Europe Awaits

Is that the case? I thought we were definitely seeded for 3rd qual but not for play off, good news if so.

 

They played all of their home games in the Europa League in Kiev last season and I expect the same again!

 

The draw for the 1st round is on Monday - hoping for West Ham v FK Vojvodina

 

I'm hoping Fat Sam sues them for loss of earnings regarding his 'agency commissions' followed by West Ham paying up which in turn leaves the hammers breaching FFP rulings and Europe decide they are not scared to throw them out of Europe as, in their words 'West Ham are not a big club, so we stuck to our promise with this one.

Other than that I couldn't care less how they get. Further into the competition the better with their smaller squad on higher wages meaning that their yo-yo club goes down again with 45,000 seats to fill.

 

We basically want to be rooting for the underdogs in every game not involving Saints.

The more teams with a high coefficient that get knocked out, the higher the chance we have of making Pot 3 for the Group Stage draw (if we get there of course)

 

On that topic

 

So perhaps it was more of a Freudian slip, than a straight out gaffe when David Cameron said he'd "rather we were all supporting West Ham..."

 

West Ham are getting a 99 year lease on a 60,000 seat stadium for 11 months of the year. The total cost to them is £15 million.

 

I know, what a giveaway.

 

+ the rent for 99 years. Similar deal to Man City with the Commonwealth Stadium. I know its peanuts really and a bit disgusting really but West Ham will be paying back £2.5m or so in the first year rising inline with the RPI.

Man City's rent is £3m for a smaller stadium.

Still sucks. Maybe the government will pay for our extension ready for the 2039 Rugby World Cup

 

2017 Champions League final is at the Millenium Stadium - not too far for us to travel and certainly cheaper than a trip to Moscow!

Think I'll book a hotel room now to avoid the rush

 

Map of all the teams in this year's Europa League, yep, including us.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z-oVzRKP0zxY.kq10sHl2JPmk&usp=sharing

 

We're right between Athletic Bilbao and Borussia Dortmund on the list, that's nice.

 

You can move the map to the side so that we achieve our rightful place at the centre of the Universe.

 

I'm quite excited by the prospect of playing teams that I can tie in with a work trip. St Etienne would be very nice indeed.

 

At least Australia weren't allowed to enter the Europa League, like they did with the Eurovision Song Contest.

 

Hmmm, some long old trips possible there.

 

A flight to Khazakstan requires a change in Kiev

 

Some really interesting possibilities there. I always thought I was quite well travelled, but there are loads of countries I have never been to on that map. Might use this season as a good excuse for some city breaks.

 

If that link is correct, then we're still not certain of being seeded for the play-off round.

The spreadsheet is assuming that all ten sides between Basel and Maribor will win their Champions League 3rd qualifying round. All ten of those sides of a better coefficient than us. However, of the ten sides who they are expected to beat (those ten losers joining us in the EL play-off round), only two have a coefficient better than us. If anyone from Partizan downwards string an upset, then it looks like we would move to being unseeded (unless one or more of our fellow 3rd round EL seeds were to be knocked out before the EL play-off round).

At least it answers my question (albeit without confirmed rationale) as to what would happen if ourselves and West Ham find ourselves joint 22nd.