foolhandy
Youth team star
Posts: 1,128
Favourite CUFC player: Spriggs. Dublin. Pitt. Lennett.
Favourite CUFC match: vs Leicester C (H) 1982. Without that...?
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Post by foolhandy on Apr 14, 2024 17:38:53 GMT
I'm always intrigued by the notion of a 'plastic' club. What makes one? Is Wrexham the same as Forest Green? The former seems to get a loss less criticism than the latter. Both Brighton & Brentford are only in the Premier League because they've been bankrolled to the tune of millions, yet lots of people root for them. Manchester United have spent more money than Manchester City and yet City are often derided as being 'plastic'.
Is it just history? Are you only allowed to spend and succeed if you have been up there before, or more recently? Blackpool being financed to be in the Premier League is OK because they were once big but Fleetwood Town trying to get there is wrong it seems. I noticed a comment recently that said that Wrexham wasn't that bad because at least they were once a league club and had done their time in the Conference, whereas Forest Green should go back to where they belong. Wrexham have spent far more than Forest Green, so are we all supposed to know our place and never be allowed more?
So, thinking about this I wondered, what would make us a 'plastic' club?
Imagine I won the Euromillions next week, a £200 million jackpot. It's possible if very unlikely! Supposing I decided to spend the majority of it on Cambridge United. I'm a fan of 40+ years, I wouldn't want to change the colours or the name (or the badge!), and I wouldn't want the main stand renamed the "Handy Stand", and so it couldn't be labelled a vanity project.
How much could I spend, in what way, and how high up the league would be have to get, before Cambridge United could be labelled a 'plastic' club? Or would we at all?
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Post by flouncingarburyboy on Apr 14, 2024 18:04:19 GMT
Good post. Where to begin? My first reaction is along the lines of 'if a club has history' then they can't be a plastic club. So Wrexham get a pass on that basis. I think that history matters. But then I think again and consider would we have been given a pass in 1970 as we had no previous history in the FL. I don't know about the phrase 'plastic' club but prefer 'hobby club'....it's much more interesting because Wrexham definitely fall into that category....as do FGR, Newcastle Utd and Man City plus countless others. As I said, where to begin?
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danielcufc
First team star
Posts: 8,260
Favourite CUFC player: Dion Dublin
Favourite CUFC match: Peterborough 1, Cambridge 5 London Road 3.1.1989
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Post by danielcufc on Apr 14, 2024 18:08:20 GMT
To me it’s FGR & Salford. Small non league teams funded by rich owners, with no fan base. Was the same at Rushden & Diamonds.
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imp566
Cult hero
Posts: 15,991
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Post by imp566 on Apr 14, 2024 18:14:00 GMT
To me it’s FGR & Salford. Small non league teams funded by rich owners, with no fan base. Was the same at Rushden & Diamonds. The latest incarnation of which is Real Bedford.
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Post by jc on Apr 14, 2024 19:04:21 GMT
My issue with Wrexham isn't that loads of the fans are 'plastic'; they have good fanbase regardless and plenty of history.
The problem is the club being marketed around the world as an 'underdog' when they have outspent most L1 teams for each of the last three years. It is a prime example of the importance of spending in football and in all likelihood they will end up about top half/playoffs in L1 next season, which will finally reflect the amount they spend on salaries.
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foolhandy
Youth team star
Posts: 1,128
Favourite CUFC player: Spriggs. Dublin. Pitt. Lennett.
Favourite CUFC match: vs Leicester C (H) 1982. Without that...?
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Post by foolhandy on Apr 14, 2024 19:14:43 GMT
At what point would it be 'too far' for Wrexham? When would the money spent not be 'right' for a club with their fan base or history?
How much would Euromillionshandy be allowed to spend for it to be OK related to Cambridge United's history. If I got us to the Premier League we'd be a small lower league club funded by a rich owner with a fan base much smaller historically than pretty much all of the other clubs. Would that matter because we've been in the league since 1970?
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Post by cufctheparrot on Apr 14, 2024 20:01:28 GMT
I don’t know the answer, but good luck with the Euromillions foolhandy, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to invest a 100 million in the club.
Or perhaps you already have few 100 million to spend and are just testing the market, go for it.
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Post by Russ Greaves on Apr 14, 2024 20:14:12 GMT
It’s all a matter of perspextive.
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foolhandy
Youth team star
Posts: 1,128
Favourite CUFC player: Spriggs. Dublin. Pitt. Lennett.
Favourite CUFC match: vs Leicester C (H) 1982. Without that...?
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Post by foolhandy on Apr 14, 2024 20:22:00 GMT
I don’t know the answer, but good luck with the Euromillions foolhandy, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to invest a 100 million in the club. Or perhaps you already have few 100 million to spend and are just testing the market, go for it. Sadly not, although I would of I did win. Was purely hypothetical.
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cufcwill
On trial
Posts: 257
Favourite CUFC player: Wes Hoolahan
Favourite CUFC match: Newcastle (a)
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Post by cufcwill on Apr 14, 2024 20:22:22 GMT
At what point would it be 'too far' for Wrexham? When would the money spent not be 'right' for a club with their fan base or history? How much would Euromillionshandy be allowed to spend for it to be OK related to Cambridge United's history. If I got us to the Premier League we'd be a small lower league club funded by a rich owner with a fan base much smaller historically than pretty much all of the other clubs. Would that matter because we've been in the league since 1970? I think it really depends how the spending is being done. Brentford and Brighton are both clubs who've spent most of their history in the second and third tiers, have had fairly rich investors put money into the clubs yes, but have spent that money smartly to reach where they are now rather in a much more gradual and presumably sustainable way so they don't seem like hugely plastic clubs. It's what is quite frustrating about the National League only having 2 promotion spots, as pretty much one of them will be filled by a big spending club - be that a 'historic' Football League club like Wrexham or Chesterfield, or a plastic club like FGR or Fleetwood - meaning that quite a few well run more traditional non-league clubs end up missing out on the opportunity to reach the FL while the majority of League Two (and League 1 and especially the Championship) is filled with badly ran clubs doing just enough to survive. But overall, the 'size' of a club really means nothing in terms of how well they deserve to do, yes overall the bigger clubs will do better because they have a larger capacity for success, but no club has the right to success or the right to be in a certain league or anything like that (apart from MK Dons who should not have the right exist). Saw this video a few weeks ago and think it makes the point pretty well (although having FGR in your dream Premiership is a bit dodgy but the point still stands)
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Post by Jerry1971 on Apr 14, 2024 20:39:15 GMT
It is really a generational argument. We could have been seen as plastic in 1971 - new kids on the block etc, just as say, Sutton, could be in 2024. We all thought Wycombe were a bit plastic when they got up, Yeovil too, but they were really very like we were many years earlier.
The difference is that we did it through building a club rather than just buying success, so from that perspective we are not plastic and frankly Wrexham (for all their history) are.
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funkymonk
On trial
Posts: 166
Member is Online
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Post by funkymonk on Apr 14, 2024 20:49:08 GMT
The problem is the club being marketed around the world as an 'underdog' when they have outspent most L1 teams for each of the last three years. The "underdog" thing is about Wrexham the place. The fact it's a deprived shithole that had the 'heart' torn of out of it long ago, and has struggled ever since. Yet still has a community that care and whatnot, making it a bit of an underdog of a place. Not about spaffing money like it's going out of fashion.
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robbs
Unattached
Posts: 117
Favourite CUFC player: Alan Biley
Favourite CUFC match: V Exeter City - promotion to Division 2
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Post by robbs on Apr 14, 2024 21:53:03 GMT
This is a great thread.
I’d be very grateful if you put a big chunk of your winnings into our club.
But only if we build and maintain our self sustainability along the way. When the money inevitably runs out, it would be brilliant to be in a higher league with a stadium, set up and fan base to support our lofty position for the future. I don’t see that as being plastic.
I think Torquay had a similar windfall, and now they’re struggling in regional football.
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lionel
Reserve team substitute
Posts: 2,126
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Post by lionel on Apr 14, 2024 22:12:11 GMT
I'm always intrigued by the notion of a 'plastic' club. What makes one? Is Wrexham the same as Forest Green? The former seems to get a loss less criticism than the latter. Both Brighton & Brentford are only in the Premier League because they've been bankrolled to the tune of millions, yet lots of people root for them. Manchester United have spent more money than Manchester City and yet City are often derided as being 'plastic'. Is it just history? Are you only allowed to spend and succeed if you have been up there before, or more recently? Blackpool being financed to be in the Premier League is OK because they were once big but Fleetwood Town trying to get there is wrong it seems. I noticed a comment recently that said that Wrexham wasn't that bad because at least they were once a league club and had done their time in the Conference, whereas Forest Green should go back to where they belong. Wrexham have spent far more than Forest Green, so are we all supposed to know our place and never be allowed more? So, thinking about this I wondered, what would make us a 'plastic' club? Imagine I won the Euromillions next week, a £200 million jackpot. It's possible if very unlikely! Supposing I decided to spend the majority of it on Cambridge United. I'm a fan of 40+ years, I wouldn't want to change the colours or the name (or the badge!), and I wouldn't want the main stand renamed the "Handy Stand", and so it couldn't be labelled a vanity project. How much could I spend, in what way, and how high up the league would be have to get, before Cambridge United could be labelled a 'plastic' club? Or would we at all? If you do win the euromillions, you could maybe pay for the pitch to be watered; as we haven't done that for 8-10 years.
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Post by kentishu on Apr 14, 2024 22:23:10 GMT
There is no such thing as a plastic club, it's just a term opposing fans use to belittle the achievements of another club. All clubs are associated with a place, have their own fans, and have investors who will be involved for personal reasons, and for that reason all clubs are totally legit.
Kentish
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