Big Club Debate

[sherriffbart]

Who do recon is a "big Club" following on from the laughable Brighton and Reading spats last night. In all the years of watching football, I would say:

IN GB

First Division

Manchester United
Celtic
Liverpool
Arsenal
Rangers
Newcastle United
Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday

Second Division

Birmingham City
Coventry City
Ipswich Town
Preston North End
Everton
Southampton
Crystal Palace
Sunderland
Middlesborough
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leeds United
Blackburn Rovers

Third Division

West Bromwich Albion
Stoke City
Norwich City
Sheffield United
Manchester City
Heart of Midlothian
Aberdeen
Notts County
Burnley
Cardiff City
Huddersfield Town
Fulham
Charlton
Portsmouth City

Those are the clubs I regards as "big Clubs", when you take into account, history, support, grounds and who you would probably pay money to go and watch apart from your own club obviously. I have not included potential!

 

[Rambo]

Just look at the all time league tables - that will give a true reflection on achievement.
Coventry - one Fa Cup and they get in the second Div?

 

[BrightonBird]

[First Division

Manchester United
Celtic
Liverpool
Arsenal
Rangers
Chelsea

2nd Division

Newcastle
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday
Leeds United

3rd

Manchester City
Birmingham City
Coventry City
Ipswich Town
Everton
Southampton
Crystal Palace
Sunderland
Middlesborough
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Blackburn Rovers

Preston? What are you like!

 

[tinx]

Preston north end.......??

Used to be a big club, not any more.

 

[sherriffbart]

BB

Surely Newcastle are first division.

They fill their 60,000 stadium every week, have a great history, passionate fans who are second to none and take on average between 5 and 10, 000 fans away every week.

 

[Italiaseagull]

I would never put Chelsea above the likes of Spurs, Villa & Newcastle. Chelsea's success has only even been fleeting, and I can remember just 6-7 years ago they had the fearsome forward line of Peacock and Furlong oooooooohh scary!

Chelsea can put all the success they have achieved down to one thing. They have a bigger wallet than most!

 

[BrightonBird]

BB

Surely Newcastle are first division.

They fill their 60,000 stadium every week, have a great history, passionate fans who are second to none and take on average between 5 and 10, 000 fans away every week.

What do you class as "big". Newcastle have only become a large team since the late 70's with Keegan. They have only become a premiership/1st division regular for the last few years. Only a top6 side in the last 3/4 seasons.

 

[JJ McClure]

Think you are being a bit harsh on Everton. They may have suffered from being average for most of recent memory but are one of the original league clubs, and have won the league and FA cup on numerous occasions.

 

[tinx]

Newcastle ar ecurrently one of the biggest clubs in the country in terms of support quality players and ground. Surely thats enough.

 

[Italiaseagull]

And what the fcuk are Everton doing so low down? They were the only team that could challenge Liverpool during the 80's. And had one ofvthe best teams of that decade. Sure they've been shit since then but have still won the league more times in the last 2 decades than Chelsea, Spurs, Newecastle etc.......

 

[Rambo]

I think we need a cut and paste from the soccerbase site - anyone?

 

[BrightonBird]

Tinx - I personally wouldn't put them on a par with Manure or Arsenal.

It all depends on what "big" is classified as. I would have thought it would have been throughout the history of the club.

 

[Rougvie]

Nice one in putting Aberdeen in Division 3 !!
A lot of people forget that Aberdeen beat The then Kings of Europe Real Madrid to win the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983.
Also beating Bayern Munich on the way there.
They then went on to win the Super Cup against Hamburg.
Now that really IS history.
Is the equivelent of Charlton winning the premiership
Shame we are SHITE now !

 

[Albion Rob]

Who are portsmouth City, bit harsh on Pompey if they are above them, they must play in the Jewson league or something.

 

[sherriffbart]

BB

newcastle have won the cup many times, in the 50's and 60's a great club not just in the last few years

 

[sherriffbart]

Pompey is Portsmouth city isn't it?

 

[BrightonBird]

BB

newcastle have won the cup many times, in the 50's and 60's a great club not just in the last few years

IMHO Newcastle are not in the same league as Manure. They were in the (what is now) 2nd division a few years ago. I am classing teams that have won many medals, been in the top flight practically every season and played (well) in Europe.

 

[SM BHAFC]

The original Big Five were Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton.

There are other big clubs due to potential being realised recently like Chelsea but you can take Arsenal or Spurs and either of them on there own have won more major trophy's than all the other London clubs including CFC put together so i think that kind of sorts out the London thing.

I would guess that in terms of success those five are still the biggest and surely this is the real barometer.

This is also true in relation to support those five are up there at the top of the support worldwide plus a few others. Once you start talking money then it is Chelsea followed by Man U, and Everton fall out of the reckoning but the rest of the original five are all still in the top 20 in Europe.