Smallest and biggest clubs to ever play in the Conference Premier.

[UTS]

I nominate Leigh RMI for the smallest. Got home crowds of about 150, had a playing budget of 3K which was reduced to 1K and their manager left and they got relegated.
Famously took 1 fan to Dagenham.

For biggest it's either Luton or Grimsby, but there might be bigger ones I've not really followed the conference before 2005

 

[Luke Imp]

Bristol Rovers are probably bigger than Luton, certainly bigger than Grimsby.

 

[Aber gas]

You could argue the toss for Bristol Rovers, Luton , Oxford , Grimsby , Tranmere really. It all depends on how you define big club. I'm sure an argument could be made for Wrexham or Stockport.

 

[les.gtfc]

You could argue the toss for Bristol Rovers, Luton , Oxford , Grimsby , Tranmere really. It all depends on how you define big club. I'm sure an argument could be made for Wrexham or Stockport.

Too true. What does define a "big" club.Is it the clubs history. Have Bristol Rovers spent a dozen season in the top flight and reached 2 FA Cup Semi-Finals? Even though that was such a long time ago, it's still part of our club history. If so then Bristol Rovers can't even hold a candle to us.

However, if you define a "big" club on average home gates, fanbase etc then Bristol Rovers trump us.

 

[Super_horns]

Based on their crowds Borehamwood must be one of the smallest?

 

[rudebwoyben]

I think the contest for smallest club is more interesting.
Leigh RMI are certainly a good shout but I'd also propose Histon, Fisher Athletic, Leek Town, Leamington AP and Alfreton.
I wouldn't actually propose Hayes as they've actually had quite a distinguished history as a non-league club and their gates weren't always that small.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Borehamwood are certainly a good shout based on their crowds and history.
For me personally, Fisher Athletic were pretty tiny, not having a fanbase of any discernible size at all.

 

[les.gtfc]

Did Lewes have a season or two in The Conference a while back?

 

[rudebwoyben]

They had one season, which saw them finish bottom and financially implode. Now they're struggling to avoid relegation from the Ryman Premier Division. They were certainly a very small club for this level, certainly a contender.

 

[Harrier94]

Canvey Island have got to be there for one of the smallest.

 

[EnglishRed]

Oxford, Luton and Grimsby have all played in the top flight (throw Carlisle in there too for completeness sake) so one of them.

Since we've been down here the smallest has to be Lewes.

 

[Chris FGR]

Luton and Oxford have both won the league cup, and Wrexham have reached the quarter finals of the Cup Winners Cup.

It's got to be one of those three, surely?

 

[rudebwoyben]

Canvey Island is a good shout for smallest as well

 

[Sparrow]

Woking are probably the biggest non-league club to never play in the Football League.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

did Leigh RMI from what I remember usually always record their attendance as pretty much the same each home match, something like 301 to 305

remember going there and I don't think the official gate was ever genuine as they totally lost abilty to handle our crowd and seemed to just let people in whether turnstyle or not.

 

[GTFCfish]

Woking are probably the biggest non-league club to never play in the Football League.

Very true I think, always remember Woking flirting with promotion into the league when i was younger. I obviously didn't follow non league properly until we were dumped down here, but can't think of a bigger team to have not made the football league.

 

[Habbinalan]

The answers always "Boreham Wood."
....but Histon Institute must have the best pedigree for a "Smallest Club" award, if you take out the 10 years of fantasy funding.

 

[Kim Mitten]

I'd say Histon if you ignore the funding. Their current struggle at the bottom end of the Southern Premier is still punching above their weight.

 

[Greenacres]

I wouldn't actually propose Hayes as they've actually had quite a distinguished history as a non-league club and their gates weren't always that small.

Hayes, in their most recent form following the merger with Yeading, hold the record for my smallest crowd in the Conference. Our game against them a few seasons ago, played at Woking, attracted around 250 fans. That game was played at a difficult time, when Dale Vince was just getting interested in the club, but my abiding memory is of one of our fans trying to start a fight with a member of the coaching staff after the final whistle.

 

[Master D]

We have this every once in a while, I remember on TFF someone compiled the definitive all-time table ranking clubs based on honours, league position, crowds etc.

Oxford or Luton are the biggest to play down here, both pretty similar I would say. Smallest surely Lewes, one of the worst teams I've seen in the Conference too but they had the magnificently titled Dripping Pan ground.

 

[Joe.]

Histon. Absolute arsehole of a side to play against as well.

 

[Railway Blue]

The first poster has answered his own question perfectly.

Biggest ~ Luton
Smallest ~ Leigh R.M.I. (which incidentally had their largest ever crowd of 2,002 against us on New Year's Day 2004).

 

[Chris FGR]

Hard to believe Trowbridge Town once played in the Conference.

 

[UTS]

Surely Leigh took 0 fans to away games on more than one occasion?

 

[Aberstone]

I nominate Trowbridge Town for the smallest club award, although it makes for grim reading knowing we were only averaging 800-900 when winning the Conference in the 1984-85 season.

Edit: Thought I was the first person to mention Trowbridge, note to self, already read a thread thoroughly before posting.

 

[Shotsfan1993]

Im suprised nobody mentioned Hyde as a contender, the 2013/14 season they seemed way out of their depth!

 

[White Army]

I think its between Oxford and Luton as the biggest, then us, Grimsby, Bristol Rovers, Wrexham in the next bracket. As for smallest, no idea, never used to really follow this league until we were actually in it.

 

[Greenacres]

Im suprised nobody mentioned Hyde as a contender, the 2013/14 season they seemed way out of their depth!

Fair shout, we played them on the first day of the season and won 8-0. Despite the scoreline their best player was the keeper, who pulled off a string of decent saves to avoid being beaten by even more, he was badly let down by the ten players in front of him who seemed a little out of their depth.

 

[Joe.]

I nominate Trowbridge Town for the smallest club award, although it makes for grim reading knowing we were only averaging 800-900 when winning the Conference in the 1984-85 season.

Edit: Thought I was the first person to mention Trowbridge, note to self, already read a thread thoroughly before posting.

Think our biggest ever loss was against them!

 

[Aberstone]

Fisher I believe have the smallest attendance in Conference history, 132 rings a bell.