Wolves bigger than Albion?

[cannockwolves]

I had an argument today with an Albion fan. I am sure we have all had some grief since thay have made the prem, and yes they have the money, prem status, and fair play to them, but as i pointed out last season we had the higher average attendance (23,498 v 22,311) and we were the opposition when three teams secured their highest attendances - suggesting we are the better draw.

when you consider the huge difference in the standard of the football at the two grounds last year it goes to show how we do have numerical supremacey - if we had won the league you would have expected an average pushing 25k not the 22k the Albion acheived.

My only concern is that the longer they stay in the prem the harder it will be to keep local kids from the darkside

 

[The Professional]

As much as I am loathed to say it, we aren't a bigger club any more than the $$$$e. Blouse are also, in modern times, nudging ahead in financial terms.

We are, though, the pride of the Black Country- and always will be.

 

[Redditch Wolves]

The judgement on a bigger football club is based on many things such as attendance, fan base, history etc etc so looking at it in that way we are second biggest club in the Midlands

 

[PeteWolf]

No question that we're still the bigger club overall, but in the past 5-6 years they've all but closed what was a huge and noticable gap in the late 90s.

 

[Visage Wolf]

There's no single definition of 'bigger', so there's no definitive answer.

So there's no $$$$ing point wasting an ounce of breath on this so-called 'debate', quite frankly.

 

[The Professional]

So there's no $$$ point wasting an ounce of breath on this so-called 'debate', quite frankly.

Then why did you- you tedious ********.

 

[simmo]

This will be Wolves 19th out of the last 20 seasons in this godforsaken division. Fact is, even the likes of Fulham, Wigan and Bolton are bigger clubs than Wolves these days.

 

[Wolv3nsam]

Depends what defines a club as 'big'.

 

[Tettenhallian]

Albion have throughout their existence always been a small club masquerading as a big one. It's a fact of football life. Just get over it, Tescos.

 

[PeteWolf]

This will be Wolves 19th out of the last 20 seasons in this godforsaken division. Fact is, even the likes of Fulham, Wigan and Bolton are bigger clubs than Wolves these days.

This has been done to death, but better team does not equal bigger club. Wigan are pathetic in comparison. Smaller stadium, smaller fanbase, smaller average attendance all despite being a division higher, same with Fulham. Bolton are the only one of those you can even start to begin with.

 

[Edgmond Wolf]

Do we really need to ask

 

[Wolv3nsam]

Wigan are pathetic in comparison. Smaller stadium, smaller fanbase, smaller average attendance all despite being a division higher

Their club shop is a corner in JJB - 'nuff said.

 

[PeteWolf]

Their club shop is a corner in JJB - 'nuff said.

Reminds me when we played them a few years ago. About 40 minutes before the game I went into the club shop and found 5 people in there. 3 were staff members, the other two were Wolves fans! Unbelievable, they actually had a Man Utd section in there. When Jeff gets that put in our club shop then we'll know we've gone down in size.

 

[Ogerp]

In the last 25 years certainly more successful.

 

[Dewsburywolf]

Quote from the Motherwell programme (so neutral, no bias) "Wolves are the tenth most successful club in the history of English football, having won the FA Cup on four occasions, been League Champions three times, Charity Shield winners four times and League Cup winners twice".

Of course it doesn't state who the other 9 are but you'd have to say Liverpool, Man. United & Arsenal must be vying near the top. Anyone else know the other 6?

 

[Wolv3nsam]

Reminds me when we played them a few years ago. About 40 minutes before the game I went into the club shop and found 5 people in there. 3 were staff members, the other two were Wolves fans! Unbelievable, they actually had a Man Utd section in there. When Jeff gets that put in our club shop then we'll know we've gone down in size.

I went for a trip around some of the stadiums in that part of the country, saw the JJB stadium (pile of crap by the way, no character) and had to ask a passer by where the club shop was, and they said it was in the JJB shop - went in and it was literally a corner near the entrance, no merchandise whatsoever and there was far more rugby items than football.

 

[E_cartman]

Chelsea? Spurs? Everton? Villa?

Apart from those, I'm struggling to name any clear cut cases.

 

[Space Wolf]

Quote from the Motherwell programme (so neutral, no bias) "Wolves are the tenth most successful club in the history of English football, having won the FA Cup on four occasions, been League Champions three times, Charity Shield winners four times and League Cup winners twice".

Of course it doesn't state who the other 9 are but you'd have to say Liverpool, Man. United & Arsenal must be vying near the top. Anyone else know the other 6?

Villa, Everton and Tottenham would be up there I'd imagine.

 

[PeteWolf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footba...successful_clubs_overall_.281888_-_present.29

$$$$ on the Albion tonight, ooh, ah, ah!

 

[Dewsburywolf]

Good spot Pete would never had guessed Sheff. Wednesday to be that high up. Shows what I know.

 

[PeteWolf]

Another good one to look at (partly because we're above them!)

http://www.aboutaball.co.uk/html2/rankings/ranking.php

 

[Tettenhallian]

This will be Wolves 19th out of the last 20 seasons in this godforsaken division. Fact is, even the likes of Fulham, Wigan and Bolton are bigger clubs than Wolves these days.

Sorry, it's not about what division you are in. These three will never be bigger names than Wolves.

 

[Mugwump]

Historically and in terms of support then we are. In terms of our standing in the leagues, no we are not. If we were both in the premier league, we would attract more fans imo.

 

[UNCLE REMUS]

Quote from the Motherwell programme (so neutral, no bias) "Wolves are the tenth most successful club in the history of English football, having won the FA Cup on four occasions, been League Champions three times, Charity Shield winners four times and League Cup winners twice".

Of course it doesn't state who the other 9 are but you'd have to say Liverpool, Man. United & Arsenal must be vying near the top. Anyone else know the other 6?

Must admit I thought it was eighth, if you take account of positions in the league and trophies won, there was an article in the Times about 10 years ago.

Haven't we still scored more goals than any other team.

 

[PeteWolf]

Haven't we still scored more goals than any other team.

Think Man Utd overtook us last season (something else to blame Mick for )

 

[fickleasfolk]

We are a big club in our own heads and this is the reason we have not progressed.
We show no respect to other so called lesser teams in our division and feel it is beneath us to play them and we should be travelling to the Old Traffords of this world week in week out.
Our big club arrogance is our downfall and in MM first season the mentality altered for the better,only to be eroded in the season following.
At present we are a smaller club than Hull and on a par with Blackpool and i refuse to mention that other team.

 

[cannockwolves]

Interesting views, its a bit of a slow night so thats why I posted. They are in the big league now so fair play to them, but you have to say we have the larger fan base - for now anyway

if we got promoted and we had a ground large enough (a couple of big if's I know) what sort of attendance do you think we could command? I would have thought we could pull maybe 30-35k home fans with 5-10k away fans - do we think a 40k ground would be enough?

 

[North West Wanderer]

As a genuine outsider ie living outisde the region I'd say its Villa then Wolves. Look at Wolves as a city compared to the $$$$$e its not comparable. Blues are worthy of a shout though.

So no the $$$$$e are nowhere near bigger.

 

[Mugwump]

I think villa, everton and spurs would be in there too. possibly man city and leeds? You could also have clubs in there like huddersfield and preston who wont a lot of things years ago.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Interesting views, its a bit of a slow night so thats why I posted. They are in the big league now so fair play to them, but you have to say we have the larger fan base - for now anyway

if we got promoted and we had a ground large enough (a couple of big if's I know) what sort of attendance do you think we could command? I would have thought we could pull maybe 30-35k home fans with 5-10k away fans - do we think a 40k ground would be enough?

Great Q mate. I think it would be - never compete with Villa or Blues.

 

[astraltrader]

This century one would have to say they are of a similar size if all factors are taken into account. But Wolves if not bigger are undoubtably the best of the two!

 

[North West Wanderer]

West Brom is a $$$$$$ $$$$$$$$

 

[PeteWolf]

Great Q mate. I think it would be - never compete with Villa or Blues.

 

[North West Wanderer]

From crowd perspective mate thats all. Blues have the 2nd city to draw upon.

 

[PeteWolf]

They also have Villa to compete with. Don't forget that Wolves have much more than Wolverhampton to draw on (one of the points over Albion who are stuck in the middle of the connurbation surrounded on all sides). Pretty much all of South Staffs, Stafford itself and everthing east of Telford in Shropshire, plus parts of Dudley/Walsall is Wolves.

Blues have always been very much second fiddle to Villa, so Birmingham isn't even an 50/50 split when it comes to crowds.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Forgive me Mate til October I am still not a bona fide Yam Yam

 

[reanswolf]

This argument about Albion being stuck in the middle of a conurbation and surrounded by two other clubs is so wrong - yes they are, but the immediate population they share is vast (bigger than Wolves turf). They also have strong support from towns like Kiddy, Bromsgrove, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, tamworth, just as we do with Telford, cannock and Stafford.

I have actually seen 3 kids this week in Albion tops in Bushbury / Fordhouses. Dont think i have ever seen one before.They are superior on the pitch and have been for a decade and it is boun dto hav eeffect as we lag behind. God knows the effect its having in shared Black Country areas like Tipton and Coseley and Gornal. But the one thing if i was a benny, that wud worry me is their poor gates last season considering the good football. They go on about being a poor borough (which is true) but Wolvo aint far behind. If Wolves were playing like them we would have had near enough full houses.

 

[Redditch Wolves]

From crowd perspective mate thats all. Blues have the 2nd city to draw upon.

Well you never watched the Blues on MOTD or Sky last year as the ground was always empty. They coulden't sell out in a local derby against the Villa or even the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea.

 

[OCD Wolf]

In terms of catchment area, Wolves's is massive. Geographically, west of Wolverhampton, there is very little in terms of football. Places like Telford, Shrewsbury even into central Wales etc are all Wolves areas.
Going South-West, there is very little until you reach Cardiff/Bristol and I also believe that a lot of the West Country, places like Gloucester etc are fairly strong Wolves. The same goes for most of Staffordshire, up until you get into the Stoke / Port Vale heartlands.

I disagree with the poster saying Lichfield and Sutton C are Albion places, North Birmingham has always been Villa, South Birmingham Blues and Albion sandwiched in the areas between - their core support drawn from a small (but well populated area).

Of course this is all a very sweeping generalisation.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Well you never watched the Blues on MOTD or Sky last year as the ground was always empty. They coulden't sell out in a local derby against the Villa or even the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea.

All I meant was they have the second city to draw on - not that they infact do! Their catchment area is huge potentially.