Trouble Alert

[EPR]

Surely one can out-manoeuvre an horse.

[The whole year inn]

LOL @ The Welsh.



The one thing I do find comical however is how they bang on persistently about hating the English, hating England etc.

Again, nothing different to what we see on here, ie Sharpy

[Jerry St Clair]

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A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said last night: “But at this stage we do not know whether they were Reading fans or Cardiff fans."

PoLOLice intelligence!

I don't want to do your job for you love, but I reckon the fact they were in the away end and had Welsh accents might have been a giveaway.

[Thames]

Why are they in the English football league anyway??

All half decent Welsh sides played in the English league system (Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Barry, Bangor, Rhyl, Caernarfon, Merthyr, Colwyn Bay etc) until 1992 when the Welsh Premier was created. The reason there was no "National Welsh League" is due to the fact that it is easier to travel West-East than it is to travel North-South. For example, I attended the Welsh Cup Final in Newtown, Powys this year and it took about 5 hours to travel 100 miles, due to the mountainous terrain.

Back to football, after much debate the aforementioned clubs refused to join, citing financial loss as the main reason. The likes of Caenarfon, Bangor, Barry and Rhyl then joined in later years leaving the current crop of Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Merthyr and Colwyn.

Colwyn's player base is traditionally from the Merseyside area, which is why they continue to play in the Unibond League structure.

Back in the 80's/90's Merthyr were a top Conference team and were refused entry to the football league when it was down to a vote. They still harbour hopes of getting into the football league which is why they currently play in the Southern Premier League.

Newport were of course an ex league side that went bankrupt, and again are looking to get back into the football league.

Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham simply bring in more money playing in England than they do in Wales.

Personally, I think they should have to play in Wales, but is it really fair making a club/business lose alot of money? This one is open for debate...

[moo]

Tough shit really, they are a welsh team and should want to be in the welsh league.

If indeed they are so damn proud to be welsh, why insist on playing in England????

[Hugo Boss]

Many thanks Thames!!

So, they reckon they'll lose out financially if they go into the Welsh leagues?? Are they saying they only attend in big numbers cos of the visiting English teams??

[RoyalBlue]

^ 'greed. I really would like to know, from someon in authority, why this bloke wasn't nicked when he ran towards Y26.

Why not ask them then?

It would be a waste of breath! When have RFC ever answered such questions?! They won't even tell us how many away fans are ejected for persistent standing! Why not? Well in the absence of any other answer (assuming they don't pull the standard 'data protection' excuse out of the bag!) I would suggest it is because the stats would show how little action (including 'quietly tackling the offenders in the concourse) they really take against visiting supporters who transgress ground regulations.

[Thames]

Many thanks Thames!!

So, they reckon they'll lose out financially if they go into the Welsh leagues?? Are they saying they only attend in big numbers cos of the visiting English teams??

I can see what you're trying to do here Hugo! Basically, every town and probably every village in Wales is home to a Cardiff or Swansea fan. Therefore local sides struggle to attract support. So yes, I admit they only attract numbers due to the visiting English teams.

Apart from the die hards, no one else would bother turning up to watch Cardiff's games against the likes of Welshpool, Aberystwyth or Airbus UK.

Take the following Welsh Premier teams - Haverfordwest, Carmarthen, Neath, Port Talbot and Llanelli. If your born in those towns you support Swansea or Cardiff, which is why they only get attendances of around the 500 mark.

Cardiff or Swansea would rule the roost, only Wrexham could break that stronghold and to a lesser extent Newport or Rhyl.

[Forbury Lion]

English or Welsh.... Let Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham stay in the English league if they sign up to being English and relocate to English towns, maybe even change name like MK Dons.

[chef]

Forbs

Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not re: Welsh teams becoming English teams to stay in the Football League etc -but we have to face the fact that its unlikely to change - this is also the case re: the social/political basis for the anti-English comments- its not pretty and can be a pain in the arse but as with most unpalatable expressions in this regard -there is usually a grain of truth/reality which gets twisted out of proportion.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Back in the 80's/90's Merthyr were a top Conference team and were refused entry to the football league when it was down to a vote. They still harbour hopes of getting into the football league which is why they currently play in the Southern Premier League..

they had 6 years in the conference, all after re-election was scrapped.

they haven't applied for election to the league since 1954, when they received 1 vote. They applied 6 times, amassing a total of 7 votes, 4 times getting 1 vote, 3 votes once, and 0 votes in the other year.

[Big Foot]

F*ck me, 12 pages of this - 50% of people having an end of year w@nk about a kerfuffle and 50% of people in the Daily Mail moral panic brigade

Would love/hate to see the reaction to anything proper kicking off at the Mad Stad

[SLAMMED]

The Cardiff 'fans' were chanting homophobic chants at Doobs all game and then starting throwing coins, seats and anything else they could get their hands on. We should have locked them in the stadium for a while after the game to be honest.

Agreed, we had to walk the long way around the ground because the stewards were, in my view, giving the Cardiff fans the benefit of leaving easily.

Why should the Home fans be put out, they should have held the Cardiff fans back.

And those who've been to Ninian Park will know that away fans are kept behind after the F/T whistle. Why is this not the case for TVP?

Idiots

We were never held back at Ninian in november...

[mini _dariusz]

Why are they in the English football league anyway??

All half decent Welsh sides played in the English league system (Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Barry, Bangor, Rhyl, Caernarfon, Merthyr, Colwyn Bay etc) until 1992 when the Welsh Premier was created. The reason there was no "National Welsh League" is due to the fact that it is easier to travel West-East than it is to travel North-South. For example, I attended the Welsh Cup Final in Newtown, Powys this year and it took about 5 hours to travel 100 miles, due to the mountainous terrain.

Back to football, after much debate the aforementioned clubs refused to join, citing financial loss as the main reason. The likes of Caenarfon, Bangor, Barry and Rhyl then joined in later years leaving the current crop of Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Merthyr and Colwyn.

Colwyn's player base is traditionally from the Merseyside area, which is why they continue to play in the Unibond League structure.

Back in the 80's/90's Merthyr were a top Conference team and were refused entry to the football league when it was down to a vote. They still harbour hopes of getting into the football league which is why they currently play in the Southern Premier League.

Newport were of course an ex league side that went bankrupt, and again are looking to get back into the football league.

Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham simply bring in more money playing in England than they do in Wales.

Personally, I think they should have to play in Wales, but is it really fair making a club/business lose alot of money? This one is open for debate...

I think i know who you are now treacle.

much love. x

[PEARCEY]

Why are they in the English football league anyway??

All half decent Welsh sides played in the English league system (Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Barry, Bangor, Rhyl, Caernarfon, Merthyr, Colwyn Bay etc) until 1992 when the Welsh Premier was created. The reason there was no "National Welsh League" is due to the fact that it is easier to travel West-East than it is to travel North-South. For example, I attended the Welsh Cup Final in Newtown, Powys this year and it took about 5 hours to travel 100 miles, due to the mountainous terrain.

Back to football, after much debate the aforementioned clubs refused to join, citing financial loss as the main reason. The likes of Caenarfon, Bangor, Barry and Rhyl then joined in later years leaving the current crop of Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Newport, Merthyr and Colwyn.

Colwyn's player base is traditionally from the Merseyside area, which is why they continue to play in the Unibond League structure.

Back in the 80's/90's Merthyr were a top Conference team and were refused entry to the football league when it was down to a vote. They still harbour hopes of getting into the football league which is why they currently play in the Southern Premier League.

Newport were of course an ex league side that went bankrupt, and again are looking to get back into the football league.

Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham simply bring in more money playing in England than they do in Wales.

Personally, I think they should have to play in Wales, but is it really fair making a club/business lose alot of money? This one is open for debate...

I certainly dont recall Merthyr getting remotely close to League status back i the 80's/90s...they were not even a Conference side.

[Forbury Lion]

Forbs

Not sure if you are being sarcastic or not re: Welsh teams becoming English teams to stay in the Football League etc -but we have to face the fact that its unlikely to change - this is also the case re: the social/political basis for the anti-English comments- its not pretty and can be a pain in the arse but as with most unpalatable expressions in this regard -there is usually a grain of truth/reality which gets twisted out of proportion.

Slightly tongue in cheek, However if these clubs based in Wales are to remain in the FA English leagues they should be treated as FA English league clubs..... at the moment I understand players for these clubs can have cards awarded in league games overturned on appeal to the Welsh FA!

I know there is a historical basis for these clubs being in the English league and history is important, I just wish the fans would show some respect for the fact they are in the English league because they need it and not because the league needs them.

Big LOL if UEFA found a loophole to force domestic teams to field 50% home players..... Would the Welsh teams claim to be English clubs and field 50% English players or claim to be Welsh and field 50% Welsh players.

[bb0118]

Agreed, we had to walk the long way around the ground because the stewards were, in my view, giving the Cardiff fans the benefit of leaving easily.

Why should the Home fans be put out, they should have held the Cardiff fans back.

And those who've been to Ninian Park will know that away fans are kept behind after the F/T whistle. Why is this not the case for TVP?

Idiots

We were never held back at Ninian in november...

Perhaps not this season... but 23rd April 2004 we did.

[Rex]

Somehow i think this season we will be.

[Thames]

Big LOL if UEFA found a loophole to force domestic teams to field 50% home players..... Would the Welsh teams claim to be English clubs and field 50% English players or claim to be Welsh and field 50% Welsh players.

There are clubs from New Zealand playing in Australia and the league has a limit of 3 foreigners, however the league doesn't recognise New Zealanders as foreign players. I think this would be the same with the welsh situation.