Obscure places known only because of their football teams

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Scotty Mac

New member
Jul 13, 2003
24,405
mansfield
 


Goldstone Rapper

Rediffusion PlayerofYear
Jan 19, 2009
14,865
BN3 7DE
A man named Henry Norris, the Winkleman of his day, bought second division Woolwich Arsenal just before the 1st world war and planned to turn them into the super power of English football. Originally he tried to merge them with Fulham but was blocked by the football league. He then decided to move them to Highbury right on the doorstep of Tottenham Hotspur and Clapton Orient (who incidentally no longer play in the area!). When the league resumed after the war the 1st division was to be expanded by two clubs so the two bottom placed teams, one of which was Spurs were initially given a reprieve. However, somehow Norris arranged a meeting with the league and persuaded (Blatter style probably)them to replace Spurs with Arsenal, who had finished 6th in the second division and therefore had no real claim for promotion.

As such Arsenal are not only the only team to have never been relegated from the top flight but also the only one never to have been promoted to it. Spurs have understandably disliked them ever since.

Not true. Arsenal had a spell in the top flight (Division One in 1904-13) before their current spell in the top flight from 1919 onwards. So they have been relegated before.
 






Kalimantan Gull

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2003
13,438
Central Borneo / the Lizard
To answer the original question: There are five similar sized-towns that make up the Medway conurbation: Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham. Which was the first one you'd heard of?


I think I learnt of every town in the country via its sports team, and the towns I don't know well don't seem to have a team. Scunthorpe, Staylbridge, Wrexham, West Bromwich, Wycombe, Berwick-upon-Tweed from football; Widnes, Warrington, Castleford from rugby league; Taunton, Chelmsford, Chester-le-Street from cricket
 
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philsussex

New member
Dec 9, 2006
5,266
Good Old Sussex By the Sea
To answer the original question: There are five similar sized-towns that make up the Medway conurbation: Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham. Which was the first one you'd heard of?


I think I learnt of every town in the country via its sports team, and the towns I don't know well don't seem to have a team. Scunthorpe, Staylbridge, Wrexham, West Bromwich, Wycombe, Berwick-upon-Tweed from football; Widnes, Warrington, Castleford from rugby league; Taunton, Chelmsford, Chester-le-Street from cricket

Not only does football make you aware of these towns' existence but also travelling to away games make you aware of where they are in the country.
 


Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,761
at home
There seem to be quite a few in our league. If it weren't for their football teams, would we have even heard of places like Huddersfield, Walsall, Rochdale and Tranmere?

Just a thought.

cheeky sod...LOL

Hitler thought Huddersfield was worth Bombing over and over trying to get at the ICI factory just down the road from Leeds Road/ The Galpharm and also Brook Motors factory on the North side of Town, where they made ball bearings for Rolls Royce Engines ( that powered spitfires and lancasters) and of course David Brown tractors ( DB as in aston martin DB5 etc) who made gear boxes for tanks and planes.

So in answer to your question, Huddersfield is not just known for its football team.

Actually, i had never heard of Brighton until when I lived in the west country Bristol Rovers won 8-2 down at the Goldstone and all the kids at school suddenly came Rovers fans
 




Staly

Well-known member
Mar 30, 2004
1,076
Manchester
To answer the original question: There are five similar sized-towns that make up the Medway conurbation: Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham. Which was the first one you'd heard of?


I think I learnt of every town in the country via its sports team, and the towns I don't know well don't seem to have a team. Scunthorpe, Staylbridge, Wrexham, West Bromwich, Wycombe, Berwick-upon-Tweed from football; Widnes, Warrington, Castleford from rugby league; Taunton, Chelmsford, Chester-le-Street from cricket

With me, its the same with music. I'm aware of Gillingham through the football team, but also Chatham because of the legendary Billy Childish.

It drives my wife mad. we were driving through Heptonstall the other day, and I said "did you know Bogshed used to live just over there?". Met with total incomprehension....
 




Danny-Boy

Banned
Apr 21, 2009
5,579
The Coast
To answer the original question: There are five similar sized-towns that make up the Medway conurbation: Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham. Which was the first one you'd heard of?


I think I learnt of every town in the country via its sports team, and the towns I don't know well don't seem to have a team. Scunthorpe, Staylbridge, Wrexham, West Bromwich, Wycombe, Berwick-upon-Tweed from football; Widnes, Warrington, Castleford from rugby league; Taunton, Chelmsford, Chester-le-Street from cricket

What about cities then, like Wells? And St Davids in Wales? Brighton of course has no cathedral. But Guildford has one and is still a town I think.
 




fataddick

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2004
1,602
The seaside.
Lots of London clubs are named after areas no-one outside the capital would likely have heard of but for football (eg Charlton, Millwall, West Ham, QPR). Also, Everton and Aston Villa. I'd say almost every city and town is famous for at least one other thing (eg George Orwell for Wigan, railways for Swindon). Gelsenkirchen is a good shout, the ground isn't even in it (it's in Buer, which is even more of a shithole).
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,952
Surrey
Lots of London clubs are named after areas no-one outside the capital would likely have heard of but for football (eg Charlton, Millwall, West Ham, QPR). Also, Everton and Aston Villa. I'd say almost every city and town is famous for at least one other thing (eg George Orwell for Wigan, railways for Swindon). Gelsenkirchen is a good shout, the ground isn't even in it (it's in Buer, which is even more of a shithole).
Millwall is a particularly strange one seeing as Millwall itself is north of the river, unlike the South Bermondsey based football club.
 


luke17

New member
Oct 9, 2003
416
Airbus, who play in the Welsh league.

Also TNS who play in Oswestry i didnt have a clue where they played until a few weeks back when i went to see them play.

Forest Green Rovers who play in Nailsworth is a really odd place to have such a half decent football team.

Binfield who play in the Hellenic league was another team i didnt have a clue where they played until i looked on the map same with Chipstead thats a tiny place.
 




philsussex

New member
Dec 9, 2006
5,266
Good Old Sussex By the Sea
cheeky sod...LOL

Hitler thought Huddersfield was worth Bombing over and over trying to get at the ICI factory just down the road from Leeds Road/ The Galpharm and also Brook Motors factory on the North side of Town, where they made ball bearings for Rolls Royce Engines ( that powered spitfires and lancasters) and of course David Brown tractors ( DB as in aston martin DB5 etc) who made gear boxes for tanks and planes.

So in answer to your question, Huddersfield is not just known for its football team.

Actually, i had never heard of Brighton until when I lived in the west country Bristol Rovers won 8-2 down at the Goldstone and all the kids at school suddenly came Rovers fans

You're kidding me!

I suppose it's all to do with where you live though
 




When we played away at Woking a couple of yoofs asked us where Brighton was. They seemed to be under the impression it was up north. Maybe confusing with Blackpool.

Wasn't sure if they were thick or just taking the piss.

Had a similar experience at the League Cup game at Middlesbrough. "Where is Brighton, then? Is it in London?". He was about 14, I reckon. I laughed, assuming he was joking, but he looked offended so perhaps he wasn't.
 


Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,761
at home
You're kidding me!

I suppose it's all to do with where you live though

No seriously. I moved from Yorkshire to South Africa when young and came back straight to Kent and then the west country, so until we moved here, I had only heard of Brighton via teh Bristol Rovers game
 




Gully

Monkey in a seagull suit.
Apr 24, 2004
16,812
Way out west
Had a similar experience at the League Cup game at Middlesbrough. "Where is Brighton, then? Is it in London?". He was about 14, I reckon. I laughed, assuming he was joking, but he looked offended so perhaps he wasn't.

Lets be honest here, how many Albion fans could point out exactly where Barnsley, Tranmere and Middlesborough are on a map...to many they are just places somewhere up north, as the likes of Brighton, Southend and Bournemouth are just somewhere down south to your average northerner...mind you, there are plenty of Man Utd fans who couldn't tell you where Manchester is and that is where their team play!
 




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