User:League Octopus/Club notability tables (and test)

Introduction

The club notability tables have been prepared as a quick reference aid for those preparing and assessing association football club articles. In particular the Tables can provide assistance to new Wikipedia Editors who may waste valuable time and effort preparing articles for non-notable clubs (that fail WP:GNG and WP:FOOTYN).

The essay is subject to consultation and feedback from WP Editors with amendments being made where there is general consensus. Feedback can be left on the essay's Talk page.

Within any league system there is likely to be a "Grey Area" where it becomes more difficult to determine whether competing clubs are notable. This is the area where Editors and Administrators have the greatest differences of opinion with the result that it is often difficult to obtain a general consensus. This is the area that has given WT:FOOTY and AfD decision-making the greatest difficulties in the recent past. The case is put forward in this essay that the "Grey Area" should be recognised and should be the subject of more rigorous scrutiny.

The essay generally conforms with Wikipedia:WikiProject Football/Notability but covers new ground in defining notable leagues (listed in the Yellow Column) and the Grey Area covering leagues at the next highest level (identified as the Grey Column). These additions could be included in the Club notability section of WP:FOOTYN and revised wording is suggested below.

The Tables below should be read in conjunction with the following simple test.

Club notability test

Shortcut

Five questions

Q1. Has the club played in a national cup (listed in the Blue Column)?

YES – the club can be assumed to be notable / progress to the Final questions.
NO – move on to Question 2.

Q2. Has the club played in a notable league (listed in the Yellow Column)?

YES – the club can be assumed to be notable / progress to the Final questions.
NO – move on to Question 3.

Q3. Has the club played in a league at the next highest level (listed in the Grey Column)?

YES – move on to Question 4.
NO – move on to Question 5.

Q4. Is there substantial identifiable media coverage (excluding match reports) about the club in reliable independent sources?

(Use these tools – sources – news – books – images)
YES – the club might be notable / progress to the Final questions.
NO – move on to Question 5.

Q5. Has the club played in the past in a competition of comparable status to one listed in the Blue or Yellow Columns?

YES – the club might be notable / progress to the Final questions.
NO – move on to the Articles for deletion.

Articles for deletion

Any club that fails the above test is most unlikely to be notable and in the event that an article is prepared it will in due course be placed through Wikipedia's Articles for deletion process (commonly referred to as AfD). In a few instances exceptions could be made (if broader WP:N criteria can be met) but this is most unlikely.

Clubs that successfully navigate Questions 3 to 5 might also be deleted by the AfD process if shortcomings are identified (if WP:GNG cannot be achieved through existing or potential coverage in reliable independent sources).

Any club article that is poorly written and/or is unsourced runs the risk of being taken through the AfD process and deleted for failing to meet WP:GNG.

Final questions

Q6. Does the completed article generally meet the notability standards set down in WP:GNG?

YES – the club is notable.
NO – move on to Question 7.

Q7. Has sufficient time been allowed for the preparation of the article?

YES – move back to Articles for deletion (third paragraph).
NO – allow a reasonable period of time for the preparation of the article (say 4 weeks).

It is essential that Editors meet the notability standards set down in WP:GNG when writing their club article.

Club notability tables

Shortcut

The Tables are divided into 8 sections:

  1. Europe
  2. North America Central America and Caribbean
  3. South America
  4. Africa
  5. Asia
  6. Oceania
  7. Former countries
  8. Miscellaneous

Europe

† Full UEFA member, but not affiliated to FIFA.

North America, Central America and Caribbean

† Full CONCACAF member, but not affiliated to FIFA.

South America

Africa

† Associate member of CAF.

Asia

Oceania

† Associate member of OFC.
~ Niue is in free association with New Zealand and only has a population of 1,400.

Former countries

Miscellaneous

The following are excluded from the assessment:

States with limited recognition: Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, South Ossetia and Transnistria.

Dependencies and Territories: Åland, Ascension Island, Ceuta, Chagos Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Falkland Islands, Marshall Islands, Melilla, Nauru, Norfolk Island, Plazas de soberanía, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Svalbard, Tristan da Cunha and Wallis and Futuna.

Other: Basque Country, Canary Islands, Catalonia, Gozo, Monaco, Vatican City and many more featured in the List of non-national representative teams in men's football.

Explanatory footnotes

Explanatory details are provided below on the respective columns of the Club Notability Tables:

Column 1: Country – with link to the country's league system or football page.

Column 2: Tier – the levels of the league system covered in the Yellow and Blue columns.

Column 3: Notable Divisions / Groups / Conferences – known as the the Yellow column and defines divisions that form the national level of the league structure along with other notable leagues.

Column 4: No. – the number of divisions covered in the Yellow column.

Column 5: Grey Area – known as the the Grey column and defines leagues at the next highest level where some clubs might meet WP:GNG (through existing or potential coverage in reliable independent sources) and others might fail.

Column 6: Total – the total number of divisions covered in the Yellow and Grey columns.

Column 7: National Cup – known as the Blue column and defines the national cup competitions.

Column 8: Pop. – the population of the country taken from Wikipedia's List of countries by population.

Column 9: Sources – key sources to assist in determining WP:GNG:

1. RSSSF – list of champions of the country with links to yearly league competitions.
2. RSSSF – list of cup winners of the country with links to yearly cup competitions.
3. Soccerway – database of league and cup competitions for the country.
4. ABYZ News Links – Newspapers and News Media Guide for the country.
5. Wikipedia's lists of newspapers – list of newspapers provided by country.

Assessment methodology

The following methodology has been followed in preparing the Club Notability Tables.

1. A comprehensive list of leading leagues was prepared on a national basis using a variety of different sources including Wikipedia, RSSSF and Soccerway.

2. A "weeding out" process was then undertaken of those leagues whose member clubs do not participate in the national cup.

3. Careful consideration was then given to marginal leagues to determine whether their constituent clubs can meet WP:GNG through existing or potential coverage in reliable independent sources. If a reasonable number of a league's member clubs were determined as notable then the league provided a prime candidate for the "Grey Area".

4. Following close scrutiny a pattern emerged that many leagues in the Yellow column needed to be moved to the Grey Column with the subsequent displacement of more marginal leagues out of the Table altogether.

5. Reference was made to key decisions made on club notability issues in WT:FOOTY and the AfD decision-making process. Where there appeared to be the lack of clear guidance a new debate was created on WT:FOOTY.

6. Test challenges on club notability issues were made as part of the AfD process which proved invaluable to this work.

7. Finally, every effort has been made to adopt as consistent approach as possible between countries and continents.

Suggested re-wording of WP:FOOTYN

The existing wording in WP:FOOTYN is follows:

All teams that have played in the national cup (or the national level of the league structure in countries where no cup exists) are assumed to meet WP:N criteria. Teams that are not eligible for national cups must be shown to meet broader WP:N criteria.

It is suggested by that this is replaced by the following wording which continues to acknowledge the importance of national cup participation while at the same time giving regard to the standard/level of the league which a team has participated in:

Teams are normally assumed to be notable if they have participated in one or more of the following:

  1. a national cup (listed in the Blue Column of the Club Notability Tables).
  2. a notable league (listed in the Yellow Column of the Club Notability Tables).
  3. a league at the next highest level (listed in the Grey Column of the Club Notability Tables) and can meet WP:GNG through existing or potential coverage in reliable independent sources.
  4. a competition of comparable status to one listed in the Blue or Yellow Columns of the Club Notability Tables.

Teams that fail the above criteria (which are incorporated in the Club Notability Test) are assumed non-notable unless they can be shown to meet broader WP:N criteria.

Notwithstanding conformity with the above criteria, if a completed article does not meet the notability standards set down in WP:GNG the article may be considered for deletion.

These change overcome the current difficulties faced in countries where there is very restricted participation in the national cup. At the same time the introduction of the last paragraph ensures that due regard is always given to WP:GNG.

Changing circumstances

It should always remembered that league systems are dynamic and subject to regular change. Any new developments along with improved media coverage will need to be reflected in the Club Notability Tables. In this respect consultation needs to be ongoing.

Sources

Useful lists include:

Useful links:

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