TalkSports' 30 biggest clubs in the UK

[barneygumble]

Spurs shouldn't be above us. Only two league titles so behind you go. City only above due to money so arguably behind you go to.

In terms of modern day, they're absolutely streets ahead.

Scheduled to move into a new, 62,500 seater stadium, which eclipses us on attendance, infrastructure, sight lines. Then there's the

Their squad is substantially better than ours, their owner is smarter and slyer than ours. They compete regularly in Europe, and now, the Champions League. Unfortunately, modern football is based on modern football, if we're basing success on trophies alone then Wanderers are more successful than the likes of Middlesbrough, Sunderland because they've won more trophies, which is preposterous.

Are we a big club? Undoubtedly, but the reality is, despite consistently remaining in the top flight, we've spent most of our time being perennial underachievers from 1970, to the 90s to even now. Whereas, fans will always be bias to their own team/against rivals, the reality is, we can't push on to that "big" club status until we start acting like one. One with a clear 5-10 year plan, one where we clear the deadwood directors, officials and players. A plan which sees us stop hiding in the shadows of our neighbour. A plan which makes us establish ourselves.

Is it realistic? I'd say probably not.

But we'll continue to dream.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

The 'big club' debate will never not be an entirely subjective argument. It's a crap term really.

 

[Bluedave]

Spurs shouldn't be above us. Only two league titles so behind you go. City only above due to money so arguably behind you go to.

Some of Everton's success was also due to money, remember the Moores family?

 

[Baines' left foot]

Where bigger than yous !!!!

 

[NorthernBlue]

Some of Everton's success was also due to money, remember the Moores family?

Not even in the same ball park and you know it.

 

[NorthernBlue]

In terms of modern day, they're absolutely streets ahead.

Scheduled to move into a new, 62,500 seater stadium, which eclipses us on attendance, infrastructure, sight lines. Then there's the

Their squad is substantially better than ours, their owner is smarter and slyer than ours. They compete regularly in Europe, and now, the Champions League. Unfortunately, modern football is based on modern football, if we're basing success on trophies alone then Wanderers are more successful than the likes of Middlesbrough, Sunderland because they've won more trophies, which is preposterous.

Are we a big club? Undoubtedly, but the reality is, despite consistently remaining in the top flight, we've spent most of our time being perennial underachievers from 1970, to the 90s to even now. Whereas, fans will always be bias to their own team/against rivals, the reality is, we can't push on to that "big" club status until we start acting like one. One with a clear 5-10 year plan, one where we clear the deadwood directors, officials and players. A plan which sees us stop hiding in the shadows of our neighbour. A plan which makes us establish ourselves.

Is it realistic? I'd say probably not.

But we'll continue to dream.

Are Spurs better than us. Of course they are. Streets ahead. But I don't judge the success of a team on stadium size (which is the only argument geordies have) or current squad it can only be judged on history. Also Spurs currently win nothing just like us. No one will remember the great Spurs team that that nearly won something. Time for them to step up if they want to be judged one of the big boys. Two league titles doesn't, and not one since the early 60's, quite get them in that bracket at the moment.

 

[barneygumble]

Are Spurs better than us. Of course they are. Streets ahead. But I don't judge the success of a team on stadium size (which is the only argument geordies have) or current squad it can only be judged on history. Also Spurs currently win nothing just like us. No one will remember the great Spurs team that that nearly won something. Time for them to step up if they want to be judged one of the big boys. Two league titles doesn't, and not one since the early 60's, quite get them in that bracket at the moment.

I’m saying that commercially they’re vastly superior, on the pitch they’re far superior. But we can improve. That’s fine.

Whilst I understand your point entirely, the different is, it’s March and Spurs are still having something to play for on two front and very much embroiled in a battle for top 4. The one thing that is consistent is they always challenge, and yes, they’ve hit the bar a lot recently, but they’re at least improving. Real Madrid, Juventus and Dortmund all facing spurs plight this season so far...

Meanwhile we can’t compete with Apollyon Limassol. I know it’s not based on results of one season, I get thah completely, but spurs are trying to get there and improving each season.

Legacies are built on solid foundations and whilst I don’t want any team but Everton to win silverware, I’d be fully admirable of the work Daniel Levy has done to turn spurs from similar to us 10 seasons ago to title contenders, champions league contenders and a team with a brand new money spinning stadium, which will leave us further behind.

It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes Chelsea to start work on their stadium, considering they were only cleared 6 weeks ago, considering we’ve had things in place for well over a year now. Another step behind that would seem!

 

[dholliday]

https://talksport.com/football/top-...ber-one-ranked-2017-edition-171207264732?p=26

They have us at 7th....

Being honest, we've won more league trophies than City and Spurs put together.

I'd definately have us above those two.... arguably Chelsea too.

Nah, we've been 7th-biggest for most of the Prem-era. Best-of-the-rest.

At least we were until recently...

 

[NorthernBlue]

I’m saying that commercially they’re vastly superior, on the pitch they’re far superior. But we can improve. That’s fine.

Whilst I understand your point entirely, the different is, it’s March and Spurs are still having something to play for on two front and very much embroiled in a battle for top 4. The one thing that is consistent is they always challenge, and yes, they’ve hit the bar a lot recently, but they’re at least improving. Real Madrid, Juventus and Dortmund all facing spurs plight this season so far...

Meanwhile we can’t compete with Apollyon Limassol. I know it’s not based on results of one season, I get thah completely, but spurs are trying to get there and improving each season.

Legacies are built on solid foundations and whilst I don’t want any team but Everton to win silverware, I’d be fully admirable of the work Daniel Levy has done to turn spurs from similar to us 10 seasons ago to title contenders, champions league contenders and a team with a brand new money spinning stadium, which will leave us further behind.

It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes Chelsea to start work on their stadium, considering they were only cleared 6 weeks ago, considering we’ve had things in place for well over a year now. Another step behind that would seem!

Spurs are deffo a good model to look at in terms of being able to improve and compete against the wealthy clubs. If they don't win trophies soon though they will picked apart by these clubs so will be interesting to see if they can do something this season or next.

 

[paulbefc]

I'm not going to bother reading the list.

If we move into a 60k-seater ground and sort out our squad a bit, people will instantly view us as a much bigger club than they do now, which is a bit daft.

On the Spurs thing, 9 league titles to 2 puts any discussion of club importance/success across the history of the two clubs to bed. Everton have been the bigger club over time, but right now, Spurs are certainly treated like and have the appearance a very big club (mostly due to their being in London), yet continue to win nothing other than domestic trophies very occasionally, which makes it all pretty meaningless, as football's a competitive sport.

 

[deipnosophist]

Everton is not a big club. I am a huge supporter of it, but even I don’t think it’s a big club.
I think we’re spiralling down into general irrelevance...but I will always wake up on a Sunday morning, put transistor on, and listen to football results on the BBC. I genuinely believe we’re getting relegated this season and we won’t be getting back into the PL anytime soon (terrible damage has been wrought on Everton post Moyes)...but regardless of what division we’re in, I’ll always be up on a Sunday waiting to hear Everton results.
But big club?...nah, not any more.

 

[TraffordBlue]

Spurs are a bigger club than us at the moment. But it would only be based on this era, and it would be interesting if people would say the same regarding Man City v Liverpool. Man City's ambitions, success and resources are far better than Liverpool's and their attendances are marginally higher now, and were quite a bit higher over the past 10 years. Therefore if Spurs are now bigger than us, City are bigger than the RS. That argument can't just be selective to account for history etc with some clubs, but not others.

Something that is quite interesting about Spurs is that despite having a far far better team, they are very similar to Everton in terms of underachieving in similar circumstances. If you look at their away record against Sky's 'Big 4' it is on a par with ours almost - their last win at Stamford Bridge was in 1990, they have beaten the RS once at Anfield in the last 20 years (2011). Whenever it's a crunch game in a big competition they bottle it - Chelsea Semi Final at Wembley last season for example. They had a big test against Juventus last night and failed.

They just about have 2 League Cup wins in the last 20 years, their most recent being in 2008, ten years ago. They have made huge progress but until they start winning things, they are fighting it out with the RS for the 'best of the rest' outside of the Big 4 of City, Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal with the latter 2 still winning trophies regularly even when having poorer league seasons which is something both Spurs and the RS can't do.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Maybe we’d be a bigger club if we started winning stuff?

 

[artetas_biggest_fan]

The top three has always been the case. Three most successful and the three biggest fanbases in England. The rest are disputable and highly subjective. Celtic would match United and the RS when it comes to fanbase, they have won the European Cup, the club has an aura, but being in the SPL they are handicapped. I’d rank them 3rd if they were in the Prem.

Spurs being in London has to be factored in. London has also given Chelsea a leg up. Bigger catchment area of fans and also advantageous from a commercial standpoint. United and the RS have fans throughout the country so they don’t lose out on that, plus their names being international they don’t lose out commercially.

To use a cliche Leeds are a sleeping giant. A rich history, and one that is recent, the only club in a major city which they are named after. They could easily be top 7 if they sorted themselves out.

 

[TraffordBlue]

To use a cliche Leeds are a sleeping giant. A rich history, and one that is recent, the only club in a major city which they are named after. They could easily be top 7 if they sorted themselves out.

They are, but are also overrated by the 30-60 generation because of 2 successful periods.

They have spent only 50 of their 92 years as a top-flight club and loads of older fans big them up based on the 2 periods I mention. They're a nothing club now. Been down for 16 years with no sign of coming back up, have never averaged over 40K once in their history either.

Their successes in the 60's/70's are no more impressive to me than Wolves' in the 50's or Huddersfield's in the 1920's.