Cheers To The Football League

Soccer is back. Or should I say football? They both mean the same thing regardless of which side of the pond you live. On the side I call home it’s soccer but only because if I say football people over here think I’m talking NFL. Or for the readers who live on the other side of the world, American Football. In any case, the good news is what comes next after these many months of waiting, and that’s a fresh start. A strong belief and hope for a positive outcome for the challenges that lay ahead. Whatever club you support and however high or low the expectations, each start the year in the same position. Unfortunately there are very few leagues across the globe that can provide a competitive playing field that stretches as deep as the Football League.

Naturally when the Premier League formed, the playing field was still pretty equal for the first couple of seasons. Clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City and Norwich City would provide the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United great competition despite the obvious financial advantages behind some of the clubs. The gap grew significantly larger as seasons progressed and money started to play a major role in the game, not only in English football, but globally. The other impact it caused was these so-called lower league clubs bunched together and forced to fight for a piece of the Premier League pie, and the riches that follow.

In the end, what was formed was the Football League, and in my opinion the most competitive professional league in the world. I understand the standard starts to take a dip from the Championship right down to League Two. However, each season every club can say they have a fighting chance for promotion, which is one step closer to the Holy Grail that is the Premier League. The potential TV revenue that would filter into a small club even if only for one season and the parachute payments that follows if relegated to cushion the blow is enormous.

Take Blackpool for example. In 2009 they finished the season in 16th place in the Championship. The following year it was 6th and shock promotion after surprisingly winning at Wembley in the Playoff Final against Cardiff City. Imagine what that meant to a club from a small seaside town to be thrust into the Premier League against heavyweights like Manchester United and Chelsea. For the Tangerines it was short lived but they were able to renovate Bloomfield Road and made a tidy profit in player sales after the drop. Add the parachute payments for the next three years and you have yourself a great foundation to challenge for promotion in the future. Every team has a chance, whatever the bank account or scenario and that’s what I love the most. If you have the right manager in place and the ability to produce quality players from within your Academy, the possibilities are endless. The jackpot of promotion is at your doorstep.

The football is pure and old school, and by that I mean physical. It’s not fancy but a throwback to English style from years past. You have youngsters trying to step up or veterans trying to prolong their careers in the lower leagues. The game seems more natural and genuine. The results are unpredictable and clubs can get on a roll and watch themselves creep up in the standings. Or it can go the opposite way.

Not every example is a good one unfortunately. If you do gain promotion and spend beyond your means, trying to establish yourself with the big boys too quickly, things could spiral out of control in a hurry. That was the case for Leeds. They are an extreme example but a valid lesson on how not to go about things. There is also Sheffield Wednesday who still are trying to climb back to the summit after stumbling down the ladder. Charlton are still languishing in League One after dropping out. Poor spending and mismanagement are the reasons for their decent. Not every story is a fairytale.

The positive news is there is always the opportunity of the magical fairy tale. Clubs who take their time and do things properly have been able to move up the ladder and sustain themselves in the top flight. Wigan Athletic and Bolton come to mind immediately. Stoke City are a more recent example. Each fought their way up the divisions of the Football League and established a playing style that fit accordingly. Patience and hard work do amount to success. They just have to keep your goal in mind and remember it’s not a sprint but a marathon. I’m not saying they are challenging for the Premier League Crown. That gap is still quite big, but they can attribute a portion of their success to the competitiveness of the Football League.

Looking into the future you already can see investment going into these smaller clubs, whether it’s through wealthy businessmen, or by fundraising by the supporters. Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon are both great examples of each side of the coin. The former is paying relatively high wages to attract the players needed to gain promotion, and the latter did it the hard way and fought through the ranks of the Conferences to gain promotion to the Football League. For AFC Wimbledon it was almost a decade of battles in the wilderness to achieve their new deserved status. While Crawley Town were bank rolled into the Football League. The one thing they have in common is equal chance for promotion this season.

I still love and enjoy top tier football. I have been counting down the days since the end of last season. I can't wait until the start of the Premier League on Saturday. But I also have been counting down to the start of the Championship, or League One for that matter. The races for promotion and battles to avoid relegation will be extremely entertaining and the rivalries are enormous. How do you not get excited for Nottingham Forest v Derby County in the Championship, or the Sheffield Derby in League One between United and Wednesday. I’m even interested in Plymouth Argyle's fight to move back up the ladder from League Two. The Pilgrims rapid decent brings with it the West Country derby between Argyle and Bristol Rovers. The match ups are endless and consistently change because of promotion and relegation, but the rivalries continue to be hotly contested.

I know that I’m stretching it just a little with the last one but seriously how can anyone deny how close the competition is in these three leagues. The feeling of being contenders each year is quite remarkable and not common in the soccer world nowadays. Thankfully the Football League is able to provide a different style and form its own identity amongst the giants of club football. You can argue about the quality, but what it does provide is the biggest bang for your buck. Finally the countdown is over and the new season is under way. Wear your colors proudly and get ready for another rollercoaster ride.