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In 2008, finished 8th in the Prem, (ahead of Man City) and won the FA Cup 
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Season after that , they would have beat AC Milan but for a late equalizer from Ronaldhino i think
Staggering how far they've fallen in such a short space of time....gotta feel sorry for the loyal fans who have to suffer due to incompetence in the board room.
Think it was Inzaghi.
Not the only club to suffer after over spending, but probably most severely.
Not the only club to suffer after over spending, but probably most severely.
they cheated their way to success, spending money they didnt have. Other clubs suffered during this.
You have to feel for the genuine fans, but not the glory hunters who jumped aboard for the PL and FA Cup and then jumped ship when they fell down the divisions.
I still think they should have gone down the Chester route and reformed at the bottom of the pyramid.
I'm not sure bow many fans questioned the myriad of owners during the upward curve, but the amount of money that honest businesses, and even people like the St John's Ambulance lost, yet players from several years ago are still on the payroll is a disgrace.
It's a shame that the Fit and Proper Person Test doesn't seem to work, and you have to question whether FFP will make any difference to the numerous clubs that spend beyond their means.
I still think they should have gone down the Chester route and reformed at the bottom of the pyramid.
I'm not sure bow many fans questioned the myriad of owners during the upward curve, but the amount of money that honest businesses, and even people like the St John's Ambulance lost, yet players from several years ago are still on the payroll is a disgrace.
It's a shame that the Fit and Proper Person Test doesn't seem to work, and you have to question whether FFP will make any difference to the numerous clubs that spend beyond their means.
Speaks volumes when they can still attract crowds averaging well over 15,000 watching the absolute dross that they have on display now, with some players who would struggle to gain contracts with any clubs in the football league.
As TRFC Kev points out, these fans have followed the clubs though all the times from the old 4th division days, through to the Championship, the FA semi final under Jim Smith, before eventually reaching the heights, that are now a distant memory.
For all the bitterness about cheating, at least the club and the fans have a trophy to show for what's gone on now and a club still with a history, 5 Wembley appearances and AC Milan coming to Fratton Park, is the current situation worth that? Alas the clubs fans had no choice in the owners , and even the most blinkered could sense one day it was all gong to end in the way it has.
Maybe they are a lesson to all clubs, but I fear they won't be used as a learning curve.
As TRFC Kev points out, these fans have followed the clubs though all the times from the old 4th division days, through to the Championship, the FA semi final under Jim Smith, before eventually reaching the heights, that are now a distant memory.
For all the bitterness about cheating, at least the club and the fans have a trophy to show for what's gone on now and a club still with a history, 5 Wembley appearances and AC Milan coming to Fratton Park, is the current situation worth that? Alas the clubs fans had no choice in the owners , and even the most blinkered could sense one day it was all gong to end in the way it has.
Maybe they are a lesson to all clubs, but I fear they won't be used as a learning curve.
we all dont mind owners with cash, but in pompeys case the owners had jack sh1t.
If you think cheating another club out of staying in the premiership is ok through cheating your books then it says a lot about you.
ttl, you are a ****
Cant believe people take a team cheating all their way through the leagues so easily.
WIth their non money, they have cheated everyone, fans, punters, owners.
If you think cheating another club out of staying in the premiership is ok through cheating your books then it says a lot about you.
ttl, you are a ****
Cant believe people take a team cheating all their way through the leagues so easily.
WIth their non money, they have cheated everyone, fans, punters, owners.
Sonko. Assume with your name, you're a Reading fan? What have they won, anything to show for it? That Simod cup must sit so proudly in the boardroom.
what does that have to do with this discussion ?
Your club cheated other clubs, some were relegated through your cheating of finances.
Some simpletons may say, trophies etc, but its much deeper than that.
Pure filth that harmed football.
Some simpletons may say, trophies etc, but its much deeper than that.
Pure filth that harmed football.
AGREE with sonko, all the glory was on the back of illegal deals and trading with monies that didnt exist !!!!!
and dont get me started on the sodje case.....maybe the fans deserve better but the club as a whole doesnt.
and dont get me started on the sodje case.....maybe the fans deserve better but the club as a whole doesnt.
The fans aren't at fault and they're the ones who have to deal with the consequences. The owners and management, etc, can do what they want and invariably don't much care if it messes up and have little recompense. Happens so often at so many clubs.
Ibra - Lots of clubs are doing it, or have done it.
Swindon spent beyond their means the other year, and it's not the first time they've been involved in "financial misdemeanors"
Look at Bolton's losses recently. Any other business except football would not be allowed to trade in similar circumstances.
Newcastle were relegated without relegation clause's in players contracts.
Leeds, need I say more?
For all the whinging from Coventry fans,I suspect they have a big wage bill, despite their 2000 gates.
The list is endless.
You look at some clubs crowds, and their wage structure, and you wonder how the hell they pay wages.
There's been a lot written about how money and where you finish in the table is linked, and though there will always be exceptions - Yeovil last season, Orient this, there seems to be a lot of truth in it.
The thing is, my club refuse to spend anything other than what they bring in, and subsequently we're struggling at the wrong end of the table.
Admittedly it's not all about the lack of money, but when you're up against clubs spending what they haven't really got, you've always got one hand tied behind your back.
My feelings towards Pompey, like it is to virtually everyone one of the other 91 clubs is I couldn't care less. I don't really hate any, but Pompey's shenanigans, and the fact they were given so many chances despite being on the brink, constantly, irks me.
Personally, I think it needs a big(ish) club to go under to give everyone a kick up the arse, but even the ITV Digital debacle didn't make some clubs think.
Talking of disliking/hating/having a rivalry with other clubs, we, sadly, don't have one.
My formative years was built on a rivalry with both Wrexham and Chester, even though they were both often in a division above, but both have fallen on hard times.
Now, maybe because of age, which has mellowed me when it comes to football, I have grown to have huge admiration for what Chester has done in recent years.
Football is on it's arse outside the glamour of the PL. Stockport were due to play Vauxhall Motors today, that's how bad it's got, with all due respect to the Motormen.
Yes there's a few bob in the Championship, but even their TV deal was cut this season, and plenty of clubs are willing to gamble on the riches that the PL brings.
Below that it's getting harder and harder, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of regional cut in the next decade, whether between the Conference and Div 4, or Div's 3 & 4.
Torquay and Exeter traveling to places like Hartlepool and York can't be good for their bank balance, with the cost of fuel and hotels.
With all the money at the top end of the Leagues, far too many people forget that without it's base, the Pyramid collapses.
Sad for the fans, but my hope is that a serious (ie: glamorous) club goes to the wall. Because that's probably the only thing that will wake "fans" from their slumber.
Swindon spent beyond their means the other year, and it's not the first time they've been involved in "financial misdemeanors"
Look at Bolton's losses recently. Any other business except football would not be allowed to trade in similar circumstances.
Newcastle were relegated without relegation clause's in players contracts.
Leeds, need I say more?
For all the whinging from Coventry fans,I suspect they have a big wage bill, despite their 2000 gates.
The list is endless.
You look at some clubs crowds, and their wage structure, and you wonder how the hell they pay wages.
There's been a lot written about how money and where you finish in the table is linked, and though there will always be exceptions - Yeovil last season, Orient this, there seems to be a lot of truth in it.
The thing is, my club refuse to spend anything other than what they bring in, and subsequently we're struggling at the wrong end of the table.
Admittedly it's not all about the lack of money, but when you're up against clubs spending what they haven't really got, you've always got one hand tied behind your back.
My feelings towards Pompey, like it is to virtually everyone one of the other 91 clubs is I couldn't care less. I don't really hate any, but Pompey's shenanigans, and the fact they were given so many chances despite being on the brink, constantly, irks me.
Personally, I think it needs a big(ish) club to go under to give everyone a kick up the arse, but even the ITV Digital debacle didn't make some clubs think.
Talking of disliking/hating/having a rivalry with other clubs, we, sadly, don't have one.
My formative years was built on a rivalry with both Wrexham and Chester, even though they were both often in a division above, but both have fallen on hard times.
Now, maybe because of age, which has mellowed me when it comes to football, I have grown to have huge admiration for what Chester has done in recent years.
Football is on it's arse outside the glamour of the PL. Stockport were due to play Vauxhall Motors today, that's how bad it's got, with all due respect to the Motormen.
Yes there's a few bob in the Championship, but even their TV deal was cut this season, and plenty of clubs are willing to gamble on the riches that the PL brings.
Below that it's getting harder and harder, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of regional cut in the next decade, whether between the Conference and Div 4, or Div's 3 & 4.
Torquay and Exeter traveling to places like Hartlepool and York can't be good for their bank balance, with the cost of fuel and hotels.
With all the money at the top end of the Leagues, far too many people forget that without it's base, the Pyramid collapses.
Sad for the fans, but my hope is that a serious (ie: glamorous) club goes to the wall. Because that's probably the only thing that will wake "fans" from their slumber.
Alas, proper fans are born into , or follow a club for a reason,and stay with that club. Again , the fans will be there longer than any player, manger, chairman , or board member. They are the lifeblood of any club, yet have no say as to what goes on behind the scenes, or on the field. It's them who have suffered for their brief spell in the sun, ok, with money that wasn't paid, or never existed, or is still to a very small extent being paid.
You can question where the money comes from at many clubs. Think even the club at the very top now , may question whether their money comes from entirely legitimate sources. Will in 50 years time people be asking them to be stripped of their trophies?
You can question where the money comes from at many clubs. Think even the club at the very top now , may question whether their money comes from entirely legitimate sources. Will in 50 years time people be asking them to be stripped of their trophies?
Darlo - The fans are partially to blame.
I'm not sure who you support, but I'm guessing you're from Darlington, and support Bradford?
Surely you will know more than a lot of fans?
Bradford paying £40K wages to players like Carbone and Collymore just to hope to finish 18th or 19th.
The safebreaker building a ridiculous stadium in a town with no history of big support. and like my club, in the shadow of bigger, more illustrious clubs.
Fans of clubs "punching above their weight" often get delusions of grandeur.
A promotion often see's them think they should buy players on massive wages, often not justified.
Middlesbrough, it could be argued are a case in point.
It was refreshing to read that Wigan fans wouldn't swap their FA Cup win for staying in the PL.
I'm old enough to have seen Wigan lay in front of 1500 fans, and if truth be told, they're no bigger than Tranmere.
What they did have, similar to us in the mid 90's, is/was someone to throw a few quid at them, in the hope of a stab in the Big League.
They had a good crack at it. Was it 8-9 years? I suspect their real hardcore of 4-5000 (now) fans are more than happy with their journey and realise that they're not really a PL club.
I'm not sure who you support, but I'm guessing you're from Darlington, and support Bradford?
Surely you will know more than a lot of fans?
Bradford paying £40K wages to players like Carbone and Collymore just to hope to finish 18th or 19th.
The safebreaker building a ridiculous stadium in a town with no history of big support. and like my club, in the shadow of bigger, more illustrious clubs.
Fans of clubs "punching above their weight" often get delusions of grandeur.
A promotion often see's them think they should buy players on massive wages, often not justified.
Middlesbrough, it could be argued are a case in point.
It was refreshing to read that Wigan fans wouldn't swap their FA Cup win for staying in the PL.
I'm old enough to have seen Wigan lay in front of 1500 fans, and if truth be told, they're no bigger than Tranmere.
What they did have, similar to us in the mid 90's, is/was someone to throw a few quid at them, in the hope of a stab in the Big League.
They had a good crack at it. Was it 8-9 years? I suspect their real hardcore of 4-5000 (now) fans are more than happy with their journey and realise that they're not really a PL club.
Middlesbrough are probably about the best run club in the country. Steve Gibson has run that club nigh on immaculately for 30 years now. Yes, he spent money, but it wasn't with money that didn't exist or couldn't be budgeted.
As for my own club, how are the fans to blame for Benito Carbone being paid £40k a week? Could we stop it? Did we know we couldn't afford it? Fans are essentially blameless and ultimately voiceless.
As for my own club, how are the fans to blame for Benito Carbone being paid £40k a week? Could we stop it? Did we know we couldn't afford it? Fans are essentially blameless and ultimately voiceless.
As for George Reynolds, everyone told him not to build the stadium. Everyone. Yet he decided he wanted to do - like I said people are voiceless if one man wants to do something so ridiculous and egotistical.
I'd forgotten that they had a football team,
heres a pic to cheer them up
heres a pic to cheer them up
I disagree about fans being exempt from blame.
More often than not they have expectations far from reality, and Bradford are a case in point.
I know it's a big town (city), but in footballing terms, they're far from being in the top 20, or even 30-35 dare I say.
Whether you could stop bang average players being paid above average wages, yes and no.
You could object by refusing to fund the club, whether that's by going to the game, purchasing tickets at ridiculous prices. Admittedly, if you're a long term fan, that's not easy.
Alternatively you could boycott merchandise. Shirt's, programmes, even spending money within the ground, pies beer etc.
I suspect virtually every fan of a lower league club had huge admiration for Bradford last season. I've been there. Admittedly our League Cup Final appearance came as a Div 2 club, but I was there when we had sub 1000 gates in Div 4.
The thing is, you me, and every other proper football fan is f..ked over by the glory hunters and tourists.
Two examples, and yet another reason my sympathy is waning.
Cardiff. A decent size club, but their current fanbase is way above their "natural" level.
And these glory hunters will be gone if and when they go down.
Sadly they dilute the die hard fans who hate what the club has become, even though some are still prepared to go and spend money, despite what has happened.
Hull - Another club who could just about average 6000 in the '90's. This season they average 24,000. Do the current fans deserve a voice, when the majority will desert them when the bad times come?
To say fans are totally exempt from blame is false, sadly it's often fans with no idea about the club they claim to support, but that's the nature of the game.
More often than not they have expectations far from reality, and Bradford are a case in point.
I know it's a big town (city), but in footballing terms, they're far from being in the top 20, or even 30-35 dare I say.
Whether you could stop bang average players being paid above average wages, yes and no.
You could object by refusing to fund the club, whether that's by going to the game, purchasing tickets at ridiculous prices. Admittedly, if you're a long term fan, that's not easy.
Alternatively you could boycott merchandise. Shirt's, programmes, even spending money within the ground, pies beer etc.
I suspect virtually every fan of a lower league club had huge admiration for Bradford last season. I've been there. Admittedly our League Cup Final appearance came as a Div 2 club, but I was there when we had sub 1000 gates in Div 4.
The thing is, you me, and every other proper football fan is f..ked over by the glory hunters and tourists.
Two examples, and yet another reason my sympathy is waning.
Cardiff. A decent size club, but their current fanbase is way above their "natural" level.
And these glory hunters will be gone if and when they go down.
Sadly they dilute the die hard fans who hate what the club has become, even though some are still prepared to go and spend money, despite what has happened.
Hull - Another club who could just about average 6000 in the '90's. This season they average 24,000. Do the current fans deserve a voice, when the majority will desert them when the bad times come?
To say fans are totally exempt from blame is false, sadly it's often fans with no idea about the club they claim to support, but that's the nature of the game.
Refusing to fund the club?! So, stopping buying pies is going to stop clubs paying £40k a week for Italians. Get real, clubs make vastly more money from TV deals, sponsorship, etc, than from pie sales, shirt sales, etc, etc.
As it turned out, our money came from the never never, massive borrowing on credit, to the extent we mortgaged all our players off, yes players. By the end of it all, we didn't own a single thing, to the extent when the bailiffs came round our successor as chairman said you can take the bar towels but we don't even own them. How are fans to blame, when people in the boardroom are making these decisions?
As it turned out, our money came from the never never, massive borrowing on credit, to the extent we mortgaged all our players off, yes players. By the end of it all, we didn't own a single thing, to the extent when the bailiffs came round our successor as chairman said you can take the bar towels but we don't even own them. How are fans to blame, when people in the boardroom are making these decisions?
With all the money at the top end of the Leagues, far too many people forget that without it's base, the Pyramid collapses.
Is that really true ?
Professional Sports in America have a 'Premier League' type elite and ..... well thats it , and it seems to do ok . There is no 'pyramid' there . I'm aware there are 'minor leagues' but can't really see that is holding it all together .
Is that really true ?
Professional Sports in America have a 'Premier League' type elite and ..... well thats it , and it seems to do ok . There is no 'pyramid' there . I'm aware there are 'minor leagues' but can't really see that is holding it all together .
tbh i really cannot see the point of being involved in supporting a football club at all in any capacity (fan or owner ) if there is no ambition to rise as high as they can. The Fans of all the lower division clubs mentioned dream of promotion and whatever else beyond that surely . If that necessitates some risky financing them so be it IMO
Why shouldn't Bradford build a decent sized ground ? OK they have 'never been Top 25-30 of the biggest clubs' but having a larger capacity is one way of breaking into that level .
Would Portsmouth Fans really go back 10 years and swap FA Cup Finals , games v Milan and a couple of years when they were one of the better teams in The Premier League ( +what they have now ) for 10-15 years of bouncing between the Championship and League One ?
Why shouldn't Bradford build a decent sized ground ? OK they have 'never been Top 25-30 of the biggest clubs' but having a larger capacity is one way of breaking into that level .
Would Portsmouth Fans really go back 10 years and swap FA Cup Finals , games v Milan and a couple of years when they were one of the better teams in The Premier League ( +what they have now ) for 10-15 years of bouncing between the Championship and League One ?
Also think the 'glory hunters' tagging on to Hull/Portsmouth/Cardiff can be overstated .
I doubt when they had 4,000 crowds in the lower divisions it was the same 4,000 every fortnight and then 20,000 newbies show up . May well be only 1200 or so went to every game and then 15,000 who went on average 3 or 4 times a season (who then go every week in the premier league)
I doubt when they had 4,000 crowds in the lower divisions it was the same 4,000 every fortnight and then 20,000 newbies show up . May well be only 1200 or so went to every game and then 15,000 who went on average 3 or 4 times a season (who then go every week in the premier league)
Tobermory. I can only speak as I find.
I've followed a club for 30+ years, who have risen from the depth's of Div 4, to the brink of the PL.
I've seen us average gates of 1200, with a couple of games below the 1000 mark, to crowds of 10-15,000, even in Div 4.
The five figure gates were made up of people jumping on the success of my mainly insignificant club. A club smaller, dare I say than the likes of Pompey, Bradford, and even Luton. Three clubs in the same or lower leagues than us.
As for the "same 4000" fair point, but 30 years on, I still see people who I don't really know, but who I recognise, and they recognise me, and there's a cursory nod, and occasionally even a chat in a pub in some far flung part of the country.
Would Pompey fans swap their 10 year trip? I guess it depends on what type of Pompey fans they are. Which has been my point in this thread.
Fratton Park is no longer full to the rafters, even though they still get decent crowds.
Saying that, they have a decent catchment area, and unless you travel to London, there really isn't a "glamorous" club in the vicinity, which is not the case for the likes of Oldham, Bury, Tranmere, Vale, Pools etc.
We never quite hit the height's of Pompey, but there was a spell when we knocked on the door of the PL, and I was desperate for just one stab at it, similar to Barnsley and Swindon, but now....?
Feck that.
I'm not sure I'm even arsed about another stint in the Chanpionship.
When we was flying, and top of the table this time last year, I spoke to fellow Tranmere fans, including those who were interested in purchasing the club, and it was my belief that promotion wasn't/isn't all it's cracked up to be, as many believe it.
So in the space of 20 years I've gone from being desperate for one year with the big boys, to being apprehensive for a year with the "wannabe's
And the reason, is the last word of the last paragraph. The desperation to get to the Promised Land that is the Greed League, distorts the competition that is the Championship, and clubs like mine, that can barely register 8000 (and that's being kind) will always struggle in the second tier.
If you want proof, look at the crowds of Div 2 (Championship) clubs.
Probably only Blackpool have sustained that level, but they had financial backing (Latvia I think).
Clubs like Col U, Scunny. Donny and Posh have all yo-yoed, and Barnsley have done nothing but fight relegation.
The common denominator is money. They're not glamorous so don't earn the same TV money.
There's lots of sexy teams in the Championship, who no doubt earn the a larger percentage of the TV money pie,
Leeds, Forest, QPR, et al
Some of these clubs, and their ilk had the misfortune of dropping into Div 3, and earned extra revenue through TV. I remmber Leeds playing Darlo away, when Sky didn't bother with the early rounds of the JPT (or whatever it was called then) yet they paid Leeds for being on telly. Did they really need the money? more than Rochdale, Chesterfield et al?
Anyway, rant over.
Fair play if your club comes into money. Enjoy it. Embrace it, Cherish those special moments. Because in the grand scheme of things, eventually you'll end up where you deserve........And if you're still there on a wet Tuesday night in (inset your worst nightmare here) I'll be more than happy to share a pint and a chat with you.
I've followed a club for 30+ years, who have risen from the depth's of Div 4, to the brink of the PL.
I've seen us average gates of 1200, with a couple of games below the 1000 mark, to crowds of 10-15,000, even in Div 4.
The five figure gates were made up of people jumping on the success of my mainly insignificant club. A club smaller, dare I say than the likes of Pompey, Bradford, and even Luton. Three clubs in the same or lower leagues than us.
As for the "same 4000" fair point, but 30 years on, I still see people who I don't really know, but who I recognise, and they recognise me, and there's a cursory nod, and occasionally even a chat in a pub in some far flung part of the country.
Would Pompey fans swap their 10 year trip? I guess it depends on what type of Pompey fans they are. Which has been my point in this thread.
Fratton Park is no longer full to the rafters, even though they still get decent crowds.
Saying that, they have a decent catchment area, and unless you travel to London, there really isn't a "glamorous" club in the vicinity, which is not the case for the likes of Oldham, Bury, Tranmere, Vale, Pools etc.
We never quite hit the height's of Pompey, but there was a spell when we knocked on the door of the PL, and I was desperate for just one stab at it, similar to Barnsley and Swindon, but now....?
Feck that.
I'm not sure I'm even arsed about another stint in the Chanpionship.
When we was flying, and top of the table this time last year, I spoke to fellow Tranmere fans, including those who were interested in purchasing the club, and it was my belief that promotion wasn't/isn't all it's cracked up to be, as many believe it.
So in the space of 20 years I've gone from being desperate for one year with the big boys, to being apprehensive for a year with the "wannabe's
And the reason, is the last word of the last paragraph. The desperation to get to the Promised Land that is the Greed League, distorts the competition that is the Championship, and clubs like mine, that can barely register 8000 (and that's being kind) will always struggle in the second tier.
If you want proof, look at the crowds of Div 2 (Championship) clubs.
Probably only Blackpool have sustained that level, but they had financial backing (Latvia I think).
Clubs like Col U, Scunny. Donny and Posh have all yo-yoed, and Barnsley have done nothing but fight relegation.
The common denominator is money. They're not glamorous so don't earn the same TV money.
There's lots of sexy teams in the Championship, who no doubt earn the a larger percentage of the TV money pie,
Leeds, Forest, QPR, et al
Some of these clubs, and their ilk had the misfortune of dropping into Div 3, and earned extra revenue through TV. I remmber Leeds playing Darlo away, when Sky didn't bother with the early rounds of the JPT (or whatever it was called then) yet they paid Leeds for being on telly. Did they really need the money? more than Rochdale, Chesterfield et al?
Anyway, rant over.
Fair play if your club comes into money. Enjoy it. Embrace it, Cherish those special moments. Because in the grand scheme of things, eventually you'll end up where you deserve........And if you're still there on a wet Tuesday night in (inset your worst nightmare here) I'll be more than happy to share a pint and a chat with you.
...they have 'never been Top 25-30 of the biggest clubs' but having a larger capacity is one way of breaking into that level .
Bradford was top of the Premier League in the not too distant past. MASSIVE club.
Bradford was top of the Premier League in the not too distant past. MASSIVE club.
There was a season (When Everton beat Wimbledon on the last day of the season) when we was abut 4-5 places behind them in the pyramid.
We've been above clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland, Wolves, WBA, West Ham and others, it doesn't make us a bigger club than those mentioned.
We've been above clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland, Wolves, WBA, West Ham and others, it doesn't make us a bigger club than those mentioned.
I completely agree with you Kev. For all the glory days of near PL status and playing Leicester in the League Cup final at Wembley, the best moment for me was Gary Williams scoring against Exeter to keep us in the league. I can't believe that was over 25 years ago!
Some good points there TRFC .I understand why you'd fear that a spell in the PL for Tranmere could lead to overspending , debt , administration and successive points deductions , and a plummet towards the conference and possibly having to start the club over from scratch 
But it seems a bit of a depressing outlook 
Fair play if your club comes into money. Enjoy it. Embrace it, Cherish those special moments. Because in the grand scheme of things, eventually you'll end up where you deserve.
'What clubs deserve' : that a club can only sustain a level in line with how big the club essentially is... There is a lot to that... BUT it is not set in stone .Look at Southampton : they are thought of as a fairly big club that is not out of place in the PL (indeed , when they were briefly lower division a few years back it seemed a bit of an anomaly ) and yet , for most of their history , they were a typical lower division club . Never even played in the top division till 1966 .......
It's a good point that proximity to massive clubs , such as Tranmere/Oldham/Wigan have is very hard to overcome .But that is not an obstacle Bradford/Cardiff/Portsmouth/Hull have in their way , so any chance to establish themselves in the top tier is worth taking (if necessary by taking financial risks ) as if it is achieved they could be amongst the accepted 'big clubs' 20 years on.
But it seems a bit of a depressing outlook Fair play if your club comes into money. Enjoy it. Embrace it, Cherish those special moments. Because in the grand scheme of things, eventually you'll end up where you deserve.
'What clubs deserve' : that a club can only sustain a level in line with how big the club essentially is... There is a lot to that... BUT it is not set in stone .Look at Southampton : they are thought of as a fairly big club that is not out of place in the PL (indeed , when they were briefly lower division a few years back it seemed a bit of an anomaly ) and yet , for most of their history , they were a typical lower division club . Never even played in the top division till 1966 .......
It's a good point that proximity to massive clubs , such as Tranmere/Oldham/Wigan have is very hard to overcome .But that is not an obstacle Bradford/Cardiff/Portsmouth/Hull have in their way , so any chance to establish themselves in the top tier is worth taking (if necessary by taking financial risks ) as if it is achieved they could be amongst the accepted 'big clubs' 20 years on.
Bradford City weren't even the biggest club in our city while we were in the Premier League.
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