League Two 2008/09

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: League Two 2008/09

I'm not sure the top 6 care who the other 14 teams are. There are opportunities to be had if you like mid-table. Brighton's manager said yesterday losing their best players to those higher up was a cross they had to bear. Everyone in football works to feed those at the top of the scheme.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: League Two 2008/09

I'm not sure the top 6 care who the other 14 teams are. There are opportunities to be had if you like mid-table. Brighton's manager said yesterday losing their best players to those higher up was a cross they had to bear. Everyone in football works to feed those at the top of the scheme.

It particularly pleases me when teams from the original 5 greedy gits who set up The Premier League .......Liverpool , United , Arsenal , Spurs and Everton ......fail miserably and have hissy fits when they mess up and finish outside of the big gang

It doesn't happen enough but when it does , it's great

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: League Two 2008/09

When Luton Town were relegated to the Conference National League in May 2009 after a 30 points deduction by the EFL, the final game of their 2008/09 League Two campaign was a 2-0 defeat at Brentford. The side finishing 21st of 24 in League Two that season were Bournemouth, who avoided relegation despite a 17 points penalty under the guidance of new manager Eddie Howe.

Luton had beaten League One strugglers Brighton earlier in the season in a two-legged Football League Trophy semi-final. Brighton finished 16th in League One in 2008/09, avoiding relegation to the basement by just three points.

All four clubs will be competing in the Premier League next season. Brighton finished sixth this season, thereby earning qualification for the Europa League. The 2023/24 campaign will be Albion's seventh consecutive season in top flight after their promotion in 2016/17. Brentford finished a very creditable ninth this season. 2023/24 will be their third consecutive season in the Premier League. Bournemouth finished 15th this time around. They have spent six of the last eight seasons in the English top flight.

Some seem to believe the Premier League is the root of all evil - a closed shop which benefits only the country's elite clubs and is killing football at the lower levels. The recent achievements of Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth and Luton would strongly suggest otherwise.

Also Wigan, Portsmouth, and Bolton reasonably comfortable in the PL that season. It goes both ways..

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: League Two 2008/09

I'm not sure the top 6 care who the other 14 teams are.

When you say the top six, are you including Newcastle (4th) and Brighton (6th)?

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Also Wigan, Portsmouth, and Bolton reasonably comfortable in the PL that season. It goes both ways..

Of course. Promotion and relegation. It’s how the pyramid system works and has always worked.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Of course. Promotion and relegation. It’s how the pyramid system works and has always worked.

It wouldn't have been the way it would always have worked if your beloved Premier league had got its way though as promotion and relegation would have ended

[Harry Lime]

Re: League Two 2008/09

When Luton Town were relegated to the Conference National League in May 2009 after a 30 points deduction by the EFL, the final game of their 2008/09 League Two campaign was a 2-0 defeat at Brentford. The side finishing 21st of 24 in League Two that season were Bournemouth, who avoided relegation despite a 17 points penalty under the guidance of new manager Eddie Howe.

Luton had beaten League One strugglers Brighton earlier in the season in a two-legged Football League Trophy semi-final. Brighton finished 16th in League One in 2008/09, avoiding relegation to the basement by just three points.

All four clubs will be competing in the Premier League next season. Brighton finished sixth this season, thereby earning qualification for the Europa League. The 2023/24 campaign will be Albion's seventh consecutive season in top flight after their promotion in 2016/17. Brentford finished a very creditable ninth this season. 2023/24 will be their third consecutive season in the Premier League. Bournemouth finished 15th this time around. They have spent six of the last eight seasons in the English top flight.

Some seem to believe the Premier League is the root of all evil - a closed shop which benefits only the country's elite clubs and is killing football at the lower levels. The recent achievements of Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth and Luton would strongly suggest otherwise.

Wonder if there is a correlation between teams from the London area and the affluent South Coast?

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: League Two 2008/09

When you say the top six, are you including Newcastle (4th) and Brighton (6th)?

Brighton are top 6 now? That's great; they won't have to sell Mac Allister or Caicedo and will be able to establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in the country like Leicester (5th in '21) and Southampton (6th in '16).

"Big 6" then? Granted, Newcastle might make it a Big 7 but they're not much of an advert for an open Premier league.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Brighton are top 6 now?

Yes, they are. The season’s over. Brighton finished in the top 6.

All clubs have to sell players, don’t they? Are there any exceptions?

[splott parker]

Re: League Two 2008/09

You are entitled to your opinion of my posts which in my opinion is incorrect but I don't post for your approval

The continual praise of the odious premier league by the OP is nauseating and factually incorrect

I am sure he's got the very latest Man City , United and Liverpool shirts hung up in his bedroom

Man City equalised in the 95th minute after making it 1-2 in the 90th minute against Gillingham in the 1999 Tier Three (whatever the Third Division was called then) play off final, winning 3-1 on pens after extra time. They’ve come on a bit lately:hehe:

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Brighton are top 6 now? That's great; they won't have to sell Mac Allister or Caicedo and will be able to establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in the country like Leicester (5th in '21) and Southampton (6th in '16).

"Big 6" then? Granted, Newcastle might make it a Big 7 but they're not much of an advert for an open Premier league.

The irony of the PL today is that because there are so many billionaires who want to own a football club, even 'smaller' clubs can compete. And Brighton have the 4th biggest debt in the PL. Nowadays it's more a question of how rich or mega-rich the owners are.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Yes, they are. The season’s over. Brighton finished in the top 6.

All clubs have to sell players, don’t they? Are there any exceptions?

I'd say it depends where you sit in the hierarchy. The only team I could see Haaland going to, for instance, is Real Madrid. The bigger clubs can choose to keep hold of their best players while the rest have to shrug and wish them well before looking for more.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: League Two 2008/09

I'd say it depends where you sit in the hierarchy. The only team I could see Haaland going to, for instance, is Real Madrid. The bigger clubs can choose to keep hold of their best players while the rest have to shrug and wish them well before looking for more.

Of course. That’s the way football has worked ever since I began watching it in the mid-Seventies, although the players themselves have far more power and influence these days than they ever have.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Of course. That’s the way football has worked ever since I began watching it in the mid-Seventies, although the players themselves have far more power and influence these days than they ever have.

Yeah but don't you think it's more acute these days? John Barnes was 6 years at Watford, Bryan Robson the same at West Brom before they were sold. Teams used to have time to build - Ipswich, QPR, Everton, now anyone half decent is snapped up from the youth team. Kante was a year at Leicester, won the league and promptly transferred to the team who finished 10th.

Do you think Brighton will be able to kick on and push for the top 4 next year? I hope I'm wrong but it's unlikely.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: League Two 2008/09

Yeah but don't you think it's more acute these days? John Barnes was 6 years at Watford, Bryan Robson the same at West Brom before they were sold. Teams used to have time to build - Ipswich, QPR, Everton, now anyone half decent is snapped up from the youth team. Kante was a year at Leicester, won the league and promptly transferred to the team who finished 10th.

Do you think Brighton will be able to kick on and push for the top 4 next year? I hope I'm wrong but it's unlikely.

It may be more acute these days, but does that make a lot of difference to the natural order of the English pyramid?

I also believe it's unlikely that Brighton will reach the top four next season, but the fact is they've just had their best-ever season. Until recently, Albion had had just one prior spell in the top flight. Their finishes were as follows:

1979/80 - 16th
1980/81 - 19th
1981/82 - 13th
1982/83 - 22nd (relegated)

Their finishes since promotion to the Premier League in 2016/17 have been:

2017/18 - 15th
2018/19 - 17th
2019/20 - 15th
2020/21 - 16th
2021/22 - 9th
2022/23 - 6th

History would suggest Brighton are currently punching well above their weight. Considering they had never previously finished as highly as they have in the last two seasons, I'd say it's highly unlikely that they will continue to attain such high rankings.