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| Big | 58% | 49 votes | Total: 85 votes | |
| Small | 42% | 36 votes |
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Add to FavoritesThe football club of Manchester City are certainly not a small club. As such, for this poll they must be considered a big club that has ambition and potential.
Let us first note, that Manchester City are a Premiership club. The Premier League is the top division of English football, and the biggest English clubs generally play in the division. Most of the smaller football clubs play in the lower leagues and divisions, below the Championship. Aside from this Manchester City can also be considered one of the better teams in the Premier League, with new team investment and signings made.
Of course, the new investment in the club and team has helped raise Manchester City's finances and breathe new life. Manchester City, once struggling in lower divisions, have now re-established in the Premiership with an exciting team of players such as Toure and Cruz. They can qualify for European football, the Europa League or perhaps even the Champions League. Overall, Manchester City are now a potential cup winning team.
Admittedly, the club may not have won any domestic or European trophies in more recent times. However, Manchester City are a club that have won a European trophy, which was the Cup Winners Cup. In addition to this, a few FA Cups, league titles and a couple of League Cups have also been won by them, and also the Charity Shield if you include that as a trophy. Perhaps this is not the biggest trophy cabinet, but it is still a collection.
It can also be said that the club has featured in a few further cup finals. For example, as runners-up in the '81 FA-cup final and also the League Cup final. In the Charity Shield, usually played between league and cup winners, the club have also featured a number of times. So, they have had some very good teams.
Manchester City are a club that also have considerable support. Their stadium includes 47,000 seats, which is actually one of the bigger stadia, and certainly the club has more support beyond the city besides. Certainly, hundreds of thousands support Manchester City football club and it is estimated over a million internationally.
So given that they are a good Premiership team, with good support and finances, it cannot be said that Manchester City are a small football club. Overall, they are one of the bigger clubs with some potential to win further trophies.
Learn more about this author, Matthew Adams.
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Small
To decide whether a club is big you must take into consideration three factors; their historical success, size of fan base, and their current situation. Within English football only Liverpool and Manchester United could claim to be 'Big Club's' on a world level. They have countless trophies over many decades to their name, are consistently challenging for honours, and have two of the biggest fan bases on the planet. The other clubs in England's top four, Chelsea and Arsenal, are big clubs nationally but neither have won a European Cup so I would dismiss them as truly big clubs.
As for Manchester City, lets look at the three factors:
1. Historically, Manchester City have been a moderately successful side, their most prolific period coming between 1969 and 1976, when they won 1 English League Title, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups and 1 European Cup Winners Cup. This was achieved in a time when English football was full of top class teams such as Liverpool, Leeds, Derby etc. Competition was tough at the top, tougher than today as the field was much more even. Since 1976 however they have failed to win a single trophy and in the late 1990s/early 2000s they even got relegated to the third tier of English football before finding their way back to the top echelons of the game. When looking at Manchester City in this context they cannot be classed as a big club. They are a club of national status but without winning any trophies in over 30 years and only appearing in European competition once in recent memory we must dismiss them on this point.
2. As for their fan base they can claim to be a massive club. Their can be no argument that they have fervent support and are one of the best supported teams in England. Even when Manchester City were relegated twice to go into the third level of the English game, they sold out games, taking huge support to away games and creating interest and income in the division and teams that were not used to it. City fans seem to hold a self deprecating wit about them, always expecting the worst to happen so in times of joy they are never quite sure how to react. One thing is for sure, they are with the side through thick and thin and are the epitome of what proper football fans should be.
3. In becoming the richest club in world football last summer, Manchester City now find themselves in an enviable position in most other clubs eyes. They can afford to buy any player they want, they can't persuade them to join them however. Not yet anyway. With the financial backing comes massive pressure for Mark Hughes as manager and his squad of players. They are the best placed side to break the top four monopoly in England and must be looking for silverware this season. Anything else will be deemed a failure. Their best placed finish since returning to the top flight was 10th last season and until they can win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League there will always be a doubt over them as a force. At the moment they are a threat but at best the 5th team in England. That might change soon but at the moment you can't use it to justify City as a big club.
I wouldn't say city are a small club, just a club in the strongest position out of any in World football currently, to gain big club status. With the huge amounts of wealth within the club they could become a dominant force within world football very soon. Chelsea have established themselves as a solid club on a European level since Abramovich's monies at the start of the decade and City will be looking to have the same impact but with greater silverware so they can usurp their great local rivals and claim bragging rights in Manchester first, and then Europe.
Learn more about this author, Mazzini.
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