Leicester and Accies

[Willie Wastle]

Leicester winning the Premiership is the equivalent of Accies winning the SPL.

Discuss.

[Chase Outlaw]

Yes if you discount the fact that the Leicester board invested heavily on the playing squad and didn't trust a limited manager (Nigel Pearson) to take the project forward. Apart from that you have a point.

[Willie Wastle]

Yes if you discount the fact that the Leicester board invested heavily on the playing squad and didn't trust a limited manager (Nigel Pearson) to take the project forward. Apart from that you have a point.

I don't have a point. I put forward a statement for discussion, which is the equivalent of asking a question.

But OK, you say not. If not Accies, then which Scottish club winning the SPL would be Leicester's equivalent? And what would Accies have to do to emulate Leicester?

[AlanHutcheson]

We all underestimated the ability of the players.

Vardy has blinding pace, at 29, and is a clinical finisher. Drinkwater can pick him out from 40 yards.

The keeper is top class.

Mahrez and Kante are real talents.

Huth and Morgan are like Mark McLaughlin in terms of strength and leadership.

The team ethic got them over the line.

The romantic in me says that if we had kept Tony, the manager and strengthened over the close season, we could have been in the top 3 this season.

The answer to your question is maybe St Johnstone.

[NaeVay]

I think the chance of a lifetime to do anything like this was last season, when we were riding high at the top of the table.

Had we not lost Neill, Mac and Andreu and had we strengthened the squad in key areas in January, we'd have had a good chance at finishing top 3 and maybe even dared to dream of the title.

Remember all the excitement about a potential for European football last year? Seems so, so long ago now.

[Stevie Clarke]

I'd say Falkirk. A club with a decent support and history that spends more time outside the top tier than in it.

[Euan]

I'd considered this and also thought St Johnstone winning the SPFL would be equivalent to Leicester winning the Premiership. Both teams even wear the same strip.
If we'd kept Andreu and been managed by Neil, with a budget to strengthen eg with Hemmings, then maybe we'd have been in with a chance of the title.

[glasgow accie]

Hard to say ....but a few facts to think about .....

Man City spent more on one player than Leicester spent on their squad
Man Utd have spent more on transfers in the last two seasons than Leicester have spent in their history .....

[judgeflash]

I think the chance of a lifetime to do anything like this was last season, when we were riding high at the top of the table.

Had we not lost Neill, Mac and Andreu and had we strengthened the squad in key areas in January, we'd have had a good chance at finishing top 3 and maybe even dared to dream of the title.

Remember all the excitement about a potential for European football last year? Seems so, so long ago now.

The more gutting thing for me is we were actually playing REALLY good exciting football for the most part. Soon as Neil took over, we seemed revitalized. The stands never seemed empty, people were gaining interest in our club after hearing the attractive style we were playing.


Lets remember, Leicester "took a risk" on a manager that has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world. Our board took a risk on a guy that has about as much charisma as a slug.

[Stevie Clarke]

"The stands never seemed empty ".

Not quite. At the start of our promotion season, after 4 wins and a draw we played Cowdenbeath and the crowd was only 817. Later on we played Alloa in front of 860. Perhaps a legacy of Let's disastrous Rangers vote.

[judgeflash]

"The stands never seemed empty ".

Not quite. At the start of our promotion season, after 4 wins and a draw we played Cowdenbeath and the crowd was only 817. Later on we played Alloa in front of 860. Perhaps a legacy of Let's disastrous Rangers vote.

My point was in reference to the first half of the season with AN at the helm, that's why I quoted the previous poster.

[Stevie Clarke]

"The stands never seemed empty ".

Not quite. At the start of our promotion season, after 4 wins and a draw we played Cowdenbeath and the crowd was only 817. Later on we played Alloa in front of 860. Perhaps a legacy of Let's disastrous Rangers vote.

My point was in reference to the first half of the season with AN at the helm, that's why I quoted the previous poster.

Ok, but you said soon as he took over and I'm saying that wasn't the case.

[judgeflash]

"The stands never seemed empty ".

Not quite. At the start of our promotion season, after 4 wins and a draw we played Cowdenbeath and the crowd was only 817. Later on we played Alloa in front of 860. Perhaps a legacy of Let's disastrous Rangers vote.

My point was in reference to the first half of the season with AN at the helm, that's why I quoted the previous poster.

Ok, but you said soon as he took over and I'm saying that wasn't the case.

Can I ask where you got the attendances from ? Geneuinely curious as to the crowds from Alex Neils take over compared to the last days of BR. As I remember the style of football changing almost immediately and the crowds being up.

[Stevie Clarke]

Programmes and sky sports yearbook. Attendances held up well initially after our Billy Reid relegation. Average 1764. 2011/12.
Average 1231. 2012/13.
Latter one included Alex Neil, final four games iirc.

Crowds remained low for much of promotion season, 2077 for example for first Dundee game.

[Stevie Clarke]

First few crowds under AN.
755, 850, 969 and 1434.
13/14 began 995, 1367, 817, 1059, 1113 & 1340.

All from sky sports book.

[judgeflash]

Can you link me up with the sites you get these from, if theyre online? What was the attendances like in the last months of BR? Not ST sales, but live attendance?

[Stevie Clarke]

They're not from any sites, as I said I got them from the sky sports yearbook but they are also in the club programme although I haven't bought them for ages. I also have made my own notes over the seasons but the books are handy!

Should have said, the book gives one crowd as 775 but Accies twitter said 755 so I went with that.

Crowds really plummeted in 12/13. To give you some idea, the Boxing Day game with Airdrie attracted 1179 and the 5th January game with Falkirk was only 1423. BR's final game was at home to Dumbarton - 943.Three days later we were at home to Dumbarton again in midweek in AN's first match and that was the 755 match.