The Nottingham Sports Thread

[Patrick G]

Originally Posted by Lears City

Next season should be very interesting for both clubs...

Leicester are early second favourites for promotion and the Florists should be back up there again.

Lears, I agree. It might dpend who comes down of course.

[Lears City]

All the clubs coming down are rubbish, tight, or financially challenged...

[Patrick G]

Originally Posted by Lears City

All the clubs coming down are rubbish, tight, or financially challenged...

Hmm, Brum would be tough opposition, though there is nothing too scary.

What say we both go up next year, that would almost be cause for harmony!

[WOTZDA POINT]

Why do us footie fans keep falling into the trap that unless you are progreesing and winning a silver trophy (premiership. league cup. FA cup or promotion) that you are a failing club !

Surely the bottom line is to fill your stadiums have a great afternoon and evening out whether you win lose or draw !

If you have a good season and win something great! that a bonus.

After all there are 92 clubs with 9 promotions on offer and 2 domestic cups (which are on their last legs- since the premiership and European championship)

With those odds (apart from the top 6 premiership clubs) you are gonna do your head in expecting sucess.

To my mind a good club is your own club regardless of your status !

Up Down or stay the same THE FOXES !

[Lears City]

I want Leicester City in the Premier League and I want them to be at least the best team in the East Midlands. I want stadium expansion, great players, entertaining football and more memories to add to the huge amount of fantastic moments I've already experienced as a fan since the 1970s.

The lows of being a fan are also part and parcel and they make winning play-off finals, winning at Anfield to break Liverpool's 85 game unbeaten run, the League Cup final wins, the Great Escape against Oxford and several promotions to the top flight all the sweeter.

Being a Leicester fan is all about highs and lows. The worst was the period of administration, when the future of the club was in doubt. Yet even that was followed by a promotion to the Premier League.

Equally horrible was the relegation to Division Three for the first time in the history of the club. Again followed by a great season where we were promoted at the first attempt as Champions.

In the time I have been folowing the club we have had 5 promotions to the top flight and of course 5 relegations. 13 years of top flight football and 18 years in the second tier. We have won 2 divisional titles, won 2 and lost 2 play-off finals, won 2 and lost 1 League Cup final and lost 1 FA Cup semi-final.

Historically we have been in 3 FA Cup semi-finals and 4 finals, won 3 and lost 2 League Cup finals, finished runners-up in the top flight and nearly won the League and FA Cup double in 1963.

So in 126 years of existence, we have played in 12 semi-finals in the two major domestic cup competitions. That means on average every 10.5 years we have a shot at a trophy. We didn't even reach a semi-final until 1934, so since then the average is every 6.4 years and there was a gap for the second world war. So keep the faith!

Here are the statistics on the last trophy won for each team...

Manchester City 2011 FA Cup
Manchester United 2011 League Championship
Birmingham City 2011 League Cup
Chelsea 2010 League Championship
FA Cup
Portsmouth 2008 FA Cup
Tottenham Hotspur 2008 League Cup
Liverpool 2006 FA Cup
Arsenal 2005 FA Cup
Middlesbrough 2004 League Cup
Blackburn Rovers 2002 League Cup
Leicester City 2000 League Cup
Aston Villa 1996 League Cup
Everton 1995 FA Cup
Leeds United 1992 League Championship
Sheffield Wednesday 1991 League Cup
Nottingham Forest 1990 League Cup
Milton Keynes Dons (as Wimbledon) 1988 FA Cup
Luton Town 1988 League Cup
Coventry City 1987 FA Cup
Oxford United 1986 League Cup
Norwich City 1985 League Cup
Ipswich Town 1981 UEFA Cup
West Ham United 1980 FA Cup
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1980 League Cup
Southampton 1976 FA Cup
Derby County 1975 League Championship
Sunderland 1973 FA Cup
Stoke City 1972 League Cup
Newcastle United 1969 UEFA Cup
Swindon Town 1969 League Cup
West Bromwich Albion 1968 FA Cup
Queens Park Rangers 1967 League Cup
Burnley 1960 League Championship
Bolton Wanderers 1958 FA Cup
Blackpool 1953 FA Cup
Charlton Athletic 1947 FA Cup
Preston North End 1938 FA Cup
Cardiff City 1927 FA Cup
Huddersfield Town 1926 League Championship
Sheffield United 1925 FA Cup
Barnsley 1912 FA Cup
Bradford City 1911 FA Cup
Bury 1903 FA Cup
Notts County 1894 FA Cup

[d4mo85]

Bit of a silly question there WOTZDA

I agree completely with Lears. But also any fan of any club wants that team to be as successful as possible and fighting it out with the best in the land - not sitting in a division that should be entertaining smaller clubs.

People don't go to football matches in the hope of it being a draw - not unless their team depends on it.

[duane]

You have missed one out, 1997 league Cup. That was also won by Leicester.

In-between 1997 and 2000, Leicester got to the League cup final three times, winning it twice in 1997 and 2000 and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in 1999.

I'd say that is quite impressive.

[Bingethink]

Originally Posted by duane

You have missed one out,

No, that list is the most recent trophy each club has won.

(After all, if we were listing every trophy a team has won then we have won the league cup more times than you, the FA Cup more times than you, the league more times than you and the European Cup more times than you.)

[Lears City]

Wasn't looking for that list, but you are correct. We've won the Charity Shield as many times though...

You still haven't won anything for 21 years!

[Bingethink]

We won the Brian Clough Trophy twice this season!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Clough_Trophy

[d4mo85]

The what?

[Bingethink]

Click the link.

[d4mo85]

The what?

[Lears City]

We beat Direby twice too. No need for a trophy to celebrate it. We expect to beat them!

[Mark76]

Beating Derby is like beating up on a kid in a wheelchair

It's not big. It's not clever. And you certainly shouldn't get a trophy for doing it

[Bingethink]

We could start the Gary Megson trophy between Forest and Leicester. Whoever loses has to keep it.

[d4mo85]

Haha, now that I do like.

Fair play Binge

[WOTZDA POINT]

Originally Posted by d4mo85

Bit of a silly question there WOTZDA

I agree completely with Lears. But also any fan of any club wants that team to be as successful as possible and fighting it out with the best in the land - not sitting in a division that should be entertaining smaller clubs.

People don't go to football matches in the hope of it being a draw - not unless their team depends on it.

No question is ever silly ! It was a brave man who questioned the earth being flat !

How many sporting fans are purists and appreciate the actual sport, cheering on their team through good bad or ordinary times. Not many!

The modern sporting fan has become a fickle consumer who buys his ticket and wants a gauranteed 5-0 win every game. If he or she doesn't get his/ her "win fix" he/she boos, wants their money back, gets angry with the officilals, the players, the manager, the chairman, the opposing team and fans. The attendences drop if the team goes on a bad run.

For most watchers, football is a vehicle, it's all about bragging rights and getting one over a percieved inferior other (social geography term there !)

Take the winning away and most of the so called fans just fade away and head for the exit with 15 minutes to go .

[d4mo85]

touché!

Though that said, i'd never leave a match early - you only really show support if you're there for the team during the good times and the bad. But that said, it's every fans' dream to see their team playing amongst the top outfits in the country and that's why we support them - to try and be that 12th man who propels the team forward and achieve all goals.

It's not always about winning!

[Patrick G]

Froch = legend! He did Nottingham proud!