Anyone support a lower league team?

[RoyalBlueStuey]

In the end it's all about money. Let's look at the NFL (American Gridiron Football). Houston Texas had a team called the Houston Oilers...the owners weren't happy with the franchise and moved to Tennesee rebranding them the Tennesee ***ans (they actually kept the same team colors). 2-3 years ago the NFL wanted to add another franchise and guess which large southern Texas city got the bid? Houston...so now we have the Houston Texans. It's all about money with these guys. Franchises = Financial decisions vs. decisions based on tradition and what's actually best for the city, club and sport.
On the other hand I'm not a big fan of the current relegation situation within the GP. While the Premiership Clubs are "clubs" it seems they are run like a coporation (just like our franchises are opperated). So, I think the trend you have seen recently will continue...get relegated, spend a year "slumming it" in the lower league, and then make it back. If the relegation/elevation system is in place to give hope to the lower division teams, I'm afraid it is going to dramatically lose it's affect.
I think their should be a set number of teams that comprise the GP. If it's successful, in a few years they can consider adding other teams or forming conferences (east/west or north/south) within the GP. Teams should, however, still be allowed to play their old grudge matches (I think you call them darbys).
[/b]

When an owner does decide to take his franchise 1000s of miles across the country is there not large-scale protests? People would go mental if that was done here.

Wimbledon were a club in London that was thrown out of it's ground and denied another site by it's local council....it played as a tennant in other club's stadiums for years but couldn't get anyway one grant it a permanent home. It was never a big club anyway but eventually a business man bought it out with the intention of moving it out to a town with no team (Milton Keynes). He had to wait years to do it and even then there was all sorts of stupulations. They are pretty much the pariahs of the league now and the ex-fans set up their own FC Wimbledon in the hope of one day being better than the original.

SB

 

[Ripper]

<div class='quotemain'>
In the end it's all about money. Let's look at the NFL (American Gridiron Football). Houston Texas had a team called the Houston Oilers...the owners weren't happy with the franchise and moved to Tennesee rebranding them the Tennesee ***ans (they actually kept the same team colors). 2-3 years ago the NFL wanted to add another franchise and guess which large southern Texas city got the bid? Houston...so now we have the Houston Texans. It's all about money with these guys. Franchises = Financial decisions vs. decisions based on tradition and what's actually best for the city, club and sport.
On the other hand I'm not a big fan of the current relegation situation within the GP. While the Premiership Clubs are "clubs" it seems they are run like a coporation (just like our franchises are opperated). So, I think the trend you have seen recently will continue...get relegated, spend a year "slumming it" in the lower league, and then make it back. If the relegation/elevation system is in place to give hope to the lower division teams, I'm afraid it is going to dramatically lose it's affect.
I think their should be a set number of teams that comprise the GP. If it's successful, in a few years they can consider adding other teams or forming conferences (east/west or north/south) within the GP. Teams should, however, still be allowed to play their old grudge matches (I think you call them darbys).
[/b]

When an owner does decide to take his franchise 1000s of miles across the country is there not large-scale protests? People would go mental if that was done here.
[/b][/quote]

You could say that Americans get a bit agnsty when their teams move...

Take the Cleveland Browns move to Baltimore in 1995

The relocation announcement was met with unprecedented resistance from Browns fans, with over 100 lawsuits filed by fans, the city of Cleveland, and a host of others. Congress held hearings on the matter. Actor/comedian Drew Carey returned to his hometown of Cleveland on November 26, 1995, to host "Fan Jam" in protest of the proposed move. Virtually all of the team's sponsors immediately pulled their support, leaving Cleveland Municipal Stadium devoid of advertising during the team's final weeks.

The 1995 season was a disaster on the field, too. After starting 3-1, the rumors of relocation, and the eventual announcement, cast a pall on the team, who finished 5-11. When fans in the Dawg Pound became unruly during their final home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, action moving towards that end zone had to be moved to the opposite end of the field. The Browns won, the only game the team won after the news of the Browns' move got out.[/b]

At the final game at Cleveland Stadium in 1995, members of the Dawg Pound ripped the bleachers from the stands, throwing them onto the field.[/b]

And just pray that the Boston Red Sox or New England Patriots never re-locate - Boston Fans trash the city and burn every couch within a 20 square mile radius whenever they win the Super Bowl or the World Series.

http://www.sportsgoons.com/volume2/Vol2_Is...ports_riots.htm

 

[RoyalBlueStuey]

And just pray that the Boston Red Sox or New England Patriots never re-locate - Boston Fans trash the city and burn every couch within a 20 square mile radius whenever they win the Super Bowl or the World Series.
[/b]

Their legs must get tired with no-where to sit!

Still no plans to move them I suppose it's a case of SoFa, so good!



Ta for the post...good info.

 

[O'Rothlain]

Yeah...and now we have the Cleavland Browns...as if they never left...amazing, right? People love that crappy team...good for them.
Holy crap...boston would be destroyed if they moved the red sox.

 

[ecks tartan army]

gretna: were in the Unibond leauge in england until 2002, now there in the SPL though so no longer "lower league"