lfc4ever
15-09-06, 12:37 PM
http://ussoccerplayers.com/news_you_can_use/332613.html
How does English club soccer work?
A word of warning, unless you're familiar with English soccer, their format can seem somewhat odd. A club can be playing in as many as four different competitions at the same time, with all games scheduled between August and May. All English professional clubs participate in at least three competitions each season, their league, the FA Cup, and the League Cup.
The Leagues
This sounds more complicated than it actually is. In England, there is the Premier League that we see on television here in the United States. That league includes the top 20 teams in English soccer. Like most foreign leagues, England has promotion and relegation. That means at the end of the season the three teams with the worst record in the Premier League change places with three teams from the League Championship (England's Second Division).
Unlike the U.S., playoffs aren't used to decide a league champion. Instead, the club that finishes with the best overall record is the winner. Three points are given for a win, one for a tie, and none for a loss.
The League Championship is actually the second level of English soccer, underneath the Premier League. Making things even harder, it's the first level of the Football League, a separate organization that includes the First, Second, and Third Divisions.
The Football League has 72 clubs, with the bottom three in the First Division relegated to the Second, the bottom three from the Second relegated to the Third, and the worst team from the Third relegated to the Conference. Again, the English decided to make things a bit more complicated. The top two teams in the First, Second, and Third Divisions are automatically promoted to the next highest division. The last promotion spot is decided by a playoff between the teams that finish third through sixth, with the winner taking the final promotion spot.
In the United States, the Premier League is the equivalent of Major League Soccer, with the United Soccer Leagues First Division the same as the League Championship and the USL Second Division the same as League One.
The FA Cup
England's FA Cup is the oldest knockout competition in the world. That means it works a lot like the U.S. Open Cup or the NCAA basketball tournament, with teams playing off against each other to advance to the next round. The FA Cup is open to any team in England, so park league teams can compete in the qualifying rounds and have the chance to face the top pro teams if they advance far enough.
After qualifying rounds, the first official round includes League One and League Two clubs, with League Championship and Premier League clubs added in the third round. The winner gets an automatic place in the UEFA Cup.
The League Cup
Started in 1961, the League Cup is similar to the FA Cup, but it only includes the 92 Football League and Premier League teams. The format is similar to the FA Cup, with the winner getting a place in the UEFA Cup.
The Champions League
This includes the top teams from around Europe, with the top three to four finishers in the Premier League representing England. The exact number changes based on the strength of the Premier League the previous season.
The UEFA Cup
A secondary competition for the winners of the FA Cup and the League Cup as well as teams finishing just below the Premier League clubs that qualified for the Champions League. Again, the number of clubs involved can change based on the strength of the Premier League in relation to other top European leagues.
Q&A
So how many games does an English club play?
The Premier League plays a 38-game schedule, with the FA Cup and the League Cup capable of adding as many as ten more games. A team like Manchester United, Liverpool, or Arsenal will also play at least six Champions League games, and if they advance to the finals, they would play 17 Champions League games. That means a club that won all four trophies would play around 65 games over nine months.
Can a team from a lower division play in the Champions League?
No, but they can play in the UEFA Cup. Ipswich Town is currently in the League Championship after being relegated in 2004-05, but they still played in the UEFA Cup in 2005-06.
What is meant by the term "table?"
That refers to the actual league standings, for instance the places one through 20 in the Premiership. When a team "climbs the table" it means they're moving up the league.
Can a team jump multiple divisions?
No, they can't. The most you can do is one a season, and there are clubs that have climbed from the lowest division to the highest in the shortest possible time.
So where does this Conference thing fit in?
Depending on how you look at it, the Conference is either the lowest partially professional league, or the highest partially professional league. By that I mean that some players in the Conference have real jobs, and some of the clubs involved aren¿t fully professional. The Conference sits atop the Pyramid -- I know, even more odd terminology.
The Pyramid is made up of multiple park leagues and pub leagues all over England. The best teams win promotion to the Conference. From there, the club that wins the Conference trades places with the worst team in the Third Division, joining the Football League. Think of it as a way for any club in England to eventually join the professional ranks, something Wimbledon FC did in the late 1970's before winning promotion all the way to the topflight.
Topflight ... what's that?
It's a way to avoid having to explain the difference between the old First Division and the Premier League. By saying "topflight," we mean the highest level of English club soccer. Before 1992, that was the First Division, and since then it is the Premier League.
Premiership or Premier League?
No difference. The two terms can be used interchangeably.
So where's the InterToto Cup?
The InterToto Cup is a summer tournament for European clubs that have just missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Originally, it was a standalone competition, with the name referring to a European betting system. Now, the clubs involved spend their vacation playing a series of knockout rounds with all semifinalists making it to the qualifying stage of the UEFA Cup.
What about the FA Vase?
Now we're getting a bit too technical. The FA Vase is another knockout competition, but only non-league clubs below a certain level of the Pyramid are invited. The stronger non-league clubs at the top of the Pyramid play for the FA Trophy. And no, there is no FA chandelier.
What's a gloryhunter?
It's an English fan who intentionally chooses a big club like Manchester United when there's a club much closer to where they actually live. It also refers to people who switch allegiances. Though I'm sure there are those who believe it's actually possible for Americans to be gloryhunters, I don't think that's really fair. Of course, you could make the case that we'd all be fans of clubs on the west coast of England like Liverpool, Everton, and Blackpool, since they're the closest to the U.S., so at least we would have options.
I want to follow an English club. Who should I pick?
Anyone you want, there's 92 professional teams to choose from. It might help to limit your choices to the Premier League or League Championship clubs with a good shot at promotion. Otherwise, you'll never see them play on U.S. television, not even pay-per-view. Following a club with an American player is also a good idea. (Brad Friedel/Blackburn Rovers, Claudio Reyna/Manchester City, DaMarcus Beasley/Manchester City, Eddie Lewis/Leeds, Tim Howard/Everton, Cory Gibbs/Charlton, Jonathan Spector/West Ham)
If you really want to get historical about it, several English clubs were adopted by American cities in the 1960's, during the era of the International Soccer League. So all Clevelanders should support Stoke City, LA should know all about Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Chicago should turn out for Tottenham Hotspur. On second thought ...
Finally, a word of warning. It's a good idea to have a look at your potential club's history. Some things might not be worth taking on.
If you have any other questions on how English soccer works, let us know: Comments, requests and questions are always welcome.
How does English club soccer work?
A word of warning, unless you're familiar with English soccer, their format can seem somewhat odd. A club can be playing in as many as four different competitions at the same time, with all games scheduled between August and May. All English professional clubs participate in at least three competitions each season, their league, the FA Cup, and the League Cup.
The Leagues
This sounds more complicated than it actually is. In England, there is the Premier League that we see on television here in the United States. That league includes the top 20 teams in English soccer. Like most foreign leagues, England has promotion and relegation. That means at the end of the season the three teams with the worst record in the Premier League change places with three teams from the League Championship (England's Second Division).
Unlike the U.S., playoffs aren't used to decide a league champion. Instead, the club that finishes with the best overall record is the winner. Three points are given for a win, one for a tie, and none for a loss.
The League Championship is actually the second level of English soccer, underneath the Premier League. Making things even harder, it's the first level of the Football League, a separate organization that includes the First, Second, and Third Divisions.
The Football League has 72 clubs, with the bottom three in the First Division relegated to the Second, the bottom three from the Second relegated to the Third, and the worst team from the Third relegated to the Conference. Again, the English decided to make things a bit more complicated. The top two teams in the First, Second, and Third Divisions are automatically promoted to the next highest division. The last promotion spot is decided by a playoff between the teams that finish third through sixth, with the winner taking the final promotion spot.
In the United States, the Premier League is the equivalent of Major League Soccer, with the United Soccer Leagues First Division the same as the League Championship and the USL Second Division the same as League One.
The FA Cup
England's FA Cup is the oldest knockout competition in the world. That means it works a lot like the U.S. Open Cup or the NCAA basketball tournament, with teams playing off against each other to advance to the next round. The FA Cup is open to any team in England, so park league teams can compete in the qualifying rounds and have the chance to face the top pro teams if they advance far enough.
After qualifying rounds, the first official round includes League One and League Two clubs, with League Championship and Premier League clubs added in the third round. The winner gets an automatic place in the UEFA Cup.
The League Cup
Started in 1961, the League Cup is similar to the FA Cup, but it only includes the 92 Football League and Premier League teams. The format is similar to the FA Cup, with the winner getting a place in the UEFA Cup.
The Champions League
This includes the top teams from around Europe, with the top three to four finishers in the Premier League representing England. The exact number changes based on the strength of the Premier League the previous season.
The UEFA Cup
A secondary competition for the winners of the FA Cup and the League Cup as well as teams finishing just below the Premier League clubs that qualified for the Champions League. Again, the number of clubs involved can change based on the strength of the Premier League in relation to other top European leagues.
Q&A
So how many games does an English club play?
The Premier League plays a 38-game schedule, with the FA Cup and the League Cup capable of adding as many as ten more games. A team like Manchester United, Liverpool, or Arsenal will also play at least six Champions League games, and if they advance to the finals, they would play 17 Champions League games. That means a club that won all four trophies would play around 65 games over nine months.
Can a team from a lower division play in the Champions League?
No, but they can play in the UEFA Cup. Ipswich Town is currently in the League Championship after being relegated in 2004-05, but they still played in the UEFA Cup in 2005-06.
What is meant by the term "table?"
That refers to the actual league standings, for instance the places one through 20 in the Premiership. When a team "climbs the table" it means they're moving up the league.
Can a team jump multiple divisions?
No, they can't. The most you can do is one a season, and there are clubs that have climbed from the lowest division to the highest in the shortest possible time.
So where does this Conference thing fit in?
Depending on how you look at it, the Conference is either the lowest partially professional league, or the highest partially professional league. By that I mean that some players in the Conference have real jobs, and some of the clubs involved aren¿t fully professional. The Conference sits atop the Pyramid -- I know, even more odd terminology.
The Pyramid is made up of multiple park leagues and pub leagues all over England. The best teams win promotion to the Conference. From there, the club that wins the Conference trades places with the worst team in the Third Division, joining the Football League. Think of it as a way for any club in England to eventually join the professional ranks, something Wimbledon FC did in the late 1970's before winning promotion all the way to the topflight.
Topflight ... what's that?
It's a way to avoid having to explain the difference between the old First Division and the Premier League. By saying "topflight," we mean the highest level of English club soccer. Before 1992, that was the First Division, and since then it is the Premier League.
Premiership or Premier League?
No difference. The two terms can be used interchangeably.
So where's the InterToto Cup?
The InterToto Cup is a summer tournament for European clubs that have just missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Originally, it was a standalone competition, with the name referring to a European betting system. Now, the clubs involved spend their vacation playing a series of knockout rounds with all semifinalists making it to the qualifying stage of the UEFA Cup.
What about the FA Vase?
Now we're getting a bit too technical. The FA Vase is another knockout competition, but only non-league clubs below a certain level of the Pyramid are invited. The stronger non-league clubs at the top of the Pyramid play for the FA Trophy. And no, there is no FA chandelier.
What's a gloryhunter?
It's an English fan who intentionally chooses a big club like Manchester United when there's a club much closer to where they actually live. It also refers to people who switch allegiances. Though I'm sure there are those who believe it's actually possible for Americans to be gloryhunters, I don't think that's really fair. Of course, you could make the case that we'd all be fans of clubs on the west coast of England like Liverpool, Everton, and Blackpool, since they're the closest to the U.S., so at least we would have options.
I want to follow an English club. Who should I pick?
Anyone you want, there's 92 professional teams to choose from. It might help to limit your choices to the Premier League or League Championship clubs with a good shot at promotion. Otherwise, you'll never see them play on U.S. television, not even pay-per-view. Following a club with an American player is also a good idea. (Brad Friedel/Blackburn Rovers, Claudio Reyna/Manchester City, DaMarcus Beasley/Manchester City, Eddie Lewis/Leeds, Tim Howard/Everton, Cory Gibbs/Charlton, Jonathan Spector/West Ham)
If you really want to get historical about it, several English clubs were adopted by American cities in the 1960's, during the era of the International Soccer League. So all Clevelanders should support Stoke City, LA should know all about Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Chicago should turn out for Tottenham Hotspur. On second thought ...
Finally, a word of warning. It's a good idea to have a look at your potential club's history. Some things might not be worth taking on.
If you have any other questions on how English soccer works, let us know: Comments, requests and questions are always welcome.