That England game on Wednesday...

[dansilk]

... is more important than you might realise.

 

It's an Unofficial World Championship title match.

The Netherlands are current title holders, so if England win we are once more Unofficial World Champions.

 

Quote:

This is how it works: the Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC) pitches real international teams into a continuous series of boxing-style title matches. Winners of UFWC title matches become title-holders, and move up the rankings table. ... UFWC lineage goes right back to the very first international football match in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow. As Scotland and England were the only international teams in existence, the winner of this initial match could safely claim to be the best side in the world

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

I've been banging on about this for years.... would be very interesting (and a lot of work) to see who comes out the top club side using the same format!

[The Great Eckscape]

 

Understatement of the century I reckon!!

[dansilk]

Probably Barcelona, since they've beaten anyone who's beaten anyone else.

 

First, Man U are the current Club world champions which is a pretty worthless title but meant they've beaten the champions in SA as of Dec 2008 and of course won the Champions' League in 2008. OK, they'd obviously lost league games since then but given how few it would probably have come back to them, or to another team in the PL who they since beat, hence that answer still gives Barca.

Only other team who might have it in the PL were Liverpool, who beat them on March 14, but they were beaten by Chelsea who were beaten by Barca, who also beat Man U.

 

But there are other possibilities.

 

But, after beating Quito (and therefore maybe taking the title), Man U's next loss was to Derby (LC 1st leg, 7 Jan 2009). Derby next lost to QPR (just 3 days before being stuffed in the return leg), Jan 17.

QPR next lost to Ipswich, Feb 21.

Ipswich lost to Preston, 28/02.

Preston lost to Forest, 3/03.

Forest lost to Watford, 10/03.

-> Cardiff, 18/03

-> Sheffield U, 22/03

-> Burnley, 20/04

And that was Burnley's last official game.

 

Of course, if you then consider friendlies at club level it gets too weird. In preseason they've lost to Leeds, Bradford & Kilmarnock but even their own website doesn't always give dates. Plus the sides in these games aren't actually representative, so mightn't qualify. So there is a fair chance that the official unofficial club world champions are Burnley.

 

I really would not fancy tracking that one all the way back through history...

[Woody SUFC]

Dont mention B**nley!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

Originally Posted By: dansilk

Probably Barcelona, since they've beaten anyone who's beaten anyone else.

First, Man U are the current Club world champions which is a pretty worthless title but meant they've beaten the champions in SA as of Dec 2008 and of course won the Champions' League in 2008. OK, they'd obviously lost league games since then but given how few it would probably have come back to them, or to another team in the PL who they since beat, hence that answer still gives Barca.
Only other team who might have it in the PL were Liverpool, who beat them on March 14, but they were beaten by Chelsea who were beaten by Barca, who also beat Man U.

But there are other possibilities.

But, after beating Quito (and therefore maybe taking the title), Man U's next loss was to Derby (LC 1st leg, 7 Jan 2009). Derby next lost to QPR (just 3 days before being stuffed in the return leg), Jan 17.
QPR next lost to Ipswich, Feb 21.
Ipswich lost to Preston, 28/02.
Preston lost to Forest, 3/03.
Forest lost to Watford, 10/03.
-> Cardiff, 18/03
-> Sheffield U, 22/03
-> Burnley, 20/04
And that was Burnley's last official game.

Of course, if you then consider friendlies at club level it gets too weird. In preseason they've lost to Leeds, Bradford & Kilmarnock but even their own website doesn't always give dates. Plus the sides in these games aren't actually representative, so mightn't qualify. So there is a fair chance that the official unofficial club world champions are Burnley.

I really would not fancy tracking that one all the way back through history...

After having a good look at the website, it does say someone has started to work it all out.... one hellova job but can't wait for the result's....

Following your theroy it could become very interesting, with the oldest clubs no longer playing at the top level.

I would have thought that following this theroy Sheffield FC would have been the first world champions..... and so it begins..... of course Liverpool football club were formed a year later, but they went on to become what is now St. Helens Rugby Club, so the possibility is that the current world champions are not even playing the same sport!!!!

[NotTheRealSteveWest]

On second thoughts I now understand that there are some issues with both of the clubs that are claiming to be the oldest (Sheffield & Cambridge) therefore the third oldest (and still playing) club would be Cray Wanderers Football Club who are now an Isthmian club.... makes the mind boggle a bit more doesn't it!