Month: June 2014

Northern Ireland – the second oldest league in the world, but what a sorry state… Obscurity. Twelve semi-professional clubs competed in closed league, no promotion and relegation, and hardly any decent players. There was much ups and downs, yet, the league was more or less dominated by the two ‘big clubs’ from Belfast – Linfield and Glentoran. Belfast was represented by few other clubs – Crusaders, Cliftonville and Distillery – but they played smaller role. Even the big clash between Catholics and Protestants was more likely to happen in Glasgow, not in bullet ridden Belfast. And nothing really new happened on Northern Irish stadiums this year. Ballymena United was the absolute outsider – last with 10 points, but nothing to worry about since there was no relegation to a lower division.

Up on top – not much either.

Glenavon (Lurgan) were 3rd – comfortably third, 3 points ahead of the next pursuer, but not even dreaming of higher place – they finished 6 points behind the silver medalists. Which meant only one thing: no UEFA Cup for Glenavon – Northern Ireland had only single allotment.

Second place meant playing international games, however briefly. It was taken by usual suspects – Glentoran.

The squad is only a matter of record, as ever, but the season was not very strong – Glentoran were much stronger than the rest of the league, but were not contenders. Except for the derby, they did not challenge Linfield.

So it was a one-horse race. Linfield lost a single match during the campaign. They had no rivals. Won 19 out of 22 total matches, outscored the league by far – 65 goals. The second best was Glentoran with 59.

Linfield finished 6 points ahead of their rival and collected their 31st title. But it was not all – the champions also reached the Cup final. The other finalist was curious one: Ballymena United, the weakest team in the league.

A relatively young by Irish standards modest club, founded in 1928, Ballymena United never won anything. A club normally found in the lower half of the league table – the only thrill the local derby with Coleraine. A dismal season, suddenly compensated by progress in the Cup. Ballymena had a chance… before the match was played. They lost 1-3.

They lost, predictably, but they lost to the champions and thus, as Cup finalists, got to play in the European Cup Winners Cup. Bit success for the lowly club. But this is almost everything to be said about the ‘Braidmen’ – dissatisfaction and increasingly sinking reputation of the Cup Winners Cup were based on participants like Ballymena United. The other thing which should be mentioned is the the clubs kit – perhaps the first club in Northern Ireland using shirts advertisement.

As for the winners, it was their 31st Cup. A curious parity – 31 titles and 31 Cups, won at the same time.

A double, supremacy in everything, record numbers of wins – such achievers are usually legendary. And perhaps this squad is legendary in Belfast. But nowhere else… it is modest, anonymous team. Few players appeared for Northern Ireland, but left no lasting memories. Perhaps Peter Rafferty is the best example – the star of Linfield played only few matches for the national team and did not attract the interest of English or Scottish clubs, even those of lower divisions. The crème of Northern Ireland never played at home, it is easy to draw conclusion about the strength of the supreme champions.

 

Norway, modest as ever, but not without intrigue. The Cup final opposed Lillestrom SK and Brann.

Lillestrom, led by their wonderful star Tom Lund, prevailed – 2-1 – and won one more trophy. The strongest years of the club continued.

The championship was a bit different than usually – Norwegian football had no overwhelming favourites, teams appeared quite equal, but this season the 12-club league split into three distinct groups. Three clubs fought their own battle at the bottom, trying to reach the save 10th place. Molde FK were the lucky ones at end with 12 points. The previous year they were at the top of the table, but such changes of fate or strength were common. At least Molde escaped relegation. By a point – the other two clubs finished with 11 points each.

Having better goal-difference, Lyn (Oslo) finished 11th. No matter – relegated they were. One of the oldest clubs in the country, founding member of the Football Association of Norway in 1902, champions and Cup winners, but all was history and quite ancient history too. The last success was the double in 1968. The decline of the club representing upper middle class was not temporary – it turned out to be long and painful. The relegation was not even the worst moment, but rather an early signal that Lyn was permanently losing its leading position. Perhaps to the joy of their city rivals, Valerenga, the working class club.

Last finished the opposite kind of club like Lyn.

Steinkjer FK had no glorious past, not even memorable one. The club played rarely and briefly in first division. Old they were, founded in 1910, but their existence was marked by a single triumph: the second place in 1961-62 championship. Soon they was back in second division and after ten years there they were finally promoted in 1977. 1978 was not good at all – this happened to be the last time Steinkjer played top league football. Outsiders…

Six clubs occupied the middle of the table – relegation was not a concern (the weakest of the group finished 6 points ahead of Molde), not disturbing the leaders either (the gap between 3rd and 4th place was 5 points). Only Brann deserves mentioning of this group – they reached the Cup final and also they were the top scoring team in the league with 52 goals. They finished 5th.

The last group battled for the title. Two familiar contenders – Viking (Stavanger) and Lillestrom, perhaps the best Norwegian clubs of this decade. No surprise seeing them on top. The trird club, although familiar name, was a surprise. IK Start (Kristiansand) were not often at the very top, so bets were on the obvious rivals. Viking finished 3rd with 31 points. Above them ended Lillestrom thanks to better goal-difference. The champions had 2 points more – 33 – and they were the underdog: Start. True to their name to the finish.

One more old club – Start was founded in 1905 – but nothing more. Regular members of the first league, sometimes among the best, but so far not a single trophy. And may be Viking and Lillestrom did not take them seriously, given Start’s history. May be the other contenders were preoccupied with fighting each other and did not pay attention to the dark horse. Whatever it was, Start collected point after point and at the end had the most.

First time champions! Such squads are usually remembered and called legendary… unfortunately, Norwegian players meant nothing outside their home country. No names… but champions! Well done. Yet, they were unusual – lower levels of world football were marked by high scoring at that time. Norway was not an exception as a whole – her champion was, though. Given the numbers, Start appeared clearly defensive-minded team. Their strength was at the back – they received only 13 goals in 22 championship games. The next best record was 22 – shared by Lillestrom and Viking. But the attack… Start scored just 30 goals. Only three clubs scored less – the relegated Lyn and Steinkjer, and the 7th placed Bryne. Yet, Start won the most matches this championship – 13. Strong defense paid out.

 

Wales, an anomaly not only on the British isles – ancient clubs, one of the earliest official tournaments in the world – the Welsh Cup was played in 1877-78 for the first time – and no championship. The Cup itself was organized differently than anywhere else – English clubs were also allowed to participate and won it on five occasions, but we are not talking here of Manchester United, Arsenal, or Liverpool, but of small clubs playing in lower divisions or outside the professional leagues. Thus, the authority of Cup was not very commanding. Welsh football was really based on 4 teams – the national team and the three professional clubs playing in the English leagues. Yet, Wales was represented in the Cup Winners Cup by their current winner – and, lacking a championship of its own, not represented in any other European club tournament. Given the peculiar circumstances, it was logical that the professional clubs would dominate the Cup and among them Cardiff City was the best known and the highest ranking – they were currently in Second Division, Wrexham – in Third, and Swansea City in Forth. Wisdom tells that Cardiff City were practically without competition, but ‘wisdom’ in football is dubious thing.

Cardiff City were historically the best Welsh club with some considerable success. Presently, they were down on their luck – they finished 19th in the English Second Division, barely escaping relegation by a point – but still were the highest placed Welsh club. Yes, they were in decline for some time and the other two professional clubs were rising – Wrexham won the Third Division this year and Swansea City was third in Forth, thus earning a promotion to Second – but Cardiff was the obvious choice. Alas, reality was different – they did not reach the final. Nor Swansea City which already started perhaps the best period of existence, leading them to First Division in few years.

Wrexham reached the final and the other finalist was Bangor City. Ancient club, founded in 1876, distinguished by two ‘firsts’: they won the inaugural season of the Welsh Cup and also in first edition of the UEFA Europa League (this, however, happened much later than the year presented here).

Bangor City also played in the very first Welsh championship in 1922 – yes, there was Welsh championship, but it was amateur or semi-professional, and not representing the Welsh Federation internationally, mat be because the top clubs played in the much better English leagues. And not only that: there had been various Welsh leagues – Bangor City was founding member of 7 such leagues before the 20th century ended. Which one was ‘the league’ was impossible to tell again pretty much to the end of the century. Anyhow, Bangor City, semi-professional at best, reached the final and had a good chance of winning the Cup for a forth time. The last time they won it was 1962 and the last time they played at the final was in 1973.

But it was not to be – Bangor City lost both legs of the final – 1-2 and 0-1 – not by much, almost equal to the rising professionals against them, but ‘almost’ brings no satisfaction. Wrexham won.

Wrexham won the Cup, as they did so many times during their long history. Their crest says 1873, but the club was founded even earlier – in 1854. One of the oldest clubs in the world and the oldest in Wales. Their Welsh names is Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam – it is much safer to stick to Bangor City, it seems. Long history, but the club is not famous – just one small professional club, normally playing in the lower English divisions. They excelled in the Welsh Cup, though and won it more than anybody else. The current victory was not easy, but still a victory.

 

A very good year for Wrexham – champions of the Englsih Second Division, earning promotion to higher league, winning the Welsh Cup.