*Official* English Football Season 2016-17

[sledger]

Obviously or he wouldn't have been sacked

Well, yeah.

What I was driving at is that to some extent what the fans think of this doesn't really matter. Such is the level of money in the game, crashing out of the Premier League has massive negative financial implications. It's obvious that this is now the driving factor behind more or less what every club does. As this is the case, barring some massive revolt, the owners of the involved clubs will put the thoughts of the fans, and any other competing factor, on the backburner if it means avoiding losing a huge amount of revenue.

Such are the stakes, it's basically become a case of "stay in the Prem at any cost". If anything impedes that goal, it's jettisoned. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but it's categorically how it is, which is why the whole situation doesn't really surprise me. This whole ugly business is as much a fault of the game itself, and what it has become, as it is the fault of the Leicester board/owners etc.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I woke up this morning and couldn't be bothered with the trip from Plymouth to Luton. I'm officially old.

 

[sledger]

Missed out on meeting me then. Devastating. For me.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Well, yeah.

What I was driving at is that to some extent what the fans think of this doesn't really matter. Such is the level of money in the game, crashing out of the Premier League has massive negative financial implications. It's obvious that this is now the driving factor behind more or less what every club does. As this is the case, barring some massive revolt, the owners of the involved clubs will put the thoughts of the fans, and any other competing factor, on the backburner if it means avoiding losing a huge amount of revenue.

Such are the stakes, it's basically become a case of "stay in the Prem at any cost". If anything impedes that goal, it's jettisoned. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but it's categorically how it is, which is why the whole situation doesn't really surprise me. This whole ugly business is as much a fault of the game itself, and what it has become, as it is the fault of the Leicester board/owners etc.

I suppose you are correct. I never understood the problem with relegation, speaking as a non-football fan. Whenever Newcastle United get relegated the overweight Geordies cry into their beer but Newcastle United usually end up having a superb season subsequently and get promoted straight back up (case in point, this season). You could make an argument that it is better to be amazing in the Championship than shite, constantly in a relegation battle, in the Premiership, but, from my experience observing football fans, this argument never washes and it is considered this ''almighty horrendous calamity'' to be relegated.

But then they usually enjoy the following season much more as I'm sure Newcastle fans are now...

Bizarre.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Gee watching football at a time that isn't 3am is great.

 

[Cabinet96]

Cesc is a genuine Premier League legend.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Pie eating keeper has left Sutton over the gambling row.

Their keeper was injured during the first half today and they don't have one on the bench. Instant karma.

 

[grecian]

Heres a case for "alternative facts", Exeter have now lost on in 16, great winning, but they've only won, one in four, failing sad.

 

[grecian]

Their keeper was injured during the first half today and they don't have one on the bench. Instant karma.

They still beat Torquay, but to be fair it's only Torquay.

 

[GIMH]

Wembley is in my sights

 

[grecian]

Wembley is in my sights

Are you bothered though, I must admit that when I was in that ****ing division all I wanted is to be out of it, Couldn't care less about the FATrophy. Mind you first three years it wouldn't have been Wembley, I think it would have been Villa park, so that might excuse my indifference.

 

[GIMH]

Are you bothered though, I must admit that when I was in that ****ing division all I wanted is to be out of it, Couldn't care less about the FATrophy. Mind you first three years it wouldn't have been Wembley, I think it would have been Villa park, so that might excuse my indifference.

All the way through my approach has been I hope we win, but going out won't ruin my day like a league defeat does

Now that we are this far I am quite excited.

Some of our fans are moaning that we should be 'concentrating on the league' I think that's drivel that's filtered down from the Prem

Winning it probably wouldn't make my top twenty TRFC moments, especially if it follows us failing to go up, but as I've seen us win the square root of **** all in my 26 years following this godforsaken club then it's not to be sniffed at

 

[grecian]

All the way through my approach has been I hope we win, but going out won't ruin my day like a league defeat does

Now that we are this far I am quite excited.

Some of our fans are moaning that we should be 'concentrating on the league' I think that's drivel that's filtered down from the Prem

Winning it probably wouldn't make my top twenty TRFC moments, especially if it follows us failing to go up, but as I've seen us win the square root of **** all in my 26 years following this godforsaken club then it's not to be sniffed at

Disagree with that a bit, my thought was always we're not a ****ing non-league club I don't care for a non-League trophy. But I really hated being non-league so I'm sure my absolute hatred and antipathy for everything in it was not shared by most of the fans. I just wanted out.

Possibly also that we did have the Man U match in the FACup in the years we didn't make the play-offs, so I guess that was enough cup glory for me.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I was hoping Barrow were going to get promoted this year but they've tailed off a bit recently. In the days when it was done by voting I thought it was unfair they were voted out just because Hereford scored a spectacular goal on Match of the Day. I make it 13 former league clubs now in the "Conference". Some have been up/down and out of business in the meantime.

 

[grecian]

I was hoping Barrow were going to get promoted this year but they've tailed off a bit recently. In the days when it was done by voting I thought it was unfair they were voted out just because Hereford scored a spectacular goal on Match of the Day. I make it 13 former league clubs now in the "Conference". Some have been up/down and out of business in the meantime.

I think my deep antipathy of the conference comes from the first years of promotion/relegation, when we finished bottom, but got saved by the fact that the club that finished top hadn't done the minimum requirements to their stadium to go up.

Gawd the media carry-on was abysmal, with the League being accused of not wanting non-league to come up. Hello we voted it in, a couple of years before and there wouldn't have been an argument.

The fact is the Taylor report nearly bankrupted plenty of clubs around then, we were cash-strapped because we'd had to do all these improvements, hence why we were bottom, the non-league club hadn't bothered to do this, so they were in rude health financially. Yeovil town actually made significant improvements before they were getting promoted, the result they got relegated out of the conference.

We seemed to live in a "us and them" battle with them keep on trying to dock us points.

Grrr, hence why Yoevil are the only acceptable non-league team for me. All these Barnets. Morecambe and dagenham s can **** off back where they belong with their rubbish support giving nothing good to the division. Totally unreasonable, biased, elitist rant over.

 

[GIMH]

Disagree with that a bit, my thought was always we're not a ****ing non-league club I don't care for a non-League trophy. But I really hated being non-league so I'm sure my absolute hatred and antipathy for everything in it was not shared by most of the fans. I just wanted out.

Possibly also that we did have the Man U match in the FACup in the years we didn't make the play-offs, so I guess that was enough cup glory for me.

Yeah that's fine but I think it's different to what I'm saying. The same people I talked about were happy we got knocked out the FA Cup too.

 

[grecian]

Yeah that's fine but I think it's different to what I'm saying. The same people I talked about were happy we got knocked out the FA Cup too.

Well I was utterly gutted when we didn't make the first round, pretty low point.

 

[GIMH]

Well I was utterly gutted when we didn't make the first round, pretty low point.

Aye. Two years in a row for us.

 

[Cabinet96]

Amazing the calls United have got in this game. Well, more predictable than amazing, but still.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

You just know United will win this, Southampton have been superb so far.