retired_sandra

It's the name of the league. There is also (obviously) Northern Premier League First Division North.

The two regional divisions have replaced the previous Northern Premier League First Division this season. Typically though, with so many teams getting promoted to that level last season (eight from each of the three feeders), Newcastle Town ballsed it all up last season and didn't make it. After years of finishing second and third most seasons in the North West Counties League Division One, they can't make the top eight when a whole bunch of teams go up.

retired_corbettk4

Nobby, it really amazes me how well you know the divisions within the lower tiers in the UK. Talk about a football fan...

retired_fox489

So far I don't see how the future of Milan/Juventus/etc. is at risk. I also believe that personal preferences are a bad argument reharding the validity of parent/feeder structures. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Valid point.

I'm saying that one of the big advantages of the German structure is that it gives smaller, well run teams a better chance. I equally accept that it has a detrimental effect on German performance at the highest level. Also German clubs make less money but attract more fans, and again that rise in matchday attendance can be contrasted with relatively low TV figures.

It's swings and roundabouts. Personal preference makes me irreversably biased, but there's no "better" or "worse". Just different. The joy of FM is you get to try out the different.

retired_tinkfaeree

Not really. The small clubs never were able to last more than a couple seasons in the Bundesliga.

There's a different problem with that. Germans are not willing to pay for TV. The attitude of people in Germany is that good TV has to be free (since they have to endure commercials anyway), and Pay-TV has been struggling for this reason all the time, despite moderate prices.

In France, the UK, Italy and other countries, it's perfectly normal that some things are to be seen on Pay-TV only. In Germany, even politicians moan if Pay-TV demands more exclusive rights. It's no surprise that you can't make a lot of money if people can watch your product only 2 hours later on public television.

retired_lapepe

I hate pay-TV

First they took our English league games away. They tried at some point with Championship football, but now that is off too. Then Norwegian football largely got taken off. Now they have even pulled Champions League football off to other channels.

**** 'em all!!

retired_sandra

I follow non league football fairly closely, but I'm more knowledgeable in the Midlands and the North than the South, mainly because I'm from the Midlands (just about in the Northern bit) and my local teams don't play any teams from the South unless it the FA Cup/Trophy/Vase.

retired_dvrsecuritylab

Some time ago I wrote to Connah's Quay about their link with Man Utd. Here's their response:

Note the bold highlight; the link is tenuous, not a formal one.

retired_fox489

Quick straw poll. If the link was already there, there's no annual fee or player linkage, just a friendly with gates being kept by feeder, is that okay to keep? I just see little point playing Chimney Corner U18s (aka half of my first team) if in real life we'd pit our wits (or lack of) against Linfield.

retired_bj1fabre

As memory serves, an annual friendly and nothing else is the acceptable limit for UK teams. Although if it's a pre-existing link, I don't know how well they work in 08. In 07 I managed Varese, with a pre-existing link to Milan running since (IIRC) 2005 - a friendly, loan deals, blah blah. However, no such friendlies had ever been played from the start of the game, no players loaned, nada. The same with another pre-existing link with a Serie B team whose identity escapes me.