Quote Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY View Post
My view is that we COULD have developed into a club with big support IF we had got into the top flight and stayed there for a long period

Essentially since the formation of the Premier league we have spent 2 seasons there?

Even Swansea managed what 6 or 7 years and played good football when they were there?

Have we ever been at the top table for an extended period of time ? Winning things helps of course but a lot of the well supported clubs have mostly been high up in the leagues for extended periods

Wolves came down with us to the old fourth but didn't stick around they sort of pulled themselves back as they had the backing ?

Mind you it surprises me that Pompey have been down so long
OK I can ride with that, and hard to disagree. I started supporting City initially around 1991, but get the sense you have been here a while longer.

So as one of the more experienced fans here, let’s flip the question around and ask you these four key questions instead, because I have to admit I don’t know:

1. Do you believe, using the 6 point defintion I put up of a “big club” (not a “monster club” which is top 10-20% by crowds and revenue), that we are a big club?

2. Do you believe we can be defined under any possible future circumstances as a big club?

3. If so, what would do you think those circumstances could be, for us to be a “big club”? (e.g a sustained top10 posiiton over 5 years, Champ League qualification, 10 years in the Prem, cheap tickets for kids etc.)

4. If you don’t believe we can be a “big club”, what do you think is so permanent that prevents us ever being a “big club”?

Genuinely interested…