"We should be walloping teams like this"

[Goldstone Rapper]

Probably contradicting myself but I think league status is a relatively small aspect of club size.

True. But what else is there? Major honours? The trophy cabinet is not exactly full as far as that is concerned, apart from the Charity Shield in 1910 and the Jewish Chronicle Cup in 1980.

 

[Icy Gull]

Haven't you noticed that the fans of nearly all club relegated from the Premier League expect to piss the Championship?

 

[TSB]

Haven't you noticed that the fans of nearly all club relegated from the Premier League expect to piss the Championship?

Happens in League two as well. Pompey fans very confident of promotion this season. Currently 18th.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Haven't you noticed that the fans of nearly all club relegated from the Premier League expect to piss the Championship?

Did Albion fans think the same in 1983 when the club were relegated to Division Two?

 

[Zen Frenzy]

Without Martinez I think Wigan will soon be aspiring to be average.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Given that we have so many players out, Wigan should be beating us. However, walloping is a little over the top. Probably comes from the same mind that said they should have been out of sight at half time.

 

[The Fifth Column]

Probably contradicting myself but I think league status is a relatively small aspect of club size.

Totally agree, there seems to be a huge misconception from the majority of football fans around the 'size' of their respective clubs, some seem incapable of reasoning that clubs can change 'size'. Take the Albion and Palace as a good example, for most of the last 20 years or so (and that timeframe I think is reasonable to measure a clubs relative current 'size') Palace can rightfully claim to have been a bigger club than us, they have been playing at a higher level with bigger crowds and I would imagine most neutrals 4-5 years ago would have said that Palace were a bigger club than Brighton. However, things can change and in the last 3-4 years Brighton have become a much bigger club for reasons we all know and accept and if you were to ask neutrals the same question now I would expect the results to about even given that Palace are playing in the Premier League.

As to Wigan? I've always seen them as a lower league small club who have enjoyed some very good success due mainly to the generosity of a rich benefactor. They do not have a large fanbase, they are not a fashionable team in a nice city I would imagine many players would aspire to play for and I see their natural level as a Champ/L1 standard club, they are undoubtedly much bigger than they used to be but they are a small club plain and simple.

 

[Norman Potting]

To be fair though, when you look at their squad and substitutions yesterday then on paper they should be beating teams like us.

....Pity for Wigan they played us on grass! Boom, tish.

 

[sydney]

well,they are in the europa league aren't they.....and they were unbeaten at home weren't they......we beat them ....end of. quite optimistic on that performance with the players we have to come back in...

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Totally agree, there seems to be a huge misconception from the majority of football fans around the 'size' of their respective clubs, some seem incapable of reasoning that clubs can change 'size'. Take the Albion and Palace as a good example, for most of the last 20 years or so (and that timeframe I think is reasonable to measure a clubs relative current 'size') Palace can rightfully claim to have been a bigger club than us, they have been playing at a higher level with bigger crowds and I would imagine most neutrals 4-5 years ago would have said that Palace were a bigger club than Brighton. However, things can change and in the last 3-4 years Brighton have become a much bigger club for reasons we all know and accept and if you were to ask neutrals the same question now I would expect the results to about even given that Palace are playing in the Premier League.

As to Wigan? I've always seen them as a lower league small club who have enjoyed some very good success due mainly to the generosity of a rich benefactor. They do not have a large fanbase, they are not a fashionable team in a nice city I would imagine many players would aspire to play for and I see their natural level as a Champ/L1 standard club, they are undoubtedly much bigger than they used to be but they are a small club plain and simple.

You seem to want it both ways. That Wigan's recent success shouldn't count for much because of your pre-conceptions of them as historically a small club. But that Brighton's historic status as a small club shouldn't count for much because of their recent success. Your criteria is rather self-serving. It is rather understated to claim that 'for most of the last 20 years or so (and that timeframe I think is reasonable to measure a clubs relative current 'size') Palace can rightfully claim to have been a bigger club than us' when the reality is that for all of that period, Crystal Palace have been a far, far bigger club than Brighton. Not that it really matters, given that many of us will support Brighton, whether big or small, successful or not.

 

[Bwian]

"You bang your drum
And you still don't sing".

Sums up Wigan for me.

They have a frigging drum in their ground which is an immediate +10 on the tinpotometer.
They have very few fans in their ground.
Those that are there are deathly quiet.


Despite a fairly long run in the Premier League I always think of them as a small club-not being disrespectful saying that but they are a small club. Rugby League will always be ahead of football in Wigan. If they don't bounce straight back up they could well struggle to be a competitive Championship side.

 

[symyjym]

It's basic maths. Relegation from Prem + losing Martinez + Europa League + mediocre support = Transitional season.

I was surprised they didn't try to bring in a manager similar to Martinez's passing philosophy, like the way Swansea kept with that continuity. It seems as if they have torn up all the years of hard work in building a stable foundation.

If Martinez was still there I am sure he would have won auto promotion back up.

 

[Notters]

True. But what else is there? Major honours? The trophy cabinet is not exactly full as far as that is concerned, apart from the Charity Shield in 1910 and the Jewish Chronicle Cup in 1980.

Been done many times before, but I would include:
Crowd size
Away support size
Stadium size
City size
Catchment area
...and many other factors.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I was very jealous of Wigan when they romped to the title with the three amigos.

Our one nil smash and grab was my last full match at the Goldstone.

We've caught them up on the Spanish front and look set to overtake them on the playing front.

Is this the first time we have been above them since the mid nineties?

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Away fans were sorry to see Wigan depart the PL. There were always so many seats available.
They are based in a town that supports rugby league first and football second. The majority of their history has been spent as a non-league club. They only entered the football league in the 1970's. In the early days of league football at Springfield Park, their crowds hovered around the 1500 mark and were the lowest in all four divisions.
The last fifteen years have seen a huge upturn in their fortunes supported by a wealthy benefactor but now they are back in the Championship they will tread water like Blackburn and Bolton.
Elitism has no place in the hands of a Wigan fan. It is the preserve of a very few.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I have some affection for Wigan, still, from my time with the Wigan Princess. I went to a few prem league games with her dad. There are some misconceptions. The Latics actually get bigger crowds than the Warriors. There is a good contingent of local followers, albeit they are a bit like Orient, a bit quiet, and a bit pipe-sucking and contemplative. They built a cracking stadium (apart from not filling in the corners - doh!). The 4-3 against Man City (Barton scored a cracker for City) was a great day out. It felt like a proper club.

As for the delusional fan on the link, as several have said, there is a range of opinion among fans of all clubs. Few are truly 'big'. You need to be a London club or a club in a one club biggish city (Leeds), or similar. But big is as big does. And, as most girls would say, its not what you've got but what you do with it that counts. Unless you're really small, of course ;-)

 

[GT49er]

Did Albion fans think the same in 1983 when the club were relegated to Division Two?

We weren't that far off in 83/84.

 

[Bold Seagull]

To be fair though, when you look at their squad and substitutions yesterday then on paper they should be beating teams like us.

Yep, with their budget, and some of their Prem squad still left, with the likes of Holt etc. at home it's probably fair to say they should expect to beat a side like ours. To be fair, I was happy to take a point at the start of the game as a very good result for us, so it's not unreasonable for a fan to feel they should be beating us at home.

Jeez, we drew to SW at home and the 'would should TP pull the trigger' threads started!

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I don't see what's pathetic about a small club getting into and staying in the Premier League.

Nothing at all. But it's rather funny when fans seem to think that they then somehow have a divine right to stay there. I recall some P***smouth fans complaining about going into administration because it would prevent them signing players to "get them back into Europe" - as if their European campaign was more than a one-off accident caused by all the decent teams going out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage. You have to admit that's pretty pathetic - but also very amusing.

 

[mona]

Considering the size of the town and the support for rugby league, I think they deserve respect for the crowds they do attract. It's a genuine sport orientated town.....including all-in wrestling on the high street Saturday night! I got the impression yesterday that their fans are well aware that they don't have the support base of nearby Bolton or Preston let alone the manc/scouse clubs.
Tbh on paper they should be doing better but that's down to the Europa League involvement and Coyle being way below Martinez as a manager. Great win for the Albion yesterday is what really matters.