THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE IS BACK: Three reasons to be excited, 10 Months of Despair and Delight-The Football League is Back Below the Premier League- many people’s choice when it comes to choosing the best league in the world- England is graced with the best lower league football systems in the world. There are no other countries that can boast of teams regularly taking hundreds of fans to away matches on a cold, rainy, even snowy Boxing Day fixture, yet that is the norm for teams in the lower reaches of English professional football. But why do people do this? What is it that brings these people back week after week for more? The Passion Ask a person who is regularly paying their hard earned money to get into the ground of their beloved League 2 side why they do it and the answer of ‘you can see where the money goes’ will not be far from their lips. Many of the clubs lower down the pyramid do not have the multi million pound television payments or sponsorship deals to rely on to keep their club alive, but the support and passion of a loyal fan base whose money is hugely important to their clubs. The rich benefactors of the Chelseas and Manchester Citys of this world wouldn’t even contemplate investing in a club outside of the Premier League, and if they were then the men in the white coats would swiftly be called for, and rightly so. The tight budgets of many clubs in the football league lead to a tight knit ethos and fan base which is incredibly passionate. At this level, that is directly felt by the playing staff and management, who are only too willing to give something back. This summer alone, Portsmouth manager Andy Awford would have been found selling season tickets at their Fratton Park ground and Nigel Worthington paid for the tickets of the York City fans’ who had travelled up to Scotland for their pre-season friendly against Raith Rovers- how many times will you see this from Abramovich, Sheikh Mansour et al? The passion I have witnessed from following a football league team over the last few years is incredible and can lead to some of the greatest atmospheres ever- I attended a match at The Emirates some time back and was shocked at how quiet it was in comparison to the volume a few hundred people behind a goal on a League 2 terrace could generate if they put their minds to it. The thrill of supporting the local club drives these people, people who follow their clubs when it’s not going so well and who ride the crest of the wave when it is. The Ability Contrary to what some of the more ‘stuck up’ Premier League fans would have you believe, the Football League is not ‘Sunday league football’ and actually boasts a rather impressive level of football, going all the way down to the fourth tier. In the past few years, both Norwich City and, with more success, Southampton have achieved back to back promotions from the third level and gone straight through the Championship into the Premier League and both survived in their first season, with Southampton being one of the more impressive outfits last season in their second year back in the top flight. With them having done so with much of the same team that got them out of League 1 and the Championship, in addition to a few other Championship talents like Jay Rodriguez and Nathaniel Clyne, there is clear evidence that the ability is there. Greg Dyke believed that introducing the controversial ‘League 3’- strongly opposed by all on the terraces in the lowest professional league- was the best way to improve the fortunes of the English national team, but if he was to look at some of the young players on display in the Football League, he may have to rethink his view. Down in League 2, Portsmouth have this summer managed to keep hold of highly rated midfielder Jed Wallace who, having seen him play last season, is a rather impressive talent and I cannot envisage him spending much more than the next season in the league before moving up the pyramid. Luke James of Hartlepool is also an impressive talent in the lowest professional league and players like him are far better learning their trade playing week in, week out against professional footballers than sitting in the reserves of a Premier League team. League 1 boasts the likes of Jose Baxter, who had to leave Everton in search of regular football to develop and he is now one of the key players for the League 1 favourites, and in the Championship you have the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow who, having learned their trade at Nottingham Forest, this week earned moves to Newcastle United. Throw in the gluttony of young players who have starred for Southampton in their recent stint in the football league before going on to earn big moves, it is hard to argue that there isn’t ability in the leagues outside the Premier League- no longer is it a game where big, bruising centre halves solely kick strikers up in the air and head hundreds of long balls back from where they came for 90 minutes! The Competition In the past, the Championship play-off final has been dubbed the ‘Richest Game in Football’, with up to £90 million available in television and prize money to the winner. The desperation of clubs to get into the Championship leads to an incredibly tight, competitive league due to the number of quality teams in the league. Throw in the annual surprise package- Burnley last year anyone? Blackpool a few years ago, perhaps?- and you have a thrilling season from open to finish. Until the last few matches of the season, over ten teams had a realistic chance of reaching the annual play off party, with two of them missing out on the last day and, as for the relegation battle, only a last minute goal from Paul Caddis could save Birmingham City from relegation at the expense of Doncaster Rovers who the year previously relied on a Brentford missed penalty and a sensational counter attack which led to a goal to earn them promotion at the London side’s expense. In League 1, last season’s new boys Rotherham found themselves 2-0 down in the play-off final against one of the season’s more consistent performers, Leyton Orient. Fast forward 45 minutes and Orient had thrown it away. Go forward another 45 and it was the Yorkshire side celebrating after winning on penalties. Rotherham have not been the first team to earn back to back promotions, and they won’t be the last. In my opinion, League 2 saw one of the more thrilling, absorbing campaigns last season. With ten points separating 10th place from 23rd, most teams in the league were never more than a couple of bad results from trouble. Without a doubt the most incredible tale is that of York City who, at the back end of December 2013 found themselves outside of the relegation zone solely on goal difference. Fast forward five months and they were on the receiving end of a 1-0 loss in the play-off semi final at the hands of Fleetwood after a superb run of form which saw them avoid defeat in any match from February through till May, a run built on clean sheets galore. But this was able to happen due to just how tight the league was- and it no doubt will be again. The football league promises to deliver more thrills and spills this season and I for one can’t wait for it to kick off again this Saturday- let the fun and games commence.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:55:53 +0000
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