[Albion] Just how much of a big club is Brighton now? And how big can we get?

[waterhouse]

I only ask as I’m fed up of reading reports about Ben White that “massive united” have the arrogance to think they will get him a n the summer.
I personally think we are as big as Leeds and have the potential to be as big as Everton.

 

[blue-shifted]

Size isn't everything

 

[essbee1]

I think that until we can regularly maintain top 10 spots in the PL (for a number of years), we'll always
be perceived as punching above our weight. Perceptions take a long time to change.

This is not my view, but how we are perceived by other fans and what we have to do to change that.

 

[Peteinblack]

Although we can see our potential, and hope to become a regular mid-table team, or even aim for top 10, I'm sure to 'neutrals' we are perennial strugglers who will spend every season battling against relegation, and as essbee1 says in the previous post, "punching above our weight".

 

[BN41Albion]

The likes of Leeds and Everton will always be far bigger than us, all things considered, that's just a fact.

Leicester, Southampton, etc, is where we should be aiming for in terms of big-ness (yes I know Leicester are currently third in the league and won it not long ago).

 

[Marshy]

I only ask as I’m fed up of reading reports about Ben White that “massive united” have the arrogance to think they will get him a n the summer.
I personally think we are as big as Leeds and have the potential to be as big as Everton.

Im all for bigging our club up, however in tradition and fan base we will never be as "big" as either of those 2 sides in my opinion.

We may end up doing better than them from time to time, but that's a different thing.

One thing I am sure of is Ben White will go to a far bigger club than both of those mentioned.

 

[Icy Gull]

Potential counts for feck all. Winning things is all that counts and we have won sweet FA at the top level. We are in no way a big club imo

Both Leeds and Everton are much bigger clubs than us, check their history of winning things. Not sure how long without winning things relegates you back to the also rans though. Anyone think of Burnley as a big club? No? Well they used to be

Are Forest still a big club, Blackburn? Not convinced myself but if they get back to the PL we may think differently?

 

[BadFish]

Size depends on how you measure it.

We are where we are. We have bags of potential, only tempered by our smallish stadium (by mid-table premier league standards anyway).

Only time is going to tell where we end up.

 

[RossyG]

We’re big enough to not find it odd that we’re in the Premier League.

But we’re not big enough to find it odd that we’re not in the top half of the Premier League.

 

[Napper]

https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/englandcontent.htm

Good website.

Club size defined by historical crowds , historical league placings , trophies and current set up. A mixture of it all

No chance anywhere near the size of Leeds and Everton

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I personally think we are as big as Leeds and have the potential to be as big as Everton.

Keep taking the meds.

 

[dazzer6666]

This 'bigger club' stuff is such a load of old willy-waving shite - who cares ?
How is it measured ? What does it mean ? Do you get any points for it ?

Prefer to be a 'good club'. Maybe the response to the 'big club' question is 'we're maybe not bigger, but we are better'.

 

[Braggfan]

This 'bigger club' stuff is such a load of old willy-waving shite - who cares ?
How is it measured ? What does it mean ? Do you get any points for it ?

Prefer to be a 'good club'. Maybe the response to the 'big club' question is 'we're maybe not bigger, but we are better'.

That is exactly spot on. It has always just been a dick measuring contest, that holds absolutely zero importance or relevance. That's why fans of clubs like Leeds and Sheff Wedneday appear so comical at times when their supporters declare just how huge their team is. Its like being the Undisputed King of Nothing.

Being a good club, thats run well, looks after its fans and helps the community if far more important to me.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I only ask as I’m fed up of reading reports about Ben White that “massive united” have the arrogance to think they will get him a n the summer.
I personally think we are as big as Leeds and have the potential to be as big as Everton.

The clubs you quote have a back catalogue that maybe qualifies them as 'big' to football followers and commentators of a certain age. But that's ALL it is. A back catalogue. Absolutely no reason why the Albion couldn't add a new chapter to the record books at some indeterminate point in the future. Lest we forget, Man City never used to be Citeh. 50 years ago they used to be grubbing around in mid-table like Everton. Early 70s Leeds, on the other hand, were magnificent. Can still name their starting line-up to this day. Still hope to be able to say the same about an Albion starting line-up one day someday

 

[Monkey Man]

This 'bigger club' stuff is such a load of old willy-waving shite - who cares ?
How is it measured ? What does it mean ? Do you get any points for it ?

Prefer to be a 'good club'. Maybe the response to the 'big club' question is 'we're maybe not bigger, but we are better'.

Completely agree. We all know where the "big clubs" are if we choose to go and support them.

I've watched Brighton play in four different divisions – very nearly five – so our top-flight credentials aren't exactly established.

When a lower league team draws us in a cup competition I don't think it strikes the opposing fans as a thrilling prospect. Half of them probably remember beating us 2-0 on a Tuesday night at Priestfield or Withdean.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

The true gauge of ‘big club status’ is whether an opposing player will ever want the shirt off one of your players backs to keep and frame post-match. That will almost certainly never happen with us. We could have an unbroken 20 year stint in the PL, end up playing a lower or non-league club in the FA Cup and I doubt any of their players would go out of their way to ask for one of our shirts post-match.

As for as big as Leeds!

 

[Uh_huh_him]

The concept of "Bigness" is a weird thing. I think age pays a massive part for a lot of people.

I wouldn't have considered City or Chelsea to have been big clubs when I was a kid.
Regardless of the ownership thing, they are undoubtedly big clubs now.

I still consider the likes of Everton, Newcastle, Villa and Leeds to be big clubs, even though none of them have won anything of note for Donkey's years.
Whereas Leicester seem like a smaller club by comparison.

The idea that we are a bigger club than Derby, Forest, Birmingham or even the likes of Ipswich/Norwich still feels a little far-fetched to me.
But to my Kid's generation we seem much bigger ( i expect)

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Potential counts for feck all. Winning things is all that counts and we have won sweet FA at the top level. We are in no way a big club imo

Both Leeds and Everton are much bigger clubs than us, check their history of winning things. Not sure how long without winning things relegates you back to the also rans though. Anyone think of Burnley as a big club? No? Well they used to be

Are Forest still a big club, Blackburn? Not convinced myself but if they get back to the PL we may think differently?

Going even further back, Huddersfield? Champions a couple of times under Herbert Chapman before he went to Arsenal.

 

[sparkie]

How big can we get ?


BIG

 

[Deadly Danson]

This 'bigger club' stuff is such a load of old willy-waving shite - who cares ?
How is it measured ? What does it mean ? Do you get any points for it ?

Prefer to be a 'good club'. Maybe the response to the 'big club' question is 'we're maybe not bigger, but we are better'.

Couldn't agree more. Who cares? We are Brighton and we'll support them whatever. In any case, I think most of us are comfortable with us always being slightly under the radar.