These ten players wasted no time in seeing their name writ large in lights above the biggest sporting stage of them all.

The watching world barely had time to sit down with a cuppa and some Hobnobs. 

10) Florian Albert (Hungary) – 50 seconds (1962)

The incredible Mighty Magyars of the Fifties were now in slight decline but Hungary still comfortably progressed from Group 4 in South America, with England squeaking through as runners-up.

Having beaten England in the opening fixture – with Albert bagging the winner – Hungary faced Bulgaria and flew into a four-goal lead inside 12 minutes.

With the result quickly secured, they then took their foot off the gas, ultimately triumphing 6-1.

The prolific Albert – a striker who fired 256 goals for Ferencvarosi in 351 outings – helped himself to a hat-trick here, his first notched in near-record time. 

9) Bernard Lacombe (France) – 37 seconds (1978)

It is commonly accepted now that Argentina’s World Cup success on home soil in 1978 was not entirely on the level.

With a deeply unpopular military junta running the country, who desperately needed success to boost public morale, accusations were plentiful of police intimidation and match fixing.

Late in the competition La Albiceleste had to beat Peru by six clear goals to reach the final. They duly won 6-0 with Peru offering very little resistance.

Nefarious goings on extends to the group stage too, when France – much fancied in the football betting to win the tournament that year – were denied a blatant penalty against the hosts.

The referee reportedly told the offending player, “If you do that again I’m going to have to give it.”

Defeat to Argentina saw Les Bleus exit World Cup ’78 but in truth it was their opening loss to Italy that did for them.

Saint-Etienne striker Lacombe pounced almost from kick-off but the Italians grew into the contest and turned around the deficit.  

=7) Arne Nyberg (Sweden) – 35 seconds (1938)

With Austria pulling out of the tournament, Sweden enjoyed a bye in the last 16, before trouncing Cuba 8-0 in the quarters. 

Just over half a minute in to their semi-final encounter, striker Nyberg – an IRK Goteborg legend whose son would later play for the same club – notched and the Swedes could have been forgiven at this point for thinking this World Cup lark was easy.

Unfortunately for them, their opponents that day were Hungary, a major player on the footballing scene in this era.

The Hungarians took umbrage at the early show of disrespect and promptly put five past the beleaguered Scandinavians. 

=7) Emile Veinante (France) – 35 seconds (1938)

Earlier in the competition, the seasoned striker Veinante also struck on 35 seconds, as tournament hosts France put three past Belgium.

Was there something in the water that summer? It is quite uncanny.

France went on to lose to the eventual champions Italy. 

6) Clint Dempsey (USA) – 29 seconds (2014)

A lot of intrigue accompanied both Ghana and the USA going into the tournament. 

The former had become a favourite of neutrals everywhere by reaching the last eight in 2010, ultimately robbed courtesy of Luis Suarez’s goal-line exploits. 

The latter were intent on kicking on after firmly establishing themselves at this level.

Moreover, with Tim Howard in nets, Michael Bradley in midfield, and Dempsey up front, they had the talent to do so.

To pit both sides against one another in their opening contest therefore prompted a wide audience to tune in.

That audience found itself dumb-founded at the swiftness in which Dempsey made the difference, embarking on a mazy run before drilling home. You can just imagine how the live betting markets responded. 

5) Bryan Robson (England) – 27 seconds (1982)

Robson famously was awarded with a gold Rolex watch on scoring the earliest goal at Espana 82.

It was an apt gift given how well ‘Captain Marvel’ used to time his runs into the box, this being a perfect example as he latched on to a flick-on from a throw-in.

Yet for all the curiosity that accompanies this volley it all cedes to its importance.

France would go on to reach the semi-finals in Spain and would be crowned Euro champions two years later. They were a terrific team and extremely tough opening opponents. 

Robson’s immediate foray into enemy territory ignited belief back home that something special could be on the cards.

The Three Lions exited soon after, but still. 

4) Ernst Lehner (Germany) – 24 seconds (1934)

Can we be absolutely sure that the pacy outside-right converted in the time that is accredited?

There was no accurate stopwatches or any form of technology around back in the early Thirties to properly adjudicate. 

Did a spectator just happen to stare at his pocket-watch from kick-off?

Regardless, Lehner definitely struck inside a minute, we know that for sure, and his goal helped Germany prevail in a third-place play-off against Austria. 

3) Pak Seung-zin (North Korea) – 23 seconds (1966)

Relations between North Korea and the UK were severely strained ahead of England’s hosting of the World Cup. The latter had fought alongside the South in the Korean War. 

Subsequently, their participation caused a bureaucratic meltdown with discussions had about banning national anthems and taking down flags outside stadia. 

Yet once again the power of football came to the fore. When North Korea beat Italy at Ayresome Park – one of the biggest shocks ever witnessed in the game – the minnows became the adopted team of the North-East.

People travelled down in their hundreds to Anfield to see them in their next fixture, against the mighty Portugal.

When Pak Seung-zin fired a quick opener from range the world again wobbled on its axis. Remarkably, Chollima then built up a three-goal lead before the break.

That was when the great Eusebio stepped up and orchestrated a dramatic comeback, scoring four in an unforgettable 5-3 thriller.  

2) Václav Mašek (Czechoslovakia) – 15 seconds (1962)

The Eastern European giants had already secured their passage from Group 3 alongside Brazil. Little rested therefore on their third and final group outing against Mexico.

Still it’s always nice to win a World Cup game and Sparta Prague forward Masek immediately made that possible from the opening attack. 

As it was, Mexican pride prevailed, resulting in an unlikely 3-1 loss for the Czechs who went on to lose to Brazil in the final. 

1) Hakan Şükür (Turkey) – 11 seconds (2002)

The fastest goal ever scored at a World Cup finals began when South Korea kicked off in their third-place play-off with Turkey.

The ball was lofted back to the right-back who rolled it across to his centre-back. So far, so normal.

Only then, perhaps still full of nerves in front of a boisterous home crowd, the defender panicked, an alarm that only heightened when he couldn’t get the ball from out of his feet. 

A Turkish forward dispossessed him and it fell on Sukur to stroke it past the befuddled keeper, a good few yards too advanced. 

South Korea had performed minor miracles to reach the semi-finals. Now sadly their historical zenith would end in farce.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*

Since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League, nine home teams have won by seven goals. Two teams have won by eight goals.

The list of the biggest home wins in Champions League history sees multiple entries from Bayern Munich and Liverpool. 

Courtesy of the official Champions League websites, here are the biggest home wins in the competition’s history:

Manchester City 7-0 Schalke – 2018/19 

Manchester City were at a short price to win lift the big-eared trophy in Champions League betting when they were drawn with Schalke in the 2018/19 round of 16. 

City won 3-2 in Gelsenkirchen. The tie was leaning in their favour, but it was far from over ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

By half-time, City had a 3-0 lead thanks to a brace from Sergio Aguero and a goal from Leroy Sane. Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Gabriel Jesus scored in the second half to record the eighth 7-0 win in Champions League history.

City also became the first club other than Bayern Munich to win 7-0 in a knockout match.

Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moscow – 2017/18

Liverpool had one of the biggest home wins and one of the biggest Champions League away wins in the 2017/18 group stage.

They only had one other win in the section, which meant they finished with 12 points. It was a feast or famine first round for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Reds still topped Group E. They then knocked out Porto, Manchester City, and Roma before losing the final to Real Madrid. 

Barcelona 7-0 Celtic – 2016/17

Celtic had their work cut out when they were drawn with Barcelona, Manchester City, and Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016/17.

Facing a white-hot Barcelona attack at the Camp Nou, the Scottish outfit were beaten 7-0 with Lionel Messi scoring one of his many Champions League hat-tricks.

Luis Suarez scored a couple, while Neymar and Andres Iniesta also found the net in the second half. 

Bayern Munich 7-0 Shakhtar Donetsk – 2014/15

After winning 7-0 away to BATE Borisov in the 2014/15 group stage, Shakhtar Donetsk faced a version of footballing karma when they faced Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena a few months later.

The tie was alive after a goalless draw in the first leg. When Bayern were awarded a penalty and Shakhtar went down to 10 men three minutes into the second leg, the tie was effectively over. 

Thomas Muller converted from 12 yards. Bayern had a 4-0 lead after 51 minutes before Holger Badstuber, Robert Lewandowski, and Mario Gotze took it from a heavy defeat to a humiliation. 

Bayern Munich 7-0 Basel – 2011/12

This match was the first seven-goal victory in the knockout rounds in Champions League history.

Bayern Munich set a record by thumping Basel 7-0 in the 2011/12 competition – FC Hollywood repeated the feat three years later before Manchester City’s drubbing of Schalke in 2019.

Mario Gomez scored four of Bayern’s seven goals in this straightforward win. Jupp Heynckes’ side reached the final at their home stadium but lost to Chelsea in agonising fashion.

Valencia 7-0 Genk – 2011/12

The first of two 7-0 wins in the 2011/12 Champions League, Valencia destroyed Belgian side Genk in Group E. The weakest team in the group also suffered a 5-0 defeat away to Cheslea. 

This wasn’t enough for Valencia to progress in the competition, however.

They had one other win in the section and dropped into the Europa League where they fell at the semi-final stage to Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Prague – 2007/08

Arsenal’s Champions League performances were overshadowed by Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United in the mid-2000s and early 2010s.

The Gunners had their troubles in the knockout rounds under Arsene Wenger, but they were consistently impressive in the group stage.

The 7-0 win over Slavia Prague was an example of their efficiency in the first round. Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott scored two goals apiece. Arsenal made the quarterfinals before losing to Liverpool. 

Juventus 7-0 Olympiacos – 2003/04

During the period when Italian clubs dominated European competition, Juventus were given a very favourable group including Galatasaray, Olympiacos, and Real Sociedad.

The Old Lady made light work of Olympiacos when they met in Turin.

The hosts had a 4-0 lead before the 30-minute mark and added another three goals in the second half. 

Bayern Munich 9-2 Dinamo Zagreb – 2024/25 

Bayern Munich didn’t manage to match Liverpool and Real Madrid’s record for the largest margin of victory in the competition, but they did break the record for the most goals scored by a team in a single match.

Among the football betting favourites to win the new-look Champions League in 2024/25, Bayern put Dinamo to the sword at the Allianz Arena.

Harry Kane scored four goals, three of which were from the penalty spot. Michael Olise added a brace.

Dinamo scored twice in two second-half minutes after lapses in concentration from Bayern’s defence. 

Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas – 2007/08

There were two English teams with massive home wins in the 2007/08 Champions League. Liverpool went one better than Arsenal by beating Besiktas 8-0 at Anfield in the group stage. 

After losing the 2006/07 final to Milan, Liverpool had a couple of slip-ups in the 2007/08 group stage.

That was not the case against Besiktas, though, with Yossi Benayoun’s hat-trick powering a historic win for Rafa Benitez’s side.

Real Madrid 8-0 Malmo – 2015/16

A hat-trick from Karim Benzema and four goals from Cristiano Ronaldo were accompanied by a rare goal from Mateo Kovacic in Real Madrid’s 8-0 win over Malmo in the 2015/16 group stage.

Real topped Group A ahead of PSG, earning a more favourable path to the final. They still had to beat Manchester City in the semis before getting the better of rivals Atletico in the final at San Siro.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*

First played in 1871/72, the FA Cup is the oldest club competition in the world. There has been over a century and a half of matches for records to be set and broken. 

The structure of the FA Cup also lends itself to heavy wins with minnows often facing the nation’s most talented and wealthiest clubs. 

Here are the biggest wins in FA Cup history, courtesy of transfermarkt: 

Accrington FC 11-0 Rossendale, 1887

The first round proper in 1887 featured several one-sided matches, including the biggest win in FA Cup history. Accrington’s 11-0 drubbing of Rossendale was somehow overshadowed. 

It might have held its place in the record books for well over a century, but this result didn’t have much of a long-term impact on the club’s fortunes.

They edged past Burnley in the second round before falling to Blackburn Rovers in the third round.

Bournemouth 11-0 Margate, 1971

The most recent match on this list, and the only win of 11 or more goals since 1960, Bournemouth thumped Margate 11-0 in the first round of the 1971/72 FA Cup. 

Ted MacDougall set an almost unbreakable record by scoring nine of the Cherries’ 11 goals. Bournemouth were knocked out by Walsall in the third round. 

Bristol City 11-0 Chichester, 1960

Bristol City made light work of Chichester in the 1960/61 FA Cup first round.

Their 11-0 victory was the second-largest win in the competition in the 20th century after Tottenham’s drubbing of Crewe earlier in the same year.

Bristol City needed a replay to get past King’s Lynn in the second round. They were beaten 5-1 by Leicester City in the fourth round.

Bury 12-1 Stockton, 1897

Stockton had held Bury to a goalless draw on 30th January 1897. The match held a few days later was a bit different.

Bury scored 12 goals to knock Stockton out of the competition and secure their progression to the second round where they were beaten by Everton. 

Tottenham 13-2 Crewe Alexandra, 1960

Bristol City weren’t the only team to post an 11-goal margin in the FA Cup in 1960.

Tottenham’s was in 1959/60 rather than 1960/61, making it the first of two 11-goal victories in a calendar year. 

Crewe had earned a replay in north London by securing a 2-2 draw with Spurs in the Midlands.

Tottenham, who finished two points off the first division title in 1959/60, made Crewe pay in the second match, recording a 13-2 win. Les Allen scored five and Bobby Smith scored four. 

The Wednesday FC 12-0 Halliwell FC, 1891

Two teams won by 12 goals in the FA Cup on 17th January 1891.

If live betting existed in the 19th century, bettors would have had a lot of fun trying to identify the next goal scorer in this match.

Notably, The Wednesday were knocked out of the cup by West Brom in the third round.

Aston Villa 13-1 Casuals FC, 1891

On the same day as Halliwell FC were thumped by The Wednesday, Aston Villa put 13 past Casuals FC.

Villa had appointed the sport’s first professional manager only five years prior and were revolutionising English football with their style of play.

Stoke knocked them out in the second round in 1891, but they won the competition in the following year.

Darwen 13-0 Kidderminster, 1891

Seven days after The Wednesday and Aston Villa drubbed Halliwell and Casuals, respectively, Darwen FC beat Kidderminster by 13 goals. It was a first-round replay after the first match was voided.

A week after this eyebrow-raising victory, Darwen were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland. 

Darwen, nicknamed the Salmoners, produced four England internationals and were dissolved in 2009. 

Bolton 13-0 Sheffield United, 1890

Bolton were taking no prisoners in the 1889/90 FA Cup. After a 10-2 over Distillery in the first round, they beat Sheffield United 13-0 in the second round.

A showdown with a very strong Preston side followed in the third round, with Bolton running out 3-2 victors over their local rivals.

They lost to The Wednesday in the semis. 

Clapton 0-14 Nottingham Forest, 1891

This might be hard to believe, but 17th January 1891 wasn’t just about The Wednesday and Aston Villa winning by 12 clear goals. 

Nottingham Forest also beat Clapton by 14 goals on the same day. How many competitions have three victories of that size on the same day?

Preston 18-0 Reading, 1894

Preston have the two biggest wins in the FA Cup. No one else has got close.

Seven years after a mauling of Hyde United, the club from Lancashire put 18 goals past Reading in the first round of the 1893/94 competition.

Despite being one of the best teams in the country in the latter part of the 19th century, Preston didn’t make it past the second round in 1893/94 due to a second round matchup with Liverpool. 

Preston 26-0 Hyde United, 1887

Preston started their 1887/88 FA Cup campaign with a 26-0 win over Hyde United, which remains by far the biggest victory in the competition’s history.

Preston went on to lose the 1888 final to West Bromwich Albion before defeating Wolves in the 1888/89 final to get their hands on the trophy for the first time. 

Jimmy Ross scored seven, Jack Gordon and Sammy Thompson had five apiece, with Fred Dewhurst also netting a hat-trick.

FA Cup odds in the 1880s would have consistently had Preston among the favourites for the competition.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*

Sometimes it feels like football clubs put more energy into courtroom battles than they do their on-pitch endeavours. Legal proceedings, as tedious as it can be, are unfortunately a major part of the sport in the 2020s. 

Sport has always had scandals. Disputes between teams or between players and their clubs are inevitable. Financial regulations introduced over the last decade or so have opened up a whole catalogue of conflicts between clubs and the governing bodies. 

Football fans have become unwillingly familiar with legalese. Television coverage has been dedicated to watching important people stroll in and out of courtrooms.

It’s a part of the game that cannot be escaped, even if the vast majority of fans would rather focus on the matches themselves. 

Here are three instances of clubs finding themselves in hot water… 

Manchester City

Manchester City’s finances have been under the proverbial microscope since their current owners took charge.

Perennial favourites in Premier League odds throughout the Pep Guardiola era, City have consistently blown others out the water financially, helping to construct an unmatched squad of elite talent. 

This isn’t City’s first scare. They were handed a Champions League ban and a significant fine by UEFA several years ago. Upon appeal, the ban was overturned and the fine was more than halved.

UEFA were not happy with the verdict.

Their statement said, “UEFA notes that the Cas panel found that there was insufficient conclusive evidence to uphold all of the CFCB’s conclusions in this specific case and that many of the alleged breaches were time-barred due to the five year time period foreseen in the UEFA regulations.

“Over the last few years, financial fair play has played a significant role in protecting clubs and helping them become financially sustainable and Uefa and ECA [the European Club Association] remain committed to its principles.”

In 2023, City were charged with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, beginning another legal battle.

The charges cover breaking financial fair play regulations between 2009 and 2018.

The Premier League also charged City with failing to assist the investigation in the following years. 

These financial rules are intended to make sure clubs roughly spend what they generate. City are charged with providing inaccurate financial information or not providing information by the correct deadlines.

The exact charges are as follows, according to Sky Sports:

• 54 charges for failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information

• 14 charges for failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation 

• 5 charges for failure to comply with UEFA's regulations, including Financial Fair Play Regulations

• 7 charges for Breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability regulations

• 34 charges for failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations

Speculation over the penalties City will face has been rife. Expulsion from the Premier League is a remote possibility which has grabbed headlines.

City could face points deductions or a transfer ban. A final verdict is expected before the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Everton & Nottingham Forest

Everton and Nottingham Forest suffered six and four-point deductions respectively during the 2023-24.

News of penalties immediately shortened their respective Premier League relegation odds, though both teams ultimately avoided the drop. 

Found to have breached the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, it was controversial when Forest had a smaller deduction than their relegation rivals.

Everton’s breach was £19.5 million compared to Forest’s £34.5 million, but there was no solid formula to calculate the deductions.

Everton were initially docked 10 points, which was reduced by four on appeal. Both teams were considered ‘significant’, putting them in the same category when it came to penalties. 

An independent commission argued Everton breached the regulations in consecutive seasons, while it was a one-time offence from Forest. 

Significantly, the commission reported, “there was no additional consideration around incorrect information being provided to the Premier League, as Everton had”.

Forest were a whisker from avoiding a points deduction. The eventual sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham would have balanced the books sufficiently, but the transfer didn’t go through until after the 30th June accounting date.

Everton were deducted an extra two points in April 2024, which was met with widespread criticism at a perceived lack of consistency.

In August 2024, it was reported that the Toffees had been found to have made further breaches of regulations and could face another points deduction in 2024-25. 

Everton manager Sean Dyche was in charge of the club throughout a tumultuous 2023-24 campaign. 

After the penalty rose from six to eight points, Dyche said, “A reaction to the news is important, a positive reaction. The last time we got a knock everyone pulled together and now there is another one.

“The badge is more important than anything – I still feel that way – and we need the players, the staff and the fans pulling together to make sure we look after ourselves and the club. We certainly did that last time.”

Juventus

Juventus were initially docked 15 points in January 2023 for ‘financial irregularities’ and ‘false accounting’.

Sixty-two transfers were investigated, 42 of which involved Juventus. The club also claimed to have saved £78 million through wage reductions in 2020. 

During the appeal process, Juventus were re-awarded those 15 points in the second half of the 2022-23 Serie A season only for a 10-point penalty to be confirmed in late May. 

Andrea Agnelli, Pavel Nedved, and Fabio Paratici received suspensions from football. 

The toing and froing with the deductions threw the Serie A table into turmoil. Then-Roma manager Jose Mourinho was highly critical of the uncertainty – the 10-point penalty in May dropped Juventus from second to seventh, opening up the top four race. 

Mourinho said, “It’s a joke to know this with two games remaining. For us and everyone, even for Juventus.

“Our approach would have been different if we had known before the games with Monza and Bologna. I am sorry for (Massimiliano) Allegri and his players, but at the league level, I have to say that it changes things a little.”

After the final verdict, Allegri was equally frustrated.

“The boys did everything they could during the season, what we saw tonight was a mental breakdown that is also understandable: we found ourselves having to play catch-up for the umpteenth time, having learned this just a few minutes before the match.

“This story continues on, it’s a lack of respect for working people. A decision must be made, and that’s it.”

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*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*

The ‘size’ of football clubs is the focal point of debates between fans. ‘Is X bigger than Y?’ Should this player move to Z because they’re bigger than his current club?’

It’s a pattern of discussion that is common among fans. The debates are often cyclical because there’s no fixed definition on what makes a football club ‘big’. 

Subjective for the most part, it’s a conversation that can roll on indefinitely. Club size doesn’t have a clear metric, and it isn’t even judged by the same criteria.

Does a top spot in the football odds point towards being a big club? Or is the size of the club more about the past than the present?

History

History clearly plays a part in the reputation of a club. Past success elevates a club’s standing, but there is a half-life.  

Leeds have had plenty of success, but it’s a long time since they were a consistent force. 

Those born in the mid-1990s and later will not remember Leeds as a force. Others who witnessed them challenge for titles in the late 1960s and early 1970s will have a very different view of the club and are more likely to view them as a ‘sleeping giant’.

Huddersfield’s threepeat between the wars isn’t relevant in 2024, though Arsenal’s successes in the 1930s are part of a greater history of the club. 

It was the bedrock for a team that has been a staple at the top of English football, running through to the only unbeaten season and 13 league titles. There is relevance when it’s backed up in the decades that followed. 

Historical success, like everything in sport, needs context. A league title in the 1890s means less than a European Cup or two in the 1970s.

That brings us to Nottingham Forest’s curious place in this conversation.

With just one league title (fewer than Preston, Portsmouth and Derby), but two European Cups, they are often regarded as one of the biggest clubs in the country.

Winning in the past matters to a degree. All the teams to have won a league title have a certain pedigree, even if it happened a century or so ago.

Those trophies in the cabinet cannot be taken away, and it clearly has an influence on how a club’s ‘size’ is perceived.

Support

Home advantage can influence sports betting. The loyalty of support, and decibels generated, is an oft-used argument about the size of a club, too.

To use Leeds as an example again, the consistent support (home and away) clearly means something. What weight it holds about the size of a club is a different matter, however.

Equating great support to the size of a club can be misleading. While Leeds and Newcastle have been well-supported through tough times, it’s still a relatively small scale compared to the number of fans the biggest clubs have worldwide.

Even at venues like Elland Road, we’re dealing with tens of thousands rather than tens of millions for teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Real Madrid.

Support is linked to past and current success (for the most part, anyway). It can be difficult differentiating the two things when evaluating the size of a club.

While location influences it too, winning trophies always attracts more supporters.

The way Leeds and Newcastle have retained fans perhaps tells us more about the relationship they have with the club, how important it is to them, than the club’s overall size.

Keeping such a loyal, core fanbase should give a club a higher floor. Gate receipts will remain through even the darkest times, and the lure of playing at Elland Road or St James’ Park is a real factor for new signings. 

In the modern game, though, matchday revenue is only a slither of total income, and local support is dwarfed by global television deals and vast sponsorship packages.

Being well-supported holds some weight when we’re looking at the size of a club, but that significance has dwindled as the sport has globalised. Fandom has evolved massively in the Premier League era.

Revenue

Money is an objective way to judge the size of football clubs. Revenue tables give a black-and-white view of which club is the ‘biggest’. 

While it might not be how a lot of fans want to resolve a debate about a club’s ‘size’, it’s certainly the most straight forward.

This view effectively wipes out teams that aren’t competing right now. History and local support are near-irrelevant compared to the revenues generated at the top of the game.

With the influence of TV money and sponsors, it is massively biased towards teams in the top flight too. Are a team playing their first two Premier League seasons really much bigger than a sleeping giant in the Championship? 

At the top of the sport, using revenue as a metric makes Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona the biggest clubs in the world. It works better as a metric for the biggest clubs, though it is heavily biased towards the Premier League.

Current Success

A lack of parity in the Premier League might create a ceiling for a lot of teams, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore current success.

Being good right now is worth something. It brings European football, wealth and better players. The club’s reputation and brand recognition increase worldwide. 

The established ‘big’ clubs in Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United have seen Chelsea and Manchester City compete on and off the pitch over the last 15 to 20 years. 

The longer City are the country’s best team, the more metrics suggest they are a truly big club. The way they have got the top is always going to see them excluded from these discussions by some fans, yet club size is an ever-changing situation. 

Chelsea might not be the force they were in the 2000s or 2010s at the moment, but there’s no question the Roman Abramovich era increased the ‘size’ of the club.

Mix Of Factors

Chelsea, City, Leeds, and Newcastle are great examples of how broad the debate is.

The relevance of recent success, the current competitiveness of the team, is too often downplayed.

Club size doesn’t have to be a historic status, a closed group of highly regarded clubs. It is more fluid than that.

Winning silverware in decades past has an impact, but it’s nowhere near as important as what has happened in the last five or 10 years.

There’s a combination of factors that decide the size of a club, history, wealth, and support are all key.

The on-field product is ultimately what matters most, however, and that, for the short-term at least, tells us more than anything else.

Manchester City are enormous right now. Chelsea have established themselves at the top. Aston Villa and Newcastle have taken a step up with Champions League appearances in recent years. 

Some teams in the Championship might be bigger than some of their peers, but until they produce on the pitch, it’s little more than immaterial.

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*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*

Constructing an MLB dynasty requires more than a great team. The sport is laced with natural variables, not to mention the risk of pitching injuries and untimely slumps from key hitters.

Even those who are World Series favourites in baseball betting for over a decade do not necessarily build a dynasty.

The best teams consistently excel in the regular season. Having a team with multiple MLB betting favourites for MVP might guarantee 95+ wins in the regular year, but it doesn’t always equate to playoff success.

Greatest MLB Dynasties Of All Time

• San Francisco Giants (2011 - 2014)

• New York Yankees (1996 - 2001)

• Cincinnati Reds (1970 - 1979)

• Oakland Athletics (1972 - 1975)

• New York Yankees (1947 - 1953)

Over the last half-century, winning a World Series has only got tougher. It’s not a case of winning one playoff series. Every team has to win at least three, and the expansion of the wild-card round has created an extra hurdle.

Winning postseason games is small-sample size stuff. There are different challenges, both mentally and physically, with the intensity of postseason play.

Some of these all-time great MLB dynasties existed when the perils of the postseason were much less, when being the best team in your league propelled you straight to the World Series.

Others had to navigate round after round, seeing off red-hot opponents and maintaining momentum.