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bigpoppa
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Haha that's brilliant. That ref 😂
Trouble with that though @timmy is the media would report it as a riot and then the promoted club would have no one at their games next year as the FFA would react with a supporter ban or something stupid.
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And Everyone Blamed Clive
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aussie scott21
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An American obsession with the relegation battle…Date published: Wednesday 3rd May 2017 9:18  It goes without saying that the title race is deemed more important than the relegation race. If you’ve consulted any media outlet in the last couple of weeks, you’ll have seen that coverage of Chelsea/Tottenham has outstripped coverage of Hull/Swansea/Middlesbrough by a large margin. The fonts are bigger, the stories are nearer the top, and the sidebars are more frequent and somewhat more hysterical. This makes no sense. Although the last several years have seen some notable exceptions, in general the title race will be between two or three mega-clubs, who if they don’t win it this year, will win it the next year or the next. And even if they go through a title drought, like Manchester United at the moment, the situation of the club won’t change dramatically. The money’s still there, and so are the fans. The title race is just a huge merry-go-round with lots of brightly coloured horses and brass rings for everybody. But the relegation race is for keeps. If you go down, the financial situation of your club, which affects everything from the woefully inadequate striker to the superlative tea lady, can be dramatically altered. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that it’ll ever get back to where it was. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the emotional effects of relegation. I listen to fan podcasts all the time, and with very rare exceptions, the humiliation and despair of fans facing relegation, and the all-encompassing relief and/or pride when survival is assured, are significantly more intense than the exhilaration and triumph of fans chasing and winning titles. Of course, there’s promotion as well as relegation, and the former is just as compelling as the latter. But there’s no more promotion once you get to the Premier League, just a title. And if you ask a side that’s chasing the top spots in a lower league whether promotion or the league title is more important, you know what answer you’ll get. It’s the thrill of going up and the pain of going down that really matter. In the top flight, there’s nowhere to go but down. Another point: in maybe 90% of seasons, there are significantly more teams battling relegation than going for the title. This is true even in the Premier League, which has more potential title contenders than most top-flight European leagues. So add it up for yourself: many more teams are affected by the possibility of relegation, and they’re affected much more intensely. There’s only one conclusion: the relegation race is more important than the title race. But I don’t know a single person who thinks it’s odd that the title race takes precedence. We just accept it as it is. I don’t expect to change your mind. But I’m here to say why, as a neutral, although I love all football all the time, Hull City-Swansea City gets my blood pumping more than Chelsea-Spurs. It starts with sports culture. I’m from the USA, where we have all sorts of high-quality professional sports leagues, but none of them with relegation. There are a variety of explanations, but the one I go for is: it just happened that way. All sports leagues in the USA are modelled on the one established for baseball back in 1875, which for a variety of reasons, mainly financial, was created as a closed system. It prospered, and so was naturally followed by leagues in other sports. Accretions to the system, different for each sport, have developed to the point where changing to the English model would involve such drastic upheaval and be in so few people’s interests that it might as well be literally impossible. So sports in America are heavily tilted towards title-winning. Actually, they’re tilted towards doing well enough in what’s called the ‘regular season’ to qualify for the play-offs, and then toward title winning. And that’s OK, because when the season starts, a high percentage of teams have a reasonable chance to make the play-offs, which is a decent reward for your efforts, even if you’re not going to win it all. Moreover, revenue sharing and the draft system in American sports mean that teams really can go from worst to first, and vice versa, in a relatively short time. Here’s the regular season ranking of the basketball team Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference of the NBA for the past 20 years: 12, 12, 10, 9, 3, 6, 8, 3, 11, 15, 1, 2, 4, 3, 4, 7, 12, 7, 5, 1. No one would find this sequence unusual. No matter how bad you are, a couple of years of strong management can put you in play-off contention. And if you make the play-offs, anything’s possible. All well and good. But here’s the thing: for teams that expect to start the season near the bottom, there’s just not that much at stake. It’s nice to make the play-offs, and you want to make the play-offs. Some teams have suffered very long stretches where they’ve been left out (particularly in baseball, where it takes longer to build a team), and it feels very good when they qualify. Many lesser teams oscillate in and out of the play-offs on a reasonably regular basis. But either way, since the season is built around the play-offs themselves, frustration can set in if you can’t go further. Making the play-offs becomes just another thing to do. Apologies for the long digression, but you can see where I’m coming from. The English system means that for a significant portion of the clubs in the Premier League, every match up to the last few weeks of the season matters hugely, matters so much more than any game in any of the American leagues until the play-offs. In the American system, you get hungry for games that really matter. In the English system, you get several a week. And although the title race games matter plenty, the relegation games matter more. Naturally, you also want to watch great football, and for that you have the top teams, plus plenty of quality sides in Europe. I don’t want to do without Messi, or for that matter Mousa Dembélé. But that’s just another reason why I love watching the lower teams more. I know I can always get great football whenever I want it, so it’s nothing exceptional. Under those circumstances, I’ll get more excited for a game where there’s more at stake. Remember, too, that the level of play at the bottom of the Premier League isn’t as bad as we pretend. These aren’t Sunday league players, although we call them that when they mess up. There are lots of decent footballers who do lots of decent things, and although you get the occasional stinker, most matches are very watchable. In fact, although I’m sure this goes too far for most, I’d argue that once you get to Premier League level the very nature of the sport makes watching the lower teams more satisfying. We all know that football is an incredibly difficult game. It’s very hard to score goals, and it can also be very hard to do each of the many things that might, only might, lead to one of those goals. The top teams do these things on a regular basis, the bottom teams not so much. It’s that much more of a triumph when a lesser team does something wonderful. Note that I am most emphatically NOT disparaging top teams or mid-table teams, or their fans. I watch every minute of every Premier League game, read and listen to as many fan responses as I can, and love it all. Fans of every club in the world are equally devoted to their clubs, unless perhaps David Moyes is managing. I’m on the side of every single one of those fans. Unless their club is competing against DC United, I wish them all success and happiness. So the hardest thing about the relegation race is that you know three teams will go down. It’s extremely rare that a team is doomed from the start; there’s always a chance that the right personnel decisions, the right tactics, and the right amount of luck will keep them in the league. So until the numbers are unavoidable, you can keep hoping for success – but it’s a zero-sum game, and brilliant success for one may mean horrific failure for another. You just have to hope that the teams that go down either come back up quickly, or at least don’t go into a tailspin. A final point. One of the great joys of the relegation race is that teams frequently raise their game down the stretch, producing remarkable results. In Sunderland’s 2013-14 great escape, they drew with Manchester City, defeated Chelsea, and defeated Manchester United – all away from home. This year Crystal Palace have beaten Chelsea and Liverpool away. Even the less dramatic accomplishments carry a charge: how about last weekend, when Hull City and Swansea City both picked up a point at sides significantly higher in the table? That sort of result is much more fun than when a title-chaser drops points to a mid-table team, and all you have is the failure. So call me ridiculous, call me deluded, call me masochistic, just don’t call me late for Hull-Sunderland, Swansea-Everton, and Chelsea-Middlesbrough this weekend. Are Marco Silva’s boys ready to play as favourites, and will he return to the two-striker system that brought success against Boro? Can Paul Clement’s diamond hold off Everton, with Romelu Lukaku up against Alfie Mawson? Can Boro pull off one of those late-season miracle results? Hold all calls and let the cats feed themselves, it’s the climax of the season, and only a 6.5 earthquake (which fortunately has never happened in central Pennsylvania) could shift me from the set. Peter Goldstein
An American obsession with the relegation battle... - Football365
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aussie scott21
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Memories of May 2 1990 - a date that resonates with both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City fans with very different emotionsMay 2 1990 is a date that plenty of fans on both sides of the football fence in Bristol after the crucial derby at Twerton Park- 17:19, 2 MAY 2017
- UPDATED08:00, 3 MAY 2017
 Bristol Rovers v Bristol City May 2 1990Imagine this; Bristol Rovers and Bristol City playing each other at the end of the season, both set to be promoted into the Championship but only one to be crowned the league champions. Roll back 27 years and that is exactly what happened on May 2 1990 at Twerton Park and many fans in Bristol remember it like it was yesterday. Regardless of whether you are of the blue or red persuasion the match is certainly one that went down in both the clubs’ histories. Of course, for Rovers fans the night couldn’t have been better; they secured promotion to Division Two (as the Championship was then known as), beat their arch rivals on home turf and managed to clinch the champions’ gong. Twerton ParkFor the Ashton Gate faithful it was a bitter sweet night that saw their team secure successfully get promotion but were not able to beat Rovers to reach the top spot in the league table. Not only that but the score was 3-0; unsurprisingly it was a score line to rub salt in the wound of the Robins but gave Rovers even more reason to celebrate. Of course, with nearly three decades passing, there has been plenty of changes for both teams but the rivalry being a constant. The chance of local derbies reoccurring seemed to edge that bit closer earlier this season as City battled in the relegation zone of the Championship and Rovers vied for a place in the League One play-offs. But it was not to be, this season anyway. Here are the memories of fans who were there in Bath for the May 2 game 27 years ago today: Bristol Rovers fan Dennis PayterIan Holloway“It was one of those great nights I will never forget, clinching promotion by beating our biggest rivals 3-0 especially when Ian Holloway slotted home that penalty for the third. The place went mad. Twerton Park was packed to the rafters and the atmosphere was like a cup match. City had never done well in Bath and they certainly didn’t fancy this game with the Rovers fans right on top of them. City had been making the running all season then suddenly they hit a bad spell of form and were only two points ahead of Rovers going into this game, the last but one of the season. If City had won they would be champions, but with that in mind Rovers attacked them from the start and big Devon White scored with his first chance before getting another soon after the break. The pitch invasion at the final whistle and the players celebrating on the balcony went on long into the night. We had to pinch ourselves, clinching promotion by beating City 3-0 was beyond our wildest dreams. Rovers then secured the championship by winning at Blackpool with the reds also going up.” Bristol City fan Matthew Withers"My overriding memory is of how badly we played and also the crowd trouble. I remember at one point Joe Jordan came over to speak to us to help calm the City fans down. I don't really remember that happening since. I was 20 at the time and I remember getting home and throwing my City shirt in the corner of the room. I said I was never going again. It was purely on how badly we played. "We had been so great all season and definitely going into that game we had it all to lose. The expectation was there from the fans because we had been top for so long, we were expecting to win. It was an odd situation really because we were all devastated despite being promoted. "In my 40 years of following City I think that has to be the most memorable derby game." Some more from Rovers historian Martin Bull“May 2 has gone down in Gas history as one of the greatest dates on the calendar; not just because we thrashed City, but because ‘ragbag’ Rovers had achieved the almost impossible – promotion to the Championship whilst not owning a ground, not owning a training ground, and not even owning the proverbial pot to… well, you get the gist. Earlier in the season Rovers sold the first £1m goalkeeper (Nigel Martyn) and our top scorer (Gary Penrice), whilst spending just £70,000 of it to replace ‘Penny’ with Carl Saunders who was languishing in the Stoke City reserves, playing as a right back. We did however have a team, a great spirit and an intelligent ex-England Captain as a manager who had an eye for forgotten talent and simple tactics. Gerry Francis will always be a hero to Gasheads (despite the ill-fated 2001 return) and I was honoured to meet him last week. The mullet hasn’t changed but the boiler suits have at least been ditched. That May meeting spawned a Rovers fanzine entitled ‘The Second of May’ and also gave Rovers fans a respect for City manager Joe Jordan who bravely went over to talk to the City fans ripping down hoardings and treating him with disdain. Most of all it showed what could be achieved in the face of adversity, and in trying to balance the books rather than seek bankruptcy and failure to honour creditors and contracts.
Memories of May 2 1990 - a date that resonates with both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City fans with very different emotions - Bristol Post
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aussie scott21
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Billericay Football Club’s plans for a new 5,000 seater stadiumBILLERICAY Football Club fans could be set to get a brand new 5,000 seater stadium, pitch and clubhouse if ambitious plans are given the go-ahead. The club, which currently plays in the Ryman Premier Division, has submitted a planning application to Basildon Council for a revamp of its current facilities. The application includes replacing the pitch at Blunts Wall Road with an artificial grass pitch, improvements to the car park and training facilities and a new two-storey pavilion building with club room, but plans are also in the offing for an ambitious stage two. Glenn Tamplin, owner and manager of the team, said: “It’s a very exciting time. The players have gone from having 300 spectators per week to 1,900. These will be facilities for use by the team, the community, organisations and schools. “Stage two will be a 5,000 seater stadium with a two-storey clubhouse with a fully furnished restaurant, VIP area and fans area. “It’s quite simple really; it’s what I said we would do at the very beginning when I first joined. I see the club as a League 2 club and this is all part of my future vision. “All of the fans and players are loving the idea.” A design and access statement submitted with the proposal said: “The improved facilities will attract better use of the playing field site and the Artificial Grass Pitch will allow matches and training to take place throughout the year and in times of poor weather when grass pitches would be otherwise unusable.” Joe Varty, 23, of Belgrave road, Billericay, has been a Billericay fan since he was five-years-old. He said: “What’s happening at the club is exciting and unbelievable both on and off the pitch. “The plans to develop the stadium and improve the training facilities will continue to enhance this great club’s stance as it prepares its charge towards the Football League over the coming years. Already I cannot wait for next season to begin.” Dan Baquero, 31, of Holly Bank, Langdon Hills, added: “I’m very excited for the proposed upgrade to the club. Any plan that allows the local community to use brand new facilities has to be a good thing. I’m also very interested to see how the stadium looks by the time pre-season roles around; new north and south standing areas as well as (hopefully) a new main pitch.. who wouldn’t be excited?”
Billericay Football Club’s plans for a new 5,000 seater stadium (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)
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aussie scott21
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How Newport County have come to within 90 minutes of pulling off the impossible Great EscapeThe Exiles have spent all bar ten weeks of the season in the bottom two and at one stage were 11 points from safety with just 12 games to go  Newport County could achieve what seemed impossible (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)It seemed hopeless, inevitable almost. The long, slow death in front of dwindling crowds. For 31 times this season, the final whistle blew on games in League Two with Newport County AFC in the bottom two of the Football League. There have been 29 Monday mornings where County fans have started work with their side in the relegation places and looking set to return to non-league football, just four years after promotion at Wembley following the incredible journey from the club's re-birth in exile. Yet this Monday could be very different in the offices and workplaces near the Usk. This Monday could produce the biggest smiles seen since Wembley as their biggest crowd since returning to the Football League will descend upon Rodney Parade in the hope the Greatest Escape can be assured with victory over Notts County. (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)More than 6,000 will be in the ranks of the Amber Army, led by local hero Michael Flynn, the manager set to take on legendary status if he can pull it off having stepped into the dug-out with the Newport 11 points from safety with just 12 games to go. It felt like an impossible job – but a job Flynn is urging his side to complete this Saturday. But how did it become possible? Flynn has stepped in and had a brilliant affect on struggling Newport County“I don't want a season like last season – it was about staying up. I want to progress.” - Warren FeeneyNot many were expecting promotion at Rodney Parade but the fact that Feeney's first full season lasted eight games suggested the powers-that-be expected better. The hopes of a fresh start under a boss rated as a bright, young thing were disappearing fast once the autumn came. One league win in the first two months had piled the pressure on the Northern Irishman whose form at the tail-end of the previous season when he replaced John Sheridan had also come under attack. Some 13 players had moved on and 17 players arrived, but it was felt more change was needed as Newport sat bottom of the League Two table. The County board cited Feeney's lack of experience and turned to a man with plenty of it, as well as plenty of tales of a robust approach to management. Graham Westley had arrived. Former Newport County manager Warren Feeney (Photo: PA Wire)"I have to grab hold of this football club and produce an incredible performance. I'm very determined to make this the best job I've ever done.” - Graham WestleyThe 48-year-old arrived and made clear his intent to make a mark. More solid performances were noted and, after one point from the first three games , a three-game winning run took Newport out of the bottom two for the first time since September . It was not to last. He was backed to make 13 January signings to overhaul the squad but six weeks later – with only one more win to his name and fans clear in their anger after a 4 -0 home defeat to nearest rivals Leyton Orient – Westley was sacked . Westley has been in charge at Rodney Parade since October 10“There is probably not a lot Michael can do, other than rally the troops.” - Nathan Blake.The words of a friend spelt out the task facing Michael Flynn, the midfielder, turned youth coach, turned business ambassador, turned coach, turned player again and now manager. Newport County caretaker manager Michael FlynnCounty were 11 points off safety as Flynn was named caretaker manager for the rest of the campaign without a transfer window to affect anything. Flynn wasn't throwing in the towel, but he wasn't going to see his hometown club lose their Football League status without a fight. Target: 12 Games to Go, 11 points from safety Newport County players celebrate with their travelling fans at the final whistle (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)“We are staying up” - Newport fansWhether the 200 or so travelling fans really meant it or not was an irrelevance, but seeing captain Joss Labadie score the winner at Crewe to complete a 2-1 comeback win at least gave the supporters something to cheer about. Within four days, a Ryan Bird penalty was enough to grab the win at Morecambe and suddenly it didn't seem so far-fetched with County making the symbolic step off the foot of the table. Target: 10 Games to Go, 7 points from safety Newport County are humbled"We are in a difficult situation, but we are still fighting." - Mike FlynnThough survival dreams were running wild, the first blows on Flynn's fantasies had started to come. Newport found themselves two down at home to Blackpool but clawed one back, only to lose 3-1 as they attempted in vain to push for an equaliser. A draw in the game in hand followed, as did then defeat away to promotion-chasing Portsmouth. But players had cited the fact Flynn was giving them confidence to play while classy midfielder Mark Randall – frozen out by the previous manager – showed he was ready to make a mark on his return as County refused to give up at Pompey. With rivals failing to take advantage as Leyton Orient's collapse continued and Cheltenham and Hartlepool struggled, they had good reason to. Target: 7 Games to Go, 6 points from safety David Pipe captain of Newport County celebrates with team mates at the end of the match (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)“Ain't No Stoppin’ Us Now’” - Newport players' dressing room stereoThree games, three goals, three clean sheets as more than 3,000 piled into Rodney Parade for the last of them, the Good Friday win over Yeovil that signalled that this was more than just fighting talk. A 1-0 win over Crawley and the slip-ups of others provided momentum that not even a M5 pile up and a delayed kick-off at Exeter could stop as Tom Owen-Evans hit a stunner ; cue the music from the victorious changing room. Flynn had brought the belief back, allowed Randall to orchestrate in midfield and was able to call upon the steel of returning former skipper David Pipe. By the time the Glovers were dispatched courtesy of a Mickey Demetriou free-kick, only a Hartlepool equaliser at home to Carlisle kept Newport from climbing out of the bottom two. Target: 4 Games to Go, 1 point from safety. Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Sid Nelson of Newport County celebrate the win (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)“I said we had only cup finals left. Now it's only one.” – FlynnFlynn refused to let a 6-1 hammering away at promotion-sealing Plymouth derail things, especially with Hartlepool's shock defeat to free-falling Orient keeping them in touching distance. By the Saturday, Accrington – who had not been beaten in 16 games – were seen off by Ryan Bird's goal. Hartlepool's defeat to Barnet – and subsequent Jeff Stelling rant over boss Dave Jones – saw Newport rise out of the bottom two with two games to go. They headed to play-off chasing Carlisle, finding the lead and the chance to escape the clutches of relegation for sure after Demetriou's early goal and Hartlepool's impending defeat at Cheltenham, only for two goals in the space of two second-half minutes to set up a final game showdown . A point clear, at least matching Hartlepool's result will see County survive in front of more than 6,000 fans. From hopeless to the hopes and dreams of a city. The impossible job is 90 minutes away from being completed. Target: 1 Game to Go. One result required.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-newport-county-come-within-12981957
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And Everyone Blamed Clive
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+xMemories of May 2 1990 - a date that resonates with both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City fans with very different emotions
- 17:19, 2 MAY 2017
- UPDATED08:00, 3 MAY 2017
Was in Australia, (working on the SFS groundstaff coincidentally)
So missed it, gutted
This paragraph sums it up best
[quote]May 2 has gone down in Gas history as one of the greatest dates on the calendar; not just because we thrashed City, but because ‘ragbag’ Rovers had achieved the almost impossible – promotion to the Championship whilst not owning a ground, not owning a training ground, and not even owning the proverbial pot to..
Winner of Official 442 Comment of the day Award - 10th April 2017
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aussie scott21
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Indian champions will 'fast to death' over relegation threat  |  |
MENAFN - Asia Times - 04/05/2017
|  (MENAFN - Asia Times) Less than a week after winning the I-League, India's top football league, Aizawl FC is fighting relegation. The club could find itself in the strange position of challenging for continental honors such as the Asian Champions League while playing in India's 2nd division next year due to a major reorganization of the Indian football league structure. Over the past year, the All #India Football Federation (AIFF) has been working on a plan to merge the I-League, the traditional top division of Indian football, with the lucrative Indian Super League run by IMG-Reliance. Aizawl FC, a relative upstart which only qualified for the I-League in 2015, was not included in the proposed new top division. Following its title triumph, the club said in a statement that it has submitted a formal claim to the AIFF requesting its inclusion in the new league. The statement, which was posted to Twitter, went on to declare that if the request is declined, the club would resort to protest, including 'mass hunger strike [and] fast unto death.' The DailyBrief Must-reads from across Asia - directly to your inbox Kushal Das, General Secretary of the AIFF, has been quoted by DNA as saying that Aizawl should not see the second division as the end of the road since those matches would be televised too. In response, Robert Royte, owner of Aizawl FC spoke to Goal.com of plans to co-ordinate a worldwide protest movement that would lobby everyone from the FIFA to the Indian Parliament to ensure Aizawl's inclusion. The AIFF is yet to issue an official statement on the matter. Aizawl FC, a small, unfancied club from Mizoram state in India's northeast, was participating in only its second season in the I-League this year and was actually relegated after finishing second from bottom atthe end of its debut season. The club's fairytale run to the title was only made possible due to the withdrawal of other teams over objections to the proposed new league. The club's unexpected victory has now created huge problems for the AIFF, whose new league would lack credibility without the reigning champions. 'We are awaiting the AIFF's decision. We have been told they are going to have a meeting on Saturday,' said Vanlalnghaka Chhawnchhek, General Secretary of Aizawl FC. 'We don't have money but we have patience. We will wait and see and do whatever it takes.' The new top division would only see the participation of three teams from the existing I-League structure - Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Bengaluru FC, all established clubs with large fan bases. All other clubs would be forced to play in two separate divisions without the possibility of promotion to the top tier. 'They have chosen money over merit. It is a kind of racism,' alleges Vanlalnghaka, alluding to the fact that clubs were chosen based on their commercial prospects rather than footballing prowess. Entry to the Indian Super League is based on a franchise system similar to America's Major League Soccer rather than the traditional model of promotion and relegation followed in most other countries. It was launched in 2013 as a collaboration between Rupert Murdoch's Star India, sports management group IMG and Reliance Industries, which is controlled by Mukesh Ambani, the country's richest man. In its short run, the league has managed to dwarf the stadium attendance and TV viewership figures of the I-League, resulting in a clamor for it to be legitimized as India's official top league.
http://menafn.com/1095453068/Indian-champions-will-fast-to-death-over-relegation-threat
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aussie scott21
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Football Queensland was meant to release teams today for the new division system.... but it has been delayed. It cant some quick enough. One of toughest sports roles in the state but he's enjoying it WORK-OUT: Fire goalkeeper Kevin Downes has been kept busy.Warren LynamFOOTBALL: He's watched the ball slip past him on 45 occasions from just eight outings but don't feel too sorry for goalie Kevin Downes, who is relishing the challenge at a struggling Sunshine Coast Fire. The 26-year-old left a winning culture at Mitchelton in the Brisbane Premier League to link with the Bokarina-based outfit this season, only to suffer a series of crushing losses in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. But he's at the club for a string of reasons. One is to test himself. "A lot of the games I've been involved in (during previous seasons) I haven't had to do much. I was called upon once or twice a game,” he said. "I knew (coming to the Fire) it was going to be a struggle this season and I knew what I was in for but I wanted to see where I was at, having to forced into saves week-in week-out.” And while he's conceded plenty of goals, behind a battling back-line, he's also stopped a swag of shots. He's also welcomed a leadership role amid an inexperienced unit. "I knew that I was going to be one of the senior players in the squad,” he said. "(In recent years) I didn't talk much and wasn't much of a senior player...there were senior players that had those roles filled. But (now) I'm enjoying that (seniority) and I think it's taking my game to the next level. "I'm having to think about the game and explain it to the young boys.” He's also at he club to help it along. "It is a struggle (losing regularly)....but you tell yourself why you're doing it and what the benefits are going to be for the club,” he said. "We want to help the club get back on its feet.” Eleventh of 12 teams, the Fire heads into a round nine state league clash with sixth-placed Moreton Bay at Birtinya on Sunday (2pm) following a run of six defeats in the league and a midweek 4-3 defeat to suburban side Caloundra in the fifth round of the FFA Cup preliminaries. He said the Fire - a tier two side - had actually been buoyed by their performance against the Eagles, despite the latter being a tier three outfit. "It was a bit better for us confidence wise, just being in the game for the whole 90 minutes,” he said.
https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/one-of-toughest-sports-roles-in-the-state-but-hes-/3171957/
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aussie scott21
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Really hoping Forest go down Championship: Blackburn, Nottingham Forest & Birmingham battle for survival 1 hour ago From the sectionFootball Share this page Tony Mowbray, Mark Warburton, Harry Redknapp Blackburn's Tony Mowbray, Nottingham Forest's Mark Warburton and Birmingham's Harry Redknapp will hope to steer their respective clubs to safety on Sunday Championship final day Date: Sunday, 7 May Kick-off: 12:00 BST Coverage: Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio commentary of all 12 matches; live text commentary on BBC Sport website and app from 11:00 BST. A former Premier League champion, a two-time European Cup holder or a recent League Cup winner. By 14:00 BST on Sunday, one of those three will be a League One club. It is 37 years since Blackburn Rovers were in England's third tier, 22 for Birmingham City and only nine for Nottingham Forest. Rovers and Forest are in most danger of being relegated from the Championship on Sunday, while Blues could also fill the one remaining spot in the bottom three. BBC Sport assesses why these three struggling sides find themselves in trouble. Sunday's team news Brentford v BLACKBURN ROVERS Bristol City v BIRMINGHAM CITY NOTTINGHAM FOREST v Ipswich Town Championship bottom six Permutations Blackburn will survive if they better Nottingham Forest's result, which would send Forest down. If they match Forest's result, Rovers must effect a two-goal swing on Forest to finish above them, as Forest's goal difference is better by one and they have also scored nine more goals. Blackburn will go down if both clubs draw. Birmingham will be safe if they win, regardless of results elsewhere. However, if Blackburn and Forest both win, anything less than a victory for Blues would send them down. A draw would not be enough in that scenario as they have the worst goal difference of the three clubs, who would all finish on 51 points. Blackburn Rovers (22nd, 48 points) Andy Bayes, BBC Radio Lancashire: "The season comes down to one last match, which has been likened to a cup final. For Blackburn Rovers, it's more important than that. "'Unthinkable' has been the word used in terms of relegation all season. It would be a shattering blow for a club still feeling the effects of relegation from the Premier League in 2012 and poor recruitment decisions in the aftermath. "A victory might not secure their status. A defeat might. They just have to look after themselves, with an ear on what's happening at Ashton Gate and The City Ground." Danny Graham Blackburn won their penultimate game of the season against Aston Villa with a goal from Danny Graham (right) Tony Mowbray, Blackburn manager: "We have to go into the last game knowing that we are a decent team in this league. "It should be a pretty even match. Over the last 14 games we have shown that we are better than the league position we are in, but over 45 games we have shown we are not. "We have to use the extra adrenalin, intensity and desire that we could have on the day. "I am positive we can go and get a result, find a performance and then see what everyone else does. "Sometimes knowing that you have to get result can help. There is no grey area, we have to go win. "I will try to inspire the players before the game, give them a cause to fight for and send them out to get a victory." Nottingham Forest (21st, 48 points) Colin Fray, BBC Radio Nottingham: "Forest's problems are both short and long-term, but they've added up to a season of disaster. Owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi's five years in charge have seen the Reds finish lower each season than the previous one so it's almost inevitable that - without a new owner - a relegation scrap would follow. "Takeovers have twice come close, and another attempt to buy the club by Evangelos Marinakis - the owner of Greek champions Olympiakos - is well advanced. "But poor leadership and failed takeovers have led to an alarming lack of infrastructure. There's still no chief executive, and though Frank McParland is now trying to rebuild things as director of football, the lack of a scouting network has been bemoaned by a series of managers. "Speaking of managers, there have been three this season. Philippe Montanier signed 12 players and five more were added in January, by which time he'd left and Gary Brazil was in charge. "Of those 17 newcomers, one has been in the starting line-up in recent matches. Hardly great recruitment for a club haemorrhaging money, and when you throw in the sale of prized young asset Oliver Burke, it's not a policy that's gone down well with supporters. "On the pitch, some things have been embarrassing: schoolboy errors, arguments between players about who would take a penalty, a player changing the formation without reference from the coaching staff. "All that said, with Mark Warburton at the helm, McParland recruiting, the core of a good squad and a potential takeover looming again, Forest fans have cause for optimism - if they can get the job done against Ipswich." Danny Fox Nottingham Forest have won two, drawn two and lost four of their eight games under Mark Warburton Mark Warburton, Forest manager: "'Bravery' is the key word. We use that word a lot and we ask the players to take the ball in tight areas and deal with the situation; don't come away from the game with any regrets. "These type of games and challenges ask questions about your strength of character and I think we have enough to deal with it. These games are where you define yourself." Chris Cohen, Forest club captain: "It's probably the biggest game since I have been at the football club [joined in 2007]. We have to thrive in a big situation. It will test what we are like as characters. "It's about being brave. It will be a nervy atmosphere I am sure. The fans will be nervous, the same as we are. We have to set a really high tempo to start - that is crucial. We need to show the fans how much it means to us. "The support is vital. We understand their frustrations - lots of us have similar frustrations. But there is nothing we can do about it. The past is the past. "We need them all for one more game. We need it be loud, we need it be encouraging. It is down to us to give them something to roar for." Birmingham City (20th, 50 points) Richard Wilford, BBC WM: "You can't really view Birmingham City's late relegation scrap as anything other than a self-inflicted wound. "When new owners Trillion Trophy Asia unexpectedly dispensed with the services of manager Gary Rowett in December, the club were flirting with the play-offs, and though they were unlikely to sustain that challenge, there were few signs of danger. "Gianfranco Zola arrived for an ill-fated four months at St Andrew's. Although he was almost bewilderingly short of good fortune, there were clearly many issues on and off the field. "Attempting a wholesale change in playing style without a pre-season and with modest incomings in the January transfer window was, at best, optimistic. "Ultimately it proved foolhardy as Zola managed only two wins in 22 league games and friction in the squad resulted in an unseemly squabble in the post-match warm-down at Rotherham. "Zola's resignation gave Harry Redknapp, Steve Cotterill and Paul Groves three games to save the club's Championship status. That may have been just enough. The victory over Huddersfield in the final home game, playing most of the match with 10 men, was the stuff of real togetherness, spirit and mettle. "But it should never have come to this." Harry Redknapp After losing their first game under Harry Redknapp at Aston Villa, Birmingham then boosted their survival hopes by beating Huddersfield Town Harry Redknapp, Birmingham manager: "The lads are in good shape. We've got pretty much everybody fit and the atmosphere around the place seems good. "We've tried not to complicate the game for the lads too much and play to our strengths and I think we've done that so far. "But Bristol will be a tough place to go in front of a full house and what will be their biggest crowd of the season. "They went to Brighton and did a job on them last weekend and they beat Huddersfield 4-0 a few weeks ago, so they've got some form. "They'll be up for it as everyone wants to win their last home game of the season, but so will we. "A draw's no good. A point will make no difference, so it's win or bust for us." http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/39782562
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Canada is getting its own professional league as Canadian Premier League gets green light Canada will finally be getting its own professional soccer league. The country’s soccer association officially sanctioned the Canadian Premier League, giving it the go-ahead to operate as Canada’s top league. The league has been in the works for the better part of a year now. With the sport growing in the country, there has been a desire to see professional soccer in more markets and to do so without the constraints that come with being part of a predominantly American league. Now, instead of having to deal with rules that are geared towards American teams and their needs, teams in the Canadian Premier League will get to operate in a way that best benefits Canadian soccer. That’s especially true when it comes to roster designations and how they develop youth players, not to mention making it easier to establish teams in markets across the country. Being able to call it a league of their own — Canada is the richest country in the world without its own professional soccer league — is important too. The Canadian Premier League will not lead to the Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC leaving MLS. Those three teams will continue to play in MLS and will remain Canada’s preeminent clubs, but the Canadian Premier League will help fill out the rest of the country below those three teams. The new league can serve as the country’s Tier 2 league, with regional leagues in the tier below. In addition to sanctioning the Canadian Premier League, Canada Soccer also approved Winnipeg and Hamilton ownership groups, setting those two cities up to be part of the league’s inaugural season. It’s possible that FC Edmonton, who are currently in the NASL, and the Ottawa Fury, who are in the USL, will jump to the Canadian Premier League. Where other teams come from remains to be seen, although Calgary and Regina have been rumored to be target markets. There is still a lot of work to be done for the new league. In addition to finding more owners and markets for the remaining teams, they need to secure stadiums, figure out a schedule, league rules and all of the other things that go into launching a league. But the Canadian Premier League is coming, maybe as soon as 2018, and that’s massive. http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/canadian-premier-league-approved-canada-soccer-launch-050617
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aussie scott21
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Crucial win lifts Swansea out of drop zone Swansea City have climbed out of the Premier League's relegation zone with a 1-0 win against Everton, giving their survival aspirations a significant boost. After Hull City suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat against relegated Sunderland earlier in the day, Fernando Llorente's first-half header sealed a precious win for the Welsh side. The Swans defended resiliently for large periods of the second half but could have extended their lead, and eased the growing tension around the Liberty Stadium, had Llorente and Leroy Fer done better with promising chances amid the Everton pressure. Swansea, who have 35 points, face bottom-of-the-table Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion in their final two games while Hull, on 34 points, play Crystal Palace and finish with a difficult game against Tottenham Hotspur. Everton sit seventh with 58 points from 36 games. http://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/05/07/04/36/crucial-win-lifts-swansea-out-of-drop-zone
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aussie scott21
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Rugby Football League CEO calls first year of Toronto Wolfpack an ‘absolute success’ TORONTO – As CEO of the Rugby Football League, Nigel Wood was in Toronto last spring to attend the launch of the Wolfpack. And he has liked what he’s seen in the months since. “I think they’ve had a very exciting baptism. They’ve certainly been very competitive on the field,” Wood told The Canadian Press. “And we’re looking forward to seeing the reaction of the Toronto sports public to their first game this weekend.” Wood, who is also chairman of the Rugby League International Federation, was speaking from Australia where he was attending meetings and taking in the Australia-New Zealand test match. The Wolfpack, who have won all five of their league matches in England, debut at home Saturday against Oxford RLFC (2-2-0) at Lamport Stadium. Toronto, the sport’s first transatlantic team, has started life in the third tier of English rugby league – the Kingstone Press League 1. Its goal is to win promotion first to the second-tier Championship and then the elite Super League. Wood says he always had confidence in the Wolfpack’s ownership and believed putting a team in Toronto was a “terrific opportunity” for rugby league to get ahead of other sports looking at transatlantic play. “That’s not to say that there aren’t still things to prove, because there are,” he said. “I will say that fundamentally the first 12 months of this club’s existence have been an absolute success.” The Wolfpack have drawn worldwide attention both to the sport and England’s third tier, with rival teams benefiting at the box office when Toronto comes to town. But pitting the fully professional Wolfpack against semi-pro opposition has resulted in some lopsided scores – Toronto’s last two league wins were 80-0 over the North Wales Crusaders and 82-6 over Doncaster RLFC. The Wolfpack, who top the table, have outscored their opposition 310-37. Toulouse Olympique XIII had a similar rampaging run last year when it entered the same league as Toronto. The French team won promotion after a 13-0-1 season that saw it outscore its opposition 702-184. READ MORE: Toronto rugby team makes history by joining U.K. league Wood says there is an expectation in British sports that when teams join “the professional pyramid,” they do so at the bottom level and have to earn their spurs. Starting at the bottom also allows teams “to knock any teething problems out of their operation” before moving up. And while he says the Wolfpack came out of the blocks as favourites to win League 1, that won’t necessarily be the case in the Championship. Wood’s schedule hasn’t allowed him to attend the Toronto home debut but he says the RFL has officials in town. “We want to see firsthand the size of the crowd, the reaction of the public, just how much excitement it creates in the Toronto market.” http://globalnews.ca/news/3431835/rugby-football-league-ceo-calls-first-year-of-toronto-wolfpack-an-absolute-success/
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TheSelectFew
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+xCanada is getting its own professional league as Canadian Premier League gets green lightCanada will finally be getting its own professional soccer league. The country’s soccer association officially sanctioned the Canadian Premier League, giving it the go-ahead to operate as Canada’s top league.The league has been in the works for the better part of a year now. With the sport growing in the country, there has been a desire to see professional soccer in more markets and to do so without the constraints that come with being part of a predominantly American league.Now, instead of having to deal with rules that are geared towards American teams and their needs, teams in the Canadian Premier League will get to operate in a way that best benefits Canadian soccer. That’s especially true when it comes to roster designations and how they develop youth players, not to mention making it easier to establish teams in markets across the country. Being able to call it a league of their own — Canada is the richest country in the world without its own professional soccer league — is important too.The Canadian Premier League will not lead to the Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC leaving MLS. Those three teams will continue to play in MLS and will remain Canada’s preeminent clubs, but the Canadian Premier League will help fill out the rest of the country below those three teams. The new league can serve as the country’s Tier 2 league, with regional leagues in the tier below.In addition to sanctioning the Canadian Premier League, Canada Soccer also approved Winnipeg and Hamilton ownership groups, setting those two cities up to be part of the league’s inaugural season. It’s possible that FC Edmonton, who are currently in the NASL, and the Ottawa Fury, who are in the USL, will jump to the Canadian Premier League. Where other teams come from remains to be seen, although Calgary and Regina have been rumored to be target markets.There is still a lot of work to be done for the new league. In addition to finding more owners and markets for the remaining teams, they need to secure stadiums, figure out a schedule, league rules and all of the other things that go into launching a league. But the Canadian Premier League is coming, maybe as soon as 2018, and that’s massive. http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/canadian-premier-league-approved-canada-soccer-launch-050617 I pray Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver jump too. No more teams in the US!
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And Everyone Blamed Clive
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South Coast Mariners Advisor Harry Rednapp keeps Birmingham up
Winner of Official 442 Comment of the day Award - 10th April 2017
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TheSelectFew
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Canberra & Wollongong United FC*
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aussie scott21
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Non League magasine file https://cloud.3dissue.com/6374/7271/16420/NLDRTW2017/index.html21 May Cleethorpes Town v South Shields & Macclesfield Town v York City @Wembley
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aussie scott21
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Premier League promotion, relegation and EFL ONE more game. Chelsea will be Premier League champions by Saturday morning AEST, when they travel to West Bromwich Albion for a rare Friday night football clash in the UK. Their routine 3-0 win over Middlesbrough consigned Boro back to the second division, while cashing in on Tottenham’s weekend slip-up to lead by seven points with three games to go. While the Premier League’s jostling for other places still continues in earnest, England’s other three tiers have concluded their leagues and now head to the excruciating play-off part of the season. Here’s the state of play as the tension in May ramps up. PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE RACE CHELSEA (1st) - 84 points, +46 goal difference Remaining six fixtures: West Bromwich Albion (A); May 13 Watford (H); May 16 Sunderland (H); May 22 Chelsea's manager Antonio Conte congratulates Chelsea's Diego Costa, left, Cesar Azpilicueta, second right, and John Terry Chelsea's manager Antonio Conte congratulates Chelsea's Diego Costa, left, Cesar Azpilicueta, second right, and John TerrySource: AP TOTTENHAM (2nd) - 77 points, +48 goal difference Remaining six fixtures: Manchester United (H); May 15 Leicester (A); May 19 Hull (A); May 22 “We have the possibility to do this on Friday but it won’t be easy because West Brom is a really good team, a physical team, and we must pay great attention,” Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said. FULL PREMIER LEAGUE LADDER TOP FOUR RACE Manchester City are in the box seat to overhaul Liverpool for the final automatic place in the Champions League, but with only two games to go, Jurgen Klopp’s side will be nervously looking over their shoulder, particularly given the way West Ham played joker in the pack against Tottenham on the weekend. Manchester United and Arsenal can both make a late and very dramatic swoop for those two places, but Jose Mourinho has shown his hand in seeing a Europa League trophy as a surer path into next season’s UEFA Champions League - so much so, he gambled his record over Arsene Wenger by picking a side that would not compromise the Red Devils’ ambition against Celta Vigo. Crucially, Arsenal’s desperate bid to keep their UCL streak alive has one advantage: two extra games up their sleeves on Liverpool, and one up on the rest. LIVERPOOL (3rd) - 70 points, +29 goal difference West Ham (A), Middlesbrough (H) MANCHESTER CITY (4th) - 69 points, +33 goal difference Leicester (H), West Brom (H), Watford (A) MANCHESTER UNITED (5th) - 65 points, +24 goal difference Tottenham (A), Southampton, (A), Crystal Palace (H) ARSENAL (6th) - 63 points, +24 goal difference Southampton (A), Stoke (A), Sunderland (H), Everton (H) RELEGATION Sunderland are gone, and Middlesbrough are all but gone. That leaves Hull and Swansea in a desperate dog fight to the death to maintain their Premier League status. SUNDERLAND (20th) - 24 points, -32 goal difference Hull (a), Swansea (h), Chelsea (a) MIDDLESBROUGH (19th) - 28 points, -22 goal difference Southampton (h), Liverpool (a) HULL CITY (18th) - 34 points, -33 goal difference Crystal Palace (a), Tottenham (h) SWANSEA CITY (17th) - 35 points, -28 goal difference Sunderland (a), West Brom (h) CRYSTAL PALACE (16th) - 38 points, -15 goal difference Hull (h), Manchester United (a) CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Newcastle United, 94 points Automatic promotion: Brighton, 93 points Play-offs: — Fulham v Reading, Sunday 14 May, 2.30am — Huddersfield v Sheffield Wednesday, Sunday 14 May, 9.00pm — Reading v Fulham, Wednesday 17 May 4.45am — Sheffield Wednesday v Huddersfield, Thursday 18 May, 4.45am The winners to vie for promotion at Wembley, Tuesday 30 May Relegated: Blackburn, Wigan Athletic, Rotherham LIVE stream the EFL Championship Play-offs on beIN SPORTS with the Foxtel Sports Pack. Get your free 2-week FOXTEL PLAY trial and start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW > LEAGUE ONE Winner: Sheffield United Automatic promotion: Bolton Play-off final: Bradford City v Millwall (Sunday 21 May) Bradford beat Fleetwood and Millwall progressed past S - oops, I just ate my own poop...horpe to make it to the Wembley showpiece. Relegated: Port Vale, Swindon Town, Coventry, Chesterfield LEAGUE TWO Winner: Portsmouth Automatic promotion: Plymouth, Doncaster Rovers Play-off: Blackpool v Luton, Carlisle v Exeter for the right to meet at Wembley on 28 May for the final. Relegated: Newport County, Hartlepool, Orient http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/premier-league/premier-league-promotion-relegation-and-efl-who-is-going-up-who-is-going-down/news-story/fc96a6eb33a5f77ef133793b81bef04f
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Hartlepool United: 96 years of history in the Football League, the main dates Ronnie Moore: Pools need another Great Escape today Hartlepool United's unbroken 96-year spell in the Football League is over.. Pools beat Dobcaster at the Northern Gas & Power Stadium but Newport County did likewise against Notts County at Rodney Parade. SportMail looks back at the big events over the past 96 years. August 1921 Where it all began ... Wrexham. Pools were admitted to Division Three North and began with a 2-0 victory on the way to finishing fourth in their debut season, one of only seven top 10 placings in the first three decades. May 1924 It did not take long for the novelty to wear off at the Victoria Ground as Pools made their first application for re-election after ending 21st. May 1947 Pools were 13th in the first competitive season after World War Two, under legendary boss, Fred Westgarth. December 1949 A young striker by the name of Ken Johnson made his debut on the final day of the 1940s, scoring the first of 98 goals in a 3-0 victory over Bradford City. May 1952 Pools clocked up 50 points, their biggest tally since joining the Football League, with a team which included club legends like Berry Brown, Wattie Moore and Tommy McGuigan. January 1955 Pools went top of Division Three North after an 18 game run but could not sustain it and finished fifth. January 1957 Manchester United's famous Busby Babes hold off plucky Pools in the FA Cup in front of a record 17,426 crowd at the Vic, the Red Devils winning 4-3. May 1957 Pools are runners up in the division behind Derby but with only one side going up to Division Two, they missed out on promotion. August 1958 After the Division Three North and South are disbanded, Pools begin their first season in Division Four. April 1959 While Pools are on their way to a first application for relegation in the new division, they do set a club record with a 10-1 victory over bottom club Barrow March 1962 Pools suffer their record defeat when they were humblewd 10-1 at Wrexham. May 1963 Pools finish bottom of Division Four after conceding 104 goals but survive their fourth successive application for re-election. October 1965 Pools appoint an ultra-confident 29-year-old striker as their new manager .... Brian Clough. May 1966 Brian Clough leads Pools to safety in 18th place and hands a debut to 16-year-old schoolboy John McGovern in the last game of the season. May 1967 Clough's first and only full season at the Vic saw Pools end in eighth place but his talents had been recognised by Derby who made him their new manager. May 1968 After over four decades in the Football League's bottom tier, Pools are promoted from Division Four under Gus McLean following a 2-0 win at Swansea, Bobby Cummings and Wilson Hepplewhite the scorers. May 1969 Pools suffer immediate relegation, finishing third bottom in Division Three, two points from safety. April 1970 McLean resigns as Pools boss as the side end the season 23rd In Division Four, seeking another re-election. April 1972 Len Ashurst leads Pools to safety in Division Four with a stunning run, including a 2-1 derby win at Darlington February 1973 A new record for Pools! The club go vinyl as they release songs 'Who put sugar in my tea?' with 'Never say die' as the B-side. August 1977 Hartlepool AFC becomes Hartlepool United, but the name-change brought no luck as they ended the campaign 21st for yet another re-election bid, Souhport dropping out of the Football League. November 1983 Billy Horner takes Pools to second in the table but the side would end the season sixth though with a record 70 points only minor consolation for failing to make the top four. May 1985 Chairman John Smart begins the demolition of the stand erected in World War One as a temporary measure after the original structure was destroyed by a German Zeppelin. February 1988 Pools humble Sunderland 1-0 at gale-swept Roker Park in the Sherpa Vans Trophy, Brian Honour scoring the winner direct from a corner. December 1989 New chairman Garry Gibson appoints Cyril Knowles as manager with Pools rock-bottom of the Football League but the former Spurs favourite inspires a remarkable recovery to end the season 19th. May 1991 Pools clinch promotion with a 3-1 final-day win over Northampton, Paul Dalton, Paul Baker and leading scorer Joe Allon. The success was completed superbly by caretaker Alan Murray, the club's commercial manager, after Cyril had been taken ill. May 1992 Pools finish 11th in Division Three and will be playing in Division Two next season after the re-naming of the Football League divisions. January 1993 Pools beat Premier League Crystal Palace 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup, but financial difficulties had set in and on the pitch, the team slid to a 16th place finish. May 1994 Pools, best by financial woes, are relegated back to the bottom flight after ending the season 23rd and crushed 7-1 by Peter Shilton's title-winning Plymouth. April 1997 Mick Tait leads Pools to safety with an excellent late-season run, Joe Allon's last-gasp winner at Darlington sealing the deal. September 1997 Increased Oil Recovery, an Aberdeen-based, Norwegian-owned oil company buy Pools fropm local hero, Harold Hornsey May 1999 Pools survive a late scrape to stay in the Football League under new boss Chris Turner. May 2000 Pools reach the play-offs for the first time but lose both legs of the semi-final to arch-rivals Darlington. May 2001 A case of deja vu as Pools reach the play-offs again only to be defeated in both legs by Blackpool. May 2002 A stunning end-of-season run takes Pools into the play-offs again, only to lose on penalties at Cheltenham in the semi-final. May 2003 Fourth time lucky! Pools don't need the play-offs as they go up as runners-up under Mike Newell who had taken over from Chris Turner after he joined Sheffield Wednesday. May 2004 Pools enjoy their best ever season, Neale Cooper leading Pools to sixth but there is play-off heartache as Danny Wilson's Bristol City score two late goals to snatch a trip to Cardiff. May 2005 Cooper takes Pools to sixth again only to be sacked in a shock move. Pools reach the playoff final after Ritchie Humphreys, fittingly, scores the winning penalty at Tranmere. There are tears and anger at Cardiff where Pools lose 4-2 after extra-time to Sheffield Wednesday. May 2006 Pools are relegated 12 months after being eight minutes from the Championship. Danny Wilson takes over as boss. May 2007 Wilson's wonders return to League One at the first time of asking, just missing out on the League Two title by a whisker. December 2008 Pools sack Wilson with the side comfortably placed in League One and team end up hanging on to their third tier status, just! May 2013 Despite a good effort by boss John Hughes and a late season spark from Luke James, Pools are relegated back to League Two. April 2015 Ronnie Moore pulls off THE Great Escape as Pools fight back from 10 points adrift to stay in Football League with a game to spare after a 2-1 win over Exeter. July 2015 Seventeen years of IOR-ownership ends when Essex-based recruitment company JPNG buy club. January 2017 Pools sack Craig Hignett with side 19th, five points above drop zone, and appoint Dave Jones. April 2017 Chairman Gary Coxall sacks Jones with Pools 23rd and two points below relegation zone after the wheels fall off with unacceptable displays against Leyton Orient and Barnet. May 2017 Coxall resigns just three days before must-win game with Doncaster, Pam Duxbury, who only joined Pools in mid-season taking over as club's first chairwoman. May 2017 Pools are relegated to the National League for the first time in their history http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-united/hartlepool-united-96-years-of-history-in-the-football-league-the-main-dates-1-8530440#comments-area
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Brighton and Hove Albion: from the brink of extinction to the Premier League 2017 is a year that will live long in the memory of Brighton and Hove Albion fans. After 34 years outside England’s first division, The Seagulls gained promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 home victory over Wigan Athletic. In spite of this season’s successes, recent times at the club have been tough. Promotion was also close in the 2015-16 season, as they agonisingly missing out on an automatic spot by drawing to Middlesbrough on the final day, who incidentally climbed into the coveted second place. But this disappointment was nothing compared to fears Brighton fans held at the turn of the century. In 1997 the club’s then stadium, The Goldstone Ground, was sold by majority shareholder Bill Archer to address a financial crisis, prompting outrage from many supporters. To make matters worse, the club nearly dropped out of the football league altogether, only staying up by goals-scored on the league’s last day of that same year following a draw with Hereford United. Little if any money was given to the club through the sale of the stadium, leaving them in an even worse financial position. Thus two years in exile ensued, as Brighton ground-shared with Gillingham, whose Priestfield Stadium is 73 miles away from the south-coast city. Due to the obvious inconveniences caused by this, The Seagulls eventually returned home, playing games at the Withdean Stadium. This was far from an idyllic stadium for football, mainly because of its former use as both an athletics venue and even a zoo. Consequently it was voted as the fourth worst football stadium in England in 2004 by The Guardian. A poor view would have been the least of their supporters’ worries, for the club had by then accumulated a deficit of £9.5m, which if not paid could have resulted in a points deduction, or worse: administration. Brighton’s former stadium doubled up as an athletics venue In late 2005 plans for a new stadium were announced, and by 2009 building had started on the site. Tony Bloom also took over as chairman, having secured £93m in funding for the club’s development plans. This started an upturn in Brighton’s fortunes, shown by the fact that in their last season at the Withdean in 2011 they won promotion out of League 1 into the Championship. The move to the “Falmer Stadium” (known as the Amex for sponsorship reasons) caused an increase in attendances, thus resulting in a more financially secure future for the club. In just six seasons, Brighton grew from relegation fighters into deserved winners of promotion. Brighton’s Amex stadium is a far cry from their former home at the Withdean ground The well-organized nature of the club both on and off the pitch means that staying in the Premier League is a real possibility, provided that Chris Hughton primarily keeps hold of Championship player of the year Anthony Knockaert. Anthony Knockaert, formerly of Leicester City, has been instrumental in Brighton’s success this season The club’s potential for average attendances of 30,000, coupled with owners willing to back the manager in the transfer market, means that there is every chance they could become a financially secure, sustainable Premier League club for years to come. https://www.berkeleysquares.co.uk/2017/05/brighton-and-hove-albion-from-the-brink-of-extinction-to-the-premier-league/
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aussie scott21
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Bengaluru FC owner picks up ISL bid document A day after the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partners IMG-Reliance (IMG-R) invited bids for additional teams to the Indian Super League (ISL) from the 2017-18 season, JSW, owner of I-League club Bengaluru FC, has picked up the bid document. Though the move doesn’t mean that JSW will necessarily own a team, as it may choose to not submit the documents in the event of there being no clarity from the AIFF on the restructuring of Indian football, it does re-iterate the group’s long-standing interest in being part of a league which the AIFF wants to make the top-tier. The bid documents are to be submitted by May 25. AIFF’s decision to call for new teams came after the proposed merger of ISL and I-League fell through last week with Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan objecting. Aizawl FC, the reigning I-League champion, had demanded a berth in the top tier of the merged league even as the initial discussions had only considered fancied teams from the I-League — Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. The AIFF had then decided to continue the present status of the two tournaments with I-League remaining the official league but ISL expanding to seven months. However, in a season where the FIFA under-17 World Cup will conclude only in the last week of October, to follow that with an expanded ISL and then an I-League will be cutting it too fine. In the event of having both the leagues run concurrently, the same set of players will not be able to turn up both for their I-League and ISL clubs as it is at present. The decision will also have a bearing on who will avail themselves of the two continental berths reserved for the country’s I-League and Federation Cup champions in the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup. The AIFF is expected to approach the AFC soon to make its restructuring plans formal. But until such a time, clubs like Bengaluru FC will wait and watch. Mustafa Ghouse, CEO, JSW Sports, was unavailable for comment. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/bengaluru-fc-owner-picks-up-isl-bid-document/article18443169.ece
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And Everyone Blamed Clive
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Australia's Craig Goodwin has produced a man of the match performance saving Sparta Rotterdam from relegation after a 3-1 win over Go Ahead Eagles confirmed their place in the Eredivisie next season. By Nick Stoll 15 MAY 2017 - 1:16 PM UPDATED 15 MINS AGO The former Adelaide United winger will go down as a Sparta hero as he set up the first two goals before sealing the vital victory with a smart free-kick in the 89th minute. The 25-year-old actually started the match on the bench, coming on just after half-time, with his side needing a victory, as well as other results to go their way.' With the scores locked at 0-0, Goodwin delivered a dangerous free-kick from the right that was nodded home by Martin Pusic. Disaster struck in the 71st minute when Darren Maatsen equalised in the 71st minute, meaning Sparta were heading for the drop but once again Goodwin proved decisive. Just nine minutes later, Goodwin whipped in a cross from the left that was toe-poked home by Pusic making it 2-1. News was filtering through that relegation-rivals Roda JC were 2-0 down at Vitesse meaning Sparta would be safe if they were to hold on to the lead. Goodwin stepped up to settle the nerves of the travelling fans with a smart free-kick into the bottom far-corner in the 89th minute to seal the 3-1. The young Aussie has had a mixed first season with Sparta - scoring four goals, producing six assists in 26 appearances predominately off the bench. The win means Sparta will play back-to-back seasons in the Eredivisie for the first time since 2009.
Winner of Official 442 Comment of the day Award - 10th April 2017
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aussie scott21
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TheSelectFew
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MarkfromCroydon
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Radical new model for the A league
I’m sure this can be picked apart and many faults can be found with it, but it’s another alternative that may be useful at least as a starting point. I’ll use 2017-18 as an example year, but really you’d probably be looking at 2019-20 for it to start.
The start
FFA advertise for 8 new teams, and seek to bring new money into the game.
Criteria for entry-
$3.6 million dollar non-refundable licence fee payable up front. Proven $3 million dollars in cash reserves. Stadium of at least 10k capacity with at least 5k seating, lights suitable for t.v night matches. Membership base of at least 2k. Must be no more than 3 hours drive or 1 hour flight from an existing A League club.
The $28.8 million in licence fees is distributed to the current 10 clubs as a dividend of $2 million each. FFA keep $8.8 million to offset cost of running new league structure.
Squad sizes to stay at 20-23. Salary cap to stay as is ($2.6 million with exemptions including 3 marquees etc), but floor lowered to $1.2 million . Minimum player salary to be $60k for over 20 y.o and $50k for younger.
One League, two divisions.
A1 Division is current 10 teams, A2 is the new 8 teams.
Funding
T.V Money is distributed each year as follows:
$2.65 million per A1 team at the start of the season. ($26.5 million spend)
$1.2 million per A2 team at the start of the season. ($9.6 million spend)
Total spend of T.V money of $36.1 million per year.
Renegotiate at end of current t.v deal.
First Stage
A1 plays 18 rounds home and away A2 plays 14 rounds home and away. (staggered start see duration & timing below)
At the end of the 18 rounds/14 rounds, the 2 divisional league is reorganised in “The SPLIT” into 3 groups - Top 6 teams, Middle 6 teams, Bottom 6 teams.
Second StageThe Championship Group.
Top 6 play 10 rounds home and away for the right to be champions of Australia. Top 3 spots get an ACL spot. All points carried over from the initial phase.
The A1 Qualifying Group.
Next 6 play 10 rounds for the right to play in next seasons A1 Division. All start on 0 points and it’s a 10 round home and away comp. Top 4 Qualify for A1 Division, bottom 2 are in next years A2.
The FFA Cup Relegation Group.
Bottom 6 all start on 0 points and play 10 rounds home and away to determine which 4 teams qualify for next years FFA Cup and also automatically survive in A2 division.
The bottom 2 teams don’t qualify for next years FFA Cup, and forfeit any prize money earned in the second stage.
Also, prior to start of NPL finals, all NPL teams participating must announce if they wish to challenge and advise if they have the $3.6 mil licence fee ready and meet the criteria (except location). If the 2 NPL grand finalists announce that they will challenge, they can challenge the bottom 2 A league teams to a 2 game play-off for a spot in next years A2 division.
Timing and Duration
First stage- A1 starting on 9 September- after 3 weeks, it breaks for 2 weekends (during AFL/NRL grand final weekend and then to allow for the FIFA dates of 2-10 October). On the FIFA dates (7 October), the A2 starts.
A2 first stage finishes on weekend of 6 January 2018 and A1 first stage finishes on weekend of 20th Jan. FFA Cup final is played as a stand alone fixture on the Australia Day weekend.
Second Group stage –
begins on 3 Feb with FFA Cup/Relegation group.
10 Feb with A1 Qualifying group.
17 Feb with Championship group.
Championship Group takes a break on weekend of 24 March (week 8) for FIFA dates, others play through.
FFA Cup/Relegation group finishes on 7 April. 4 top teams given keys to enter the FFA Cup.
A1 Qualifying group finishes on 14 April. Top 4 teams given Tokens to allow entry to A1 next season.
Championship group finishes on 28 April. Champion presented with A league trophy, other 2 ACL participants given tokens to confirm.
NPL-A League Playoff to be on first and second week of July.
Next Season A league fixture released on or just before 3rd weekend of July (7-8 weeks before season kick off), earlier if there is no challenge.
Prize money is awarded as follows:
$5000 per point earned in A1 (90 matches=270 points available for a total of $1,350,000 if there are no draws. In reality the average is 88-92% of matches get a win-loss result so using 92% the total cost will be $1,242,000),
and Championship Group, 30 matches = 90 points = $414,000)
$3000 per point earned in Qualifying Group, 30 matches = 90 points = $248,400)
$2000 per point earned in A2 Division and relegation group 86 matches = 258 points = $474,720.
Top 6 clubs would earn between $175k and $225k in prize money (based on all time average a league points per game. Sydney would have earned $330k this year and Victory $245k.
So the total prizemoney spend is $1,242,000 + $414,000 + $248,400 + $474,720 for a total cost of $2,379,120.
So total FFA spend to run a season is $38,479,120. (excluding travel and insurances as per current arrangement)
Restructure FFA Cup and NPL
The Top 16 A league teams qualify in round of 32 of FFA cup and it’s a free draw.
NPL runs from second weekend of November until 1st weekend of June. NPL finals series run through June.
Advantages of this system
As a product for t.v-
You get 9 matches per round for 24 weeks of the year- you get plenty of separate content that you can package up in different ways, you get lots more pressure ‘finals type’ matches with minimal ‘dead rubber’ matches.
Only 18 weeks off between season end and start.
As a sporting integrity matter-
The top 10 teams in the land play 28 matches each (meets AFC requirments). The next 8 play 24 matches each. Each team plays meaningful matches the whole season through, with minimal ‘dead’ rubbers. Pro/rel achieved. 8 more teams for young Aussies to be professional players.
As a financial matter-
Money comes into the game. Only serious clubs can afford to enter.
FFA are currently looking at a spend of $32.5 million. So for less than $6 million more, they get a product that goes from 135 regular season matches (many dead rubbers) to a product that has 236 matches with minimal dead rubbers, more than 32 weeks of season time, 2 divisions to keep AFC happy, pro/rel to keep AFC happy, 28 matches for top 10 teams to comply with AFC statutes re 27 game min length of season.
Season runs for 34 weeks plus the A League NPL playoff.
strongly encourages teams to have football specific stadia not shared with other codes.
Disadvantages/risks
Potential lack of clubs willing to step up to the top league and pay the licence fee.
Organizing fixtures for after the split. (although they manage alright in Belgium with similar).
The weeks off in the split could lose some momentum.
Limits system to only 18 professional clubs at any one time.
May be difficulty if clubs share their home ground with other codes.
Fans complaining that membership doesn’t give certainty re all fixtures and can they attend all, because they won’t know the last 5 home games until the split-they may want a cheaper 1st stage membership only.
Other Major Issues for us here in Australia
The Asian Cup is likely to be in January from now on given the powerful leagues (J league, Chinese Super League, K league) usually break around December-January.
We have AFL and NRL juggernauts and now BBL as competitors and we need to be conscious of that in the timing of our league, as there are some people who will go to/or watch on t.v those sports when our sport is on. The timing doesn’t work well when you factor in their season dates and the Fifa dates, World Cup and Asian Cup dates. It’s pretty difficult to get clear air.
A league traditionally gets best crowds in rounds in October-November when FIFA dates are on.
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City Sam
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+xRadical new model for the A league I’m sure this can be picked apart and many faults can be found with it, but it’s another alternative that may be useful at least as a starting point. I’ll use 2017-18 as an example year, but really you’d probably be looking at 2019-20 for it to start. The startFFA advertise for 8 new teams, and seek to bring new money into the game. Criteria for entry- $3.6 million dollar non-refundable licence fee payable up front. Proven $3 million dollars in cash reserves. Stadium of at least 10k capacity with at least 5k seating, lights suitable for t.v night matches. Membership base of at least 2k. Must be no more than 3 hours drive or 1 hour flight from an existing A League club. The $28.8 million in licence fees is distributed to the current 10 clubs as a dividend of $2 million each. FFA keep $8.8 million to offset cost of running new league structure. Squad sizes to stay at 20-23. Salary cap to stay as is ($2.6 million with exemptions including 3 marquees etc), but floor lowered to $1.2 million . Minimum player salary to be $60k for over 20 y.o and $50k for younger. One League, two divisions. A1 Division is current 10 teams, A2 is the new 8 teams. FundingT.V Money is distributed each year as follows: $2.65 million per A1 team at the start of the season. ($26.5 million spend) $1.2 million per A2 team at the start of the season. ($9.6 million spend) Total spend of T.V money of $36.1 million per year. Renegotiate at end of current t.v deal. First Stage
A1 plays 18 rounds home and away A2 plays 14 rounds home and away. (staggered start see duration & timing below) At the end of the 18 rounds/14 rounds, the 2 divisional league is reorganised in “The SPLIT” into 3 groups - Top 6 teams, Middle 6 teams, Bottom 6 teams.
Second StageThe Championship Group. Top 6 play 10 rounds home and away for the right to be champions of Australia. Top 3 spots get an ACL spot. All points carried over from the initial phase. The A1 Qualifying Group. Next 6 play 10 rounds for the right to play in next seasons A1 Division. All start on 0 points and it’s a 10 round home and away comp. Top 4 Qualify for A1 Division, bottom 2 are in next years A2. The FFA Cup Relegation Group. Bottom 6 all start on 0 points and play 10 rounds home and away to determine which 4 teams qualify for next years FFA Cup and also automatically survive in A2 division. The bottom 2 teams don’t qualify for next years FFA Cup, and forfeit any prize money earned in the second stage. Also, prior to start of NPL finals, all NPL teams participating must announce if they wish to challenge and advise if they have the $3.6 mil licence fee ready and meet the criteria (except location). If the 2 NPL grand finalists announce that they will challenge, they can challenge the bottom 2 A league teams to a 2 game play-off for a spot in next years A2 division. Timing and Duration First stage- A1 starting on 9 September- after 3 weeks, it breaks for 2 weekends (during AFL/NRL grand final weekend and then to allow for the FIFA dates of 2-10 October). On the FIFA dates (7 October), the A2 starts. A2 first stage finishes on weekend of 6 January 2018 and A1 first stage finishes on weekend of 20 th Jan. FFA Cup final is played as a stand alone fixture on the Australia Day weekend. Second Group stage – begins on 3 Feb with FFA Cup/Relegation group. 10 Feb with A1 Qualifying group. 17 Feb with Championship group. Championship Group takes a break on weekend of 24 March (week 8) for FIFA dates, others play through. FFA Cup/Relegation group finishes on 7 April. 4 top teams given keys to enter the FFA Cup. A1 Qualifying group finishes on 14 April. Top 4 teams given Tokens to allow entry to A1 next season. Championship group finishes on 28 April. Champion presented with A league trophy, other 2 ACL participants given tokens to confirm. NPL-A League Playoff to be on first and second week of July. Next Season A league fixture released on or just before 3 rd weekend of July (7-8 weeks before season kick off), earlier if there is no challenge. Prize money is awarded as follows: $5000 per point earned in A1 (90 matches=270 points available for a total of $1,350,000 if there are no draws. In reality the average is 88-92% of matches get a win-loss result so using 92% the total cost will be $1,242,000), and Championship Group, 30 matches = 90 points = $414,000) $3000 per point earned in Qualifying Group, 30 matches = 90 points = $248,400) $2000 per point earned in A2 Division and relegation group 86 matches = 258 points = $474,720. Top 6 clubs would earn between $175k and $225k in prize money (based on all time average a league points per game. Sydney would have earned $330k this year and Victory $245k. So the total prizemoney spend is $1,242,000 + $414,000 + $248,400 + $474,720 for a total cost of $2,379,120. So total FFA spend to run a season is $38,479,120. (excluding travel and insurances as per current arrangement) Restructure FFA Cup and NPL The Top 16 A league teams qualify in round of 32 of FFA cup and it’s a free draw. NPL runs from second weekend of November until 1 st weekend of June. NPL finals series run through June. Advantages of this system As a product for t.v- You get 9 matches per round for 24 weeks of the year- you get plenty of separate content that you can package up in different ways, you get lots more pressure ‘finals type’ matches with minimal ‘dead rubber’ matches. Only 18 weeks off between season end and start. As a sporting integrity matter- The top 10 teams in the land play 28 matches each (meets AFC requirments). The next 8 play 24 matches each. Each team plays meaningful matches the whole season through, with minimal ‘dead’ rubbers. Pro/rel achieved. 8 more teams for young Aussies to be professional players. As a financial matter- Money comes into the game. Only serious clubs can afford to enter. FFA are currently looking at a spend of $32.5 million. So for less than $6 million more, they get a product that goes from 135 regular season matches (many dead rubbers) to a product that has 236 matches with minimal dead rubbers, more than 32 weeks of season time, 2 divisions to keep AFC happy, pro/rel to keep AFC happy, 28 matches for top 10 teams to comply with AFC statutes re 27 game min length of season. Season runs for 34 weeks plus the A League NPL playoff. strongly encourages teams to have football specific stadia not shared with other codes. Disadvantages/risks Potential lack of clubs willing to step up to the top league and pay the licence fee. Organizing fixtures for after the split. (although they manage alright in Belgium with similar). The weeks off in the split could lose some momentum. Limits system to only 18 professional clubs at any one time. May be difficulty if clubs share their home ground with other codes. Fans complaining that membership doesn’t give certainty re all fixtures and can they attend all, because they won’t know the last 5 home games until the split-they may want a cheaper 1 st stage membership only. Other Major Issues for us here in Australia The Asian Cup is likely to be in January from now on given the powerful leagues (J league, Chinese Super League, K league) usually break around December-January. We have AFL and NRL juggernauts and now BBL as competitors and we need to be conscious of that in the timing of our league, as there are some people who will go to/or watch on t.v those sports when our sport is on. The timing doesn’t work well when you factor in their season dates and the Fifa dates, World Cup and Asian Cup dates. It’s pretty difficult to get clear air. A league traditionally gets best crowds in rounds in October-November when FIFA dates are on. No to this shambles of a system, multiple divisions is meant to be just that. Multiple divisions, they are separated by leagues. Then you are stopping teams from joining the FFA Cup? The point of the cup is every team in the country is in the competition!
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TheSelectFew
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 30K,
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+x+xRadical new model for the A league I’m sure this can be picked apart and many faults can be found with it, but it’s another alternative that may be useful at least as a starting point. I’ll use 2017-18 as an example year, but really you’d probably be looking at 2019-20 for it to start. The startFFA advertise for 8 new teams, and seek to bring new money into the game. Criteria for entry- $3.6 million dollar non-refundable licence fee payable up front. Proven $3 million dollars in cash reserves. Stadium of at least 10k capacity with at least 5k seating, lights suitable for t.v night matches. Membership base of at least 2k. Must be no more than 3 hours drive or 1 hour flight from an existing A League club. The $28.8 million in licence fees is distributed to the current 10 clubs as a dividend of $2 million each. FFA keep $8.8 million to offset cost of running new league structure. Squad sizes to stay at 20-23. Salary cap to stay as is ($2.6 million with exemptions including 3 marquees etc), but floor lowered to $1.2 million . Minimum player salary to be $60k for over 20 y.o and $50k for younger. One League, two divisions. A1 Division is current 10 teams, A2 is the new 8 teams. FundingT.V Money is distributed each year as follows: $2.65 million per A1 team at the start of the season. ($26.5 million spend) $1.2 million per A2 team at the start of the season. ($9.6 million spend) Total spend of T.V money of $36.1 million per year. Renegotiate at end of current t.v deal. First Stage
A1 plays 18 rounds home and away A2 plays 14 rounds home and away. (staggered start see duration & timing below) At the end of the 18 rounds/14 rounds, the 2 divisional league is reorganised in “The SPLIT” into 3 groups - Top 6 teams, Middle 6 teams, Bottom 6 teams.
Second StageThe Championship Group. Top 6 play 10 rounds home and away for the right to be champions of Australia. Top 3 spots get an ACL spot. All points carried over from the initial phase. The A1 Qualifying Group. Next 6 play 10 rounds for the right to play in next seasons A1 Division. All start on 0 points and it’s a 10 round home and away comp. Top 4 Qualify for A1 Division, bottom 2 are in next years A2. The FFA Cup Relegation Group. Bottom 6 all start on 0 points and play 10 rounds home and away to determine which 4 teams qualify for next years FFA Cup and also automatically survive in A2 division. The bottom 2 teams don’t qualify for next years FFA Cup, and forfeit any prize money earned in the second stage. Also, prior to start of NPL finals, all NPL teams participating must announce if they wish to challenge and advise if they have the $3.6 mil licence fee ready and meet the criteria (except location). If the 2 NPL grand finalists announce that they will challenge, they can challenge the bottom 2 A league teams to a 2 game play-off for a spot in next years A2 division. Timing and Duration First stage- A1 starting on 9 September- after 3 weeks, it breaks for 2 weekends (during AFL/NRL grand final weekend and then to allow for the FIFA dates of 2-10 October). On the FIFA dates (7 October), the A2 starts. A2 first stage finishes on weekend of 6 January 2018 and A1 first stage finishes on weekend of 20 th Jan. FFA Cup final is played as a stand alone fixture on the Australia Day weekend. Second Group stage – begins on 3 Feb with FFA Cup/Relegation group. 10 Feb with A1 Qualifying group. 17 Feb with Championship group. Championship Group takes a break on weekend of 24 March (week 8) for FIFA dates, others play through. FFA Cup/Relegation group finishes on 7 April. 4 top teams given keys to enter the FFA Cup. A1 Qualifying group finishes on 14 April. Top 4 teams given Tokens to allow entry to A1 next season. Championship group finishes on 28 April. Champion presented with A league trophy, other 2 ACL participants given tokens to confirm. NPL-A League Playoff to be on first and second week of July. Next Season A league fixture released on or just before 3 rd weekend of July (7-8 weeks before season kick off), earlier if there is no challenge. Prize money is awarded as follows: $5000 per point earned in A1 (90 matches=270 points available for a total of $1,350,000 if there are no draws. In reality the average is 88-92% of matches get a win-loss result so using 92% the total cost will be $1,242,000), and Championship Group, 30 matches = 90 points = $414,000) $3000 per point earned in Qualifying Group, 30 matches = 90 points = $248,400) $2000 per point earned in A2 Division and relegation group 86 matches = 258 points = $474,720. Top 6 clubs would earn between $175k and $225k in prize money (based on all time average a league points per game. Sydney would have earned $330k this year and Victory $245k. So the total prizemoney spend is $1,242,000 + $414,000 + $248,400 + $474,720 for a total cost of $2,379,120. So total FFA spend to run a season is $38,479,120. (excluding travel and insurances as per current arrangement) Restructure FFA Cup and NPL The Top 16 A league teams qualify in round of 32 of FFA cup and it’s a free draw. NPL runs from second weekend of November until 1 st weekend of June. NPL finals series run through June. Advantages of this system As a product for t.v- You get 9 matches per round for 24 weeks of the year- you get plenty of separate content that you can package up in different ways, you get lots more pressure ‘finals type’ matches with minimal ‘dead rubber’ matches. Only 18 weeks off between season end and start. As a sporting integrity matter- The top 10 teams in the land play 28 matches each (meets AFC requirments). The next 8 play 24 matches each. Each team plays meaningful matches the whole season through, with minimal ‘dead’ rubbers. Pro/rel achieved. 8 more teams for young Aussies to be professional players. As a financial matter- Money comes into the game. Only serious clubs can afford to enter. FFA are currently looking at a spend of $32.5 million. So for less than $6 million more, they get a product that goes from 135 regular season matches (many dead rubbers) to a product that has 236 matches with minimal dead rubbers, more than 32 weeks of season time, 2 divisions to keep AFC happy, pro/rel to keep AFC happy, 28 matches for top 10 teams to comply with AFC statutes re 27 game min length of season. Season runs for 34 weeks plus the A League NPL playoff. strongly encourages teams to have football specific stadia not shared with other codes. Disadvantages/risks Potential lack of clubs willing to step up to the top league and pay the licence fee. Organizing fixtures for after the split. (although they manage alright in Belgium with similar). The weeks off in the split could lose some momentum. Limits system to only 18 professional clubs at any one time. May be difficulty if clubs share their home ground with other codes. Fans complaining that membership doesn’t give certainty re all fixtures and can they attend all, because they won’t know the last 5 home games until the split-they may want a cheaper 1 st stage membership only. Other Major Issues for us here in Australia The Asian Cup is likely to be in January from now on given the powerful leagues (J league, Chinese Super League, K league) usually break around December-January. We have AFL and NRL juggernauts and now BBL as competitors and we need to be conscious of that in the timing of our league, as there are some people who will go to/or watch on t.v those sports when our sport is on. The timing doesn’t work well when you factor in their season dates and the Fifa dates, World Cup and Asian Cup dates. It’s pretty difficult to get clear air. A league traditionally gets best crowds in rounds in October-November when FIFA dates are on. No to this shambles of a system, multiple divisions is meant to be just that. Multiple divisions, they are separated by leagues. Then you are stopping teams from joining the FFA Cup? The point of the cup is every team in the country is in the competition! Shambles of a system from the weed from Croydon.
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aussie scott21
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Imo 14 teams need to be in the A-League. So teams can play each other twice. Due to finals the match amounts are bumped up also. In Sweden it used to be 14 (now 16). It is difficult. At the start of the season it is very tight down the bottom and when you go up to 16 teams there is more of a clear breathing space. You are always looking at the bottom of the table. Play off 12th with 3rd in div 2.
3/14 is 21%
Victoria has the right system for A-League imo. 14 teams, 6 finals, 2 direct relegation, 1 playoff relegation
With such a system you can even have a top 8. I would prefer the current system but change
Wed 6v7
Thu 5v8
Sun 4v5/8
Sun 3v6/7
and continue as now
This means 5-8 must win 4 games, 3-4 3 games and 1-2 2 games to be champions. Also you cant end up with 7 v 8 in the GF for example.
2 divison only needs to start with 10 teams but can go as big as 20. As the 2nd divison grows you could change the play off to eg
1 12 v (2 3 v 2 4)
or
(1 12 v 2 5) v (2 3 v 2 4)
Make the 1st too big and you end up with crap games also. Having a small 2nd division could also make it more instense in formative years. As you have 18 games to prove yourself.
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TheSelectFew
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The relegation play off to be a precursor to the Championship finals. So the week before the finals start are the relagation playoffs, then the finals for the championship begins.
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aussie scott21
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+xThe relegation play off to be a precursor to the Championship finals. So the week before the finals start are the relagation playoffs, then the finals for the championship begins. Personally I would do Friday p/o 1st leg (2 3 v 1 12) Sun 4v5 Sun 3v6 Fri p/o 2nd leg (1 12 v 2 3) Sun 2 v hi win Sun 1 v lo win Sun GF
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