Name the only European club team that play with native players?

leon76

Name the only European club team that play with Regional / County players? They have never been relegated. Also the oldest club that play in there specific league

Ferris_Bueller

Athletic Bilbao?

Paully D

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

Athletic Bilbao?

That's what I'd have said too.

leon76

Its fantastic that a team like Athletic can survive with so much money been spent by the likes of Sevilla, Valencia, deportivo, Malaga etc. Spirit, commitment and belief in there philosophy is what it takes.... What do you think

Columbia

I didn't know the precise answer, but I would have been pretty certain it was a team from the Basque country (and a quick google tells me Athletic are Basque). There are Basque-only teams in many sports, for instance Euskaltel in cycling.

CSF

I guarantee you there are hundreds more. Wexford Youths, Mervue, Salthill Devon?

Paully D

CSF wrote: »

I guarantee you there are hundreds more. Wexford Youths, Mervue, Salthill Devon?

I think Wexford Youths ditched the ''Wexford only'' policy after about 6 months.

CSF

Paully D wrote: »

I think Wexford Youths ditched the ''Wexford only'' policy after about 6 months.

They aren't paying wages so they aren't signing players from anywhere else. The same as in clubs all over Europe who can't afford to pay players to relocate.

Paully D

CSF wrote: »

They aren't paying wages so they aren't signing players from anywhere else. The same as in clubs all over Europe who can't afford to pay players to relocate.

They've signed players from Limerick, Dublin, Waterford etc over the last couple of seasons though. Unless I'm not picking you up right which could well be the case.

CSF

Paully D wrote: »

They've signed players from Limerick, Dublin, Waterford etc over the last couple of seasons though.

Have now remembered Gary Sheehan myself from Limerick. Mervue and Salthill Devon wouldn't be very likely to have players from outside Galway though.

leon76

CSF wrote: »

Have now remembered Gary Sheehan myself from Limerick. Mervue and Salthill Devon wouldn't be very likely to have players from outside Galway though.

I 'm sure there are teams that play with regional / town /county players. But I'm talking about professional top tier / top league sides. I think there is only one and that is Athletic Bilbao. Local players, committment, great local support , its has to be a model clubs should look at

Morf

leon76 wrote: »

Name the only European club team that play with Regional / County players? They have never been relegated. Also the oldest club that play in there specific league

This isn't technically true.

A) The don't just have players from the official Euskera region. The have players like Llorente which are from a wider area with a diminished cultural and political like to the Basques.

The will now play the sons and grandsons of people from the enlarged Basque area.

I've been to the San Mames. I'm very much looking forward to them building their new stadium.

Morf

Oh and don't bother playing with them in Football Manager. The board wont cut you a break despite the meagre financial means and a very limiting transfer policy.

eagle eye

Morf wrote: »

This isn't technically true.

A) The don't just have players from the official Euskera region. The have players like Llorente which are from a wider area with a diminished cultural and political like to the Basques.

The will now play the sons and grandsons of people from the enlarged Basque area.

I've been to the San Mames. I'm very much looking forward to them building their new stadium.

I've been over there too and in the San Mames a couple of times. Its a pity to hear its closing being the oldest stadium in La Liga but the new stadium is going to be superb by all reports. They are using the San Mames for the new on too I believe.

losthorizon

leon76 wrote: »

Name the only European club team that play with Regional / County players? They have never been relegated. Also the oldest club that play in there specific league

Actually Real Sociedad used to only play Basque players as well until they bought John Aldridge. They used to be a yo-yo club though. Chivas of Mexico only play Mexicans (a Google search - although I knew there was a mexican club but not which one).

CSF

leon76 wrote: »

I 'm sure there are teams that play with regional / town /county players. But I'm talking about professional top tier / top league sides.

So hardly a trivia question then...

pickarooney

leon76 wrote: »

Its fantastic that a team like Athletic can survive with so much money been spent by the likes of Sevilla, Valencia, deportivo, Malaga etc. Spirit, commitment and belief in there philosophy is what it takes.... What do you think

I think it's an intrinsically racist philosophy and expect it to be abolished at some stage when someone takes them to task over it.

losthorizon

pickarooney wrote: »

I think it's an intrinsically racist philosophy and expect it to be abolished at some stage when someone takes them to task over it.

when someone takes them to task over it? - OOH you are a naughty team stop it.

Morf

pickarooney wrote: »

I think it's an intrinsically racist philosophy and expect it to be abolished at some stage when someone takes them to task over it.

:rolleyes:

Do you imagine a club team that most strongly represents the Basque culture would take kindly to an outsider player being forced upon them?

They choose who they want to sign and it's their choice only to sign Basque players. I don't quite get how this is an affront to all that is good in football.

flahavaj

In before someone uses the "what if a club excluded black players" analogy.

CSF

flahavaj wrote: »

In before someone uses the "what if a club excluded black players" analogy.

Hahaha, but yeah.

leon76

Morf wrote: »

This isn't technically true.

A) The don't just have players from the official Euskera region. The have players like Llorente which are from a wider area with a diminished cultural and political like to the Basques.

The will now play the sons and grandsons of people from the enlarged Basque area.

I've been to the San Mames. I'm very much looking forward to them building their new stadium.

pickarooney wrote: »

I think it's an intrinsically racist philosophy and expect it to be abolished at some stage when someone takes them to task over it.

Why is it racist?

CSF

leon76 wrote: »

Why is it racist?

Only employing those from a particular background.

Andre80Johnson

flahavaj wrote: »

In before someone uses the "what if a club excluded black players" analogy.

Only well known club I know off is Zenit who have an all white team. I'm open to correction.

CSF

Andre80Johnson wrote: »

Only well known club I know off is Zenit who have an all white team. I'm open to correction.

http://rt.com/files/sport/football/zenit-bruno-alves-porto/bruno-alves.n.jpg
Corrected

eagle eye

pickarooney wrote: »

I think it's an intrinsically racist philosophy and expect it to be abolished at some stage when someone takes them to task over it.

How is it racist? It doesn't matter what religion or colour you are. As long as you played youth football in the Basque you can play for Bilbao.

The Premier League have a rule that 7 homegrown players must form part of the squad of 25 at every club in the league. Is that racist?

tolosenc

flahavaj wrote: »

In before someone uses the "what if a club excluded black players" analogy.

France *cough* *cough* *cough* ...

losthorizon

CSF wrote: »

Only employing those from a particular background.

Then arent international teams? Athletic Bilbao would see themselves as the repesentatives of a Basque nation which does not have representation.

Pinturicchio

CSF wrote: »

Have now remembered Gary Sheehan myself from Limerick. Mervue and Salthill Devon wouldn't be very likely to have players from outside Galway though.

Salthill have players from outside of Ireland, never mind Galway. Obviously, they're not in Galway just to play for Salthill but they wouldn't qualify if Devon had a Bilbao style policy.

Morf wrote: »

Oh and don't bother playing with them in Football Manager. The board wont cut you a break despite the meagre financial means and a very limiting transfer policy.

I've tried it. It's a good challenge.

pickarooney

eagle eye wrote: »

How is it racist? It doesn't matter what religion or colour you are. As long as you played youth football in the Basque you can play for Bilbao.

If that's the case, then it's not. I was running with the general assumption that they are a company who only employ ethnic Basques.

wikipedia wrote:

Athletic official policy is signing professional players native to the greater Basque Country, including Biscay, Guipúzcoa, Álava and Navarre (in Spain); and Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre (in France). Still, in recent times, this policy has been somewhat relaxed and players with direct Basque ancestry or with no Basque ancestry but formed in Basque clubs have played for the team.

Dolph Starbeam

Amazing club, the fact that they are 1 of 3 clubs in Spain never to be relegated along with Real Madrid and Barca with the cantera policy is amazing. How they still managed to finish 6th in La Liga this season is another great achievement. The fans of the club say they would rather be relegated rather than break the cantera policy at the club.

Thankfully talk of Madrid wanting to sign Llorente has gone away, if we can hold onto him, Javi Martinez and Muniain this summer i reckon we can give the Europa League a good go next season.

There is a Superthread. I haven't updated in a long time though. I must do that soon. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056031455

CSF

Mark! wrote: »

Amazing club, the fact that they are 1 of 3 clubs in Spain never to be relegated along with Real Madrid and Barca with the cantera policy is amazing. How they still managed to finish 6th in La Liga this season is another great achievement. The fans of the club say they would rather be relegated rather than break the cantera policy at the club.

Thankfully talk of Madrid wanting to sign Llorente has gone away, if we can hold onto him, Javi Martinez and Muniain this summer i reckon we can give the Europa League a good go next season.

There is a Superthread. I haven't updated in a long time though. I must do that soon. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056031455

We? What? You're not serious?

Dolph Starbeam

CSF wrote: »

We? What? You're not serious?

Why not? Is being a supporter of a Spanish team really any crazier than someone from Ireland saying "we" talking about an English team.

CSF

Mark! wrote: »

Why not? Is being a supporter of a Spanish team really any crazier than someone from Ireland saying "we" talking about an English team.

Being a supporter of Bilbao is about a million times crazier.

Dolph Starbeam

CSF wrote: »

Being a supporter of Bilbao is about a million times crazier.

Ah right maybe to some people. I wouldn't normally say we and haven't been a "supporter" for long or wouldn't even normally claim to be a supporter but I don't see the big deal. I am friends with people who are and have been all there lives Barca fans and AC Milan fans who are from Ireland.

CSF

Mark! wrote: »

Ah right maybe to some people. I wouldn't normally say we and haven't been a "supporter" for long or wouldn't even normally claim to be a supporter but I don't see the big deal. I am friends with people who are and have been all there lives Barca fans and AC Milan fans who are from Ireland.

Because Bilbao are probably the most exclusive club in the world.

Pro. F

I just had a google there out of interest and it turns out that they have fielded a non-white player before. Linky

That doesn't actually prove that they're not racist, but at least it backs up the claim that it is about regionality and not race.

losthorizon

CSF wrote: »

Being a supporter of Bilbao is about a million times crazier.

Its actually 0.24876543987645 crazier. You forgot di grassis slide rule of supporting foreign teams from a Barstool theorem. Vectorisation also comes into it of course.