Doncaster Belles

[From Despair To Where?]

All happened around 1919 so got the 2 mixed up with an urban myth or two thrown in for good measure.

[Fox Talbot]

It was when the Football League expanded the First Division from 20 to 22 teams. Chelsea, who had finished 19th the previous season, were saved, and the top two in Division two went up - but Spurs, who finished bottom were relegated and replaced by Arsenal.

Arsenal had only finished fifth in the Second Division, so how they got promoted ahead of Barnsley (3rd) & Wolves (4th) is another the big mystery.

But Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris was as corrupt at they come, so it's pretty universally acknowledged that bribery was involved somewhere along the line.

How can you say that?! Sir Henry was an MP.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

It was when the Football League expanded the First Division from 20 to 22 teams. Chelsea, who had finished 19th the previous season, were saved, and the top two in Division two went up - but Spurs, who finished bottom were relegated and replaced by Arsenal.

Arsenal had only finished fifth in the Second Division, so how they got promoted ahead of Barnsley (3rd) & Wolves (4th) is another the big mystery.

But Arsenal chairman Sir Henry Norris was as corrupt at they come, so it's pretty universally acknowledged that bribery was involved somewhere along the line.

How can you say that?! Sir Henry was a Tory MP.

Corrected for you.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Thought the Arse got voted up to the 1st Division in 1919 after finishing mid table in Division 2 repacing Leeds City who got liquidated for financial irregularities.

Something dodgy about the Secretary of the FA at the time being the Arsenal chairman or somesuch conflict of interest

Port Vale replaced Leeds City in early season 1919. Took over their playing record for that season and went from there

[Terminal Boardom]

Quite frankly, the FA are a disgrace. It is an old boys network who don't give a flying one for anything other than lining their own pockets. They did nothing for decades with regard to supporter safety. Their whole disciplinary system is so hideously flawed where a serious incident in the top flight results in a 3-12 game ban but if occurring in a Sunday morning pub game, 6-12 month bans are meted out. The financial mismanagement of football clubs across the country is ignored. The farce that was the Wembley Stadium rebuild. The respect campaign is an utter waste of time. The old bastards should be taken out and shot.

[dizzynewheights]

http://popularstand.wordpress.com/2013/ ... speak-out/

[handbags_harris]

Appeal lost. Invitation to play in the WSL2 remains open.

[reading_fan]

Surely now they have to take the offer of the second tier, trounce everyone in it (except us, natch) and show what a mockery it was to put them in there in the first place?

[Ian Royal]

Surely now they have to take the offer of the second tier, trounce everyone in it (except us, natch) and show what a mockery it was to put them in there in the first place?

Was the appeal to the FA? If it was perhaps they could raise a legal challenge...

They're obviously not going to win, no matter that it's a travesty.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Surely now they have to take the offer of the second tier, trounce everyone in it (except us, natch) and show what a mockery it was to put them in there in the first place?

Was the appeal to the FA? If it was perhaps they could raise a legal challenge...

They're obviously not going to win, no matter that it's a travesty.

The problem is that the criteria for acceptance into the top league was published right at the start and - it appears - applied correctly.

Their specific problem is that past playing record wasn't one of those criteria that clubs would be judged on.

If they'd kicked up a stink last year when the criteria were published then things might have been changed, but they accepted the criteria and are only crying foul when they failed them. So little hope of any legal recourse.