Bigger Than Cardiff?

[gazza1982]

Well there local press think so.

"Judge that one for yourself. But some would argue that were Bristol City in effect seven points clear in the push for the Premiership, the sold-out signs would have been erected at Ashton Gate."

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/...-name_page.html

[lotusman]

Well there local press think so.

"Judge that one for yourself. But some would argue that were Bristol City in effect seven points clear in the push for the Premiership, the sold-out signs would have been erected at Ashton Gate."

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/...-name_page.html

Interesting article,yet in all honesty Cardiff have done well in recent times .Since they pushed us aside in the play-offs they have truly established themselves in the championship,they have excited their fans with the dream of the premiership.

The Choppra deal is as good a piece a business as you will find anywhere in football (what price Lita?).With 5million in their pockets they can really go out and do some shopping and as for their fan base the facts support that they have had a greater average attendance than ourselves for the last decade.

[screech]

City and Cardiff are both small time players in english football, there isn't a big club in South Wales or the west country, there would be at least 20 clubs I could put forward that have more potential than either club. Based on location, History and fan base.

I really don't think there is anyone outside of Bristol that could tell you anything about Bristol City, we have a tiny spec of history in the top flight which most people under 40 would never have seen or barely remember at all, we have never won a major cup and our only appearance in the final of a major cup was so long ago I bet there isnt anyone alive today that went to it.

The big club thing should be left to the big clubs, we are potentially upper middle in terms of support over the 92 clubs and very average when it comes to winning things.

This season we will be in the bottom 8 of average attendances, and up against teams that do have a much more proud history of achievment and recognition in the game, Wolves, Charlton, Sheff Utd/Wed, Blackpool, West Brom, Ipswich, Norwich, Saints, Preston, Burnley, Leicester, QPR and even Cardiff have won a major cup.

Lets just forget about the media saying these silly things, it really is an embarrasment to the real big clubs.

[054123]

City and Cardiff are both small time players in English football, there isn't a big club in South Wales or the west country, there would be at least 20 clubs I could put forward that have more potential than either club. Based on location, History and fan base.

I really don't think there is anyone outside of Bristol that could tell you anything about Bristol City, we have a tiny spec of history in the top flight which most people under 40 would never have seen or barely remember at all, we have never won a major cup and our only appearance in the final of a major cup was so long ago I bet there isn't anyone alive today that went to it.

The big club thing should be left to the big clubs, we are potentially upper middle in terms of support over the 92 clubs and very average when it comes to winning things.

This season we will be in the bottom 8 of average attendances, and up against teams that do have a much more proud history of achievement and recognition in the game, Wolves, Charlton, Sheff Utd/Wed, Blackpool, West Brom, Ipswich, Norwich, Saints, Preston, Burnley, Leicester, QPR and even Cardiff have won a major cup.

Lets just forget about the media saying these silly things, it really is an embarrassment to the real big clubs.

Well said.

I don't deny having an intense dislike for Cardiff City, but both clubs are of a similar size and fan base and it would it take something monumental for either of us to be considered a big club. I expect there will always be those on either side of the Bristol Channel who claim different, but i think they know the truth deep down themselves.

As the few Wolves fans on here are showing at the moment, there are always a few nobs who lack any sort of real focus on the situation.

I know our place at the moment, but hopefully we can aim higher. Shame a few others don't know theirs!

[Rocky]

They should be thankful Risdale is getting money into the club, normally the other way around!

[Geoff65]

Bristol City are a top 30 club that haven't proved it over many years and as someone quite rightly pointed out anyone under the age of 40 would struggle with the idea that Bristol are a top 30 club and the same thing for Cardiff except I would make thema top 40 club - the difference being that Cardiff fans are a little more fickle than the Bristol fans - as the Westeren Mail points out - how many sell outs did Cardiff have with the potential of play off / auto promotion at stake. Cardiff fans will say that they are a footballing city and have a huge encashment area - but the sad thing is that the reality is that most of the valleys focal point on a saturday is their rugby club and premiership football is a necessity to get people away from their comfort zone.

[bh_red]

Looking at the context of the news story, I can see the writers point, it is suprising that they haven't been selling out the ground especially when they were doing so well, should be interesting when they actually move to their new ground, that's all off the field,

on the field, they are a far better side than us at the moment, just looking at the players in their squad, it's down to us to overturn that.

either way, neither club is that big, both very much average championship clubs.

it's up to both clubs to prove otherwise, on and off the field

[Andy Horsman]

Short of a massive injection of funds, the likes of Reading and Wigan, who lets face it were long-time minnows, are as of now out of our reach.However we should look to two clubs I personally detest, with grudging admiration, and have aspirations to match or surpass their achievements, namely C*rdiff and Plymouth Gargoyle.

Both have become secure and relatively financially stable Championship clubs.C*rdiff are building a new ground and Plymouth have almosrt entirely rebuilt Home Park which used to be dreadful.

We are not a big club in the sense of tradition, trophies or support. We could however regain top spot in the West/South Wales locality, and that will only be possible if we look at our recent rivals and emulate their relative successes.

[redsontour]

City and Cardiff are both small time players in english football, there isn't a big club in South Wales or the west country, there would be at least 20 clubs I could put forward that have more potential than either club. Based on location, History and fan base.

Ok, ignoring history, which has no impact or influence on potential....go for it....name 20 clubs with greater potential to grow from their current status....

[giles_23_bcfc]

Ok, ignoring history, which has no impact or influence on potential....go for it....name 20 clubs with greater potential to grow from their current status....

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Birmingham

Blackburn

Bolton

Chelsea

Derby

Everton

Fulham

Liverpool

Man City

Man Utd

Middlesboro

Newcastle

Portsmouth

Reading

Sunderland

Tottenham

West Ham

Wigan

Sheffield United

Sheffield Wednesday

Preston

Charlton

Wolves

Coventry

Ipswich

Norwich

Stoke

Watford

[redsontour]

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Birmingham

Blackburn

Bolton

Chelsea

Derby

Everton

Fulham

Liverpool

Man City

Man Utd

Middlesboro

Newcastle

Portsmouth

Reading

Sunderland

Tottenham

West Ham

Wigan

Sheffield United

Sheffield Wednesday

Preston

Charlton

Wolves

Coventry

Ipswich

Norwich

Stoke

Watford

Sorry..I will explain again..."potential" The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being, something possessing the capacity for growth or development.

That doesn't result in you listing the sides in the prem..followed by the top 10 finishers in the Championship...challenge yourself...what clubs have the potential to improve theitr current status..in the form of crowds, and fan base..

[giles_23_bcfc]

Sorry..I will explain again..."potential" The inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being, something possessing the capacity for growth or development.

That doesn't result in you listing the sides in the prem..followed by the top 10 finishers in the Championship...challenge yourself...what clubs have the potential to improve theitr current status..in the form of crowds, and fan base..

Well i would say basically every championship team and the lower premiership team. Aswell as a few SPL teams. IMO anyway.

[Barrs Court Red]

Behave, the only clubs in that last that should be there are the midlands clubs and Stoke.

If anything most of that list has reached its peak. Clubs like Liverpool and Man U are possibly as big as clubs can get.

[Nibor]

They should be thankful Risdale is getting money into the club, normally the other way around!

Ridsdale got lots of money into Leeds. Other people's money. He just ran into problems when he realised they wanted it back!

I would be shit scared of that buffoon having anything to do with my football club. I'm sure Cardiff will regret it.

[Geoff65]

Cardiff is an enigma - if you take a good look at oppertunities then you can get carried way and spend money the club will have to recoup at some point in the future. Cardiff will have a new stadium but my understanding is that they hope to generate a lot of revenue from the shops and restaurants that will be part of the complex but the thing is when you look at Cardiff for shopping and restaurants you have the City Centre with Queen Street St Davids Centre The Hayes St Mary Street - Pubs and clubs all around the Millenium Stadium and for out of town shopping you have Newport Road, The Bay and Culverhouse Cross - I have to ask why would people rather go to yet another out of town shopping area which lets be frank wont have that many new retail outlets which are brand names. Also the location although very good for transportation links (but it's just over the road from Ninian Park - so lets not get carried away with this aspect). Then there is the actual support that Cardiff can generate - if you look at it with an optimists view point you have everyone from Bridgend to Chepstow potentially going to the club and Northwards you have all the valleys from Brecon southwards - the potential is huge. Unfortunately the people who populate these areas are not true footy fans (I'm not saying there are not any football fans but the percentage of potential people coming to Cardiff to watch a match would be akin to the likes of Wigan - you have a core support of around 6000 - 8000, another 3000 to 5000 who will attend championship matches and another 25000 who would attend big premiership matches and of those circa 10000 would attend normal premiership matches - so championship attendances on average of 10000 - 13000 Cardiff fans and another 10000 if they attained the premiership. This for me does not make sound financial sense unless you budget around the 13000 - 16000 attendances and to back the stadium to make Cardiff a shed load of money to sustain the championship income that is required then is (in light of all the other shopping experiences you can have in Cardiff) is a bit daft. The good news however is that if Cardiff use the money wisely from the sales of Chopra i.e. reduce debt with it and become debt free Cardiff will be a championship side for a very long time - one figure that comes from the recent Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance (May 2007) is that a championship club will require 25 years in the championship for turnover (or profit) to be equivalent to one year's worth in the premiership.

Good luck with the venture Risdale but I think you have an overly oppermistic view as to what Cardiff and the surrounding areas can provide for the football club.

[bh_red]

Cardiff is an enigma - if you take a good look at oppertunities then you can get carried way and spend money the club will have to recoup at some point in the future. Cardiff will have a new stadium but my understanding is that they hope to generate a lot of revenue from the shops and restaurants that will be part of the complex but the thing is when you look at Cardiff for shopping and restaurants you have the City Centre with Queen Street St Davids Centre The Hayes St Mary Street - Pubs and clubs all around the Millenium Stadium and for out of town shopping you have Newport Road, The Bay and Culverhouse Cross - I have to ask why would people rather go to yet another out of town shopping area which lets be frank wont have that many new retail outlets which are brand names. Also the location although very good for transportation links (but it's just over the road from Ninian Park - so lets not get carried away with this aspect). Then there is the actual support that Cardiff can generate - if you look at it with an optimists view point you have everyone from Bridgend to Chepstow potentially going to the club and Northwards you have all the valleys from Brecon southwards - the potential is huge. Unfortunately the people who populate these areas are not true footy fans (I'm not saying there are not any football fans but the percentage of potential people coming to Cardiff to watch a match would be akin to the likes of Wigan - you have a core support of around 6000 - 8000, another 3000 to 5000 who will attend championship matches and another 25000 who would attend big premiership matches and of those circa 10000 would attend normal premiership matches - so championship attendances on average of 10000 - 13000 Cardiff fans and another 10000 if they attained the premiership. This for me does not make sound financial sense unless you budget around the 13000 - 16000 attendances and to back the stadium to make Cardiff a shed load of money to sustain the championship income that is required then is (in light of all the other shopping experiences you can have in Cardiff) is a bit daft. The good news however is that if Cardiff use the money wisely from the sales of Chopra i.e. reduce debt with it and become debt free Cardiff will be a championship side for a very long time - one figure that comes from the recent Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance (May 2007) is that a championship club will require 25 years in the championship for turnover (or profit) to be equivalent to one year's worth in the premiership.

Good luck with the venture Risdale but I think you have an overly oppermistic view as to what Cardiff and the surrounding areas can provide for the football club.

not a dig, however you miss one major point on that, despite the catchment area and everything and why don't Cardiff, Swansea, Newport get crowds? one word.........

RUGBY

problem with the welsh is, alot of them, just aren't bothered about football and see it very much as a 2nd sport, work regularly in the Cardiff office for my company and Football just doesn't get spoken about over there, in an office of 40, one football fan, now that's just one office but in general from the welsh people I know, have spoken and work with, they just aren't interested in football in general, let alone Cardiff City.

[Geoff65]

Yeah I agree Rugby is central to a lot of the valleys folk - watch the match saturday - down to the club after (subsidised booze is good!) and wife/girlfriend turns up later to drag you home and in Cardiff you get as many Cardiff Rugby fans as you do footy fans. Lived here for 20 years now and your assessment is fairly accurate if there was an equivalent Cardiff Rovers football club there would be same amount of footy banter as there is in Bristol but with the lack of serious close rivals footy doesnt get talked about.

Rugby is big enough to satisfy a lot of welsh people's casual approach to sport - I mean we get the November round of internationals with South Africa/ All Blacks / Aussies which are mega drunken times in Cardiff followed by christmas and another excuse not to go to sport and get drunk and then spring comes along with the 6 nations.

I was replying Nibor's comments that if he was a Cardiff fan he would be worried with Risdale's actions and it's an understandable mistake from investors who don't see the reality of trying to make Cardiff into a profitable premiership side.

[Show Me The Money!]

not a dig, however you miss one major point on that, despite the catchment area and everything and why don't Cardiff, Swansea, Newport get crowds? one word.........

RUGBY

problem with the welsh is, alot of them, just aren't bothered about football and see it very much as a 2nd sport, work regularly in the Cardiff office for my company and Football just doesn't get spoken about over there, in an office of 40, one football fan, now that's just one office but in general from the welsh people I know, have spoken and work with, they just aren't interested in football in general, let alone Cardiff City.

To a lesser extent you have to agree that Bristol or the whole of the West Country suffers in the same way.

The west country doesn't seem to have the same passion about football that say the north west, north east, london or the midlands has.

In fact if you were to look back through an english football history book at all the league winners over the years (by that I mean old div 1 and prem) you will find that a good 75% of the league winners are teams from the north and the other 25% are teams from london