Timotas Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I don't know if anyone saw this, but bc_soccer_fan spotted that John Toner plays for Total Network Solutions FC in the Welsh Premier League and was born in Montreal. http://www.saints-alive.co.uk/tpl/player.php?id=27 Interesting to see that he's probably the clubs best player too. All-time leading goalscoring at the club, as well as the longest-serving player. He's 28 years old, and I've never even heard of the guy. As you guys know TNS played Liverpool and are the best Welsh team. Have any of you guys ever heard of this player? Isn't the Welsh Premier league on par with League One or League Two in England? Why not give him a look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I'd say below either half of Ireland, although not by too much. Doesn't mean he's a bad player though, especially playing for a top club. (I still think we dropped the proverbial ball with the elder Mannus, speaking of obscure UK Canadians.) Those leagues are all considered semi-pro, but the clubs still train 8-10 months of the year and many have decent academies/U-19 clubs. Anyway, if he's uncapped, could he play for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desigol Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Simon Rayner played for a Welsh side, forget which one. Can anybody help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loud Mouth Soup Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Barry Town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadiankick97 Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Which is quite a nice place by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loud Mouth Soup Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Jeebus-I guess forming your own club is the "in thing" in the UK right now. Why did they do this one? Some evil Finnish guy who owns a chain of laundry stores take over Barry Town or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argh1 Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 If I remember right, Barry Town went full time and won a few titles and such. But the revenues vs cost killed them as a WPL club and they fell out of the WPL year before last and are still dropping or at least struggling.So maybe this is an attempt to revive soccer in Barry without the debt of years past. Just a guess. But I believe the WPL was only started in 1992 and teams previously in the English pyramid were grandfathered by UEFA. (or had the right to chose either the Welsh or English pyramid) Teams in the English pyramid are: Cardiff (Championship), Swansea (League 1) and Wrexham (League 2), Newport County in Conference South (tier 6), Merthyr Tydfil in "Dr. Martens" Southern Football League,Premier Division (tier 7) and Colwyn Bay in "Unibond" Northern League 1st Division (tier 8) Clubs in the English pyramid are members of The (English) FA and are not entitled to represent Wales in UEFA CUP's competition or compete in the FAW Welsh Cup competition. I think that's right? As far as Mr. Toner if TNS is where he enjoys to play the game he loves or anywhere else he might play, good on him. Glad to see a fellow Canuck enjoying life and doing what makes him happy. EDIT: WPL attendances I shouldn't comment but I know tier 2 Jr A hockey has better attendances here and maybe even a few Midget "AAA" leagues so the WPL ain't a rich league. Sadly though I've never been able to find attendance figures for either Premier League on the island of Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Just to add, the English league clubs do compete in the FAW. I believe this is the underlying raison d'etre of the tourney. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAW_Premier_Cup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argh1 Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 The FAW PREMIER CUP a different competiton (a money or prestige Cup) from the FAW WELSH CUP and the WELSH CUP winners earn one of the UEFA CUP spots along with WPL runners up. WPL champions CL, runners up and domestic FA CUP (FAW WELSH CUP) winners UEFA CUP. So what I meant was no club playing in the English pyramid can take a UEFA CUP, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, INTERTOTO,or FAIR PLAY, spot representing Wales. As clubs in the English pyramid cannot compete in the FAW WELSH CUP. Which explains why Cardiff isn't in UEFA CUP's year after year all. Clubs representing Wales are in the Welsh pyramid and represent the FA of Wales (FAW). The only way for clubs from Wales in the English pyramid to play in UEFA's competitions is to earn English spots and represent the English FA.(in typical English style all others use the country's name, SFA, IFA, FAW but the English is not EFA but THE FA strange....) I believe that's right? Which begs the question....why isn't there just a UK FA and why do Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England all get UEFA spots. With that reasoning Canada should send ten teams to the olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highburygooner Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 what do the olympics have to do with it? the uk only sends one team to the olympics. (and not a football team i might add) perhaps a better comparison would be to have a hypothetical champions league of hockey and only allowing one team per province to represent canada or, as is the case now, three or four teams. also...the fa is the THE FA because it was the ONLY fa when it was so named...before canada was a country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devioustrevor Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Timotas ...TNS ...are the best Welsh team. They are the best team in the Welsh Premier League, but the best Welsh team is Cardiff City who play in the English Championship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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