Football (Soccer) Thread

[Norgy]

The strange thing is that the United States had two competing leagues in the 1920s, And the Italians were, as per the recipe, split in two federations before the fascists saw that this great spectacle of calcio might unite people. They were not soft when it came to uniting clubs. The only club to refuse was, ironically, Lazio.

Nowadays, mergers do not happen. It's just a flow of billions of cash.

Notts County would never merge with Forest, for instance.

The 1920s were formative years of football, as far as I can tell. The English FA had finals between amateur teams and professionals. Because the FA was not very progressive in many ways.

A funny bit of lore is that Woolwhich Arsenal got their team colours by borrowing Forest's shirts.

[Duque de Bragança]

And the Italians were, as per the recipe, split in two federations before the fascists saw that this great spectacle of calcio might unite people. They were not soft when it came to uniting clubs. The only club to refuse was, ironically, Lazio.

That's because the real fascist club is A.S Roma, which was created from the merger of all other Roman clubs, save Lazio, created in 1900. Truth be said, Lazio had some leverage in the fascist party to avoid the merger.

Back then, Il Duce even had to intervene to get some titles for A.S Roma during the war, through creative refereeing. 

[Syt]

Neither Barça or Espanyol were working class clubs though. Barça was the club for the expat community (Swiss and Englishmen) who brought the game to the city, while Espanyol was the club of the posh Catalan burgeoise.

Similar to Milan, then, where Internazionale was the club of the foreigners, and AC Milan the one for the Italians?

[Sheilbh]

I think true for various Latin American clubs too.

[Duque de Bragança]

Neither Barça or Espanyol were working class clubs though. Barça was the club for the expat community (Swiss and Englishmen) who brought the game to the city, while Espanyol was the club of the posh Catalan burgeoise.

Similar to Milan then, where Internazionale was the club of the foreigners, and renamed Ambrogiana under Mussolini, and AC Milan the one for the Italians?

Milan A.C was also closer, if not a protégé, of the fascist régime.

In Portugal, Sporting Clube Portugal was the bourgeois / aristocrat club till the mid '80s and obviously close to the Salazar régime. Benfica was also close to the régime but had a less bourgeois veneer.
Being close to the régime meant priority access to the players in Portuguese "ultramarine" territories or colonies if you prefer.

Académica Coimbra was Coimbra University students' club, unsurprisinglyl, and used a Portuguese cup final against Benfica in 1969 during a political crisis to demonstrate against the régime. Previously, in 1939, black-cloaked Coimbra players did not the "fascist" salute as Benfica players :



F.C Porto has always been a very popular club up north, notably opposed to Lisboete clubs. Blue and white Colours come from the time of the liberal monarchy flag in Portugal, till 1910.

[Sheilbh]

Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan?

[Norgy]

Neither Barça or Espanyol were working class clubs though. Barça was the club for the expat community (Swiss and Englishmen) who brought the game to the city, while Espanyol was the club of the posh Catalan burgeoise.

Similar to Milan, then, where Internazionale was the club of the foreigners, and AC Milan the one for the Italians?

I think it was opposite, according to the great book "Calcio". AC Milan was founded by an English former player, hence the name. Internazzionale had to change its name to Ambrosia Milano during Mussolini's reign.

Duque, the most pampered Italian team, as far as I know, was Bologna.
But I love these stories.

After German unification, it was almost painful to see how many of the East German clubs failed. No more drugs? I dunno. Then came Red Bull Leipzig, a club I have the impression absolutely no-one likes.

Norwegians have a certain affinity for the Bundesliga, which stems from so many of our players going there in the 1980s. Back then, medical giants Bayer had not one, but two teams in the top tier.

Eurosport, on cable, showered us with highlight reels from all the major leagues.

[celedhring]

On capital clubs, I think there's two factors - Germany as a whole is fairly decentralized. Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt  Cologne etc. are all important centers of their own.

For another, football prospered in working class milieus, so plenty of traditional clubs rose in the Ruhr area, most notably the likes of Schalke or Dortmund.

Neither Barça or Espanyol were working class clubs though. Barça was the club for the expat community (Swiss and Englishmen) who brought the game to the city, while Espanyol was the club of the posh Catalan burgeoise. The more working class neighborhood clubs in Barcelona were always very small.

Honestly didn't know that.
Weird Barca is the mega-club whilst Espanyol the plucky underdogs.

Well, both clubs used to be closer than what they are now. A bit like NUFC and Sunderland before the 1990s I guess.
Espanyol happened to go through an era of serious mismanagement just as football was starting to enter the current "mega-stage", while Barça hit a stride both in the 1990s and then the late 2000s-2010s that elevated its stature.

Back when I was a kid, Espanyol would be considered a Top 5-10 Spanish club due to history and fanbase. Nowhere near that now.

[celedhring]

Neither Barça or Espanyol were working class clubs though. Barça was the club for the expat community (Swiss and Englishmen) who brought the game to the city, while Espanyol was the club of the posh Catalan burgeoise.

Similar to Milan, then, where Internazionale was the club of the foreigners, and AC Milan the one for the Italians?

Yeah, that was pretty common in large industrial or port towns, with large expat communities (i.e. Bilbao, Barcelona). You'd have the first clubs founded by expats (usually British) and dominated by them, and then the sport would spread and locals would found their own clubs. Barça was an expat club, Espanyol a local club (hence the name).

Another common source of fooball pioneers was young people from posh families that sent them to study in England, and began playing football there.

[Norgy]

Okay, I will admit Angeball is pretty entertaining. But Forest have Jesus in the side, and that counts in Spain still. 

[Josquius]

Hopefully forest have their first team out tonight and are really giving it 110% 

[Norgy]

That second half was atrocious. Passing the ball to a red shirt seemed like too big a job. Milenkovic, who was player of the year seems out of form and out of position. I know that new signings need time in the team for it gel and that, but it seems Forest only have signed players who do not fit in whatever system Ange intends to play.

And why bench our top goalscorer for the entire game?

Nah. This is not going to end well for Ange. Maybe he will even beat Brian Clough's record of 44 days at Leeds United.
But what do I know. I am just a fan, not an expert.

[Grey Fox]

Tonight, I get a local pro soccer team and a team I can cheer for. FC Supra was unveiled has a expansion team of the Canadian Premier League.

It's been a great couple of years for my suburb, we also got a team in the women's league.

[Norgy]

I almost pity Manchester United fans, because that was a poor display.

All credit to Brentford for playing a great game, and maybe some football journos will have to eat crow after being so skeptical about the appointment of Keith Andrews. He seems to know what he's doing with this team.

Well, Josq, later today we are enemies. I have no great faith in Forest turning things around, so take your three points and keep quiet.

[HVC]

Tonight, I get a local pro soccer team and a team I can cheer for. FC Supra was unveiled has a expansion team of the Canadian Premier League.

It's been a great couple of years for my suburb, we also got a team in the women's league.

Congrats, but I hate the name