Crystal Palace FC Thread + Championship Chat

[luther101]

It's one of the many things wrong in football at the moment.  Surely you have a conflict of interests as the clubs under common ownership can theoretically play against each other in European comps.

A few years ago, they prevented people from having interests in multiple clubs for this reason.  Now they turn a blind eye to it.

I think it's a dangerous road for football to go down.

Another of the things that is wrong with English football:- thirty three quid for away supporters @ Portman Road last night     ....    Loofah Junior & pals - much grinding of the teeth!

[DungBeetle]

"Surely you have a conflict of interests as the clubs under common ownership can theoretically play against each other in European comps."

Well, technically they are owned by different people (Pozzo's son owns Watford) but my understanding is that they won't be allowed to play in the Europa League during the same season.

[DungBeetle]

Think they'll just move them for free Ant, as the 3 teams are effectively one big club.  There may be tax implications of doing this I imagine though (and I'm sure agents will put a spanner in) but from the rules perspective it will work.

I assume (not sure though) there is a huge amount more money for a team playing in the Premier League than La Liga or Serie A.

If that is the case, Watford will surely get the pick of all the good players from the other 2 clubs.

The future is bright for Watford (points deduction notwithstanding).

Depends how you look on it Camel.  Obviously at the moment Udinese are doing us a massive favour, but if we go up I expect Watford's premiership income to be shared between Udinese and Granada as well, so we'd earn less than if we went up on our own.  But that seems a fair payoff for getting there in the first place.

I think the model works well.   But not all agree.

I doubt the original intent was to have Watford the jewel in the crown.

Using the Hornets to blood young players for the other 2 clubs was probably the plan.

But assuming you make it to the top level, staying there would be worth more than staying in mid table for Grenada and Udinese I guess?

I think they were very aware of the riches of the Premier League and saw a lower Championship clubs as the ticket in.   The revenue difference is startling - De Natale is the top Udi earner on £25k a week........

[DungBeetle]

 "may be swayed be the fantastic football watford are currently playing, but this doesn't bother me much.
If it saves some small teams in England from going to wall, I can't see much downside."

I'm obviously biased, but I agree.  I think there are far worse things - big teams hoarding the best youngsters in reserve teams for example after pinching them from neighbouring minnows.

Samuels was off again in the Mail today, moaning that Watford are going to go up at the expense of a football league member who deserved to be "protected" from this outrageous behaviour by the Football League.  Still seems crazy to me that Watford are the devil incarnate for running a sustainable model, and Cardiff are the noble flagbearers after running up £80 million of debt as are Hull with their £5 million of Xmas transfer activity, not to mention a couple of Egyptian internationals who are only there due to the chairman's buddies.    I don't mind the model being questioned, but it drives me mad that every question to every opposition manager is about the loanees, and every paper report starts with "the team of loan rangers etc" despite the fact we often start with an equal amount of loanees as other teams, as well as certainly more academy produced players.

I guess it is lazy journos that bother me, which obviously is used by other fans (and Ian Holloway) as their point of reference.

Rant over.

[DungBeetle]

I'm also starting the worry that the FL might decide a more severe punishment for last seasons financial misdemeanours than would otherwise be the case if there was not this constant hyperbole in the press going on about our set up.

[Acidmouse]

It's one of the many things wrong in football at the moment.  Surely you have a conflict of interests as the clubs under common ownership can theoretically play against each other in European comps.

A few years ago, they prevented people from having interests in multiple clubs for this reason.  Now they turn a blind eye to it.

I think it's a dangerous road for football to go down.

Another of the things that is wrong with English football:- thirty three quid for away supporters @ Portman Road last night     ....    Loofah Junior & pals - much grinding of the teeth!

We are losing a generation of fans that just have had it with live football. No longer prepared to go pay over the odds for 90mins of "entertainment". Most of us had it good in the 80s and early 90s before the proper piss take regimes took over. Moved well away from the working class sport.  Real shame.

[Sheriff Fatman]

It's one of the many things wrong in football at the moment.  Surely you have a conflict of interests as the clubs under common ownership can theoretically play against each other in European comps.

A few years ago, they prevented people from having interests in multiple clubs for this reason.  Now they turn a blind eye to it.

I think it's a dangerous road for football to go down.

Another of the things that is wrong with English football:- thirty three quid for away supporters @ Portman Road last night     ....    Loofah Junior & pals - much grinding of the teeth!

Leeds were charging £36 for our game there, but not sure if this applies to all visiting teams.

But then again, I think it was a disgrace for BFC to charge £28 as the baseline matchday price (before various discounts which could be used).  The dwindling fanbase and appalling 2012 form did force a rethink though, so a bit more common sense nowadays.

[Acidmouse]

Hence why Leeds crowds have been appalling and rightfully so, just don't go to clubs charging too much.

New owners making it like £15 for Leeds tonight and £5 for kids, problem is Leeds fans have had 10 years of hate so even this wont bring them back.

[Sheriff Fatman]

"Surely you have a conflict of interests as the clubs under common ownership can theoretically play against each other in European comps."

Well, technically they are owned by different people (Pozzo's son owns Watford) but my understanding is that they won't be allowed to play in the Europa League during the same season.

It's a bit of an oddity, but my objection is with the whole concept of this, rather than any complaint about Watford's right to be where they are in the league.  It's not as if I desperately want them not to go up because of this.

To me, it's just one of numerous ways in which there's no longer parity for clubs to compete, particularly at Championship level.  At an individual team level it's no worse than Cardiff having rich new owners who make them change their shirt colours in return for huge financial investment, as an example, but it's one of many things that are gradually distancing clubs from their base communities around which they've survived for the last century or so and slowly, but surely, many people are becoming disenfranchised with football in general.  Spiralling ticket prices make it very easy these days for many fans to do something else with their time and money and it's going to take some sort of major correction at a national level to stop this snowballing further.

I can't see that the Financial Fair Play rules are going to be the thing to do this, either, as clubs will just find a way to circumvent them.

[Ant040689]

Murray was amazing again last night and as was Jedinak.

Dobbie and Phillips add something to our side we have not had in a while and that is players with genuine direct talent in front of goal. Dobbie has been unlucky on a few seperate occasions of not finding the back of the net in open play and Phillips had a goal of the season contender just hit the bar from about 25 yards out. He had the ball at his chest with his back to goal, he kneed it up, swivelled and smashed it top corner but it cannoned off the bar. Was terribly unlucky.

Yesterday I don't think we got out of second gear for a lot of the game. We were causing Bristol City problems from the get go and I can't remember them having one decent chance aside from our own goal. We got our first goal from a bit of brilliance from Jedinak to ping a quick free kick about 30 yards into the early run of Murray, just missing the heads of the Bristol defenders and Murray taking it superbly. Was so enjoyable to watch.

We had Bolasie nearly score a stunning overhead kick which cannoned off the bar as well, if this and Phillips' goal both went in the highlight reel would have looked superb!

I think Bolasie had a poor game generally yesterday. And I have one complaint of Jazz Richards, that he does well not to let the man past him when he is jockying on the wing byline but he stands way too far away, always allowing a free cross to come in. He needs to be close enough for that not to be so easily allowed and not too close that he could be skinned. But regardless, he is so quick i doubt they could get far past him.

My views are turning on Ramage at the moment, looking relatively assured all game but he always has one bit of a joke play that causes stress at the back but otherwise his positioning from crosses has been good for headers and he isn't much putting a foot wrong generally. However, Gabiddon was outrageously better that both him and Delaney when he did play for his brief stint, so would be interesting to see if he can be fit in time for the end of our run in.

Looking at Cardiff drop points was pleasing for my winning the league bet, reducing the price of us winning the league from 55/1 to 25/1, and Leicester faltering was good too, even though I heard they deserved a lot more. My Palace promotion bet was taken at 11/1 and is now 2.25/1. Both of them to convert please!

[aaron1867]

Nearly most of the league has something to play for, exciting stuff.

I see we are up against the mighty Palace at the weekend and we wasn't far away when we played them away earlier in the season losing 3-2, I think this actually kicked off their season. We are 9/5 in places, but I am quite liking the DNB at 11/10.

Quite a few relegation games around too, including Bristol City v Barnsley.

[Ant040689]

Nearly most of the league has something to play for, exciting stuff.

I see we are up against the mighty Palace at the weekend and we wasn't far away when we played them away earlier in the season losing 3-2, I think this actually kicked off their season. We are 9/5 in places, but I am quite liking the DNB at 11/10.

Quite a few relegation games around too, including Bristol City v Barnsley.

I wouldn't bet against us at the minute, I would say hold off this week on our first away game on this run of sorts. As in the second half of the game away to one of the best teams in the league we outplayed them (Watford).

Much of how we were playing then we are playing now, and we are winning games comfortably.

So I would say see if we do falter away to you guys, then after start thinking about backing against us away from home. Really don't recommend it at the moment and I am tempted to back us to win. Partly too though as I want a sweat as I am going to Hillsborough to watch this.

[aaron1867]

Nearly most of the league has something to play for, exciting stuff.

I see we are up against the mighty Palace at the weekend and we wasn't far away when we played them away earlier in the season losing 3-2, I think this actually kicked off their season. We are 9/5 in places, but I am quite liking the DNB at 11/10.

Quite a few relegation games around too, including Bristol City v Barnsley.

I wouldn't bet against us at the minute, I would say hold off this week on our first away game on this run of sorts. As in the second half of the game away to one of the best teams in the league we outplayed them (Watford).

Much of how we were playing then we are playing now, and we are winning games comfortably.

So I would say see if we do falter away to you guys, then after start thinking about backing against us away from home. Really don't recommend it at the moment and I am tempted to back us to win. Partly too though as I want a sweat as I am going to Hillsborough to watch this.

The problem here is that I wouldn't bet against my own team at the moment either.

Wickham and Lita are definitely a very exciting duo up front & Antonio is good too.

PS - It might be a good idea to come up also, £200 FO £40k gtd up here and day 1b is Saturday.

[Royal Flush]

Ha went to Cardiff last night, still not quite sure how we won that match...

[The Camel]

Ha went to Cardiff last night, still not quite sure how we won that match...

Makes a nice change from getting draws and not knowing how you didn't win.