Off Topic English football

[Jayze]

Well they shouldn't be in it either don't get me wrong i know the quality isnt great but cardiff are welsh u have a welsh league soo....

[Ollie]

Was just doing some research and found this.. bit of a read but it will do

This article details records and statistics of Cardiff City Football Club since they joined the Football League in 1920. Cardiff City are a Welsh professional association football club based in Cardiff. The club was founded in 1899 and joined the Football League in 1920 after spending a decade in the Southern League. During their history Cardiff have played in all four professional divisions of the Football League. They currently play in the second tier of the Football League, the Championship.

The league was formed in 1992 by Alun Evans, Secretary General of the Football Association of Wales, as he believed that the Welsh international football team was under threat from FIFA. Wales, along with the other three home nations, have a permanent seat on the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and it was thought that many FIFA members were resentful of this and pressing for the four nations to unite into one combined side for the whole of the United Kingdom.

At the time, Wales was almost unique in world football in that it didn't have a national league of its own (Puerto Rico, part of the United States, also has football and baseball teams that compete in the larger country's system, though no promotion and relegation exists). Traditionally, the best teams in Wales had always played over the border in the English leagues. Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham are members of the Football League. Aberdare Athletic, Merthyr Town (both now defunct) and the original Newport County were all members of the English football league before being relegated. Famously, Oswestry Town F.C. an English team did the reverse and played within the Welsh football pyramid until they merged with Total Network Solutions to form the New Saints.

Because of poor transportation links, it has always been much easier for Welsh clubs to travel east-west than north-south so clubs tended to look east to England for competitors and many of the top semi-professional sides in Wales also played in the English football league; Bangor City were founder members of the Football Conference (then the Alliance Premier League) in 1979 and reached the FA Trophy final in 1984, before transferring to the new League of Wales in 1992.

The formation of the League of Wales saw the start of a bitter dispute between the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and those non-English League clubs who wanted to remain part of the English football league. The 'Irate Eight', as they were dubbed, consisted of Bangor City, Barry Town, Caernarfon Town, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport County, Newtown and Rhyl.

Prior to the inaugural season, Bangor City, Newtown and Rhyl returned to play in Wales. However as Rhyl's application to join the league was late, they were placed in the second level of the pyramid system. Because of FAW sanctions, the remaining five clubs were forced to play their home matches in England. Following a season in exile at Worcester City, five became four, as Barry Town joined the Welsh league system.

A court ruling in 1995 allowed the remaining four clubs to return to Wales to play their home matches while still remaining within the English system; despite this victory, Caernarfon Town decided to join the League of Wales. However, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport County remain in the English league pyramid system.

[United58]

Pep Guardiola is frantically trying to convince one, some or all of his fringe players to head to Italy as makeweights for the Udinese star, while the Reds are apparently calmly loitering in the background, very possibly shuffling a pack of cards until an opening arises to nab the 22-year-old

Nice line from the MUFC official site gossip column. No prizes for guessing the player in question.

[Franco]

Seems like Udinese are rinsing them for all they can get.

[Ollie]

Tis a shame that he don't want to go to Manchester though seeing as he just refused to get on a flight there

[Franco]

I doubt he'll go to Utd, Udinese keep upping the price they want for him and I don't think Fergie will go to that length to get him.

[samhardy]

Yeah I agree with Franco here, the price keeps upping and upping.

[United58]

Now they want over £44M :lol: I'd say grab Nasri, complete De Gea signing and we're sorted Sell some dead wood too, but for Christ's sake keep O'Shea

[Ollie]

Paka

De Gea has hinted that A. Madrid are a 'big club' which looks like he might not be leaving them now

Nasri has committed himself to Arsenal so hes a no go

And £44mil for someone who just does step-overs why do Utd need him when they have Nani for half the price?

[United58]

I'm still fairly confident on De Gea, especially as Fergie's spoken publicly of him

[Jayze]

Apparently Nani's not going so that would mean Toni,Park,Young and Nani which 2 to pick personally Park plays as he has been one of the greatest squad player we've had but i would have him in the centre.

Ideal line up (Based on de gea coming in)

De Gea

Rafa Nemanja Rio Paddy

Toni Park Rooney Young

Chico ????

What do u reckon paka?? and of course everyone else

[Franco]

Rumours of Park leaving I saw somewhere before, and with that first 11 wouldn't you have Rooney just behind Hernandez instead of 2 up front and Rooney in midfield? :unsure:

[Jayze]

Park's been class for us tbf and no Rooney is the best centre Midfielder at the club no joke in a couple of years i wouldnt be suprised if he was there tbf he's got the scholes flair and the Keano aggresion what more could you want plus except for 2 seasons ago he hasnt been tht prolific in front of goal

[Ollie]

TBH Franco is right

The season Rooney scored his most he was playing behind the striker and became back into form when he moved there this season.. Personally I reckon the team should be

Blank***

Rafael Vidic Ferdinand Evra

Valencia Carrick Giggs Young

Rooney

Hernandez

With Nani rotating around with Valencia and Young

*** Im saying this because Utd have not I repeat HAVE NOT got a goal keeper to replace VDS

[Jayze]

Thats fair enough however i expect when Giggsy retires and when Rooney gets older for him to drop back at the end of the day he plays left/right back half the time lol and with Fergie and United being the way they are do u honestly think theyw ould announce a target as publicly without being very confident of getting him?

and Ollie u talking bout 2009/2010 ???

[Ollie]

But when that target calls out for A. Madrid being a 'big club' and not wanting to move until he is more experienced then Im pretty sure that target would go down... The same happened with Neuer and he ended up moving to Munich

Also yes that season for Rooney being the most he has ever scored

[United58]

De Gea

Rafael Vidic Ferdinand/Smalling Evra

Valencia Fletcher Nasri/Sneijder Nani

Rooney Hernandez

Ollie

Ashley Young, David de Gea and Phil Jones have already arrived

But that's Yahoo (aka unreliable), newest piece of news when I Googled 'De Gea'

Anyway, I'd love to see that team next season, reason Smalling's there is because of Ferdinand's injury troubles, but I can't really see Nasri or Sneijder coming. Would be interesting to see Rooney at centre mid and Young second striker to Hernandez, I certainly see that as an option, and a good one at that.

De Gea

Rafael Vidic Ferdinand Evra

Va;encia Fletcher Rooney Nani

Young Hernandez

I quite like the look of that

[samhardy]

Maybe Pats. Are you sure about Young up front? Maybe behind the attackers?

[United58]

Well, if we look at Rooney's performances this season, he's played as a graceful playmaker behind Hernandez, he's willing to track back, and most importantly (for Fergie) he works defensively, which neither Sniejder or Nasri do. Fergie's teams have been based around solid working players - Valencia replacing Ronaldo, Nani growing into a team player. And he's not the kind of player to disappear in matches, which is the last thing you want from a central player. And if he moved back, we'd more than likely keep Berba, which I hope will happen.

And we also have Macheda, Diouf and Welbeck coming back, and Cleverley, Pogba and especially Morrison are genuine talents. Our future looks bright

[Jayze]

Well at least someone kind of agree's with me on the whole Rooney Centre mid idea Nasri won't come in and i strongly doubt Wesley will Luka perhaps i think Luka would be a class signing for us it depends on who goes out tbf can't imagine The Berb being here much longer though

oh and Paka Pogba,Tunnicliffe and Morrison :wub:

I suspect Clevs might play a part next year not to sure if we'll see Kiko anymore and Diouf well maybe

There was an article in a United Fanzine saying about how Ravel hasn't earned a penny since joining us plainly becasue he's had to pay it all back through fines :lol: The only player on our books to have an ASBO lol

[MrSquiggleful]

Speaking of mufc-The greatest team ever! Hernandez is on top form and could become one of the most deadliest strikers in the world!

[Franco]

Sneijder is going nowhere, he's staying at Inter...hopefully :lol:

Also Sneijder doesn't defend at Inter simply because he doesn't need to, the other midfielders we play, usually Cambiasso, Zanetti and Motta, are all defensively minded.

[Ollie]

Speaking of mufc-The greatest team ever! Hernandez is on top form and could become one of the most deadliest strikers in the world!

You're opinion although if they were the 'greatest team ever' surely they would be the true kings of Europe rather than having a pitiful 3 European reigns compared to the 9 of Real Madrid

Besides can't really call Utd that when they dont have a competition with the winners of every league in the world to see who comes out on top

[samhardy]

Was it Barca's fourth when they won this one?

[Ollie]

Yes it is

[William]

De Gea

Rafael Evans Jones Fabio

Obertan Gibson Cleverley Young

Owen Welbeck

United's pre season team

[Franco]

Obertan on FMH 09 :wub:

Shame he isn't like that now for you lot :lol:

[Jayze]

William bar jones de gea clubs and young all of them have won the premier league cant be that bad can they!?? Lol * correction gibson and obertan are crap

[samhardy]

De Gea hasnt had a great start , 3 mistakes so far imao.

[United58]

Obertan on FMH 09 :wub:

Shame he isn't like that now for you lot :lol:

Obertan's gone to Newcastle, De Gea will learn, remember he's only 20, still has at least 15 years at the top. Cleverley is a very gifted player indeed