Jump to content
IGNORED

Football Thread 2011/2012

SMD

By SMD
in Sport

 Share

Recommended Posts

Plissken

Plissken

Posted
Posted

I think it does for some people though. Some people would still class Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday as "big clubs", partly due to history and partly due to the support/stadium size. I think Leeds were still getting bigger crowds than most teams in the Championship and some in the prem when they were in League 1. To some people being a big club refers more to image than how successful they are. I know people that said Blackburn werent a big club compared to Newcastle, this was when Blackburn had just won the title as well, and I think Newcastle may have been in the second tier of football at that point.

This kind of hits my point - the idea of "a Big Club" actually is completely ignorant of reality.

Of course this is up to a point. I have a theory that a Big Club will keep dropping through the decisions until all involved (fans, managers and directors) stop thinking they are a Big Club. Also, having a Proud History can also be a millstone. If you are a Big Club with a Proud History, you can be in real trouble. Once they do that, then the path to recovery can begin. Burnley were clinging onto the idea of being a Big Club with a Proud History on the day they were faced with going out of the League. A year later, they were playing in the Sherpa Van Final against another ex-Big Club with a Proud History in the lower tiers, Wolves. Man City were a Big Club even when they were playing away at Gillingham and Walsall and losing home and away to Stockport. I think it took Leeds three seasons to get out of a Division Two that they "were too big for".

See also "too big to go down." Because Big Clubs clearly should also be exempt from relegation, especially Big Clubs with a Proud History.

5
Link to comment
Share on other sites
redbloodcell

redbloodcell

Posted
Posted

Dunno if having big stadia or attendances makes you a big club, just look at Juventus, downsized to a sub 30K stadium so they can fill it.

Juve's new stadium is 40k, (I expect you're mixing it up with the Olimpico, their temporary home which is around 27k) and they made it that size so they'd fill it every match rather than just on big ones to maintain the atmosphere, which was the massive criticism of the Delle Apli.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesTW

JamesTW

Posted
Posted

This picture has been doing the rounds amongst Gooners all afternoon on Twitter and on here in the Arse thread. Thought Man Utd and Barca fans might like to see the horror as well:

AlsN0umCAAEIZZo.jpg

Are the socks on the wrong kits? I would of thought Arsenal have red socks and Man Utd black

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rev

Rev

Posted
Posted

The Barce shirt is better than the current one and it might look better in real-life. The shorts really ought to have had the same fading effect though, the solid stripe makes it look like they don't belong.

The Man Utd kit is a rubbish Man Utd kit.

The Arsenal kit is an even worse Man Utd kit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daley

Daley

Posted
Posted

The Arsenal kit is an even worse Man Utd kit.

Yea apart from the shade of red, the Arsenal kit basically looks like a Man Utd kit, and a not very interesting one at that.

Why do people buy this tat? (Don't answer that. People would buy club official turds if they sold them)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rev. Stuart Campbell

Rev. Stuart Campbell

Posted
Posted

This kind of hits my point - the idea of "a Big Club" actually is completely ignorant of reality.

Indeed. And Rangers actually only have lots of fans when they're winning. Back around the turn of the 80s when they were shit, attendances at Ibrox regularly dropped below 10,000 and at one point the "loyal" support hit a hilarious 2,000 (league game vs Partick Thistle, 1979).

(Rangers' official crowd figures were notoriously exaggerated back then. Most observers at said game thought even the 2000 was wildly overestimated, with most putting the real figure at 1200-1500.)

Scottish football will get by just fine without them.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
milko

milko

Posted
Posted

The "manu training" caption is for the picture hidden behind the Arsenal kit, innit. With the black shorts.

Anyway, it's highly unlikely to be real, they don't usually leak this early but lots of hilarious fakes often start doing the rounds.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fry Crayola

Fry Crayola

Posted
Posted

Nah, any European Superleague place would be a dream even for Celtic and Rangers.

I'm not so sure. On ability, fair enough, but any superleague is going to be based largely on pulling power, and Celtic and Rangers can attract huge numbers. They might not be in first round of selections, but they'd get there ahead of most current Premier League sides.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Calashnikov

Calashnikov

Posted
Posted

Sheer fantasy. This guy's theory is based on Aberdeen ever having another decent European run :lol: Did you not see the absolute nick of the Scottish teams' attempts at European qualification at the start of this season? The standard isn't what it was even three or four years ago when the sheep shaggers made the last 32 of the Europa League / UEFA Cup. The standard is slipping year on year.

Without the guaranteed gates of visiting Rangers fans, or the guaranteed income of decent TV money, the other SPL clubs are going to have to downsize like fuck. That's the reality. They're not going to be able to afford the same wages or be able to afford the same standard of youth development. The standard will continue to slip ever further. Sure, the league will still be "contested" and matches will still be played, but it will be sub Northern Irish league level.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rev. Stuart Campbell

Rev. Stuart Campbell

Posted
Posted

Sheer fantasy. This guy's theory is based on Aberdeen ever having another decent European run :lol: Did you not see the absolute nick of the Scottish teams' attempts at European qualification at the start of this season? The standard isn't what it was even three or four years ago when the sheep shaggers made the last 32 of the Europa League / UEFA Cup. The standard is slipping year on year.

Without the guaranteed gates of visiting Rangers fans, or the guaranteed income of decent TV money, the other SPL clubs are going to have to downsize like fuck. That's the reality. They're not going to be able to afford the same wages or be able to afford the same standard of youth development. The standard will continue to slip ever further. Sure, the league will still be "contested" and matches will still be played, but it will be sub Northern Irish league level.

You didn't actually read the piece, then? All it takes to outstrip the revenue that would be lost from home games against Rangers is to go one extra round in the cup and finish one place further up the league. A modest European run like Aberdeen's in 2007/08 would make the club as much money as around 20 seasons'-worth of home games against Rangers.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sirloin

Sirloin

Posted
Posted

That's for whichever club replaces them in Europe though, not for all the other teams in the league. Dunfermline for instance are owed 80 grand from gate receipts against Rangers last match against them, twice a season and that's 160K, which pays for like 3 players at that level.

I guess the only way it wouldn't have an effect would be if all the Rangers fans went and supported someone else, but I don't think that's likely. The TV money would also drop due to all the Rangers fans not watching them on TV any more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fry Crayola

Fry Crayola

Posted
Posted

The TV money would definitely drop as the SPL simply wouldn't be able to command the same fee when they lose one of their two real barganing chips. Talk of going sub-NI level though is scaremongering - nothing's this shit.

Although it'll brighten up with Newry beat Ballymena in the cup. :P

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sirloin

Sirloin

Posted
Posted

No, a possible European run is totally separate. A simple extra round or two in the League Cup or the prize money from an extra league place is more than enough.

Also, no club is of course guaranteed two home games against Rangers in a season.

Well the seedings in the SPL are designed so each team should play every other one twice home and away including the split, so the smaller clubs are probably guaranteed that due to the likelihood of getting them before the split.

And the extra round thing isn't a zero sum thing, not all of them would get the extra round, again it would be a single club not getting knocked out by them in any given round.

Them being removed probably wouldn't hurt clubs like Hearts/Motherwell at the mo who would benefit from challenging a bit more and getting into Europe, but it would hit the smaller clubs in the SPL more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rev. Stuart Campbell

Rev. Stuart Campbell

Posted
Posted

Well the seedings in the SPL are designed so each team should play every other one twice home and away including the split, so the smaller clubs are probably guaranteed that due to the likelihood of getting them before the split.

It's absolutely not guaranteed - Aberdeen only got one home game against Celtic last season, for example.

Them being removed probably wouldn't hurt clubs like Hearts/Motherwell at the mo who would benefit from challenging a bit more and getting into Europe, but it would hit the smaller clubs in the SPL more.

As the piece notes, merely the CHANCE of doing better brings significant crowd increases, and to EVERY game, not just three or four a season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rsdio

Rsdio

Posted
Posted

God I hate Twitter. What in fuck's name do Wayne Rooney or Jack Wilshere know about Huddersfield Town to make a judgement on Lee Clark's sacking? Been down and sat in the Kilner Bank recently lads?

Probably just listened in to those shit-stirrers on TalkSport and parroted back what they took to be the gist.

3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Use of this website is subject to our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Guidelines.

  I accept