Newport County V Tranmere Rovers - League 2 Playoff Final 2018/19

[AdamStag]

Was sad looking today at the final, it really brought home how such an epic failure flitcroft was.

Pretty much 4 out of the 5 teams which had a realistic chance of promotion gained success, apart from him.

 

[FGR-Star]

Fair play Tranmere.

Congrats and enjoy L1, enjoyed our mini-rivalry in the playoffs.

 

[Conker]

Fifth promotion in ten years as a manager, and the first back to back promotions in our history. He had money at Fleetwood and Shrewsbury, to an extent, but when you consider our budget this season was probably fifty percent of Lincoln's or Mansfield's, it is a remarkable achievement.

It’s a fantastic achievement, and genuinely well done so go out and enjoy it and I’ll debate the budget issue another day

How would you know ? Your club has barely played at that level. Twenty six of the last thirty seasons in the Championship or League One for us.

There’s absolutely no need to get defensive, you’ve just got promoted - please don’t do a Lincoln!

 

[RLC]

Commiserations to Newport. It was not a classic for the neutral, but both teams put everything into it physically and I don't think either really deserved to lose. Fair play to the Newport fans for staying quite a while at the final whistle as well.

 

[TractorBoys]

Didn't think Norwood looked fantastic today but not too discouraged; Wembley typically doesn't convert well in terms of top performances. Expecting him to be a blue shirt later this week.

Well done Tranmere, see you next season.

 

[Roger Stone]

Back home. Disappointed obviously but congratulations to Tranmere and pob lwc next season in L1. Not much between us today apart from you putting away the only real clear cut chance. Well done

 

[Boz]

I’m too happy at finally seeing Rovers win on my 4th trip to see them at Wembley to be bothered arguing with anyone tonight.

Agree with RLC, Newport played well in a fairly even game and thought Matt in particular gave us a lot to think about and even the sending-off didn’t make much difference to their game plan. Didn’t have a clear enough view of the penalty incident, there was one earlier in the game seen from a fair distance thought might be called a spot kick in their favour. Exiles fans a credit to the club, maybe next season for you if can keep Flynn and the main players.

 

[Conker]

I’m too happy at finally seeing Rovers win on my 4th trip to see them at Wembley to be bothered arguing with anyone tonight.

Agree with RLC, Newport played well in a fairly even game and thought Matt in particular gave us a lot to think about and even the sending-off didn’t make much difference to their game plan. Didn’t have a clear enough view of the penalty incident, there was one earlier in the game seen from a fair distance thought might be called a spot kick in their favour. Exiles fans a credit to the club, maybe next season for you if can keep Flynn and the main players.

Fair play, that’s how you all should be, these moments are rare for anybody contributing to this section so you gotta make up for it.

 

[Si Robin]

Gutted for my Newport supporting mate, but congratulations Tranmere. Glad they're up because they seem to have some sort of hex over us.

 

[getoutofit]

And you conveniently played against 10 men each step of the way. Very ordinary side, even when you beat us 1-0 a point would have been fairer. Poor style of football, one clinincal player. You’ll be straight back down.

2 consecutive promotions is a great achievement. But it really flatters you.

Lol, jealous gimp

 

[Pablosammy]

Thought it was a pretty dire game in all honesty, with both sides cancelling each other out over 120 minutes. Definitely not one for the neutral to enjoy! Just as it looked like we were destined for penalties we converted after a decent build up and saw it out.

I thought neither side really showed what they are capable of, as is often the case in a Wembley final.

Thumbs up to the Newport fans, great noise and numbers. It certainly felt more of an occasion this year than our last couple.

 

[AdamStag]

I think it’s a credit to tranmere on how they came along, and fair play.

I don’t think mansfield took note of them until 5 weeks before the end of the season and loll at it now, fair play.

I wish we were in league 1 and had we had a decent manager we would have been I’m sure.

Good luck next season. All the best

 

[LondonOrn]

This seems to be a pattern here, at least in the last two seasons. When a team comes up from the Conference and does well, there’s always a handful of fans who don’t like their style of football that have to make snide comments whatever happens.

If the team loses in the play-offs, you get schadenfreude (like Lincoln last season).
If the team wins them, these people say they don’t deserve it and they’ll come straight back down.

And has anyone noticed another pattern? That these comments never come from the fans of the promoted teams? No unsportsmanlike comments from Accy, Luton, Wycombe, Lincoln, Bury or MK Dons.

Could it be a bit of jealousy methinks, that their own team has underachieved and some upstart from the fifth tier has the temerity to show them how it’s done?

Anyway, congratulations Tranmere, fantastic that you’ve rebounded so quickly to where you belong after going out of the league, you were the only team from the the six play-off finalists I wanted to see go up, the others I’m not too fussed about either way.

 

[AdamStag]

Well we lost in the playoffs, hopefully nobody likes us and we go up next season.

I dare say at least forest green will no longer be the most disliked side in the division next season!

 

[Chris FGR]

Well we lost in the playoffs, hopefully nobody likes us and we go up next season.

I dare say at least forest green will no longer be the most disliked side in the division next season!

Salford will have that honour. MK Dons had it last year. Everyone likes us apart from Rerenmart and Pablosammy.

You're even more popular then us, everyones second team. First thing fans of all L2 teams always ask after their games have finished is "How did Mansfield do? "

 

[Long Ball Merchant]

Didn't think Norwood looked fantastic today but not too discouraged; Wembley typically doesn't convert well in terms of top performances. Expecting him to be a blue shirt later this week.

Well done Tranmere, see you next season.

Hounded out Mick McCarthy to sign lower league journeymen. Excellent business model

 

[Conker]

Salford will have that honour. MK Dons had it last year. Everyone likes us apart from Rerenmart and Pablosammy.

You're even more popular then us, everyones second team. First thing fans of all L2 teams always ask after their games have finished is "How did Mansfield do? "

FGR will get more ‘congratulations’ on here than Mansfield when we both get promoted at some point.

 

[Chris FGR]

FGR will get more ‘congratulations’ on here than Mansfield when we both get promoted next season.

Corrected for you.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Well, Newport were the better side, but we won. Football is unfair but when it goes your way, it more than makes up for it. That is all, I'm off to consume a lot more alcohol.

 

[Mark kavanagh]

Massive shout out to the deputy head steward at Anfield who put the game on for me on one of the big screens in the bar area and also to the hull rlfc supporters who celebrated with me . ( they were getting hammered at the time on the pitch)

Apologies to all those who jumped out of their skin when connor scored and I ran 20 yards and jumped in the air...

Bit surreal celebrating promotion at Anfield I never thought I would say that . I was sat amongst Wigan supporters after we won but my head was in London.

 

[Mark kavanagh]

And you conveniently played against 10 men each step of the way. Very ordinary side, even when you beat us 1-0 a point would have been fairer. Poor style of football, one clinincal player. You’ll be straight back down.

2 consecutive promotions is a great achievement. But it really flatters you.

Wow I bet mrs the Alex cannot wait to get rid of you to the match mr meldrew!!

At least when stags or fgr lay into us it's based on fact and they can back it up, stags pissing on us twice and the fgr stuff is not getting reopened by me!

This is just pure venom based on jealousy . To give you the benefit of the doubt you are upset on losing the potential 45 grand generates by our visits to great.

Hope the Alex come up I have no problem with them, the way they finished the season they may well do ! Although I think it will be Mansfield, walsall town swifts, Salford and Bradford.

 

[SELatic]

Congratulations to Tranmere. As much as it pains me to say it, back-to-back promotions is some achievement and the way your club has stuck together and dragged itself up from its lowest point is a credit.

Absolutely painful for us looking up and seeing yourselves, Rochdale, Bury, Accrington, Bolton and Blackpool battling it out whilst we’re faced with bloody Salford but hopefully it shows that with the right ownership (god help us) and direction, it doesn’t have to always be doom and gloom.

 

[localhero]

Can’t beat a last minute goal, especially when’s in the 119th minute to seal promotion at Wembley! Absolutely made up for Connor Jennings, often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for creating all those chances for Norwood so to see him grab the winner in such dramatic fashion was amazing.

Commiserations to Newport, we’ve been there two years ago so now how it feels but that must have been gut wrenching so late in the game. Good luck for next year!

Maybe we’ll struggle next year, maybe not. Who cares though, we’ve just seen a second consecutive promotion after none in the previous 25 years. We’re currently going through one of greatest ever runs and you only have to look at the teams like Luton to see what momentum can do. Micky Mellon is going for three in a row? Probably not, I’ll just be happy with a stress free season.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Glad to see Tranmere back where they belong. Thoroughly deserved in a wide open League Two this season and they've shaken off their bottlers tag with two excellent seasons to propel them up to where they were five years ago. Their squad will need a rebuild to cope with the step above but I'd back them to stay up next year and consolidate.

On a selfish note, I'm disappointed that there won't be a repeat of our Friday Night game there next season because, even though the game was wank, that day session in Liverpool pre-match was absolutely brilliant.

Commiserations to Newport. I think yesterday was a pivotal moment in their history and they may have potentially missed their promotion window with this squad. So many times we've seen unfancied teams in the last decade (Aldershot, Morecambe, Torquay) make those playoffs and fail to go up. Before you know it, the entire squads are picked off by clubs higher up the food chain and it becomes incredibly hard to keep a manager whose having his players leave him left, right and centre. The result of this being that the club regresses considerably.

However, Accrington proved a rebuild could be done on a budget, and Mike Flynn does strike me as a manager in the John Coleman mould. The difference is that Coleman ended up trying to manage a traditional league club and it didn't work out. Flynn will make the jump in the near future I feel but it'll be interesting to see if his methods worked elsewhere.

 

[Amber Nectar]

Congrats to Tranmere.

From a selfish point of view, this is probably the best result for us, if we're challenging next season.

 

[Chris FGR]

Glad to see Tranmere back where they belong. Thoroughly deserved in a wide open League Two this season and they've shaken off their bottlers tag with two excellent seasons to propel them up to where they were five years ago. Their squad will need a rebuild to cope with the step above but I'd back them to stay up next year and consolidate.

On a selfish note, I'm disappointed that there won't be a repeat of our Friday Night game there next season because, even though the game was wank, that day session in Liverpool pre-match was absolutely brilliant.

Commiserations to Newport. I think yesterday was a pivotal moment in their history and they may have potentially missed their promotion window with this squad. So many times we've seen unfancied teams in the last decade (Aldershot, Morecambe, Torquay) make those playoffs and fail to go up. Before you know it, the entire squads are picked off by clubs higher up the food chain and it becomes incredibly hard to keep a manager whose having his players leave him left, right and centre. The result of this being that the club regresses considerably.

However, Accrington proved a rebuild could be done on a budget, and Mike Flynn does strike me as a manager in the John Coleman mould. The difference is that Coleman ended up trying to manage a traditional league club and it didn't work out. Flynn will make the jump in the near future I feel but it'll be interesting to see if his methods worked elsewhere.

Newport are potentially a much bigger club then Accrington.

Maybe this season will be a pivotal moment for them because they're higher profile now and might attract more investment. Could easily be like Swansea and go all the way to the Prem if they ever build their own ground. Not a lot of difference in potential between Newport and Swansea imo.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Newport are potentially a much bigger club then Accrington.

Maybe this season will be a pivotal moment for them because they're higher profile now and might attract more investment. Could easily be like Swansea and go all the way to the Prem if they ever build their own ground. Not a lot of difference in potential between Newport and Swansea imo.

I agree they have more potential than Accrington but currently they're being run on the third lowest budget in the league. But I can't see Newport keeping this squad together, keeping Flynn for much longer (despite him being a local lad) or building their own ground anytime soon. Investment? Maybe, but even the Lotto winner who managed to give them that final push to get them to the league called it quits. And one bad season could really affect their potentially precarious ground situation with the WRU if they were to drop.

It took Swansea millions and millions of pounds in the 2000s, a new stadium, an overhaul of infrastructure, promotions to get fans to games and a clear philosophy to get them up the leagues. Once the money came in, they've lost their way and will probably be a League One club sooner rather than later. I can't see Newport doing that at a time where the gaps are much, much wider. I do like the club and it'd be nice to see them get a chance at a higher level but next year could define where their future pretty much lies.

 

[Master D]

Well done Tranmere, jealous as fuck.

Fuck knows what the keeper was doing though for the goal, bizarre.

 

[Roger Stone]

Our long term survival is very much dependent upon whether we have a future at Rodney Parade or build our own ground.
Can’t see us building our own ground as we don’t have a pot to piss in. Only realistic option would be to redevelop our old ground at Spytty but that would involve relocating the current users of the facility - athletics etc. Location is not ideal but so be it if that’s the way forward. Would need some serious help from the council as they own it, much in the same way Swansea City Council built their new stadium for the football and rugby.
My hope and the most realistic option is to get a long term agreement signed up with the WRU, owners of RP, the local council and us. Redevelop RP into a shared fit for purpose sport facility with covered stands at each end, lighting rigs to keep the pitch in shape etc etc.
All depends on WRU playing ball as they are looking to reorganise regional rugby in Wales. Hopefully won’t result in the demise of the Dragons and first class rugby in the city, a new head coach in Dean Ryan has just been appointed in a long term deal which is encouraging.
So in short we are in limbo and treading water at the moment, albeit punching above our weight, making profit these past couple of years.
Will have to be patient and wait and see what happens. At least my ST will be cheaper next season so every cloud ....
Without doubt we will have a major squad rebuild over the summer, hopefully Flynn will be there to do it. Day, Butler, Demetriou, Poole, Pipe, Amond and Matt are all linked with moves away.

 

[Stripes]

Congratulations to Tranmere, you toughed it out well and deserve it. Enjoy every minute of your success, and good luck.