How do fans of smaller clubs in big European leagues keep following/support a league where the same few teams always win it?

[PerthBoy86]

Not an anti soccer rant, I can appreciate a good round football game, the skills etc, but one thing I've always wondered...in the big European leagues, it's become about a few teams always winning/dominating because they're owned by some Russian or Saudi billionaire and they buy the best players from around the world. The rest don't even get a look in. Manchester City would be no chance if they weren't deliberately turned into a juggernaut. How do fans of smaller sides keep following if they know thats the case? That's one reason that's stopped me from really following. I mean great if they do, but if in the AFL a few teams always won I'd probably stop watching/caring. Heck even if it was the Eagles, if it was that based on money. I like how many team can potentially win a flag.

 

[acm21]

The same with supporting any other sport, you only pay attention to your team and don't really care about the games against the big guys.
The only annoyance really is watching the games, but that is the whole league. In Scotland it's 1 maybe 2 games a week and you can bet your bottom dollar it will be either rangers or Celtic playing in the tv game (it doesn't matter if you are in Australia or Scotland, it's the same)

 

[Zidane98]

The Premier League as a whole is 1000 X the entertainment product of AFL. s**t teams in AFL regularly suffer blowouts and it's a bore.

Teams down the bottom regularly give the very best teams a good game. Luton this year only lost in the last minute to Arsenal. Liverpool drew with Luton.

This is a club from the equivalent of Tullamarine with a 11k stadium receiving no support from the league.

 

[moomba]

You take the wins when you can get them, and that might be getting promoted or not getting relegated, a win against your biggest rival or a new kid coming through. When I first went to City, the hope was about a new owner (Franny Lee) taking over from a hated ex owner (Peter Swales). That turned out to be a bit of a disaster, but still part of the fabric of the club.

And if you ask City fans over a certain age what their best memories of supporting the club are, theres a good chance our div 3 campaign, and particularly the playoff win against Gillingham will get a mention.

It's not all about the top end of the table.

 

[windyhill]

It’s a job. Born a Bomber/Gooner, no say in it. Absolutely in the blood.

 

[Boro]

In my case you follow a club because of family and roots and I don’t really care how any other side does. I was lucky enough to go to the Carling Cup win Boro had in 2004 which is our only major trophy and I doubt any Man Utd or Liverpool fan feels the joy Boro fans did when we won that…maybe I’m wrong but you’d suffer an early death celebrating every trophy you win like that one was celebrated more lows but any highs are amazing because they are so rare.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Cause we're all masochists.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Just love the sport and the big European domestic leagues. Sounds wankie but love the cadence of a season.. games midweek etc

 

[Planet14]

This is a club from the equivalent of Tullamarine

Nah, they are way more competitive than the Bombers.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Nah, they are way more competitive than the Bombers.

Exactly, Liverpool are more akin to the Bombers.

 

[Jatz]

The Premier League as a whole is 1000 X the entertainment product of AFL. s**t teams in AFL regularly suffer blowouts and it's a bore.

Teams down the bottom regularly give the very best teams a good game. Luton this year only lost in the last minute to Arsenal. Liverpool drew with Luton.

This is a club from the equivalent of Tullamarine with a 11k stadium receiving no support from the league.

I completely disagree with that statement. Just because you've cherry picked two close games, doesn't mean the gulf of talent isn't far larger in the Premier League than the AFL.

Not to mention that the AFL is far more cyclical in nature with the draft/FA/Salary cap. West Coast will be competitive again within the next 3-5 years. Luton will never compete at the top.

 

[acm21]

I completely disagree with that statement. Just because you've cherry picked two close games, doesn't mean the gulf of talent isn't far larger in the Premier League than the AFL.

Not to mention that the AFL is far more cyclical in nature with the draft/FA/Salary cap. West Coast will be competitive again within the next 3-5 years. Luton will never compete at the top.

Idk essendon have been pretty average for atleast the last 10 years and no where near the top for the past 20. There is more opportunity in the afl to get to the top, but you do.have teams that will generally be towards the top and some that will struggle to get there.

You also can point to Brighton and West ham who have both fought there way up.the ladder to get into Europe and be consistent towards the tip end of the table. At the end of the day you support the team because you like the club (for whatever reason). I can't imagine being a West coast or north fan atm would.be great, and St kilda have historically been all over the shop.

 

[Zidane98]

I completely disagree with that statement. Just because you've cherry picked two close games, doesn't mean the gulf of talent isn't far larger in the Premier League than the AFL.

Not to mention that the AFL is far more cyclical in nature with the draft/FA/Salary cap. West Coast will be competitive again within the next 3-5 years. Luton will never compete at the top.

The difference is Luton will be competitive off their own bat. They won't be relying on concessions from the PL to compete at the top. And they could pull of a cup run / win.


The AFL only works because player movements are controlled by the competition which is easy to do when it's the only professional competition in the whole world. Clubs can't develop their own youf, it's all very manufactured in terms of outcomes (unless you are a Carlton fan )

 

[DEVO]

The difference is Luton will be competitive off their own bat. They won't be relying on concessions from the PL to compete at the top. And they could pull of a cup run / win.


The AFL only works because player movements are controlled by the competition which is easy to do when it's the only professional competition in the whole world. Clubs can't develop their own youf, it's all very manufactured in terms of outcomes (unless you are a Carlton fan )

Didn't Luton get a huge bonus for winning their promotion playoff and I'm pretty sure all clubs get compensated if they get relegated from the Premier League.

 

[Zidane98]

Didn't Luton get a huge bonus for winning their promotion playoff and I'm pretty sure all clubs get compensated if they get relegated from the Premier League.

Yep. It's the same for all clubs that get promoted or relegated.

 

[Jatz]

Idk essendon have been pretty average for atleast the last 10 years and no where near the top for the past 20. There is more opportunity in the afl to get to the top, but you do.have teams that will generally be towards the top and some that will struggle to get there.

You also can point to Brighton and West ham who have both fought there way up.the ladder to get into Europe and be consistent towards the tip end of the table. At the end of the day you support the team because you like the club (for whatever reason). I can't imagine being a West coast or north fan atm would.be great, and St kilda have historically been all over the shop.

That's all self inflicted though. Essendon (and Carlton) have been poor for 2 decades because they've drafted/traded/developed poorly. Yes some clubs will hover around the top - it's because they're better run.

They're all still given equal opportunities though. That is not even close to true in the Premier League.

 

[Jatz]

The difference is Luton will be competitive off their own bat. They won't be relying on concessions from the PL to compete at the top. And they could pull of a cup run / win.


The AFL only works because player movements are controlled by the competition which is easy to do when it's the only professional competition in the whole world. Clubs can't develop their own youf, it's all very manufactured in terms of outcomes (unless you are a Carlton fan )

Will they? Their ceiling as a club is exactly where they are now. They're not competing for the league, nor will they realistically ever.

You can say the "AFL only works because..." your initial point was the Premier League was more entertaining.

It'd be interesting to see your perspective if you followed a club that didn't win every week.

 

[Zidane98]

Will they? Their ceiling as a club is exactly where they are now. They're not competing for the league, nor will they realistically ever.

You can say the "AFL only works because..." your initial point was the Premier League was more entertaining.

It'd be interesting to see your perspective if you followed a club that didn't win every week.

My team Strasbourg in Ligue 1 are lower half of the table. We won the cup recently. Doesn't bother me that beating PSG to the title is an impossibility.

Likewise with Liverpool for a period between 2009 and 2017.

 

[acm21]

Will they? Their ceiling as a club is exactly where they are now. They're not competing for the league, nor will they realistically ever.

You can say the "AFL only works because..." your initial point was the Premier League was more entertaining.

It'd be interesting to see your perspective if you followed a club that didn't win every week.

Hawthorn aren't winning every week though, they are rebuilding and have not renewed there squad very well since they were at the top.

Luton are aware that they probably will be going back down, but there using the money they get (which isn't as much anymore if relegated) to build a new stadium and build a better squad. a squad like birghton have been able to build and become perennial midd table and get into Europe, that's the same with a number of epl clubs

If you look at the wage bill in France and Scotland, there is 1 and 2 teams, respectively, that have a substantial wage bill compared to the rest of the teams. So there is the ability to compete and have a close comp among the rest, and sometimes money can't win you the trophies (psg are pretty average in Europe and Newcastle are currently sitting in 8th)

 

[Bostonian]

I've had a hell of a lot more of an interesting experience as a fan than a Man U fan has.

 

[Jatz]

My team Strasbourg in Ligue 1 are lower half of the table. We won the cup recently. Doesn't bother me that beating PSG to the title is an impossibility.

Likewise with Liverpool for a period between 2009 and 2017.

Strasbourg may be closer to what I mean but please don't compare Liverpool of 2009-2017 as the same as supporting Luton, or Hull or Leicester or any of the hundreds of other clubs that aren't part of the elite 6 or 7.

 

[Zidane98]

Strasbourg may be closer to what I mean but please don't compare Liverpool of 2009-2017 as the same as supporting Luton, or Hull or Leicester or any of the hundreds of other clubs that aren't part of the elite 6 or 7.

Leicester have won a FA cup & PL recently....

 

[DEVO]

My team Strasbourg in Ligue 1 are lower half of the table. We won the cup recently. Doesn't bother me that beating PSG to the title is an impossibility.

Likewise with Liverpool for a period between 2009 and 2017.

My Scottish team Ross County are in a similar situation to Strasbourg, their main aim each season is to survive in the top flight and to have a long run in the Cup Competitions, and perhaps, if luck is on our side, "steal" a cup trophy from one of the big clubs, which we were able to do in 2015 with our League Cup win, our first and only top tier Scottish trophy.

And despite all the ups and downs from my 35 years of support, that one high is greater than all the lows.

 

[Zidane98]

My Scottish team Ross County are in a similar situation to Strasbourg, their main aim each season is to survive in the top flight and to have a long run in the Cup Competitions, and perhaps, if luck is on our side, "steal" a cup trophy from one of the big clubs, which we were able to do in 2015 with our League Cup win, our first and only top tier Scottish trophy.

And despite all the ups and downs from my 35 years of support, that one high is greater than all the lows.

Surely RossFC is a fan of Ross County haha

 

[Jatz]

Leicester have won a FA cup & PL recently....

We've won:

1 first division title
1 FA Cup
3 League Cups

That's in 140 years of existence. Just because it's recent, doesn't mean it's impressive. No one is bandwagon supporting Leicester.