Bloody Welsh.
Hate the Welsh. Always robbing everything from us. Now they're in OUR football league. How dare they.
You wonder how this select bunch of 'fans' that spout the same hypocritical tripe week in, week out don't run rings around themselves by going back 100 yards on every point. Personally, I backed Reading after taking a fondness to the duo of Shane Long and Brian McDermott during their late charge up the table. I even cheered when the Royals began their comeback, and, in fact, I've probably got more reasons to dislike Swansea than most people. I didn't take too kindly to their fans turning Southampton into a pig sty and starting fights through the city centre during a visit in the 2008-09 season, nor did I take lightly to Tranmere's FA cup loss a couple of years back at the hands of the (on the day) lesser team. But I've got nothing at all against Swansea being in the Premier League, and this is why.1. A deserved promotion- To start off I'm going to have to state that the Swans have more than earned their place in the PL for next season. They've been there or thereabouts for the entire campaign, and if there was a better English team to pip them in the final then they would have done it. The fact is, there isn't, and Swansea are worthy of their titling as a PL side.
2. Healthy competition- Around 50 odd people in England genuinely believe that England v Wales is still a fierce rivalry, but can someone tell me whats wrong in having a bit of added spice to the league should this count for anything? We get enough of a kick out of it in the rugby, so why are people against it in football? It's highly doubtful that Swansea will pose any real threat at the top of the table, so where is the worry in accommodating them?
3. Inconsistencies/ the big occasion- Half of the reason why I'm writing this is down to this one: people only pipe up on the big occasions. Welsh teams have been playing in the ENGLISH Football League for years, with Swansea in particular enjoying fairly recent promotions. I know a number of Saints fans that were backing Cardiff over their rivals Portsmouth when they reached the FA cup in 2008, yet the same group seem to have abandoned that and done a u-turn regarding recent events. No one has had a problem with Welsh teams in the Football League, so how does it completely change when they get to the top tier that is largely made up of foreign elements anyway? I'll cover that one right now..
4. 'Might as well call it the BRITISH Premier League'- Anyone who wants to go heads with me on this one wants to make sure they know the facts as I've been studying this for over a year now. Stats from the 2010-11 season indicate that over 60% of the players in the PL are foreign, virtually all the owners (hidden behind an English board) of PL clubs are from abroad, and only five English managers were in charge of sides. In a compromising stance, the FA brought in the fairly toothless 25-man-squad ruling last season in an effort to combat the rapid decrease in English players performing in the PL. The ruling required clubs to have at least eight 'home-grown' players in their 25-man-squads. The 'home-grown; players had to be registered with clubs that were part of either the FA, OR WELSH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION. In a contrast to just four 'home-grown' players starting in Manchester United's 3-1 Champions League final at the hands of Wembley three days prior to the play-off final, in Monday's 4-2 win over the Royals the Swans lined up with just three players of foreign birth.. They can't do much more!6. The league itself- For me, this is the one that everyone gets wrong, no matter how simple it is to just look it up. The FA don't own the PL; it's a cooperative between the 20 owners of the clubs themselves. The FA have no control over the PL and haven't for over 10 years, which is why the league is absolutely packed to the rafters with foreign talent, coaches and owners. It's centered around making money and is under no obligation to include any English elements.
Now, please enjoy this video of our favorite Welsh imports.
