[lfc-news] We'll play Liverpool for our place in the Champions League - Echo

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Liverpool Echo, 12 May 2005
We'll play Liverpool for our place in the Champions League
By Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo

A TINY village football club may hold the key to Liverpool FC's
participation in next season's Champions League.

Welsh champions Total Network Solutions FC say they will consider taking
on the Reds in a winner-takes-all summer clash.

The prize awaiting the winner of this classic David and Goliath contest?
TNS's hard-won place in the first qualifying round of the premier
European club tournament.

The match would only take place in the event of Liverpool winning this
year's Champions League final, but being unable to defend their title
because no place is automatically available for the winners.

TNS play in front of an average of 258 fans in the village of
Llansantffraid - population 1,000 - near Oswestry in Shropshire, and
have sealed their place after running away with the Welsh title.

But they face the prospect of a costly trip to eastern Europe for tough
ties against the champion from a country such as Moldova, Estonia or
Azerbaijan.

A one-off match against Liverpool, in front of tens of thousands of fans
in a neutral venue like the Millennium stadium and an even bigger TV
audience, would mean the biggest payday in TNS's modest history.

Mike Harris, managing director of TNS, said his club would consider the
play-off if it did not devalue the competition or the Welsh league.

He said: "If it was done properly, I think I would be in favour of it.
It would have to be in the form of one 90-minute match, decided by
penalties if it was a draw.

"We would get the benefit of the gate, and should we be unfortunate
enough not to get through, we would want a percentage of Liverpool's
income from the competition.

"We would want it covered by a national television station, and from a
personal point of view, it would be nice to stage it at the Millennium
stadium."

The FA has decided to nominate fourth-placed Everton over Liverpool for
next season's Champions League, even if the Reds beat AC Milan in the
final later this month.

A club spokesman said: "We aren't making any comment on this issue until
after the final."

William Gaillard, director of communications at Uefa said: "It would be
very attractive to the smaller club financially, but that isn't the way
European football is played. We wouldn't want to set a precedent and
it's not part of our rules."

Liverpool FC

Honours - 18 league titles, six FA Cups, seven League Cups
Record attendance - 61,905 against Wolves, FA Cup 1951-52
Record transfer fee - £14m for Djibril Cisse
European Cup record - four times winners

TNS FC

Honours - one Welsh league title, one Welsh Cup, one League of Wales Cup
Record attendance - 1,996 at the Recreation Ground against Chelsea,
pre-season friendly
Record transfer fee - N/A
Champions League record - lost 6-2 on aggregate to FC Levadia Maardu of
Estonia, first round, 2000

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