Overacheiving Football Clubs

[BenTheFox]

Since we have an underachieving thread... 

 

Pretty obvious one... Us. Given how we are a decent sized one football club city and county, I'd say we're by no means overacheiving just by being in the top flight. However, we are doing very well to be sitting in the top four. 

 

Burnley: smaller population than Nuneaton I believe. 

 

[Jimothy]

Forest Green Rovers. Tiny area in the edge of Nailsworth, which itself isn't a huge place. Comfortably in the football league, looking at promotion most seasons, talk of a new stadium.

[SemperEadem]

Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig are two main examples in Germany where clubs have just had money pumped at them.

Aue are an example in Germany where the progression is more organic. Hinckley is nearly 3 times the size of the town.

 

In fairly recent times Portsmouth and Bournemouth were massively overachieving. 

[Fox92]

Yeah, out of the top flight it's Burnley with ease. Mind you, they do have the history behind them having won the league twice.

 

Accrington at the minute too. I'd probably throw in Wycombe as well, especially if they stay in the Championship.

Edited 28 February 2021 by Fox92

[Stuntman_Mike]

12 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

Forest Green Rovers. Tiny area in the edge of Nailsworth, which itself isn't a huge place. Comfortably in the football league, looking at promotion most seasons, talk of a new stadium.

I went to their ground doing the 92 and the drive to it feels like you're going to a local county game in the arse end of nowhere. It's a complete world away from Newcastle away. Their pie choice was terrible, but I suppose that is expected from a club that makes kits from coffee waste and bamboo. 

Edited 28 February 2021 by Stuntman_Mike

[Jimothy]

5 minutes ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

I went to their ground doing the 92 and the drive to it feels like you're going to a local county game in the arse end of nowhere. It's a complete world away from Newcastle away. Their pie choice was terrible, but I suppose that is expected from a club that makes kits from coffee waste and bamboo. 

The name of the road the stadium is on is called Another Way 

[Fox92]

19 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig are two main examples in Germany where clubs have just had money pumped at them.

Aue are an example in Germany where the progression is more organic. Hinckley is nearly 3 times the size of the town.

 

In fairly recent times Portsmouth and Bournemouth were massively overachieving. 

I think Portsmouth are underachieving at the minute, being in the third tier, but they were overachieving under Redknapp all those years ago.

 

Agree Bournemouth. I'd also put Burton in there too, especially when Clough kept them in the Championship.

[Nick]

LCFC are massively overachieving comparatively in respect of gate, income, wages, draw, squad value etc...

 

And it's great.

[davieG]

Wigan in the PL and winning the FA Cup. Sure they had some money pumped in but you still have to win games.

 

Long forgotten but Oldham where one of the 'founding' members of the PL

[RowlattsFox]

If we are talking relative to size of town then Fleetwood has no right having a league 1 level club. They've been helped financially of course but the place is tiny. 

[Nalis]

54 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

Forest Green Rovers. Tiny area in the edge of Nailsworth, which itself isn't a huge place. Comfortably in the football league, looking at promotion most seasons, talk of a new stadium.

The flipside is that they are unique and could have a lot of national and international marketing potential given their values.

[Nalis]

If you are talking about the size of an area / catchment area then West Brom would be up there.

 

In terms of stature of club, Bournemouth are still punching above their weight by hovering around the championship play off places.

[Stuntman_Mike]

This thread is quite fitting seeing as one of Livingston or St Johnstone will win the Scottish Cup today.

[Fox92]

7 minutes ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

This thread is quite fitting seeing as one of Livingston or St Johnstone will win the Scottish Cup today.

It's Livingston's first final I think?

[Stuntman_Mike]

Just now, Fox92 said:

It's Livingston's first final I think?

 The BBC said they won it in 2004, which even that was their first and last final.

 

 

 

 

[Langston]

16 minutes ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

This thread is quite fitting seeing as one of Livingston or St Johnstone will win the Scottish Cup today.

 

I agree; it's the league cup final today, though.

 

Accrington seem to be going quite well down here.

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, RowlattsFox said:

If we are talking relative to size of town then Fleetwood has no right having a league 1 level club. They've been helped financially of course but the place is tiny. 

Likewise Fylde.

[bovril]

Brentford

[Leicesterpool]

It's difficult to say these days, there's lot of lower league clubs that come through non league to football league that have done well but then you realise they have quite wealthy backers. Burnley for sure considering the budget, I mean there must be championship clubs with bigger wage bill than the Clarets. Burton Albion also despite being in the bottom three of league one, how they have got where they are is unbelievable. They got to the Football League without spending big bucks, just good recruitment in players and management with a good owner. It's difficult attachment area as well in terms of a fan base.

Edited 28 February 2021 by Leicesterpool

[filbertway]

Brentford and Burton spring to mind

[BenTheFox]

On 28/02/2021 at 09:13, SemperEadem said:

Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig are two main examples in Germany where clubs have just had money pumped at them.

Aue are an example in Germany where the progression is more organic. Hinckley is nearly 3 times the size of the town.

 

In fairly recent times Portsmouth and Bournemouth were massively overachieving. 

When you consider the size of some of the cities it's remarkable how well supported and historically successful some of the german clubs. In terms of population Monchengladbach and Gelsenkirchen are both significantly smaller than Coventry. Kaiserslautern who have had success in the past is only marginally bigger than Nuneaton. 

[BenTheFox]

Wolfsburg and Leverkusen who are both associated with big companies (Volkswagen and Bayer) are both small towns as well. 

[Wymsey]

Burnley.

[CosbehFox]

On 28/02/2021 at 09:13, Facecloth said:

Forest Green Rovers. Tiny area in the edge of Nailsworth, which itself isn't a huge place. Comfortably in the football league, looking at promotion most seasons, talk of a new stadium.

To be fair though, there's a huge catchment area though - they are moving near Stroud now with the new stadium. Forest Green though like Fleetwood and Crawley are this trend of a benefactor firing them out of non-league but then it's levels off correctly in the FL when the funding alone isn't enough. 

 

It's still Bournemouth for me - as a kid they were a club which were just constantly crap fiddling around the bottom two divisions. Burton and Yeovil's respective runs to the Championship in the post-PL era are quite incredible from where they were. 

[davieG]

Coventry City Est  in 1889 didn't get to Tier 1 until 1966 under Jimmy Hill so their 34 year stay was over achieving although they spent most of that trying to avoid relegation but did win the FA Cup in 1987.