54 years ago my late father told me that Argo were a sleeping giant. I am now telling my grandsons the same. Does anyone genuinely believe the club will ever arise from its 128 year slumber, and if so what would make it happen?
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Will it ever happen? (sleeping giant)
- Thread starter Knarf Reprah
- Start date
No. :sad:
Haven't a clue. :think:
this club wouldn't voom even if you put four million volts through it! :facepalm:
Haven't a clue. :think:
this club wouldn't voom even if you put four million volts through it! :facepalm:
C
Cobi Budge.
Guest
I think we are only referred to as a sleeping giant because we are stuck on our own down here with a huge catchment area, but the fact is, janners just don't get behind Argyle, they prefer Man United on sky sports. Look at Burnley, pulling in 15 000 people in a town of 80 000, look at Wigan, again pulling in 15 000 people in a town of 85 000 when actually rugby is the main sport, then there's us, pulling in 7000 in a city of 260 000 plus probably another 100 000 in catchment. Let's remember, even in the championship we were only pulling in 11 000 average so I don't think the level of football counts for that much either, admittedly a little.
It sounds silly, but I just think Plymouth isn't a football city, it's not really an anything in that sporting respect. More plastic Man United fans than fans willing to get up to home park. And let's also remember, both examples I used, Burnley and Wigan actually have lower average earnings than Plymouth does, therefore I don't think money comes in to it either.
It's a shame really.
It sounds silly, but I just think Plymouth isn't a football city, it's not really an anything in that sporting respect. More plastic Man United fans than fans willing to get up to home park. And let's also remember, both examples I used, Burnley and Wigan actually have lower average earnings than Plymouth does, therefore I don't think money comes in to it either.
It's a shame really.
Frankly, I think we are a sleeping moderate/middling/fairish scale sort of bloke, a 5/11 or 6 footer perhaps, for whom the Championship was our waking moment. We had six seasons in it. It was great. That's the upper reaches of our level and I have no problems with that. I had tremendous fun. We will get there again.
To be a sleeping giant you have to be a giant that's gone to sleep rather than a man of average height who's dreaming.
Cobi a couple of points. The population of Wigan is about 320,000. Also when Wigan played at this level they were the worst supported club in the football league averaging about 1200 so I am not sure why you used them to illustrate your point.
54 years ago we were a pretty prestigious club, we were a solid second tier club with only brief stints in the third tier. How times change...
Looking at the Championship at the moment there are a lot of clubs with big support and history of doing well in the top tier, both recently and historically - Wolves, Birmingham City, Norwich, Notts Forest, Derby, Blackburn, Leeds, Middlesborough... even if we do get into the Championship (it could take us 10-15 years)) it will be difficult to compete with teams like that.
Burnley FC were a founder club of the Football League and played in the top two divisions for most of the period up to 1976 (thanks Wikipedia!). Burnley is also very much a working-class town where it would have been completely the norm for men to watch their local team for the best part of a century. They have won the league twice and the FA Cup once. So, it is hardly surprising that there is a strong allegiance to the football team there within local families etc. I can remember when I was at Primary School having football cards of Burnley players (e.g. Leighton James). They were a biggish club even in the early 1970s - they were 6th in the league and FA Cup semi-finalists in 1974 and 10th in the league in 1975 (thanks Wikipedia!). My point is that it is not really surprising at all that Burnley are relatively well supported as they have a substantial history as a top team.
I think Argyle's time can certainly come one day but it will probably only do so if the city of Plymouth itself manages to get a financial lift somehow. If Plymouth was a place that attracted wealthy people and businesses then the football club would certainly be worth someone's effort to take forward.
It's interesting to consider which other, currently successful, club is the most appropriate exemplar for Argyle - perhaps Hull or Swansea?
Both are relatively out on a limb and have relatively low-key history (except for Swansea's spell in Division 1 in the early 1980s) but are now playing in the top division.
I think Argyle's time can certainly come one day but it will probably only do so if the city of Plymouth itself manages to get a financial lift somehow. If Plymouth was a place that attracted wealthy people and businesses then the football club would certainly be worth someone's effort to take forward.
It's interesting to consider which other, currently successful, club is the most appropriate exemplar for Argyle - perhaps Hull or Swansea?
Both are relatively out on a limb and have relatively low-key history (except for Swansea's spell in Division 1 in the early 1980s) but are now playing in the top division.
jerryatricjanner":2167lt86 said:
If you want to use Wigan as an example, where's our equivalent to Whelan coming from. A multi, multi millionaire able but more importantly willing to pump in the money required. Wigan never made it to the promised land on merit ( sure that's not the correct word but close enough ) but on the back of a true fan of the club that funded it's rise through the divisions.
Since their arrival, they have benefitted by being in an easily commutable distance from Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds etc that will always sell out their quota as visiting teams. ( I use Leeds as a reference of where they were not where they are).
Leagues one and two are where we will be because we have no teams in the championship that would consistently fill out our away end so there is more reliance on filling the home sections. Which is why (I can't believe I'm saying this) for our survival it is more important to maintain a parity with the six toes and hope that the Turks get back in the professional leagues (should they survive at all).
it is also worth considering the geography of wigan,burnley etc.any kid who is rejected by man city,man utd might be good enough for burnley etc etc.a teenager coming all the way to plymouth and fending for himself or at home with friends and relatives until they gain maturity?99% would surely stay in lancashire wouldn't they?
