Sunderland

[Mark Albrighton]

5 hours ago, BOF said:

It must be like hiring Eeyore or Marvin the terminally depressed android as your manager.  You keep being realistic David.  We love you for it.  You're a **** vortex of downer.

 

[BOF]

It's official-ish.

Sunderland are the biggest club in the Championship Well according to David Moyes any way.

Normally when a club makes that claim we can get all grumpy and start an argument with them.  Say Newcastle or Leeds.

But then a club like Sunderland does it, or rather their manager does it, and you just think "tsk aww, that's kinda cute, you deluded w*nkpuffin".

Quote

David Moyes makes statement Leeds United and Aston Villa fans might disagree with

Aston Villa and Leeds United could be some of Sunderland's biggest competitors for promotion next season.

David Moyes has controversially claimed in the Shields Gazette that Sunderland are the biggest club in the Championship.

Sunderland are set to drop into the second tier, and certainly will be one of the highest supported teams in the division.

But the likes of Leeds United, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest may take issue with Moyes’ claim.

The Scottish boss said: “Sunderland will be the biggest club in Championship, and that should help us attract players.

“There are different parts to it - if you buy youngsters, there are no guarantees; if you buy senior players they help you initially but you don’t get resale value - all these things are part of it.”

Sunderland’s trophy cabinet certainly cannot compete with some of their Championship rival’s.

However, the Black Cats are set to be one of the most well supported teams in the division next season - with the Wearsiders boasting one of the most loyal fan-bases in England.

Of course, being a big club does not guarantee success in the Championship - as Leeds, Forest and Villa testify to.

Leeds and Forest have been struggling outside the Premier League for some time, while Villa could only muster up a mid-table season last year.

 

[PompeyVillan]

You have to laugh. What is a big team after all?

It's posturing, we did it this time last season too. All it serves to do is fire up your opponents and puts additional pressure on your club. So keep talking Moyes.

[rodders0223]

Public relations officer has told him to stop being a Debbie Downer for once in his miserable existence, and to talk up the club and go on the charm offensive for the new season. He's took it a bit too far the other way this time. Poor Moyeseh.

[Demitri_C]

Newcastle are bigger than them. We have nothing to fear of them 

[Jimzk5]

In fairness they do have an incredibly loyal fan base, who attendance puts ours in a shadow

but they are also a club without any real competition for fans to support, a one club city really

if villa didn't have baggies wolves blues it even Walsall we'd get 70k every game.

[Mjvilla]

6 minutes ago, Jimzk5 said:

In fairness they do have an incredibly loyal fan base, who attendance puts ours in a shadow

but they are also a club without any real competition for fans to support, a one club city really

if villa didn't have baggies wolves blues it even Walsall we'd get 70k every game.

They had an average attendance of 42 ish thousand last season. Let's see if they get anywhere near that next season. Especially if they struggle which I have a gut feeling they might. 

[Jimzk5]

9 minutes ago, Mjvilla said:

They had an average attendance of 42 ish thousand last season. Let's see if they get anywhere near that next season. Especially if they struggle which I have a gut feeling they might. 

They will though, the same reason boro and Newcastle get good gates is cus other than Blyth spartarns who else can up there can you support

[Mjvilla]

10 minutes ago, Jimzk5 said:

They will though, the same reason boro and Newcastle get good gates is cus other than Blyth spartarns who else can up there can you support

Newcastle do, boro don't. They average 30.5k for the season. Capacity is 33 and a bit. We averaged 32k for this season. In this league. 

Sunderland got 38k v Bournemouth when they still had a small chance of staying up. We have got more than that in a number of games this season. I think they will average about 35 next year and if they struggle, be closer to 32. 

[VillaChris]

They take great numbers away in fairness.

Mentioned it last season but I went up to watch Sunderland-Arsenal and they listed away attendances in the programme. Sunderland took 2.5k fans to Palace for a Monday night game ffs.

How many did we take to Palace midweek when we won there through Benteke, 1.5k tops.

I do like the bit where Moyes says he isn't going to bother with young players and will go with experience, think Jagielka, Leon Osman and Tony Hibbert should be expecting a call!

[Rugeley Villa]

When they were last in the championship they won the league and also when on an 11 game unbeaten run. They averaged 31k. We've been piss poor this season and have averaged 32k and paying more for match tickets. Now if we had the season that Sunderland did in their last championship campaign I know for a fact the average at villa would be 40k. 

I like Sunderland as a club and it is a big club but imo they are not in the same bracket of clubs as villa are. If they have a bad season next year they will do well to average what we did. 

[Rugeley Villa]

22 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

 

How many did we take to Palace midweek when we won there through Benteke, 1.5k tops.

 

We took 2200. They do travel well considering how shit they are and the miles they have to travel but they usually only take the smaller allocations to games. 

[bobzy]

2 hours ago, Jimzk5 said:

They will though, the same reason boro and Newcastle get good gates is cus other than Blyth spartarns who else can up there can you support

Been through all this before, but size of the city is relevant too.  There's not that many people up there compared to Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the surrounding areas.

The North-East teams (well, Newcastle and Sunderland) have fantastic attendances.

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, Rugeley Villa said:

We took 2200. They do travel well considering how shit they are and the miles they have to travel but they usually only take the smaller allocations to games. 

Surprised at that but in fairness in the last 10 years we've had terrific support on the road despite the mostly dismal seasons we serve up. I remember times when we'd go up to the likes of Boro and Man. City and only sell half the allocations. 

[VillaChris]

As I've said before the North East is completely different to the Midlands.

Think back to your time in school if you grew up in Brum and I bet there were plenty of gloryhunters in your class. Up there I'd say 90% would support Newcastle or Sunderland, it's just what you're taught to do while the Midlands is a more lax area given it attracts more people from around the country to live here.

[Demitri_C]

8 hours ago, VillaChris said:

As I've said before the North East is completely different to the Midlands.

Think back to your time in school if you grew up in Brum and I bet there were plenty of gloryhunters in your class. Up there I'd say 90% would support Newcastle or Sunderland, it's just what you're taught to do while the Midlands is a more lax area given it attracts more people from around the country to live here.

Tbf that's a great mentality they have up there

But imagine if Celtic and rangers were premier league sides they would have them as big time rivals

[rodders0223]

9 hours ago, VillaChris said:

As I've said before the North East is completely different to the Midlands.

Think back to your time in school if you grew up in Brum and I bet there were plenty of gloryhunters in your class. Up there I'd say 90% would support Newcastle or Sunderland, it's just what you're taught to do while the Midlands is a more lax area given it attracts more people from around the country to live here.

Indeed. I play football with a lot of lads born here but with heritage in Asia. Nobody supports Villa. Three brothers for instance support Spurs, Liverpool and I think Man United between them.

[TrentVilla]

Oh goody.... another pointless debate with a club from the North East about who's club is biggest and bestest. Followed I presume by a squabble about who's dad's are harder.

Fact is both clubs have been run into the ground by clueless American owners and saddled with over paid past It players by a succession of poor managers and that prick O'Neill.

Truth is neither of us have much to be shouting about right now.

[Xela]

19 hours ago, VillaChris said:

As I've said before the North East is completely different to the Midlands.

Think back to your time in school if you grew up in Brum and I bet there were plenty of gloryhunters in your class. Up there I'd say 90% would support Newcastle or Sunderland, it's just what you're taught to do while the Midlands is a more lax area given it attracts more people from around the country to live here.

Agreed. The North in general are far more partisan to their football teams and it's to be applauded. 

I work on a bank of desks with 4 other blokes. They all support Man Utd. 3 are from the Midlands and one from Moston, in Manchester, so i'll let him off!

[Xela]

Moyes 'surprised' Defoe has a relegation release clause and he wouldn't have allowed it. Well Dave, if you had done a better job like the previous managers and stayed up then you wouldn't have this to worry about.