The European football thread

[magnet]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Changing face of Scottish football.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...em/4796207.stm

Wow. This could be cool.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by bababui

If $20 mil was the max for everyone then ticket prices would go way down and it could only help the fans. I'd run around in my shorts for 90 minutes for $500K a year.

If it was £20 million though most teams wouldn't be able to afford to pay that much in wages so you'd have the same situation as is now, no idea how they would work it out but I have the feeling that something will happen before the end of my lifetime, either.

A breakaway European elite league were you need something like at least a 50,000 all seater stadium and x ammount of money to join and in the bank. Teams that would be in would read like Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Ajax, Inter, Juventus and Milan.

or/as well

Pretty much a set up like baseball with the minors although in some small way this is happening already with big teams like Man Utd hooking up with (insert team sdpm ) as a feeder club.

or/as well

I could see the lower leagues breaking away with say the Championship being like the Premiership is now but all the leagues below going back to the old North & South leagues to cut down on expenses like travelling, but bringing higher revenue in due to every game being a local derby so higher crowds at say a Burnley v Preston game than would be at a Burnley and Colchester game.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Sdpm100

I'll support the Mariners just to complete the four if you want (although I suppose they are not included in a triad - I wouldn't know tbh).

Foursome maybe ?

[ukhotstove]

sdpm you wouldn't know the average crowds for each prem team last season would you ? Reason I ask is that just saw a report and they said Latics were next to bottom in average crowds but sure that at least 2-3 averaged less than them last season although maybe wrong.

[Sdpm100]

Originally Posted by magnet

Wow. This could be cool.

I doubt the SFL think it's cool they are losing another 10 members - just 8 years ago they had 40, soon they'll have half that.

[zoraster]

I’ve got them to hand. The report was correct, although Wigan were pretty much the same as Fulham, and not that far off Blackburn.

Manchester United - - - 68,765
Newcastle United - - - 52,032
Liverpool - - - 44,236
Manchester City - - - 42,856
Chelsea --- - - 41,902
Arsenal - - - 38,184
Everton - - - 36,860
Tottenham Hotspur - - - 36,074
Aston Villa - - - 34,112
Sunderland - - - - 33,904
West Ham United - - - 33,743
Middlesbrough - - - 28,463
Birmingham City - - - 27,392
Charlton Athletic - - - 26,196
Bolton Wanderers - - - 25,265
WBA - - - - 25,404
Blackburn Rovers - - - 21,015
Fulham - - - 20,654
Wigan Athletic - - - 20,610
Portsmouth - - - 19,840

[Sdpm100]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

sdpm you wouldn't know the average crowds for each prem team last season would you ? Reason I ask is that just saw a report and they said Latics were next to bottom in average crowds but sure that at least 2-3 averaged less than them last season although maybe wrong.

I have got a list of average attendances for last season, and Wigan were second lowest in average. However I must preface this by saying that attendance when expressed as the percentage of stadium capacity is somewhat more indicative of support (however this also is not foolproof).

Rank	Team			Total		Average
1 	Manchester United 	1,306,528 	68,764
2 	Newcastle 		988,609 	52,032
3 	Liverpool 		840,491 	44,236
4 	Manchester City 	814,269 	42,856
5 	Chelsea 		796,131 	41,901
6 	Arsenal 		725,499 	38,184
7 	Everton 		700,347 	36,860
8 	Tottenham 		685,399 	36,073
9 	Aston Villa 		648,124 	34,111
10 	Sunderland 		644,180 	33,904
11 	West Ham 		641,109 	33,742
12 	Middlesbrough 		540,799 	28,463
13 	Birmingham 		520,448 	27,392
14 	Charlton 		497,721 	26,195
15 	West Bromwich 		482,667 	25,403
16 	Bolton 			480,036 	25,265
17 	Blackburn 		399,288 	21,015
18 	Fulham 			392,430 	20,654
19 	Wigan 			391,587 	20,609
20 	Portsmouth 		376,951 	19,839
	Premier League 		12,872,613	33,875

[Sdpm100]

Originally Posted by zoraster

I’ve got them to hand. The report was correct, although Wigan were pretty much the same as Fulham, and not that far off Blackburn...

In the future I would ask zoraster, as he just gives you what you asked for, whereas what do I do - make it way too informative, and not really help you with your question. Sorry...

[The Funk]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Hmmm what was it last year went something like this.

Wigan Athletic 1 v 0 Newcastle United
Wigan Athletic 1 v 0 Newcastle United
Newcastle United 3 v 1 Wigan Athletic*

* Wigan Athletic were in front 1-0 when Newcastle were given a dodgy penalty even stated as a dodgy penalty by the Newcastle media and before that penalty Wigan had to take off both central defenders due to injury in De Zeuuw and Jackson, so they ended up playing 70 minutes with a back four consisting of Baines, Zeigler, Chimbonda and Scharner 2 left backs a right back and a central midfielder in the back four.

Pssst wouldn't Camera have been your top goal scorer last season if he'd been in a Newcastle kit , yeah Chimbonda's still here although expect to see him play right wing against Newcastle as that's where he's been playing pre season.

I'd expect the Wigan team to be.

4-4-2

13 GK Kirkland
26 LB Baines
5 CB Hall
16 CB De Zeuuw
17 RB Boyce
10 LM McCulloch
14 CM Landzaat
18 CM Scharner
2 RM Chimbonda
7 ST Camara
9 ST Heskey

Subs: 12 GK Pollitt, 16 RM Valencia, 22 ST Connolly, 21 CM Cywka, 4 CB Jackson.

Don't think there will be much differance to that although he may not risk both Valencia and Cywka on the bench as both are young but full of pace and skill.

By all accounts don't you get relegated this season, after all isn't that Roeders record good first season relegated the next well technically he was in charge last season so this is his second season

If we don't get a quick, nippy striker we'll have a prety crappy season I think. Roeder is due a relegation season. And stop moaning about yer back four, have you seen our defenders play? Their training kits are actually jestors' uniforms. I really want to make disparaging comments about Heskey's general ineptitude but I won't cause then he'll score against us.

[The Funk]

Originally Posted by bababui

I heard, maybe from a Sunderland fan, that Sunderland were the biggest club in north England. This couldnt possibly be true, could it??

NO ****ING WAY!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: They're about the 3rd biggest club in a 30 mile radius. Sunderland suck.

[The Funk]

arsenal's attendance will increase greatly this season due to their shiny new, bigger stadium.

Also, Hargreaves was MOM vs Greece.

[ukhotstove]

Thanks zorastar and sdpm, I thought the report was wrong as last time I read about averages Wigan were above Portsmouth, Fulham and maybe Blackburn but that was before the end of the season.

People are saying Latics crowds will go down this season as they haven't raised season tickets but have raised single game tickets, personally I think it could be the opposite as last season because we were a freak team in some ways they put them on TV a heck of alot so people just stayed at home and watched them on TV.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by The Funk

If we don't get a quick, nippy striker we'll have a prety crappy season I think. Roeder is due a relegation season. And stop moaning about yer back four, have you seen our defenders play? Their training kits are actually jestors' uniforms. I really want to make disparaging comments about Heskey's general ineptitude but I won't cause then he'll score against us.

No was on about the injuries to our back four against Newcastle, you take both central defenders of any team after 20 minutes and that teams going to be in trouble.

imo I think Newcastle could be that big team who gets dragged into the relegation fight every season specially if they have a bad start as then it will be "sack Roeder, bring back Shearer" and I'm not even sure Shearer is the answer.

[Sdpm100]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

Pretty much a set up like baseball with the minors although in some small way this is happening already with big teams like Man Utd hooking up with (insert team sdpm ) as a feeder club.

Royal Antwerp?

[Sdpm100]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

No was on about the injuries to our back four against Newcastle, you take both central defenders of any team after 20 minutes and that teams going to be in trouble.

imo I think Newcastle could be that big team who gets dragged into the relegation fight every season specially if they have a bad start as then it will be "sack Roeder, bring back Shearer" and I'm not even sure Shearer is the answer.

IMO, the only way Newcastle will go anywhere are if they get rid of the three "S's". They got rid of one in Souness, but until Shepherd and Shearer disappear, that clique will mean the club goes nowhere. Only my view of course.

[ukhotstove]

Looks like Newcastle are going to lose out on Dirk Kuyt to Liverpool, talk was they were after Ashton but he's injured and can't see West Ham letting him go.

David Nugent from Preston is a good risk and wont cost that much really, personally I wish Wigan would go in for him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOBGOZKfDEk&eurl=

One of the great goals of Wigans history is on youtube as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y0VPeUIh9A

And this is what Wigan players get up to behind closed doors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKJn1...gan%20athletic

This ones a good one as well, look at Bullards face you know he's saying to himself "your a psycho aren't you"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp3MC...related&search=

And last one is a funny take on how America would broadcast games

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBAfE...related&search=

Sorry I was bored

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Sdpm100

Royal Antwerp?

Yeah it sounds right, they send some of teir youth players and such there, not sure if one of their players got banned for like a year or something while he was there.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Sdpm100

IMO, the only way Newcastle will go anywhere are if they get rid of the three "S's". They got rid of one in Souness, but until Shepherd and Shearer disappear, that clique will mean the club goes nowhere. Only my view of course.

Totally agree with Shearer, I know he's a legend and such but imo reason they had to give Roeder the job is that others turned them down as they didn't want to be under the Shearer shadow, like I say it's only my opinion but I got that feeling when they looked for a manager.

[ukhotstove]

Yeah it is Royal Antwerp, this is of the wiki site.

Royal Antwerp also have a long-term partnership with the English club Manchester United, often taking their young players on loan so that their development can be aided with first team football, and currently holding 6 young players from United on loan.

[bababui]

Originally Posted by The Funk

If we don't get a quick, nippy striker we'll have a prety crappy season I think. Roeder is due a relegation season. And stop moaning about yer back four, have you seen our defenders play? Their training kits are actually jestors' uniforms. I really want to make disparaging comments about Heskey's general ineptitude but I won't cause then he'll score against us.

Nice to see all the excitement build for the start of a new footie season. Two weeks from now, when all but the Big Four already have their hopes crushed, it will be back to normal.