Would you support Palace if they played a foreign club in the Champions League final?

[paulie]

You brainless twat. (Although I suppose that's a bit obvious).

It's got everything to do with how far your patriotism for English clubs goes. The question is just as valid the other way round.

It has f*** all to do with envy, because there is absolutely no way I (or anyone else who isn't a brainless twat) could ever admit - even if it were true - to having anything to do with a festering collection of low-foreheaded, knuckle-dragging neanderthal Cro-Magnon throwbacks.

Wake up, you brainless twat.

Thank you for your wishes TLO.

OK - I'll join in your little game. I'd want anyone to beat you. I wanted Hereford to beat you. The sight of your horrible kit makes me want to vomit. The smugness of your self-pitying fans is an affront to all other football fans who been through something similar to you.

And please control your jealousy - I'm sure with a concerted effort you'll get back to where you belong. Festering around the bottom of the Championship.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Er... because it's not a national competition?

It's not one club representing the country, it's several clubs representing themselves.

The majority of these so-called 'English' clubs aren't English-owned or managed. They're multi-national companies, with more fans abroad than here, which happen to have their base in the UK.

As a neutral football fan in 2007, I feel no more connected to Chelsea than, say, Barcelona.

So there's your answer.

good for you.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Spot on. Claiming any of the foreign-owned, foreign-managed, foreign-staffed clubs are 'English' is like claiming Coca-Cola is 'Indian' just because that's where they've got a bottling plant.

(Ok, it's not quite the same thing, but you get the point)

Really....

So a team based in the English Premier League, is in effect American then?

So in effect we are "owned " by D Knight who lives in Spain, therefore we are a Spanish team now?

 

[El Presidente]

Really....

So a team based in the English Premier League, is in effect American then?

So in effect we are "owned " by D Knight who lives in Spain, therefore we are a Spanish team now?

D Knight has supported the club for 50+ years, stood on the terraces of the Goldstone, and lived in Brighton for most of his life. He has a CONNECTION with the City.

Glazer has no such connection with the wonderful city that is Manchester.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

D Knight has supported the club for 50+ years, stood on the terraces of the Goldstone, and lived in Brighton for most of his life. He has a CONNECTION with the City.

Glazer has no such connection with the wonderful city that is Manchester.

BUT to use the argument above, he lives in Spain!

 

[Tooting Gull]

You must be a big Man City fan El Pres. United are clearly not 'American' because Glazer has bought them. They'll be there long after he's gone.

And this whole poll bizarrely stemmed out of you refusing to admit last night's match was highly entertaining, twisting it to your own agenda of not supporting United in Europe, which is a completely different question.

 

[Wozza]

Rather than supporting multinational companies based in England, I exert my 'Britishness' whilst watching European football by supporting the underdog.

The problem with the Champions League, as opposed to the Europeans competitions which I loved when I was a kid, is that underdogs don't get to the final stages. But that's supposed to make it better, apparently. Ho hum.

 

[El Presidente]

You must be a big Man City fan El Pres. United are clearly not 'American' because Glazer has bought them. They'll be there long after he's gone.

And this whole poll bizarrely stemmed out of you refusing to admit last night's match was highly entertaining, twisting it to your own agenda of not supporting United in Europe, which is a completely different question.

Fair point. It was entertaining, and I have NO defence on that score.

However, I would say that the thread was headed "Anyone Care to Praise the Champions League". One good game does not justify all the dross that goes before it, especially in the group games. The motivation behind the Champions League is to make money for corporations, and it does that successfully, if somewhat soullessly.

As for being a City fan, nail on head. I watch them quite often, and if you think we are shit, at least we pay peanuts and play in a dump of a ground. Citeh have no such excuse.

 

[El Presidente]

BUT to use the argument above, he lives in Spain!

But he has a BRITISH passport, and has lived here most of his life

 

[Brovion]

Really....

So a team based in the English Premier League, is in effect American then?

So in effect we are "owned " by D Knight who lives in Spain, therefore we are a Spanish team now?

I DID say it wasn't a brilliant example! Just trying to illustrate that in these days of megabuck worldwide sporting corporations there is not really that much difference in supporting a Spanish-based as opposed to an English-based one.

However Wozza has (again) summed it up for me. I assert my British love of the underdog by supporting initially the plucky Scandanavian and Swiss part-timers. There is nothing better than watching a group of overpaid professionals (from any conglomerate) struggling against a load of fur-trappers, whale-hunters and cuckoo clock salesmen. Then when they've been knocked out I support the teams who could be 'us', teams like Deportivo and Bayern Leverkusen. Then when they're gone I usually lose interest.

But I WAS pleased Utd won last night.

Just editing to say your example of Dick Knight is a poor one. He is still British after all. And Brighton have an English manager and predominately English players.

 

[Lush]

Thank you for your wishes TLO.

OK - I'll join in your little game. I'd want anyone to beat you. I wanted Hereford to beat you. The sight of your horrible kit makes me want to vomit. The smugness of your self-pitying fans is an affront to all other football fans who been through something similar to you.

And please control your jealousy - I'm sure with a concerted effort you'll get back to where you belong. Festering around the bottom of the Championship.

I love PROPER rivals.

 

[Tooting Gull]

We would almost certainly agree all day about some of the damaging side-effects of the ChLg, and the motivations behind it. It is creating a cartel, no more and no less. I just think you have to be fair and acknowledge when it does serve up the football it was intended to.

Equally, everyone slags off the UEFA Cup - but there have been some great games this season, a fair few featuring Spurs. I still think there is a place in that competition for seeing teams on the up, and that may be doing even better in their domestic league that same season.

 

[Wozza]

I just think you have to be fair and acknowledge when it does serve up the football it was intended to.

Last night's game was excellent. Loads of goals, great ref, little play-acting.

What that was an exception for the Champions League.

What about all the shite group matches in front of half-full stadiums?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I think it would depend on who they had playing for them, if they had an english base of players I would.

I have no real ill towards Palace.

 

[Horsham Gull]

i would support the foreign team end of cos i hate palace that much