The General Football Thread

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greensaint said:
Blimey, sounds nearly as bad as that Scottish Prem thing they do, dividing the league half way through etc, definitely dreamt up during a night on the p*ss.
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It's because the league is split up into a Northern & Southern leagues, but only one team out of the two winners can get promoted - lots of men's leagues lower down the English pyramid have similar systems. It just happens so close to the top of the Women's football pyramid because they have no money; most players pay to play.
 
KillerCephalopod said:
It's because the league is split up into a Northern & Southern leagues, but only one team out of the two winners can get promoted - lots of men's leagues lower down the English pyramid have similar systems. It just happens so close to the top of the Women's football pyramid because they have no money; most players pay to play.
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Leagues are divided into south, midland, north, whatever, in men's football... but there is no play-off between the parallel leagues, and league champions are always promoted, unless they fail things like ground grading criteria but there is no play-off which results in one team getting promoted and one team not getting promoted although both were league champions. As far as I'm concerned, if you win the league you should get promoted. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
 
PompeyLapras said:
Leagues are divided into south, midland, north, whatever, in men's football... but there is no play-off between the parallel leagues, and league champions are always promoted, unless they fail things like ground grading criteria but there is no play-off which results in one team getting promoted and one team not getting promoted although both were league champions. As far as I'm concerned, if you win the league you should get promoted. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.
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How does that work? For example there are 14 leagues on step 9 of the men's pyramid, but only 6 leagues on step 8. Promotions & relegations to and from different leagues must be different every season if there's no play-off system to make sure there's a fixed number of promotions\relegations to\from parllel leagues:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system#Structure
 
KillerCephalopod said:
How does that work? For example there are 14 leagues on step 9 of the men's pyramid, but only 6 leagues on step 8. Promotions & relegations to and from different leagues must be different every season if there's no play-off system to make sure there's a fixed number of promotions\relegations to\from parllel leagues:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system#Structure
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By the looks of it, each of the step 9 league winners get promoted, but because there are less leagues in step 8, some of them may play together in the same league in step 8. The teams will no doubt be allocated to one of the leagues depending on their geographical location. For example, both Northern Counties East League Premier and Northern League Division One winners might both be placed in the Northern Premier League Division One South. Either way, there's certainly not a play-off.
 
KillerCephalopod said:
How does that work? For example there are 14 leagues on step 9 of the men's pyramid, but only 6 leagues on step 8. Promotions & relegations to and from different leagues must be different every season if there's no play-off system to make sure there's a fixed number of promotions\relegations to\from parllel leagues:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system#Structure
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At that level there's way more to it than coming top of the league, because there is a pretty big gap between Southern League and everything below. Teams at step 9 (AKA step 5 of non-league) have to apply for promotion at the start of the season. That triggers a round of tests by the FA, mainly to make sure that the club has facilities which meet the requirement of the level above. And that they have the appropriate financial/governance, that sort of stuff. Pass those tests, and finish in the top 3 of your league (usually), and you go up.

So, in the Wessex League, 3 teams applied, and as Moneyfields FC passed the tests and finished 2nd, they got promoted to the Southern League. Some mysterious committee has to sort out all the geography.
 
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Qwerty said:
At that level there's way more to it than coming top of the league, because there is a pretty big gap between Southern League and everything below.
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This much, I knew!

Teams at step 9 (AKA step 5 of non-league) have to apply for promotion at the start of the season. That triggers a round of tests by the FA, mainly to make sure that the club has facilities which meet the requirement of the level above. And that they have the appropriate financial/governance, that sort of stuff. Pass those tests, and finish in the top 3 of your league (usually), and you go up.

So, in the Wessex League, 3 teams applied, and as Moneyfields FC passed the tests and finished 2nd, they got promoted to the Southern League. Some mysterious committee has to sort out all the geography.
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Ah, that makes some sense - I think I prefer the play-off system in the Women's game though as it's far simpler and easier to understand. It also seems more suited to the problem WPL/WSL have.
 
Qwerty said:
At that level there's way more to it than coming top of the league, because there is a pretty big gap between Southern League and everything below. Teams at step 9 (AKA step 5 of non-league) have to apply for promotion at the start of the season. That triggers a round of tests by the FA, mainly to make sure that the club has facilities which meet the requirement of the level above. And that they have the appropriate financial/governance, that sort of stuff. Pass those tests, and finish in the top 3 of your league (usually), and you go up.

So, in the Wessex League, 3 teams applied, and as Moneyfields FC passed the tests and finished 2nd, they got promoted to the Southern League. Some mysterious committee has to sort out all the geography.
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Eh, tbf, Farnborough have not played that low down in years and years (before my time) so I wasn't sure exactly how it worked. However, the Southern League and Conference South system is more than good enough for the WPL/WSL and far more fair. I don't think having three additional teams, who have proven themselves over the course of a season and who presumably meet the off-field criteria (Portsmouth did at least) would have had horrendous impact on the league.
 
PompeyLapras said:
Eh, tbf, Farnborough have not played that low down in years and years (before my time) so I wasn't sure exactly how it worked. However, the Southern League and Conference South system is more than good enough for the WPL/WSL and far more fair. I don't think having three additional teams, who have proven themselves over the course of a season and who presumably meet the off-field criteria (Portsmouth did at least) would have had horrendous impact on the league.
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Oh, I agree ideally it'd be straight promotion\relegation, replicating the National league system steps 5\6 & 7\8, but that would require 4 relegations from WSL2 & two promotions of each WPL league to make sure the geography can be made to work. The WSL have only just allowed relegation at all, they're not about to suddenly open up 4 relegation slots! In the meantime, a play-off is a decent enough compromise.
 
KillerCephalopod said:
Oh, I agree ideally it'd be straight promotion\relegation, replicating the National league system steps 5\6 & 7\8, but that would require 4 relegations from WSL2 & two promotions of each WPL league to make sure the geography can be made to work. The WSL have only just allowed relegation at all, they're not about to suddenly open up 4 relegation slots! In the meantime, a play-off is a decent enough compromise.
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Just the league champions getting promoted would be fine, going into play-offs like in men's football would be a step too far at least. Two relegation slots would be okay...

Of course, it'll be interesting when the first WSL team is relegated... because of the gulf of funding between the WPL and the WSL, either the relegated team will implode or there will be some form of parachute payments which means they would just completely dominate the WPL (assuming they could keep their best players, which they might be able to if there are parachute payments and they haven't been run too terribly).
 
PompeyLapras said:
Just the league champions getting promoted would be fine, going into play-offs like in men's football would be a step too far at least. Two relegation slots would be okay...
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The ray of light here is that the WSL & the WPL are both run by the FA, at least it's not like the men's game with the Prem being totally independent from the FA. Pressure from WPL clubs & fans will make more of a difference.
PompeyLapras said:
Of course, it'll be interesting when the first WSL team is relegated... because of the gulf of funding between the WPL and the WSL, either the relegated team will implode or there will be some form of parachute payments which means they would just completely dominate the WPL (assuming they could keep their best players, which they might be able to if there are parachute payments and they haven't been run too terribly).
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You complain, but the men's game has exactly the same issues at various places in the pyramid - yet I still wanted us to get to the top. If watching SotonWFC is anywhere near as enjoyable as our League 1 seasons, then I'll be happy!
 
KillerCephalopod said:
The ray of light here is that the WSL & the WPL are both run by the FA, at least it's not like the men's game with the Prem being totally independent from the FA. Pressure from WPL clubs & fans will make more of a difference.

You complain, but the men's game has exactly the same issues at various places in the pyramid - yet I still wanted us to get to the top. If watching SotonWFC is anywhere near as enjoyable as our League 1 seasons, then I'll be happy!
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Tbf, I preferred women's football to men's football because it didn't seem like it had all the same issues, but in recent years it has just started copying men's football in all it's less desirable ways. You'd have thought the FA would learn from the mistakes of men's football, not repeat them. However I do still like women's football from a feminist perspective (which is perhaps where my interest in the England team lies).

But anyhow, I think Southampton Women deserve their own thread. It's easy for posts to get lost here or missed, and they deserve that recognition and being recognised in their own right. At the end of the day, they still represent and play for the city of Southampton (even if it's an inferior city to that a few miles to the east).
 
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Friendly match Burnley v Hannover abandoned due to crowd trouble. I suspect the Burnley lot were goading and goading the German fans with "Bomber Songs," "Brexit," and all that cr**. It would be nice if fans here denounced Brexit and the actions of Mrs May. Let's have Saints inserted into an EU flag as SFC identifiesitself as a European club, that fans can easily identify with and where the city belongs. At the centre of the EU project, and world trade, besdies being an outstanding location for education, and research, not as a city on the periphery of things.
 
The Ides of March said:
Friendly match Burnley v Hannover abandoned due to crowd trouble. I suspect the Burnley lot were goading and goading the German fans with "Bomber Songs," "Brexit," and all that cr**. It would be nice if fans here denounced Brexit and the actions of Mrs May. Let's have a Saints inserted into an EU flag saying that identifies where the club, fans and city belong. At the centre of the EU project and world trade, education, and research, not as a city on the periphery of things.
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Quite unusual that! <yikes>

Though it seems you've jumped to conclusions and it was the away end where the trouble broke out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40838478
 
PompeyLapras said:
However I do still like women's football from a feminist perspective (which is perhaps where my interest in the England team lies).
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This is one of the reasons I've taken an interest in the game - along with the fact that the club & players don't seem so remote from ordinary people. Not to mention the fact that it's far more affordable than Premiership football - I can't afford a Men's season ticket; I could outright sponsor a women's player for half the price...
But anyhow, I think Southampton Women deserve their own thread. It's easy for posts to get lost here or missed, and they deserve that recognition and being recognised in their own right. At the end of the day, they still represent and play for the city of Southampton (even if it's an inferior city to that a few miles to the east).
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I still might make one - but I'll start it nearer the opening day & use it for pre-match build up & a match report.
 
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