Historical Reasons for Clubs Playing in Foreign League Cups - Essay Example

Running Head: HISTORY OF CLUBS PLAYING FOREIGN LEAGUE CUPS History of Clubs Playing Foreign League Cups 295247 History of Clubs Playing Foreign League Cups While watching the English FA Cup competitions, one is left wondering if there is any historical reason to give chance to some Welsh teams to take part in the English FA Cup while others compete in the Welsh league only. During its creation the English league was named the football league. This was because it was meant to allow football teams from other countries in the United Kingdom to take part in the FA cup competitions. The teams started to take part in the English FA cup after EUFA allowed clubs to play in other countries league in early1900. According to Football Forum (2005) Welsh soccer clubs including Cardiff, wrexham, Swansea and others like Aberdare Athletes, Newport County and Marthyr Town have been attracted to the English FA cup competitions since its creation because it provides more competition and revenue for the clubs. Although the clubs were allowed to play in the English league they could not participate in the European Cup since UEFA demanded that any team must get the ticket to the league through its domestic league but not through foreign country’s participation. This decision has hindered the teams from taking part in the European league for that time thus most of them withdrew from the English FA cup competitions and started to play the Welsh League instead for a chance to venture in European cup (Resolved Question, 2009). Some like Cardiff and Swansea decided to fore gore the European cup for the sake of the better parks they were getting from Participating in the English FA Cup as well as the great chance of marketing their players and their team via the English cup instead of playing a low standard league that could not offer sufficient competitions and good pay. Although they have not been able to match with the stiff competition from some of the English FA cup clubs, mainly the English football giants such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal who have dominated most of the English competitions, the welsh clubs have given stiff competition to most of the FA Cup teams and division one league teams. Cardiff, one of the main welsh clubs have been in the FA Cup competitions all through. The most remarkable period for the club was in 1920s when they ended up as runners to Hunder field Town FC during the 1924 football league first division on goal differences. This was followed by two FA Cup finals in the year 1925 where they took on Sheffield United. The team’s spirit for competing in the English FA Cup did not end there, in 1927, Cardiff took on Arsenal at the final and went on to emerge the winner of the cup. It become the first and only team ever to snatch the FA Cup out of England after the 1-0 win over finalists and English footfall giants Arsenal. The match had also caused much enthusiasm since it was the first game that BBC radio had ever broadcasted to the whole country. This win gave Cardiff much psyche to keep on participating in the FA Cup after other teams had withdrawn. Swansea City and Cardiff city are the only Welsh clubs that have participated at the high level of the English soccer. They both took part in the Country’s FA Cup and Division One. During the 1914-1915 season competitions of Southern League, Cardiff finished in the third position. The league was however suspended following the out burst of the world War One. The club also finished fourth in their last season in the Southern League on some hostilities cessation, before it was promoted to football league second division as the most competitive club in Wales. The other southern league clubs later on formed the football league third division. Wrexham, another welsh club that has been in the English side, started their journey to join the English competitions back in 1905 when they beat Kidderminster Harrier and finished sixth in the Birmingham District league. It was then promoted to the third division the following year. The Welsh clubs in the English league, especially Cardiff who have hardly chance of playing in the European competition through England, have preferred to play in that country since it felt the Welsh league has less chances of advancing in terms of getting competitive players and goods returns which they usually get in England. Although it is considered a more competitive club through its experience in England, this does not guarantee it a direct win over the other Welsh teams in the Welsh league, some thing most critics for the team claims it fears losing to the less competitive clubs in Wales. English Live Football, 2008, claims that, for a long time the clubs have been denied the chance to get chance to the European cup competitions through England but since 2007, the European football governing body, UEFA has not changed its hard core stand to these teams and let them to fight for chances in the European league the England side, something that has given the clubs more motivation to clique to the FA Cup title. This decision by UEFA has angered the Welsh Football Association since it has been fighting for the Welsh clubs to fight for European cup competitions entry through the Welsh league and help the quality of football in that country, but the clubs maintains that they would rather loose the European chance and play a more standard league than playing to promote less funded league (C’Mon Yu Irons, 2009). The English FA Cup is one of the most competitive in England attracting teams in all levels including the English football super powers who have been taking part in all major competitions in the continent. The Welsh clubs, if therefore would win the FA cup in the country would have climbed to high level in the world of football thus get better chance to market themselves as well as the players. A winner of the FA cup meets the premiership champion in the community shield and also gets a direct entry in to the European cup competitions. This provides the clubs the best chance to climb to lime light in football competitions (BBC Sport, 2008). A similar situation is also experienced in other countries where a certain team becomes too powerful to play the domestic league and crosses bonder to play in a more competitive league. Vaduz FC, a Liechtenstein side club, has been participating in the Swiss Challenge league (Division Two) but fights for chance of qualifying for European Cup not via the Swiss league but by participating in the Liechtenstein Cup that has been the only professional league in the country and which FC Vaduz have been emerging the only winner over the years till they joined the Swiss side. They have almost got closer to promotion to the first division severally in the last years especially in 2004 and 2005’s play off which they lost. FC Vaduz was established in 1932 and joined the Swiss side after winning its counties league several times without much challenge. They have taken part in the Swiss top level league by getting to Swiss first division in 1960 and maintained that position for 13 years after which they were relegated to division two in 1973. After Liechtenstein was permitted to play UEFA games, Vaduz was given the first chance to play in the European Cup Winners Cup. They lost the competitions but joined them three years later, coming up to beat Universitate Riga but lost to Paris St Germain. Vaduz have qualified for UEFA Cup many times after winning the Liechtenstein Cup several times. The club has attracted player from several countries who helped it to take part in the Swiss Supaliga in the 2008/2009 season. They have been given chance to play two or three top clubs in the qualification for Europeans cup championship (Soccer Pubs, 2008). This has been a great chance for clubs proving to be too strong for their domestic league to participate in a more fair and competent league where they can market their talents and get better parks. References BBC Sport, (2008) .Uefa plan may hurt welsh football, retrieved on 30 April 2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/7335455.stm C’Mon Yu Irons, (2009). Should Cardiff take an English UEFA Spot? retrieved on 30 April 2009 from http://cmonyuirons.com/2008/04/should-cardiff-take-an-english-uefa-spot-portsmouth-barnsley/ English Live Football, (2008).English Football Informational Resource, retrieved on 30 April 2009 from < http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080403124103AAovqA9 Football Forum, (2005). Welsh Football: Should All Welsh Clubs Play in the Welsh FA Cup. (On line). Available at: http://forum.football.co.uk/about1122.html Resolved Question: Welsh clubs in the English league? (2009), retrieved on 30 April 2009 from http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080403124103AAovqA9 . Swedesh: Who plays there? FC Vaduz (2008), retrieved on 30 April 2009 from http://www.fcvaduz.li Read More