While the demotion of Manchester City and Manchester United from the UEFA Champions League to the second-tier Europa League has been very well documented, the Premier League leaders have company when it comes to failure in Europe this season.

The London pairing of Fulham and Tottenham did not even make the final 32 of Europa League and with Championship outfit Birmingham out of contention as well, Stoke is the only other side representing England in the competition.

The last of the newly promoted sides visits Anfield tomorrow, as Neil Warnock's twelfth-placed QPR side look to continue the success experienced by Norwich and Swansea. It's been an up and down campaign so far, but with more than a few promising displays, they'll hope to match their fellow newcomers.

Women's soccer in America has encountered another setback. The top-tier female league in the United States, Women's Professional Soccer, is facing a loss of sanctioning by the U.S. Soccer Federation as a Division I league. Entering its fourth season, WPS "terminated" its Florida franchise, magicJack, bringing the number of teams down from six to five in early November.

Yes boss, I can run more now

Premier League returns again. West Brom are the opponents for today and it will be the last one before yet another international break. The last break was something that we looked forward too, having only just lost in the local derby. This time however, the break couldn't come at a more inopportune time.

We'd like to tell you a brief story.
After two relegations in a row Stockport County appointed former German international Didi Hamann as manager three months ago.
And it is already looking as though a third demotion from the Conference National is on the cards as County are level on points with Lincoln City who occupy the fourth relegation slot currently.

Gallagher: Demotion in refereeing is a bad idea

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-10-11 17:47:04 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Atkinson off the hook over Rodwell's red

No demotion from Premier League duty for controversy ref

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-10-10 18:06:08 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

THFC1882′s Stuart Watts presents another guest appearance by Ciaran Griggs, previewing tomorrows match:

Spurs vs Liverpool. Premier League. White Hart Lane. Kick off: 1.30pm Sunday 18th September 2011.

Following on from their Thursday night exertions in Greece, Spurs return to Premier League action with a potentially difficult home match against a new look Liverpool side.

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's worst match on record this season is their 4-2 loss during the Portland Timbers' home opener on April 14.
It marked goalkeeper Sean Johnson's worst performance and a demotion behind Jon Conway. The Fire trailed by a season-high three goals at one stage.

In another clear case of the backward thinking that's plagued their squad's recent form, the Revolution front office has allowed a pair of proven players Marko Perovic and Ilija Stolica to leave Foxborough all the while the team stumbles through one of its worst seasons ever.

The reasons given by Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns were two-fold: clearing cap space and granting a player's request to return home.

Glittering past successes for the Diamonds

Yesterday Rushden and Diamonds FC were officially expelled from the Conference, marking probably the darkest day in the very short history of many fans second favourite team (if not just for their unique name). Struggling with debts of nearly a million pounds, and having been docked five points last month for unpaid tax payments, the club now face a winding-up hearing on Monday, whilst also now having to plan for a very uncertain future, having admitted they could not guarantee being able to fulfil next season's fixtures.

He shoots! He scores! He sits?!?

How do you reward a player when his excellent performance includes a sensational back heel assist followed by two goals of his own?

You bench him. It's the Union way.

Following the 6-2 trouncing of Toronto FC in their own building, it seemed safe to assume that only one change might be made to the starting XI that had shown so brightly for the U.

Bidding adieu to the Blues
Watching Birmingham City's demotion to the less vaunted throes of the Coca Cola Championship last Sunday was one of those rare karmic events in modern football. Let's be clear for a moment. Birmingham are, and have for some time been a championship outfit.

Success in the Carling Cup final earlier in the season was hardly fitting reward for a side who display such prosaic and uninspiring tactics that only a depressed sadist could truly justify supporting them.

Naturally, there is no firm set of initiatives every club could implement to ensure it consolidates in the top flight after winning promotion from the Championship. Were there such an identifiable formula, it would likely have already been posted for review similarly to Manchester City's "Bluffer's Guide" which seems to outline how a gloryhunting fan can jump onto the blue bandwagon properly, after purchasing a new Carlos Tevez home shirt from the online shop of course.

Photo by Ben Keller/D.C. United

By AVI CREDITOR

WASHINGTON - After every demotion to the FC Sochaux reserves, Charlie Davies' patience was wearing thinner and thinner.

Despite regaining health in a relatively miraculous period of time considering the severity of his injuries, Davies' light at the end of Sochaux's tunnel wasn't getting any brighter.

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This week's Non-league videos have a running theme in that they all feature clubs that are owned by their supporters, and clubs that we are featuring this evening not necessarily those that get the most attention in the press.