• Home
  • www.jobsforkent.co.uk
  • Jobs
  • www.carsforkent.co.uk
  • Cars
  • www.propertyforkent.co.uk
  • Property
  • www.businessforkent.co.uk
  • Business
  • www.businessforkent.co.uk
  • Your Kent TV
  • Search local news and sport:
  •  
Most Popular News Stories : Police renew appeal for missing Medway man News Stories : Olympic Jamie Staff's namesake tops 140mphNews Stories : New website aims to protect pupils from swine fluSports Stories : Saggers hoping to become professional umpireSports Stories : Kent Football ResultsSports Stories : Scally blasts Charlton over Dickson transferBlogs : Immigrants - one rule for us, one rule for themBlogs : Power cuts show how powerless we areBlogs : If a four-year-old runs away to get the train... surely the parents are to blame
LOCAL WEATHER TODAY
Sponsored by norfolkline.com
MIN  10 °C   MAX  18 °C     Sunny
Next 5 days
OPINION POLL
In the light of the increasing deaths in Afghanistan, do you believe we should still be sending troops there?
Search for jobs
Search for the latest JOBS in Kent
Enter job title or keywords      Location (enter town or district)
     
Jobs by Email
Jobs by Email
Be the first to receive the latest jobs delivered to your inbox
Search for properties
Search for PROPERTY for sale in Kent
Property   
Price 
Bedrooms 
To     
Location (enter town or district) 
Search for cars
Find 1000s of CARS for sale
Make 
Model 
Min.   
Max. 
BLOG CATEGORIES
Click on one of the categories below to view associated blogs.
Your Local Community
The latest news, sport, business, entertainment and local information where you live...
  • Kent news
    Kent News
  • Ashford
    Your Thanet
  • Canterbury
    Your Thanet
  • Deal
    Your Deal
  • Dover
    Your Thanet
  • Maidstone
    Your Thanet
  • Your Thanet
  • Sandwich
    Your Sandwich
  • Shepway
    Your Thanet
  • Swale
    Your Thanet
  • Thanet
    Your Thanet
Should there be a mini-World Cup for smaller nations?
Printable version Email to a friend Share this story Add your comment Contact us
Posted on 24/06/2009 at 13:34 by Nick Ames
The England v Andorra qualifying match for next year’s World Cup was a nice little run out for our top players who are now all away on a beach somewhere.

And they left in style - 6-0 was a good result even if their opponents are really nothing more that an average non-league team.

They would probably turn Ashford or Folkestone over – but I think Dover might be a bit too much for them.

And as the argument goes – you can only beat the opposition you are set up against.

But the question remains should nations such as England even be playing against Andorra?

And it’s not just them – there are others.

The same night as England triumphed the Faroe Islands were in action and got away with a 2-0 home defeat to Serbia.

Malta played as well and lost 4-0 to Sweden.

Not in action were such giants of the European game as San Marino – actually ranked at 191 in the world just below Bhutan and Macau – various offshoots of the old Asian part of the USSR and even places such as Luxembourg, who have always played in European qualification to no avail whatsoever.

But I don’t feel these smaller nations should be deprived of the chance to play in the World Cup.

Cricket and rugby have offered the ideal solution.

Have a preliminary tournament with these countries in a group on their own.

San Marino v Malta might be quite tight and competitive.

At least the players from both sides would improve in proper games, not one-sided massacres.

They would learn to play together and attack – not just pack their own penalty area and try to foul anyone who makes a run at them.

And if enough of these groups – such as another one for the Eastern Europeans – could be set up the winners of each could play off.

Then the eventual winners of a sort of minnows world cup could have a shot at qualification for the tournament itself by playing the third placed team in Oceania, or the fourth best side in Asia, or the runners-up from North America.

That way they would actually have a realistic chance of playing in the finals themselves.

Fans of mid-ranking clubs may find this unfair but at least the likes of Belarus, Norway and Latvia can compete against Italy, Holland and Germany.

This appears so sensible, I wonder why it isn’t done.

Oh yes, I realise now.

Money.

Every match played is a chance to get a crowd in the ground, sell replica shirts, burgers and hotdogs and have the TV rights haggled over.

Also there is the vote – every country has one so I don’t suppose the Maltese FA are going to opt to forego the odd money spinner against France.

But a look at the wider picture might see their football progress to a point where it is worthwhile them playing the game and not just losing 5-0 every time they take the field.
Posted on 25/06/2009 at 13:52 by george arundel

What do u mean as a naturalised american living in the UK. My native americans a minnow of football only a few years ago just beat spain to get in the finals(mini worl cup) in South africa this week.

Come on IRAN you can win the world cup next year(might have to draft in some new players mind you)there always is hope in sport unlike life sometimes

 

George Arundel 

 

Posted on 13/07/2009 at 11:32 by Chris I.

Yes Nick I defiantly agree with you even though it is nice seeing our country destroying little teams like that, on the wider picture I do think it is fair to give them more of a chance and a better view on winning  the cup.

Arranging a mini cup for these countries could benefit everyone in the long run how do we know there is not another Ronaldo talent out there that could be playing in the Premier League, how do we know that there is no good talent out there?

Yes money is a big issue to the countries but then again does it need to be such a big upcoming like to World Cup?

if you would put both teams on some old muddy pitch with 1 camera man on the side line and 1 on each side of the goal surly then cost wouldn’t be to much of an issue then. And to broadcast it on TV well there could pos. be some internal bidding happening as there is not a lot of good sport on TV these days. J

Add your comment >> << Back to blog archive