General Premier League Thread 2023-24 Mod Note in op 27/6/23 And 21/05/24

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373643#Comment_121373643

Well I mightn't be around in 10 years time but you simply don't understand how huge winning is to growing or even maintaining a fan base.

It's very simple, if United don't get their act together their fan base will dwindle while City will grow with success.

I expect you'll see that they've closed the gap on United by 20 million or more on social media. That's simply down to the Champions league win.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373825#Comment_121373825

Speaking from the US (primarily in Los Angeles but also spend a lot of time in New York) I can't saw I'm seeing any City jerseys over here either tbh... (once again, anecdotally of course, but it's just not something i'm seeing)

<edit>

did a bit of a google to see if i could find club interest via jersey sales - this is kind of interesting. It's not the proper breakdown i was looking for, but shows the top seller per state. Man City's shirt is only the top seller in 1 state, New Jersey.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373875#Comment_121373875

Well I spend a few weeks over there every year and I've seen plenty of them. On the East coast.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373879#Comment_121373879

The joys of anecdotal evidence I guess... i'd be involved in football groups in both areas though, and yeah, to me they've not caught on yet (edited the above comment with a breakdown graphic of top seller by state - and they do have an impact in New Jersey it seems).

It makes sense they might have a bit more of a grasp in and around the New York City FC fans though (sharing owners, with loan player-crossover and all that jazz - the NYCFC shirt is even modeled after the Man City one, complete with 'Etihad' sponsorship). But I wouldn't be convinced they're breaking into the market over here in any more meaningful way. I've lived over here for 13 years now, and have seen little shifts, but it's primarily always been Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal I see at pick up games/matches/events.

The Spurs interest in that graphic is pretty interesting though - not something i've seen much here! Though it's a big seller in parts of the country i've not been to, so I guess that tallies.

I do think it's only a matter of time alright though, as we've seen with Chelsea's increased global reach since Roman took over 20 years ago.

giveitholly

The replies in this tweet are funny. There is a 1000% increase in shirts sales in Dubai yet anecdotal evidence is that there is more people seen in utd shirts over there. Something doesn't add up anyway

https://twitter.com/City_Chief/status/1724912003645342090?t=trIAyBwCSLL6WheVezp6eA&s=19

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373875#Comment_121373875

Having lived in Sydney for 10, moved back last summer so maybe its changed since the champions league final win, but City are still pretty much a non entity among kids over there. And the EPL is bar far the biggest supported league in Oz...I had my kids in football camps and weekend tournaments where they could be a 100+ kids involved and if there was 2 City jerseys on show, it would be a surprise. It pretty much follows as it does here 75% between Liverpool & UTD, then Arsenal, always a few random and Chelsea and Spurs kits. Of course outside of EPL teams, there was always be Barca and Real jersey knocking around, but that's about it. People claiming that City have as many fans buying their kits as there would be Barca, Real, Liverpool or UTD are not living in the real world...

K-9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374527#Comment_121374527

Well if you only sold 1 last year........

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374971#Comment_121374971

🤣🤣

eagle eye

Are you guys telling me that there's no kids that love Haaland? Do you not think he's one of the most popular footballers on the planet?

Second biggest soccer jersey sales in the world after Messi.

bucketybuck

I was going to say there are probably warehouses full of City jerseys in the desert somewhere, bought by the club owners to bump the sales figures up. But I guess they don't actually have to take the physical jersey do they, just buy a bill of sale and report that instead.

Maybe City jerseys are the new national uniform of North Korea and those sales are skewing the figures?

K-9

Maybe there isn't a lot to like about the club he plays for. There was a very muted, meh reaction when they won the CL.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375075#Comment_121375075

I live in the Netherlands. I have ever seen a Haaland jersey. I see loads of United, Liverpool, psg, Chelsea and barca Jerseys.

There are obviously kids that love Haaland. I just don't see them around.

eagle eye

Here is an article from a year ago about Haaland's popularity in Asia. I'd imagine it's got a lot bigger since then.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/oct/20/manchester-city-catching-united-in-asia-thanks-to-erling-haaland-effect

Lauras Law

It pained me to do it as a United fan, but I'm just after buying Haaland Man City jerseys for my niece and nephew for Christmas. Both under 10 and both support City. And they arent the only ones in their classes. From what they say, United and Liverpool are still the most supported clubs in their school, but there seems to be a good few City fans.

Suvarnabhumi

What's with all this talk about shirt sales and popularity in Asia????

This is what city fans used to hate about their cross city rivals.

From what I can see now is they're embracing all these supposed commercial milestones and gloating about them, to show how big they are. How times have changed 🙄

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373830#Comment_121373830

Not really. You are underestimating the literal legacy effect. Thats why you have currently unsuccessful teams like LA Lakers, Yamaha, Ferrari or Manchester United remaining more popular and in fact still increasing in popularity than modern successful teams like GSW, Honda, Red Bull/Mercedes or Man City.

Nowadays that line of "success = popularity" generally isn't as powerful as it may once have been. TV kinda killed that strategy/pattern off.

DM_7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375103#Comment_121375103

More talk of their finances than their treble.

K-9

Probably the better comparison is Chelsea, very successful for 20 years now yet still way behind Liverpool and United. Success will only get you so far.

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375103#Comment_121375103

The whole thing is completely soulless. Them winning the CL was an inevitability because of their relentless spending since Abu Dhabi took over.m, so when it finally happened there was a collective shrug of the shoulders.

They’re like those Middle Eastern 7 star hotels - they expect the public to be impressed at how expensive something is rather than how new or innovative it is.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375241#Comment_121375241

Where are you talking about?

Ferrari is completely different because people love their sports cars. Nothing to do with formula 1 but the support carries over to F1.

Here's one for you. The biggest selling jersey in NBA last year and this year is Steph Curry's. LBJ is next.

I don't know anything about Yamaha. I'd imagine Ducati is the most popular selling motorcycle? Anyone I know that is into fast bikes talks about them and another brand I can't remember, some newer brand. Anyone I know who likes classic bikes talks about the Harley and the Honda Gold wing is often mentioned. I never hear any of them talking about Yamaha.

United, Real Madrid and Barcelona were the most popular. Now it's Barcelona, Real Madrid and then United.

United's support worldwide is dwindling due to the lack of success.

Younger people want to support winners. City are winners in the most popular league in the world, they are going to grow and grow as long as they keep winning.

City also have the most popular footballer playing in Europe. That's attracting lots of new fans to the club as well.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375075#Comment_121375075

Mbappe has the 'foreign' appeal in that kids that support a Man Utd etc can easily get away with wearing a PSG kit. Hell, I even have a PSG training top somewhere as their Air Jordan range is nice. They were the PSG kit as it is different and can happily sport the Mbappe name. No supporter of an English team is going to wear a rivals kit with Haaland on the back, and that is across the globe.

Likewise, at least Ronaldo can shift his Saudi club's teams shirts as he had built up an image over time, like Beckham did before LA Galaxy and suddenly their kits were in every Irish shop. Haaland hadn't built up a reputation at Dortmund with selling kits.

Salah is the biggest Arab player in the world, let alone the fact that his name is across Liverpool kits, who have generally been a top 5 or top 10 seller across club sides.

So you're saying Haaland jumped ahead of the likes of Ronaldo, Mbappe, Salah etc in terms of jersey sales during/after one season at Man City. Because he wasn't getting near those other players at Dortmund. And for the treble to actually have an affect on sales numbers, you'd be waiting until next year for a true reflective.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375328#Comment_121375328

Here you go.

https://www.ranker.com/list/best-selling-jerseys-2023/david-de-la-riva

Suvarnabhumi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375338#Comment_121375338

I think you might need to have a read of that article.....

Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Selling Jerseys of 2023

😂

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375402#Comment_121375402

Oh the pure innocence of it all. Wait until he hears about the guy who turns water into wine!

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375402#Comment_121375402

🤣🤣🤣

theoneeyedman

Jesus H Christ.....

The next game can't come fvckin quick enough!

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375516#Comment_121375516

I have articles everywhere. In the last few months he's fallen to no.2 in Europe behind Jude Bellingham. Mbappe is third, Rashford fourth and Son fifth. That article is on fourfourtwo.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375321#Comment_121375321

I thought you were talking about sporting success = popularity but perhaps not.

In F1 Ferrari still maintain and increase their popularity despite their era of dominance (led by Schumacher) being 20 years ago. Since then Red Bull have/are having 2 periods of dominance (led by Vettel then Verstappen) either side of Mercedes dominanting (led by Hamilton). They've generally been incompetent yet no effect on popularity.

Again Valentino Rossi was even more dominant than Schumacher on his Yamaha when he was king. Yet Marc Marquez has ruled MotoGP on his Honda to a greater degree than Rossi up until his own body started to fall apart. Harley dont compete in MotoGP so don't see why you bring them up.

Yes Curry is outselling LBJ. But again I thought you were on about team success in which case the Lakers do outsell the Warriors, which is hardly surprising as the Lakers also had Davis in the top 12 selling shirts, the only team iirc to have 2 players in the top 12. And speaking of NBA teams I could and probably should have also mentioned the Michael Jordan led Bulls of the 90s that predated the Lakers Kobe & Shaq era. The Bulls still sell as crap tonne of "Jordan 23" gear which keeps them high in the best selling teams section despite not having an actual marquee sales player to push them up.

I'm not sure you know what you are trying to say.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375402#Comment_121375402

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375669#Comment_121375669

Fúck sake boards didn't load this page until after I made the mistake of replying.

Cant beat ranker.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375075#Comment_121375075

Haaland doesn't come across as a very likable personality, he seems robotic and insular. There aren't the same level of clips of him dribbling past 10 players to score impossible goals singlehandedly either. He's a clinical finisher. Kids love that, but the Messis and Ronaldos of this world have far more about them and kids love that more. Before last season, most kids probably didn't know much about Haaland. Messi and Ronaldo have been around for decades. Yet Haaland allegedly has the 2nd highest tshirt sales globally, for a team with fewer fans?

Something doesn't add up.