Cheltenham V Salop

[vanner]

Big game for both teams for completely different reasons. A game where both teams will be desperate to get the 3 points. I think it'll work out that we need a point to confirm promotion but we know that 2 wins and 2 slip up from Burton and the title will be ours.

Shame the away end isn't a bit bigger as I imagine even at £23 a pop, we would have taken a lot more.

Hoping we really go for it, same team as Saturday for me. Make Collins and JLAA really desperate to make an impression from the bench.

Cheltenham fans, how's Matt Richards doing for you? He's had a hell of a fall from grace in the past 3 seasons. He was our player of the year and one of the divisions best centre midfielders when we got promoted in 11-12.

 

[CTFCfan99]

Can only see a Shrews win here, I'd take a point right now just to still be in with a chance on the final day. On paper we don't stand a chance but stranger things have happened I suppose. For Chelt fans it brings back memories of a few years ago in League 1, we needed a win to stay up against Doncaster who were fighting for autos and beat them - a repeat would be nice!

As for Matt Richards, some will tell you he's the worst player who's ever played for us, others (myself included) would say he's not been great (none of them have) but certainly no worse than anyone else on our team, and he puts in more effort than many of the others week in week out which is good to see at least. Hope he'll be up for it against you.

 

[vanner]

Will you sell out the home end? Seems like a lot of our fans have missed out, shame! Although a fair few are no buying tickets in the home ends. Last nights result means a win will confirm promotion, not even contemplating any other results yet!

 

[CTFCfan99]

No chance, we'll have 3k max in our end and like you say I'm sure a lot of your fans will be joining us.

Perfect scenario: We beat you, Hartlepool, Tranmere, Southend and Wycombe lose, you're promoted and we need just a point on the final day - then we can all celebrate together

 

[Shrimpurh]

If Cheltenham manage to pull off a win here (which I think there is absolutely no chance of) will there be any nerves going into the final game??

 

[Shrew_fan]

If Cheltenham manage to pull off a win here (which I think there is absolutely no chance of) will there be any nerves going into the final game??

You asking Shrews fans or Robins fans?

From my perspective there's nerves already! So, the answer is a resounding YES. The last game at home to Plymouth is by no means a gimmie as they may be fighting to get into the playoffs and will be backed by 1,500 fans. I most certainly don;t want to go into that game needing something.

Imagine not going up with 86 points

 

[Shrimpurh]

You asking Shrews fans or Robins fans?

From my perspective there's nerves already! So, the answer is a resounding YES. The last game at home to Plymouth is by no means a gimmie as they may be fighting to get into the playoffs and will be backed by 1,500 fans. I most certainly don;t want to go into that game needing something.

Imagine not going up with 86 points

Sorry, that was aimed at Shrews fans. Didn't realise you had Plymouth last game but I don't think that matters to be honest you only need a point with your goal difference and I think your nailed on for 3 this Sat.

 

[hellogregory]

Easy Shrewsbury win.

Cheltenham will hold on for a while, but Once the first goes in the floodgates will open.

4-0 to Shrewsbury.

 

[Shrew_fan]

Sorry, that was aimed at Shrews fans. Didn't realise you had Plymouth last game but I don't think that matters to be honest you only need a point with your goal difference and I think your nailed on for 3 this Sat.

And we only need a point if you and Wycombe both get maximum points over the last two games. I'm not too worried atm but if we lose on saturday and you both win then I will be getting a bit tense!

 

[3Loggerheads]

And we only need a point if you and Wycombe both get maximum points over the last two games. I'm not too worried atm but if we lose on saturday and you both win then I will be getting a bit tense!

Have to agree, a number of Shrews fans are nervous as we can see Cheltenham playing the game of their lives for the first time this season on Saturday and we don't fancy going into the Plymouth game needing that point on the last day!
What might be in our favour is the team will be going all out to get the win against Cheltenham whereas they may have been more relaxed had the Bury game been a draw last night.

 

[Shrew_fan]

had the bury game been a draw last night we could all have relaxed as we'd be up now, albeit not mathematically

 

[vanner]

Hearing there's only 700 tickets left in the home ends now? Think there's gonna be a lot of Salopians in the home end..!

 

[CTFCfan99]

Hearing there's only 700 tickets left in the home ends now? Think there's gonna be a lot of Salopians in the home end..!

Christ, definitely going to be more Shrews fans than Chelt if that's the case. Could get a bit nasty in the home end if you go up and send us down!

 

[Shrew_fan]

I can't see there being too many of our fans in the home end. the allocation of 1,700 only sold out a couple of days ago - it's not like they sold out immediately.

 

[vanner]

Best behaviour everyone:

A request from Cheltenham Town FC and Gloucestershire Police in regards to this Saturdays fixture.

Please arrive at the stadium early to avoid any lengthy queuing in the lead up to kick off.

Please don’t turn up at the stadium drunk as you won’t be allowed entry.

With the away areas being sold out, it is allocated seating so fans are requested to sit in the seat allocated to them as per their ticket.

It is a criminal offence to enter the field of play during or at the end of the game and could have repercussions on one or both clubs.

With Shrewsbury Town selling out the away end some Shrewsbury fans may try purchasing tickets for home areas. Should they be identified they risk being ejected from the stadium so please don’t travel without a ticket or if you already have one in a home area.
Read more at http://www.shrewsburytown.com/news/...-game-advice-2420486.aspx#y5HtIhyMuFKVfrCA.99

 

[Matt_]

A great day for Town on the field, but desperately sad that Nick Mann, Lloyd Burton and Colin Bloomfield, Town fans through and through, were not there to see it. Very much a bitter sweet day for Town.

RIP Nick, Lloyd and Colin.

 

[3Loggerheads]

A great day for Town on the field, but desperately sad that Nick Mann, Lloyd Burton and Colin Bloomfield, Town fans through and through, were not there to see it. Very much a bitter sweet day for Town.

RIP Nick, Lloyd and Colin.

Very true Matt

On the promotion, an amazing turnaround in a year, and I know you had little confidence at the beginning of the season, but as the season progressed your belief and many others we could be promoted returned!

I have to say that when we lost at Wycombe, if someone said to me then, that we would win 8 of the next 9 games I would not have believed it, and if they said we would need that to be promoted I would have been resigned to the play-offs!

Hopefully we will have a go at competing in League 1, like in previous decades, this time round!

 

[Matt_]

Hopefully we will have a go at competing in League 1, like in previous decades, this time round!

We've thrown the kitchen sink at it this season in attempt to immediately return to League 1. It was a high risk, eggs in one basket, strategy which could have backfired but thankfully it hasn't. That said the money alone doesn't guarantee success so much credit has to go to Mickey Mellon for the job he has done with a mixture of proven performers from the Leagues above and some that were unknown quantities but who have proven to be excellent signings.

Your comment I've quoted above is the key thing for me.

Despite some people's views on our current financial state and the recent reports of losses I don't think we're in that great a position as current losses cannot be sustained for too much longer without having unwanted implications.

Yes we can potentially sell Woods and Goldson but that will just paper over the cracks unless attendances and/or off field revenue streams increase markedly.

Personally I don't believe we showed enough ambition during the last two seasons in League 1 or backed the manager in the way required for the, significant, step up that this promotion represents. Given our current financial position it will be interesting to see if that happens next season or whether there will be a repeat of our previous two seasons at that level.

Next season will be interesting. We have the nucleus of a reasonable League 1 side but significant, and probably expensive, squad strengthening is required in my opinion if we are to have much chance of competing in the top half of League 1.

 

[Shrew_fan]

I feel we are in a lot better shape now than when Turner took us up, even if we do lose both Woods and Goldson. If they go we should get decent money for them both which I would expect Mellon would be given to strengthen.

The loss of Collins, Candsell-Sherriff, Wroe and Sharps after being promoted in 2012, and lack of decent replacements, was what did for us. I would hope that the chairman has learnt his lesson and I think that Mellon and CEO Matt Williams are a lot more savvy in the the modern day transfer market than Turner was.

 

[Matt_]

The loss of Collins, Candsell-Sherriff, Wroe and Sharps after being promoted in 2012, and lack of decent replacements, was what did for us. I would hope that the chairman has learnt his lesson and I think that Mellon and CEO Matt Williams are a lot more savvy in the the modern day transfer market than Turner was.

Graham Turner tried to do the right thing went we went up to League 1. With the exception of Collins I don't think the others were a big loss although Wroe did a decent job at PNE to be fair to him but hasn't faired so well since, and better players were needed for the higher division.

He tried to sign the right calibre of player, particularly strikers, but got knocked back time and time again. I know of several strikers he tried to sign who proved to be very successful at League 1 level but for who in the end we couldn't compete for financially.

The issue Town will now face is that whilst we're a relatively big fish in a relatively small pond in League 2 the opposite will apply in League 1. Matt Williams and Mickey Mellon will be competing with bigger clubs for higher calibre players with higher financial demands. That is where we fell down last time and where the lessons have to be learned, it will be interesting to see if they have been learned, I hope they have.

As I said above I feel we have the nucleus of a reasonable League 1 side, but lacking in squad depth. I don't think we'll struggle to survive but whether that will be enough to produce the extra gate revenue and off field revenue to allow us to kick on is debatable. There is a frequent pattern in League 1 of promoted sides having a good first season and then really struggling the following season, I feel serious investment is required to firmly establish a club in League 1 and consistently compete at the right end of the table.

 

[vanner]

Graham Turner tried to do the right thing went we went up to League 1. With the exception of Collins I don't think the others were a big loss although Wroe did a decent job at PNE to be fair to him but hasn't faired so well since, and better players were needed for the higher division.

He tried to sign the right calibre of player, particularly strikers, but got knocked back time and time again. I know of several strikers he tried to sign who proved to be very successful at League 1 level but for who in the end we couldn't compete for financially.

The issue Town will now face is that whilst we're a relatively big fish in a relatively small pond in League 2 the opposite will apply in League 1. Matt Williams and Mickey Mellon will be competing with bigger clubs for higher calibre players with higher financial demands. That is where we fell down last time and where the lessons have to be learned, it will be interesting to see if they have been learned, I hope they have.

As I said above I feel we have the nucleus of a reasonable League 1 side, but lacking in squad depth. I don't think we'll struggle to survive but whether that will be enough to produce the extra gate revenue and off field revenue to allow us to kick on is debatable. There is a frequent pattern in League 1 of promoted sides having a good first season and then really struggling the following season, I feel serious investment is required to firmly establish a club in League 1 and consistently compete at the right end of the table.

Hand on heart, you cannot say one of his replacements for the above were better than what we lost. Add into the fact that we were similar to Burton (a team with no real stars), losing 5 players from the spine (Neale wasn't mentioned above and was the only position we improved on) cost us dearly.

 

[Matt_]

I'd say that Summerfield was an improvement on Wroe, it's only his fitness issues which have meant he is still not playing at League 1 level in my view.

Whether the successful League 2 promotion side would have done better in League 1 is something we'll never know.

That side had an understanding and the momentum of promotion going for them but I think would have been found out in the centre of defence in my opinion. Sharpy was a great player for those two years he was at Town but I doubt he would have coped in League 1. Cansdell-Sherriff was a failure at PNE and soon returned back to League 2. Whether he can hack it in League 1 with Burton next seaons remains to be seen, but I certainly have my doubts there.

Michael Hector on paper, and as he has since shown at Reading, should have been an excellent signing but it just didn't work out. Darren Jones was certainly no better than those he replaced. Had Graham Turner managed to get any of the quality strikers he tried to sign things may well have been much different, but he didn't. Only time will tell whether history will repeat itself.

 

[Shrew_fan]

I think it was Turner's stubbornness with regard to dealing with agents and paying agents fee's etc (probably a carryover from his time as a chairman at cash strapped Hereford) that left us in a continued search for a new striker, and left us dependent on short term loans. I think Mellon and Williams are a lot more in tune with what is required to acquire players in the modern day transfer market. Lets not forget that Turner was having to do the job of both Mellon and Williams!

 

[Shrew_fan]

I also think Roland will be under no illusions this time round re what he needs to spend to compete at L1 level