Soccer Banter

[Bigmallly]

Just how many clubs are in financial trouble?

Instead of paying a fortune for good players why can't they raise their own. Is it like politicians that don't have long term effective plans...they might be ousted before plans come to fruition?

That's why the national team is in such a mess Donna, I think we should go back to blah years ago when a team could only field a max of 4 foreign players at a time.

[rpt]

That's why the national team is in such a mess Donna, I think we should go back to blah years ago when a team could only field a max of 4 foreign players at a time.

It won't happen unless we leave the EU/EEA. Now that's another thread entirely...

Anyway, the biggest problem with soccer is the ball's the wrong shape.

[Bigmallly]

It won't happen unless we leave the EU/EEA. Now that's another thread entirely...

Anyway, the biggest problem with soccer is the ball's the wrong shape.

Now what an entertaining game that would be if soccer was played with a rugby ball.........

[veggiechicken]

Rugball or footby anyone?

[cardiffsteve]

Anyway, the biggest problem with soccer is the ball's the wrong shape.

As long as its rugby union not league.
All that namby pamby 7 tackles then your out.
Whats all that about?

[Bigmallly]

All that namby pamby 7 tackles then your out.
Whats all that about?

I think your getting mixed up with cricket Steve.........

[cardiffsteve]

I think your getting mixed up with cricket Steve.........

All i know is about the 7 tackles rule then a scrum or summat.
Dont follow league

[Alison]

Always loved football, have no idea what soccer is though, is it similar? By the time I got in last night Chelsea were already 1 down with Terry sent off (what was he doing?) and I gave them no hope, even into the 90th minute it was touch and go and I can't believe Messi missesd the pen. Fair play to them, hope they do OK in the final but am not fancying their chances. Hoepfully De Matteo will have done enough to get the job he wants and hopefully they'll give him more time than his predecessors.

As somebody who has always supported lower league football (currently Championship so a bit nose bleed territory) the big teams have no relevant to me but enjoy watching. Will be cheering on City next Monday and really hope they wipe a few smug smiles off the corporate red side from London who think they have a connection to Manchester, their ground isn't even in Manchester proper anyway

[sowitgrowit]

I don't feel qualified to join in with this thread - I'm a lifelong Notts County supporter. Oops!

[rpt]

All i know is about the 7 tackles rule then a scrum or summat.
Dont follow league

6 tackles then a handover. Also prefer union. League is still better than Association Football though.

[Alison]

I don't feel qualified to join in with this thread - I'm a lifelong Notts County supporter. Oops!

But they have been there since the start as a founder member and am I right in thinking that they're the oldest club in the league?

[sowitgrowit]

Oldest surviving (as in still professional) club in the world. I've still only seen about 3 good seasons on my life though!

[Alison]

Oldest surviving (as in still professional) club in the world. I've still only seen about 3 good seasons on my life though!

Ah, my mum always used to tell me it was in the league but she's not been since about 1955 so any others have probably gone out of business since then!

[Vince G]

Agree we need to limit the foreign players a bit. Serie A seems to get away with restrictions to a certain extent as clubs are only allowed to sign one non-EU from outside the EU per season. However that said, there are loads of Argentinians and Uruguayans who somehow have dual citizenship with Italy therefore qualify as EU residents.

In the UK it seems to be mostly Africans who manage to get citizenship of the nation that were formerly their colonial masters, i.e. mostly France, UK and Portugal, so same deal, they qualify as EU.

[sowitgrowit]

I don't think we need to limit foreigners, exactly, but limit the money doing the rounds.

As an example, I think the reason the German team is so competetive is because the Bundesliga operates a salary cap (as far as I'm aware). This means the likes of Ronaldo, Silva, Berbatov, Tevez, etc would never move to Germany to ply their trade as the wages aren't high enough for the pampered darlings.

Consequently, clubs' finances aren't ridiculously stretched trying to "keep up with the Joneses" buying foreign imports and they can then develop their own (domestic) talent. You can watch top level games in the Bundesliga for about £10 a ticket and see 16, 17, 18 or 19 Germans on the field.

That level of competition amongst fellow countrymen has to benefit a national side far more than our system (and the fans, due to the finances not being absolutely ridiculous and subsidised by ticket prices).

In England we're too obsessed with the Sky TV image of the Premier league as the "best in the world" (it isn't, in my opinion) or the "most exciting in the world" (it isn't, in my opinion) - but this leads to an obsession of club owners with buying "names" rather than developing their own talent and building a good TEAM.

My 2p - what do I know, I traipse around the lower leagues all year!