[Archived] The Premier League (by What People Say)

[rovers1993]

All I've been hearing for a long time is that we're punching above our weight at premiership level. I want to prove something to you all that we do belong in the premier league and we are puching at our own weight level.

Hypothetically, this is the teams that should be in the premier league if what you guys are saying:

Man Utd

Chelsea

Liverpool

Arsenal

Everton

Tottenham

Man City

Newcastle

Aston Villa

West Ham

Leeds

Nottingham Forest

Sunderland

Thats the club who has the finaces to spend alot and compete for Europe every year IF they were well managed. They have big fan base and can fill their stadiums regularly and thus they have the finance... well thats only 13 teams so that 7 teams missing.

those 7 teams if it was up to me to put in the league according to who will punch their weight would be:

Blackburn

Fulham

Middlesbrough

Bolton

Sunderland

Stoke

Birmingham

and the last place is up for grabs, Derby, could be it.

this shows that we do belong in the premier league EVEN with our finances as we have better crowds than virtually all of the championship club. Our aim every season should be not be 'stay in the premier league as if we fall out we're doomed'... if we fall out we can bounce straight back. we belong here and we're punching at our own weight level.

[T4E]

What criteria did you use that ranked Birmingham higher than Sunderland?

[rovers1993]

my mistake... was suppose to put birmingham down and sunderland up.

a shout for derby as well. they have good crowd and good finances.

[northernrover]

What about Sheffield Wednesday?

[b12_simon]

Birmingham get crap crowds for a city of 1m people and will continue to do so unless they sort their pricing out.

I'll end with the obligatory "big club my arse"

[rovers1993]

this proves basically what im saying... we do deserve to be in the premier league.. we have the same attendence as do sheffield wednesday etc. so how come many people is saying we're punching above our weight? boggles me really.

[BrownieFC]

The reason we have better attendences than championship clubs is our prices are cheaper and were in the Prem look at Hull there attendences have steadily increased since they came up from CC League 2 or what ever it was called when they played there.

[mark1875]

if your going on attendance figures, there are 16 clubs with higher averages than rovers in the premiership. and another 4 in the championship with higher averages than rovers, and the one club in league 1 with a higher average that rovers. which would place us as the 22nd in the country as far as average attendances go.

some people will say that the large allocation of tickets given to away fans by us is also pumping our average attendance up above other teams

as far as spending goes, there are numerous clubs in the championship who are holding their own and competing without the luxury of premiership tv money!! could we honestly say we would be able to financially compete in the championship if our premiership revenue was taken away?

the major reason people say we are punching above our weight is the lack of spending since we came back to the prem. we have consistently been the club that has spent the least on transfers since our promotion in 2001.

some will say were punching above our weight, some will say we belong here!!! However the day we drop out of the premiership, will be the day we find out if we belong here because it wont be easy to get back here for a club of our size and financial position.

[Blue n White Rover]

What about Burnley????

[ABBEY]

we belong where the points tally year in year out takes us ..simple really.

[yoda]

we belong where the points tally year in year out takes us ..simple really.

exactly!, you can only play what's put in front of you

[joey_big_nose]

Pretty daft - teams with clearly larger fan bases than us are every team in the Premiership bar Bolton, Wigan, and possibly Fulham (although they are doing a great job expanding their fan base) and Boro.

Crucially every team in the championship has a larger fans base except Plymouth, Barnsley, Blackpool, Palace, Doncaster, Swansea (I think...), Preston, Burnley - all of whom are less or broadly commesurate.

On top of that Leeds and Leicester in league one have more 'fans'.

So we are definately punching above our weight. But what is wrong with that? It's an achievement.

[philipl]

The Football League see attendances rise by 1%.

I have't checked Rovers' average attendance thus far this year but I suspect it is going to be around 5,000 more than the Championship average of 17,000.

[Sir Ranulf Westwood]

What about Burnley????

Exactly, a few more days and we'll be on that list to stay.

[only2garners]

The Football League see attendances rise by 1%.

I have't checked Rovers' average attendance thus far this year but I suspect it is going to be around 5,000 more than the Championship average of 17,000.

The current average is 23,206 with one game to go, which should push this up a little bit. The BBC keep a running total through the season.

[yoda]

Exactly, a few more days and we'll be on that list to stay.

I propose that we revive the relegation watch thread about next oct/nov and get ranoff's view as to why the dingles have not won a game thusfar, in the very unlikely event they get promoted to the prem that is

[BrownieFC]

I propose that we revive the relegation watch thread about next oct/nov and get ranoff's view as to why the dingles have not won a game thusfar, in the very unlikely event they get promoted to the prem that is

I want Burnley promoted someone needs to beat Derbys record low point tally