Nothing can match the grandeur of playing soccer in a country's top division. The English Premier League connotes ideas of magnificence and glory that teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all represent. But what about the teams below the Premier League? Often neglected by foreigners, English soccer in the lower leagues has some substantial competition. Whether a team is in the Championship, League 1, League 2 or the Conference, a diehard fan will always have a reason to get excited, even if these teams don't have the aim of winning the Premiership or qualifying for the Champions' League. Their goal is simply to have the opportunity to share the glory of the teams in the Premier League, and that goal is what makes all levels of international soccer worth watching.
This past weekend, Charlton Athletic defeated Sheffield United 2-0. The teams should be familiar to English soccer fans, since both were relegated to the Championship league at the end of last year. While Sheffield is currently in 18th place, Charlton hopes to come straight back up to the Premiership. Sophomore Adam Raffa, a diehard Charlton fan, described the differences in the two competitions.
"The game play in the Championship is different to the Premiership in that it's less technical and more physical," Raffa said. "You'll find less players like Cristiano Ronaldo and more bigger and stronger athletes. Our problem was reshuffling the team to get more players ready for the Championship. Also, we couldn't complete our plans to renovate the stadium, since we lost a lot of money from getting relegated."
In addition to actual game play, teams in the Championship can get excited for several different reasons. With 24 teams, the Championship has 48 games rather than the 38 played in the top league. At the end of the year, the top two teams automatically move up to the Premier League, and the teams from third to sixth place will enter a playoff for the final spot.
"The final is intense because there is so much riding on that game," Raffa said. "Some people call it the 20-million-pound game because it will mean a lot of money for the winner who goes to the Premiership."
Still, however, many people criticize the organization of the league, as it is possible for a team in third place who is way ahead of the fourth- place team to still lose the final and not move up. The other lower leagues have a similar organization, except four teams can move from League 2 to League 1.
Although relegation yields some disappointing sentiments, fans can still keep their dreams alive.
"Not being on top of the world is pretty cool because you have something high to aspire to, and when you are in the Premiership, you appreciate it a lot more," Raffa said.
Despite Raffa's desire to continue watching games, however, championship teams receive less sponsorship and aren't as advertised. As a result, it's much more difficult to watch games on television.
"There is hardly any way to watch any Charlton games, even in England," Raffa said. "They play way less Championship games. Still, I guess that's why lower league teams' fans end up being more diehard because they have to go to the game to watch their team."
Raffa is just one of the eccentric fans of a lower league team, but on top of their fan support, these teams can often show surprising and fierce competition in national tournaments. This season, Manchester United lost to Coventry City for the League Cup, and more recently, Barnsley defeated Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round.
It's easy to dismiss teams that aren't in the Premiership as not worth following. The reality is, however, that a soccer fan can get excited over any game in England. Take away the money and glory of the Premier League, and one is still left with great soccer, passionate fans and fantastic competition.
