Association Football in The British Isles

[Good Intentions]

I don't know if there really is another sport where the migration of players from small clubs to big ones is so commonplace or important. It's not that players move from club to club -- that's not unique to football -- it's that every player moves, and in very predictable patterns.

[Johnp]

...and Robbie Keane will eventually move to every club.

Anyone who supports Keane, as opposed to whatever team he's currently playing for, must have quite the collection of jerseys:

# 2 Club career
    * 2.1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
    * 2.2 Coventry City
    * 2.3 Internazionale
    * 2.4 Leeds United
    * 2.5 Tottenham Hotspur
    * 2.6 Liverpool
    * 2.7 Tottenham Hotspur
    * 2.8 Celtic
    * 2.9 Villa/Birmingham/Wolves?

[Nick Ink]

2018 World Cup will be in Russia, 2022 in Qatar.

Good choices, in my opinion.

[Ignatius]

I don't know if there really is another sport where the migration of players from small clubs to big ones is so commonplace or important. It's not that players move from club to club -- that's not unique to football -- it's that every player moves, and in very predictable patterns.

Players in professional baseball, particularly pitchers and outfielders, tend to move from small market clubs to fancier teams as their profile and production rises. But it's not at all universal for at least a few reasons, including:

a.) There are positional bottlenecks - if a team has a top tier shortstop, they probably won't pick up another one (unless that team is the Yankees)
b.) There aren't enough fantastically rich large market teams to suck up all the elite players.

[Nick Ink]

As if to underline our discussion of Robbie Keane's rapid fall from grace, it seems he's now off to the Vancouver Whitecaps

[Ignatius]

What sport do they play? A sailing thing?

I found out from the dad's lady that her & her brother's support of Tottenham is kind of arbitrary. She has two brothers - the Spurs one initially rooted for Everton and so did she. I reflexively interjected 'like racists,' but she either tacitly agreed or silently pitied my willingness to challenge such deeply ingrained bigotry (thanks Nick!) The other brother apparently favored Man U purely out of indifference and sloth. As their tastes matured, the Man U guy went to Chelsea, and the other one ended up rooting for Tottenham, stopping at Liverpool on the way. I think he's a Chicago Bears fan now, so he's something of a lost soul anyhow. I can only assume he immigrated to the US in 1986.

The only reason this ever comes up is that I express my interest in watching a Spurs game two or three nights a week and she makes a joke about how I'm such a fan of Tottenham. The joke is that I'm actually speaking of the San Antonio Spurs, an American team who play the superior game of basketball. It's not very funny, but she delivers with charm. I wonder if the joke works both ways.

[Ignatius]

PS please tell me it's not normal or wise to root for 3 different clubs over the course of your life.

[Nick Ink]

PS please tell me it's not normal or wise to root for 3 different clubs over the course of your life.

Pre-pubescent whims and foibles aside, it is most certainly aberrant behaviour of the foulest kind.

I suppose I should take this opportunity to offer up something of a confession however. Having been given my first West Ham shirt as a 3rd birthday present, a mere five years after Moore, Hurst and Peters had formed the heart of England's World Cup winning team, I somehow, one or two years later, found myself owning an Arsenal away shirt as well. I think I just liked the colours and deny that I was ever seriously distracted from the true and shining path, but still, it happened and I can't hide the fact any longer.

There was also an incident around the time of my first relegation (I've lived through 5 now), when I petulantly declared allegiance to my hometown club, Brighton & Hove Albion. In retrospect, this foolhardy attempt to curry favour with family members whilst avoiding the humiliation of failure on the pitch was pitifully futile - the uncles and aunts scorned my fickle nature whilst the Seagulls turned out to reek even more badly than the Hammers - but also blessedly brief.

Aside from these transgressions, it's been 38 years and 11 months of loyal Irons-worship. From Sir Trevor Brooking and the man mountain who was Billy 'Bonzo' Bonds, through the lost generation epitomised by Joey Cole and Rio Ferdinand, all the way on to latter day imported Saints like Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez. It's like your family - you're basically stuck with it and swapping it for another one is completely unthinkable.

[Ignatius]

No shame there!

I seem to have an odd fascination with Boston Celtics gear in spite of never caring a whit for the team other than a passing interest during their early aughts playoff resurgence. For two seasons when I was a young kid I wore a fake satin Celtics jacket passed on from my cousin Pat. Many years later, this was followed by an inexplicable Paul Pierce jersey bought for fun at a Reebok store in 2003 (I desperately wanted a basketball jersey; this was an outlet mall; it was Pierce or Kobe [blech]; oddly or not, I never ended up wearing it). In 2006, I needed a pair of running shorts while I was living in a hotel room in Kansas City. The only sporting goods store I could get to in the course of my day was more of a memorabilia/authentic equipment shop and I had a choice of Lakers, Cavs, or Celtics shorts. Naturally I picked the solid green ones without a big ugly logo on 'em.

It's a damnable thing. Since I've been conscious of professional basketball, I've always been a Spurs fan and it's the only sport I follow with serious interest... But from that same moment, the Celtics last great dynasty had crumbled and weren't a serious contender until very recently. As they were also in a different conference, it seemed somehow harmless or irrelevant to wear green pants. But I should have known better.

Much worse, I was a Mets fan until I was about five and a half. My 'Uncle' Moose's car dealership used to sponsor an annual picnic/little kid baseball clinic every year with the Mets coupled with bleacher seats at a Saturday afternoon game. So for two or three years running, I'd go on the field at Shea Stadium and line up to field grounders under the expert tutelage of a man called HoJo and shag weak pop-ups with Kevin McReynolds. Additionally, Yankee Stadium was apparently a real shitty place to take a family in the late 80s, so I went to a lot more Mets than Yankee games as a little kid.

The blood took over by the time I was six or so, though, and it was all over. My unfortunate older brother never recovered from his early exposure to the Mets, and it didn't help that he was old enough to properly experience their World Series win in '86. He is the only cousin of 17 on my father's side not to favor the Yankees. He likes Tottenham Hotspurs.

[coldforge]

I like Hotspurs because they're the Jew team, duh.

[kyle]

I like Hotspurs because they're the Jew team, duh.

I, while not myself jewish, favor jewish things.

[kyle]

Beckham may come to the Spurs on loan? Huh?

I mean, cool. but I think there are better purchases to make... like a healthy centerback.

[Nick Ink]

West Ham got out of the bottom 3 for the first time all season yesterday, after taking 8 points from 12 over Christmas. It's very tight at the bottom now though, with just 4 points separating the bottom 9:

        Team               P   GD   PTS
1   Man Utd         19   23   41
2   Man City         21   17   41
3   Arsenal           20   20   39
4   Tottenham     20   7   36
5   Chelsea           19   18   34
6   Sunderland      21   2   30
7   Bolton            21   5   29
8   Stoke             20   1   27
9   Liverpool         19   -1   25
10   Blackpool        18   -4   25
11   Blackburn        21   -8   25
12   Newcastle       19   -3   22
13   Everton          20   -3   22
14   West Brom      20   -10   22
15   West Ham       21   -11   20
16   Aston Villa       19   -14   20
17   Wigan            19   -14   20
----------------------------------------------------
18   Fulham           20   -5   19
19   Birmingham     19   -6   19
20   Wolves           20   -14   18


On a tangent, it's my brother's birthday coming up - one with an 0 in it - and I think I'm going to get tickets sorted for West Ham V Liverpool on Feb 27th. Unbelievable prices at English football nowadays though - can you believe that for 2 people to get a one hour train and see the game it's the best part of £200!?

[kyle]

I trust West Ham will keep out of regulation. I'm betting on Wigan, Wolves, & Birmingham.

That's wild Nick! However it's pretty similar when compared with American professional sports. But that will be a great game! I'll look for you in the stands ;-)

[kyle]

Ugh. Sorry about the game this week Nick. Though I do love the response from the West Ham manager

Next time I will tell my players to go to a funeral when they score

For those out of the know: Clicky

[Nick Ink]

It's got even worse since then.

[kyle]

Barf.

[Johnp]

Barf.

At least the cash didn't go to Liverpool's heads:

[kyle]

Don't forget:


50 mil (Torres) - 35 mil (Carroll) - 22.7 mil (Suarez) = -7.2mil

Not too bad for a trade window. Though I don't see how Carroll is worth that, but I guess we will see.

Chelsea spent about 70 mil on Torres & Luiz. This after a reported 70 mil pound loss in 2010

But it's great to see U.S. National Michael Bradley moving to Aston Villa. Hope he does well!

Was hoping Tottenham would lose Pav and pick up another striker and possibly a solid central defender, but to no avail. Hopefully in the summer!

Edit: I should also note this interesting quote from the Chelsea article:

From 2012/13, clubs will be banned from European competitions if they go into debt on football-related business.

[Johnp]

Don't forget Luis Suarez

Yeah, but Suarez doubles as cover for Reina, so might prove to be worth 23m, whereas 35m for Carroll made me think we were living in 2018 and he'd been the best player of the past two world cups, helped Newcastle to their third Premier League title and homed his 19th foster child...

[Good Intentions]

He has been very good for Newcastle, though, and there he didn't have Gerrard and the like giving him service. Anyway, for once NUFC are the ones who are receiving the exorbitant transfer fee for an uncertain prospect. Grant them this moment.

[Johnp]

Grant them this moment.

Happily, especially for a club that was valued at £100m (and didn't sell) just a year ago!

[Nick Ink]

I think it's a ridiculous fee for Carroll. Unproven, injury-prone and arguably something of a one-dimensional throwback to centre forwards of the 70s and 80s. He'll do alright there, but it's definitely a step down from Torres, whose peak 2 years ago will come to be seen as the closest Liverpool ever got to revisiting their 80s glory days before they slumped to a permanent 5th-10th status.

[Nick Ink]

Don't forget Luis Suarez

Yeah, but Suarez doubles as cover for Reina

- very droll!

[Johnp]

something of a one-dimensional throwback to centre forwards of the 70s and 80s.

He's the new Duncan Ferguson.