Cardiff not a big club

Help required to win and argument or is my mate right He says Cardiff is a small club who are not a sleeping giant His points are
1 We could not sell out for our play off game Which was likely to be in the top 20 games in the clubs history
2 our history would not put us in the top 25 teams in the English league
3 our crowds are low when compared to our population compared with the likes of other clubs Eg Derby Newcastle ,Sundeland, and also we are not a two club city
4 we only have a small squad of players and he feels our squad was far from the best in the league
5our fans are not great supporters at home and get on the players back
6 He can't see why we get on Jones back as he has a great record with us and on of our most successful managers
7 we can't attract top players Bellers excluded

by the way he is a Brentford fan so this is not coming from a big team fan looking down on us

1. We could not sell out for our play off game Which was likely to be in the top 20 games in the clubs history
A) We had the 2nd highest percentage to what our ground holds in the Championship this year. and the 5th Best average attendance in the Championship this year.

2. Our history would not put us in the top 25 teams in the English league.
A) Many clubs like Newcastle United & Aston Villa have not got a massive history, but are a giant club with support all around the world. History is in the past, you're either a big club at the time of writing this, or your not. You don't need history to be a big club, just look at Chelsea. If it was a case of "History making you a sleeping giant", then Nottingham Forest would be above the likes of Arsenal & Chelsea.

3. Our crowds are low when compared to our population compared with the likes of other clubs Eg Derby Newcastle ,Sundeland, and also we are not a two club city.
A) Most people who live in and around Cardiff City are either exiles or do not support football. Wales is a mainly 6 nation loving country. Most of our support comes from the Valley's and surrounding area's

4. We only have a small squad of players and he feels our squad was far from the best in the league.
A) With the current climate and our financial difficulties we've had in the past few years, we're currently punching above our weight bringing in the likes of Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd, & Aaron Ramsey. Last year everyone wanted our forward line, but hated our back line.

5. Our fans are not great supporters at home and get on the players back.
A) I went to watch Newcastle Vs. West Brom on Sunday afternoon at St. James. They are a massive City where everyone who lives there supports their team. I was shocked to see that they reacted in exactly the same way we do when you let a game slip. They hated certain players, and just gave them abuse, and loved certain players. It's the same at every club.

6. He can't see why we get on Jones back as he has a great record with us and on of our most successful managers.
A) Every set of fan's get on top of the manager's back apart from Manchester United. You can go to Real Madrid, and many fans will be calling for Jose's head. Different fans have different views. We've been under Jones for 6 years and we've only moved up 10 places since he first started. Teams need to grow and move forward.

7. We can't attract top players Bellers excluded.
A) Bellamy was a massive signing for us, but so was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank, & Robbie Fowler at the time, massive players with a reputation known around the world. We've also brought the likes of Aaron Ramsey back to the club for a given amount of time.

by the way he is a Brentford fan so this is not coming from a big team fan looking down on us

is that Brenford Bob with the two bit mob?

We are a Big Club, its just, we have spent 50 odd years in the lower divisions without Top Flight Football, WHEN WE GET THERE WE WILL BE MASSIVE

How many of the big clubs spent 15-20 years in the lower divisions? Sure the likes of Wolves, WBA and Manchester City went down there temporarily but none stayed for any serious length of time.

I think if this club got into the premier league it would be massive but that shouldn't matter. If you support a team then you should SUPPORT it whatever division they are in and whoever they are playing.

Are we a big club? No, of course we are not. Not any more and not yet.

1. We could not sell out for our play off game Which was likely to be in the top 20 games in the clubs history
A) We had the 2nd highest percentage to what our ground holds in the Championship this year. and the 5th Best average attendance in the Championship this year.

2. Our history would not put us in the top 25 teams in the English league.
A) Many clubs like Newcastle United & Aston Villa have not got a massive history, but are a giant club with support all around the world. History is in the past, you're either a big club at the time of writing this, or your not. You don't need history to be a big club, just look at Chelsea. If it was a case of "History making you a sleeping giant", then Nottingham Forest would be above the likes of Arsenal & Chelsea.

3. Our crowds are low when compared to our population compared with the likes of other clubs Eg Derby Newcastle ,Sundeland, and also we are not a two club city.
A) Most people who live in and around Cardiff City are either exiles or do not support football. Wales is a mainly 6 nation loving country. Most of our support comes from the Valley's and surrounding area's

4. We only have a small squad of players and he feels our squad was far from the best in the league.
A) With the current climate and our financial difficulties we've had in the past few years, we're currently punching above our weight bringing in the likes of Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd, & Aaron Ramsey. Last year everyone wanted our forward line, but hated our back line.

5. Our fans are not great supporters at home and get on the players back.
A) I went to watch Newcastle Vs. West Brom on Sunday afternoon at St. James. They are a massive City where everyone who lives there supports their team. I was shocked to see that they reacted in exactly the same way we do when you let a game slip. They hated certain players, and just gave them abuse, and loved certain players. It's the same at every club.

6. He can't see why we get on Jones back as he has a great record with us and on of our most successful managers.
A) Every set of fan's get on top of the manager's back apart from Manchester United. You can go to Real Madrid, and many fans will be calling for Jose's head. Different fans have different views. We've been under Jones for 6 years and we've only moved up 10 places since he first started. Teams need to grow and move forward.

7. We can't attract top players Bellers excluded.
A) Bellamy was a massive signing for us, but so was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank, & Robbie Fowler at the time, massive players with a reputation known around the world. We've also brought the likes of Aaron Ramsey back to the club for a given amount of time.

Quality Response, I would have written something similar.

I just wish all other clubs would read this and give us a bit of respect

We're certainly not a small club but we're hardly a giant either although we do have the potential and infrastucture to become much larger. We have moved on a lot in the last 5/6 years(at a cost) but if you consider the crowds the likes of Norwich, Leeds and the 2 Sheffields get week in week out when they are in League 1 compared to what we used to get, it does make us appear small(remember Malcolm Allison saying we couldn't get 25,000 when he was at Palace and we got 35,500 against Hereford). The apathy that surrounds football in Cardiff has been there since I started 1970/71 and until we get to the Premier and convert the Eggs and the TV fans we are only ever going to be medium sized. There is no reason at all why we couldn't be competing with the likes of Bolton, Blackburn, Fulham and Stoke size wise.

Potentially we are a big club, its just that between the early 70's and 2000, the club was going nowhere, always selling our best players after a promotion, the club was considered a joke by many during this period!

If you look further back in history though, we averaged over 30K on five or six occasions, with an average peak of nearly 38K in the mid to late 50's. Not many clubs outside the top clubs in the country have had an average as high as that. Also, for one off big games, we would get many crowds in excess of 50K!!

Potentially, I think we could be massive, with our huge catchment area. I dont want Sam back, but I will always be grateful that he realised what a big club we could become. He gave the club and fans their self belief back.