Football (real)

[betiko]

a bit contradictory isn't it? You name them 'loyal fans' whilst simultaneously mentioning they changed clubs.

If you want a thought experiment, if Man City moved to Edinburgh do you think the "loyal fans" of Man City would continue to support the team? Or Chelsea? Or any other club?

Well then, consider what happens if they were to move to (GASP) Bermuda. The Giants moved so far away from New York that they literally moved several time zones. This was the age of Radio, for the most part (1957).

As Betiko mentioned. Clubs in europe don't do that. It's deeply frowned upon and all club owners in europe know it. European teams and fanclubs are a lot more traditional than american clubs. If a club-owner would decide to move a club to another city far away, without the excuse of force majeure, it would be looked down upon not only by club fans but by fans all over the country.

I wouldn't even be surprised if such actions would lead to hooligan riots.

Not to mention that his coventry city example is shit. That s from one location to another in the same urban area... When i gave him the example of wimbledon fc that is spot on.

Another example comes to mind... About 10 years ago in spain there were 2 clubs from Murcia in second division, the Real Murcia (the traditional one) and the ciudad de Murcia (a new club that managed to go up in divisions very quickly.
The owner decided to merge it with the Granada 74 and to relocate in granada... The granada 74 being in 3rd division (it was the second club from granada, the granada cf currently in first division was in third division at the time).
So basicaly the ciudad de murcia became granada 74 in second division and granada 74 became the granada 74 B in third division. That just pissed off fans of both clubs and the entire country.
The league gave fines, the fans didn t attend games and the club disapeared.

Just have a look at what happened with the wimbledon fc story when they moved to milton keynes and changed the name....

Ps: your distance thing has nothing to do with it. Take the new jersey nets that became the brooklyn nets. Didn t they lose a big part of their fan base?

Oh and waaaw... What happened in belgium when they merged 3 clubs that became GBA with their fans?

[waauw]

Oh and waaaw... What happened in belgium when they merged 3 clubs that became GBA with their fans?

They merged 2 clubs, not 3. Germinal Ekeren and Beerschot VAC. The former was going to get thrown from 1st division to 3rd division because their stadium didn't comply to regulations. Their stadium wasn't large enough and they weren't authorized to expand due to complaints from locals and they were unable to find any location to play. The solution for them was to merge with Beerschot VAC and play at their stadium, which was only a couple of km's further at the other side of Antwerp.
Beerschot VAC was in deep financial trouble and needed the merger or go bankrupt.

The merger lost them some fans, but it was largely compensated by the addition from the other clubs fans. For most of 'm it was acceptable as both their enemy was mostly Royal Antwerp FC, not each other.

source:
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Beerschot_AC#Germinal_Ekeren

[betiko]

Couldn t see any game tonight, but juve 2 Borussia 1, and man city 1 barÇa 2...

Suarez scores both and messi misses his penalty on the 93rd... First ti me he scores 2 goals with barcelona, and he does it in england of course!


Juve is far from qualified with a 2-1, i d say it s still 50-50 before the second leg in germany.

Barcelona pretty much made it... I really can t imagine city winning in barcelona....

[nietzsche]

Couldn t see any game tonight, but juve 2 Borussia 1, and man city 1 barÇa 2...

Suarez scores both and messi misses his penalty on the 93rd... First ti me he scores 2 goals with barcelona, and he does it in england of course!


Juve is far from qualified with a 2-1, i d say it s still 50-50 before the second leg in germany.

Barcelona pretty much made it... I really can t imagine city winning in barcelona....

Stupid Clichy. What a way to ruin City's moment.

[betiko]

Monaco is winning 0-2 and we seem closer to see a third goal from the monegascs...
Woops just when I write this arsenal almost scored. I said it before... Monaco has a game style that can be lethal for arsenal. Monaco has the best defense of the champions league with 2 goals received in 7 games so far.

[betiko]

Wooot!! 3-1 for Monaco! Arsenal would need to score 3 in monaco! I give them 5% chances.

And leverkussen beats atletico 1-0! That s a very good result.. If they score in madrid the atleti will have to score 3!

[nietzsche]

It seemsto me Arsene Wenger is very good at transmitting a sense of fragility to his players.

[betiko]

It seemsto me Arsene Wenger is very good at transmitting a sense of fragility to his players.

This has got to be arsene s last season... If he ends up eliminated again in 8th of finals, he s got to be kicked out... Enough is enough.

By the way... My canadian clanmates are all over excited because montreal made a 2-2 against pachuca in mexico for the north american champions league. Is that won each year by a mexican club?
I think that last december's club world cup had cruz azul representing north america right?

[nietzsche]

It seemsto me Arsene Wenger is very good at transmitting a sense of fragility to his players.

This has got to be arsene s last season... If he ends up eliminated again in 8th of finals, he s got to be kicked out... Enough is enough.

By the way... My canadian clanmates are all over excited because montreal made a 2-2 against pachuca in mexico for the north american champions league. Is that won each year by a mexican club?
I think that last december's club world cup had cruz azul representing north america right?

That was a surprise for everyone. Pachuca has a bunch of young players that in a couple of years will be very good, maybe that's why they didn't know how to play the game, they lacked experience. But they came back after losing 2-0. That Canadian team had 0 Canadian players btw.

I still expect Pachuca to win in Montreal and advance.

And yes, most of the team the Mexican teams win that tournament and play the club world cup. But there have been exceptions, I remember Saprissa once. But the Mexican teams that go to the clubs world cup always suck. More than six months pass from winning the concacaf champions cup to the clubs world cup, and from the moment the team was champion in the league to the club world cup more than a year passes. So basically whatever team goes to the world cup is almost never the best current team in the Mexican league, by far.

This year could be an exception, Club America is in the concacaf champions (plays today vs Saprissa) and the players and coach are great, and it's very likely that by December America will be playing very good.

[betiko]

So had to google that.. Saprissa is from costa rica then... Never heard of them. In terms of clubs, who has decent ones in the concacaf other than the mexicans?

What s the furtherest an MLS team has gone in the concacaaf champions league?

[nietzsche]

So had to google that.. Saprissa is from costa rica then... Never heard of them. In terms of clubs, who has decent ones in the concacaf other than the mexicans?

What s the furtherest an MLS team has gone in the concacaaf champions league?

Well the tournament with that name is young and only mexican teams have won it, and in 2011 Real Salt Lake played the final. I remember that team was good.

Before the tournament had that name Galaxy and DC United won it. Funny that DC United won itmone year before the Clubs WC started, so they didn't get to go. And Galaxy won it in 2000 and they were supposed to go to the 2001 Club WC but it got cancelled lol.


This tournament is not taken very seriously by Mexican teams really, even when they say they are taking it seriously, they seem not to on the pitch. It's more important here to win the local league. And it's happening the same with the Copa Libertadores, they sort of try, but if they don't do ok they don't care. Which is pretty different from the way it was approached on the first participations, when Cruz Azul, America and Chivas did well. Except maybe for Tijuana that should've won it some 3 years ago.

[betiko]

Humm.. Mexicans play the libertadores???? That is stupid. I ve already seen mexico playing the copa america... Just stay up north, you re not south american dude.
The concacaaf is a joke, they should merge with the conmebol.
Being the continental champion should be the most important title for a club, not the domestic title...

[nietzsche]

Humm.. Mexicans play the libertadores???? That is stupid. I ve already seen mexico playing the copa america... Just stay up north, you re not south american dude.
The concacaaf is a joke, they should merge with the conmebol.
Being the continental champion should be the most important title for a club, not the domestic title...

They lobbied so much to play libertadores and cup america that it's a shame they dont give it importance now.

With a few mexican players in europe now everyone has their attention in european leagues and dont care much for the continent. Mexico wins the concacaf champioship every year though, but i say its more because other teams in the region suck.

[betiko]

You. Guys sound like the australians who fleed from the oceania federation to join the asian one.

And yes, if you guys have the chance to play the libertadores... Why the hell not taking it seriously? One of the most prestigious tournaments for clubs, after the champions league, and probably as prestigious as the europa league.

I don t think that mexican clubs are as good as argentinian an brazilian top notches though.

[nietzsche]

You. Guys sound like the australians who fleed from the oceania federation to join the asian one.

And yes, if you guys have the chance to play the libertadores... Why the hell not taking it seriously? One of the most prestigious tournaments for clubs, after the champions league, and probably as prestigious as the europa league.

I don t think that mexican clubs are as good as argentinian an brazilian top notches though.

I think right now we have a very similar level. Top teams vs top teams. Mexican teams haven't learned to play libertadores. Libertadores has another level of intensity. For southamerican players libertadores is where they can show themselves for europeans scouts and mexican scouts. For mexican players is a chore, particularly for the long travels. In group stages Mexican teama have to make 3 long travels to southamerica, and teams in the group only one.

Also, the mexican league is very competitive in the sense that almost any team can be in the top spots every 6 months, so teams rarely repeat in libertadores and players never gain experience in the tournament.

Atlas said this year they're serious about linertadores, lost the first match home but they just won the second in brazil. They are leaving many players in southamerica so they dont travel again next week.

[iAmCaffeine]

So since Cellini can't currently, legally, own Leeds United, he's vowed to return to his position once the ban is lifted (next month I believe). Now stories are starting that Russell Crowe might buy the club as he's been a fan since childhood and he's into sports, already owning a rugby team in Sydney who do pretty well.

[betiko]

So since Cellini can't currently, legally, own Leeds United, he's vowed to return to his position once the ban is lifted (next month I believe). Now stories are starting that Russell Crowe might buy the club as he's been a fan since childhood and he's into sports, already owning a rugby team in Sydney who do pretty well.

you do realise that no one here knows who cellini is, what he did and what was that position he is returning to right? If I start talking about the real betis's president I'm not sure you would follow.
regarding russel crowe... I call bullshit. I'm sure he just liked leeds when there were all the aussies playing there. This kind of reminds me of Antonio Banderas buying Malaga FC.

[iAmCaffeine]

So since Cellini can't currently, legally, own Leeds United, he's vowed to return to his position once the ban is lifted (next month I believe). Now stories are starting that Russell Crowe might buy the club as he's been a fan since childhood and he's into sports, already owning a rugby team in Sydney who do pretty well.

you do realise that no one here knows who cellini is, what he did and what was that position he is returning to right? If I start talking about the real betis's president I'm not sure you would follow.
regarding russel crowe... I call bullshit. I'm sure he just liked leeds when there were all the aussies playing there. This kind of reminds me of Antonio Banderas buying Malaga FC.

He owns, or owned, an Italian club (maybe Cagliari?) and was done for a fraud quite a long time ago. Last year he bought Leeds and brought in loads of Italian players, some good and some not so much, but they get far too many cards too often. Then a few months ago it was ruled he can't legally own the club yet due to his previous fraud convictions, so then he vowed that he wouldn't take his position at the club again when the ban lifts. So I'm not even sure what our position with ownership is right now, but Leeds have basically undergone constant takeover talks with countless people, groups and companies since Ken Bates finally got shafted, after destroying the club like he promised he would when he owned Chelsea, but that's another story.

It seemed quite probable that for a while Cellini was choosing the team and squad rather than our manager, Redfearn, but now I doubt that's the case. On the upside we've won 5 of our last 6 games and recently beat Middlesbrough who were top, and also beat Derby and Bournemouth when they were top too. Always seem to perform against the best and cock up against the worst.

So now there are talks of Russell Crowe buying the club, since he loves the sport and supported Leeds before our Aussie dominance with Kewell and Viduka. Given he started supporting in his childhood it would have been in the 80s area, roughly a decade before the Australians were running rampant, it was roughly around the club's glory days. I'm not putting much weight into it, especially since I haven't seen any sources apart from things Russell has said on Twitter, but it'd definitely be interesting. He was recently in the UK for rugby games with the Sydney Rabbitohs who he owns.

[waauw]

Feyenoord what shite team. Glad they are out. Always enjoy seeing teams with fans like that lose.

[JBlombier]

In Holland Feyenoord is known for their fanatic hooligans, but the recent events in Rome and now again the arrests and vandalism in their home city Rotterdam, amazed pretty much everyone here. The respect for Feyenoord has fallen to a new low and every club loving Rotterdammer is deeply ashamed. I'm glad some of the hooligans will spend the next 18 months in an Italian cell, hopefully that'll teach them a lesson.

[betiko]

In Holland Feyenoord is known for their fanatic hooligans, but the recent events in Rome and now again the arrests and vandalism in their home city Rotterdam, amazed pretty much everyone here. The respect for Feyenoord has fallen to a new low and every club loving Rotterdammer is deeply ashamed. I'm glad some of the hooligans will spend the next 18 months in an Italian cell, hopefully that'll teach them a lesson.

Actually, I've never seen real dangerous hooliganism related to ajax or psv... always feyenoord. i heard that utrecht and den haag have some pretty lame hooligan fans too.

[betiko]

so the french league is getting a bit nuts...seems like the top 3 are avoiding the title letting precious points go in the last minutes.

game 25:
marseille 2-2 reims -> reims scores the equalizer on the 92'
paris 2-2 caen -> paris was still winning 2-0 on the 89'!!
lorient 1-1 lyon

Lyon 51
Marseille 49
Paris 49

game 26:
saint etienne 2-2 marseille -> saint etienne scores the equaliser on the 91'
paris 3-1 toulouse
lyon 1-0 nantes

Lyon 54
Paris 52
Marseille 50

game 27:
marseille 2-3 caen -> marseille was winning 2-0. Caen scores on the 68, 70 and 89 ffs....
lille 2-1 lyon
monaco 0-0 paris

Lyon 54
Paris 53
Marseille 50

game 28:
toulouse 1-6 marseille (woohoo! back in business!!!)
Paris 4-1
montpellier-lyon (tomorrow night, I expect a draw as montpellier is doing extremely well this month)

so far:
Paris 56
Lyon 54 (-1 game)
Marseille 53

Marseille should've won all 4 games, and at the end of the day just scores 5/12 points ffs...

[JBlombier]

Hehe, that's football. Marseille is doing pretty good in the standings. Lyon and Paris are the clubs to beat now, so if Marseille manages to maintain a constant play, it might get them pretty far.

I always count my blessings (being an FC Utrecht supporter) that if the terrible scores of my club are the worst things to complain about, my life should be in a reasonable shape of happiness. And believe me, as an FCU supporter there have never been great moments. Just walking a slow-paced path along the years of the Eredivisie. Going up nor down. We're pretty much a fill-up team, but I love 'em.
That French guy Haller from Auxerre, btw. You should see the game where he scores 4 goals for Utrecht, that was awesome. The world talks about Ibrahimovic, but Utrecht talks about Haller.

[betiko]

Hehe, that's football. Marseille is doing pretty good in the standings. Lyon and Paris are the clubs to beat now, so if Marseille manages to maintain a constant play, it might get them pretty far.

I always count my blessings (being an FC Utrecht supporter) that if the terrible scores of my club are the worst things to complain about, my life should be in a reasonable shape of happiness. And believe me, as an FCU supporter there have never been great moments. Just walking a slow-paced path along the years of the Eredivisie. Going up nor down. We're pretty much a fill-up team, but I love 'em.
That French guy Haller from Auxerre, btw. You should see the game where he scores 4 goals for Utrecht, that was awesome. The world talks about Ibrahimovic, but Utrecht talks about Haller.

Utrecht has some pretty die hard fans right?
Have you seen that show called "hooligans" by dany Dyer on discovery channel? on of the episodes was in netherlands, and it was mostly about feyenoord, den haag and utrecht I think.
It's cool that you are sporting a small club that can't have too much expectations. It looks like the dutch championship is shifting a bit... when I was younger, it was necesairly feyenoord, ajax or PSV that could win the league and they would all be very far from the rest... I think there's a year were whillem II won the league, also AZ has been doing really well these years including an eredivisie title if i'm correct.

I've never heard of Haller to tell the truth! Auxerre has been playing in second division for the last 4 years or so, so don't know really their (ex)players anymore. They are qualified for the french cup semi finals this year though!

Paris that hasn't been doing a great season so far could make something historical in france though, they could make the national hat trick which has never been acheived yet.
-french league: they are first right now but lyon has played 1 lesser game
-french league cup: they are qualified for the final
-french cup: they are qualified for the semi finals

even if they lose in 1/8th of finals against chelsea (they pass that round each year normally), if they make the national hat trick it will be their best season ever (they've won a few times 2 titles the same year, last year they won league+league cup for example but never all 3, and no one else has)

So next week we'll see the second leg of half of the champions league games including chelsea-psg. can't wait to see that game!

[betiko]

damn Lyon just won 5-1... so nothing changes. 10 games to go.

Lyon 57
Paris 56
Marseille 53

next week end Marseille vs Lyon. Lyon has a really damn good pair in attack with Lacazette and Fekir....