Underacheiving Football Clubs

[BenTheFox]

I was driving through Bradford a few weeks ago on the way to a job I had to do in North Yorkshire and I found it remarkable how such a big city is currently being represented in the fourth tier. I know they're geographically very close to Leeds and they have a traditionally successful rugby league club, but even so they should definitely be higher up the pyramid. Who do you think is underachieving? It could be based on current playing squad and finances or geographical location and circumstances. 

[Alf Bentley]

Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Coventry City.... 

[Alf Bentley]

More seriously, the SW has under-achieved long-term.

 

Plymouth is not much smaller than Leicester and Bristol is a fair bit bigger.

[BenTheFox]

2 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

More seriously, the SW has under-achieved long-term.

 

Plymouth is not much smaller than Leicester and Bristol is a fair bit bigger.

Bristol is a pretty obvious one, you're right. I know rugby union is very popular in the south-west, but Bristol haven't been represented in the top flight in my life time. In fact, have they ever?

[Alf Bentley]

2 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

Bristol is a pretty obvious one, you're right. I know rugby union is very popular in the south-west, but Bristol haven't been represented in the top flight in my life time. In fact, have they ever?

 

Bristol City spent a couple of seasons in the top tier in the late 70s, as I recall?

 

Edit: In top tier 1976-80 (checked Wiki)

Edited 10 February 2021 by Alf Bentley

[RoboFox]

Newcastle. Large city population, huge fanbase, one of the bigger stadiums, fanatical love of the game in the area. 

 

With better ownership they could - and probably should - be challenging for the top six.

 

3 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

Plymouth is not much smaller than Leicester and Bristol is a fair bit bigger.

Was my first thought. It's on of the biggest cities in the country, yet neither club has achieved anything near the prominence the population would suggest in decades.

[BenTheFox]

Just now, Alf Bentley said:

 

Bristol City spent a couple of seasons in the top tier in the late 70s, as I recall?

Oh really? Still a very poor showing given the size of the city. 

[filbertway]

Sunderland are probably the biggest underachievers atm. To not even be in the championship with their recent history and ability to draw in crowds of 40k+ is mental.

[peach0000]

York is one I always find a little bizarre. Surely there's potential there!

[BenTheFox]

I'm gonna throw Birmingham City into the mix. Granted there are a lot of cubs in that area and Aston Villa have had success in the past, but they carry the name of England's second city and are based more or less in the city centre, yet they've spent most of their existence outside of the top flight and have only won two league cups in their history.

[peach0000]

Just now, BenTheFox said:

I'm gonna throw Birmingham City into the mix. Granted there are a lot of cubs in that area and Aston Villa have had success in the past, but they carry the name of England's second city and are based more or less in the city centre, yet they've spent most of their existence outside of the top flight and have only won two league cups in their history.

I was just about the right the same. Very conceivably Birmingham and Villa could be like Man Utd and Man City with the size of the city. Definitely should have one in the 'big six'

[Langston]

I don't know if it's based in anything but I've always thought Stockport have potential to be consistently upper half League One / Bottom Champ – in that Rotherham / Barnsley bracket. They're definitely underachieving as it is.

[Fox92]

I'd say West Ham are underachievers histortically. All those players they've produced from their academy and the club have never won a top flight title!?

 

Nowadays I think Sunderland are underachiving. I can't believe they're a third tier side.

 

I always hope for Bradford in the FA Cup though because I've never been to Valley Parade I think the last time we played them must be 02/03, because that was the first season I started going regular and only did a handful of away games but Bradford wasn't one of them. I don't think we've played them since.

[Wymsey]

Bolton and Wrexham. 

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, peach0000 said:

York is one I always find a little bizarre. Surely there's potential there!

Just too close to the Leeds orbit again. That or being too close to the Sheffield clubs is the problem for most other Yorkshire sides (and the popualrity of rugby league in some of those places).

 

Plymouth became the biggest city never to host top flight football after Hull got promoted a few years ago. I'd also argue Preston are up there given they haven't played top flight football for 60 years while any other similar-sized club nearby has on at least one occasion.

[David Guiza]

Port Vale always seem like they should be higher up the pyramid; I believe their ground was built as the 'Wembley of the North' or something similar.

 

As mentioned above, Plymouth and Bristol should be doing more given respective city size. Obvious ones like Wednesday, Pompey, Sunderland etc are all in lower divisions than their history warrants. 

Edited 10 February 2021 by David Guiza

[peach0000]

9 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

Just too close to the Leeds orbit again. That or being too close to the Sheffield clubs is the problem for most other Yorkshire sides (and the popualrity of rugby league in some of those places).

 

Plymouth became the biggest city never to host top flight football after Hull got promoted a few years ago. I'd also argue Preston are up there given they haven't played top flight football for 60 years while any other similar-sized club nearby has on at least one occasion.

I can understand them being on the smaller side but National League North. I'd expect them to have a championship/league one standard club at least. Should be able to pull 20k in a city that size.

[SemperEadem]

Wednesday

Plymouth

West Ham

Peterborough possibly on the size of place and catchment area.
 

[bovril]

Being totally objective, Forest. Incredible for a club of that size that they've spent 22 years out of the top flight. I heard they won the European Cup twice (can anyone confirm this?) so for them to be languishing hopelessly in the 2nd tier is quite pathetic really. 

[bovril]

4 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Wednesday

Plymouth

West Ham

Peterborough possibly on the size of place and catchment area.
 

Peterborough and Plymouth have never been big clubs with large, passionate fan bases. It's like saying Worcester is a sleeping giant. 

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, peach0000 said:

I was just about the right the same. Very conceivably Birmingham and Villa could be like Man Utd and Man City with the size of the city. Definitely should have one in the 'big six'

Problem with Birmingham is that you probably have little scope or attract fans within the city. The population pool of football fans isn’t that large. Villa fans seem to always be from the surroundings like Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, Bromsgrove etc. Bloos in that sense feel like the city club a bit more. A lot of people living in Birmingham is similar to London in the sense they moved here for work. 
 

Bristol is split by clubs and rugby. Throw in that it’s surrounding areas are well off and prefer Bath, Gloucester or Bristol in the Union. 
 

Bradford’s history is lousy unlike their RL counterparts but both clubs are utterly fcuked at the mo. They are in that Leeds bubble aswell. No reason they couldn’t be at the same level as Barnsley. 
 

Generally think football clubs settle about right once in the professional ranks. There are however numerous larger towns which baffle why they don’t have decent non league clubs - albeit a lot of stems where they’ve lost their original ground and remained marooned outside of their town 

[SemperEadem]

6 minutes ago, bovril said:

Peterborough and Plymouth have never been big clubs with large, passionate fan bases. It's like saying Worcester is a sleeping giant. 

Granted but they do look to have the catchment area to have a potentially bigger fanbase.

[CosbehFox]

33 minutes ago, peach0000 said:

I can understand them being on the smaller side but National League North. I'd expect them to have a championship/league one standard club at least. Should be able to pull 20k in a city that size.

York’s too posh - with huge ties to Leeds. They only took 9k to the playoff final they were promoted at it in 2012/13. 

[CosbehFox]

3 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Granted but they do look to have the catchment area to have a potentially bigger fanbase.

Problem with Peterborough and Plymouth is how poorly linked they are to that population though.
 

Plymouth personally I think do well and would push on even further if they were as high as they were in the second tier with Holloway. I’ve been there when they pulled in nearly 10k, third division with a stand out of use playing York who brought about 80 fans 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

13 minutes ago, bovril said:

Being totally objective, Forest. Incredible for a club of that size that they've spent 22 years out of the top flight. I heard they won the European Cup twice (can anyone confirm this?) so for them to be languishing hopelessly in the 2nd tier is quite pathetic really. 

"A club of their size" what a completely unremarkable football club that had a whirlwind 5 year spell under a generational manager, who since then have returned to their second tier, unremarkable setting? Absolute myth of a football club.