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Post by DazaB_WCFC on Dec 21, 2006 2:55:59 GMT
A stupid question?
I don't want Worcester promoted. Not yet, at any rate - maybe not ever in all honesty.
In the next two-three years the Conference will be entirely full time, something Worcester cannot be until St Georges Lane is sold and we clear the huge debts. There is little point in struggling as a part-time club in a full time league, IMO we are better to remain at a level we are comfortable at until the sale of the ground etc etc.
So, what if a money man comes in and clears the debts etc?
If it was the case that we were to 'buy' our way to the higher leagues of the pyramid, I doubt I would continue to follow them in the same capacity as I do now. However if/when he pulled out and it all went tits up - I'd be there in the Clubs 'hour of need' AKA Rushden?
But why no promotion ever?
Because I honestly don't think I'd enjoy seeing us play in the Conference, and certainly not in the football league. Segregation = no true sense of the spirit of the game (I've been to enough football league games to know that this, in my opinion, is true)
I don't quite know what it is but being able to talk to people like Chris (Hemel), Joss (Leigh), Andy (Hucknall), Colty (Barrow) Andrew (Scarboro) Danny (Worksop) etc etc during the games and sharing thoughts and opinions whilst the games are in play without hostility are far more important to me as a football fan than being confined to one seat at somewhere like Nene Park but being able to watch football a couple of grades higher up the pyramid. I wouldn't enjoy that one bit, and would probably stop going to Worcester games except the occasional one or two. I would much rather go 'teamhopping' on the non-league circuit.
Before anyone tells me I'm not a proper supporter etc etc...
If City fell back into non-league I would begin going regularly again, and whatever the situation with regards to the first team, I would still go to the Women's games and Youth games as I do now, along with the 'A' team in the Midland Combination.
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pies
Stale bacon bap
Super Sexy Sutton
Posts: 230
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Post by pies on Dec 21, 2006 9:24:29 GMT
Without a shadow of a doubt, yes i would. But there are two huge buts. The 1st but is i don't want to U's to overstretch themselves off the field. I love the club i support, and i would hate to see it end up like Kingstonian, who overstretched themselves off the field, which left them in the horrid predicament they are in now. Likewise Hornchurch and Telford (sorry giggy!), basically i don't want the U's to flash the cash which they don't have just to get promotion, because it never ends up good. The 2nd but is that i want the U's to maintain it's sense of identity, such as keeping our lovely colours, and embracing our history, and where possible stay at, or if we have to move, as near as possible to Gander Green Lane. I would dread to become a club like Wigan or Bolton, not playing in their traditional homes, whilst being a big advert for some sportswear company, whilst abandoing their tradtional fanbases through things like expensive tickets.
I would support Sutton what ever level they play at, whether it be the Premiership or Combined Counties League as i love the game of Football at all levels. I enjoyed the atmosphere and sense of occasion of the Champions league games that i've been to as much as the mad, unique beauty of the Non-League games i've seen over the years. I love Football at all levels. Obviously there are things about the upper levels i don't like such as having to sit down (although sometimes, such as the Man Utd v Celtic game, they don't care if you stand) and the general plastic american-is of alot of it (cheerleaders, music after goals, costumed mascots, the 'easy' chant) but you can get that in Non-league football at some places.
Likewise, believe it or not, you can actually have some good fun and banter with opposistion fans, before and after the games and, depending on where you sit, during the game.
So, a Sutton promotion wouldn't be a bad thing in my eyes (in fact given my current location it would be brilliant for me on a personal level) but i love the club the way it is, and i wouldn't want to change it just to accomodate a higher league status. That doesn't mean i would exclude any new fans, i just wouldn't want the club to sell it's soul. Champions League or Combined Counties i don't care, Sutton 'till i die!
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Post by Giggy of Telford on Dec 21, 2006 12:46:36 GMT
No apology needed, I wouldn't like to see any team do as we did and end up in the situation we managed to get ourselves into by spending money that we hadn't got. The best thing to come from it though was in the end the club went back to the fans and we can run it ourselves. The whole thing does seem to be happening more and more these days but hopefully when it does happen the club will not make the mistake again and will learn from it.
This season we are after promotion to the conference north and the general belief is that we do have to finances and support to make it in the conference north at the moment. as a fans club where all money comes from the fans we can only progress as far as our fanbase allows us. Despite our attendances beating a lot of those in the conference national (and all in the conference north i think) we could not currently cope financially with the conference national. If/when we get promoted to the conference north we will start building foundations to manage full-time football and conference national will be the aim in a few years, I think there are plans underway already.
Hopefully support will increase as we get better. There are fan-owned teams at legue level and the setup is happening more and more often so if the fan-base increases the club can grow. I have thought about this and I will support Telford regardless of how high or low they go, I almost lost them once before when I was overlooking them. I won't be making that mistake again!
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Post by coops on Dec 21, 2006 17:26:07 GMT
Okay, the other side from a Conference Arrogant League fan!
You CAN compete in the Conference without overstretching the budget, but it's not easy and you have to get used to losing far more than winning.
Segregation is a pain but you adapt, I now met fellow fans from rival clubs in the pub before hand and often afterwards as well, Bigger crowds also mean a better atmosphere, 2000 at Morecambe will always be better than 300 at Grantham
One issue I do have with segregation is clubs that have big swathes of empty covered terrace but still insist on 70 away fans standing in the rain - Altrincham I mean you!
I'm now watching better players at better grounds, we can have piss-poor games up here as well, but I won't look back on the Dr Martens League with rose-tinted glasses thinking we were seeing feasts of football, the only reason people think it was better was because we were winnning!
Would I want Tamuff in the league, of course I would if it is possible to do so without the club imploding at a later date, even just one season in Division Four would mean I would have seen something I never thought possible when we were playing GKN Sankey in the West Midlands League!
I suppose I have to reverse the question, would I like to see Tamworth relegated to a division where I may enjoy my footy more? Answer - no, we've worked too hard to get where we are and there's always my Tinpot trips to Gornal and Lye if I want grass-roots and nutters!
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Post by frankiegth on Dec 21, 2006 17:39:15 GMT
You have to strive to go forward else, ultimately, you end up going backwards.
In Hucknalls' case the timing at the moment is not right and the numbers are not there (yet) supporter wise. Therefore, promotion for the club could ultimately be detrimental to its development or indeed fatal for it.
This is not to say the club lack ambition, it's just being realistic
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Post by malxscfc on Dec 21, 2006 20:30:45 GMT
A very good question actually, Daza!! DaveT and I have this conversation every week, and I think the general upshot is "No." Though I feel it's out of our hands, and will happen anyway. As DaveT says, Salisbury is at it's 'natural' level just now. Geographically, fans-wise, tradition-ways the Conference South is where we ought (and want) to be. Everything's cool here. Unfortunately we have a Board of Directors and a Management Team who will NOT permit us to stay here. It's a bit like heading out for a walk to a destination, finding a garden paradise en route, and not being allowed to linger, whatever the delights to be had there. Like I say, we don't have the option.........  Not arogance, merely our reality.  |
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Post by ambersalamander on Dec 22, 2006 0:34:49 GMT
NO! A thousand times no! AMBERsalamander has j8ust got home from t'Pub so judgement hsa gone on holiday. But still. I likeConnieSaaf. I have a friend at every club, Especially EASTBOURNE. I love this league. Is cosy, and is so easy to fall madly in love with Oppo fans. isn't that right martello   |
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Post by medibot on Dec 22, 2006 0:37:49 GMT
haha, the pub you say? We'd never of guessed. As it is i'm happy in the conf south but if we had a good enough team i'd be fine with going up or the odd day out in Stoke for the play-off final  |
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Post by ambersalamander on Dec 22, 2006 0:44:36 GMT
Never OF?! Wher you learn english? Wales? |
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Post by medibot on Dec 22, 2006 0:49:05 GMT
whoops, typing what i am saying in my head again...
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Post by coops on Dec 22, 2006 1:17:40 GMT
NO! A thousand times no! AMBERsalamander has j8ust got home from t'Pub so judgement hsa gone on holiday. But still. I likeConnieSaaf. I have a friend at every club, Especially EASTBOURNE. I love this league. Is cosy, and is so easy to fall madly in love with Oppo fans. isn't that right martello I will, of course. forgive you your pub-head thoughts! But you can't seriously, with hang-over head on today, not want to see Sutton in the Conference??? |
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Post by stretfordendling© on Dec 22, 2006 8:05:47 GMT
I don't think there's any danger of us going any place further up  |
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martello
Steaming Bovril
I used to be indecisive...now I'm not so sure...
Posts: 371
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Post by martello on Dec 22, 2006 12:28:02 GMT
A very good question actually, Daza!! DaveT and I have this conversation every week, and I think the general upshot is "No." Though I feel it's out of our hands, and will happen anyway. As DaveT says, Salisbury is at it's 'natural' level just now. Geographically, fans-wise, tradition-ways the Conference South is where we ought (and want) to be. Everything's cool here. Unfortunately we have a Board of Directors and a Management Team who will NOT permit us to stay here. It's a bit like heading out for a walk to a destination, finding a garden paradise en route, and not being allowed to linger, whatever the delights to be had there. Like I say, we don't have the option......... Not arogance, merely our reality.  I wouldn't get too carried away!  |
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davetscfc
Steaming Bovril
......and it's Salisbury City......
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Post by davetscfc on Dec 22, 2006 15:52:19 GMT
A very good question actually, Daza!! DaveT and I have this conversation every week, and I think the general upshot is "No." Though I feel it's out of our hands, and will happen anyway. As DaveT says, Salisbury is at it's 'natural' level just now. Geographically, fans-wise, tradition-ways the Conference South is where we ought (and want) to be. Everything's cool here. Unfortunately we have a Board of Directors and a Management Team who will NOT permit us to stay here. It's a bit like heading out for a walk to a destination, finding a garden paradise en route, and not being allowed to linger, whatever the delights to be had there. Like I say, we don't have the option......... Not arogance, merely our reality. I wouldn't get too carried away! Malx isn't getting carried away, and if you look at his post he's not that excited about the prospect either. We've got a board of directors who aren't millionaires but have somehow managed to tap into an otherwise unrealised potential here. They are also, along with the mangement, ambitious, and everything they've said they'd do they've done and will continue to do so. Personally, as malx hinted at in his post, I've argued from the day the Conference South was formed (we were in the Dr Martens Eastern Division when it was happening) that it was our natural home - all our old rivals were there - Dorchester, Basingstoke etc. and looking down the list of teams it just looked right. Arriving in it this season I've been proved right. With the odd exception its great. Better football; on the whole, decent travelling for non drivers; good variety of places to visit and some decent folk. As Dazza says in his original thread, the Conference doesn't appeal to me- the nationwide travelling is unfeasable on a reglar basis unless you do coaches (I DONT do coaches, and nor does our club for that matter), plus the segregation factor, can we drink in their bar or not etc etc. If/when we get there, I'll still support, but will certainly be picking and choosing my away trips and although there'll still be the memorable times it will be very different. |
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martello
Steaming Bovril
I used to be indecisive...now I'm not so sure...
Posts: 371
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Post by martello on Dec 22, 2006 17:08:19 GMT
I was half-teasing but there are similarities to be drawn with Eastbourne Borough - promoted from the Sussex County League in 2000, into the Dr Martens Premier Division in 2003 and Conference South for 2004, with the promotion play-off final in 2004-05 - seemed like every time we tried to consolidate in a league, we were actually challenging for promotion. But then having lost the promotion play-off final to Altrincham, we had to fight against relegation last season, so it all can flip around quickly. We seem to have found our "natural" level - if we got up into the Conference, we'd struggle. Big time. So as much potential as a club might have, one season's promotion push is the next season's fight against relegation.
Just saying, like ;D
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I wouldn't get too carried away! 
