League 2 relegation thread 14/15

[AdamStag]

I'd say on average you are looking at about 5 years, we did it in that, Luton did it in that - Torquay did it in only 2, but went back down.

You look at clubs like Macclesfield, Stockport, Lincoln and Kidderminster (who did have a good season finishing 2nd to us) and you wonder if they will ever come back up

 

[AdamStag]

I sometimes think people in smaller towns who have FL clubs but don't actually care about them, don't realise what having an FL club does for the town. Not only does it actually put it on the map, I mean if Mansfield didn't have a FL team for so long, and currently, I reckon a lot of people, football fans or not, wouldn't know where Mansfield is. Same goes for a lot of places, not just singling out Mansfield before someone jumps at me.

Not only that, but it's what we contribute to the local community, and on some senses to the local economy. Without the Saturday trade that some pubs get from football regulars, and particularly high away support which obviously isn't as prevalent the lower down you go, I'd wager a fair few would go out of business. Getting relegated out of this league isn't just big for us as football fans, but also for the community as a whole, whether they realise or not. It makes you question why some clubs in some towns are treated with the utter disdain they are, like they're some sort of burden on the community - Barnet in particular come to mind after being forced out of Underhill. A lot of places with clubs in this league don't really have much to boast, or are looked down upon by the the rest of the UK, so you'd think having a Football League member club would give them something to strive towards retaining and helping, but sadly it seems with some it isn't the case, both council wise and general local population wise. And I find that really bloody sad.

Very true, we have towns like Worksop and Newark - similar size to Mansfield, I bet many on here haven't heard of those places.

You look at loads of sides in league 2 that are very "nondescript" - Mansfield, Dagenham, Newport, Morecambe, Accrington - who wouldn't be the same without their football club.

It plays a massive role within the local economy and it does make you wonder whether people would care if the local clubs died - I bet most in Mansfield wouldn't.

And what's worse is you get looked down upon by people in the town for supporting the hometown club - which to me is shocking.

 

[Gassy]

We were discussing this on our forum, we've been down there already, seems a long time ago now... 10 years ago. Back then it at least had novelty going for it and crowds went up, and it had seemed inevitable for six/seven years and the Conference was full of tinpot clubs with no money so you always thought you could bounce straight back, we had a new owner and were already heading in the right direction before the end of the season came and our relegation was confirmed.

This time should we go it will be different... going in the wrong direction, and into a division that is full of tinpot clubs with money to throw at getting league status, with a squad full of players on League One salaries and no new ideas or investment behind the scenes... we could be done for.

This is us right now. Still have excellent home attendances - and our away attendance is averaging around 800. But its because its new grounds and the novelty. If we're here next season and not winning the league, it won't be as high.

 

[hellogregory]

I'd say on average you are looking at about 5 years, we did it in that, Luton did it in that - Torquay did it in only 2, but went back down.

Are we the only club to have done it in one or are there others?

 

[Luke Imp]

We did in '87, although admittedly we were the only FT side at the time (or were Barnet, too?).

Relegation in '86 is the reason our Echo stand is only a third of the pitch long because it was either complete the stand or put everything into getting promoted again.

 

[Gassy]

I think Shrewsbury did it too

 

[hellogregory]

I think Shrewsbury did it too

You're right actually they did.

 

[3Loggerheads]

You're right actually they did.

Carlisle were the team that sent us down at Gay Meadow......some guy called Wake. I will never forget those Carlisle fans unforgiving chants taking delight at our demise that night!

Little did they realise it would be them suffering the same fate the following season as we passed them on the way back into the League!

 

[shoddycollins]

I think Shrewsbury did it too

Yeah Shrewsbury went down in 03 and came back in 04, we went down in 04 and came back in 05

 

[shoddycollins]

Carlisle were the team that sent us down at Gay Meadow......some guy called Wake. I will never forget those Carlisle fans unforgiving chants taking delight at our demise that night!

Little did they realise it would be them suffering the same fate the following season as we passed them on the way back into the League!

Took you a while to get to League One though

Brian Wake is remembered for that hat-trick almost purely because his career was distinguished by so little else. I should point out that our delight at beating you was more to do with us staying up than you going down... although it might be expected that some fans will gloat a bit (or a lot even) we aren't ones to celebrate purely because we caused someone else to be relegated.

There was a funny thing with our promotion back to the League, we went up via the play-offs and were playing Aldershot in the second leg of the semi-final. I was living in Liverpool and so couldn't get it on the radio, I had to make do with the internet for keeping up with the score. I thought away goals counted and so on full-time I closed the web-page the score was on and grumbled to a friend about how we were gonna get stuck in the Conference and might never play League football again. Then about half an hour plus penalties later I started getting texts from all my mates back in Cumbria asking if I was going to the playoff final.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Yeah Shrewsbury went down in 03 and came back in 04, we went down in 04 and came back in 05

Think we played you in 02 to get promoted ourselves, then at the end of the 04 season you came here needing a win to go into the last day. You got it and we missed a penalty in the last minute then 2 years later you secured promotion yourselves here when Hawley equalised in the 92nd minute!

 

[shoddycollins]

Think we played you in 02 to get promoted ourselves, then at the end of the 04 season you came here needing a win to go into the last day. You got it and we missed a penalty in the last minute then 2 years later you secured promotion yourselves here when Hawley equalised in the 92nd minute!

Since then you've turned to specialising in relegating teams... glad we've already played you twice. Either way Mansfield are the 'team of fate'

 

[AdamStag]

Since then you've turned to specialising in relegating teams... glad we've already played you twice. Either way Mansfield are the 'team of fate'

Could be again with us playing portsmouth at home and accrington away the final 2 games!

 

[hellogregory]

Carlisle were the team that sent us down at Gay Meadow......some guy called Wake. I will never forget those Carlisle fans unforgiving chants taking delight at our demise that night!

Little did they realise it would be them suffering the same fate the following season as we passed them on the way back into the League!

It was dog eat dog that night. It's not as if we just sent you down for the sake of it and took the piss. We needed to win to stay up ourselves.

I think in hindsight both teams benefited from relegation back then as we both came back stronger.

This time is completely different, it is going to kill our club.

 

[hellogregory]

Think we played you in 02 to get promoted ourselves, then at the end of the 04 season you came here needing a win to go into the last day. You got it and we missed a penalty in the last minute then 2 years later you secured promotion yourselves here when Hawley equalised in the 92nd minute!

That was an amazing day.

 

[hellogregory]

Another nail hammered into our coffin tonight.

 

[AdamStag]

Snuck upto 18th on 35 points.

Massive, massive win for us.

Moreover, 7 points from the last 9 at home.

With Oxford away and the dog & duck next up at home, if we could get a win from either of those it would be magic.

5 clear of cheltenham and 11 clear of hartlepool

 

[hellogregory]

As I've said I think we'll finish bottom. I just don't see anything in this team that suggests to me that we'll get enough points to even stop Hartlepool catching us.

Mansfield's win is massive tonight. It should give them a big confidence boost and they could go on a run. I expect Tranmere to pull away pretty soon. It will be a case of the likes of Cheltenham, Mansfield and York picking up enough points to keep Hartlepool at arms length, Hartlepool will go on a run at some point I'm sure.

 

[daviejones]

As I've said I think we'll finish bottom. I just don't see anything in this team that suggests to me that we'll get enough points to even stop Hartlepool catching us.

Mansfield's win is massive tonight. It should give them a big confidence boost and they could go on a run. I expect Tranmere to pull away pretty soon. It will be a case of the likes of Cheltenham, Mansfield and York picking up enough points to keep Hartlepool at arms length, Hartlepool will go on a run at some point I'm sure.

I don't see any reason why they would. They must have the worst team in the league to be in this position in the first place and no amount of good management can force a good run out of that. If they are going to stay up then it'll need to start properly happening in the next few weeks, not just the odd win here and there followed by a loss.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Now more than ever we need back to back wins!

 

[shoddycollins]

Speaking of Hartlepool... where are they all? Haven't seen any of the Poolies around here in some time.

 

[AdamStag]

Speaking of Hartlepool... where are they all? Haven't seen any of the Poolies around here in some time.

The conference section?

 

[localhero]

As I've said I think we'll finish bottom. I just don't see anything in this team that suggests to me that we'll get enough points to even stop Hartlepool catching us.

Mansfield's win is massive tonight. It should give them a big confidence boost and they could go on a run. I expect Tranmere to pull away pretty soon. It will be a case of the likes of Cheltenham, Mansfield and York picking up enough points to keep Hartlepool at arms length, Hartlepool will go on a run at some point I'm sure.

You keep saying we'll pull away soon but the last couple of weeks have been a case of one step forward ten steps back. I didn't go to the York or Newport games but the performances sound like two of the worst of the season, one shot on target we had against York! I'll be pretty amazed if we're not in this relegation battle for the duration.

 

[AdamStag]

I must admit I am surprised Tranmere have got sucked right back into it.

With respect, there might also have been a little bit of "over-confidence" by a few Tranmere posters as well on just how soon you'd pull away.

Changing manager can be a complete and knee-jerk reaction - yes, it worked for York last season for instance, but Hartlepool, Tranmere, York, Carlisle, Cheltenham (twice) and ourselves - 6 of the bottom 7 have changed our manager - where have any of us gone? Not far.

That is has taken Hartlepool 31 games to accumulate 24 points, I find it hard to believe they are going to gain another 26 in 15 games - though stranger things have happened, but other than that is is anyones - Anyone all the way upto Accrington in 14th on 39 points will be looking over their shoulder

 

[localhero]

I must admit I am surprised Tranmere have got sucked right back into it.

With respect, there might also have been a little bit of "over-confidence" by a few Tranmere posters as well on just how soon you'd pull away.

We've been so shit for so long that it's difficult not to get excited when we finally string a few good results together.

 

[AdamStag]

Out of interest - when we had the old football forum - someone ran some table which showed not only all teams on it, but what you needed for safety and promotion in previous seasons, what is predicted safety and all that - can't remember who did that

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

I don't think going down will murder us as HG says as we've a lot of plusses for next year, debt should be 100% gone, new investors in, if we were up top we can get 6-8,000 regardless of the level we play etc, etc but it won't be an instant return.

what I will say is our board as per usual in their 'we never understand anything till its too late' approach is not realizing what will be lost if we went down......probs £500,000 in TV money.....the new ground ideas die because of all the grant money you lose, Nixon loses his hopes for a cushy job on FL/FA board, etc, etc, New investor moves could reduce.

unbelievable that with new investors on the horizon they have not made some money available for that extra 2 players which could seal safety..............then they would moan and grumble come the summer if we went down at all the problems it causes

 

[Stringy]

In 07-08 I recall that we wouldn't offer Peter Gain an 18-month contract as it would have been 'financial suicide'. At the end of January we were 23rd with 23 points. Instead, he joined Dagenham, who were 22nd with 25 points. By the end of the season we hadn't improved and were relegated. At the end of the season, Dagenham finished 20th with 49 points, ahead of us by 7 points. It is definitely worth taking a risk on a player with a decent reputation, if they only help the team over the line in one extra game, in a relegation battle it could be critical.

As for this season, we seem to have pulled away a little thanks to our last four results. We've beaten Stevenage (h), lost to Morecambe (a), drawn with Northampton (h) and beaten Luton (h). Stevenage were in a decent position, Northampton were in great form heading into the game, while Luton were right up at the top end of the table. Although we were disappointed to concede an equaliser right at the end to Northampton, you would have to say that besides the Morecambe game that we've got to be happy with the last couple of weeks.

In our next two games we have Oxford (a) and Dagenham (h). I'd say we need three points from one of those two games.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

yep and especially this season where lets be honest NONE of us are safe....I think hartlepool are gone and last sat was the final nail in a pretty much buried coffin, but other than that.......who knows.

that was a great result for Mansfield last night and a good one for Dagenham sunday, but you can expect the next week them sides have bad results and someone else has their great weekend............it is swinging back and forth too much at present to really know who is in deep crap.

I think all sides will make 1-2 loanee signings in the next month or so, they could be vital depending on how effective they will be.

 

[AdamStag]

yep and especially this season where lets be honest NONE of us are safe....I think hartlepool are gone and last sat was the final nail in a pretty much buried coffin, but other than that.......who knows.

that was a great result for Mansfield last night and a good one for Dagenham sunday, but you can expect the next week them sides have bad results and someone else has their great weekend............it is swinging back and forth too much at present to really know who is in deep crap.

I think all sides will make 1-2 loanee signings in the next month or so, they could be vital depending on how effective they will be.

I was saying on stagsnet, each time we have won at home this season, we have lost the following away game.

If we can get another win from the next 2 games we would be well set.