Which is the nation's best supported club?

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Simster

Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,955
Surrey
I'm not interested in the Man Utds or Liverpools here, with their army of armchair fans and whose idea of being in the doldrums is only winning 5 FA Cups in a decade.

I want proper nominations only. Man City were getting 32,000 for their season in division 3, but despite what they like to think, ONE season in the lower leagues that ends in play off glory is hardly a hardship.

What about Norwich or Ipswich. Again, no real hardship there but quite a few barren years and their support has always held up - especially compared to the likes of Portsmouth who get 8,500 when they're lower div 2 but then want 8 million tickets when they play at Withdean and they're top of the league.

But I think my vote goes to DERBY. Always bring loads to Brighton, they were getting 11,000 in the doldrum years in division 3 when gates were generally utter toilet. If they hadn't won on Sunday, they'd have gone a full YEAR without winning a game, yet their gate was 29,000. You've got to respect a provincial club in a rut that pulls in that sort of number.
 




Knotty

Knotty

Well-known member
Feb 5, 2004
2,421
Canterbury
Simster said:
I'm not interested in the Man Utds or Liverpools here, with their army of armchair fans and whose idea of being in the doldrums is only winning 5 FA Cups in a decade.

I want proper nominations only. Man City were getting 32,000 for their season in division 3, but despite what they like to think, ONE season in the lower leagues that ends in play off glory is hardly a hardship.

What about Norwich or Ipswich. Again, no real hardship there but quite a few barren years and their support has always held up - especially compared to the likes of Portsmouth who get 8,500 when they're lower div 2 but then want 8 million tickets when they play at Withdean and they're top of the league.

But I think my vote goes to DERBY. Always bring loads to Brighton, they were getting 11,000 in the doldrum years in division 3 when gates were generally utter toilet. If they hadn't won on Sunday, they'd have gone a full YEAR without winning a game, yet their gate was 29,000. You've got to respect a provincial club in a rut that pulls in that sort of number.
Click to expand...

Arde you saying that if United or Liverpool went through the same as Derby, they wouldn't get that number?
 




Uncle Spielberg

Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,098
Lancing
Bradford City at the moment would get my vote.
 


C

chez

Johnny Byrne-The Greatest
Jul 5, 2003
10,042
Wherever The Mood Takes Me
Knotty said:
Arde you saying that if United or Liverpool went through the same as Derby, they wouldn't get that number?
Click to expand...


History proves that ManUres gates would drop dramatically if they were to have the same kind of run as Derby.

From memory I think when we played them at Trafford in the Coca Cola cup only 15 or so years ago they only just got over 20,000.
 






Simster

Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,955
Surrey
Knotty said:
Arde you saying that if United or Liverpool went through the same as Derby, they wouldn't get that number?
Click to expand...
No. Man Utd etc will always be well supported because they have a tradition of support.

And I think chez is wrong - United have always been top of the crowd charts, even in their season in division 2 in the '70s.

But we all know good support goes a bit deeper than that. The big clubs have never really had their loyalty tested. Even when suffering a crap season, it still means top 6 or 7 and the constant exposure that goes with it.
 








C

Common as Mook

Not Posh as Fook
Jul 26, 2004
5,642
There is absolutely no doubt that Utd would have the same or less number of fans as Leeds if they were in league 1. The japanese coach parties would soon dry up and those seats wouldn't be filled.

Derby had their glory years when they must have attracted a whole generation of fans.

As US said - my vote would go to Bradford.
 


Knotty

Knotty

Well-known member
Feb 5, 2004
2,421
Canterbury
chez said:
History proves that ManUres gates would drop dramatically if they were to have the same kind of run as Derby.

From memory I think when we played them at Trafford in the Coca Cola cup only 15 or so years ago they only just got over 20,000.
Click to expand...

History proves nothing - only what happened in the past

I think you'll find that when they were relegated in about 1984 they still got capacity gates. There may be millions of 'plastic' or 'armchair' fans or whatever you want to call them, but that doesn't mean there are no 'real' fans. Regular gates of over 70,000 suggest to me that they would probably still get more than anyone else if they had a bad time.

I know some may want all United fans to be 'plastic' but they are not.
 








Uncle Spielberg

Uncle Spielberg

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
43,098
Lancing
Bradford City 4th Division league gates this season

Sat 09 Aug Notts. County 14,038
Sat 23 Aug Rochdale 13,154
Sat 13 Sep Exeter City 12,683
 




Icy Gull

Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
chez said:
History proves that ManUres gates would drop dramatically if they were to have the same kind of run as Derby.

From memory I think when we played them at Trafford in the Coca Cola cup only 15 or so years ago they only just got over 20,000.
Click to expand...

Didn't we play them twice that season? In the Coca Cola and the FA cups? I went to one of those games and the place was packed but one end of the ground was closed due to rebuilding and I thought that the crowd was a near capacity of around 33,000.

I remember United in the 2nd division getting full houses for every game. No fan of theirs but they must have the best support in the country which surely must equate into numbers willing to pay to watch them.

Otherwise you'd have to give it to one division in living memory Rochdale, how f***ing depressing it must be to have followed them for 40 years.

Now if the question was Who are the nations best supporters it would be a totally different answer, but to the question asked, it has to be Man Utd
 
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Easy 10

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,428
Location Location
In 1986, Arsenals average attendences were down to 23,824.

Coo.
 


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