Who are the biggest club on the South Coast? (and where do we sit....)

[El Presidente]

The brightest kid at Special school.

Bit harsh. Given our resources and constraints over the last ten years I would say we have punched above our weight in the last ten years. Doesn't make us a 'big' club though.

 

[Working class pride]

If you said you believed in the tooth fairy and Father Christmas that would be your opinion too, and I would equally say you are deluded.

If you want to believe that the Albion are a bigger club than Southampton on the basis of four seasons in the top flight (they have had 22) and one FA Cup final appearance (they have had two, and won one), feel free to do so. Of those four seasons in the top division, Southampton had higher average attendances in three of them.

Picking on occasional seasons when we had better crowds is disingenuous and comes across as very two bob.

England beat Spain on Saturday night, it doesn't make them World Champions.

You are very bold and confident of your own viewpoint, but interestingly if you go onto the Saintsweb forum, a Saints fan quotes my posts and agrees with them. Your reply also fails to note that Brighton have (prior to the 1990s asset stripping) had not only larger crowds but also very similar crowds when playing in a lower division, this I am sure you will agree, is a bit odd given that you are convinced that the Saints are the giant of the south coast. My view is that Brighton, Palace, Pompey and Saints are all about the same in terms of support but they are all a long way behind the next step up, which is a west ham. Brighton however, with the half a million conurbation and population of Sussex, perhaps have a greater chance of making that next step.

 

[El Presidente]

You are very bold and confident of your own viewpoint, but interestingly if you go onto the Saintsweb forum, a Saints fan quotes my posts and agrees with them. Your reply also fails to note that Brighton have (prior to the 1990s asset stripping) had not only larger crowds but also very similar crowds when playing in a lower division, this I am sure you will agree, is a bit odd given that you are convinced that the Saints are the giant of the south coast. My view is that Brighton, Palace, Pompey and Saints are all about the same in terms of support but they are all a long way behind the next step up, which is a west ham. Brighton however, with the half a million conurbation and population of Sussex, perhaps have a greater chance of making that next step.

1. when was the last time the Albion were in a higher division?
2. when was the last time the Albion had higher attendances than Southampton? I reckon it was in 1979/80, 32 seasons ago.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Bit harsh. Given our resources and constraints over the last ten years I would say we have punched above our weight in the last ten years. Doesn't make us a 'big' club though.

A bit harsh, yes. Last year we were genuinely a good side.

My point was merely that all things are relative, and winning a L2 title doesn't mean you are 'good', just better than the rest.

 

[Working class pride]

1. when was the last time the Albion were in a higher division?
2. when was the last time the Albion had higher attendances than Southampton? I reckon it was in 1979/80, 32 seasons ago.

1. Not sure, if ever, and Wigan have also spent more years in the top flight than us.
2. Late 70s, despite being in a lower division. It is very odd for a club playing in higher divisions to play to smaller and similar crowds to a club in a lower league.
Brighton, pal;ace, pompey and saints are all much of a muchness, with Brighton the greatest potential because of population.

 

[Working class pride]

A bit harsh, yes. Last year we were genuinely a good side.

My point was merely that all things are relative, and winning a L2 title doesn't mean you are 'good', just better than the rest.

Agreed-Winning the fourth tier of English football is not glory! The only glory Brighton have ever had is the 1910 Charity Shield and a losing cup final. Big crowds for such an unsuccessful team however.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

1. Not sure, if ever, and Wigan have also spent more years in the top flight than us.
2. Late 70s, despite being in a lower division. It is very odd for a club playing in higher divisions to play to smaller and similar crowds to a club in a lower league.
Brighton, pal;ace, pompey and saints are all much of a muchness, with Brighton the greatest potential because of population.

How do you figure that out about potential? Brighton & Hove has roughly the same population as Southampton and Portsmouth respectively.

 

[andy1980]

If Brighton the football club tunes into Brighton the City then our potential rockets. With both tourism and student (university and foreign) as our two main economies, it means that people come into the city both short and medium term. We make them feel welcome then there is no reason why we couldn't feel s 30,000 seater stadium, also it helps to spread the repetation of our club, therefore making us a bigger club.

 

[Questions]

How do you figure that out about potential? Brighton & Hove has roughly the same population as Southampton and Portsmouth respectively.

Take Glasgow and Belfast out and we`re 10th biggest.

List of urban areas in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bournemouth ?

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Can't be bothered to read all this nonsense. Has it been pointed out that The Dell had a quite restricted capacity (without checking, c. 30K down to c. 17K ...) so a lot of the crowd comparison stuff is fundamentally flawed.

As the only proper club in a well populated, and economically advantaged, county then we obviously have "potential" to be "bigger" than we are currently - given the advent of Tony Bloom, it might well happen now in the next 10 years or so - let's hope so.