I'm not really INTO football, if they played the World Cup in my back yard I wouldn't look out of the window, (unless France was playing.)
I understand it a bit, I watch it occasionally on TV, I happened to be in New York and saw England play Italy at the Yankee Stadium in the Bi-Centennial Cup in 1976, but I'm not a fanatic.
However, I got dragooned into it in a rather unusual way.
When I was about 18, I had been seeing this 17 y.o. girl for about 6 months, and her brother was a West Ham fan and wanted me to go with him for their first game of the season.
I wasn't really interested and kept declining his offer.
His sister said to me, "You either go with Bob to Portsmouth to watch West Ham, or you'll be making love to your hand from now on."
I can't remember who won, but we had a nice day out at Fratton Park, and Bob thought for a while that I'd become a Hammer.
That poster called the UEFA Champions League the 'UEFA Cup' which is the old name for the Europa League. Maybe they were trying to confuse things further
The teams who get beaten in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League drop down into the Europa League
The teams who get beaten in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League drop down into the Europa League
Oh thanks. I think I understand now. So can someone explain why, when I look at the premier league table from 2013/2014, it says that Hull City (who finished 16th) entered into the Europa Leage Third Qualifying Match? It doesn't say anything happened to teams who finished 7th - 15th (or 17th) so why only Hull City?
It also says the top three teams entered the group stages of the Champions League, fine, and then the 4th team entered the Play-off Round. What's that?
Oh thanks. I think I understand now. So can someone explain why, when I look at the premier league table from 2013/2014, it says that Hull City (who finished 16th) entered into the Europa Leage Third Qualifying Match? It doesn't say anything happened to teams who finished 7th - 15th (or 17th) so why only Hull City?
It also says the top three teams entered the group stages of the Champions League, fine, and then the 4th team entered the Play-off Round. What's that?
Hull reached the FA Cup final. The winners of the FA cup get a Europa League spot but because they lost to Arsenal, who qualified for the Champions League (qualifying round!) through league position, it went to Hull. Or something like that
I don't know why England gets 3 automatic spots and one play-off place, something to do with seeding? Someone else might know
Oh thanks. I think I understand now. So can someone explain why, when I look at the premier league table from 2013/2014, it says that Hull City (who finished 16th) entered into the Europa Leage Third Qualifying Match? It doesn't say anything happened to teams who finished 7th - 15th (or 17th) so why only Hull City?
It also says the top three teams entered the group stages of the Champions League, fine, and then the 4th team entered the Play-off Round. What's that?
Hull City reached the FA Cup Final. Normally the winners of the FA Cup final go through to the Europa Cup - but as the winners were Arsenal, who had already qualified for the Chamions League (the more prestiggious competition) - then the runners-up in that competition claimed that place.
The Champions League competition is contested between 32 teams each year - eight groups each consisting of four teams. But there are a lot more than 32 teams vying to get into that competition - there are fifty seperate countries in Europe, the majority of which have their own football league, so there is no way that the champions from each individual country could even fit into the 32 place Champions League - never mind teams that finished second, third and fourth. So, champions from the smaller countries, and runners-up from the bigger countries, have various qualifying rounds to get through before they can enter the competition preoper.
So let me get this straight. There's the Premier League (top 4 teams advance to the Championship League, bottom 3 get relegated to another division), the Championship League (made up of the top teams in Europe), the Europa League (made up of teams who didn't qualify for the Championship League) and the FA cup (where the winner advances to the Europa League)? So in terms of prestige and credibility they would rank as Championship League > Premier League > Europa League > FA Cup?
Is there any other main leagues or cups I've missed?
I don't know why England gets 3 automatic spots and one play-off place, something to do with seeding? Someone else might know
Countries in Europe get different numbers of qualifiers depending on the recent record of their teams in Europe. England, Germany and Spain get 4 each, other countries less. Scotland gets one and that is only at the play-off stage.
In England's case the top 3 get automatic qualification into the group stage and the 4th placed team (Arsenal this time) have a play-off. That's why finishing 3rd in the Premier League is so important as you avoid the danger of losing a play-off which could cost you many of millions in income. Arsenal won their play-off this week and it was estimated that will guarantee them at least £30m.
If English teams performed consistently poorly in Europe that 4th qualifying spot could be in danger of being taken away as happened to Italy a few years ago.
So let me get this straight. There's the Premier League (top 4 teams advance to the Championship League, bottom 3 get relegated to another division), the Championship League (made up of the top teams in Europe), the Europa League (made up of teams who didn't qualify for the Championship League) and the FA cup (where the winner advances to the Europa League)? So in terms of prestige and credibility they would rank as Championship League > Premier League > Europa League > FA Cup?
Is there any other main leagues or cups I've missed?
There are many other leagues and cups but those will do for now. When you are feeling ready for the next stage of your football education you can read up on the "Pyramid" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system - but some supporters of the top teams pretend that nothing outside the Premier League exists.
Actually, it's the Champions League not the "Championship League". The Championship is the league below the Premier League in England. I also suspect that many football fans would rather win the FA Cup than the Europa Cup because of the history which is associated with it.
So let me get this straight. There's the Premier League (top 4 teams advance to the Championship League, bottom 3 get relegated to another division), the Championship League (made up of the top teams in Europe), the Europa League (made up of teams who didn't qualify for the Championship League) and the FA cup (where the winner advances to the Europa League)? So in terms of prestige and credibility they would rank as Championship League > Premier League > Europa League > FA Cup?
Is there any other main leagues or cups I've missed?
Champions League not Championship League
The Premier League is the bread and butter, the winner is the best team over 38 games. All the rest are cup competitions (despite the name) and after the initial group stage are knockout competitions and anything can happen. Crap (lucky) teams can win cups, they can't win leagues. But some will argue the Champions League is more prestigious than any domestic league
You missed out the Capital One Cup, a less prestigious version of the FA cup
Is there any other main leagues or cups I've missed?
Capital One Cup - previously known as League Cup, Milk Cup, Worthington Cup, Littlewoords Cup, Carling Cup etc etc etc - basically whoever is sponsoring it.
Like the FA Cup but only contested between teams in the Football League, whereas the FA Cup includes amatuer teams and teams outside the four top divisions. The winner of this also qualifies for the Europa League if they don't already qualify for the Champions League - however, if they have already qualified for the Champions League then the runners-up in this competition don't automatically take their place in the Europa League. Instead, the next team in the Premier League (be they sixth or seventh place) would grab the final Europa League slot.
So, because Man City won the League Cup last season, but also got into the Champions League by winning the Premier League, the team that they beat in last year's final (Sunderlans) didn't also qualify for the Europa League this year. That is why Tottenham (who only finished sixth in the Premier League, not an automatic entry into the Europa League) qualified for the Europa League. If Sunderland had beaten Man City in the League Cup Final, they would have qualified for the Europa League in place of Spurs.
Rugby players are men...professional rugby players anyways!
My obsession with football began back in 1998...Michael Owen bursting onto the scene. I was 12, and in love. Then he left to play for Real Madrid, I decided Liverpool were my team, and my love affair with Michael Owen was abruptly ended. I think he's still heartbroken and trying to get over it!
Somehow Liverpool seem to play waaaay better when I don't watch them. Second half of that champions league final is an example...or versus the Manchester teams this season.
My obsession with football started the same way. I was 13 years old, and Kevin Keegan was THE man (I know, I'm showing my age here). He moved on to European success, but I stuck with Liverpool, I am from Warrington, which is primarily a Rugby League town, but football wise, we tend to support Liverpool or :oManchester Utd:o
I now live in Milton Keynes, and although Liverpool will always be my number one team, I do support Milton Keynes Dons, I was a season ticket holder, but had to give it up due to ill health.
It was absolutely amazing to see MK Dons thrash Manchester Utd this week in the Capital One cup, I couldn't watch the match as I was in hospital, but I followed the score on my smartphone, not really believing what was happening.
As said above, just support your local team, especially if it is League 2/1 or conference ~ you get close to the football.
I go into it because my son wanted to see Stevenage play when he was 12 and too young to go by himself so I was dragged along. Now i am a ST holder and like most would rather see MY team than watch England if the game is on at the same time.
Quite glad the World Cup is over - all these so called experts that sprouted out of nowhere, never been to a game in their life, yet thought they knew it all.
Now that the domestic season has began, they've disappeared again....only to surface next WC.
If you are not into football, you cant force yourself into it.
Soccer is an exceptionally dull sport at times, maybe just watch match of the day so you see the best bits without having to watch the whole 90 minutes
Tell me about it. If both teams are evenly matched then lots of pointless passing in midfield and long balls that don't connect is the usual fare.
I'm not really INTO football, if they played the World Cup in my back yard I wouldn't look out of the window, (unless France was playing.)
I understand it a bit, I watch it occasionally on TV, I happened to be in New York and saw England play Italy at the Yankee Stadium in the Bi-Centennial Cup in 1976, but I'm not a fanatic.
However, I got dragooned into it in a rather unusual way.
When I was about 18, I had been seeing this 17 y.o. girl for about 6 months, and her brother was a West Ham fan and wanted me to go with him for their first game of the season.
I wasn't really interested and kept declining his offer.
His sister said to me, "You either go with Bob to Portsmouth to watch West Ham, or you'll be making love to your hand from now on."
I can't remember who won, but we had a nice day out at Fratton Park, and Bob thought for a while that I'd become a Hammer.
Dragooned! Give me a break, your little girlfriend had obviously found out at an early age something that all women eventually discover, men's brains are in their scrotum.
There has never been a worse time to get into football; the whole sport is the pits at the moment.
The world governing body is so corrupt it makes the average African dictatorship look like the bloody Jedi Order; all the big clubs are now just toys and vanity projects for the ultra-rich; the players are petulant, arrogant, cheating, whining, preening, money-grubbing, entitled little shits and the fans just seem desperate for their club to get bought by some Asian tycoon and then moan incessantly when their new sugar-daddy doesn't buy them all the nice things they want.
The game is rotten right now so my advice would be either avoid it altogether or start watching lower-league football where there is still some of the old-fashioned passion that once made to game great but without the bullshit that is infecting the game at the top.
Comments
Huh???
I understand it a bit, I watch it occasionally on TV, I happened to be in New York and saw England play Italy at the Yankee Stadium in the Bi-Centennial Cup in 1976, but I'm not a fanatic.
However, I got dragooned into it in a rather unusual way.
When I was about 18, I had been seeing this 17 y.o. girl for about 6 months, and her brother was a West Ham fan and wanted me to go with him for their first game of the season.
I wasn't really interested and kept declining his offer.
His sister said to me, "You either go with Bob to Portsmouth to watch West Ham, or you'll be making love to your hand from now on."
I can't remember who won, but we had a nice day out at Fratton Park, and Bob thought for a while that I'd become a Hammer.
I prefer cricket
That poster called the UEFA Champions League the 'UEFA Cup' which is the old name for the Europa League. Maybe they were trying to confuse things further
The teams who get beaten in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League drop down into the Europa League
Brilliant:D
Be prepared for "how many matches do you go to?"
Oh thanks.
It also says the top three teams entered the group stages of the Champions League, fine, and then the 4th team entered the Play-off Round. What's that?
It just slowly seeps into the brain.:o:D I even enjoy it sometimes, when the teams I like are playing.
Hull reached the FA Cup final. The winners of the FA cup get a Europa League spot but because they lost to Arsenal, who qualified for the Champions League (qualifying round!) through league position, it went to Hull. Or something like that
I don't know why England gets 3 automatic spots and one play-off place, something to do with seeding? Someone else might know
Hull City reached the FA Cup Final. Normally the winners of the FA Cup final go through to the Europa Cup - but as the winners were Arsenal, who had already qualified for the Chamions League (the more prestiggious competition) - then the runners-up in that competition claimed that place.
The Champions League competition is contested between 32 teams each year - eight groups each consisting of four teams. But there are a lot more than 32 teams vying to get into that competition - there are fifty seperate countries in Europe, the majority of which have their own football league, so there is no way that the champions from each individual country could even fit into the 32 place Champions League - never mind teams that finished second, third and fourth. So, champions from the smaller countries, and runners-up from the bigger countries, have various qualifying rounds to get through before they can enter the competition preoper.
Is there any other main leagues or cups I've missed?
Countries in Europe get different numbers of qualifiers depending on the recent record of their teams in Europe. England, Germany and Spain get 4 each, other countries less. Scotland gets one and that is only at the play-off stage.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_coefficient#Country_coefficient
In England's case the top 3 get automatic qualification into the group stage and the 4th placed team (Arsenal this time) have a play-off. That's why finishing 3rd in the Premier League is so important as you avoid the danger of losing a play-off which could cost you many of millions in income. Arsenal won their play-off this week and it was estimated that will guarantee them at least £30m.
If English teams performed consistently poorly in Europe that 4th qualifying spot could be in danger of being taken away as happened to Italy a few years ago.
There are many other leagues and cups but those will do for now. When you are feeling ready for the next stage of your football education you can read up on the "Pyramid" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system - but some supporters of the top teams pretend that nothing outside the Premier League exists.
Actually, it's the Champions League not the "Championship League". The Championship is the league below the Premier League in England. I also suspect that many football fans would rather win the FA Cup than the Europa Cup because of the history which is associated with it.
Champions League not Championship League
The Premier League is the bread and butter, the winner is the best team over 38 games. All the rest are cup competitions (despite the name) and after the initial group stage are knockout competitions and anything can happen. Crap (lucky) teams can win cups, they can't win leagues. But some will argue the Champions League is more prestigious than any domestic league
You missed out the Capital One Cup, a less prestigious version of the FA cup
Capital One Cup - previously known as League Cup, Milk Cup, Worthington Cup, Littlewoords Cup, Carling Cup etc etc etc - basically whoever is sponsoring it.
Like the FA Cup but only contested between teams in the Football League, whereas the FA Cup includes amatuer teams and teams outside the four top divisions. The winner of this also qualifies for the Europa League if they don't already qualify for the Champions League - however, if they have already qualified for the Champions League then the runners-up in this competition don't automatically take their place in the Europa League. Instead, the next team in the Premier League (be they sixth or seventh place) would grab the final Europa League slot.
So, because Man City won the League Cup last season, but also got into the Champions League by winning the Premier League, the team that they beat in last year's final (Sunderlans) didn't also qualify for the Europa League this year. That is why Tottenham (who only finished sixth in the Premier League, not an automatic entry into the Europa League) qualified for the Europa League. If Sunderland had beaten Man City in the League Cup Final, they would have qualified for the Europa League in place of Spurs.
My obsession with football started the same way. I was 13 years old, and Kevin Keegan was THE man (I know, I'm showing my age here
I now live in Milton Keynes, and although Liverpool will always be my number one team, I do support Milton Keynes Dons, I was a season ticket holder, but had to give it up due to ill health.
It was absolutely amazing to see MK Dons thrash Manchester Utd this week in the Capital One cup, I couldn't watch the match as I was in hospital, but I followed the score on my smartphone, not really believing what was happening.
I go into it because my son wanted to see Stevenage play when he was 12 and too young to go by himself so I was dragged along. Now i am a ST holder and like most would rather see MY team than watch England if the game is on at the same time.
Now that the domestic season has began, they've disappeared again....only to surface next WC.
If you are not into football, you cant force yourself into it.
What on earth? Why???
Dragooned! Give me a break, your little girlfriend had obviously found out at an early age something that all women eventually discover, men's brains are in their scrotum.
The world governing body is so corrupt it makes the average African dictatorship look like the bloody Jedi Order; all the big clubs are now just toys and vanity projects for the ultra-rich; the players are petulant, arrogant, cheating, whining, preening, money-grubbing, entitled little shits and the fans just seem desperate for their club to get bought by some Asian tycoon and then moan incessantly when their new sugar-daddy doesn't buy them all the nice things they want.
The game is rotten right now so my advice would be either avoid it altogether or start watching lower-league football where there is still some of the old-fashioned passion that once made to game great but without the bullshit that is infecting the game at the top.
2 ask somebody to explain the penalty rule. other people will soon join in
this will get u started ......