Our catchment area and the potential

[Medwayseagull]

Over the many years I have supported the Albion much has been made of the potential support we could have because of our catchment area. In todays circumstances of the new stadium, when expanded, and the ambition of premiership football is this the once in a lifetime opportunity to maximise that potential. I can think of very few clubs who have such a large geographical and populated area to exploit without serious competition from other league clubs - not with standing Crawleys elevation to the Football League Add to this the Clubs marketing of the club to youngsters in the araea and for the first time I can actually envisage a long sustainable period in the top flight.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

The whole of Sussex is our realm. We are Sussex but in particular Brighton and Hove.massive potential , so a 40,000 stadium holds no worries.

We are potentially massive.

TNBA

TTF

 

[sir albion]

Yep and south kent and south surrey are within our radar's,shame we'll never have a stadium big enough to really show what potential we have,but 31k is brilliant regardless

 

[burrish-gull]

Hastings has great Albion support, the A21 club has been going for years. Here in Burwash and Heathfield (near the Kent/Sussex border) the support extends right up into Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, we alone have 150 plus members in our supporters club and its growing every week. The potential of Brighton is massive, everyone knows it, in fact "fans" of other clubs are getting really pissed off with our rise, its really put a lot of noses out of joint, but I'm loving it

Hate to say it but Crawley has big potential for that same reason. If they continue their success and upgrade their stadium they could be the club of north Sussex.

Does the Albion appeal to fans from Horsham, Redhill, East Grinstead? I think this is more Crawleys territory.

We can definitely dominate the south east of the county though, all the way up to Eastbourne. God only knows who Hastings residents support.

Going west along the coast, I think we can only go as far as Worthing. Having worked in Littlehampton it is very much a Portsmouth supporter town!

 

[Working class pride]

Most ignored fact is that the Brighton conurbation is the 10th largests urban area in the country with over half a million people between Brighton to Worthing.

Also Wigan is the same size as Hastings alone. With the Cinque Ports towns from Hastings/Rye all the way to Littlehampton (very solid Brighton fans from there!), plus the Mid Sussex, / north Sussex towns all the way to Crawley, it is and always has been a vastly well supported club, hence the Albion would get 30000 for Darlington at home in the third division.

Catchment area also goes into Kent. To many of us, it is no surprise at all, its only a surprise to those with short memories or the short sighted.

 

[nevergoagain]

Hate to say it but Crawley has big potential for that same reason. If they continue their success and upgrade their stadium they could be the club of north Sussex.

Does the Albion appeal to fans from Horsham, Redhill, East Grinstead? I think this is more Crawleys territory.

We can definitely dominate the south east of the county though, all the way up to Eastbourne. God only knows who Hastings residents support.

Going west along the coast, I think we can only go as far as Worthing. Having worked in Littlehampton it is very much a Portsmouth supporter town!

Horsham is very much an Albion town. TBH I'm not concerned with Crawley taking our support, I think they will take far more Palace than ours and convert a few premier fans, so not a problem. I also thought Littlehampton was very much a Brighton area, Pompey I always assume takes over at Chichester but that can change if things continue as they are.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

North - Redhill, East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells
East - Hastings
West - Horsham and Littlehampton

What i think the boundaries are, although Crawley are obviously taking up the Crawley area.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

From today's Independent:

According to the office for national statistics, the Brighton urban area is the 10th most populous in England, ahead of Stoke, Sunderland or Swansea. The same source shows that Crawley is bigger than Wigan or Blackburn, although its origins as a London overspill town means that the club is competing with established allegiances in the capital.


Full article:

Underdogs show the only way is Sussex - FA League Cups - Football - The Independent

 

[Notters]

The whole of Sussex is our realm. We are Sussex but in particular Brighton and Hove.massive potential , so a 40,000 stadium holds no worries.

We are potentially massive.

TNBA

TTF

Where are we going to build that, then?

 

[AMEXican Wave]

Hastings has great Albion support, the A21 club has been going for years. Here in Burwash and Heathfield (near the Kent/Sussex border) the support extends right up into Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, we alone have 150 plus members in our supporters club and its growing every week. The potential of Brighton is massive, everyone knows it, in fact "fans" of other clubs are getting really pissed off with our rise, its really put a lot of noses out of joint, but I'm loving it

Loving it too. Circumstances beyond our control have made us a small club for too long - and people have got used to this over the last 15 years. Now we are back it is creating a lot of bewilderment and jealousy.

Yes, loving it.

And with Portsmouth in seemingly terminal decline there is a lot of potential to win back support from the west.

It's a shame that ( according to current wisdom ) the maximum capacity of the AMEX is 31K - in a few years there'll be waiting lists at even that level.

 

[Working class pride]

Where are we going to build that, then?

Falmer mate. There is already a 30,000 in the offing. I expect they will put a proper end for the North and south stand to expand it..one day but not for 5 or so years after the train line has been upgraded and transport issues are running in a practiced smooth way with frequent shuttles by both train and buss to and from the ground.

 

[Barnham Seagull]

Plenty of Brighton in Littlehampton, Yapton and Barnham. Turns to Pompey in Bognor and Chichester although there are plenty of Brighton there to.

With our current sucess and buzz there is no reason why we cant convert more to the albion in those areas.

 

[Buzzer]

Hate to say it but Crawley has big potential for that same reason. If they continue their success and upgrade their stadium they could be the club of north Sussex.

Does the Albion appeal to fans from Horsham, Redhill, East Grinstead? I think this is more Crawleys territory.

We can definitely dominate the south east of the county though, all the way up to Eastbourne. God only knows who Hastings residents support.

Going west along the coast, I think we can only go as far as Worthing. Having worked in Littlehampton it is very much a Portsmouth supporter town!

Absolute tosh, I'm afraid. Horsham is most definitely Albion country. Crawley is a bit of an anomaly and although there is Albion support there it tends to be Palace and Chelsea. Crawley won't last when the funny money runs out. They are unsustainable with their crowds. What's the point in upgrading their stadium when they can't get the crowds to fill them. Look at Darlington FC as the blueprint for this.

And LA is definitely Albion border territory but Albion nonetheless. I'm not sure you realise just how deep-rooted Albion support is in Sussex. "God only knows who Hastings residents support"? Dear oh dear oh dear.

 

[Hastings woody]

There's Brighton there,there's Brighton there,

 

[philsussex]

God only knows who Hastings residents support.

There's a big Albion following in Hastings and stretching further east to Rye

 

[Napper]

Having worked in Littlehampton it is very much a Portsmouth supporter town!

Absolute total nonsense. Littlehampton is a strong hold BHA town. BHA always have and always will own this

 

[GingerBeerMan]

It has great potential. The only club I can really think of with the same kind of potential is Norwich. Most other big cities have two clubs or the smaller cities have clubs very close by.

 

[perseus]

I looked into the catchment area of the underachieving clubs: Cardiff, Leeds, Southamptom are all ahead of Brighton, but not by that much. Bournemouth has a largish catchment area but less than the Sussex coast. Reading has potential. Tradition goes a long way as it takes time and lots of big matches like Liverpool to raise the profile. Norwich seems to have support greater than expected, but God knows how many small towns there are in their area.

I think we will see the smaller Lancashire clubs falling out of the Premier League this season and the next few until there is only about seven left.

 

[LA1972]

Having worked in Littlehampton it is very much a Portsmouth supporter town!

Having lived in Littlehampton for 40 years I can tell you its 99% Brighton 1% Pompey if they're lucky

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Big enough Albion following in East Grinstead too