Does it just go to the highest placed of the Premiership clubs who wish to enter ?

They've made the draw already and if it was us we'd be at home on 22nd July for the second leg. 22nd July !!!

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

Answers

Yes I'm pretty sure that the place goes to the highest placed club out of those who have entered. I think we can rule out Coventry and hopefully (choke, choke) Chelsea can qualify by other means. I think Aston Villa have entered too, so we need to move up a few places.

It would be nice to qualify just through our league placing, the InterTwo-Bob still doesn't have the respect.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

Does anyone know exactly how many places are up for grabs for the UEFA from League placings? Is it 1 or 2? Obviously Worthless Cup and FA Cup take up 2, the holders would also go through, as would the Inter-Toto qualifiers.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

According to the UEFA site, the English club going into the Inter Tutu (sic) would play either a team from Austria, Czech Rep or Israel - so no real bother there, eh?

We come into the 3rd round of the daft tournament and play 1st leg 15 or 16 July with the return on 22 July. Then 2 more games ('semi' and 'final', even through there is no 'final'...no cup therefore no end, as such ?!?!?!) one in July and another in August.

From there a place in the UEFA cup 1st round, along with 2 other clubs.

For the life of me I can't see where the qualification for the Inter- dodo for English clubs are.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

Well if there's no semi or final then we might just win it....as long as it's not at Wembley...

Sigh....unlike the Murphy's I'm STILL bitter :)

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

Of course you do get the advantage West Ham had at the start of the season in already being battle-hardened by the time the League started up; lovely spring board to start the season well but sh*te if you don't have strength in depth to soak up the inevitable knocks.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

"With UEFA Cup qualification via the FA Cup now out of Newcastle's scope, a European place for Robson's side appears to rest on their securing England's nomination in UEFA's end-of-season Fair Play draw which will offer the representatives of three countries an extra place in the UEFA Cup." (Soccernet)

Another UEFA cup place perhaps?

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

Fair Play 'draw'. Interesting, as it implies there's luck involved. Anybody know the rules, or is it a mysterious wild card? It would provide an interesting aside to normal tactics if we were winning the fair play league, and the UEFA spot went to the winners. With nothing to play for in any competitions, we could just turn up and avoid any bookings/sendings off (even fouls if they count) and our place in Europe would be secured. Probably why it's a draw then. Answered my own question.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

I think the Fair Play League is worked out from the number of bookings the National team picks up. The League would award the place to the next highest team. Seems mad to me, a bunch of English-based foreigners get to play in Europe because the England team does well...

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

It'd be spot on if we got in on a Fair PLay ruling. The Sunderland fans would be beside themselves with anger.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

I wonder if it has anything to do with the FA's decision to order refs to go softer on the players. I mean, they were card happy before Christmmas weren't they?

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

The English rep is still the team with the fewest bookings that isn't qualified for Europe another way. weds was it last year, but didn't get drawn out of the hat.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2000

I know a wee bit about qualifying for the UEFA spot via the fair play award lottery.

1) All countries are ranked as to their nations fair play.

What the criteria for ranking nations is I have no Idea.

2) All teams in the EPL are ranked via fair play points.

Red cards, Yellow cards & BOOKINGS count. The team with the lowest points play the fairest. Last year Man Utd. were the no.1 ranked fair play team. However Sheff. Wed. were the best placed team who hadn't qualified for Europe.

3) The lottery is rigged to favour countries with better fair play points.

I'm not sure exactly how this works but; I think the better behaved a nation is, the ping pong balls the representative team has in the barrel. E.g if your the worst you have one ball in the barrel, 2nd worst 2 etc.

Of course this all just could be misinformation.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2000