where did the "big four" expression come from?

[parkinpants 0]

The media have really been hammering this "big four" expression into us the last few years and I'm wondering whether this is a new thing or a ye olde expression from many moons back.

 

I was thinking maybe "big four" is something they invented a few years back when they opened up the Champions League to 4 spots..... but maybe its been around much longer and I just never noticed it so much?

 

I was wondering if the likes of Leeds, Newcastle etc have ever been spoke of as one of "the big 4", or maybe the expression didn't exist then. I'm also wondering how long it'll be before the "big 4" will someone other than MUFC, Loonypool, Arsewipe and Chelski.

[Kevin 1]

Fuck off.

[parkinpants 0]

Fuck off.

 

Anyone wisdom from anyone else? Someone with a brain and who has been on the planet for more than 10 years?

[shackbleep 0]

Big 4 is definitely something that came about when the 4th CL spot was awarded. If I remember rightly, the press used to consider Manchester United and Arsenal as definite inclusions and then 2 from us, Liverpool and Chelsea - it was the pre-Abromovich, pre-Mourinho, pre-Benitez era and we had Sir Bobby.

 

For pretty much the last 6 years (since we sacked Bobby) it's been Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

 

Course, look back to the mid-90s and no one bothered about who came 4th. In 1994 it was Manchester United, Blackburn, us and then all the rest.

[parkinpants 0]

I was talking to someone about this today and he reckoned the expression had been around as far back as the 80's, that even Everton were once considered one of "the big five".... I don't believe him though

[Kevin 1]

Fuck off.

 

Anyone wisdom from anyone else? Someone with a brain and who has been on the planet for more than 10 years?

 

That makes sense.

[Besty 4]

Sky.

[Howmanheyman 27312]

The media have really been hammering this "big four" expression into us the last few years and I'm wondering whether this is a new thing or a ye olde expression from many moons back.

 

I was thinking maybe "big four" is something they invented a few years back when they opened up the Champions League to 4 spots..... but maybe its been around much longer and I just never noticed it so much?

 

I was wondering if the likes of Leeds, Newcastle etc have ever been spoke of as one of "the big 4", or maybe the expression didn't exist then. I'm also wondering how long it'll be before the "big 4" will someone other than MUFC, Loonypool, Arsewipe and Chelski.

SKY invented the term in the nineties, then stopped using it for a bit when Leeds and ourselves were in the top 4, suddenly the term made it's comeback when LFC and CFC cemented their places for a few years.

 

'Big Five' was an ITV cliche when they had exclusive rights to division one in the late eighties. The Big Match was shared by Granada in the North-West and Thames from London. Their chosen five were Man Utd, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and Spurs, (despite these clubs not always being in the actual top 5).

 

There wasn't as many live games and a club not in the 'Big five' only got on the telly when playing one of those five. (With the odd exception).

[the gooser 0]

i think the original 'big 5' was due to how rich the '5', Man Utd, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and Spurs were. nothing to do with league positions

 

i may be wrong though

[parkinpants 0]

'Big Five' was an ITV cliche when they had exclusive rights to division one in the late eighties. The Big Match was shared by Granada in the North-West and Thames from London. Their chosen five were Man Utd, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and Spurs, (despite these clubs not always being in the actual top 5).

 

There wasn't as many live games and a club not in the 'Big five' only got on the telly when playing one of those five. (With the odd exception).

 

Good knowledge.

[shackbleep 0]

I remember reading recently that ITV were totally against the idea of showing our 4-0 win over West Ham back in 1986 and that they only did it because they were contractually obliged to do so.

[Howmanheyman 27312]

'Big Five' was an ITV cliche when they had exclusive rights to division one in the late eighties. The Big Match was shared by Granada in the North-West and Thames from London. Their chosen five were Man Utd, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal and Spurs, (despite these clubs not always being in the actual top 5).

 

There wasn't as many live games and a club not in the 'Big five' only got on the telly when playing one of those five. (With the odd exception).

 

Good knowledge.

It just grated at the time, that and Elton Welsby. I'd love to have forgot, to be honest.

[Howmanheyman 27312]

I remember reading recently that ITV were totally against the idea of showing our 4-0 win over West Ham back in 1986 and that they only did it because they were contractually obliged to do so.

Yes thats true, Spurs moved a game to sunday as they were 'lined up' to take our place.

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

The big 5 based on attendances often had Newcastle in it even in the 80's from our inception to now. Everton had similar gates to us in the 80's but won the title twice as well as Cup's and Euro honours, while we came top 10 once. Says it all imo.

 

The big two in my eyes are Man Utd and Arsenal. There's another 9 or 10 clubs who float in and out of top club status' but they are the constants in my view. You could see a time because of the increasingly London-centric nature of our country that Arsenal are recognised as the biggest club in England and maybe even Europe. Just my opinion like.

[kockhead 0]

Its the big 5 now

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

Its the big 5 now

Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and who? Spurs need to do a lot more, and Man City have achieved fuck all.

[Tooj 17]

When we appointed Souness.

[shackbleep 0]

Its the big 5 now

 

Reminds me of the board games with 'Death' in Bill and Ted. Keep moving the goalposts to suit your own needs, eh?

 

Liverpool finished 7th remember

[the gooser 0]

The big 5 based on attendances often had Newcastle in it even in the 80's from our inception to now. Everton had similar gates to us in the 80's but won the title twice as well as Cup's and Euro honours, while we came top 10 once. Says it all imo.

 

what on earth are you rambling on about?

 

there has never, ever been a 'big 5 based on attendance'. not ever. there was 'the big 5'. simple as that

 

as for your 'says it all' comment, you're a 1 club city. during the 80s the city of liverpool had 2 clubs less than half a mile apart battling it out for major honours.

 

so what exactly does your previous statement 'tell you'?

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

The big 5 based on attendances often had Newcastle in it even in the 80's from our inception to now. Everton had similar gates to us in the 80's but won the title twice as well as Cup's and Euro honours, while we came top 10 once. Says it all imo.

 

what on earth are you rambling on about?

 

there has never, ever been a 'big 5 based on attendance'. not ever. there was 'the big 5'. simple as that

 

as for your 'says it all' comment, you're a 1 club city. during the 80s the city of liverpool had 2 clubs less than half a mile apart battling it out for major honours.

 

so what exactly does your previous statement 'tell you'?

It tells you the difference in support and loyalty, despite Newcastle being half the size of Liverpool.

 

The Big 5 was an ITV thing as was pointed earlier in the thread and only came to being in the late 80's. The "big five" of which Everton were only a part due to their astonishing 80s overachievement, was central to the eventually Premier League being formed. It was not a constant big five. Like I say it's a big 3 at the moment, Chelsea will need another decade of success, before I'll put them alongside Arsenal and Man Utd.

[the gooser 0]

The big 5 based on attendances often had Newcastle in it even in the 80's from our inception to now. Everton had similar gates to us in the 80's but won the title twice as well as Cup's and Euro honours, while we came top 10 once. Says it all imo.

 

what on earth are you rambling on about?

 

there has never, ever been a 'big 5 based on attendance'. not ever. there was 'the big 5'. simple as that

 

as for your 'says it all' comment, you're a 1 club city. during the 80s the city of liverpool had 2 clubs less than half a mile apart battling it out for major honours.

 

so what exactly does your previous statement 'tell you'?

It tells you the difference in support and loyalty, despite Newcastle being half the size of Liverpool.

 

The Big 5 was an ITV thing as was pointed earlier in the thread and only came to being in the late 80's. The "big five" of which Everton were only a part due to their astonishing 80s overachievement, was central to the eventually Premier League being formed. It was not a constant big five. Like I say it's a big 3 at the moment, Chelsea will need another decade of success, before I'll put them alongside Arsenal and Man Utd.

 

again, that is down to having 2 big clubs in 1 city as opposed to 1. surely you can see that?

 

the 'big 5' was down to the size of the clubs finances. hence the reason for spurs being in there

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

The big 5 based on attendances often had Newcastle in it even in the 80's from our inception to now. Everton had similar gates to us in the 80's but won the title twice as well as Cup's and Euro honours, while we came top 10 once. Says it all imo.

 

what on earth are you rambling on about?

 

there has never, ever been a 'big 5 based on attendance'. not ever. there was 'the big 5'. simple as that

 

as for your 'says it all' comment, you're a 1 club city. during the 80s the city of liverpool had 2 clubs less than half a mile apart battling it out for major honours.

 

so what exactly does your previous statement 'tell you'?

It tells you the difference in support and loyalty, despite Newcastle being half the size of Liverpool.

 

The Big 5 was an ITV thing as was pointed earlier in the thread and only came to being in the late 80's. The "big five" of which Everton were only a part due to their astonishing 80s overachievement, was central to the eventually Premier League being formed. It was not a constant big five. Like I say it's a big 3 at the moment, Chelsea will need another decade of success, before I'll put them alongside Arsenal and Man Utd.

again, that is down to having 2 big clubs in 1 city as opposed to 1. surely you can see that?

 

the 'big 5' was down to the size of the clubs finances. hence the reason for spurs being in there

What bit of Liverpool is twice the size of Newcastle do you not understand? As for finances you could argue you were right in the late 80's you generated a lot of money through winning the league comparatively speaking but since then comparing Newcastle's finances to Everton's in terms of turnover, we have generally up to the last few years had double that of Everton. The Big Five was a late 80's term used in a television war, of the most successful and richest clubs of the era. Everton spent £4m in 1988 you signed Pat Nevin, Neil McDonald and Tony Cottee (plus another who escapes me), so you were one of the richest clubs, that same summer though we spent £3m on Robertson, Hendrie, Thorn and Beasant.

[the gooser 0]

the size of the city has nothing to do with it

 

we are sharing the city with the most successful team in english football. that alone makes a massive difference.

 

our finances at the time were due to being owned by the moores family. our success helped, but thats it.

[Noelie 103]

Actually the expression Big Three, Big Four, Big Five, is as old as the hills and refers to many things including football, music, leaders, companies, etc etc.

There was a Big Four as far back as WW1, and who can forget the Big Three in WW2. Can't say BIG ANYTHING is only related to football and was certainly not invented to only refer to Arse n'all, MAN Ure, Chelski, & Liverpill.

[the gooser 0]

i give up