English Football (Soccer)

Ammo08Ammo08 Missouri, USAPosts: 387MI6 Agent
in Off Topic Chat
As much as I've tried to understand it, I can't figure our the leagues in English football. I know that major cities have their own teams, do these teams compete to play say Fraace or Brazil in the world cup or are these different entities?
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Comments

  • WildeWilde Oxford, UKPosts: 621MI6 Agent
    English football breaks down like this;

    There are various leagues in professional football, the top of which is called the premier league. The premier league features teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester Utd etc. These are what you might call regional football teams which grew from their early days (1880s) as 'pub teams' made up of local working men.

    These days the top teams in the premier league are made up with players from around the world, as it has become insanely well financed and business orientated. Teams in the lower divisions, which are the more local teams CAN have players from other countries, but usually due to smaller funds, they source players locally.

    Teams in the premier league will play each other for the championship, but will also play teams from counterpart leagues in other countries in tournaments such as the Champions League, which is made up from the champions of each national league, ie; British premier league winners might play German or French league winners.

    England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland also have their own national team which competes at international levels in the different competitions, Euro cup, World cup etc. These NATIONAL teams are made up with players of certain nationality only.

    Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg, but hopefully gives you some understanding. May I add that I have no interest in football, never have, probably never will. I'm sure others on here will have a more in depth, intimate knowledge.

    Regards,
    Wilde
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Football? I'd rather stick hot pins in my eyes. If it ain't got a trigger or a throttle I'm not interested.

    On topic though, my local team is so crap they've lost more games than all their little fingers and toes added up!

    What really gets my goat, and I know, I'm ranting here, is that the likes of Wayne gooney and David Peckham are on over 300 times my salary.

    I can paint, cast, wire, design, build, screw, glue, mill, turn, chop, saw, vac form and drill til the cows come home.

    Footballers kick a bag of air round a field.

    Over 40 times my pay?!

    I know their wage is down to adverts and sponsorship, but seriously, it needs to be looked at and a cap put on these arses wage packets.

    And ok, I know I'm not the best example, so take a hospital consultant working for the NHS. Their top wage is £100,446 a year. This is someone who's job is cure the sick and save lives, often using pioneering techniques and technologies.

    Compare this to wayne 'shrek' rooney. Wayne kicks a ball for a living. He currently earns £100,000 a WEEK, plus £1.52m a year so people can use his ugly face (hopefully as a dartboard) then there's £1m a year from Nike, £3.5m for books (colouring in no doubt), £600,000 for a 4yr contract with Coca cola and £200,000 a year for computer games.

    So that's £100,446 a year for saving lives or £6.89m a year for kicking a ball.

    Seriously, what is wrong with the world?
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  • Ammo08Ammo08 Missouri, USAPosts: 387MI6 Agent
    I'm not a huge sports fan either, although I will sometimes watch the St Louis Cardinals play or an occasional University of Tennessee football game. I'm more inclined to go to a shooting match than anything.

    I worked alongside the RAF a few years ago, RAAF as well, and I noticed how zealous some of them were over soccer, (we have the same counterparts here, you ought to see our hockey fans.) Maybe it was just the RAF group that was there, but I it seemed to me that the officers were more interested in cricket and the enlisted, especially the younger ones in soccer.

    On game nights their shirts came out. I bought an England shirt at the little shop on base. I still wear it on days when we are allowed to wear sports shirts to work, again mostly Cardinal fans here. It confuses some people......

    Thank you for the information....
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  • The Domino EffectThe Domino Effect Posts: 3,638MI6 Agent
    Hello Ammo08,

    In an attempt to use a baseball analogy, if I may... the English Premier League is like the American League or National League. The top teams (like Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool etc) are like the St Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox etc etc. As Wilde pointed out, originally, Manchester United would have drawn players only from their immediate area just as early baseball clubs did, but as the big teams became richer and richer they started signing players from neighbouring towns, then cities, then parts of the country and then overseas...just like baseball teams overflow with players from the DR, Venezuela, Panama, Japan etc, so soccer teams buy whoever they can from anywhere in the world - and as soccer is literally played worldwide, that's a lot of countries and nationalities to choose from.

    Where soccer and baseball differ is that if you finish bottom three of the Premier League, you get dropped down to a lower league where you play for at least one season or until you finish Top 3 and are promoted back to the Premier League. There are four main leagues in England and countless semi-pro and amateur leagues below that.

    As Wilde explained, The Champions League pits the top teams in each country against each other in a separate competition that runs at the same time as the Premier League (so you could be playing the German champions in the Champions League on Wednesday and your local rival in the Premier League on Saturday). This would be like having your St Louis Cardinals playing the champions of Japan, Cuba etc in a separate league and competition during the regular baseball season and in addition to the regular National League games.

    Finally, there are the national teams which are comprised of the best players born in that country - ie England, France, Brazil etc and the U.S. They meet each other every four years in the World Cup and every four years in between that in the European Championship and equivalent competitions for Asia, South America, Africa and North/Central America and the Caribbean. The players still belong to Manchester United or whoever, but get selected for their country for the 'international matches'...but (with a few exceptions) you can only represent the country in which you were born or where you have resided and once you represent one country you are restricted to that country for the rest of your life.

    As for the difference between officers and enlisted men, you are correct, although football has attained a degree of respectability in recent years that has spanned the divide thanks to attendance by prime ministers and royalty - among others - who in past years would rarely have admitted to being football supporters but who now join the masses coz it looks cool. But, as minigeff points out, the ridiculous money in the game, the dubious ownership of some of the teams and the outrageous behaviour and loutish actions of big-name players may well see the divide re-open!
  • thesecretagentthesecretagent CornwallPosts: 2,151MI6 Agent
    minigeff wrote:
    Football? I'd rather stick hot pins in my eyes. If it ain't got a trigger or a throttle I'm not interested.

    On topic though, my local team is so crap they've lost more games than all their little fingers and toes added up!

    What really gets my goat, and I know, I'm ranting here, is that the likes of Wayne gooney and David Peckham are on over 300 times my salary.

    I can paint, cast, wire, design, build, screw, glue, mill, turn, chop, saw, vac form and drill til the cows come home.

    Footballers kick a bag of air round a field.

    Over 40 times my pay?!

    I know their wage is down to adverts and sponsorship, but seriously, it needs to be looked at and a cap put on these arses wage packets.

    And ok, I know I'm not the best example, so take a hospital consultant working for the NHS. Their top wage is £100,446 a year. This is someone who's job is cure the sick and save lives, often using pioneering techniques and technologies.

    Compare this to wayne 'shrek' rooney. Wayne kicks a ball for a living. He currently earns £100,000 a WEEK, plus £1.52m a year so people can use his ugly face (hopefully as a dartboard) then there's £1m a year from Nike, £3.5m for books (colouring in no doubt), £600,000 for a 4yr contract with Coca cola and £200,000 a year for computer games.

    So that's £100,446 a year for saving lives or £6.89m a year for kicking a ball.

    Seriously, what is wrong with the world?

    If it hasn't got a trigger or a throttle? Man, I could have typed that! You are seriously my new best friend! -{
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  • Ammo08Ammo08 Missouri, USAPosts: 387MI6 Agent
    Thank you again for the information, you must be a teacher. I can grasp what I read now. If you get the American network MSNBC, they have a news show called Morning Joe that features a British sports reporter who gives the lowdown on the English teams, but for the life of me, I can't understand a word he says.

    I will now attempt to understand cricket.
    "I don't know if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or imbeciles who mean it."-Mark Twain
    'Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.'- Benny Hill (1924-1992)
  • JamesbondjrJamesbondjr Posts: 462MI6 Agent
    minigeff wrote:
    What really gets my goat, and I know, I'm ranting here, is that the likes of Wayne gooney and David Peckham are on over 300 times my salary.

    I can paint, cast, wire, design, build, screw, glue, mill, turn, chop, saw, vac form and drill til the cows come home.

    Footballers kick a bag of air round a field.

    Over 40 times my pay?!

    I know their wage is down to adverts and sponsorship, but seriously, it needs to be looked at and a cap put on these arses wage packets.

    And ok, I know I'm not the best example, so take a hospital consultant working for the NHS. Their top wage is £100,446 a year. This is someone who's job is cure the sick and save lives, often using pioneering techniques and technologies.

    Compare this to wayne 'shrek' rooney. Wayne kicks a ball for a living. He currently earns £100,000 a WEEK, plus £1.52m a year so people can use his ugly face (hopefully as a dartboard) then there's £1m a year from Nike, £3.5m for books (colouring in no doubt), £600,000 for a 4yr contract with Coca cola and £200,000 a year for computer games.

    So that's £100,446 a year for saving lives or £6.89m a year for kicking a ball.

    Seriously, what is wrong with the world?

    Footballers seem to be an easy target for this argument. There are several sports where the big stars earn mega-bucks and also the biggest Hollywood stars also earn just as much and more in some cases, do they get treated with equal contempt or is it just people who kick a ball?

    I do agree that it is unfair but the argument is pointless so don't allow it to get to you.
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  • John DrakeJohn Drake On assignmentPosts: 2,564MI6 Agent
    edited January 2012
    minigeff wrote:
    Football? I'd rather stick hot pins in my eyes. If it ain't got a trigger or a throttle I'm not interested.

    By throttle do you mean Formula 1? Because those guys are notoriously underpaid for guys who drive around in circles for a living. 8-)

    And if you think all footballers are overpaid read this.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/hearts/8992876/Hearts-pay-overdue-December-wages-thanks-to-Eggert-Jonsson-sale-to-Wolves.html

    Those guys didn't even get the money they were due for Christmas.
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    one important thing, that you have to know about british football:

    When the national team plays against Germany, they loose :))
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
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  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Bondtoys wrote:
    one important thing, that you have to know about british football:

    When the national team plays against Germany, they loose :))

    We only let you so you can actually say you've beaten us at something. :o
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  • WildeWilde Oxford, UKPosts: 621MI6 Agent
    minigeff wrote:
    Bondtoys wrote:
    one important thing, that you have to know about british football:

    When the national team plays against Germany, they loose :))

    We only let you so you can actually say you've beaten us at something. :o

    I wasn't going to say it. :)
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Wilde wrote:
    minigeff wrote:
    Bondtoys wrote:
    one important thing, that you have to know about british football:

    When the national team plays against Germany, they loose :))

    We only let you so you can actually say you've beaten us at something. :o

    I wasn't going to say it. :)

    I can see a basil fawlty sketch coming out here, "you started it!"
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  • WildeWilde Oxford, UKPosts: 621MI6 Agent
    What ever you do, don't mention the... :))
  • The Domino EffectThe Domino Effect Posts: 3,638MI6 Agent
    Evelyn Waugh?
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,923Chief of Staff
    Bondtoys wrote:
    one important thing, that you have to know about british football:

    When the national team plays against Germany, they loose :))

    Loose what ? Their shorts..?...socks...?...boot laces...? ;%

    Erm...5-1....and even Emile Heskey scored :o

    :))
    YNWA 97
  • John DrakeJohn Drake On assignmentPosts: 2,564MI6 Agent
    Bondtoys wrote:
    one important thing, that you have to know about british football:

    When the national team plays against Germany, they loose :))

    British national team?
  • Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
    Ammo08 wrote:
    I will now attempt to understand cricket.

    Good luck with that one ..... :)) :))
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    For Ammo08:

    Cricket explained,

    You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
    When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

    Simples :D
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  • Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    For Ammo08:

    Cricket explained,

    You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
    When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

    Simples :D


    ' you shake it all about, you do the okey cokey and you turn around .....' :))
  • Ammo08Ammo08 Missouri, USAPosts: 387MI6 Agent
    I think the only way for me to really understand it is to follow a team through a season. I watched a rebroadcast of a Sunderland-Chelsea game the other day. Both teams have very ehthusiastic fans. I'm going to get my schedules down and then follow one or the other team, I don't have any connection to them at all, but they happenend to be on TV the other day when I turned on the sports channel. I guess I could follow Derbyshire, where my father's ancestors are from.
    "I don't know if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or imbeciles who mean it."-Mark Twain
    'Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.'- Benny Hill (1924-1992)
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    edited January 2012
    Sir Miles wrote:

    Loose what ? Their shorts..?...socks...?...boot laces...? ;%

    Erm...5-1....and even Emile Heskey scored :o

    And that was 2001, 11 years ago.....
    May I friendly remind you: 4:1 in 2010 :v
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  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,923Chief of Staff
    Bondtoys wrote:
    Sir Miles wrote:

    Loose what ? Their shorts..?...socks...?...boot laces...? ;%

    Erm...5-1....and even Emile Heskey scored :o

    And that was 2001, 11 years ago.....
    May I friendly remind you: 4:1 in 2010 :v

    I know mate....

    BUT EVEN EMILE HESKEY SCORED :o :o

    Shame on you :p

    And the 4:1...?...you were the better side...but that was a shocking decision to not give Fat Frank's goal... 8-)
    YNWA 97
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,923Chief of Staff
    Ammo08 wrote:
    I think the only way for me to really understand it is to follow a team through a season. I watched a rebroadcast of a Sunderland-Chelsea game the other day. Both teams have very ehthusiastic fans. I'm going to get my schedules down and then follow one or the other team, I don't have any connection to them at all, but they happenend to be on TV the other day when I turned on the sports channel. I guess I could follow Derbyshire, where my father's ancestors are from.

    Derbyshire don't have a team as such...you would need to find the town or city they came from...
    YNWA 97
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    Sir Miles wrote:

    BUT EVEN EMILE HESKEY SCORED :o :o

    Shame on you :p

    And the 4:1...?...you were the better side...but that was a shocking decision to not give Fat Frank's goal... 8-)

    Yeah, but he did that against Marco Rehmer, who never played again......
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  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,923Chief of Staff
    Bondtoys wrote:
    Sir Miles wrote:

    BUT EVEN EMILE HESKEY SCORED :o :o

    Shame on you :p

    And the 4:1...?...you were the better side...but that was a shocking decision to not give Fat Frank's goal... 8-)

    Yeah, but he did that against Marco Rehmer, who never played again......

    I'm not sure if Emile turned out again either :))

    Anyway...I see the worlds greatest football club has just ditched their German kit makers :D
    YNWA 97
  • John DrakeJohn Drake On assignmentPosts: 2,564MI6 Agent
    While Scotland never qualify for big tourney's any more it is nice to know some folks are still thinking of us.

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  • PredatorPredator Posts: 790Chief of Staff
    Sir Miles wrote:
    Ammo08 wrote:
    I think the only way for me to really understand it is to follow a team through a season. I watched a rebroadcast of a Sunderland-Chelsea game the other day. Both teams have very ehthusiastic fans. I'm going to get my schedules down and then follow one or the other team, I don't have any connection to them at all, but they happenend to be on TV the other day when I turned on the sports channel. I guess I could follow Derbyshire, where my father's ancestors are from.

    Derbyshire don't have a team as such...you would need to find the town or city they came from...

    Derby County ... actually not a bad team to follow: doing well in the Championship (2nd tier league football), great history, loyal fans ...

    Mind you, you can't really go wrong supporting the mighty Lillywhites ... flying pretty high in the Premiership (top tier), super squad, great ground and support, and magnificent history.

    Now, onto the original question (with apologies for my tone): a Missouri resident confused about how football works over here. I've been struggling to work out the US version of football for the past few months. I'd always watched games, but the rules as to who plays who in the regular season is just mind numbingly confusing. Even post season (hang on, no one has won anything yet, how can it be post-season??) is peculiar with certain teams getting "wildcard" draws enabling "losers" to win and yet winners only get to play one game less ... and could lose :s :s And no one gets relegated or promoted? Where's the jeopardy? There is none, they get to pick the best draft. Crazy.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,923Chief of Staff
    Predator wrote:
    Mind you, you can't really go wrong supporting the mighty Lillywhites ... flying pretty high in the Premiership (top tier), super squad, great ground and support, and magnificent history.

    I didn't know Preston North End were in the Premier League !
    YNWA 97
  • PredatorPredator Posts: 790Chief of Staff
    :p

    PNE were just trying out the nickname for us ...

    (Although currently sobbing into my collectors edition Howard Webb face towel after today ...)
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,923Chief of Staff
    Predator wrote:
    :p

    PNE were just trying out the nickname for us ...

    (Although currently sobbing into my collectors edition Howard Webb face towel after today ...)

    Yea...tough result...Balotelli shouldn't have been on the pitch....I just hope you tired them out for Wednesday...although after my teams performance on Saturday I could rustle up a kids team that would put up a better performance X-(
    YNWA 97
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