Whilst randomly pressing buttons on the Barclays Premiership Fantasy Football website …it became evident that there was some almost interesting information there.
In the absence of a formal census, the figures you can pull out give a snapshot of support levels across the top flight teams. Now obviously this isn’t exactly the word of God. But it is the word of over 2 million people who when asked told the site who they supported.
The limitations are obvious. They don’t include the fans who don’t play this particular fantasy game nor those fans who’s support is undying, but they are too thick/impoverished/generally disinterested in the Internet.
Man Utd 605,562
Liverpool 407,547
Arsenal 309,053
Chelsea 207,761
Tottenham 119,606
Man City 63,846
Newcastle 58,665
Everton 52,166
Aston Villa 49,774
West Ham 44,502
Sunderland 19,917
Fulham 18,196
Blackburn 17,286
Blackpool 17,243
Wolves 17,155
Birmingham 13,379
Stoke City 12,185
Bolton 12,175
West Brom 8,854
Wigan 6,946
Happy new year bumbaclots, I would not take any notice of the first three because their numbers are swelled by Red Faced Micks. We are the number 1 club and do not forget it
A fanbase survey around five years ago showed we had around 1.4million supporters,which put us equal fourth, with Chelski. However we all know that half of Chelski’s fans have joined post- Abramovich, and will leave when they are no longer successful ie when new financial rules come in.This survey showed we had the third largest national fanbase outside your home area, ahead of the gooners. Similar results have shown up when looking at both shirt sales, and most popular subbuteo teams.
Man City’s positionis interesting. No way they’d be above the Toon and Everton normally, so this shows a glory hunter effect methinks.
As Fred Flintstone said to Barney Rubble … ” My club is bigger than your club”. Undoubtedly both Chelsea and ManCity will have had the glory hunter brigade swell the ranks . Realistically would probably agree with the top 5 in that order but the mighty Spurs above Chelsea.
On another topic it will be interesting to see if Lassana Diarra figures in the Real Madrid line up today as they take on Getafe.
That David ‘brand’ Beckham will instantly raise the profile of the club and generate more dough in the short term is not in question.
What is in question is will Redknapp be tempted to overuse his (DB’s) now limited talent to the detriment of results/team moral? It’s only for a couple of months but every point is vital.
Signing aged, yesteryear players on loan for their ‘star’ value rather than playing ability shouldn’t be where we’re at right now.
Only continued CL qualification/titles will ensure long term worldwide recognition and all that comes with it. For that to happen we need better players than the 2011 DB, but if signing him offsets our refusal to pay top wages and persuades a top notch striker or two to come in THIS window, then I’m all for it.