The Mail Bag
How big are Everton?
Comments (21)
My job takes me around the country and I come into contact with a lot of other fans. Some are very clued up, but some are just clueless.
I personally think Everton have the 3rd bigest fanbase throughout the country and together with our history I believe we are a massive club. But reading and listening to some of the phone ins, you would think we are behind the likes of Newcastle and Spurs, in terms of stature.
I even read in some rag, that Moyes would jump at the chance to manage a club the size of Newcastle. Call me biased but I believe we are a bigger club than Newcastle and Spurs, but what constitutes a big club, money, fanbase or history?
Mick Simo, Posted 14/01/2008 at 12:19:33
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Alex Smith
2 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:47:17
2 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:47:17
Necastle surely have a larger fanbase than us as they are a one-club city?
John Lloyd
3 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:53:08
3 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:53:08
Only Man U, Arsenal & (painfully) the shite have more success, more fans & would be considered bigger than us.
Spurs and possibly Villa would come very close to us but I honestly believe we are a bigger club than both, bear in mind I’m not talking about income/profits/losses here, as that would take someone more knowledgable than me. I’m talking purely in terms of football.
The geordies are a joke, outside of Newcastle (and by some in, by all accounts) they are becoming a laughing stock
Spurs and possibly Villa would come very close to us but I honestly believe we are a bigger club than both, bear in mind I’m not talking about income/profits/losses here, as that would take someone more knowledgable than me. I’m talking purely in terms of football.
The geordies are a joke, outside of Newcastle (and by some in, by all accounts) they are becoming a laughing stock
Allan Hobbs
4 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:00:05
4 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:00:05
I dont understand the constant rambling about this - its all ’my Dads bigger than your Dad’ stuff - who cares?! Why does it matter?!
Joachim Alm
5 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:59:17
5 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:59:17
How many finals have Spurs, Newcastle, Man City, West Ham been to the last 13 years? And what team was the last team outside the top 4 to win anything? And the last club to break the top 4?
Steven May
6 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:05:08
6 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:05:08
I?m sure that most of the problems surrounding this issue are due to the continual use of the word "big". If we were to ask which clubs are the most historically important, who have had the most success over the years since the formation of the football league, and who have the most fans, then yes Everton would have to come somewhere near the top.
If you use word like "biggest" and "best" you automatically give the responder the chance to evaluate whichever team he wishes by whichever criteria he (or she) sees fit.
It?s all a bit academic anyway. The commited Accrington Stanley fan would see his club as the most significant and would regard Everton as just another club. That?s what being a fan is all about. Logic doesn?t come into it.
(Let?s hope this doesn?t get mis-interpreted, as seems to be the Toffeweb way)
Steve
If you use word like "biggest" and "best" you automatically give the responder the chance to evaluate whichever team he wishes by whichever criteria he (or she) sees fit.
It?s all a bit academic anyway. The commited Accrington Stanley fan would see his club as the most significant and would regard Everton as just another club. That?s what being a fan is all about. Logic doesn?t come into it.
(Let?s hope this doesn?t get mis-interpreted, as seems to be the Toffeweb way)
Steve
Louis Huglin
7 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:08:39
7 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:08:39
Newcastle have been in more finals than us in the last 13 years, Joachim. Doesn’t make them a bigger club though.
We are certainly up there in the top 5 or 6 with Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal, Spurs, Villa and maybe City. I’m a Londoner, (originally scouse but brought up down here) and I am never surprised when I meet Evertonians down here, which happens quite a lot. There are loads of us. Next few years, if successful in terms of a bit of silverware and consistent top 6/even top 4 challenges, will once again give us the recognition in the media that our size, history and fanbase deserve.
We are certainly up there in the top 5 or 6 with Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal, Spurs, Villa and maybe City. I’m a Londoner, (originally scouse but brought up down here) and I am never surprised when I meet Evertonians down here, which happens quite a lot. There are loads of us. Next few years, if successful in terms of a bit of silverware and consistent top 6/even top 4 challenges, will once again give us the recognition in the media that our size, history and fanbase deserve.
Jonathan Fletcher
8 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:54:56
8 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:54:56
Man U
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea
Tottenham
Us
That’s the order of size I’d say
Liverpool
Arsenal
Chelsea
Tottenham
Us
That’s the order of size I’d say
Ian Tunny
9 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:56:51
9 Posted 14/01/2008 at 14:56:51
CHELSEA!!! Chelsea 4th biggest don't make me laf. Yes big in terms of spending power, and yes success over the past 5 years since Abramovic turned up. What about the other 100 or so years? Everton are a way bigger club than Chelsea. Spurs and Villa are up there and deserve a mention.
John Charles
10 Posted 14/01/2008 at 15:21:53
10 Posted 14/01/2008 at 15:21:53
Got to agree... Chelsea are a a run of the mill average club who happen to have struck it lucky and had a billionaire.
Let's be honest, despote the fact they?ve got a great team with great players you?d think twice about the same thing happening to us wouldnt you?
I've a die-hard Chelsea mate and he hates it all .. loads of blurts cottoned on to them, can't get a ticket to the match without agro.
He describes -a life long chelsea fan - Chelsea under Abromavich as "soulless".
Let's be honest, despote the fact they?ve got a great team with great players you?d think twice about the same thing happening to us wouldnt you?
I've a die-hard Chelsea mate and he hates it all .. loads of blurts cottoned on to them, can't get a ticket to the match without agro.
He describes -a life long chelsea fan - Chelsea under Abromavich as "soulless".
David Brown
11 Posted 14/01/2008 at 15:43:58
11 Posted 14/01/2008 at 15:43:58
I think its a generation thing. I know a lot of lads my age (27/28) who support Everton down here (cardiff). Its either us, Manure or the Shite. In my rugby club alone there are seven toffees. But in the schools that I have taught in the majority of kids follow Arsenal, Manure and Chelski (but lots of them tell me that their Dads are Everton fans).
For my generation there is definately a huge fan base in South Wales (several members of the Welsh Rugby team do too). I’ve also found that you will find an Evertonian wherever you travel in the world
For my generation there is definately a huge fan base in South Wales (several members of the Welsh Rugby team do too). I’ve also found that you will find an Evertonian wherever you travel in the world
Allan Hobbs
12 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:17:59
12 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:17:59
Nottingham Forest.
Danny Colford
13 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:20:06
13 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:20:06
Joachim, Middlesborough, blackburn, leicester x2 and spurs have all won the league cup since 1995
Nick Whitham
14 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:22:51
14 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:22:51
Newcastle are only described as a big club because they are a rich club, ever since the Sir John Hall days when thy got quite a bit of cash to splash. Pre John Hall Newcastle where never really described as a big club.
Keith Glazzard
15 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:49:05
15 Posted 14/01/2008 at 16:49:05
The ’mines bigger than yours’ banter between rival fans is as old as the game itself and a legitimate part of it. Its healthy and its meant to go on forever. There is no final ’truth’ because things always change.
What we all hate, I think, is the power that the media tries to exert to brand (and I do mean brand) some clubs as big, and the rest as make-weights.
The brands - sorry, clubs - who benefit from this get the media men into bed with them, and they all generally get rich in the process. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. This is what the media do.
What we all hate, I think, is the power that the media tries to exert to brand (and I do mean brand) some clubs as big, and the rest as make-weights.
The brands - sorry, clubs - who benefit from this get the media men into bed with them, and they all generally get rich in the process. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. This is what the media do.
Ricardo Humphries
16 Posted 14/01/2008 at 17:48:27
16 Posted 14/01/2008 at 17:48:27
In the 80’s Everton was the best supported club in South Africa. The early 90’s I think the second best, by the late 90’s third. Now we’re about 4th in South Africa behind Manure, Liverpool and Arsenal. We still have a huge huge following!! I think is like David Brown explains, it is a generational thing.
Leigh Sadler
17 Posted 14/01/2008 at 19:58:46
17 Posted 14/01/2008 at 19:58:46
I am an Everton fan from the south east, and I am amazed at the amount of Everton fans I come in to contact with around the Essex and London region. Where I live obviously the big London clubs are the best supported and there are a lot of Liverpool and Man Utd but you very rarely see any fans of Newcastle, Man city Aston Viilla etc.
We have a large scattering of fans all cross the south of England, as for Arsenal/Spurs/Cheslea/West Ham etc how many fans do they have up North.
Man Utd and Liverpool are certainly the best supported clubs in the country but I would say we have a much bigger fanbase than Chelsea, and even maybe fractionally bigger than Arsenal/Spurs in the UK, however I reckon the three London clubs I have just mentioned have bigger profiles and more fans abroad.
We have a large scattering of fans all cross the south of England, as for Arsenal/Spurs/Cheslea/West Ham etc how many fans do they have up North.
Man Utd and Liverpool are certainly the best supported clubs in the country but I would say we have a much bigger fanbase than Chelsea, and even maybe fractionally bigger than Arsenal/Spurs in the UK, however I reckon the three London clubs I have just mentioned have bigger profiles and more fans abroad.
James Martin
18 Posted 14/01/2008 at 22:42:45
18 Posted 14/01/2008 at 22:42:45
Arsenal and Chelsea certainly have a bigger profile than us abroad currently due to presence in the CL and global tv coverage of the premier league. The rs and manure for more historical reasons. You see replica shirts of the ’big’ four in all the sports shops over here in Spain. I’ve never seen an Everton top on display here (neither have I seen a Spurs, Newcastle or Villa top). I imagine it’s a similar situation in England with Spanish clubs. Atletico Madrid for example have got the third biggest fan base in Spain. I’d be willing to bet most people in England think Valencia are a bigger club, because they’ve seen them consistantly in the CL over the last seven or eight years. Consider the fact that Everton have been averaging near capacity crowds during a decade of dire football and dire results. Before you mention Spurs and the barcodes, remember they have had money to throw around on big name signings to fire the imagination ( and the optimism), and to be fair have served up some entertaining football to put bums on seats (their fans saw Gascoine and Ginola at their best). Give them, or Liverpool for that matter, a decade of relegation battles, dogs of war, Alex Nyarkos, hoofball, Walter Smiths, Per Kroldrups, enormous debts, more hoofball and see if they get more than 14,000.
Rich Price
19 Posted 15/01/2008 at 14:28:01
19 Posted 15/01/2008 at 14:28:01
Look, we are definitely a big club, but it’s impossible to say how big in comparison to others. That’s because being big is not about any one thing - it’s about a whole combination of them: history, support, honours, geographical importance, stadium, and yes, to an extent, money and spending power.
Newcastle United ARE undoubtedly a big club. They have a huge support, are geographically important, have a big stadium and large spending power. The reason they are not as big as say Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal is because those clubs have all of those things plus are more successful in terms of honours, both historically and currently. The reason it’s difficult to place us definitively above or below Newcastle, is because we are historically more successful, but cannot match their spending power, stadium or geographical importance (they are a one club city and by far the biggest in their region - we have Manchester United, City and Liverpool on our doorstep) and have not been as successful as them in the more recent past (our FA Cup win aside).
It’s far easier to argue why we’re bigger than Chelsea, the darlings of TalkSPORT radio. They don’t have our history, support, honours or geographical importance, and their stadium isn’t anything special. The only reason why they even muster an argument is because of recent success and spending power, but that’s not enough in my book. Until recently, London’s two biggest clubs were Arsenal and Tottenham, and Chelsea were on a par with West Ham. Whilst Chelsea have left the Hammers behind to an extent, it is debatable whether they are as big as Spurs.
Here’s my stab at an order for the biggest British clubs, and Chelsea don’t even make top 10, but hey, it really doesn’t matter, and what do I know? - I live in a rugby city!
1. Manchester United
2.= Celtic / Liverpool
4. Rangers
5. Arsenal
6.=Newcastle United / Everton
8. Leeds Utd
9. Tottenham
10.=Manchester City / Aston Villa
12. Chelsea
Newcastle United ARE undoubtedly a big club. They have a huge support, are geographically important, have a big stadium and large spending power. The reason they are not as big as say Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal is because those clubs have all of those things plus are more successful in terms of honours, both historically and currently. The reason it’s difficult to place us definitively above or below Newcastle, is because we are historically more successful, but cannot match their spending power, stadium or geographical importance (they are a one club city and by far the biggest in their region - we have Manchester United, City and Liverpool on our doorstep) and have not been as successful as them in the more recent past (our FA Cup win aside).
It’s far easier to argue why we’re bigger than Chelsea, the darlings of TalkSPORT radio. They don’t have our history, support, honours or geographical importance, and their stadium isn’t anything special. The only reason why they even muster an argument is because of recent success and spending power, but that’s not enough in my book. Until recently, London’s two biggest clubs were Arsenal and Tottenham, and Chelsea were on a par with West Ham. Whilst Chelsea have left the Hammers behind to an extent, it is debatable whether they are as big as Spurs.
Here’s my stab at an order for the biggest British clubs, and Chelsea don’t even make top 10, but hey, it really doesn’t matter, and what do I know? - I live in a rugby city!
1. Manchester United
2.= Celtic / Liverpool
4. Rangers
5. Arsenal
6.=Newcastle United / Everton
8. Leeds Utd
9. Tottenham
10.=Manchester City / Aston Villa
12. Chelsea
Joe Gold
20 Posted 01/02/2008 at 16:56:09
20 Posted 01/02/2008 at 16:56:09
I am a Liverpool fan and hate Everton, but i have to say why do people think that Chelsea and spurs are bigger than them, they simply are not. Everton are the 4th most decorated club in England and have quite a big fanbase with there success from the 80’s. We all know that Liverpool and Man utd have the biggest fan base’s in world football, it’s an offical fact.
Nick Harad
21 Posted 03/06/2008 at 07:33:59
21 Posted 03/06/2008 at 07:33:59
Here is the correct order
1 Man U
2 Liverpool
3 New castle
4 spurs
5 everton
6 arsenal
7 chelsea
8 villa
1 Man U
2 Liverpool
3 New castle
4 spurs
5 everton
6 arsenal
7 chelsea
8 villa
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1 Posted 14/01/2008 at 13:35:01