League 2 relegation thread 14/15

[localhero]

Just wondering if the unthinkable happens to Tranmere, what kind of reception will the players/management (maybe the club itself if they are largely to blame) get during their final game of the season?

I've seen some shocking relegations during my 15 years as a football fan, but if Tranmere go down, this has along with Wolves and Stockport of late to be among the very worst.

No one will be there, it's enough punishment going to Prenton Park while we've still got something to play for, nevermind after we're already relegated.

 

[1884 Belmont]

Surely you wouldn't be battling relegation again next season if you're down here. Stockport and Tranmere in the conference north would be ridiculous.

If I'm not wrong, I believe you have Michael Kay and Danny Harrison playing for you? If you have seen them play, think about whether you believe they are good enough to play League 1 football and then realise that they were doing just that for us not too long ago. Then take into account that the squad that got us relegated from League 1 had 40% wage cuts built into their contracts and they all upped and left because we couldn't afford to stop them!
We gave a rookie manager in Rob Edwards a reported £700,000 budget to fund a promotion campaign this year (yes, I am being toally honest) and then found it surprising that he struggled at the start with young lads and cast-offs.

I must stress that these were the last acts of a Chairman whose attitude appears to have been as long as we are still in business we are ok, regardless of the division. Now we have new owners who have been like breath of fresh air but who have been let down massively by an experienced manager who has wasted reasonably significant backing in January and beyond.

I'd like to think we'd be challenging at the top, but having seen other clubs do 3 relegations in a row I wouldn't rule it out. It's not nice round these parts at the minute.

 

[1884 Belmont]

Just wondering if the unthinkable happens to Tranmere, what kind of reception will the players/management (maybe the club itself if they are largely to blame) get during their final game of the season?

I've seen some shocking relegations during my 15 years as a football fan, but if Tranmere go down, this has along with Wolves and Stockport of late to be among the very worst.

I honestly don't know. Those that go will probably just get up and leave at the end, we're just so sick of it. Since 2009 it's been horrific and barring a cracking start to the 2012/13 season, it's been constant struggle. We even went from top in January 2013 to finishing 11th!!!

 

[localhero]

I honestly don't know. Those that go will probably just get up and leave at the end, we're just so sick of it. Since 2009 it's been horrific and barring a cracking start to the 2012/13 season, it's been constant struggle. We even went from top in January 2013 to finishing 11th!!!

If people run on the pitch after the 90th minute against Bury (as they did last year against Bradford) they deserve to be shot.

 

[1884 Belmont]

If people run on the pitch after the 90th minute against Bury (as they did last year against Bradford) they deserve to be shot.

If the players have the gall to take a lap of honour, then it's probably very likely though isn't it?

 

[localhero]

If the players have the gall to take a lap of honour, then it's probably very likely though isn't it?

A lap of honour would take the biscuit, what is there to honour? The shambolic manager, the half arsed players or the fact we'll have just finished the season as the lowest ranked team in the top four divisions?

 

[localhero]

In fact, they should leave a box of eggs for every supporter who bothers to turn up, then at the end of the game they can be used to pelt the players and manager whilst they do their lap. And that would be the LEAST they deserve.

 

[ShrewdBlue]

If I'm not wrong, I believe you have Michael Kay and Danny Harrison playing for you? If you have seen them play, think about whether you believe they are good enough to play League 1 football and then realise that they were doing just that for us not too long ago.

Michael Kay is still here and one of our best players (though only at centre back, dreadful at rightback). Just about good enough for League 2 I think but yes I'd agree that League 1 would be (and was) too much.

Danny Harrison left earlier this season - probably one of the worst players we've had in recent times. Truly awful footballer. Never seen a player make so many basic errors i.e. Passing straight to opponents. There was one game last season against Woking where he was in our half, no oppo players near him, as he was looking for a pass he stepped on the ball and fell over, can't remember but may have even lead directly to a Woking goal - I'm sure Sparrow will remember it fondly.

As you say, it's ridiculous to think he was playing League One football for you.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Maybe I should point out that you are not relegated yet. And you have 9 points to play for. So don't throw the towel in just yet

 

[hellogregory]

And we still have the toughest run of games.

As we'll lose the next 3, Hartlepool for example only need one win or 2 draws before the last day to give them a chance of overtaking us. It's even possible that 1 draw would be enough for them to be in an overtaking position by the last day if our GD takes a hammering over the next 3 games.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Yeah, bring on Chester and Wrexham, it'll be great...

Do wonder who we'll play pre-season friendlies against now - Accy Stanley and Morecambe as our higher-league-opposition-at-home games?

 

[Chasing Rainbows]

And we still have the toughest run of games.

As we'll lose the next 3, Hartlepool for example only need one win or 2 draws before the last day to give them a chance of overtaking us. It's even possible that 1 draw would be enough for them to be in an overtaking position by the last day if our GD takes a hammering over the next 3 games.

You're actually becoming quite irritating now.

 

[hellogregory]

Yeah, bring on Chester and Wrexham, it'll be great...

Do wonder who we'll play pre-season friendlies against now - Accy Stanley and Morecambe as our higher-league-opposition-at-home games?

The season we went down we played Hartlepool as our higher league opposition at home friendly

 

[hellogregory]

You're actually becoming quite irritating now.

Well what are you still doing here then?

 

[Chasing Rainbows]

Well what are you still doing here then?

I'd like to wave goodbye to this thread but I'll be dipping in and out to see what's going on still.

SAFETY!!!

25/1 to go down, 1/100 to stay up, you'll be fine.

 

[hellogregory]

25/1 to go down, 1/100 to stay up, you'll be fine.

It's not done though like some think. All it takes is us losing our next 3 games (very likely) and a couple of teams picking up a result or 2 and we're right in the shit.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

You predicted losing all your last games and ending bottom, it's not gonna happen your just making yourself look silly with all this doom and gloom

 

[dedwardp]

I still say Cheltenham and Tranmere are going down. Great result for Cheltenham last night but that was the one game on paper they had left that I would be expecting them to win. Their only saving grace could be that Northampton and Wimbledon will have nothing to play for, but I still struggle to see them picking up the four or five points that MIGHT give them a chance.

Tranmere have also blown it you would think as, aside from Oxford at home, they have two very hard games. They're only hope would be Hartlepool losing all three I would say if they can get a result against Oxford.

 

[Habbinalan]

25/1 to go down, 1/100 to stay up, you'll be fine.

Can you point me at those 2 bookies quickly.

 

[hellogregory]

Can you point me at those 2 bookies quickly.

Bet365 have 33/1

 

[hellogregory]

You predicted losing all your last games and ending bottom, it's not gonna happen your just making yourself look silly with all this doom and gloom

Well if I look silly come the end of the season then I'll be one very happy person.

 

[daviejones]

Odds have gone up since last night then, that's good news. Bookies don't just give away odds like 33/1 so they clearly think we're all but safe.

 

[localhero]

Can you point me at those 2 bookies quickly.

Sky Bet offering 1/100 to stay up and Boyle Sports 33/1 to go down. Easy bit of money to be made there if Sky don't limit it.

Edit: Maybe not, did my calculations wrong.

 

[Railway Blue]

It's much longer than that. Lost to Swindon in 1993, Leicester 1994 and Reading 1995. It is 15 years since we were League Cup runners-up though.

To be honest, we haven't been 'that' club since 1995 and we have been on a 20 year slide which will end up in the VNL next season. Johnson hasn't looked interested since he left for Everton and the Palioses are having to deal with a lot of his apathetic decision making now. I just hope the slide stops in the VNL, but at this point whilst I expect it to plateau next year I wouldn't totally rule out a relegation fight again.

Bloody tempes fugit. I remember sitting in my car listening to one of those games. I was actually hoping you'd do it. I used to work about half a mile from Prenton Park at St Catherine's Hospital. Also remember some terrified Bolton fans hiding in a corridor after being pursued by your lot.

 

[Railway Blue]

Surely you wouldn't be battling relegation again next season if you're down here. Stockport and Tranmere in the conference north would be ridiculous.

There's a suitable managerial contender right on their doorstep. He works less than a mile from Prenton Park

 

[AdamStag]

I was reading in the paper today that apparently scientists reckon there is a 1 in 1000 chance of a volcanic eruption causing death to a tenth of the worlds population in the next century. I then wondered if hello Gregory was a journalist

 

[shoddycollins]

Odds have gone up since last night then, that's good news. Bookies don't just give away odds like 33/1 so they clearly think we're all but safe.

Although I don't want to give HG anything to fuel his fire, it is slightly absurd that the odds on us going down are longer now than they were at the start of the season (about 18/1). It is just that bookies don't offer especially good odds on anything at the start of the season due to the number of people placing bets, or the uncertainty.

 

[shoddycollins]

I don't know what would be worse about us going down. Becoming a non-league club, or HG having been right all along (although even if we do go down I'd say his certainty was misplaced).

Right now though it just feels as though any talk of whether Carlisle will get relegated is like gatecrashing Tranmere's wake, it really does look dismal for them and I'm minded to let their fans get it all out of their system.

 

[shoddycollins]

It's much longer than that. Lost to Swindon in 1993, Leicester 1994 and Reading 1995. It is 15 years since we were League Cup runners-up though.

To be honest, we haven't been 'that' club since 1995 and we have been on a 20 year slide which will end up in the VNL next season. Johnson hasn't looked interested since he left for Everton and the Palioses are having to deal with a lot of his apathetic decision making now. I just hope the slide stops in the VNL, but at this point whilst I expect it to plateau next year I wouldn't totally rule out a relegation fight again.

You must have lost a lot of fans since then. I'm always surprised you don't get a lot more than you do since the population of the Wirral along with Ellesmere Port is 380,000 (I know of a Tranmere fan from E.P. so I presume it is in your catchment area). I'm sure Liverpool and Everton are the main reason you don't have more but even then your attendances seem low for a team in a major metropolitan area given your local population is so big, there are 'only' a couple of Premier League teams about, and they're both on the other side of the river.

I imagine that you did get a lot more local support when challenging for a spot in the Premiership, and you were getting a lot of TV coverage due to John Aldridge, but now you've sunk to the fourth division it seems you've lost a generation of fans to the Merseyside giants, and will have to try and rise again before you can hope to bring the fans back. It's funny how almost everyone I've known from the Wirral has been at such pains to say they're 'not Scouse'... Well if they want to show now 'not Scouse' they are then they should support Tranmere instead of Liverpool or Everton.

 

[localhero]

You must have lost a lot of fans since then. I'm always surprised you don't get a lot more than you do since the population of the Wirral along with Ellesmere Port is 380,000 (I know of a Tranmere fan from E.P. so I presume it is in your catchment area). I'm sure Liverpool and Everton are the main reason you don't have more but even then your attendances seem low for a team in a major metropolitan area given your local population is so big, there are 'only' a couple of Premier League teams about, and they're both on the other side of the river.

I imagine that you did get a lot more local support when challenging for a spot in the Premiership, and you were getting a lot of TV coverage due to John Aldridge, but now you've sunk to the fourth division it seems you've lost a generation of fans to the Merseyside giants, and will have to try and rise again before you can hope to bring the fans back. It's funny how almost everyone I've known from the Wirral has been at such pains to say they're 'not Scouse'... Well if they want to show now 'not Scouse' they are then they should support Tranmere instead of Liverpool or Everton.

As you've said, the majority of the Wirral support Liverpool or Everton unfortunately.

With regards to crowds, I don't think they're too bad. At the height of our rise to the top of the Championship I'm sure we were only getting 8 or 9k so for them to only have fallen 3-4000 despite spending 15 years in constant downfall isn't a huge amount. The season where we spent the first seven months at the top of the League One we were averaging almost 7k until we capitulated and ended up finishing 11th so no reason to suggest we couldn't do similar with a promotion push from this division. Whether that stays true in the conference next season I've no idea!