Comments on: Big League Clubs From Small Towns

By: Lorik Cana

Lorik Cana — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:16:13 +0000

Heerenveen in the Netherlands has a population of around 25000, and about as much people fill their stadium every other week. That’s because they are more or less seen as the national team of the region Friesland, whose inhabitants rate their Frisian identity a lot higher than their Dutch identity. They even play the Frisian anthem before games.

But the undisputed champions of overachievers are ofcourse Villareal, a town of forty something thousand, with a club that can afford to bench a player like Riquelme.

By: Dionysis

Dionysis — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:09:08 +0000

Pending construction of their new stadium, Asteras will host visitors (including Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens — who feature former World Player of the Year and World Cup champion Rivaldo) at the 2,297-seat “Gipedo Astera.”

http://www.stadia.gr/tripoli/tripoli.html

By: Dionysis

Dionysis — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:06:20 +0000

Check out Asteras Tripolis, recently promoted to the Greek Super League. The team has never played in the top flight. But after winning promotion, the new rich owners are planning to build a 15,000-seat stadium in the city of Tripolis (pop. 29,000). They just signed Flavio Pinto, a player from Botafogo.

The team’s recent success has generated unusually great interest in the Greek diaspora. Tripolis is at the center of a once-poor and war-torn region, the Peloponese, that is the homeland of many Greek immigrants to cities such as Chicago and Toronto.

By: Donal

Donal — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:09:16 +0000

Gretna are a millionaire’s hobby.

You could also try Chmel Blasany in the Czech Gambrinus Liga, a village of 2,600 and Cobh Ramblers have played in the Eircom Premier Division.

One small point about Aarau, they get support from the whole canton and not just the town..

By: Chris Oakley

Chris Oakley — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 15:49:06 +0000

Well done on a great article. It always helps to put the successes of a team in context by remembering how small their home town is.

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:33:17 +0000

Gretna is a small town, even for the SPL. It helps to have a millionaire benefactor like Brooks Mileson.

By: Louisa

Louisa — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:29:51 +0000

Do you mean to imply that FCYS isn’t a professional side? YS resents the slight.