Why we need to appreciate our Lower Leagues!

I love lower league football, and I’m not ashamed of it. The thrills, spills and unpredictability of Europe’s lower leagues make them in many ways far more interesting than the plastic, commercial, and over-hyped premier leagues. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent most of my life supporting a lower league team (Swansea have given me the chance to watch football in four tiers of English football) but I think lower league football has far more to offer than attendances would suggest.

My opinions aren’t shared by most Europeans. The unglamorous, under-publicised and devalued lower leagues are certainly unappreciated in most European nations, including some of the largest. So why is it that some countries embrace the lower leagues more than others? And are the large countries where the lower leagues aren’t appreciated, likely to change their attitudes anytime soon?

England, more than any other European country, appreciates its lower leagues. In no other country does professionalism extend so far down the football league ladder. Professionalism is mandatory in the top four tiers of English football, and is now the norm in the fifth tier. This is down to the high attendances clubs draw as far down as the fourth tier (seven League 2 clubs averaged over 5,000 fans last season, including Bradford City who averaged 11,128).

In sharp contrast to most countries in Europe, English fans have always felt passionately about their local clubs. There exists a sense that the local club represents the local area. Whereas in other countries, clubs in the fourth tier tend to draw small crowds, who tend to view these clubs in the same way as I’d view the local Sunday league side, fourth tier teams in England ignite passions and excite fans as well as any Premier League teams. There’s no better example of this than League 2’s bottom side, Plymouth Argyle.

Plymouth have been in dire financial troubles, and last summer had to sell much of their squad in order to stay alive. This season they’ve managed just two wins, but they’re still averaging around 6,000 for every home game, and hundreds travel to every away game. The fans have come out in energetic support of their local club at a difficult time, and it looks like their actions have saved this club, which is clearly a huge part of the community.

Compare this to the story of RC Strasbourg. The Alsatian club was once one of the giants of French football. League champions in 1979, they were in the UEFA Cup as recently as 2006. However the club was relegated in 2008 to Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Attendances dropped drastically, and the once great club found difficulty on and off the pitch. In 2010 they were relegated to National, the third tier of French football. The club faced huge financial troubles, and the 30,000 capacity Stade de la Meinau saw as few as 1,200 fans last season. When RCS dropped into the third tier, the local fans stopped caring to a large extent. I watched a few Racing matches in National, and it was spooky sitting in a large stadium, watching professional football with no more than a handful of true supporters.

Strasbourg’s last ever professional match was played behind closed doors due to the deteriorating situation at the club. It was a sad end for a great club. During the summer the club was liquidated and was reformed in the regional fifth tier.

Racing’s fans’ ambivalence towards the prospect of liquidation is a fair reflection of French fans’ attitudes towards lower league football. Last season Ligue 1’s average attendance was 19,742 (a disappointing figure itself), but Ligue 2’s average was less than a third of that. Four clubs in the second tier averaged less than 5,000. This is despite reasonable ticket prices and a large increase in national publicity for the league.

France’s case is hardly unique.

Earlier I mentioned English fans’ love of their local clubs. The same can’t be said of Spain, a country where the football culture is dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona. It’s tough enough for the other La Liga sides to attract fans (last season eight clubs in the top division failed to average 20,000 fans). So you can imagine how hard it must be for clubs in the Liga Adelante to get fans. Apart from the Seville-based giants, and last year’s champions, Real Betis, no club managed an average attendance above 15,000. This contrasts sharply with England’s second tier, where 16 out of 24 clubs averaged more than 15,000.

As well as the powerful lure of Barca and Real, there’s one other factor which devalues the Spanish lower leagues immensely. The majority of Spanish fans see lower league clubs’ sole raison d’être as opposition for aspiring youngsters, playing for the big clubs’ B-teams. In Spain the lower leagues are infested with the B-teams of La Liga sides, and thus many in Spain view the lower leagues in the same way as English fans view the reserve league. It devalues the competition hugely, and makes a mockery of other clubs that compete alongside the mini-Messis. The situation was made more farcical when last year, the league introduced a promotion play-off, similar to the hugely successful ones held in England. The aim was to generate excitement at the end of the season, as the third to sixth placed teams battled each other out for the last remaining promotion spot. Due to Barcelona B finishing 3^rd, the play-offs were extended to include Valladolid, who finished 7^th.

Italy’s lower leagues are possibly in a worse state than Spain’s. For in Spain the standard of football played in the Liga Adelante is remarkably high, considering the disgraceful funding and attention it receives.

In Italy the situation’s desperate. Serie B is seen as nothing more than a punishment for Serie A clubs that bribe referees. Last season over half the league averaged less than 5,000 per game, and Portogruaro-Summaga averaged just 1,369. Much like in Spain, efforts to strengthen the image of Serie B have largely failed, due in part to the priority given to the revival of Serie A, which itself has seen turnout shrink.

Funding is in short supply in Italy. Football has been touched by the effects of the economic crisis that has ravaged Italy. In recent years many smaller clubs have been forced to either close or merge with other clubs to create more sustainable outfits, such as FC Neapolis-Frattese. The brand new, modern stadia that we see in England’s lower leagues contrast with the crumbling health-hazards seen in Italy’s equivalent. Lower league football in Italy is struggling.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Germany’s 2 Bundesliga is flourishing. The rise in the standard of play over the last ten years, coupled with low ticket prices and a welcoming atmosphere have helped make the 2 Bundesliga an entertaining and widely-followed league. Last season the Olympiastadion in Berlin contained 77,116 fans for the Berlin derby between Hertha Bsc and Union Berlin. This was the largest post-war attendance for a second-tier football match in Europe.

The standard of football on show in the 2 Bundesliga has certainly improved recently. Gone are the battles of attrition, here to stay are elegant passing teams. Sky in Germany have picked up on the popularity of lower league football and have devoted much air-time to 2 Bundesliga matches. Though average attendances in the league are lower than in England, it’s clear that Germans value their lower leagues. This is partly due to the large number traditional teams that play in the lower leagues. Many of the great teams of the 50s, 60s and 70s are now plying their trades in various lower leagues, for example, Rot-Weiß Essen, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Munich 1860 and Eintracht Frankfurt. Lower league football in Germany is in a far better state than in France, Spain or Italy.

A quick look at the second tiers in each of these countries and you spot large clubs. In France the likes of Nantes, Lens and now Monaco (who have failed to adapt since their relegation last year, and now find themselves bottom of Ligue 2) have all dropped into Ligue 2. In Italy 1992 Champions League finalists Sampdoria are playing catch-up in Serie B following their shock relegation last year. Last year’s incredible relegation also means Deportivo La Coruña are in the Liga Adelante this year.

Unfortunately these big clubs don’t draw the huge attendances one would expect. In some cases big teams get largely forgotten when they drop out of the top divisions.

It’s sad that the globalisation of European football has led to the neglect of the lower leagues, for here we find the real beauty of football. These clubs aren’t viewed by millions of people every week, in places like Singapore, Los Angeles and Tokyo. These players don’t get paid £200,000 a week. These fans aren’t prawn sandwich eaters. These are regular clubs, that are the cornerstones of communities, and they provide character to towns and cities across Western Europe. We must protect our lower leagues and attempt to strengthen them, in tandem with the growth of Europe’s Premier Leagues.

City officially better than United

This Sunday was one of the most incredible days in the Premier League’s 20 year history.

Out of the blue, QPR beat their neighbours, Chelsea, 1-0 in a feisty, controversial yet hugely entertaining encounter at Loftus Road. Everton edged a thriller at Craven Cottage which included one of the misses of the season by Fulham’s Bobby Zamora. Arsenal’s Robin van Persie kept up his incredible scoring record this season to save his team against Stoke. In Lancashire the pressure on under-fire Blackburn boss Steve Kean increased as his team lost again, this time against Spurs.

However there was one stand-out result that will live long in the memory.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City may one day be seen as a real landmark result in the history of English football.

Following the final whistle football analysts across the world scoured the record-books, searching for the last time something like this last happened.

City’s victory ends a run of nineteen consecutive home league wins for United. This is Manchester United’s largest defeat since 1955. Alex Ferguson has only ever had six goals scored against him once in his career as a player or a manager; a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Airdrie when he was playing for Falkirk in the Scottish First Division. This was United’s largest derby defeat in 85 years.

The facts and figures are startling, but the main lesson learned from Sunday’s incredible match was that the blue half of the city is now the superior side!

City were better than their opponents in every department. A quick comparison of the squads shows us that Man City have not only caught up with their rivals, but have actually overtaken them. City’s squad is younger, fresher, livelier, but more importantly, they’re more technically assured than United’s squad.

David De Gea is undoubtedly one of the top young goal-keepers in World Football. However Joe Hart’s experience has made him a better goalie. De Gea’s only been playing professional football for 3 years, and though he’s represented Spain at many levels, he’s yet to receive a cap for the senior team. His youth has meant that he’s had a shaky start to life in England, and he won’t remember this weekend with much fondness. Hart on the other hand is now 24 years old. His extensive experience of lower league football, coupled with his top-flight experience and 14 England caps have made him one of the most consistent keepers in Europe at the moment.

In defence there’s no contest. Mancini’s policy with his defenders has always been perfect. Kompany is possibly the best defender in the world at the moment. He has an air of impenetrability about him and a controlling influence that instils confidence in his fellow defenders. Joleon Lescott has undoubtedly benefitted from having the Belgian beside him; the centre-back finally looks like the defender that cost City £22 million. The full-backs are on top form. Richards is fulfilling the potential he showed when he was 18, and Gael Clichy has fitted in remarkably well at left-back.

United on the other hand are in the middle of a transitional period in defence. Nemanja Vidic, United’s best defender, was missing on Sunday, and it showed. Rio Ferdinand’s injuries have taken their toll. He’s past his best, and looked like an old man against City’s vibrant attacks. Smalling and Jones are ones for the future. The youngsters are exciting prospects, however they’re not world class yet, and they will have learned many lessons against City. Johnny Evans isn’t good enough to start for United, and he proved that against City. Even reliable Evra no longer looks like the player of a few years ago.

The largest gulf between the two clubs can be found in midfield. I was shocked that United didn’t purchase a top class central midfielder during the summer spending spree. By Champions League standards the United midfield is distinctly average. Fletcher scored the best goal of the game against City, and he is vital for United by now. He’s the physical presence. Next to him is Anderson who is a lovable player, but can’t tackle. The two don’t work well together and central midfield lacks balace. Ashley Young has impressed since his move, but Nani, Giggs and Valencia are all struggling to follow Young’s lead. I don’t understand why Park didn’t start against Man City. I would have thought his terrier-like energy would have been ideal for this fixture.

Man City’s midfield is the most well-balanced in world football apart from Barcelona’s. The combination of Barry and Milner isn’t a glamorous one, but both were outstanding on Sunday. Yaya Toure is a tank that rules midfield. But the star quality comes from David Silva. The Spaniard has been incredible this season, and is on track to become Player of the Season. His touch and control is phenomenal. His style and creativity is something we rarely see in the gung-ho Premier League. But unlike their rivals, City have plenty of strength in depth. Nigel De Jong is the kind of player that United need; a Roy Keane type bruiser who can command midfield. The Dutchman is a beast, but a cultured one (maybe Fergie should enquire about a loan deal if De Jong’s not starting for City). Samir Nasri was my choice for player of the season last year, but he too was on the bench for City against United. City started the game against United without wingers, deciding instead to use the attacking force of the full-backs. However Adam Johnson is always an option off the bench.

Last year, City were criticised for their defensive nature and inability to score. This year they are the top scorers in the division, and last year’s star player Carlos Tevez hasn’t scored once. Aguero is everything you’d want in a striker. He’s a hard worker, a skilful dribbler, a clinical finisher and a great team-player. Dzeko has found his scoring boots at last. He’s being told to play simple football, and he’s netting regularly. Then there’s Balotelli, one of the most controversial players in world football. I saw Balotelli play for the Italy u21s when he was 19 years old and he blew me away. His athleticism is frightening, but he also has great feet. Though his decision-making is questionable, his ability isn’t.

United are by no means lacking in this department. Rooney has been brilliant this season, and Welbeck has surprised me pleasantly. Javier Hernandez is an old-fashioned striker with modern day skills. It speaks volumes about the strength of United’s forwards that Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen aren’t playing.

I will end this report by praising a man that gets very little praise for his hard work at the Etihad. Roberto Mancini has managed to unify a dressing room full of huge personalities. They say any man could coach a team with the amount of money Mancini’s had to spend. However not every manager could get the team to beat United 6-1 at old Trafford! Mancini’s got his team playing attractive, attacking football, with a solid defence. I would also argue that he is the only person in the world that can tame Balotelli and get him playing the way he is at present. Mancini understands his players brilliantly, and he’s got them all playing at full capacity.

His opposite number now has a big challenge on his hands. Man City have better players than United, and they’re playing better football. At the start of the season I thought United’s experience and winning mentality would see them pip City to the title. However, after watching both teams’ starts to the season, I’m struggling to see what Ferguson can do with the quad he’s got that’s going to win him another title. If they’re still close to City in January, Ferguson will have the chance to spend big on star players. Otherwise I think this year’s premier league title is City’s to lose.

Estonian development against all the odds

Regular readers of my blog will by now know that I’m a bit of a romantic and a dreamer when it comes to football. For me, nothing beats a good underdog when it comes to football romanticism. 

As you might expect I’ve taken great joy from following the recent exploits of Estonia’s national team.

Estonia gained independence from the USSR in 1991 and has a population of just over 1.3 million people. The small Baltic state has never been famed for its football. Between 1946 and 1991 not a single Estonian was chosen to play for the Soviet Union national side. Between 1969 and 1982 Estonia was the only Soviet republic that didn’t have a club in the Soviet Union’s football league. In fact during Soviet occupation Estonians fell out of love completely with the beautiful game. Estonians claimed that the sport was a Russian past-time that was of very little relevance to ordinary ethnic Estonians. From the 70s onwards the sport was played almost exclusively by Russian immigrants. 

Post-independence, controversial efforts have been made to re-create a national identity. Politicians have constructed strict conditions for citizenship in an effort to strengthen Estonian culture and nationalism. Only those of Estonian blood have been granted automatic citizenship, meaning 30% of the country is ineligible for automatic citizenship. The descendants of Russian and Belorussian immigrants have been very vocal in their opposition of this law. In order to gain citizenship they must first learn fluent Estonian, and pass numerous history and culture exams. This has angered many Russian immigrants who had lived peacefully in Estonia for decades prior to independence. 

In football similar efforts have been made to re-invent the sport as Estonian. In matches fans sing traditional Estonian songs, and proudly fly the national flag. 

Though football has grown in popularity since independence, the national side has at times been a laughing stock. In 1997 the team failed to turn up for a home World Cup qualifier against Scotland, prompting the infamous Tartan Army song “One team in Tallinn.” 

Former Arsenal reserve keeper Mart Poom was voted the country’s best footballer of the last 50 years in 2003. With all due respect, this award highlights the low standard of players that Estonia has been producing since World War Two. In 2009 Estonia hit an all-time low as they fell to 138 in the FIFA World Rankings following a humiliating 7-0 defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not once since 1991 had Estonia risen into the top 60 in the world..... until 2011!

They are now 58^th in the FIFA World Rankings following an incredible qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 that could still see them qualify for the tournament. Estonia won their final game of qualification, 2-1 against Northern Ireland in Belfast. The spirited victory at Windsor Park on Friday night put Estonia 2^nd in Group C, a point ahead of Serbia. Miraculously the Baltic minnows still have a decent chance of qualification going into the last game day of qualification.

Serbia need at least a draw away to Slovenia in order to take second place in the group. Estonia’s players will be spending Tuesday night sat at home, keeping a nervous eye on events in Ljubljana. Should Serbia lose against Slovenia it would mean Estonia finishing second in the group, and qualifying for the Euro 2012 play-offs.

This is already Estonia’s most successful qualification campaign ever, having amassed a total of 16 points. The only team Estonia failed to beat was group winners Italy, and the players will probably be kicking themselves after losing 2-0 away against the Faroe Islands in August.

Estonia’s rise has been remarkable considering its size, population, climate and sporting culture. It’s hard to say who’s responsible for Estonia’s great recent form.

Estonia’s manager, Tarmo Rüütli is in his second spell as the national team manager, following a short spell in charge from 1999 to 2000. After a difficult start, Rüütli has inspired the players, unified the dressing room, and instilled self-belief in the squad. Estonia don’t play particularly expansive football, but they’re tough to beat and the entire team works hard.

Two players have stood out during the qualification campaign.

The first is experienced captain Raio Piiroja. The Vitesse centre-back has 107 caps for his country, and he’s constantly put his body on the line during the qualification campaign. Piiroja had the game of his life against Slovenia in September. The defender was a leader throughout, and battled hard alongside Taavi Rãhn against Slovenia’s physical forwards. Piiroja has been a great captain during Estonia’s recent run.

The star quality has been supplied by attacking midfielder Konstantin Vassiljev. Vassiljev is of Russian origin, however he’s a firm favourite amongst Estonia’s nationalistic fans. The Amkar Perm player has been given a free role by coach, Rüütli, and he’s supplied goals (most notably a screamer from 30 yards against Northern Ireland on Friday). Vassiljev’s creative edge means Estonia are always dangerous, even when under pressure from the opposition. 

Realists would say that should Estonia qualify for the play-offs, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to beat any of the other teams involved. In all honesty Estonia would struggle massively in a play-off situation. They were fortunate to get a favourable draw for the qualifying group. Northern Ireland have been poor, Serbian fans have caused numerous problems for the team, Slovenia have been disappointing and the Faroes are minnows.

However Estonia can dream. They’ve got an entire country believing, and have done wonders for the development of football in one of the few countries in Europe where football is not the national sport. Should Estonia defy all the odds and qualify for the play-offs, it would be the story of the last two years.