Brighton have a bigger identity than London clubs

[Working class pride]

Leyton Orient. Why else would you support them, if it wasn't your area?

Classic example are the O's. Yes they have local supporters (I know a few) but they will say that the area just doesn't look to the O's. Even big clubs like West Ham have local fans but the area doesnt really look to West Ham United. Non football fans wouldnt give them a second thought even if they got to the Cup final. Same for Chelsea. If the Albion got back to the Cup final it would be a real Sussex event, not just an event for die hard Albion fans.

 

[Working class pride]

That's a rather outlandish comment when you are judging how people feel about their local club whom they don't support. All London clubs have a natural area (bar Arsenal) and will have a strong identity. They will even stretch in to neighbluring territories.

I think you are pointing out that some clubs have a green belt (or at least some greenery) between them and their nearest club. It's geographical.

Actually mate, Arsenal have one of the biggest local identity that Ive seen in London. Crosses over with the North London Irish, community but again its not the point I'm making, see the post about Orient.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I know of a Brighton and Hove Albion first team manager who doesn't even look at the league table!

Now that made me laugh, very good I'm still sniggering away.... Class

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Actually mate, Arsenal have one of the biggest local identity that Ive seen in London. Crosses over with the North London Irish, community but again its not the point I'm making, see the post about Orient.

It was a churlish point that they should have a massive fanbase in Woolwich. I still fail to see the point - I'm probably being dense - but we have definitive areas of support due to geography. They have definitive areas of support due to geography and further than that.

 

[Working class pride]

It was a churlish point that they should have a massive fanbase in Woolwich. I still fail to see the point - I'm probably being dense - but we have definitive areas of support due to geography. They have definitive areas of support due to geography and further than that.

Read the post about The O's. Explains it

 

[sir albion]

I would suspect that london being full of foreigners is the reason why...far to multi cultural to worry about football around those parts.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Read the post about The O's. Explains it

It's geographical then. A city or town with a single professional football team. I'm not quite sure what is so ground breaking about your observation.

 

[Working class pride]

I would suspect that london being full of foreigners is the reason why...far to multi cultural to worry about football around those parts.

Not really. I know non English people in Sussex and all have an awareness and even a soft spot for the Albion

 

[Working class pride]

It's geographical then. A city or town with a single professional football team. I'm not quite sure what is so ground breaking about your observation.

I'm not saying it is groundbreaking, its a simple observation that you initially described as outlandish as you didnt get the point and now you describe as not groundbreaking now that you have worked it out!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I'm not saying it is groundbreaking, its a simple observation that you initially described as outlandish as you didnt get the point and now you describe as not groundbreaking now that you have worked it out!

I'm just a bit surprised that this even warrants a thread. Isolated communities have a footballing identity and those in close urban areas do not.

 

[Eeyore]

I think it's easy to forget that there is a much higher density of population within the London boroughs even though the geographical area we have may seem wider. Other club's identities are just as strong. I'm not convinced the 'catchment area' arguments are that watertight.

 

[Monkey Man]

I can see the point that WCP is making and I agree to a point, but the argument breaks down a bit with Brighton itself.

The city is absolutely teeming with people who have moved in from other parts of the country - very often from London but also further afield, often because they came here for uni and stayed. So we have an unusually large percentage of "locals" who don't have any particular affinity with the county of Sussex or the football team that has traditionally represented it.

 

[Working class pride]

I'm just a bit surprised that this even warrants a thread. Isolated communities have a footballing identity and those in close urban areas do not.

thats not right either. Sheffield is not isolated but the communities look to their clubs. Pompey is right next door to Saints ect ect. I actually think its because there is more going on in London and agree with the density of population point put by someone else as well

 

[sir albion]

Not really. I know non English people in Sussex and all have an awareness and even a soft spot for the Albion

The point is that in the days gone by you would have a strong hold of of families in places like the eastend etc and yes white english.Most have moved out and now you don't get that local identity anymore in london.

Yes you get foreigners who take an interest,but that's irrelivan when you're talking about decades of die hard local fans in the community who made that area what it was.Lets not kid ourselves and hideaway from the fact this is the reason why London clubs have lost their identity.

 

[Working class pride]

I can see the point that WCP is making and I agree to a point, but the argument breaks down a bit with Brighton itself.

The city is absolutely teeming with people who have moved in from other parts of the country - very often from London but also further afield, often because they came here for uni and stayed. So we have an unusually large percentage of "locals" who don't have any particular affinity with the county of Sussex or the football team that has traditionally represented it.

Maybe with central Brighton but not the greater Brighton area such as Portslade, whitehawk, ect

 

[Working class pride]

The point is that in the days gone by you would have a strong hold of of families in places like the eastend etc and yes white english.Most have moved out and now you don't get that local identity anymore in london.

Yes you get foreigners who take an interest,but that's irrelivan when you're talking about decades of die hard local fans in the community who made that area what it was.Lets not kid ourselves and hideaway from the fact this is the reason why London clubs have lost their identity.

I dont agree, the fans have changed a bit. You will get Polish at West Ham and wealthy international types at Chelsea. But they are the locals now. It doesnt change the point that the area community doesnt look to the club. I think its because London is too fast moving for it

 

[Grombleton]

I'm just a bit surprised that this even warrants a thread. Isolated communities have a footballing identity and those in close urban areas do not.

That was my thought when I opened the thread - places with denser populations and more professional clubs per mile means that it'll always be a case. If it turned out that Pompey (lol), us and Crawley all gained top flight status (or championship at least) then we'd see more of it in Sussex. Until then, it's unlikely.

 

[beorhthelm]

possibly the dafted thread on NSC ever.

Yes Millwall still do quite well in some areas, but even that's changed. You can be in deepest Millwall area and nobody supports them or even know about them these days because some of the Millwall areas are so international and wealthy these days. Probably 90% of Canary Wharf area have never even thought about Millwall these days. When Brighton had that game against Hereford car hooters sounded as non league games in Sussex and even non football fans were interested.

Millwall FC move out of the geography of Millwall many generations ago, so that area's demographic changes are not entirely relevent. Living in SE1 at the the time of Millwall's FA Cup, the high streets and the shopping centre at Surrey Quays were a ghost town, and every pub heaving, except the Surrey Docks 'spoonies (no TV). living in nieghbouring SE8 at the time of Millwall's Autoglass trophy day out it was clearly a big deal for the locals with flags and colours everywhere. with some exception for Chelsea (which does seem to have a disconnect from its surrounding area), i dont think any of the London clubs are not strongly rooted in and identified with their locality.

 

[Working class pride]

I'm just a bit surprised that this even warrants a thread. Isolated communities have a footballing identity and those in close urban areas do not.

So you have gone from 1. Disagreeing to 2. Agreeing ..to now 3. Surprised its a thread ! Also see my point about Sheffield, or pompey or Saints. Its not a geography thing but agreed isolated towns like Brighton and Plymouth have a natural advantage

 

[Working class pride]

possibly the dafted thread on NSC ever.



Millwall FC move out of the geography of Millwall many generations ago, so that area's demographic changes are not entirely relevent. Living in SE1 at the the time of Millwall's FA Cup, the high streets and the shopping centre at Surrey Quays were a ghost town, and every pub heaving, except the Surrey Docks 'spoonies (no TV). living in nieghbouring SE8 at the time of Millwall's Autoglass trophy day out it was clearly a big deal for the locals with flags and colours everywhere. with some exception for Chelsea (which does seem to have a disconnect from its surrounding area), i dont think any of the London clubs are not strongly rooted in and identified with their locality.

Yes but The Island is still a Millwall area with some Millwall fans but agree that Millwall are a special case. Look at the post about Orient as a classic example or the comments from the guy from Middlesex. Its an observation that others have made (London club fans who live here) as well. Its not just Geography its the pace of London as well. So much going on. Also that Auto Windscreen was what 15 years ago now (I was in London as well at the time and uyes it was a big day for Millwall). Not sure it would be now. Bermondsey for example is changing very fast, as is Surrey Quays.