# English Premier League and Football in General **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867 "2005-02-01T22:49:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/201 "2005-02-17T14:18:10Z")
How do you feel about the Cole “tapping-up” brouhaha? I have to say that to me it’s a case of the biter-bit, but that’s based on your behaviour regarding that fellah you have at the back - old wossisname. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/202 "2005-02-17T14:22:50Z")
By the way **owlstretchingtime** , do i still need my bumps felt, or is it possible Spurs will finish below Bolton? 🙂 [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5259273&postcount=51) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/203 "2005-02-17T14:25:38Z")
> [@One And Only Wanderers](#): > > By the way **owlstretchingtime** , do i still need my bumps felt, or is it possible Spurs will finish below Bolton? > > 🙂 > > [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5259273&postcount=51) Possible? Yes it’s possible. You might get a date with Kelly Brooks. That’s “possible”. Now likely is a different question altogether! Get yerself down the bumps-feelers straight away. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/204 "2005-02-17T14:32:22Z")
All the big clubs do it to some degree but someone needs to take Roman aside and have a quiet word about the art of been discreet… ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/205 "2005-02-17T14:33:01Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Possible? Yes it’s possible. You might get a date with Kelly Brooks. That’s “possible”. heh. I may be biased, but i’d say it’s _significantly_ more possible that Bolton will outperform Tottenham at season’s end , than me landing a date with Kelly Brooks. Time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/206 "2005-02-17T14:33:46Z")
> [@](#): > > You’d kill to have a Wayne Rooney Actually, you’d probably kill more to have a Damien Duff in your team. asnyway, we stopped playing Hoofball when charlton stepped down. possibly the only thing I’ll give Mick McCarthy any credit for. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/207 "2005-02-17T14:41:20Z")
> [@One And Only Wanderers](#): > > heh. I may be biased, but i’d say it’s _significantly_ more possible that Bolton will outperform Tottenham at season’s end , than me landing a date with Kelly Brooks. Time will tell. To be honest, Kelly Brooks, Jennifer Ellison and Halle Berry all covered in vaseline demanding some hot **wanderers** lovin’ is more likely thatn BWFC finishing ahead of THFC. I’ll even bet you a virtual pint on it (the league that is - if you manage the three-up above I’ll walk to Bolton to buy you a real one - I’ll need to see photgraphic evidence mind…) ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/208 "2005-02-17T14:45:46Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > To be honest, Kelly Brooks, Jennifer Ellison and Halle Berry all covered in vaseline demanding some hot **wanderers** lovin’ is more likely thatn BWFC finishing ahead of THFC. > > I’ll even bet you a virtual pint on it (the league that is - if you manage the three-up above I’ll walk to Bolton to buy you a real one - I’ll need to see photgraphic evidence mind…) we’ll let time sort it out. Given that we finished above you last season, are currently 4 points ahead (admittedly you have played 1 less) and don’t have too bad a run in, i don’t see our chances being that bad. A virtual pint it is! (at northern WMC virtual beer prices of course). ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/209 "2005-02-18T04:17:42Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > You’re clearly not going to listen to anyone elses opinion so I’m not sure why I bother. I’ll listen to some knowledgeable opinions. Of course, you don’t seem to have any idea what my opinions is (hint: it’s not “the U.S. is a soccer superpower” as you seem to think). > [@Lochdale](#): > > A number of posters here appear to have been watching football for a lot longer than you and know a hell of lot more about the game than you do. I wonder if you have ever even played the game? :rolleyes: I’ve been watching and playing my whole life. Yes, it is possible to play and watch soccer in this country. But I don’t care of someone has been watching/playing 20 games/week for 50 years…if they make the rather stupid claim that the U.S. Is getting worse, then I’ll take almost anyone else’s opinion over that person. I don’t care how much barstool cred you have, you’re not a razor sharp soccer mind. > [@Lochdale](#): > > To clarify, Donovan still has to prove himself. This isn’t the first time he has gone to Europe and failed to make an impression. Beasly is doing ok in the 6th best league in Europe. He is not a leading light. The kid is in his early 20’s no (23 I believe) so the odds are against him becoming a leading light. > > The MLS is taking players who couldn’t cut it at Aberdeen. Ronnie O’Brien was up for MLS player of the year and he couldn’t make it at Aberdeen. Aberdeen are a mediocre Scottish team. You would have us believe that the MLS is equal to or better than the SPL. Well, taking players like Dominic Foley or Ronnie O’Brien who could not make it at that level suggests that you are wrong. How can I be wrong about something that I never claimed? > [@Lochdale](#): > > America may do well in the World Cup but it will depend on the draw. They certainly aren’t a contender and won’t be for some time to come. Yes, I’m well aware of the barstooler habit of pointing out the obvious…no need to keep demonstrating this. Strange how the rather modest claims that the U.S. is improving and that they’re one of the best 20 or so soccer teams in the world freaks some Europeans out. How dare the American achieve respectability! Of course, if you read claims of respectability as claims of dominance, I suppose that would get the knee jerking hard. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/210 "2005-02-18T04:53:15Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Re the Irish starting XI above - isn’t Carr injured? I was genuinely pleased to see him “feck off” (see I can speak spud muncher) to Newcastle as good player though he is he was a dreadful influenve on team morale. > > How do you feel about Reid - we have great hopes for him, but it’s a hell of a step up from forest to Spurs. Did you just call me a spud-muncher? I’m going to put it down to post-traumatic stress reaction to the colon you had ruptured in public school 🙂 Carr is a bit of twit really. He seems to carry this narky attitude that drives people up the wall. Keane supposedly hates him and Kerr is none too fond of him either. That said, he’s a fantastic player so we’ll put up with it. Seems to be getting his game for Newcastle again so he must be somewhat fit. Andy Reid…ate all the pies. He’s a fat little fells but boy is he good. He actually plays with his head up which is rare enough. Bit of a tinker by all accounts but that will suit him as he can put up with the digs and sly kicks. Is he good enough? I don’t know. The step-up is huge and he really was a the king at Forest. I think it suits him to have Mido and other big names like Dafoe at Spurs as it will divert attention. He may also end up being a central midfielder as he is not a Duff-type winger. Great touch, vision and he has an eye for the goal. Schooled D’acourt in Paris. He has potential to be very, very good ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/211 "2005-02-18T09:45:47Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > Did you just call me a spud-muncher? I’m going to put it down to post-traumatic stress reaction to the colon you had ruptured in public school 🙂 > > Carr is a bit of twit really. He seems to carry this narky attitude that drives people up the wall. Keane supposedly hates him and Kerr is none too fond of him either. That said, he’s a fantastic player so we’ll put up with it. Seems to be getting his game for Newcastle again so he must be somewhat fit. > > Andy Reid…ate all the pies. He’s a fat little fells but boy is he good. He actually plays with his head up which is rare enough. Bit of a tinker by all accounts but that will suit him as he can put up with the digs and sly kicks. > > Is he good enough? I don’t know. The step-up is huge and he really was a the king at Forest. I think it suits him to have Mido and other big names like Dafoe at Spurs as it will divert attention. He may also end up being a central midfielder as he is not a Duff-type winger. Great touch, vision and he has an eye for the goal. Schooled D’acourt in Paris. He has potential to be very, very good Actually old chap we bugger the servants - they don’t bugger us. So sorry about your relatives - it’s nothing personal though. It’s not my fault I have the “gift of girth”. I thought Reid was fat too. I was quite suprised - I thought the days of fat footballers was over. We have very high hopes for him - but we had high hopes for rebrov, 'nuff said. Much as I don’t want to mention this, the latest FIFA rankings came out yesterday. England are 8th, Ireland 12th, Scotland 85th (!). The USA is 11th (for fuck’s sake). Here they are: [http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/index/0,2548,105394,00.html?articleid=105394](http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/index/0,2548,105394,00.html?articleid=105394) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/212 "2005-02-18T14:33:54Z")
Here’s a question fo r the non-english people: Given that you’re in this thread it implies that you follow the English League. Why? I mean why the EPL rather than la Liga or Seria A? Or do you follow them too? What about your domestic leagues? Do you follow them (and do you go to the games?) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/213 "2005-02-18T15:22:36Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Here’s a question fo r the non-english people: Given that you’re in this thread it implies that you follow the English League. Why? I mean why the EPL rather than la Liga or Seria A? Or do you follow them too? What about your domestic leagues? Do you follow them (and do you go to the games?) First, the EPL gets lots of play here on Fox Soccer Channel (used to be called Fox Sports World, but they finally resigned to the fact that 90% of what they show is football). So it’s just easier to follow. They do show the occasional Bundesliga, Serie A or la Liga, but the major rotation is EPL (and assorted Cup play). An additional factor is, if I want to educate myself, I can come here and have you folks explain who so-and-so is. And finally, many of the “name” players are in EPL. I’m also a bit of a homer, so I like to watch the “Yanks Abroad”, so if PSV or Leverkusen is on I’ll go out of my way to watch, and I make a point to watch our nats play. I mentioned before I’ve been to at least one game of every World Cup since it was in our backyard in 1994. 2002 was the first time I actually had to make significant travel plans for that. It’s a very different kind of experience. As far as MLS, I’m not a huge fan, but I’ll watch it occasionally. I am somewhat geographically isolated from most games at this point, although occasionally there will be a match in Miami, which is about 5-6 hours by car from me. I’ve not gone down for one yet there, but would consider it, depending on who it featured. Money is a bit of a consideration for me right now. I have a friend who lives outside London, maybe Richmond(?), and he’s invited me to come visit many a time. If I get out there I’ll try and squeeze in a couple, but that’s not in the plans right now. I also have a business associate in Swindon, so if Swindon Town ever make the EPL… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/214 "2005-02-18T15:27:21Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I have a friend who lives outside London, maybe Richmond(?), and he’s invited me to come visit many a time. If I get out there I’ll try and squeeze in a couple, but that’s not in the plans right now. I also have a business associate in Swindon, so if Swindon Town ever make the EPL… 😉 Richmond is prime rugger-bugger territory. Words cannot begin to explain the horrors of rugger-buggers. It’s handy for London though and you can usually get tickets for most games with a bit of ingenuity. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/215 "2005-02-18T15:34:40Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Richmond is prime rugger-bugger territory. Words cannot begin to explain the horrors of rugger-buggers. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/216 "2005-02-18T15:45:47Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Here’s a question fo r the non-english people: Given that you’re in this thread it implies that you follow the English League. Why? I mean why the EPL rather than la Liga or Seria A? Or do you follow them too? What about your domestic leagues? Do you follow them (and do you go to the games?) I haven’t been in this thread until now, but I’ll give this a shot. The EPL is the most interesting and exciting soccer we can get in the US. The players are generally very high quality and there’s a lot of good attack-minded play. The Bundesliga teams appear to have a long-term goal of getting the ball upfield but it can be incredibly boring to watch. Serie A can be exciting but there’s a whole lot of diving and associated crap. Plus, it’s a little harder to get Serie A games. We also get the Argentine and Brazilian leagues. They can be fun to watch but you have to deal with diving and, especially in Brazil, individual showmanship that’s often detrimental to the team. I watch MLS and try to get out to some games (I live near Washington, DC so I can go to DC United games). DC has historically played an attractive style but the quality of play varies. I’d rather watch EPL than MLS on TV given the higher quality of the players in EPL. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/217 "2005-02-18T16:04:57Z")
The only US football team I have ever seen is DC United (they played in Bill Nicholson’s testimonial against spurs - as they had ex spur Jurgen Klinnsman in them). They seemed to prove my point about a different attitude to non-competition games. In England testimonials are basically exhibition games and no one is too worried about the result , but DC United played like it was a cup final (and won). And **zoff** is that name in honour of the great Dino Zoff? As to “Rugger buggers” Richmond is near Twickenham and as such has a high proportion of people who prefer the egg-chasing game to the beautiful game. These people tend to be wankers. (Minor public school types with floppy hair). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/218 "2005-02-18T16:11:38Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > … the egg-chasing game to the beautiful game. I have to admit to having watched Rugby a few times, and finally start to understand it after some English explained a bit to me (this was right when England were winning something, I don’t recall if it was the WC or the Six Nations (Seven Nations?). It’s close enough to American football to make it understandable, and violent enough to be interesting. Of course I’ll watch most any sport except for cricket, which I have no hope of ever comprehending, or most sports involving horses or car races, which I find a bit boring. I still prefer proper football, though. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/219 "2005-02-18T16:20:25Z")
The game itself is perfectly watchable, in small doses. It’s the cock-sockets who watch it that are the problem. The English ones are all MPS lads who drink beer out of bottles and bray at the top of their voices. They have offensively floppy hair too. Other than that they are either Australian, Kiwis (who are tolerable in small groups but complete tossers in larger groups) or South Africans - who are an abomination unto Owl. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867/220 "2005-02-18T16:26:29Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > No we can’t stop an all foreign side, but we can make it less likely. If (as is propsed) at least four of the team (or maybe it’s the squad) have to be academy boys then that makes it more likely that they will be local. > > There are rules about travelling to academies (from memory you can’t be further than 90 minutes away by car), so the boys have to live in the general area, no matter where they hail from in the first place. Given that clubs aren’t going to be too keen on shipping foreign lads accross the continent, it means that they will have to look a bit closer to home. If that is the case, then it’ll SURELY be struck down as being akin to a quota system even without actually coming out and saying it is. The Court of Justice doesn’t particularly like the systems that say they aren’t a quota, but in application turn out to be. I can’t think this’ll survive in the slightest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-premier-league-and-football-in-general/287867.md?page=12)