Norwich a big club - get real !

[Taxing 0]

This is one of those fatuous debates whcih rears its ugly head from time to time. A pointless issue as far as I am concerned but here it is again. Of course we are not a big club, we are a mighty fine club and one which I will always back to the hilt because it''s in my blood.............. but a big club ? Of course not. In any case, who cares ? What does "big" mean ? Does it always mean better ? I think not. However, as most people on this MB recognise big clubs include Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and so on. Clubs our size include West Brom, West Ham, Birmingham, Ipswich etc. To quote from the Fast Show : as simple as that.

[James Kent 0]

Well that applies that it all comes down to stadium size, which is wrong.  Norwich have city status status, training facilties to rival any premiership club as well as facilities.  Also when we finished 3rd in the premiership were we still a small club, I think not.  I''m sorry but I don''t agree any side that can get 24,000 fans every week when you are in the bottom 3 is a massive club.

[can u sit down please 0]

Interesting debate this. But what does make a big club?

* History? Current performance?

* Fan base/Attendance?

* Money?

* League?

People say catchment area. Well Plymouth and Carlisle are in the arse end of nowhere, does that make them big?

Its an ongoing argument in my local! If we are a big club i suppose we would be looking at fan base. That would make us a top 16 club.(ish). But again comparing that to the the so called big boys its tiny.

[Shifty Sid 0]

I''ve had this argument with an Ipswich-supporting mate of mine.  On history Ipswich are the bigger club, on stadium and facilities, Norwich are.  On fan base, it''s contentious.  Yes we have a higher avaerage attendance but that''s distorted by having 20,000 season ticket holders who will always turn up because they have already paid.  Ipswich don''t have as many season ticket holders but you could argue their stadium holds 32,000 so you don''t have to be a season ticket holder just to get to a game, they have the luxury of picking and chosing.  On the subject of what defines a big club, ask yourselves this - which is the bigger club, Leeds United or Wigan Athletic? I think you have to factor in everything, fan base, stadium capacity, facilities, turnover, league status, etc etc.  It''s a difficult one.

[ellis206 0]

 Leeds is a much bigger club than Wigan, Leeds is still one of the biggest clubs in the country, there team just isn''t as good as others, Norwich is a massive club, it is known worldwide, we have one of the biggest fan bases in the country (13th biggest i think it was) and we have sold out our stadium for the last 6 years just about. Ipswich still can''t seem to attract more than 23k at there stadium and they are doing well. We have a bigger fan base than most of the premiership teams.

[Desi Rascall 0]

i think at the end of the day,teams have to play for the right to be considered a big club,back in the eighties teams like Brum,wolves,chelsea and newcastle were considered "sleeping giants" teams whose footballing pedegree and fanbase belied their teams performance and (mostly) second tier status.

I think the same could the same be applied to Norwich at mo, so are Norwich currently a big club? i don''t think so.

Could they be again? In the very near future,i very much hope so.

Thats why i believe there will be no meaningless fixtures between now and the end of the season,we have the badge and the pride to play for.

 

OTBC

[lucky green trainers 0]

get back to what you do best - ''bashing''!

[Desi Rascall 0]

[quote user="lucky green trainers"]get back to what you do best - ''bashing''!
[/quote]

 

????- I think you are doing enough of that for the both of us.

[Steve H 0]

If it''s a pointless issue why raise it?

[Mr.Carrow 376]

[quote user="The Bishop"]This is one of those fatuous debates whcih rears its ugly head from time to time. A pointless issue as far as I am concerned but here it is again. Of course we are not a big club, we are a mighty fine club and one which I will always back to the hilt because it''s in my blood.............. but a big club ? Of course not. In any case, who cares ? What does "big" mean ? Does it always mean better ? I think not. However, as most people on this MB recognise big clubs include Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and so on. Clubs our size include West Brom, West Ham, Birmingham, Ipswich etc. To quote from the Fast Show : as simple as that.[/quote]

I know where you`re coming from and there`s nothing more annoying than those Wolves/scum/Sheff.U. fans you come across who bang on about being sleeping giants, massive clubs, look at the history blah, blah. I`d never want City fans to be like that, but then equally annoying are the many City fans i have met who have a massive inferiority complex and view the club as "little Norwich from the country" striving against the odds against hordes of bigger clubs. They seem to treat the fact we attract far bigger crowds than most of our competitors as some kind of unfathomable anomaly. And yes i do include Delia and the board in that group.

We clearly have a larger,more loyal support than many clubs who are supposedly bigger than us and more importantly, we obviously have the catchment area and potential to grow further. We have a right to "think big" for the future (i mean becoming an established Prem side), clubs like Watford-whilst i admire their ambition-are kidding themselves.

[lucky green trainers 0]

[quote user=" Desi Rascall"]

[quote user="lucky green trainers"]get back to what you do best - ''bashing''![/quote]

 

????- I think you are doing enough of that for the both of us.

[/quote]my comment was humerously aimed at the bish dessie, not yourgoodself!!!

[Fife Canary 0]

I remember reading a report (The Times I think) which conducted a study 2/3 years ago where a number of factors were taken into account to decide what constitues a big club - average gates, total different number of supporters attending, relative success etc.

Out of all British clubs (Celtic and Rangers were in the top 5 incidentally) Norwich City were 15th.

In my book that makes us a ''big club''

[Desi Rascall 0]

[quote user="lucky green trainers"][quote user=" Desi Rascall"]

[quote user="lucky green trainers"]get back to what you do best - ''bashing''!
[/quote]

 

????- I think you are doing enough of that for the both of us.

[/quote]

my comment was humerously aimed at the bish dessie, not yourgoodself!!!
[/quote]

My appologies,

Utterly gutted about todays result.

Think Glen is discovering the Achillies heel of the current set up, [b]The Small Squad Syndrome[/b]

[Taxing 0]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

[quote user="The Bishop"]This is one of those fatuous debates whcih rears its ugly head from time to time. A pointless issue as far as I am concerned but here it is again. Of course we are not a big club, we are a mighty fine club and one which I will always back to the hilt because it''s in my blood.............. but a big club ? Of course not. In any case, who cares ? What does "big" mean ? Does it always mean better ? I think not. However, as most people on this MB recognise big clubs include Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle and so on. Clubs our size include West Brom, West Ham, Birmingham, Ipswich etc. To quote from the Fast Show : as simple as that.[/quote]

I know where you`re coming from and there`s nothing more annoying than those Wolves/scum/Sheff.U. fans you come across who bang on about being sleeping giants, massive clubs, look at the history blah, blah. I`d never want City fans to be like that, but then equally annoying are the many City fans i have met who have a massive inferiority complex and view the club as "little Norwich from the country" striving against the odds against hordes of bigger clubs. They seem to treat the fact we attract far bigger crowds than most of our competitors as some kind of unfathomable anomaly. And yes i do include Delia and the board in that group.

We clearly have a larger,more loyal support than many clubs who are supposedly bigger than us and more importantly, we obviously have the catchment area and potential to grow further. We have a right to "think big" for the future (i mean becoming an established Prem side), clubs like Watford-whilst i admire their ambition-are kidding themselves.

[/quote]

I agree that by any standard Norwich City supporters are definitely in the top quartile of the most loyal in the country if measured by attendance/capacity ratio but if you add in the "constantly being let down but keep turning up in droves" factor then we must be the most loyal in the country. Easy to turn up every other week when your team is currently or always successful or on a winning run but when fans such as Norwich supporters experience years of utter, disembowelling, constant disappointment but still fill the ground you have got to hand it to them. I say "them" because I live so far from Norfolk now that I only manage to attend a few away/home games a season. The funny thing is I still haven''t got over the numbing disappointment of the "prudence with ambition" policy which saw Crouch go to Soton for £2M when he should have been retained at Norwich and relegation for the Premier at the first attempt ! Ah well, you can''t keep raking over hot coals even though the flipping people who put them are still stoking the stove.   

 

[we8wba 0]

norwich are no bigger than sheffutd, wolves, wba, sheff weds, saints, coventry nor are they bigger than you

we are all basically the big boys outside of the prem, but put us near the prem and we would all prob end up like derby this season

[gazzathegreat 0]

So if you are promoted We8 you don''t fancy your chances of survival? It''s very tough now unless you have a benefactor with deep pockets agreed.

[Ingi 0]

the main thing which determines a big club is - FAN BASE. Newcastle are a massive club but havent won anything in years.

[we8wba 0]

[quote user="gazzathegreat"]So if you are promoted We8 you don''t fancy your chances of survival? It''s very tough now unless you have a benefactor with deep pockets agreed.[/quote]

all honestly no, unless we spend big, then look at sunderland spent 30m+ n they just about staying afloat, be nice to be in prem n compete but sometimes i wonder if its better being

a big fish in the small pond instead of small fish in the big pond

[Shaun Lawson 0]

Purely in my (inevitably subjective) opinion, taking into account

fanbase, potential, money, history, trophies won etc, here''s a top 30

in terms of club size. People are, of course, entirely free to disagree!

1. Manchester United

2. Liverpool

3. Arsenal

4. Chelsea

5. Newcastle United

6. Tottenham Hotspur

7. Manchester City

8. Aston Villa

9. Everton

10. Leeds United

11. Wolverhampton Wanderers

12. Sunderland

13. Birmingham City

14. Sheffield Wednesday

15. West Ham United

16. Derby County

17. Middlesbrough

18. West Bromwich Albion

19. Nottingham Forest

20. Sheffield United

21. Portsmouth

22. Bolton Wanderers

23. Blackburn Rovers

24. Leicester City

25. Norwich City

26. Southampton

27. Ipswich Town

28. Burnley

29. Stoke City

30. Coventry City

[corbs 0]

We are a medium sized provincial club with a strong fan base. Although we have commanded some respect, and are generally well liked, alot of Supporters from the Urban conurbations and Industrial (or Ex Industrial) Cities do look at us as ''country cousins'' in a condescending way. Norfolk do different!