Shrewsbury that are never going to do much in the English league, they may want to play in the Welsh league. As they could win Welsh cups, Welsh league cups, the Welsh league and play in Europe.
The target clubs to attract to the Welsh league from England would be A) the Welsh clubs in the league and B) small clubs in the Welsh marches that are not big enough to do much in England but big enough to make an impact in Welsh Marches league.
So this would be
Welsh sides in English league to invite
A) Cardiff, Wrexham, Swansea, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr, Newport
B) English sides from the Welsh Marches
The major clubs to bring in
Chester City, Shrewsbury Town, Gloucester City A.F.C, Hereford United Football Club
Big towns in the English countruis in the Welsh Marches
Cheshire
Big towns in Cheshire
Ceremonial county District Centre of administration Other Towns or Cities
Cheshire Cheshire East (unitary) Sandbach Alsager, Bollington, Crewe, Congleton, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Middlewich, Nantwich, Wilmslow
Cheshire West and Chester (unitary) Chester Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Malpas, Neston, Northwich, Winsford
Halton (borough) (unitary) Widnes Runcorn
Warrington (borough) (unitary) Warrington (none)
So in Cheshire, Chester City, Runcorn, Macclesfield could all join.
Big Towns in Shropshire
Telford, Shrewsbury, Wellington, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Newport, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Shifnal, Bayston Hill, Wem
So towns that would be big enough to join could be Telford, Shewsbury, Wellington, and Oswerstry already have a side.
Big towns in Herefordshire
The major settlements in the county include Hereford, which is the county town and Herefordshire's only city, as well as the towns of Leominster, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Kington and Bromyard.
So Hereford United could be a good side to bring in, with maybe Leominister.
Big towns in Worcestershire
The county town and only city is Worcester. The other major settlements, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch are satellite towns of Birmingham. There are also several market towns: Malvern, Bewdley, Evesham, Droitwich Spa, Pershore, and Tenbury Wells.
So big towns to bring into the league from here couold be Worcester City F.C, Kidderminster Harriers F.C, Redditch United F.C, Malvern Town FC
Big towns in Gloucestershire
Cheltenham, Cirencester, Gloucester
So just Cheltenham Town, Cirenchester and Gloucester City A.F.C. from Gloucestershire
Also the other borders sides such as Bristol City, and Bristol Rovers, and Tranmere Rovers could be invited to.
So imagine the Welsh sides and Chester City, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Telford, Shewsbury, Wellington, Hereford United, Leominister, Worcester City FC, Kidderminster Harriers F.C, Redditch United F.C, Malvern Town FC, Cheltenham Town, Cirenchester and Gloucester City AFC could all join the league with Cardiff, Swansea, Colwyn Bay, Newport and Merthyr. Plus possibly Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Bath, and Tranmere Rovers. that would surely equal a strong league that could attract sponsors and interest, and do well in Europe.
An ideal target could be a 20 team league of
1. Cardiff
2. Swansea
3. Colwyn Bay
4. Newport
5. Merthyr
6. Wrexham
7. Cheltenham Town
8. Kidderminster Harriers F.C
9. Hereford United
10. Telford
11. Gloucester City
12. Cheltenham Town
13. Chester City
14. Macclesfield
15. Runcorn
16. Rhyl
17. Bangor City
18. Llanelli
19. TNS
20. Carmarthen Town
A league to match any in Europe. Plus we could have Bristol City, Bristol Rovers too.
I had this idea on the 21st of July 2009, but have decided to write it up on the 23rd of July 2009, then today I posted it on my blog.
Record League Champions of 2009
Rank Club Titles Years
1 Barry Town 7 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
2 Total Network Solutions/The New Saints 4 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007
3 Bangor City 2 1994, 1995
3 Rhyl 2 2004, 2009
4 Cwmbran Town 1 1993
4 Llanelli 1 2008
isle of man houses
An examination of the eras of non old firm domination in Scottish league reasons why
An examination of the eras of non old firm domination in Scottish league reasons why?
Between 1970 and 1996 Aberdeen won 3 league titles, 6 Scottish cups, and 4 league cups, and the cup winners cup and a super cup.
This almost alone has made Aberdeen the third biggest trophy winning team in Scotland.
Outside of the era Aberdeen won one title, a Scottish cup, and 1 league cup.
Which would put them level with the likes of East Fife.
Equally Hearts won only two titles in the 20th century, and Hibs have not won a Scottish cup since the 1900s. Why would these 3 clubs that are obviously the 3rd, 4th and 5tgh bi clubs have such a poor record of non trophy wining eras?
While Celtic and Rangers barely go a couple of years without winning.
Why?
What accounts for the short period of domination years of Hearts, Aberdeen and Hibs dominance and why so many failures?
For Aberdeen the explanation could be is that football was stronger in the Industrial revolution areas, and Aberdeen was up in the north east. Two of the worst results for Scottish football were for Aberdeen teams 36-0 and 35-0, Aberdeen were only founded in 1903 and failed to win a trophy til after WW2.
Perhaps not only did WW1, and WW2 damage British football compared to other nations, but the social dislocation harmed the industrial revolution also harmed industrial heartlands and it also saw Aberdeen starting to win trophies. After WW2 Hibs had their only great era with 3 titles, as too in the fifties and early 60s Hearts had a small era of two league titles and Dundee and Kilmarnock had a small era,of one title each, while Celtic had a terrible era with only one trophy between WW2 and 1966. Equally the area of Motherwell won a league title before the 1940s but won none after.
So perhaps post WW2 Scotland industrial areas were in decline, but Rangers and Celtic got their act together but then the oil boom helped Aberdeen and then saw Aberdeen develop their own era where other than Queens Park Aberdeen had the only non old firm dominant era.
The most astonishing lack of trophies is for Edinburgh, not Aberdeen or Dundee as they have had some good eras of trophy winning.
What is astonishing is the lack of trophies for Hearts and Hibs considering they had good teams in the 19C.
What on earth lies at the route of the lack of Hearts and Hibs lack of trophy wins considering they won trophies in the 19C and early 20C. Considering they had claims as the 3rd and 4th teams in Scotland until the 80s. When Aberdeen took over and took their place in trophy wins. Well maybe it was that Edinburgh is not such an industrial era while in the 20s and 30s Glasgow produced Motherwell and Airdrie and Clyde to win trophies. East Fife and Dunfermline and Raith Rovers showed an industrial era winning trophies.
So maybe the main reason is that Hearts and Hibs have not won trophies is because of the lack of industrial region.
So the more industrial places won more trophies. Fife, Glasgow West of Scotland.
The greatest gap in trophy win is Hearts 60s to 90s. The explanation for that would be Aberdeen and Dundee United did so well. While Rangers and Celtic were still strong.
But if you look at Scottish football history there is some correlation between size of club and support of team and trophy wins in terms of history.
But the anomaly is how come Rangers and Celtic have been so dominant in Scottish football. Well it must be that Glasgow is the biggest city, and there success and rivalry breed more support and a deep base for support than any other place. Glasgow was well over double the size of Edinburgh in the early 20c.
And today their history of success has established them as the two super teams of Scottish football just as much as the success of Hibs and Hearts have established them as the two super teams of Edinburgh.
The only time Hearts and Hibs did well in winning league titles was just after WW2, and the 1900s and 19C.
Perhaps this astonishing anomaly of the lack of trophy wins for the two large Edinburgh teams can be explained by the enormity of the Rangers and Celtic in Scottish football. Because of the enormity of the population of Glasgow and West of Scotland compared to the rest of the country and the deep rivalry and working class nature of the region.
Perhaps it is only when seeing the anomaly of Aberdeen in the 70s, 80s and 90s that lack of trophies for Edinburgh seems odd. The explanation could be that industrial Scotland after WW2 was in decline while Aberdeen was growing in an oil boom but then again what about Dundee not famed for any advantages of the oil boom and was itself was quite industrial.
So why did Dundee succeed with their trophy eras. I would say Dundee FC won their trophy in the era when Celtic were not up to much. As too in the era when Hearts and Aberdeen won in the fifties and early sixties. Then Celtic go their act together I was say it was WW2 that struck Celtic down.
Why did Dundee United succeed in two league cups one title, and UEFA cup final. Perhaps it was because it was an era of Scottish decline across Scotland and this to some extent affected Edinburgh even if it was not that industrial it affected the West of Scotland including Glasgow.
But anyhow Dundee United's era was in the same eras Aberdeen. Maybe they got a knock on from the oil boom too.
If you look at Aberdeen and Dundee United in the eighties they had the same strategy both had young managers who brought through their own young talent.
The 1995 - 2010 era has seen Aberdeen and Dundee United in the top rank of Scottish football but the only teams to win trophies are Hearts 2 cups Hibs 1 league cup Livingstone 1 league cup and Kilmarnock 1 Scottish cup this was the most dominant era for Scottish football for the Old firm why this the Taylor report, the Bosman report and the increasing fiance aspect of football.
Maybe it was the capital city clubs of Edinburgh are now doing well because of the increasing importance of the capital in Scottish life my prediction is that Edinburgh may return to be a trophy winning region.
While the new firm may keep apace.
So maybe a big 6 has develped in Scottish football with Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Celtic Rangers, Dundee Utd. This was not so much the case in the past. Because the dislocating effects of the Bosman and Taylor reforms, have been warned off, and coped with, so now these clubs have sorted out and are using commercialization to be where they are aswell.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Between 1970 and 1996 Aberdeen won 3 league titles, 6 Scottish cups, and 4 league cups, and the cup winners cup and a super cup.
This almost alone has made Aberdeen the third biggest trophy winning team in Scotland.
Outside of the era Aberdeen won one title, a Scottish cup, and 1 league cup.
Which would put them level with the likes of East Fife.
Equally Hearts won only two titles in the 20th century, and Hibs have not won a Scottish cup since the 1900s. Why would these 3 clubs that are obviously the 3rd, 4th and 5tgh bi clubs have such a poor record of non trophy wining eras?
While Celtic and Rangers barely go a couple of years without winning.
Why?
What accounts for the short period of domination years of Hearts, Aberdeen and Hibs dominance and why so many failures?
For Aberdeen the explanation could be is that football was stronger in the Industrial revolution areas, and Aberdeen was up in the north east. Two of the worst results for Scottish football were for Aberdeen teams 36-0 and 35-0, Aberdeen were only founded in 1903 and failed to win a trophy til after WW2.
Perhaps not only did WW1, and WW2 damage British football compared to other nations, but the social dislocation harmed the industrial revolution also harmed industrial heartlands and it also saw Aberdeen starting to win trophies. After WW2 Hibs had their only great era with 3 titles, as too in the fifties and early 60s Hearts had a small era of two league titles and Dundee and Kilmarnock had a small era,of one title each, while Celtic had a terrible era with only one trophy between WW2 and 1966. Equally the area of Motherwell won a league title before the 1940s but won none after.
So perhaps post WW2 Scotland industrial areas were in decline, but Rangers and Celtic got their act together but then the oil boom helped Aberdeen and then saw Aberdeen develop their own era where other than Queens Park Aberdeen had the only non old firm dominant era.
The most astonishing lack of trophies is for Edinburgh, not Aberdeen or Dundee as they have had some good eras of trophy winning.
What is astonishing is the lack of trophies for Hearts and Hibs considering they had good teams in the 19C.
What on earth lies at the route of the lack of Hearts and Hibs lack of trophy wins considering they won trophies in the 19C and early 20C. Considering they had claims as the 3rd and 4th teams in Scotland until the 80s. When Aberdeen took over and took their place in trophy wins. Well maybe it was that Edinburgh is not such an industrial era while in the 20s and 30s Glasgow produced Motherwell and Airdrie and Clyde to win trophies. East Fife and Dunfermline and Raith Rovers showed an industrial era winning trophies.
So maybe the main reason is that Hearts and Hibs have not won trophies is because of the lack of industrial region.
So the more industrial places won more trophies. Fife, Glasgow West of Scotland.
The greatest gap in trophy win is Hearts 60s to 90s. The explanation for that would be Aberdeen and Dundee United did so well. While Rangers and Celtic were still strong.
But if you look at Scottish football history there is some correlation between size of club and support of team and trophy wins in terms of history.
But the anomaly is how come Rangers and Celtic have been so dominant in Scottish football. Well it must be that Glasgow is the biggest city, and there success and rivalry breed more support and a deep base for support than any other place. Glasgow was well over double the size of Edinburgh in the early 20c.
And today their history of success has established them as the two super teams of Scottish football just as much as the success of Hibs and Hearts have established them as the two super teams of Edinburgh.
The only time Hearts and Hibs did well in winning league titles was just after WW2, and the 1900s and 19C.
Perhaps this astonishing anomaly of the lack of trophy wins for the two large Edinburgh teams can be explained by the enormity of the Rangers and Celtic in Scottish football. Because of the enormity of the population of Glasgow and West of Scotland compared to the rest of the country and the deep rivalry and working class nature of the region.
Perhaps it is only when seeing the anomaly of Aberdeen in the 70s, 80s and 90s that lack of trophies for Edinburgh seems odd. The explanation could be that industrial Scotland after WW2 was in decline while Aberdeen was growing in an oil boom but then again what about Dundee not famed for any advantages of the oil boom and was itself was quite industrial.
So why did Dundee succeed with their trophy eras. I would say Dundee FC won their trophy in the era when Celtic were not up to much. As too in the era when Hearts and Aberdeen won in the fifties and early sixties. Then Celtic go their act together I was say it was WW2 that struck Celtic down.
Why did Dundee United succeed in two league cups one title, and UEFA cup final. Perhaps it was because it was an era of Scottish decline across Scotland and this to some extent affected Edinburgh even if it was not that industrial it affected the West of Scotland including Glasgow.
But anyhow Dundee United's era was in the same eras Aberdeen. Maybe they got a knock on from the oil boom too.
If you look at Aberdeen and Dundee United in the eighties they had the same strategy both had young managers who brought through their own young talent.
The 1995 - 2010 era has seen Aberdeen and Dundee United in the top rank of Scottish football but the only teams to win trophies are Hearts 2 cups Hibs 1 league cup Livingstone 1 league cup and Kilmarnock 1 Scottish cup this was the most dominant era for Scottish football for the Old firm why this the Taylor report, the Bosman report and the increasing fiance aspect of football.
Maybe it was the capital city clubs of Edinburgh are now doing well because of the increasing importance of the capital in Scottish life my prediction is that Edinburgh may return to be a trophy winning region.
While the new firm may keep apace.
So maybe a big 6 has develped in Scottish football with Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Celtic Rangers, Dundee Utd. This was not so much the case in the past. Because the dislocating effects of the Bosman and Taylor reforms, have been warned off, and coped with, so now these clubs have sorted out and are using commercialization to be where they are aswell.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Isle of Man Football
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. The league does not form part of the English football league system. All clubs on the island are amateur.
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
Peel Association Football Club are a football club from Peel on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League and they wear red, white and black kit. They play their home games at the Peel FC Football Ground, Douglas Road in Peel. Formed in 1888, they are the most successful club on the island with 29 league titles and 30 victories in the Manx FA Cup. They were the first winners of the Isle of Man Football League in 1897.
Gymnasium FC are a football club from Douglas on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League. They wear a navy and white shirt, black shorts, black socks and play their home games at Tromode Park in Douglas. Gymnasium AFC was founded in 1889 by a group of businessmen who wanted to keep fit. They met at the old Douglas Gymnasium and initially played rugby before making the switch to football. Gymns were one of 8 teams that initially made up the official Manx Football League.
Castletown Metropolitan FC are a football club from Castletown on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League and wear a red and white kit.
Pulrose United AFC. are a football club from Douglas on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League and wear a red and black kit. They play their home games at Groves Road in Douglas. Formed in 1932, they won their first trophy in the 1967-68 season when they were First Division champions.
Rushen United FC are a football club from Port Erin on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League. The team wear yellow and black stripes kit and play their home games at Croit Lowey in Port Erin. Formed in September 1910 following a civic meeting at St Catherines Church Hall in Port Erin. The club motto is Moryn Vannin, which in Manx roughly means the "The Pride of Mann". The club has a reserve team who compete in the Isle of Man Football Combination as well as a ladies team and a junior academy.
Ramsey AFC is a football club from Ramsey on the Isle of Man. They compete in the Isle of Man Football League and they wear a blue and white kit, and a change strip of all red. They play their home games at the Ballacloan Stadium in Ramsey. Formed in 1885, they are the oldest and one of the most successful clubs in the Isle of Man Football League. Much of that success though came in the last part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century.
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 Isle of Man are not members of FIFA or UEFA, as the Isle of Man FA are members of The Football Association (The FA), with similar status to an English county. Since they are not a member of either FIFA or UEFA, they are not eligible to enter either the World Cup or European Championship, nor are their league clubs eligible for the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup. It does not participate in these international competitions (it is a crown dependency of the UK and not a sovereign nation), even though it is larger than Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino and the Faroe Islands. The Isle of Man therefore is limited to different forms of competition.
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.
isle of man houses
Create a new fourth division
What about getting all the reserve teams and top junior, east of scotland league and south of scotland league and highland league
I would have a northern league of reserves sides of Aberdeen, Dunde United, Dundee, St Johnstone , Inverness and top highland league sides and Tayport.
Plus a southern league of all the other SPL or first division sides with reserves teams from the south such as Celtic and Rangers reserves and Hearts and Hibs reserves. Real sides in the division would be auchinleck talbot, clydebank, Irvine, Gretna. Even get in Newcastle United reserves.
The real reserve only league do not work as they do not preapre teams for realk football, so how about creating a league with plenty of real first team sides in the leagues too.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
I would have a northern league of reserves sides of Aberdeen, Dunde United, Dundee, St Johnstone , Inverness and top highland league sides and Tayport.
Plus a southern league of all the other SPL or first division sides with reserves teams from the south such as Celtic and Rangers reserves and Hearts and Hibs reserves. Real sides in the division would be auchinleck talbot, clydebank, Irvine, Gretna. Even get in Newcastle United reserves.
The real reserve only league do not work as they do not preapre teams for realk football, so how about creating a league with plenty of real first team sides in the leagues too.
http://isleofmanhouses.blogspot.com/
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Small teams are real test
Any team can do well on big money. Any country can do well when it has a large population. But what about sides that did well without money, and low populations that is the real test of a region and side's ability at soccer.
Who cares if Man City win tones of titles on the back of some rich guys millions.
What does that say about Man City? nothing
Who cares if Brazil have won 4 world cups when they are far bigger than any other football nation?
What does it say about a small town or city winning trophy after trophy on no money.
The most successful teams in British football are
1. Nottingham Forest
2. Aberdeen
3. Ipswich
4. Dundee United
The most successful international slides are
1. Uruguay.
2. Croatia
3. Denmark
4. Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic
The most overrated achievements
Real Madrid and Brazil
Wow clubs with lots of money and countries with lots of people win lots of football trophies who cares?
Who cares if Man City win tones of titles on the back of some rich guys millions.
What does that say about Man City? nothing
Who cares if Brazil have won 4 world cups when they are far bigger than any other football nation?
What does it say about a small town or city winning trophy after trophy on no money.
The most successful teams in British football are
1. Nottingham Forest
2. Aberdeen
3. Ipswich
4. Dundee United
The most successful international slides are
1. Uruguay.
2. Croatia
3. Denmark
4. Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic
The most overrated achievements
Real Madrid and Brazil
Wow clubs with lots of money and countries with lots of people win lots of football trophies who cares?
Western European Super league
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.
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 accedpt the likes of Anodraa and the Faroes are unlikely to prodce any teams to qualify for this league, but they could play in the qualifciation 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.
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 bringing back the tennents sixes tournament.
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 divsion Play eachother twice a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
A qualification tournament for sides to qualifty for the league.
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 divsion 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.
isle of man houses
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.
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 accedpt the likes of Anodraa and the Faroes are unlikely to prodce any teams to qualify for this league, but they could play in the qualifciation 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.
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 bringing back the tennents sixes tournament.
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 divsion Play eachother twice a year. 4 teams promoted and relegated
A qualification tournament for sides to qualifty for the league.
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 divsion 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.
isle of man houses
Scotland should cut down on obbesseion with football.
We should cut down on football as a nation, as a national sport. The record of Scotland at football is abysmal, when you consider the facts. Despite being more obsessed with football than virtually any other nation and we helped push the sport forward, we were one of the first two nations to play international football, yet incredibly our reward for this in official international football consists of Qualifying for 8 world cups none of which we got past the first round in, this is statistically ridiculous. In club tournaments despite Celtic and Rangers being massive clubs we have won just 3 trophies. Less than the individual display of single clubs sides like Ajax, Porto, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
In fact the gods of football decided that our first game in the world cup tournament would be a 7-0 defeat to Uruguay, the sort of result a very very poor San Marino team would get. This from the nation that played the first international game. The game seems to be a cruel joke on our nation, utterly gut wrenching, poverty of results, and achievements.
I hate the game now.
Defeats in world cups to teams like Costa Rica, Peru, Morocco, draws with Iran and Norway in world cups, 7-0, 4-1, 3-0 defeats in trophy. The whole sport is a cruel, cruel joke. It will just get worse.
England will be the biggest country in Europe soon in terms of population, we will be a backwater obsessed with a sport that our nearest rivals will win and win again at, and that we will do nothing except waste tones of misery on.
I hate football. It is waste of time, we are obviously not genetically predisposed for the sport compared to other nations.
Look at displays like Croatia, even the Irish managed to get to a world cup consisting of English rejects, where is the justice in that. We are obsessed with the sport and get nowhere the Irish barely care about the sport get a bunch of English rejects, and an average English boss, with clod hopper tactics, and reach the quarter finals in 1990. Even With Alex Ferguson in 1986 we got 1 point in a group. The whole sport is a cruel cruel nasty joke.
It honestly is the worst sport in the world.
I loved playing football growing up, but we have done well at other sports, but not football considering what we put into it. From an evolutionary perspective what is the point in being a fan of a sport you are rubbish at.
From an evolutionary perspective it is like saying OK so animal A can fly and can fight best in the air, Animal b can swim and can fight best in the water. This is like saying animal A decides to fight animal b in the water. It will just get killed for it's stupidity.
Us making football out national sport is like that, evolutionary stupidity.
Even the English are pretty poor at the sport they only won one world cup by cheating at home, but the big wigs in football did them, a favour and let them win a cup, we will never get a break like that in this horrible, horrible awful sickening miserable game. But England are such a big nation now in terms of population they will always have a chance, and their fans base for their club sides is so big they will dominate European trophies, while we just sit their getting walloped.
The big countries in Europe get to keep all their TV revenue in European cup football, Which is pretty unfair as Why should Manchester United get all the English TV money when the game is held in Slovakia, that does not happen in cup matches in England If Man Utd play Ipswich in the FA cup in Ipswich they do not give all the Man Utd audience money to Man Utd. No wonder big countries dominate the game, even when English or German sides play in another country in the European cup all the tv revenue goes to the German or English side. The whole game is structured to be unfair
I hate football it is a horrible, horrible sport in terms of results.
It is getting worse and worse and worse. English clubs dominate Europe, Scottish clubs becomes backwaters despite the fact that actually per capita we put more into the sport, than any other nation. Who ever the god of football is it certainly someone who decided to place Scotland way down the list on terms of potential, with little cruel mind games to build us up then crush us. One minute we France home and away but we still don't qualify. In 1954, one minute we beat Spain then lose 7-0 to Uruguay.
I mean this can't we find another sport analyze what we would be good at as a people, a sport that we helped create and have a good historical record to fall back on and be proud of.
The most gut wrenching record is out bizarre display in world cups. We invented the sport and yet decided not to play in the first 4 world cups, then when we did got bizarre results, that make no sense considering we lose 7-0 to Uruguay. Look we had beaten Spain qualifying for the tournament a team who took their players from Real Madrid the world's best club, in an era when clubs sides determined your national side,. Sp we beat a great side like Spain, at the time. So we had a strong team. Yet then bang here you go total humiliation for you in your first match in the world cup. An illogical bizarre result, that made no sense, expect if the gods of football have a dislike of Scotland with a desperate desire to hurt us.
Another thing that gets me is that virtually every single big English side has won at least one European trophy, even teams like Man City, Everton, Newcastle Utd, Leeds Utd, Tottenham, Aston Villa, that barely get a chance to play in Europe. Yet all our big two sides can do is one trophy each despite playing virtually every single year in Europe. I mean Aston Villa won a European cup and they only got one league title in the modern era, Man City won a European trophy when they barely qualified for Europe ever. I can just about take Notts forest winning two European cups when they have only won one English league title, and Ipswich all big countries can produce some great sides but statistically where is the logic in virtually every single big English side , with mediocre managers, wining at least on European trophy. It makes a mockery of the fact the old firm have one European trophy each in all those years. They should have won atleast 3 or 4 each, on that basis OK the European cup was impressive but that's it one big trophy in all that time for Celtic. While even West Ham Utd won one, and they barely play in Europe.
I think we should just say get lost of to football go away get some other nation to love you, You piece of dung, you have treated us like a piece of dung, with your mind games, brutal humiliations and gut wrenching failure.
It is not as if we are poor at sport. We have had world champions in individual snooker, team snooker, formula one, team golf, majors in golf, rally driving. Look at our display in rugby an almost mirror image of football on the international stage. We were the first nation to play an international game at that sport too. It took longer for a world cup to start in that sport yet despite that we have qualified past the group stages in every world cup, and even reached fourth place in one tournament despite not even being bothered with the sport as a nation. In American football the Scottish claymores won the world bowl. In tennis we have had a US open runner up last year. Other sports have rewarded us with as much and even more than we deserve. Soccer has been a total nightmare, an awful nasty game.
The rugby gods seem to treat Scotland with respect, the soccer gods seem to mock us like idiots, pushing us down and down every year. It seems to get worse and worse, the gods of football seem to play how far can we push them. Like some ruthless evil torturer.
Honestly if football got expelled from history, our national reputation as a sporting nation would be better not worse, which just shows how football has treated us as a sport, considering we helped invent the sport.
Also football players get bizarre sickengly large wages that beggar belief, another reason to hate football.
My steps would be let's follow rugby, or ice hockey, or hockey or volleyball, or rugby league, or some other sports.
Instead of every small town in Scotland having a pro football side, we should have different sports for each town, or each region. Greenock could support an ice hockey team, Ayr a volleyball side, Kirkcaldy a rugby league side, Edinburgh could get behind their rugby union side, and make them one of the biggest in the world. Dundee could get behind a hockey side. Perth could get behind a pro Gaelic games side. Then we could follow other sports.
Do we need a national sport? We could try lots of different ones and pick and choose and do ok at all of them, rather than putting all our eggs in a basket which seems to smash every time.
The only sport I hate more than football for out national sporting reputation, is cricket in what it has done for Scotland. The English decided that we would play virtually as a county of England. It was some bizarre sport where England decided they represented the whole of the UK. In fact we did not even get that honor, of being treated as English country, no Scottish side played in the county league, until recently, with our best players playing for England we did not even have a real national side until recently, by which time we are once again way behind other nations to make any real impression ever on the sport. Another sport where offically we look like some backwater nation that only took up the sport recently when we one of the first nations to play it. So I hate cricket even more than football. I hope cricket dies out too. I really mean it football is an awful awful sport for our national record. It is a pity it is such fun to play I have devoted so much of my life’s emotional and intellectual energy to the game but in the end it is a horror story which just seems to produce misery results. I just have a growing intense feeling the gods of football are Scot haters. Who decided ok lets help them, invent a sport they will be rubbish at, and encourage them to be obsessed with it.
The sports that makes Scotland look OK in terms of our record are rugby, Snooker, Formula one, Rally driving, cycling, Golf, squash. With honorable mentions for our record in rugby league where we get a bunch of English rejects and do pretty well, considering no one plays the sport. So the English have been kind to us there in giving us a fake good record at the sport. So I am not taking this out on England. I am not blaming England for our record at football either. The English soccer authorities were pretty good to Scotland in the early years they did not decided to quash us as a nation like cricket did and they happened us with Wembley annual matches. But let’s be honest England has a pretty poor record as a nation at football that has been a relief for us, but imagine if we lose that. The sport will be utter agony then, utter utter uncontrollable agony.
My ideas with football are give up the damn sport, join up with some other country let their record do well for us and take up other sports instead as far as club and national sport goes. I really hate the gods of football. My message to them is you have goaded us and bullied us for too long, go away, you are no longer our national sport.
My plan is
We should diversify small Scottish towns should become dominate at one sport rather than football.
In Wales Llanelli is a good rugby town, that should be an example for our towns, concentrate on a sport other than soccer make a name for yourself big time.
I want to see small Scottish towns turning over to certain sports such as
One could play rugby union
One could play rugby league
one could play curling,
one could play volleyball
one could play netball
one could play ice hockey
one could play archery
one could play field hockey
one could play water polo
one could play gaelic football
one could play hurling
one could play baseball
one could play American football
one could play shinty as many do already.
The scottish government could subsidize the pro teams in different sports in these areas. Regions could turn over to certain sports like the borders does rugby.
Imagine if we had teams in the gaelic football it would be fun to see them, and we could watch with no expectation..
At present we put 80% in to soccer, 18% into rugby and about 2% into other sports,. Lets cut our interest in football in half. It is a horrible horrible sport in what it has given us back.
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