Soccer thread 08/09 (will have spoilers!)

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:25 pm

I suppose it's a disadvantage in terms of competing in European competitions, but certainly the City fans who went to Schalke and to Hamburg in our UEFA Cup campaign said that the atmosphere and the stadia were great, and certainly that looks to be the case when you see the highlights on TV. The crowds would seem to indicate that the Bundesliga itself is in very good health, and I'm certainly keen to get over there and get to a game in the next year or so.

I guess that I see it as like a parallel version of what the Premiership could have been like, if the rules in the early 90's had prevented teams from floating themselves on the stock market - as the first few teams who really made a go of that could afford players that others couldn't, so everyone jumped on the bandwagon. You could also argue that the influence of Hillsbrough and the move to all seater stadia also took away a lot of spontaneity, the banter and also jacked up the prices, albeit that had to be reflected in an improvement in the 'match experience'.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:47 pm

Bundesliga matches are on Pay TV only so that helps too. Also, games are affordable over there. 15 Euros to stand in the terrances at Allianz

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:51 pm

fsquid wrote:Bundesliga matches are on Pay TV only so that helps too. Also, games are affordable over there. 15 Euros to stand in the terrances at Allianz

Christ. It's more than that to stand in the terraces at Victoria Park...

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:57 pm

I believe the average ticket price in Germany's top division is 20 Euros. Even with 60 Euro tickets at Allianz to sit along the touch lines.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:11 pm

Oh what a shame....dirty Leeds knocked out of the playoffs by Millwall at home.

Pardon me while I cry my eyes out...with laughter

I seem to remember not so long ago when we played them, their odious support was singing something like 'we'll never play you again..'

How right you were, lads, how right you were.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Thu May 14, 2009 7:55 pm

Leeds are scum

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Thu May 14, 2009 10:01 pm

I've not had much to laugh about this season, but the Leeds fans who bought tickets for one of the home stands at our match with them last month planning to start some trouble made my year. The last we saw of them, 10 minutes into the match, they were pegging it across the pitch towards the away end apparently in fear of their lives. One of them summoned up his inner Ed Moses and hurdled the chest-high brick wall at the front of the away end, so desperate was he to get in there. I bet they're looking forward to coming back next year...

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Fri May 15, 2009 2:39 am

So I was sitting in my hotel room in Turin and noticed AC Milan and Juventus were to play. I eagerly waited for the start time and got nothing on television. I flipped through the channels and the closest I came to a game was the "Juventus Channel"* commenting about the game. A really odd telecast. Game not shown on TV (only PPV), the hosts of this particular show were watching the game and listening to the play-by-play, and these hosts would comment about the game. It was a bit of a play-by-play of the play-by-play or a third-hand account of the action.

I did catch the AC Milan/Albania friendly which ended in a tee-ball game. Using penalty kicks to decide the winner is just wrong. Some great play in the game only to be cheapened by this sorry way to settle the score. Coppa Italia this week ended the same way.

*For the life of me I don't see how a channel can fill 6-8 hours of programming every day about a single sports team. Most a bunch of old dudes sitting together waving their arms around and getting emotional about football.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Fri May 15, 2009 10:55 am

On my Sky TV box over here, I have channels for

Arsenal
ManUre
Liverpool
Rangers
Celtic
Chelsea.

The Rangers and Celtic ones come as part of a sports package that I have, and are largely filled with old games, reserve games and general drivel around specific events...so before last week's Bigot Derby each side was showing highlights of old derbies where they'd tonked the other side. Occasionally there are some interesting documentaries, but they are designed for the fan who doesn't go to the games, but is interested in all manner of crap.

Dunno about the other channels, I'd have to pay for them.

From your last remarks, F308, I'm guessing that you aren't exactly the target market

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Fri May 15, 2009 11:14 am

davet010 wrote:From your last remarks, F308, I'm guessing that you aren't exactly the target market

If regarding the last comment, then yes. I can't imagine watching that much programming for my local sports teams.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:30 am

Will be an insane final day in the Bundesliga next week.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:03 am

TV for the final day of the EPL

Hull City v Manchester United, Fox Soccer Channel, 11am ET
Aston Villa v Newcastle, Setanta Sports, 11am ET
Sunderland v Chelsea, Setanta Xtra, 11am ET

Must get home from church as quick as I can to watch the second half.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed May 20, 2009 12:43 pm

Hmm relegation battles.

Teams fighting to stay in the top league so they can be doormats again.

If the leagues weren't so top-heavy, the battles to get into the CL might be more interesting but there's not much suspense there.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed May 20, 2009 12:54 pm

wco81 wrote:Hmm relegation battles.

Teams fighting to stay in the top league so they can be doormats again.

If the leagues weren't so top-heavy, the battles to get into the CL might be more interesting but there's not much suspense there.

well they are fighting so they can keep getting that nice EPL money. That is why they call the Championship Playoff Final the "30 million game".

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:03 pm

wco81 wrote:Hmm relegation battles.

Teams fighting to stay in the top league so they can be doormats again.

If the leagues weren't so top-heavy, the battles to get into the CL might be more interesting but there's not much suspense there.

Promotion and relegation are the finest features of the leagues around Europe. The £30m (minimum) pound game is the reason why attendance figures for the Championship, which after all is the second tier of English football, are higher than every other league in Europe bar the Premiership, Primera Liga and Bundesliga 1.

I'd much rather follow that than some crappy MLB or NBA franchise which is out of contention after a month (even given the fact that about 50% of NBA teams get in the playoffs) and is playing for nothing than annoyance factor after that, or is debating tanking in order to get a good pick next year. No thanks - it's started to creep in over here with the Rugby League Super League being franchise based for at least the next three years, and 8 of 14 teams in the playoffs.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:09 pm

By the way, congrats to American Anton Peterlin who has signed with Everton. He made the jump from America's PDL to the EPL, talk about impressive.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:11 pm

The £30m (minimum) pound game is the reason why attendance figures for the Championship, which after all is the second tier of English football, are higher than every other league in Europe bar the Premiership, Primera Liga and Bundesliga 1.

I hate when Brits make this statement. The reason it is higher is because Championship clubs play 46 matches. Use average attendance. However, they do bring in the 6th most revenue of any league which is very impressive.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:12 pm

I don't think MLB teams get draft picks based on the final standings.

And in the NBA, just last night, the teams with the worst records didn't get the top picks.

But teams out of contention can do more than be an annoyance. They can get young players some valuable playing time to help them develop.

Maybe the best analogy to US sports would be teams fighting for the last wildcard in the NFL or the MLB. Or the 8th position in the NBA or NHL.

The teams and the fans want it, even though these marginal playoff teams rarely do anything once they get in.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:21 pm

MLB does pick based on standings

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed May 20, 2009 2:55 pm

But they also get compensatory picks when they lose free agents and some of those picks seem to be very high.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri May 22, 2009 6:06 pm

I guess Magpies' prospects for an 11th hour escape is better than Borough, but they still need a result away to AV, preferably maximum points although a draw would suffice if Hull were to lose.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri May 22, 2009 6:18 pm

Good to see UEFA is throwing the book (well sort of) at Chelsea who will probably do without Drogba for awhile. With one year left in his contract is time to shop him around if anyone wants him. But it's UEFA, so maybe a fine will prevail...

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Fri May 22, 2009 6:56 pm

10spro wrote:I guess Magpies' prospects for an 11th hour escape is better than Borough, but they still need a result away to AV, preferably maximum points although a draw would suffice if Hull were to lose.

This might come back and bite me on the arse come Sunday, but the only way Boro are staying up is if United trounce Hull and Middlesbrough snick a 1-0 against West Ham. They're not capable of bringing about the necessary goal difference swing by themselves. I shall shed no tears for them.

Sunderland have got Chelsea on the last day and, forthcoming cup final notwithstanding, the Mackems aren't likely to take anything at all from that. It's not straying into the realm of fantasy to suggest that they could be the team to join Boro in the Championship, though that relies on wins for Newcastle and Hull. Should be an entertaining final day.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat May 23, 2009 12:28 pm

Congratulations to Wolfsburg, who take their first Bundesliga title with a 5-1 victory over Werder Bremen. And unless 4 teams from the Bundesliga get into the CL, Hertha Berlin blow their chance by going to already relegated Karlsruhe and getting spanked 4-0.

Right, off to get beers and snacks ready for tomorrow's Suicide Sunday

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat May 23, 2009 1:47 pm

They deserve it. 12 out of 13 to end the season. Wow.