Spurred by some of the cobblers we are hearing from WBA fans just at present, I fell to musing on the concept of "top flight".
Whom one sees as a top flight club is almost entirely driven by what the top flight looked like when one first watched and became "imprinted" by football, I believe.
So for me the teams that are "really" top flight, even now, are those which were in the old first division in the late 1960s/early 1970s. They include teams like Leeds, Southampton, Ipswich, Burnley, Stoke, WBA, Coventry (just about) and yes Forest. And certainly Leicester. They definitely exclude teams like Hull, Blackburn, Wigan (did they even exist then?), Fulham and Bolton. Derby were I think johnny-come-latelys (I haven’t checked). Watford, Birmingham and the like were nowhere at all.
So no matter how long Leeds are out of the Premiership, they will be top flight for me (and detestable). And no matter how long Hull and and Bolton hang in there, they never ever will be.
It's wholly personal. Their young whippersnapper fans no doubt think of Fulham, Bolton etc as "natural" premiership sides. And those even older than I probably cannot shake off the feeling that Huddersfield and Preston are wierdly out of position these days.
It's imprinting, like I say. The hen you first see when you bust out of the egg, that's your mum. It makes all this “we’re a top club no you’re not yes we are" stuff comical.
Who do others see as "naturally" top flight? How on earth do Foxes fans who became imprinted in the grim 1990s regard what is happening now.....?!?
So what does "top flight" mean to you?
posted on 5/8/11
I too was imprinted in the1960's, even before Coventry emerged from the primeval swamp of the lower leagues. Despite their moment of glory in the FA Cup (as per Wimbledon), and clinging on to top flight status by dubious methods year after year, I have never seen them as a top flight team.
I think there are many "little" clubs in the current Premier League, and while we will all have differing perceptions of them, I don't agree that it's wholly personal. Aston Villa and Manchester City for example had spells in the third tier, but in most peoples' eyes, I think they remained as top flight clubs because of their stadia, fanbase and history. Needless to say, I would put us in the same bracket.
posted on 5/8/11
Easy query - top flight means the top division.
Leicester, Derby, Forest - none of them are top flight teams.
Would you call the Sheffield clubs top flight even though they are in the 3rd tier?
We were johnny come lately's as you say, but we won it twice in that period. I'll tell you now, we don't feel very 'top flight' at present.
posted on 5/8/11
Oh and grim 90s?
Wasn't that when you last tasted success? When MON was manager and you had legends like Lennon and Savage playing for you, with Muzzy Izzett the perenial scrabble winner.
posted on 5/8/11
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posted on 5/8/11
10 replies to this thread, 5 of them by Derby and Notts Forest fans.
Nice to know they don't care about us.
posted on 5/8/11
The top flight of English football is the Premiership. Teams playing in it are in the top flight. Teams that aren't… aren't.
You can argue that there are big clubs, or well-supported clubs, or affluent clubs outside of the top flight, and that there are small, badly-supported and broke ones in it. But to pretend that the Wigans and Boltons are not there, or that the Leicesters and West Hams are is just flying in the face of the facts.
This weekend we're playing Coventry, not Chelsea. What more is there to be said?
posted on 6/8/11
Top-flight,it's a good economical golf-ball to me.
posted on 6/8/11
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posted on 6/8/11
"Top-flight,it's a good economical golf-ball to me."
Eeyore, you're really, really funny.
posted on 10/8/11
Oh well, it was only intended to fill a few idle moments. A pity so few - well, only one, so take a bow robsterblue - actually considered the point I was exploring, ie imprinting. We all know - but it was pointed out to us anyway - that any team is only as good as its last game.
Footnote for DerbyDan: O'Neill joined us in 1995.