KalMoh91
Contributor
Bournemouth, Norwich City, and Watford: What You Need To Know
One of the most exciting aspects of European football is the system of promotion and relegation. Each year, the worst teams from a league are relegated to the division below, and the top teams from that league get the chance to play at a higher level.
Norwich City make the jump back to the Premier League after spending a season in the Championship. Watford return to the Premier League after a seven year hiatus. Bournemouth make their Premier League debut this season and it’s been a long wait, almost 120 years.
What’s the deal with promotion and relegation?
There are two exciting battles every season, the battle for the Premier League title and the fight to stave off relegation. In England (most European leagues follow this structure) the bottom three teams are relegated to the second division, the Championship, while the top three teams from the Championship are promoted. From there, two other leagues exist below, Football League 1 and 2, and after that the descent into semi-professional and non-league football begins.
Now why is promotion/relegation so important? Besides competing on the highest level of professional soccer, it really comes down to the dollars (or pounds in this case). Using our current promoted sides as an example, Norwich City stand to earn in excess of $120m for their one season (this total is lower than the Bournemouth and Watford because of prior payments still being received from their most recent relegation). Bournemouth and Watford will earn more than $200m for their season in the top flight, $400m if they manage to keep their Premier League status.
To put this into perspective, Bournemouth go into the Premier League with a debt of $35m, a relatively normal figure for most Championship clubs; immediately their debt is cleared and the influx of cash can be put towards improving the club while also allowing them to splash the cash on transfer targets.
Let’s meet the teams:
Bournemouth
Team nickname: The Cherries
How did they get here: Overcoming a long fought battle for the Championship trophy, Bournemouth were able to sustain their good form while managing a few dips in form throughout the season. Finishing the year with 90 points, Bournemouth are the third team since 2010 to have amassed at least 90 points in a title winning season.
Primary colors: Cherry red and black.
Key player: Callum Wilson. The 23 year old led the team in scoring and finished in the top 5 for the league. Bournemouth will struggle to score at the top level and will heavily rely on their young talisman to lead the offence
FIFA 16 projected rating: 72. With the potential to rise as high a
79. A relatively cheap buy, if you’re looking for a striker in career mode, Wilson is a smart investment.
Chance at survival: 15%
Norwich City
Team nickname: The Canaries, Yellows, The Citizens.
How did they get here: After spending most of the season fighting for the top spot, Norwich slipped into the playoff stage and had to overcome both Ipswich Town and promotion favorites Middlesbourugh.
Primary colors: Sunny yellow and green
Key player: Nathan Redmond. One of English footballs rising stars, promotion to the Premier League was important for Norwich to keep away potential suitors. Currently carrying a transfer value of $20m, a successful season in the top flight could see that figure more than double.
FIFA 16 player rating: 74. The greatest potential of anyone on this list, the future England international has a predicted rating of 85. An expensive addition, Redmond is worth the price tag if you’re looking for a future star player.
Chance at survival: 25%
Watford
Team nickname: The Hornets, The Golden Boys.
How did they get here: Runner-ups to Bournemouth, Watford secured the second automatic promotion spot, missing out on the title by 1 point. A slow start to the season, the team picked it up on the second round and ran through the table.
Primary colors: Black and yellow
Key player: Troy Deeney. Watford captain, the striker led the league in scoring this year with 24 goals, overlooked for the national team, a season in the Premier League should help to solidify his status as one of the best English strikers.
FIFA 16 player rating: 71. The lowest on the list, at 27, Deeney is nearing his potential limit with limited room to grow. A run of good form could increase his rating by a few points.
Chance at survival: 25%
With all that said, why the a primer on the newly promoted sides? Well, if you’re anything like me, the intrigue of building a lower league team that can compete with the best of the best is a challenging task, one that allows you to test your fortitude and patience.
Do you have what it takes to be a Premier League manager? Can you compete with the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City?
Unfortunately, you’ll probably never get the opportunity. What you can do though is play FIFA
16! Producing Football games for 22 years, EA Sports have masterfully created a game that in its most recent edition has nearly duplicated the game of Football while also delivering a game with fantastic gameplay.
Give it a chance and see if you can conquer the Premier League!
One of the most exciting aspects of European football is the system of promotion and relegation. Each year, the worst teams from a league are relegated to the division below, and the top teams from that league get the chance to play at a higher level.
Norwich City make the jump back to the Premier League after spending a season in the Championship. Watford return to the Premier League after a seven year hiatus. Bournemouth make their Premier League debut this season and it’s been a long wait, almost 120 years.
What’s the deal with promotion and relegation?
There are two exciting battles every season, the battle for the Premier League title and the fight to stave off relegation. In England (most European leagues follow this structure) the bottom three teams are relegated to the second division, the Championship, while the top three teams from the Championship are promoted. From there, two other leagues exist below, Football League 1 and 2, and after that the descent into semi-professional and non-league football begins.
Now why is promotion/relegation so important? Besides competing on the highest level of professional soccer, it really comes down to the dollars (or pounds in this case). Using our current promoted sides as an example, Norwich City stand to earn in excess of $120m for their one season (this total is lower than the Bournemouth and Watford because of prior payments still being received from their most recent relegation). Bournemouth and Watford will earn more than $200m for their season in the top flight, $400m if they manage to keep their Premier League status.
To put this into perspective, Bournemouth go into the Premier League with a debt of $35m, a relatively normal figure for most Championship clubs; immediately their debt is cleared and the influx of cash can be put towards improving the club while also allowing them to splash the cash on transfer targets.
Let’s meet the teams:
Bournemouth
Team nickname: The Cherries
How did they get here: Overcoming a long fought battle for the Championship trophy, Bournemouth were able to sustain their good form while managing a few dips in form throughout the season. Finishing the year with 90 points, Bournemouth are the third team since 2010 to have amassed at least 90 points in a title winning season.
Primary colors: Cherry red and black.
Key player: Callum Wilson. The 23 year old led the team in scoring and finished in the top 5 for the league. Bournemouth will struggle to score at the top level and will heavily rely on their young talisman to lead the offence
FIFA 16 projected rating: 72. With the potential to rise as high a
79. A relatively cheap buy, if you’re looking for a striker in career mode, Wilson is a smart investment.
Chance at survival: 15%
Norwich City
Team nickname: The Canaries, Yellows, The Citizens.
How did they get here: After spending most of the season fighting for the top spot, Norwich slipped into the playoff stage and had to overcome both Ipswich Town and promotion favorites Middlesbourugh.
Primary colors: Sunny yellow and green
Key player: Nathan Redmond. One of English footballs rising stars, promotion to the Premier League was important for Norwich to keep away potential suitors. Currently carrying a transfer value of $20m, a successful season in the top flight could see that figure more than double.
FIFA 16 player rating: 74. The greatest potential of anyone on this list, the future England international has a predicted rating of 85. An expensive addition, Redmond is worth the price tag if you’re looking for a future star player.
Chance at survival: 25%
Watford
Team nickname: The Hornets, The Golden Boys.
How did they get here: Runner-ups to Bournemouth, Watford secured the second automatic promotion spot, missing out on the title by 1 point. A slow start to the season, the team picked it up on the second round and ran through the table.
Primary colors: Black and yellow
Key player: Troy Deeney. Watford captain, the striker led the league in scoring this year with 24 goals, overlooked for the national team, a season in the Premier League should help to solidify his status as one of the best English strikers.
FIFA 16 player rating: 71. The lowest on the list, at 27, Deeney is nearing his potential limit with limited room to grow. A run of good form could increase his rating by a few points.
Chance at survival: 25%
With all that said, why the a primer on the newly promoted sides? Well, if you’re anything like me, the intrigue of building a lower league team that can compete with the best of the best is a challenging task, one that allows you to test your fortitude and patience.
Do you have what it takes to be a Premier League manager? Can you compete with the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City?
Unfortunately, you’ll probably never get the opportunity. What you can do though is play FIFA
16! Producing Football games for 22 years, EA Sports have masterfully created a game that in its most recent edition has nearly duplicated the game of Football while also delivering a game with fantastic gameplay.
Give it a chance and see if you can conquer the Premier League!
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