i actually wrote a thesis that i posted to uefa and all the british FA's promoting an entirely new league system... if anyone's interested i will upload it but the basic details are... start with either 100 or 120 pro clubs in england 60 in scotland 20 in ireland wales and northern ireland... below the levels im gonna highlight, things go on as normal btw with a usual local league pyramid...
so to start with, every nominated club goes into a group of 5 teams playing at the most local level possible depending on the location of that seasons clubs no seeding just pure geography. means warm up time for big clubs no need for too many pre season games so fresher players come may, big crowds against local rivals for smaller clubs means more revenue.
once that group has finished, played on the same basis as the europa league for the past 3 or 4 seasons ie 1 game against each club home then away then home etc... the final tables of 4 games are aggregated into a regional fa level so for the midlands as an example you might find villa blues cov baggies and wolves top five, they would then play the next round in that group of five, the lower teams playing in another lower group of five, walsall kidde shrewsbury telford and tamworth for example. after another 4 games the leagues are aggregated again at that regional level and the top 5 go into the normal regions ie isthmian southern and northern. the rest continue to play according to their standing at the former level. say stoke manure man city burnley and stockport go through at theire level and the aggregate standing draws manure leeds liverpool everton and sheffield (dont care which
) into the top northern group. next 4 games 12 so far if your following, and they go to national level note that if a team falls down their local aggregate table they will be replaced at the higher level by the teams above them. (ie stockport fair dreadfully against the likes of sheffield (the other one) and fall back down to playing macclesfield and bury, replaced by blackburn lets say) so the northern aggregate standing show manure top followed by everton, liverpool leeds newcastle and a host of others, those 5 go through to the national aggregate table. everton and manure have done well enough to be placed into the top group alongside chelsea arsenal and southampton (who have no competitors on the south coast following the demise of pompey) so this round of games takes us to 16 matches, the top 5 again qualifying for the next level (the league of UK and Ireland(or home nations for short)) the top english teams are as follows Manure (again(just trying my hardest to be realistic)) chelsea arsenal Liverpool (following a resugence) and Villa (dark horse outdsiders)
they compete against the likes of linfield drogheda tns and of course the old firm (hence the relevance to the thread) anyways suffice to say it would take time for the other teams to adjust to the higher level but with the right sponsorship and appropriate rules on bringing through youth as opposed to spending massive amounts on transfers i think we could have a really competitive UK and Ireland tournament to replace any current league setups. it could be limited to 20 games or drawn out to as many as 50 (dont tell arsene i said that) just need to change the format slightly, ie play return games in the groups or play two rounds at each level.
I know I know im a day trader with too much spare time and my only hobby is teaching martial arts
but i think its a ****** good idea anyway, it could even be extended into further level, (western europe, whole europe, world etc) culminating in an anual world club cup tournament held in a specific country, it could do away with the europa league and dramatically cut down games per season because european games count towards league standings and vice versa. **** we could evenhave the european cup back in its two legged knockout format co s the big clubs would be playing each other every week anyway.
i think the most positive thing to come out of a system like this is that if your doing well youll be at the top, not just of your division but the whole league, if your not youll be playing semi pro football next season, thus ending any pantomine that pompey are gonna go through for the next few years as they slowly limp towards obscurity also letting rochdale who have been in awesome form all season find their true place in the football league, as it satnds theyll go up this year and back down next, and who knows what couldve been in the best season the club has ever had, they might finish amongst the top 30 in the country!!!
im gonna open my own thread now that i think about it so you can leave me comment as to whether you think im deluded or genius, either way i think i am capable of getting the right sponsors on board to attempt to push this into being a voting issue in UK football if i have supporters behind me, all the better...