Euro 2016

[Barry the bird boggler]

Best third placed teams got through if memory serves.

Yep that's right

6 groups of 4

Top two from each = 12
Best 4 third placed sides = 4

Gives 16 in first knockout phase, then QFs. SFs and Final

England will be dispatched from the competition on penalties in the QFs as per usual.

Of course when third placed teams have identical records that's when it starts to become interesting......

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Pardon my ignorance, but how will a tournament of 24 work exactly? The set up of 16 and 32 team tournaments are quite straight forward, but with 24 surely the structure would have to change a little?

Best third placed teams got through if memory serves.

Yup, and an additional knockout round'll get tack'd on (KO stages to begin at the Round of 16 instead of the QFs as it's been)

Bookings, and in particular individual accumulations thereof, will take on greater urgency as a result

Don't like it, for that and other reasons --have much preferred the Euro to the WC as a footballing thing (and it'll get kicked up to a field of 32 nations by 2020 --book it)

[papereyes]

But there's only 50 odd countries in UEFA

16 seems the right number - enough to be inclusive (brrrrr ), enough to keep the truly numpty teams from qualifying.

[Magnus]

Yeh but as you know papes that's not the way the world works.

More countries involved = bigger television audience = more advertising revenue.

The standard of the competition goes down but that's of secondary importance.

Cf the "champions" league.

[Barry the bird boggler]

But there's only 50 odd countries in UEFA

16 seems the right number - enough to be inclusive (brrrrr ), enough to keep the truly numpty teams from qualifying.

They upped it presumably to cover the fact that so many perceived "good" teams had cr*p world cup performances and/or failed to qualify for Euro 2008. You see you just can't have that as its unfair on those sides and nothing at all to do with money....

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yeah paper'erz, but Spain's comprised of how many autonomous communities; Belgium, meanwhile, could split in half without notice; so on and etc

It's the trend in all of sport anyway --c'mon, let's give everybody a chance!

But I can't argue with your number or reasoning, of course

[readingbedding]

Irish and the Dutch had their Italia 1st Group position decided by lots.

Ireland played Romania
Dutch played West Germany

[papereyes]

Irish and the Dutch had their Italia 1st Group position decided by lots.

Ireland played Romania
Dutch played West Germany

Given they finished with identical records then how else would you split it? Was it also decided long beforehand that that is the final way of splitting two tied teams?

Other than blindfolding Jack Charlton and Leo Beenhakker and giving them an empty stadium and a golden ticket for 2nd place to find.

Now that's an idea ...

[From Despair To Where?]

24 Teams in Spain in 1982. Top 2 went through from 6 groups and there were 4 second round groups of 3, winners to the semis.

No better or worse than 4 best 3rd place teams going through, both equally shit resolutions in my opinion.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

24 Teams in Spain in 1982. Top 2 went through from 6 groups and there were 4 second round groups of 3, winners to the semis.

No better or worse than 4 best 3rd place teams going through, both equally shit resolutions in my opinion.

I think the system in Spain was better. Far too much negative group play with 3rd place teams qualifying.

the big problem with the '82 system was that a team could lose the opening game and be out when the 3rd deciding game was played.

Anything that reduces the number of knockout games the better, as there's nothing more tedious than teams playing for penalties.

[bobbybottler]

24 Teams in Spain in 1982. Top 2 went through from 6 groups and there were 4 second round groups of 3, winners to the semis.

No better or worse than 4 best 3rd place teams going through, both equally shit resolutions in my opinion.

I think the system in Spain was better. Far too much negative group play with 3rd place teams qualifying.

the big problem with the '82 system was that a team could lose the opening game and be out when the 3rd deciding game was played.

Anything that reduces the number of knockout games the better, as there's nothing more tedious than teams playing for penalties.

Rev - I can recall some fukcing dull 2nd phase matches in 1982. England was tripletted with Spain and West Germany and you'd have thought that in a group with England and the hosts and Germany it'd be edge of the seat time but in reality it was dull dull dull with only the mega-lolz of Keegan and his world class perm finally getting a game in a World Cup only to blow England's chances by way of compensation.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

24 Teams in Spain in 1982. Top 2 went through from 6 groups and there were 4 second round groups of 3, winners to the semis.

No better or worse than 4 best 3rd place teams going through, both equally shit resolutions in my opinion.

I think the system in Spain was better. Far too much negative group play with 3rd place teams qualifying.

the big problem with the '82 system was that a team could lose the opening game and be out when the 3rd deciding game was played.

Anything that reduces the number of knockout games the better, as there's nothing more tedious than teams playing for penalties.

Rev - I can recall some fukcing dull 2nd phase matches in 1982. England was tripletted with Spain and West Germany and you'd have thought that in a group with England and the hosts and Germany it'd be edge of the seat time but in reality it was dull dull dull with only the mega-lolz of Keegan and his world class perm finally getting a game in a World Cup only to blow England's chances by way of compensation.

the common factor there though was probably England, more than the system. We were hardly known for flamboyant attacking football under Ron Greenwood. Spain v West Germany was a decent game. We just played for the 0-0 v West Germany, then couldn't break down Spain, even though they were already out.

I think the deciding factor in it being ditched was the likelihood of teams being level on points and goals for/against at the end of the three games.

[Wax Jacket]

Yeah paper'erz, but Spain's comprised of how many autonomous communities;

not exactly countries though are they despite the jibber-jabbering workshy mentalists might tell you

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[Mr Optimist]

I'm still wondering how the heck France got this. It would have been nice to see Turkey get it.

Try saying that in Leeds. You'd be brushing your teeth through a lower hole.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yeah paper'erz, but Spain's comprised of how many autonomous communities;

not exactly countries though are they despite the jibber-jabbering workshy mentalists might tell you

No, but I could see it coming apart, Yugo-stylee (albeit without bullets, ethnic cleansing , torture, rape et al)

Just how happy life post-divorce actually would be for your average Catalan, Galician, Basque, Andalusian and so on is of course another matter altogether

Having one's own national team does do wonders for bringing a nation along on the global stage, though, as the touching example of Wales will attest