Good evening guys, I'm sure this hasn't been done before now, apologies if it has, Was looking at the Championship next season if we were to go up, Palace Millwall Watford London derbies potentially. However it looks again as could be a very Northern based league again. Especially if Sheffield clubs, udders for example also come up, plus the current bottom 3 in the Prem of Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan. Who do you guys want to see in the Championship next season (realistically). To come up for me has to be Stevenage and probably Huddersfield, down from the Prem : Bolton, Qpr and Swansea! Would love the hammers to be there two... Interested hear your inputs... Nath
Why would you want Stevenage promoted? What they have achieved on a shoestring deserves respect but they don't merit being in the Championship and with their crowds they wouldn't last long. You cannot be working on travelling distances otherwise you would want Milton Keynes promoted instead of Huddersfield and a midland club relegated instead of Bolton. What's your logic?
Eddie, his logic may be teams he likes/dislikes, grounds he'd like to visit etc. I too would like Stevenage (or Carlisle) to go up through the play-off's, not because I think they'd cope well, but simply BECAUSE they're small clubs and it would be interesting to see how they get on. Though I do like to favour the underdog. I'd also like to see 'Udders go up (even though they have spent a lot/treated Lee Clarke so poorly), mainly because I prefer them to both Sheffield clubs (I currently detest Megson's hoofball team of brutes) and because they've just missed out every season over the past few years. Championship is an odd one. I hate Southampton so don't want to have to play them again (yet because I hate them, I don't want them to go up). West Ham I hope will stay down. I'd love to see Brightons new ground, but at the same time, it would be great to see them get to the top flight considering their recent history. I'd like to see Leicester go up and Cardiff perhaps too. Coming down from the Championship, got to be Millwall (fed up of all their smug fans going on about "all that matters is the present, not history etc" so it will be great to see natural order restored). Crystal Palace to stay in the Championship so we can grab an easy 6 points. Donny have consistently avoided relegation so I'd like to see them drop down to league one. I'd also like Peterborough to go back down, though I'm not sure why. From the Premier League, Bolton down (would love to go to their ground), Wigan down (don't really seem them as a Premier League quality club) and perhaps Wolves (I really like them as a club, but I'm yet to visit their ground and would love to do so).
For me, it is all down to stadiums that I have never visited before, and nice trips to the seaside for a long weekend. Brighton ticks all the boxes.
Given my location, it has to be Pompey stay up (although doubt it-can see them doing a Luton to be honest), Brighton (woo-hoo), Soton,Reading, Bmouth go up, And for Wham to stay down, QPr,Fulham and Wolves(family reasons) to go down.
have to remember, there's less games next season. no b&q cup. and we enter the other cups at a later round. traveling will be less of a issue. plus, we'll be going to decent grounds, not football pitches surrounded by estates (dagenham last year, stevenage this). be an interesting summer again. season ticket prices going up and more tv money, be nice to see what we do with regard to transfers. on a side note, would like to see us join a reserve league.
Good point about the reserve league, SIG. This is a must if we are to keep a fully fit squad. I can only wonder how the likes of Hayes and Doherty have stayed match-fit for so long. Or can Hartlepool really be that bad that an old duffer like Doherty got the better of them?
I went to Wolves ground on our first season in the champ and i can't say i'd ever want to go back Would like to go Leicester, with both Morro and Powell doing well for us i think it would be a good atmosphere. Brighton would be ace as well (but like every other season i bet the games on a tuesdat night!) Southampton was always a good away game but i think they'll go up, wouldn't mind going Blackpool again, and Bolton would be good. I'll skip Blackburn if they come down, memory's of "project ewood"
Actually, looking at Champs now, and also looking at some of the teams in the lower hhalf of the Prem, there are a huge number of 'new' grounds that I certainly havnt been to... Soton Reading Cardiff Brighton Midd Hull Leicester Derby Scumbags (been there though) Cov Doncaster and.. Swansea Bolton (been there) Stoke Also, other new ones that dont look as though they're are going to be playing us... Man City (been there) Emirates (been there) 'Udd (been there) In actual fact, this raises the age-old question of , how many of the 92? grounds have you been to? - new or old I'll check mine and post the number . Include the Valley as one.
OK, i've been to 43 grounds in total (new or old)... ManC,ManU,Spurs,Arse,Chales,Norw,Fulham,Stoke,Villa,Wolves,QPR,Blackburn,Bolton,Soton,Wham,Blackpool,Cardiff,Brighton,Midd,Hull,Leeds,Leicester,Palace,Barnsley,Ipswich,Watford,Millwall,Pompey,Charlton,Hudd,MKD,Hpool,Colch,Orient,Walsall,Swindon,Southend,Crawley,PVale,Gill,Rotherham,Wimbledon,Plymouth
Great question Stu, My list is fairly short though... The Valley Blackburn's Ewood Park Fulhams Craven Cottage Southamptons St Marys Wolves Molineux Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Sheffield United's Bramall Lane Bournemouths Dean Court Ipswitch's Portman Road Blackpool's Bloomfield Road (pre prem) Palasre's Selhurst Park
I've been to: Highbury Emirates Stamford bridge Wembley (old) Goodison Park Stadium of Light MK Dons The Valley (obviously) Old Trafford Twickenham (thats cheating sorry) Upton Park Selhurst Park Villa Park Pride park Millennium Stadium Leicester's new stadium Bramall Lane And loads of Scottish grounds and the park des princes in Paris
And whats the 2nd worst ground you've been to? - Its a given that Selhurst is the worst. Mine is Rotherham (Millmoor) - What a godforsaken hole that was !
I've not been to too many away games either. The Valley ST Marys Adams Park Craven Cottage Kingsmeadow
Grounds visited : Ewood Park Goodison Craven Cottage White hart lane Ricoh Arena (nice just no atmosphere) Selhurst Portman road The den St Mary's Vicarage Road Upton Park (i really like Upton, great atmosphere) The Valley Victoria Park (last feb, all 100 of us on cold tues night) Match room Stadium Stadium MK Meadow Lane Kings meadow Broad field Priest field Home Park Roots Hall County Ground More lower league clubs, which coincide with me turning 16 at the same time we were in championship for the 2nd year.
If I make it to Chesterfield tomorrow night, that'll be 70, but as I've been supporting 45 years, that's not really surprising. That does include at least 15 grounds that are either no longer around or now sit outside the league. I've not seen a lot of the 'replacement' grounds. Also been to half a dozen grounds in France, Portugal and Belgium. Second worst League ground I've been to is probably Edgar Street, primarily for it's mediaeval toilets. Best ground visited outside the league is Forest Green Rovers' New Lawn, beautiful place in a lovely setting.
I've visited: The Valley Anfield Highbury Old Trafford Wembley The Den Ewood Park The Reebok Craven Cottage White Hart Lane Vicarage Road Upton Park Selhurst Park Stamford Bridge Loftus Road The Liberty Stadium The Withdean Griffin Park Brisbane Road Victoria Road Park View Road Ebbsfleet... think that's all of them favourite was probably Anfield, other than the Valley of course!
I've been to...: The Valley Anfield Old Wembley New Wembley Emirates White Heart Lane Ashton Gate Nou Camp Shathurst Craven Cottage Old Trafford The Den Stamford Bridge Estadio Mestalla (Valencia's ground, fantastic old stadium) The best of the lot though is Westfalenstadion, where Borussia Dortmund play. 80,000 odd capacity with seating and standing. The stand behind the goal holds 25,000 people, and it's absolutely mental with a fantastic atmosphere... oh... and... You can sit in your seat or stand up watching the game with a beer in hand too... Don't get better than that lads...!! . If you could choose to go to any footballing derby on the planet, which one would it be and at what stadium...? For me it would be the Milan derby at the San Siro. Iconic game, iconic stadium, two iconic old football clubs. Just writing this has made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Mrs Franco has promised to take me over there for my 40th (only got ten years to wait... ).
