Welcome to today's fun time who we bigger than debate

First up...

Birmingham City.

Yay or Nay.

All round gut feeling is the key. 

22 minutes ago, gonzo said:

You ask a 100 footy fans all over country who are bigger, Bolton or Blackburn I reckon it'd be 50/50

if you'd have asked 100 footy fans in 1995, 100 would have said blackburn. 

we been much different since? probably not 

they even played in europe the same year we last did, which completely passed me by

 

52 minutes ago, Roger_Dubuis said:

Bolton spend too much time in the 3rd and 4th Division to be considered bigger than Blackburn

We’ve only done 4 years in div 4. And we’ve done more seasons in the top flight. I’ve no doubt we are a bigger club, mainly because of our fan base. 

Edited March 19, 20242 yr by Mounts Kipper

9 minutes ago, L/H White said:

if you'd have asked 100 footy fans in 1995, 100 would have said blackburn. 

we been much different since? probably not 

they even played in europe the same year we last did, which completely passed me by

 

No they wouldn't. 

Same as most still wouldn't say City are bigger than United.

What are you not grasping about this game Ryan?

7 minutes ago, L/H White said:

if you'd have asked 100 footy fans in 1995, 100 would have said blackburn. 

we been much different since? probably not 

they even played in europe the same year we last did, which completely passed me by

 

Bolton & Blackburn are both bigger than Burnley. If you asked 100 fans today who's bigger I reckon Burnley would still be below both. 

1 minute ago, Underpants said:

Bolton & Blackburn are both bigger than Burnley. If you asked 100 fans today who's bigger I reckon Burnley would still be below both. 

I agree, there is no doubt BWFC the biggest club in the NW outside of the big 4 city clubs. 

3 minutes ago, gonzo said:

No they wouldn't. 

Same as most still wouldn't say City are bigger than United.

What are you not grasping about this game Ryan?

I just like to come from the other side bruv

11 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

I agree, there is no doubt BWFC the biggest club in the NW outside of the big 4 city clubs. 

Too close to call between us and Rovers.

Edited March 19, 20242 yr by Underpants

Man Utd

Liverpool

City

Everton

Bolton / Blackburn

Burnley / Preston / Blackpool

Wigan

Stockport

Rochdale / Oldham

Accrington Stanley

 

I’d put us ahead of Blackburn on crowds alone tbh 

I'd say we are bigger than Blackburn but not by very much.

They are the club most alike us size wise in the 92

I would put both us and Burnley ahead of Blackburn. I think the capacity of Turf Moor disguises just how big Burnley's support actually is. Would still put ourselves a bit ahead of Burnley though.

1 hour ago, Popeye doyle said:

I suppose it comes down to big crowds or lots of trophies.

The giants in the game have both.

For me, I’d prefer the trophies, they create memories and go in the record books for ever.

I’m still hoping I’ll see the Whites lift a League cup or even better an FA cup before I shuffle off.

TBH I think I'd settle for seeing anyone winning one of the cups other than the Big 6 before I shuffle off 😀

Maybe Coventry this year?  No, me neither.

6 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

TBH I think I'd settle for seeing anyone winning one of the cups other than the Big 6 before I shuffle off 😀

Maybe Coventry this year?  No, me neither.

I get you, but I’m old enough to remember the lesser clubs winning things and it was better imo than the usual teams winning comps year in, year out. A Forest or Derby or Wimbledon coming to the fore for a one season wonder or a few seasons was good for the punters and gave every fan hope.

I’m not even going there on who the big six are. 😉

41 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

Man Utd

Liverpool

City

Everton

Bolton / Blackburn

Burnley / Preston / Blackpool

Wigan

Stockport

Rochdale / Oldham

Accrington Stanley

 

That shows how things can change over the generations.

In the 70s, 80s, 90s nobody would put Oldham below Wigan or Stockport.  I always thought them at least the size of Blackpool, and looked upto them in the 80s and most of 90s from our lowly position.  

And Blackpool never the same size as PNE/Burnley, always a rung below them for crowd size in my experience.  Stockport were tiny in the 80s, I went there many times with less than 2k on (Friday nights) when they always seemed to be fighting relegation from div 4.  Its only since they've returned to the EFL that they have become a "big" lower league club.

1 minute ago, Popeye doyle said:

I get you, but I’m old enough to remember the lesser clubs winning things and it was better imo than the usual teams winning comps year in, year out. A Forest or Derby or Wimbledon coming to the fore for a one season wonder or a few seasons was good for the punters and gave every fan hope.

I’m not even going there on who the big six are. 😉

Big 6 was just a cliche, I don't know who they are, just meant its always the same teams in the final, taking it in turns.  

I'm the same as you, loved the mix of who could get to the final in a given year, now its not going to happen, and even if it did (eg Coventry v City final) it would probably be a non event, one sided game because of the gap in quality, not a game to be relished like eg 2nd division Southampton beating Man U in 76 or Wimbledon/Coventry wins in the 80s.  And I know a small local team won it 11 years ago, but I'd rather forget that...

1 hour ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

Man Utd

Liverpool

City

Everton

Bolton / Blackburn

Burnley / Preston / Blackpool

Wigan

Stockport

Rochdale / Oldham

Accrington Stanley

 

Wigan below Stockport and possibly Rochdale and Oldham.

A skidmark of a club

Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world no matter what any Man U or Blyth Spartans fan says.

Edited March 19, 20242 yr by Underpants

12 minutes ago, batton carrier said:

Wigan below Stockport and possibly Rochdale and Oldham.

A skidmark of a club

It's a comforting thought but I'm afraid their FA Cup win and Premier League spell elevate them

Historically perhaps, but taking into account the last couple of decades, then I think they're above them

4 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

It's a comforting thought but I'm afraid their FA Cup win and Premier League spell elevate them

Historically perhaps, but taking into account the last couple of decades, then I think they're above them

But they won the FA Cup/got in the Premier based on having a rich benefactor and that's not to underestimate the achievement at the time.  But if the broken legged one lived in Stockport, it would have been them with that opportunity, and Wigan might still be playing at Springfield Park in front of 4k. (I've not forgotten the role Eddie Davies played for us, but we did have a history of mainly top 2 divisions). 

Bournemouth sum up how the position of a team in the pyramid has no bearing on size of club (IMO).   

1 hour ago, Mounts Kipper said:

I agree, there is no doubt BWFC the biggest club in the NW outside of the big 4 city clubs. 

Definitely. When it comes to the "massive" league PNE, Burnley & Blackburn are one tier below us, Wigan and Blackpool two tiers below, the rest significantly below.

I'd put Brum in with the PNE group as well, one tier below us. No stats - they just seem like perennial mid/lower table championship as their natural place, whereas I imagine us naturally being top end championship/low end prem on alternating seasons.

53 minutes ago, Underpants said:

Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world no matter what any Man U or Blyth Spartans fan says.

100%. I've got them 2nd though, just in front of Barca and Bayern.

A big club would serve draught Guinness in the hospitality bars rather than that canned shite at £6 a pop.

Blackburn are marginally bigger than us, although their attendances are embarrassing, and take away the last thirty years, I’d put us above them.
A PL and League Cup in that time goes against us.

Can’t believe any sane Bolton fan thinks Birmingham are bigger than us. We’re bigger than them in every conceivable way.

A lot of theories come down to potential?!
Fuck off.

Their highest ever finish is 6th.

They get less home fans than us in the league above. 

We’ve had 16 more seasons in the top flight.

More PL seasons.

4 FA Cups to 0. 

Lofthouse, Okocha, Djorkaeff, Anelka, Hierro, Campo, Nakata. Who have they got? Trevor Francis and Bellingham?

Smallest football league club in that area (discounting Walsall). Villa, Wolves and West Brom all bigger than them and us.

Coventry perhaps bigger than Birmingham too. Not bigger than us though.

The only argument Birmingham have over us is cup win a recent times. And a lucky league cup win at that.
And if you’re gonna count that against us, Wigan won the FA cup ffs.

4 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

We’ve only done 4 years in div 4. And we’ve done more seasons in the top flight. I’ve no doubt we are a bigger club, mainly because of our fan base. 

Did I miss 2? 🤔

4 hours ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

Man Utd

Liverpool

City

Everton

Bolton / Blackburn

Burnley / Preston / Blackpool

Wigan

Stockport

Rochdale / Oldham

Accrington Stanley

 

Man Utd

Liverpool

City

Everton

Bolton 

Blackburn/Burnley / Preston / Blackpool

Wigan/Bury/Stockport/Tranmere/Oldham

Rochdale 

Accrington Stanley

Morecambe

Fleetwood

Salford 

Crazy number of clubs in NW. 19? Any more? Makes our status even more impressive.