Is there no history of this in England?
Scotland has many amateur and junior teams named after senior clubs where most of the players are supporters of the 'big' team.

The German reserve teams aren't called "Amateur" teams anymore, simply reserve teams, because they're entirely professional, and were never really amateur in the way that we would understand it.

AMMS wrote:

QUOTE:
Is there no history of this in England?
Scotland has many amateur and junior teams named after senior clubs where most of the players are supporters of the 'big' team.

Really AMMS? (Seriously). I have never heard of any... although if you mean teams like Cambuslang Rangers, then I get your point. (I went to a Junior Cup final MANY moons ago when they played Irvine Meadow, and I supported the Rangers)

I think there is a highly vague link with a team like St Rochs to Celtic, but I cant think of any others, although I have been away from Scotland since '85, so I know bugger all.

gerontophile wrote:

QUOTE:
AMMS wrote:

QUOTE:
Is there no history of this in England?
Scotland has many amateur and junior teams named after senior clubs where most of the players are supporters of the 'big' team.

Really AMMS? (Seriously). I have never heard of any... although if you mean teams like Cambuslang Rangers, then I get your point. (I went to a Junior Cup final MANY moons ago when they played Irvine Meadow, and I supported the Rangers)

I think there is a highly vague link with a team like St Rochs to Celtic, but I cant think of any others, although I have been away from Scotland since '85, so I know bugger all.

Yeah, many Junior teams took their ‘inspiration’ from senior teams, Cambuslang you mentioned but also Kilsyth, Benburb and Blantyre Vics as well as St Anthonys, Blantyre Celtic and Duntocher Hibs. The most unusual is Oban Celtic shinty team, they apparently tossed a coin for the name to decide between Rangers and Celtic, Celtic won so they took that name and wear green and white despite only being about 3 Celtic fans in the whole of Oban.

Premiership clubs would not support any team at county level and above for one simple reason.
County level teams kick off at 3PM on a sat when the supporters should be in the ground spending their good money.

as soon as you mentioned those teams, AMMS, a flood of memories came back... of course they have named non-affiliates. I think my brother played in a Blantyre dervy when he was a pup, and got kicked shitless accordingly.

*was going to edit to derby, but in the scheme of things, dervy nails it.

Tactical Genius wrote:

QUOTE:
Premiership clubs would not support any team at county level and above for one simple reason.
County level teams kick off at 3PM on a sat when the supporters should be in the ground spending their good money.

If only the grounds could hold every fan who wished to go and see them... or afford to.

Not much else to at a Premier League ground at 3pm on a Saturday than spend money, is there?

Go to the shop, go to the bowling alley, check out the restaurant. Wait four and three-quarters/twenty-four/fourty-eight hours til kick off.

bewaldeth wrote:

QUOTE:
I'm not sure that the creation of Big Club AFCs is a threat to traditional non-league sides. How many Droylsden or Salford City fans have started following FCUM? I'd say it was a positive thing as it gets fans who would traditionally sneer at 'non league shite' to start enjoying the game at that level.

As far as the threat to non-league (or even lower league) sides, it's not that Runcorn or Prescot Cables will lose fans to AFC Liverpool, it's that Liverpool fans will stop going to Runcorn or Prescot Cables. Non league clubs often have their crowds boosted by fans of other clubs. At the Stourbridge (Southern League Midland Divison last season) games I went to last season, about 5% of fans were actively showing signs of other clubs, and probably 15-20% don't see Stourbridge as their first club.

Tactical Genius wrote:

QUOTE:
Premiership clubs would not support any team at county level and above for one simple reason.
County level teams kick off at 3PM on a sat when the supporters should be in the ground spending their good money.

Only that's what Liverpool are doing. They get full houses every week, no-one's going to choose AFCL over LFC, they're losing nothing by advertising AFCL on their website.

QUOTE:
probably 15-20% don't see Stourbridge as their first club

Yeah - yourself, Jon and Duncan Gardner in a total support of 17.

Leamington woz robbed!

Phoebe wrote:

QUOTE:
As far as the threat to non-league (or even lower league) sides, it's not that Runcorn or Prescot Cables will lose fans to AFC Liverpool, it's that Liverpool fans will stop going to Runcorn or Prescot Cables. Non league clubs often have their crowds boosted by fans of other clubs. At the Stourbridge (Southern League Midland Divison last season) games I went to last season, about 5% of fans were actively showing signs of other clubs, and probably 15-20% don't see Stourbridge as their first club.

At Conference or Conf 2 level that's probably true - I certainly see plenty of LFC and EFC tops when I go to watch Southport. But at lower levels, with correspondingly lower gates, I'm not sure half a dozen people who choose to trek to Prescot instead of watching Marine would really make much of a difference, would it?

Probably not at Northern League Premier Level, but even half a dozen people would make a difference to a side like St. Helens Town or even Runcorn (whose averages last season were 65 and 170 respectively)

Mmm, true - last time I went to Formby there was a whopping gate of 46. I get nervous going to games with crowds as small as that, anyone new stands out like a sore thumb and I always have the feeling they're sizing you up as a potential turnstile operator/club secretary/groundsman/car park attendant.