PGF: That's just evil. I love it Dai "You really think that do you?" Er.....yes? It's our job as a team to do the best we can for Swansea City Football Club. The knock-on will inevitably promote us a City - a place to visit and do business. That's it. We play in the English pyramid so we don't actually represent Wales domestically or in European competition either - any more than Cardiff do. English Prem teams don't see their role as promoting England do they? So I see nothing that benefits Welsh football to have them (or us) in the Prem. I come back to the recent Welsh team's results which have been disastrous. Yes the derbies are fun but nerve-shredding and we have enough pressures not getting relegated without the extra pressure. I do concede that in years to come as Valley says, the academies will help young talent but even then if kids are talented enough they'll succeed. But that's a long term project isn't it, and not necessarily dependent on us being a Prem team anyway. I know others disagree but I really want to see the back of them. Horrible club with a vile little owner who doesn't know the first thing about football or its fans. Thank heavens for Huw.
OF course it is good for welsh football, do you think kids around here were as interested in football in div 3, as they are now that their local team is in the top flight, how many are now running around playgrounds thinking they are the Leon Brittons of the world, or even the Michu's, this is how kids get into playing the game, this is how local area's spot these new talents, and this is how these kids up end up in our youth systems, so you damn right it is good for welsh football. Yes you could say they were doing that about the Rush's and Giggs, but its completely different when these "superstar" players who are playing for the big clubs are the focal point of youth. Current youth are focused on our own boys playing in our own city, not some pipe dream that will take you to exotic places (Manchester lol) but to play at home. Sorry if that makes little sense, I know what I am trying to say, but its not coming out as I had planned
Thanks Dai I needed a laugh after todays dire performance and living where I do I have heard it all including those. I feel as a Welshman abroad it IS my duty to promote Wales and educate people even if it means mentioning Swansea as well as Cardiff when talking football, once I've had the soccer/football argument of course.
I could not help but laugh at this. Its a typical pgf post and true to form.. I dont agree but it made me laugh all the same..
Swanselona - kids who are interested in playing footie will always play footie. In my day we all thought we were Pele or Jairzinho. In today's global village kids are just as likely to get inspired by top stars elsewhere as they are by the likes of Michu. Today's local kids who want to play football would still be inspired by Prem stars even if we were not in this Division. Many local kids, just like their parents, have jumped on the Swans Prem bandwagon and will just as quickly jump off again if we get relegated. You know this to be true. I still see plenty of kids around town wearing Real or Barca shirts with Messi or Ronaldo on the back. As I said, being in the Prem may raise the profile of Wales as a nation but I fail to see how it helps Welsh football, other than perhaps over the long term through the academies which is a point that Valley made.
Kids are just that, kids , they'll pick a hero regardless of where he's from or who he plays for , I've got kids (season ticket holder and with the academy)who's got a collection of football shirts from various successful clubs use because of that fact , they're well known and talented .Thats not necessarily the same as not wanting to follow your home / nations side . Who wouldn't want to be Messi ? , I know I would
I'd enjoy it very much if they got relegated simply because I love it that we are the first Welsh team to make it to the Premier League and I'd like history to show them as the first Welsh team to be relegated from it. After that I'd be happy for them to come back up.
Each to their own, Dai. I accept others feel differently to me and so should you. Trust me, there are plenty of their fans who would love to see us crash and burn.
I think the more Welsh teams in the higher leagues the better for Welsh football because MORE children will choose football over rugby. The talented kids will be more likely to join their local premier league club than travel to other less glamorous premiership clubs. Man Utd, Chelsea and Man city will always get the more candidates because of their stature in the game but they tend to go for overseas youngsters these days due to the home grown rule. Anyhow, back on topic as I do not want to feral your thread. We will struggle but I think we will survive.
Is the obvious and correct answer. If Swansea City can produce more home grown talent that saves us having to spend money buying it in then great. I couldn't care less who else it benefits. The FAW have deliberately tried to f*ck us in the past so I have absolutely no interest in what benefits them.
I have said all s3ason the cardiff will struggle as their only goal threat is from set plays and you just dont get enough of them to allow you to win enough games that why I voted that they will drop like a stone UNLESS they change in jan as we all know and it has been mentioned how difficult the 2nd half of the season is. D9nt wish they get relegated but I feel they will.
....but we're not reallyWelsh clubs.... we're just clubs based in Wales. For the majority of us they are our local clubs. We are both teams full of foreign players wearing shirts with foreign sponsors in an English league. They even have a foreign owner.
Turning out to be a very good thread Project, and thanks for the namecheck in the OP. Will we survive? I think so, but it needs to get far better on the pitch before we can even contemplate any sort of confidence in that belief.
This thing about the second half of the season being tougher is nonsense. Some teams do better, some do worse. Wigan have always done better in the second half of the season after poor starts. We did better in the second half of the season in 2011-12 with BR in the Prem to the tune of 21-26 (roughly).
Intersting poll results and it looks like we're split more or less 50 50 with slightly more saying they'll get the drop. Only the rather strangely named BLUEBIRDS voted for the first option.
Do you think you are are safe? A parallel thread with simialr options about your destiny would be very interesting. I wouldn't be so presumptive as to put it up myself.....
No way do I consider we're safe , maybe safer though, with a team ,Board who's spine has had three years at they level has to count for something .
