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

[Johnny RoastBeef]

no chance , Leipzig will always be a noddy club. No history or tradition.

Maybe 100 years time they can re-assess that

What about Blackpool or Bolton, are they big clubs because the once won alot?

 

[Official Old Man]

You're only as big as your current league position. How big are Sheff Utd? This time last year we went there as a lowly club and they were 6th. Who was the big club then and now? Similar Sheff Wed, now in the relegation zone of the Championship.
I wouldn't put us on a par with Leicester because I don't think we can afford or get any big names.
So in answer to the question, we can get into the Europa League maybe twice in 5 years and always be top half of the league, but that's it.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

What about Blackpool or Bolton, are they big clubs because the once won alot?

Yup, that's it exactly. These things go in cycles. The Albion's not yet gone full cycle

 

[loz]

Similar age.

I guess there wasn't really a concept of a big 6 back then though.
Which is the comparison i was (badly) making.

Liverpool pretty much dominated the league, so the concept of a big club was very different back then.
Chelsea were definitely considered a big club, but in a much bigger pool of "big clubs" and probably on a par with West Ham.
Spurs and United had good players but rarely threatened to win the title.

My best mate at school was a City supporter and he was considered to be a real oddity.
Sure they were a bigger club than Brighton or Palace, but they weren't considered to be on the same level as United, Spurs or even Chelsea.

At least that was my impression at the time, but the concept of "Bigness" varies from person to person.

I was growing up in Warlingham and I would say Arsenal,Chelsea and Leeds were the clubs all the non football fans supported ( if that makes sense ) Where as the boys that actually really liked football mainly supported Palace who in those days were in the old 2nd and 3rd division. And Man city had just won a cup and had some right fancy dan players.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

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.

On the other hand, failing to make the Europa League - where you never even heard of most of the teams unless you're a wee bit BENNY - would count as a bit of a failure no?

 

[Comrade Sam]

I don't think the near future will see us compete with transfer fees and salaries with at least half of the teams in the Premier. To compete we will have to rely on Potter making us a better team than finances dictate. To be big now you need financial clout. What is nice now is that kids I teach in London know a lot about Brighton, whilst 10 and 20 years ago it was only obsessive football nerd kids or those that dad would drag to see Leyton Orient that had any idea we existed. Oh and Leon Knights cousin.

 

[blue-shifted]

I don't think the near future will see us compete with transfer fees and salaries with at least half of the teams in the Premier. To compete we will have to rely on Potter making us a better team than finances dictate.

The exact purpose of the academy

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

In my formative years Coventry were regular top division residents along with Forest and Wednesday.
In generations before, other clubs would reside at this perceived top-table.

What we are creating now is a new generation that will always think of Brighton as a top division club.
As others have said, these perceptions need years to form and stick.

We're on our way ....

 

[waterhouse]

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

As another poster has said.
I think it’s about your age.
All I remember about Leeds in my lifetime is them over spending to try and be a “BIG CLUB” and then very quickly bombing down the leagues and then us overtaking them and Leeds struggling to get back in the Prem.
I think the size of club should mainly be based on what they are capable of achieving and what they have achieved in recent times. Not clubs that harp on about past glory’s.

 

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

We will be a big club when we win back to back Champions League finals. And not a minute before. Right now we are as big as Fulham, Ipswich or Derby.

 

[GT49er]

We will be a big club when we win back to back Champions League finals. And not a minute before. Right now we are as big as Fulham, Ipswich or Derby.

..... although we've never played in European competitions.

 

[maltaseagull]

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).

Agreed.
Although in the last few years we have been above dirty, Leeds, their history includes European football , league titles and cup finals way above our one.

Everton too.

Would be great to start every season with a realistic chance of European football rather than a concern about relegation.

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

We will be a big club when we win back to back Champions League finals. And not a minute before. Right now we are as big as Fulham, Ipswich or Derby.

I remember Ipswich winning the UEFA Cup

 

[Bombadier Botty]

..... although we've never played in European competitions.

But who could forget The Intertoto Cup at The Goldstone? :

The ground was used as the home venue for both Tottenham Hotspur and Wimbledon for their pre-season 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup campaigns, where both clubs received season-long bans from European football by UEFA for fielding under-strength teams.[4] The bans were later overturned on appeal.

 

[drew]

As another poster has said.
I think it’s about your age.
All I remember about Leeds in my lifetime is them over spending to try and be a “BIG CLUB” and then very quickly bombing down the leagues and then us overtaking them and Leeds struggling to get back in the Prem.
I think the size of club should mainly be based on what they are capable of achieving and what they have achieved in recent times. Not clubs that harp on about past glory’s.

And you don't think Leeds are capable of achieving more than us?

They have a much bigger fan base, probably bigger globally than us and if they built a 60K stadium, they would probably fill it.

You should spend less time worrying about comparisons. They will mean absolutely bugger all until we get a decent bit of silverware on the sideboard.

I couldn't give a flying fig who we are compared to. All that bothers me is getting back in the Amex and watching Brighton and getting to as many away games as possible.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think the 'big clubs' are set in stone now. I don't think it's possible for a non big club to become a big club or a big club to ever stop being a big club.

And I think it does matter to a degree. Leicester, Southampton, Wolves are all doing well right now because they're being well run with financial backing, and we're potentially on that same path. But their success will only last as long as they're well run.

Whereas Villa, Leeds, Newcastle - they can f*ck things up but will always be able to come back to the top because they're the biggest clubs in some of our biggest cities with a large fan base and they're will always be able to attract players wherever they sit in the league simply because of their name and stature. They can take bigger risks as a result

 

[drew]

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

Really? 1968 they were league winners and runners up in 77. FA cup winners in 69.

 

[Bakero]

In the eyes of non-football fans, we are very much a minnow, in my experience. One of colleagues expressed great surprise that we were in the Premier League, being under the impression we were in the same division as her hometown club, Maidstone. My Scottish boss was also astounded to learn this year that we were in the top flight. He'd visited Brighton numerous times and considered it a little seaside town.

 

[bhanutz]

In the eyes of non-football fans, we are very much a minnow, in my experience. One of colleagues expressed great surprise that we were in the Premier League, being under the impression we were in the same division as her hometown club, Maidstone. My Scottish boss was also astounded to learn this year that we were in the top flight. He'd visited Brighton numerous times and considered it a little seaside town.

Not really football people then!

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

Define big.

Brommapojkarna IF is the biggest club in Europe... they have the highest number of youth teams and youth players.

Give us a 'B'