Wednesday 11 June 2008
Little time...
Ah the joy of exams... Well my A-Level exams have limited my chance to write, although I still manage to compose articles in my head that if I only had the time to write i would. However, though no-one reads this often as far as i know, please check out the site I do write for at www.soccernews.com , a very good site for all the latest football news. If anyone is looking for a Sports or general news article writer then I am available. Please contact me at scotti_j@hotmail.com if anyone is looking. Thanks, Josh.
Monday 19 May 2008
A Different View on the FA Cup Final
How pleasing it was to finally see a set of supporters stay behind and applaud the opposition in the FA Cup Final at Wembley on Saturday. Last year the two “elite” teams (Man Utd and Chelsea) competed in one of the most uninspiring and depressing FA Cup Finals for years. Chelsea score a last gasp winner; cue the mass exit of the glory fans from Manchester.
Fast-forward a year and we see the refreshing final between Portsmouth and Welsh Championship side Cardiff. This time the large majority of fans have stayed behind to watch the presentation of the cup, and why not? Cardiff were not un-deserving of their place, and had to done well to reach the final. But the difference may be that the view of the fans, silverware is an expectation of the elite teams, as proven by the ridiculous claims that Avram Grant could be sacked after reaching the Champions League Final and finishing as runners up in the proclaimed “best league in the world”. Whereas reaching the cup final may have saved Cardiff’s fortunes, after being plunged into financial languish through previous ownership.
However it seems that the prawn sandwich eating, foul-faced fan is not only applicable to one of the elite teams, but supposedly anyone in the Premiership can fall foul of this type of fan. After Man Utd claimed the league title this year away to Wigan, many fans who had not gained tickets entered the stadium to watch their team lift the trophy. However Wigan fans took it upon themselves to confront these fans and throw verbal abuse in their direction. The Man Utd fans were not confrontational, nor had they broken any rules, yet they were still met with hostility from a club where you would expect respect. However anyone must recognise that this was from the small minority of fans, who continually ruin the reputations of many well run family clubs.
Therefore to reiterate the opening line, it really was pleasing to witness the scenes on Saturday, and I can say that the elite clubs were definitely not missed, nor were their fans.
Fast-forward a year and we see the refreshing final between Portsmouth and Welsh Championship side Cardiff. This time the large majority of fans have stayed behind to watch the presentation of the cup, and why not? Cardiff were not un-deserving of their place, and had to done well to reach the final. But the difference may be that the view of the fans, silverware is an expectation of the elite teams, as proven by the ridiculous claims that Avram Grant could be sacked after reaching the Champions League Final and finishing as runners up in the proclaimed “best league in the world”. Whereas reaching the cup final may have saved Cardiff’s fortunes, after being plunged into financial languish through previous ownership.
However it seems that the prawn sandwich eating, foul-faced fan is not only applicable to one of the elite teams, but supposedly anyone in the Premiership can fall foul of this type of fan. After Man Utd claimed the league title this year away to Wigan, many fans who had not gained tickets entered the stadium to watch their team lift the trophy. However Wigan fans took it upon themselves to confront these fans and throw verbal abuse in their direction. The Man Utd fans were not confrontational, nor had they broken any rules, yet they were still met with hostility from a club where you would expect respect. However anyone must recognise that this was from the small minority of fans, who continually ruin the reputations of many well run family clubs.
Therefore to reiterate the opening line, it really was pleasing to witness the scenes on Saturday, and I can say that the elite clubs were definitely not missed, nor were their fans.
Sunday 11 May 2008
Real success story of 2008?
Many consider the all English Champions League Final to be England’s greatest success story this season, Bristol City fans may disagree after their rise to the Championship ended with the playoff final in sight. However the real success has come from a team formed through a protest at the relocation and renaming of their beloved team.
AFC Wimbledon recently overcame Staines Town in the Ryman Premier League Playoff Final to gain promotion to the Conference South for the 2008 season. Not bad for a club who were formed in 2002 and started all over again in the same league equivalent as my local club Woodbridge Town F.C, who have an average attendance of 110 people. Successive promotions led to Wimbledon reaching the Ryman Premier, where they narrowly missed out on promotions for two seasons consecutively.
Now Wimbledon are only two leagues off a return to the football league in which they belong, and hopefully we can see a Wimbledon team that are competing at the highest level in the next few years.
Another team who deserve a mention are Aldershot Town who recently gained promotion from the Conference National to the Football League. Aldershot Town were formed after Aldershot F.C went bankrupt in 1992. Aldershot F.C had been one of the founding members of the old third division (Coca-Cola League 2) and was a member of the football league since the early 1920’s.
I thinks its always pleasing to a see team who once struggled now making a comeback, especially one who was formed after a takeover which I personally was also against.
AFC Wimbledon recently overcame Staines Town in the Ryman Premier League Playoff Final to gain promotion to the Conference South for the 2008 season. Not bad for a club who were formed in 2002 and started all over again in the same league equivalent as my local club Woodbridge Town F.C, who have an average attendance of 110 people. Successive promotions led to Wimbledon reaching the Ryman Premier, where they narrowly missed out on promotions for two seasons consecutively.
Now Wimbledon are only two leagues off a return to the football league in which they belong, and hopefully we can see a Wimbledon team that are competing at the highest level in the next few years.
Another team who deserve a mention are Aldershot Town who recently gained promotion from the Conference National to the Football League. Aldershot Town were formed after Aldershot F.C went bankrupt in 1992. Aldershot F.C had been one of the founding members of the old third division (Coca-Cola League 2) and was a member of the football league since the early 1920’s.
I thinks its always pleasing to a see team who once struggled now making a comeback, especially one who was formed after a takeover which I personally was also against.
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Has the Football League become more exciting than the Premier League?
Today in football, teams in the Premier League are being run primarily as businesses, rather than the main focus being on the football itself. Emphasis is now firmly placed on financial matters such as sponsorship, TV revenue/coverage and merchandise, in an attempt to gain a global audience for teams. Tom Hicks (co-owner of Liverpool FC) proved this problem by stating that Liverpool's main problems are the lack of sponsorship, not maximising revenue and the fact that they are not yet a global brand and need to attract the Far East more. He failed to mention anything about the team, players, coaching staff or the fact that Liverpool have not won the Premiership since it became the "Premiership".
This is in stark contrast to the Football League, which concentrates on football first, as well as the business side of the game. The teams in these leagues have a far more loyal fan base, who have supported the club for years in comparison to many Premier League fans who may attend a game a season. The business side of the Football League is not directed towards being a brand name, but to survive as a club and improve the standard of football.
Some may also agree that the competition provided in the Championship, League One or Two can be just as exciting as the premiership, if not more so. The last day championship game on Sunday was a prime example of this, where 14 or so teams could still achieve promotion or suffer relegation.
The Football League provides greater value for money than the Premier League and in comparison each team provides more entertainment for the league they are in. In my opinion after watching the F.A Cup final in 2007, I enjoyed watching Dagenham and Redbridge beating Aldershot F.C to gain promotion to the Football League in May 2007 far more.
This is in stark contrast to the Football League, which concentrates on football first, as well as the business side of the game. The teams in these leagues have a far more loyal fan base, who have supported the club for years in comparison to many Premier League fans who may attend a game a season. The business side of the Football League is not directed towards being a brand name, but to survive as a club and improve the standard of football.
Some may also agree that the competition provided in the Championship, League One or Two can be just as exciting as the premiership, if not more so. The last day championship game on Sunday was a prime example of this, where 14 or so teams could still achieve promotion or suffer relegation.
The Football League provides greater value for money than the Premier League and in comparison each team provides more entertainment for the league they are in. In my opinion after watching the F.A Cup final in 2007, I enjoyed watching Dagenham and Redbridge beating Aldershot F.C to gain promotion to the Football League in May 2007 far more.
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