Thetownend.com

Time for a 2nd tier European competition including teams from the Championship, Bundesliga 2, Segunda Division and Ligue 2 (Serie B is exempt because there aren't any good clubs in it this season)

All teams pre qualify in their own country, 4 make it through from each country into 4 groups, (1 team from each country). The top team from each group qualifies for the semis. Voila.

Now Peterborough and Barnsley can dream of playing in Europe.

(It's better than the Anglo-Italian Cup because there's more than 2 countries involved innit)

Out of interest has anyone on here see us play away from home in Europe? Didn't realise we'd played in the anglo-italian cup as recently as 94/95. Thought that it was only in the late 60's/early 70's.

It seems logical that 2nd tier clubs should get to play in another competition as they don't have to slog it out in the JPT like 3rd/4th tier clubs.

i like this idea.

I've decided to swap Serie B for Segunda Division.

Serie B has Reggina, Bari, Empoli...

Segunda Division has Villareal, Racing Santander, Sporting Gijon, Real Murcia, Hercules, Almeria

Do they not do an Inter-Scandinavia Cup?

I was thinking about this a while back. The idea I came up with was an inter-league challenge tournament.

So you'd have say England vs Germany, with various second tier teams playing against each other (doesn't have to be all of them but as many as possible) and whichever league gets the most points wins the match. Everyone plays each other home and away, so with four countries there would be six rounds of matches. Then add them up the match results for a winner.

Anyone go watch us away at Venezia or Ascoli in 1994?  :girlgiggle:

I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened already. It would mean more money for Sky (more sponsorship/more stuff to make people pay for, wider audience that would pay for it etc.), more money for UEFA, more money for the clubs. All round good sense penny pincher-wise...

Why not? Could replace the Europa League if The Champions League goes to 64 teams!

The opening group stage already has too many minnows in it.

Nope but i know some guys who did.

Just when you think we have reached saturation point, another pointless, poorly-attended competition is mooted.

So we'll now get Championship clubs snubbing our 2 national cup competitions.

It may have some novelty value to start with, but as a long term competition I doubt it will have the legs.

Just look at how the PL clubs in the Europa league treat that - I honestly don't know why they bother entering.

Bollocks to Europe, I like my domestic football

Sounds good in theory but i can see some managers not wanting it as it will make their seasons too congested if they have more games to play.

 Had there been a bit more interest the last time the Anglo-Italian was tried then , it would have suggested some support for such an idea...but there wasn't.

 Platini with his waffle about expanding the CL and doing away with the EL, is talking out loud about what I see as inevitable one day, namely a fully fledged European League.  This might stretch to 2 divisions of say 18 clubs with promotion and relegation.....domestic league winners in the rest of the European Leagues, could then compete for two or three places at then top table.

Here are the 36 teams to compete. England: ManUre, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs. Spain: Real Madrid, Barca, Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla. Italy: Roma, Lazio, Juve, Inter, AC. Germany: Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke, Leverkusen, Hertha. Netherlands: PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord. France: PSG, Lyon, Lille. Portugal: Sporting, Benfica, Porto. Ukraine: Dynamo Kiev, Shaktar.
Russia: Zenit, CSKA, Spartak. Turkey: Galatasary, Fenerbahce

i think you misunderstood the original post. it was a suggestion from Coca Fola...

Then I hope he never succeeds Monsieur Plantini

Mind you, expanding the Champions League is just plain wrong.

Get it back to a straight 2 leg knockout from the off

You are thinking of it like a football fan, they think of it as a cash cow.

The likes of Paolo Montero and Kwame Ayew gracing the CG pitch. Happy days.

Havent forgiven that cunt Oliver Bierhoff for scoring a hattrick against us though. At least Chris Hamon got one back in that game 8)

Not away but I went to the home games. Seem to recollect watching Atalanta at the CG. As Reg said, there wasn't much interest in the games.

Pretty sure I was at this game.

http://swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19930902

Went to the demolition of Juventus early 70s.

Now, my memory isn't what it was but did Stan Harland score a screamer in that one

So was i, they stole it with a last minute winner. Not that it mattered based on what we achieved that season, probably better we didn't have more games to deal with.

I don't suppose Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood dreamed they'd end up as a management duo, when they shook hands at the end of the match.

bizarrely I am sure I remember that their winner was scored off the underside of the bar. Not sure why I would remember such a thing but still!! It was the emptiest I had ever seen the CG.

The emptiest I've ever seen the CG, was back in the 80's, we'd played Rovers and it had got a bit nawty, the cunts had battered out the side of the Shrivenham Road, with a crush barrier stanchion, and had attempted the same to get into the South Side, from outside.  Consequence was a hole in the stand....I lived in Stratton at the time, and was walking back after a night on the piss in OT, so climbed through and sat taking in a completely empty CG...surprisingly light, due I suppose to big bugger light on the magic roundabout.