English Premier League - Thanks for the help! I'm now for Tottenham!

[PennineWagons]

If you like the idea of relegation, Scott, then you could support my team - Tranmere Rovers. At the end of last season we were heroically relegated from the third division to the fourth. (Well, they're called League 1 and League 2 nowadays, but they're the 3rd and 4th divisions really.) Still, the fightback starts here! Ooh aah super white army, as we say in Birkenhead. We may not have much money but we've got soul, and you can't buy that.
PW

[Bealman]

I won't quote Pengi's post 'cos it's so long.

But I bet yer all sorry you asked...

[Agrippa]

About the only thing "English" about the English Premier League is the name. About half the players
and many of the managers are foreign. 

[CarriageShed]

My team is Southampton, the Saints. We have an excellent, rich owner, that rescued us from going under. The owner pumps money in but the aim is for the club to stand on its feet and not fall foul of the Financial Fair Play rules. Our philosophy is the 'Southampton Way' with a strong emphasis on developing young players through the academy and all of our teams play in the same way. We have just opened our new training centre which is arguably the best in the Premier league and have also upgraded our manager. We also have a large scouting network that identifies players, coaches and managers from around the globe.

There is a downside to this. The moment a team outside of the top five looks like becoming successful, they get raided by the top five (and European teams) for players and this forces teams to look abroad for cheap talent as the top foreign players are unlikely to come to a non-top five club unless it is for silly wages. The other issue is if the owners decide to sell up.

Sorry, Pengi. Your team looked like becoming successful so my team (one of the aforementioned European teams and also the usual fifth place finisher, barring last season's hiccup) nabbed your manager. I'm really hoping for some Southampton-like attacking football next season as a result.

PS: I also hope that Southampton continues to do well. They're one of the 'nice' teams in the league.

[CarriageShed]

If you like the idea of relegation, Scott, then you could support my team - Tranmere Rovers. At the end of last season we were heroically relegated from the third division to the fourth. (Well, they're called League 1 and League 2 nowadays, but they're the 3rd and 4th divisions really.) Still, the fightback starts here! Ooh aah super white army, as we say in Birkenhead. We may not have much money but we've got soul, and you can't buy that.
PW

Or you could follow one of my 'keep an eye on them' teams, Barnet, who were relegated from League Two (the fourth of the national leagues) and failed to bounce straight back up last season. Little clubs can suddenly boost their fortunes just by buying or loaning-in a couple of new players, so they can deliver quite exciting results all of a sudden - or be in trouble for the entire season!

[Sipat]

Don't forget Manchester Uniteds railway orgins... formed by the Carriage and wagon dept, newton heath - L+Y rly...

[scottmitchell74]

Great, great information so far! I knew this board would come through for me. 

[Trainfish]

Forget the Premier League and look lower for decent honest football. In fact why look any further than Swindon Town. With the town's railway history it's an absolute must! We are usually involved in either relegation or promotion battles and have spent 1 season in the Premier League after thrashing Leicester in 1993 at Wembley 4-3. Believe me, play-off finals are far more exciting than any FA cup final. We also won the League Cup on March 15th 1969 by beating Arsenal 3-1 after extra time. Arsenal were at the time in the 1st division, we were in the 3rd. I can't remember us having any Americans play for us but we have had at least 1 New Zealander and 1 Australian play for us, Rory Fallon and Danny Invincibile respectively, so we're a truely international team within reason. You'll also see more passion and dedication from the fans of the lower league clubs (and Southampton who are often below the Premier League) rather than the prawn sandwich brigades to be seen at 1 game per season at the likes of Chelski and Man Ure.

[gc4946]

Quite a lot of people support a specific football team because of:

1. They live or had lived in the town or city of the same team;
2. Their parents often supported or followed the club;
3. When a specific team was dominant or had specific memories to the individual at a certain time (childhood, etc);
4. As a means of rebellion against their parents, siblings, or other groups of people's choices of team
(I know someone who's an Aston Villa (Birmingham) fan who always lived in Yorkshire, even though most of his schoolmates supported Leeds United at the time)

In England, there's a pyramid league system with the Premier League at the apex, followed by the three other major leagues (Championship, League 1 and League 2), or referred unofficially to as the second, third or fourth tier or division.
Then you have what's known as the Conference Premier and below (collectively known as non-league)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system

In theory, an ambitious club could climb up through the leagues (or conversely get relegated).
Luton Town got promoted back to the Football League from the Conference Premier at the end of last season and will start in the Football League's League 2 division next month. It's spent time in all four top divisions over the years.
Several other teams have similarly spent time in all top four divisions over the years: Watford, Wimbledon (pre-2003), Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic, amongst others.

[Trainfish]

Several other teams have similarly spent time in all top four divisions over the years: Watford, Wimbledon (pre-2003), Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic, amongst others.

"Others" includes Swindon Town of course  :'(

[joe cassidy]

Why not choose a team with a weird name, like Sheffield Wednesday ?

Best regards,


Joe

[Lawrence]

My brother has recently been appointed to the board of Margate FC and there are big things planned down there, they currently play in the Ryman Premier league and hope to again full league status in a few years, they have a wealthy owner 

So, Scott, if you fancy following a wee team, check out http://www.margate-fc.co.uk/

[ScottyStitch]

I support Arsenal ( no sniggering at the back)

As already mentioned, they do play some lovely attractive passing and attacking football. Defensively, they ca be a bit iffy, but the biggest problem is that they have no plan B. Even when down 3 - 0, they insist on playing the same open passing style. Great to watch, but it can be nervy and frustrating being a Gunner. (Nicknamed the Gunners, due to previously being named Woolwich Arsenal, when they were located at the famous London Armoury of the same name. Their fans are affectionately called (by themselves) Gooners.

All of that said, they have a good philosophy at the club, spending within their means, and the current manager (currently the longest serving in the EPL) is a professor of football, lives and breaths the game and has a knack for spotting young talent and nurturing it. There is a wonderful ethic around the club.

Arsenal qualify for the Champions League every season, and I think I'm right in saying that under Arsene Wenger, they've never finished outside of the top 4? I stand to be corrected on that maybe............

Arsenal famously one the league one season on the last day of the season against the then mighty Liverpool, at their ground. They also more famously won the league another year at the home of their greatest rivals, Tottenham.

On top of all that, a fellow American, Stan Kroenke is the largest shareholder of the club. He owns Denver Nuggets (?!), Colorado Rapids, Colorado Mammoth and St Louis Rams.

Songs include the lyrically challenged

"We love you Arsenal, we do, We love you Arsenal we do, We love you Arsenal, We do, oh, Arsenal We love you!"

and the equally lovely ditty

"oo to, oo to be, oo to be a GOONER!"

Go for Arsenal, Scott. You know you want to. If that's not enough, my name is Scott Stitchell. We're practically brothers!!!

I rest my case.

[Tdm]

Personally I support Liverpool, but as Texas is known as the LONE STAR state, if you rearrange the letters in that you get ARSENAL (if you substitute another A for the letter O), so why not choose them. As Arsenal is a London Club, why not get your mate to choose a Premiership Club from the Midlands or the North (or South eg. Southampton). Arsenals colours are Red & White, and Sothamptons are Red & White stripes.

[CarriageShed]

Jeez, will you lot stop giving him such bad advice? :p