Awesome turnout lads (and lassies/kids!)

[The Laughing Bluebird]

and history in my view

True, but support doesn't disappear overnight anyway. When Man City dropped through the leagues their support didn't disappear. Truly big clubs will almost always draw big crowds by comparison to the other clubs in their divisions, whatever their circumstances.

 

[London Calling]

Wednesday will stop being a big club when they stop getting big crowds. This season their average is 22,839. That's for mid-table League One football. Their best crowd this season was 28,701. Albion's best-ever average was 25,265 in the top flight. Wednesday are a big club. End of story.

Preston? Not for a very long time. Forest? Still a big club. Derby? Not really. Wolves? Of course they are a big club. Burnley? They haven't been a big club for decades. Portsmouth? Ipswich? Mid-ranking clubs. Huddersfield? Not at all.

You can only judge the size of a club by its support in my opinion.

I RECALL BRIGHTON GETTING AN AVERAGE 24-26,000 IN 75/76/77 WHEN WE WERE IN DIVISION 3, OUR ATTENDANCES DIDN'T IMPROVE AS WE WENT HIGHER.

 

[smudge]

We are f***ing massive!!!!

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

I RECALL BRIGHTON GETTING AN AVERAGE 24-26,000 IN 75/76/77 WHEN WE WERE IN DIVISION 3, OUR ATTENDANCES DIDN'T IMPROVE AS WE WENT HIGHER.

I'm not sure what your point is here. And I'm not sure why you are angry and shouting either. Perhaps it's because I made a mistake and Albion's best-ever average was actually in the old Division Two instead of the top flight?

Anyway, Albion didn't get an average of 24 to 26,000 in Division Three in the mid-Seventies. Here's a list of your average crowds from the 'glory years':

74/75 (Div 3): 11,751
75/76 (Div 3): 15,343
76/77 (Div 3): 20,197
77/78 (Div 2): 25,265
78/79 (Div 2): 22,145
79/80 (Div 1): 24,745
80/81 (Div 1): 18,984
81/82 (Div 1): 18,244
82/83 (Div 1): 14,662
83/84 (Div 2): 12,275

 

[Brovion]

....Anyway, Albion didn't get an average of 24 to 26,000 in Division Three in the mid-Seventies. Here's a list of your average crowds from the 'glory years':

74/75 (Div 3): 11,751
75/76 (Div 3): 15,343
76/77 (Div 3): 20,197
77/78 (Div 2): 25,265
78/79 (Div 2): 22,145
79/80 (Div 1): 24,745
80/81 (Div 1): 18,984
81/82 (Div 1): 18,244
82/83 (Div 1): 14,662
83/84 (Div 2): 12,275

Go on, print Cardiff's averages for the same period!

Just goes to prove that Falmer with a 23,000 capacity is going to be about right. On the odd occasion when demand will outstrip supply no doubt NSC will be full of posts moaning about 'Glory hunters who never went to Withdean'.

 

[trueblue]

Our debts are now £9m and are significantly less than at least 4 other teams in this league and on a par with the majority of teams, there is no risk of us being dragged under (none more so than anyone else).

Ok. Good point. Well made. You are still, however, mediocre and living on past success. Two out of three wasn't bad.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Go on, print Cardiff's averages for the same period!

No need. I make no claims about Cardiff being a big club. Never have and never will. And I don't pretend the like of Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday are small clubs either!

 

[El Presidente]

Anyone who thinks we are a big club is talking out of their arse.

In 1980/81, at our last away game of the season, and with the Albion needing a win at Sunderland to avoid relegation to Div 2, there were about 150 of us there.

We are a small provincial club with currently good away support. End of.

 

[trueblue]

By the way, it's good to see the old 'big club' debate got everyone going as usual. I fully understand all of your points.

However, mine is this and I might as well repeat it as you all ignored it. When a club whose team cost next to nothing goes and gets their second excellent result of the season against a so-called 'big club', then they are perfectly entitled to take the piss. Or are the 'big clubs' - who have had every possible financial advantage over the past couple of decades and steered most of the major decisions about the game to their benefit - also now decreeing that the 'small' clubs should be polite and respectful at all times?

Frankly, the only disappointment for me yesterday was that the whole stand didn't belt out 'Not a BIg Club Any More' for the whole of stoppage time.

If a 'small' club was to do the same to us (Palace, say ), then I'd expect the same gloating. from them!

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yes i agree - but be honest about it Leeds are by fair a bigger club than Brighton.
my top ten clubs would be:
In no order

Liverpool
Man Utd
Chelsea
Leeds
Newcastle
Spurs
Man City
Arsenal
Everton
Forest/Sheff wed

 

[sams dad]

We are a small provincial club with currently good away support. End of.

Well said,EP

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Frankly, the only disappointment for me yesterday was that the whole stand didn't belt out 'Not a BIg Club Any More' for the whole of stoppage time.

It's crap song though, isn't it? Unoriginal, inaccurate and it has too many words for its tune. You should've tried the version we sang to Leeds at Elland Road instead:

"You're not FAMOUS anymore!"

That's much more like it.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Anyone who thinks we are a big club is talking out of their arse.

In 1980/81, at our last away game of the season, and with the Albion needing a win at Sunderland to avoid relegation to Div 2, there were about 150 of us there.

We are a small provincial club with currently good away support. End of.

but dire home fans

 

[dougdeep]

It's crap song though, isn't it? Unoriginal, inaccurate and it has too many words for its tune. You should've tried the version we sang to Leeds at Elland Road instead:

"You're not FAMOUS anymore!"

That's much more like it.

Don't they both have 7 syllables?

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Don't they both have 7 syllables?

'You're not a big club anymore.'

'You're not famous anymore.'

No.

 

[trueblue]

It's crap song though, isn't it? Unoriginal, inaccurate and it has too many words for its tune. You should've tried the version we sang to Leeds at Elland Road instead:

"You're not FAMOUS anymore!"

That's much more like it.

But they are 'famous'.

Shall we just call it quits at this point?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Our debts are now £9m and are significantly less than at least 4 other teams in this league and on a par with the majority of teams, there is no risk of us being dragged under (none more so than anyone else).

but you no longer own anything

 

[Hungry Joe]

What is it with football supporters and size eh?

 

[Starry]

but you no longer own anything

No, but we're not going into admin and to the wall. And I'd rather own nothing and still have the club to follow; than own it all go into admin and watch it all be sold off.

 

[London Calling]

I'm not sure what your point is here. And I'm not sure why you are angry and shouting either. Perhaps it's because I made a mistake and Albion's best-ever average was actually in the old Division Two instead of the top flight?

Anyway, Albion didn't get an average of 24 to 26,000 in Division Three in the mid-Seventies. Here's a list of your average crowds from the 'glory years':

74/75 (Div 3): 11,751
75/76 (Div 3): 15,343
76/77 (Div 3): 20,197
77/78 (Div 2): 25,265
78/79 (Div 2): 22,145
79/80 (Div 1): 24,745
80/81 (Div 1): 18,984
81/82 (Div 1): 18,244
82/83 (Div 1): 14,662
83/84 (Div 2): 12,275

Whilst not having any facts to prove otherwise, I thank you for highlighting, that I was talking out of my arse.

LC