Have we delusions of grandeur

[Insel affe]

Thinking about our expectations and looking at other clubs in this division ie Southampton, Norwich, Charlton, Leeds Utd surley we have delusions of grandeur. We have no god given right to be challenging for promotion or let alone signing top quality players. If we sit back and take stock and look at what we have there is nothing that stands out and says LOOK AT US, WE ARE PROMOTION MATERIAL.
No disrespect to Slade, but he is hardly a statement of intent. If we look back at our history we are basically a third division team with reasonable support, Yes we did reach the first division, but through over spending which cost us in the mid/late 80s and some say into the 90s.
Yes we have had big crowds at the Goldstone (RIP) but they were brief, and as soon as they came they in truth vanished again. Dont belive me look at the records. Yes we have had quality players again these have been short lived with no consistency beyond a few seasons.
We do have a new stadium on the way, But will we fill it week in week out. Yes i feel we may attract new supporters,but an extra 10+ thousand im not so sure !
I am a loyal Brighton fan, I have seen the dark days the protests,went to pissfield, and love this club with a passion,before people question loyalty.
What im trying to ask or find out is Where do you think we are heading realistically and can we break our history of being a third division club. Without the Bloom or Bust scenario of many other clubs.

Or just call me a Knob if ya like

 

[Da Man Clay]

Yes we do have delusions of grandeur at the moment - We're at best a mid table 3rd division club. After the stadium is sorted and wecan attract decent quality players I reckon we could be a midtable Championship side.

 

[nevergoagain]

KNOB :yahoo:

Agree to a certain point, however I think you are looking back too much instead of looking at what we can be. A realistic comparison is Reading, through much needed financial backing and a good new stadium they have risen from the depths and found a consistent championship level, with a brief flirtation with the Premiership. They got just shy of 20k against Forest on opening day and there's no reason why we can't do the same or better. I was never expecting us to take the division by storm this year, but obviously didn't expect such a shocking start.

A huge amount I think will depend on the investment in the playing side for next season as if we are not in the championship by the time Falmer opens then we won't fill it ourselves and we won't have the bonus of "Big" clubs such as Newcastle, West Brom, Middlesbrough etc... bringing down very large numbers of travelling support. Slade has had a decent level of backing for us compared to previous years, let's pray that he can get us on the right track or I can't se him being here next year when promotion is an absolute must.

 

[Gwylan]

I think what you're saying is basically true but I dispute the fact that good crowds were tied to our success in Division 1. When I started watching the Albion, we were in the bottom four in Div 3 and first game, on a cold February, pulled in more than 13,000 spectators. We also got 23,000 for a league game with QPR that season. We were one of the best supported clubs in the division, despite being near the bottom for the whole season. And the season we were promoted in 1971/72, we got several gates of over 20,000 and two of over 30,000 - and that was several years before Division 1.

While it's true that we're not as good as we think we are, we've certainly had the crowds to give us some basis for that delusion. The tragedy is that we don't get them now.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

KNOB :yahoo:

Agree to a certain point, however I think you are looking back too much instead of looking at what we can be. A realistic comparison is Reading, through much needed financial backing and a good new stadium they have risen from the depths and found a consistent championship level, with a brief flirtation with the Premiership. They got just shy of 20k against Forest on opening day and there's no reason why we can't do the same or better. I was never expecting us to take the division by storm this year, but obviously didn't expect such a shocking start.

I agree with this post. To my mind we're a side that flits between the middle two divisions. I think that once Falmer is built and with a little investment we can make ourselves into a regular championship side. Then when that's achieved we can expect every now and then the odd season or two in the premier league. Likewise we can expect the odd spell in the third tier. Is that delusional? Hopefully not...

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

If you look at some of the clubs in the premiership - Wigan, Burnley even Bolton and Stoke - we could make the premiership and even stay in it for a few years. However it will take good management, sensible signings and obviously a lot of luck along the way. But it would not happen over night, it would take a 5 or 10yr plan. I believe it is possible and if we are successful the seats will be filled.

 

[Hunting 784561]

If you look at Reading, they were a D4 side attracting crowds of 5000, for most of their history.

A new comfortable and attractive stadium, and plenty of investment from Madjetski along the way has elevated them into a solid championship / premiership club.

That'll be us...

 

[Smythe]

If you look at Reading, they were a D4 side attracting crowds of 5000, for most of their history.

A new comfortable and attractive stadium, and plenty of investment from Madjetski along the way has elevated them into a solid championship / premiership club.

That'll be us...

Totally agree.....id love us to be established in championship at least, with the odd season pushing for premier league as Reading now are. Was just wondering how many seasons it took the likes of Reading, Stoke and Hull to get to the premier league after moving to new stadiums?? Hull must have been 3 or 4 seasons? Stoke and Reading quite a few......8 seasons or so??

 

[shoreham moonraker]

readings fans are the ultimate fickle plastic support, the attendances at the madjeski are already plummeting as their fan base heads back to chelsea.

 

[Insel affe]

Totally agree.....id love us to be established in championship at least, with the odd season pushing for premier league as Reading now are. Was just wondering how many seasons it took the likes of Reading, Stoke and Hull to get to the premier league after moving to new stadiums?? Hull must have been 3 or 4 seasons? Stoke and Reading quite a few......8 seasons or so??

I see what everyone is saying, and yes it is achievable.However there is Southampton as an example, and we need backing on a big scale to get to the likes of reading etc.Although Bloom has put his money where his mouth is concerning the stadium and the team to a certain extent without being greedy we need more money. Now when we do get the new stadium and maybe get into the championship. Will Bloom want extra investors on board.

 

[Hunting 784561]

readings fans are the ultimate fickle plastic support, the attendances at the madjeski are already plummeting as their fan base heads back to chelsea.

ah I was waiting for the 'plastics' argument...

Well, we are going to need at least 8-10,000 'plastics' every game if Falmer is ever going to pay it's way.

We will not survive on 5000 hard-core.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Division 3 League Game
1976

BHAFC V Rochdale
33,400

I think we have had in relation to catchment area the higgest crowds in the country many times. We got 20000 - 30000 for most matches we played at home between 1976 and 1983.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

At the moment BHAFC are a Small time club.

We have a small time manager
We have a small time squad
We have a small time stadium
We have a small time support

The whole set up is lower mid table 3rd division.

This will only change in 2011.

Until then we will continue to be " also rans ".

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I appreciate that P/billy is a relative newbie, but do we have to have this fugging thread every six months? It's extremely tiresome, in fact, thinking back, apart from the thread about HB&B meeting David Furnish in some Hove Park recently we haven't had an original thread on here since the 1996/7 season!

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I appreciate that P/billy is a relative newbie, but do we have to have this fugging thread every six months? It's extremely tiresome, in fact, thinking back, apart from the thread about HB&B meeting David Furnish in some Hove Park recently we haven't had an original thread on here since the 1996/7 season!

I beg to differ:

Worlds HARDEST creature, round one: Mosquito vs Honey badger - North Stand Chat

 

[severnside gull]

Being realistic of course this is all good stuff and absolutely spot on correct. BUT we are supporters of a football club and all supporters should have delusions of achieving more than can be justified by realistic appraisals. It's what we fans do!

However, the Reading/Hull/Burnley/Bristol City analogies are all there to show what might be achieved and there is no reason not to believe that we can at least return to a comfortable Championship status in time and maybe have the occassional tilt at the premiership.

What's life without dreams eh?

 

[Simster]

readings fans are the ultimate fickle plastic support, the attendances at the madjeski are already plummeting as their fan base heads back to chelsea.

Not really. They've dipped, but hardly plumetted.

And they're a lot bigger now than Swindon have ever been in their entire history in most people's eyes I'm afraid.

 

[severnside gull]

I appreciate that P/billy is a relative newbie, but do we have to have this fugging thread every six months? It's extremely tiresome, in fact, thinking back, apart from the thread about HB&B meeting David Furnish in some Hove Park recently we haven't had an original thread on here since the 1996/7 season!

Hmmmm.......

Is the answer perhaps to go elsewhere?

Difficult to have too many truly "original" threads on what is (supposedly) primarily a football fans' forum

("mosquitos v honey badgers"? QED!)

 

[Insel affe]

I appreciate that P/billy is a relative newbie, but do we have to have this fugging thread every six months? It's extremely tiresome, in fact, thinking back, apart from the thread about HB&B meeting David Furnish in some Hove Park recently we haven't had an original thread on here since the 1996/7 season!

Sorry cheeky Monkey, I shall post no more

 

[shoreham moonraker]

Not really. They've dipped, but hardly plumetted.

And they're a lot bigger now than Swindon have ever been in their entire history in most people's eyes I'm afraid.

they have lost 10,000 in 1 season! Reading were always badly supported until the rise of madjeski, Swindon are slightly better we average anywhere between 6-10,000, but im not making claims of grandeur. We are in our natural division. occasionally getting in championship.