Big Fish in a Small Pond (2 Viewers)

[TasmanSeaSkyBlue]

Like it or not, City are a very big fish in League One for the coming season. In comparison between us and the other 23 teams in League One :

Most Premier League Seasons: City 9, Pompey 7, Sheff Utd 3, Oldham 2, Swindon 1.

Biggest Stadium Capacity: Bramall Lane 32,609, Ricoh 32,604, Deepdale 23,408, Stadium m.k. 21,189, Fratton Park 21,178.

League/Premier League Champs: Preston 2 (last in 1889-90), Pompey 2 (last in 1949-50), Sheff Utd 1 (1897-98).

F.A. Cup Winners: Sheff Utd 4 (last in 1925), Bury 2 (last in 1903), Preston 2 (last in 1938), Pompey 2 (last in 2008) & Cov 1 (1987).

League Cups: Swindon 1.

League Members Cup: Carlisle 2, Bournemouth 1, Doncaster 1, M.K.Dons 1, Tranmere 1.

 

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[CTID]

Interesting reading...based on our clinging onto prem status for 9 years and having the second biggest stadium and 1 FA cup victory, those stats make it sound like we used to be a big fish but we shrank to the size of our pond. When its in black and white like that you see that we may not be as big a fish as we may think we are. Basing it purely on those figures it looks like pompey and shef utd are the big fish and were in and around it with the rest of the teams.

Still...we should definately squeeze in 6 more seats to take the biggest stadium award

 

[smileycov]

Like it or not, City are a very big fish in League One for the coming season. In comparison between us and the other 23 teams in League One :

Most Premier League Seasons: City 9, Pompey 7, Sheff Utd 3, Oldham 2, Swindon 1.

Biggest Stadium Capacity: Bramall Lane 32,609, Ricoh 32,604, Deepdale 23,408, Stadium m.k. 21,189, Fratton Park 21,178.

League/Premier League Champs: Preston 2 (last in 1889-90), Pompey 2 (last in 1949-50), Sheff Utd 1 (1897-98).

F.A. Cup Winners: Sheff Utd 4 (last in 1925), Bury 2 (last in 1903), Preston 2 (last in 1938), Pompey 2 (last in 2008) & Cov 1 (1987).

League Cups: Swindon 1.

League Members Cup: Carlisle 2, Bournemouth 1, Doncaster 1, M.K.Dons 1, Tranmere 1.

We have won Div 3 (South), Div 3 and Div 2 Titles.

 

[lordsummerisle]

Like it or not, City are a very big fish in League One for the coming season. In comparison between us and the other 23 teams in League One :

Most Premier League Seasons: City 9, Pompey 7, Sheff Utd 3, Oldham 2, Swindon 1.

Biggest Stadium Capacity: Bramall Lane 32,609, Ricoh 32,604, Deepdale 23,408, Stadium m.k. 21,189, Fratton Park 21,178.

League/Premier League Champs: Preston 2 (last in 1889-90), Pompey 2 (last in 1949-50), Sheff Utd 1 (1897-98).

F.A. Cup Winners: Sheff Utd 4 (last in 1925), Bury 2 (last in 1903), Preston 2 (last in 1938), Pompey 2 (last in 2008) & Cov 1 (1987).

League Cups: Swindon 1.

League Members Cup: Carlisle 2, Bournemouth 1, Doncaster 1, M.K.Dons 1, Tranmere 1.

What relevence does "most Premier League seasons" have?

From the other honours you can see that pre-SKY football did actually exist, and even had a top division that teams played in!

 

[craigSKYBLUE]

Did you know since WW2. Coventry city lie 16th in an all time top flight table.our closest in this league is sheffield united 30th

 

[lordsummerisle]

Did you know since WW2. Coventry city lie 16th in an all time top flight table.our closest in this league is sheffield united 30th

Wouldn't surprise me, may have only been in the top-flight once, but made the most of it for 34 years unbroken.

The more damning statistic is that we are the only club in about 40 years not to have finished in the top six of any league they've played in.

Hope to God we can put that one to rest this season.

 

[n1xon]

Dons stadium will be closer to 32,000 this season now they are putting seats on the top tier. Which will only get filled when the rugby is there.

 

[craigSKYBLUE]

Do you think sheff utd are a bigger club than ccfc....sheff wednesday are but are united..in my 28years ive only seen them in top flight bout 6/7 years

 

[ashbyjan]

The fact that we have probably the best stadium in the third division and are still a "big" club just means that the opposition will see us as a big scalp, raise their game and make life even harder for our side of juniors and journeymen. Being the big fish there to be shot at isn't always such a good thing - we will be the prize scalp for many teams.

 

[Marty]

What relevence does "most Premier League seasons" have?

From the other honours you can see that pre-SKY football did actually exist, and even had a top division that teams played in!

Are you sure of that? Surely nothing sporting happened before Sky Sports.

 

[Ccfc1979]

The fact that we have probably the best stadium in the third division and are still a "big" club just means that the opposition will see us as a big scalp, raise their game and make life even harder for our side of juniors and journeymen. Being the big fish there to be shot at isn't always such a good thing - we will be the prize scalp for many teams.

I agree, but do you think that the last relegation was seen by the club and fans as a one season, easy party that went very flat very quickly. This time our club and the vast majority of fans are not so cocky. Other teams might see us as a big scalp, and they will, but if our attitude is right and we are mentally ready to fight and fight we could, maybe do better in the league than we have for forty years. Then I think of one away win and how many points Weds needed last year...

 

[Reynolds_121]

We're a medium sized club.

 

[craigSKYBLUE]

We're a medium sized club.

Overall yes we are.same as bolton , pompey,saints etc..but in league 1 we are classed as big

 

[Reynolds_121]

I'd say we're a bigger club than Bolton and Pompey. When you look at it, for absolute years the City and the club have had nothing to celebrate. We need some kind of success.

 

[craigSKYBLUE]

Even just a play off place will be a success ive not seen in my life ( 3 yrs old in 87)

 

[lordsummerisle]

I'd say we're a bigger club than Bolton and Pompey. When you look at it, for absolute years the City and the club have had nothing to celebrate. We need some kind of success.

I don't know, Bolton have won the FA Cup 4 times, and the second Division 3 times.

Portsmouth the old First Division twice, and the FA Cup twice.

In terms of honours won, they would be bigger teams than us.

 

[skyblueman]

How does playing shite in the championship for a decade then getting relegated to a lower level make us a big fish?

 

[kg82]

How does playing shite in the championship for a decade then getting relegated to a lower level make us a big fish?

Because it's just the last 10 year's that count?

 

[skyblueman]

Yeah I think it does really to be honest - we've achieved absolutely nothing in all that time - big fish would have done something in that time

 

[DiveDiveWhereverYouMayBe]

He is talking about big fish in the small pond that is League 1.

 

[TasmanSeaSkyBlue]

Just depends on how you look at it. Coventry is what, the 10th biggest city in England? The only club in League One to have the word 'City' in their title. To the majority of the other teams in League One City are a big fish! How many were in non league when we were in the Premier League?
Relegation also has us in the FIRST round of the FA Cup & League Cup. We haven't had success and we've been barely mediocre and have stagnated in most of the time since the sixties but where there is life, there's hope and I would like to think, just like winning the lottery, just once, I could actually enjoy a successful Coventry City season instead of another manic depressive one like the others that I can remember. Or was 1987 'it' for us.
I live in hope & PUSB!
And Good Night from Kiama.

 

[kg82]

Yeah I think it does really to be honest - we've achieved absolutely nothing in all that time - big fish would have done something in that time

You mean like how arsenal haven't won anything in 7 years, and villa haven't won anything in God knows how long etc etc? So they're not big fish anymore because its just the recent history that counts?

 

[skyblueman]

Alright I'll settle for 'big fish with Fin Rot'

 

[kg82]

Alright I'll settle for 'big fish with Fin Rot'

Better!!!!

 

[Blinxs]

The thing is when do you realistically cut off past honours compared to how big the club is now? I think part of the OP was saying that other teams havent won big competitions for well over 50-100 years and so can they really be counted? The same though can be said about our cup win 25 years ago and the fact we have been out of the top flight for over 10? Not taking anything away from our and others achievements but think we need to be more recent when we compare how 'big' teams are. Therefore Pompey may be the biggest team but may also very quickly become the smallest team. It's probably safest to say we are one of a few 'big' teams in League 1 although with the league 1 title and JPT secured this season then our stock will sky rocket and many may say we are THE big team in the Championship come next season

 

[stupot07]

Just depends on how you look at it. Coventry is what, the 10th biggest city in England? The only club in League One to have the word 'City' in their title. To the majority of the other teams in League One City are a big fish! How many were in non league when we were in the Premier League?
Relegation also has us in the FIRST round of the FA Cup & League Cup. We haven't had success and we've been barely mediocre and have stagnated in most of the time since the sixties but where there is life, there's hope and I would like to think, just like winning the lottery, just once, I could actually enjoy a successful Coventry City season instead of another manic depressive one like the others that I can remember. Or was 1987 'it' for us.
I live in hope & PUSB!
And Good Night from Kiama.

I didn't realise we were the only 'City' in league one - there are 3 in league two - Exeter, York and Bradford.

 

[musicmanskyblue]

How does playing shite in the championship for a decade then getting relegated to a lower level make us a big fish?

Agree Skyblueman... Plus 40 years without a top 6 finish hardly qualifies us to a claim of "Big club" status..
I acknowledge that we have some great history and achievement, but i find the arrogance of some of our supporters embarrassing..
In reality we don't know for sure that we still aren't in free fall and can compete in this division...

 

[DiveDiveWhereverYouMayBe]

People get too hung up on 'big club / bigger club / biggest club'. It is not what the OP is saying. Big fish in a small pond? Probably, yes. It is a turn of phrase. The size of the ground, the fact that we are playing at our lowest level for several decades, the fact that we are a decent sized city... in the eyes of plenty of other League 1 fans, we will be one of the handful of bigger fish that they want to take down a peg or two. We are not a big club. Haven't done anything at all since 1987. No top 6 league finish in a ridiculous amount of time. We have been lacklustre at best. Doesn't dispute the point he was trying to make.

 

[skyblueman]

Agree Skyblueman... Plus 40 years without a top 6 finish hardly qualifies us to a claim of "Big club" status..
I acknowledge that we have some great history and achievement, but i find the arrogance of some of our supporters embarrassing..
In reality we don't know for sure that we still aren't in free fall and can compete in this division...

Pride comes before a fall etc - lets see how it plays out in L1

More than anything else I am just simply embarrassed we have fallen so low.. and I truly worry this is not as bad as it could get - riding on the tails of past teams/managers successes from yesteryear just doesn't wash with me any more - it's been too long now and we haven't even come close to anything like success - City deserve better

 

[Astute]

We will sell out at some away games. Some will take less than 100 with them. Does this count?

 

[Grendel]

We will sell out at some away games. Some will take less than 100 with them. Does this count?

In a way it does as it is an example of our size in this league. Although some clubs do not make it out in the first season clubs of our size usually do and if they don't they manage to second time around.

 

[CTID]

People get too hung up on 'big club / bigger club / biggest club'. It is not what the OP is saying. Big fish in a small pond? Probably, yes. It is a turn of phrase. The size of the ground, the fact that we are playing at our lowest level for several decades, the fact that we are a decent sized city... in the eyes of plenty of other League 1 fans, we will be one of the handful of bigger fish that they want to take down a peg or two. We are not a big club. Haven't done anything at all since 1987. No top 6 league finish in a ridiculous amount of time. We have been lacklustre at best. Doesn't dispute the point he was trying to make.

This is a very good point, there is a difference between being a "Big club" to being a big fish in a small pond...i retract my previous statement.

 

[Grendel]

People get too hung up on 'big club / bigger club / biggest club'. It is not what the OP is saying. Big fish in a small pond? Probably, yes. It is a turn of phrase. The size of the ground, the fact that we are playing at our lowest level for several decades, the fact that we are a decent sized city... in the eyes of plenty of other League 1 fans, we will be one of the handful of bigger fish that they want to take down a peg or two. We are not a big club. Haven't done anything at all since 1987. No top 6 league finish in a ridiculous amount of time. We have been lacklustre at best. Doesn't dispute the point he was trying to make.

The top 6 finish issue is mainly because we have been in the top flight for a long time. The OP is correct. Name a club of our size without points reduction that had remained here for more than 3 seasons.

 

[dongonzalos]

Do we think like a big club

 

[usskyblue]

Who cares anyway? What a pointless conversation...

3 points per win is all that matters in any league, no matter what your size or history...