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This international break: England v ?



Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,789
Location Location
For all those saying they couldn't give a shit about England - I bet there'll still be north of 70k at Wembley on Saturday. For a game against Malta.

No other International team in Europe commands the crowds we get.
 






Spider

New member
Sep 15, 2007
3,614
For all those saying they couldn't give a shit about England - I bet there'll still be north of 70k at Wembley on Saturday. For a game against Malta.

No other International team in Europe commands the crowds we get.

As a percentage of population?
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,789
Location Location
Still winds me up that these groups are so BLOATED.

We're basically playing a mediterranean Isle of Wight. These teams should have to pre-qualify to get into a WC qualifying group of 4. No Playoffs, no fannying about, just 4 teams per group, the top 2 go through to the Finals. Less International breaks, less pointless cannon-fodder goal-difference booster games like this, and with only 6 qualifying games to play, they're ALL actually important. Whats wrong with that ?

Oh sorry, forgot. Less TV rights to sell.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,789
Location Location
As a percentage of population?

We have 53m.
Just see how many France (pop 66m) or Spain (pop 46m) or Germany (pop 81m) get against the likes of Malta. I bet my left BUTTOCK they wouldn't get near 70k.

OK England are slightly unique in that we have a national stadium with a bigger capacity than any club stadium, which is where other national sides play their qualifiers. But how many would rock up at the Nou Camp to watch Spain dismantle some hapless bunch of cabbies and goat-herders ? It still wouldn't be anything near 70k, thats for sure.
 




atfc village

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2013
5,020
Lower Bourne .Farnham
We have 53m.
Just see how many France (pop 66m) or Spain (pop 46m) or Germany (pop 81m) get against the likes of Malta. I bet my left BUTTOCK they wouldn't get near 70k.

OK England are slightly unique in that we have a national stadium with a bigger capacity than any club stadium, which is where other national sides play their qualifiers. But how many would rock up at the Nou Camp to watch Spain dismantle some hapless bunch of cabbies and goat-herders ? It still wouldn't be anything near 70k, thats for sure.

Quite true,but in West/Germanys case their last 2 home games v Malta were played in Saarbrucken and Rostock in front of big crowds.They wouldn't fill Munich v Malta.
 




Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,632
Still winds me up that these groups are so BLOATED.

We're basically playing a mediterranean Isle of Wight. These teams should have to pre-qualify to get into a WC qualifying group of 4.

And would the Nordic Isle of Wight - Iceland - be included in that pot?
 




atfc village

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2013
5,020
Lower Bourne .Farnham
And would the Nordic Isle of Wight - Iceland - be included in that pot?

It's only 5 years ago i was present when The IOW beat most of the current Gibraltar Natinal side ,now you have Gibraltan sides winning games against British sides in Europe. Funny old game.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,789
Location Location
And would the Nordic Isle of Wight - Iceland - be included in that pot?

Iceland are at least in the top 30 of the FIFA world rankings. Malta are 157, and have never been higher than 98. They're a waste of space.

We NEED pre-qualifiers to weed out at least half of this hapless dirge. Its the equivalent of pitching Burgess Hill into a Champions League group, having not even played a game to get there.
 






Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,632
Iceland are at least in the top 30 of the FIFA world rankings. Malta are 157, and have never been higher than 98. They're a waste of space.

We NEED pre-qualifiers to weed out at least half of this hapless dirge. Its the equivalent of pitching Burgess Hill into a Champions League group, having not even played a game to get there.

For Iceland appearing for the national team is bigger than anything those players get in their club football. If you throw in good infrastructure and two or three decent players you've got half a chance. We've seen Latvia do well at Euro 2000, Montenegro and Slovakia are decent now too. It's the San Marinos and Gibraltars that can give the Icelands of this world a couple of wins and help kick-start a run.

That said, if Greaves or Charlton had been up against the likes of San Marino every year they'd have bagged 60 or 70 goals for England, not 44 and 49 respectively.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,789
Location Location
For Iceland appearing for the national team is bigger than anything those players get in their club football. If you throw in good infrastructure and two or three decent players you've got half a chance. We've seen Latvia do well at Euro 2000, Montenegro and Slovakia are decent now too. It's the San Marinos and Gibraltars that can give the Icelands of this world a couple of wins and help kick-start a run.

That said, if Greaves or Charlton had been up against the likes of San Marino every year they'd have bagged 60 or 70 goals for England, not 44 and 49 respectively.

I don't disagree. But why not let the Dan Marino's and Gibralters of this world have a run at Iceland in a PRE-qualifier. Not just pitched straight into a group with Spain, Poland, Romania and Georgia, so we end up with several hopeless mismatches and massive groups of 6 or 7 teams. Its a nonsense. It needs streamlining, but the TV rights dictate it'll never happen now.

Same reason the Euros are now 24 teams, and the World Cup will soon be 48. Complete and utter bloated overkill, all for the TV £££. The goose and the golden egg.
 


W.C.

New member
Oct 31, 2011
4,927




papajaff

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2005
3,978
Brighton
Not a clue. Had to look it up when I saw this thread.
 


Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
19,736
Eastbourne
1 very bad result granted. Before that 0 defeats in group (granted 2 draws weren't good results) and 10/10 wins in qualifying again. We were a shambles vs Iceland but nobody just 'gives up' on supporting BHA after a bad defeat so why should England be any different? I do agree the international breaks are ****ing stupid though I have to say - just couldn't resist flying the pro England flag on this thread [emoji106]

Our problem is we are brilliant in qualifying - comfortably amongst the top teams in the world in that regard but we get to a major and they play with weights on their feet. Annoyingly repetitive yes... But don't give up on your country people [emoji106]
I've never given up on my country, however years of disappointment when the players underperformed and now the perception that the players are prima donnas does not help engender enthusiasm. I actually meant it wasn't just one bad result but many, yes the Iceland game stands out but it fits the general pattern. The England team is representative of the malaise introduced into the game since sky, many overrated foreign tourists who come simply to pick up a paycheck and the few English at the top are like the soft, fatted cows of history, living in the good times, not having to work too hard for their dough and found wanting in times of difficulty. Supporting Brighton is part of my DNA, I stand surrounded by people who for the most part have shared the journey, through the glory days, through the bad times, memories of the struggles of the 90's and eventual triumph against the odds and now of course our wonderful home at Falmer. I feel none of that for the England team, they have been and remain like a festering tooth which keeps getting infected and calming down every couple of years, just when you think things are getting better, that nagging ache returns.
 


Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
21,667
Brighton
Without looking, do you know who England are playing in their game (or games) during this international break?

I'll be honest, I don't have a clue.

Haven't looked yet and know idea at all. I've gone to England away games and watched them in the World Cup yet I've lost almost all my England mojo. The repeated tournament failures along with the FA's ability not to find a credible manager has left me cold. England will typically win their qualifying group now remaining unbeaten and then not win a game in Russia. Not interested.
 






Iggle Piggle

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2010
5,379
For all those saying they couldn't give a shit about England - I bet there'll still be north of 70k at Wembley on Saturday. For a game against Malta.

No other International team in Europe commands the crowds we get.

It's not far off a Sell out by all accounts. I put this down to it being a Saturday kick off rather than a Friday night - Easier to take the kids and all that (and it's £20, £10 in the family enclosure). If I didn't have post Iceland depression I might have taken them myself. Lad opposite me at work is going to Slovenia away this weekend. His point is that it's a decent crowd that go as opposed to the tournaments which can be full of bell cheeses. I can see his point having been to France this summer. I may even join him away V Lithuania next year. It's different from doing Barnsley away again.

Shame for England is that we weren't far off in the Euro's. We played well without a result against Russia, beat a decent Wales side (with a passing goal in the 90th minute, unheard of in England history unless it's a free kick or hoof), put the reserves out against Slovakia (well done Roy) and made a complete cluster against Iceland. The 4 semi finalists have all been turned over by England in the last year. We aren't toilet, just for whatever reason, cannot perform in tournaments.
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,238
Surrey
We aren't toilet, just for whatever reason, cannot perform in tournaments.

Alternatively, we are always toilet when it matters. Honestly, I couldn't give a toss about the national side in these qualifiers any more. We tend to do alright in them, which suggests to me that they are little more than a procession and pointless. When we get to the tournaments, I do take an interest, but for me the passion is nothing like what it was 15 years ago and before that. We are never going to be competitive until the FA get the basics right and paying the highest manager salary in the world is never ever going to be the solution. In fact it is a feeble policy and a total waste of money and I'm quite sick of it.



By the way [MENTION=70]Easy 10[/MENTION], what does "slightly unique" mean? Makes as much sense as being "half pregnant". :lolol:
 


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