The Relegation Thread

[Greenacres]

I can't see too many people bothering to stay after the game today, especially if it goes the way most home games have gone...although I can't really claim to speak for anyone else...but I will probably head for home after the final whistle of a season that should have been memorable for lots of good reasons, but hasn't been...it will more likely be a festival of silence or an event more akin to a wake (without copious amounts of alcohol, an old uncle that nobody has seen for years making inappropriate comments and one too many sausage rolls).

 

[barryspang]

Well thank god that’s over. Huge amount of work required in the summer clearing up KR’s mess.

 

[Luke Imp]

Sighs in Oxford, who I still can't believe were in with a genuine chance of being relegated.

Accrington effectively down because of their inferior GD but that could be confirmed on Wednesday if Cambridge beat Burton. Fair play to Morecambe who have somehow taken it to the final day.

Burton vs Cambridge

Burton vs MK
Cambridge vs FGR
Exeter vs Morecambe

 

[Laker]

Can’t believe we’re still in this. When it went to 2-1 and Dons were still winning I though the writing was on the wall.

We still need to win at Burton on Tuesday really. A draw would keep us in it but puts it out of our hands.

 

[Si Robin]

Well thank god that’s over. Huge amount of work required in the summer clearing up KR’s mess.

Now that's a name from the past - weren't you on the old League Portal forums around 16/17 years ago?

 

[barryspang]

Now that's a name from the past - weren't you on the old League Portal forums around 16/17 years ago?

Yes that was me, always enjoyed that forum, good little community.

 

[kieran_vale]

More I look at it the more I just think it has MK written all over it. Today will feel like the biggest nut punch you could ever receive to blow that lead and it will be hard to bounce back. Cambridge I didn’t think when they came to VP they looked a relegation team and since that win by and large their results have been impressive. I think that continues for them.

 

[valefan16]

More I look at it the more I just think it has MK written all over it. Today will feel like the biggest nut punch you could ever receive to blow that lead and it will be hard to bounce back. Cambridge I didn’t think when they came to VP they looked a relegation team and since that win by and large their results have been impressive. I think that continues for them.

MK probably the poorest side we’ve faced so expect them to go, oddly had a good run of results after we beat them against teams around them but since then have flagged, today was a huge body blow mentally.

That said beat Burton away you never know, a lot rides on Cambridge midweek, if they slip up or draw there it’s all in MK Dons own hands.

Cambridge beat Burton then they will survive as they’d surely beat FGR.

Nuts that Morecambe are still in it though. They’d fancy winning at Exeter on form but will need to rely on other results and if Cambridge win midweek that’s probably that for their hopes.

Morecambe and either MK or Cambridge so looks like Burton will have the big say, would be a great achievement for Cambridge as they’ve been bottom 4 since October haven’t they?

Accrington gave it a bit of a go but with their antics at Vale Park I’m not overly sad to see them go.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Can’t believe we’re still in this. When it went to 2-1 and Dons were still winning I though the writing was on the wall.

We still need to win at Burton on Tuesday really. A draw would keep us in it but puts it out of our hands.

Don’t turn up Tuesday. The doors will be shut…

 

[Laker]

Don’t turn up Tuesday. The doors will be shut…

Fair point. I’ve been struggling to get my head round the fact it’s a Wednesday kick off all week, made the same mistake on our own forum the other day.

 

[Luke Imp]

Can't be too many (any?) examples of a team being relegated after being in the PO's the previous season?

 

[Jamo]

Can't be too many (any?) examples of a team being relegated after being in the PO's the previous season?

We finished 5th in the championship 2 seasons ago, promptly got rid of our CEO (who went to Forest who were promoted the season after), appointed statistically the two worst managers in our history and finished with our worst points tally in our 135 years, all in the following season.

 

[Greenacres]

Can't be too many (any?) examples of a team being relegated after being in the PO's the previous season?

I went to the play-off final for promotion to the old First Division in 91 at Wembley, between Brighton and Notts County...before the game the fans mixed around the ground and the view seemed to be that it would be a challenge for whoever got promoted to survive in the top division...which turned out to be the case, Notts County were relegated the next season, as were Brighton the team they had beaten in the final.

 

[Luke Imp]

Ah sorry, meant in the same division i.e. MK this season.

 

[kieran_vale]

I went to the play-off final for promotion to the old First Division in 91 at Wembley, between Brighton and Notts County...before the game the fans mixed around the ground and the view seemed to be that it would be a challenge for whoever got promoted to survive in the top division...which turned out to be the case, Notts County were relegated the next season, as were Brighton the team they had beaten in the final.

Remember that season as it was my first full one following Vale. Ourselves and Plymouth were the other two relegated along with Brighton. Don’t think it was long after they ran into difficulties with the old Goldstone Ground.

Very different world back then. Had us, Southend, Grimsby, Cambridge, Bristol Rovers all in the second tier. In our case a division above Stoke too.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Can't be too many (any?) examples of a team being relegated after being in the PO's the previous season?

Notts County spring to mind as a recent example: play offs in League Two 2017/18, relegated to the National League a year later

 

[Bobbin']

Think it happened to Orient a few years back?

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Can't be too many (any?) examples of a team being relegated after being in the PO's the previous season?

Can think of quite a few in my lifetime and I've been watching football since 2000!

Championship
Wigan (2013-14/14-15)
Barnsley (2020-21/21-22) as an earlier poster suggested.

League One
Huddersfield (2001-02/02-03)
Hartlepool (2004-05/05-06)
Brentford (2005-06/06-07)
Swindon (2009-10/10-11)
Orient (2013-14/14-15)
Scunthorpe (2017-18/18-19)

League Two
Notts County (2017-18/18-19)

Probably more that happened in the 80s and 90s as well!

 

[coronakopite]

..... Cambridge beat Burton then they will survive as they’d surely beat FGR.

Nuts that Morecambe are still in it though. They’d fancy winning at Exeter on form but will need to rely on other results and if Cambridge win midweek that’s probably that for their hopes.

Morecambe and either MK or Cambridge so looks like Burton will have the big say, would be a great achievement for Cambridge as they’ve been bottom 4 since October haven’t they?

Accrington gave it a bit of a go but with their antics at Vale Park I’m not overly sad to see them go.

On the slide since October - well since we won at Morecambe in our 10th game on 24 September.

We didn't drop into the bottom 4 until the New Year.

 

[Luke Imp]

Can think of quite a few in my lifetime and I've been watching football since 2000!

Championship
Wigan (2013-14/14-15)
Barnsley (2020-21/21-22) as an earlier poster suggested.

League One
Huddersfield (2001-02/02-03)
Hartlepool (2004-05/05-06)
Brentford (2005-06/06-07)
Swindon (2009-10/10-11)
Orient (2013-14/14-15)
Scunthorpe (2017-18/18-19)

League Two
Notts County (2017-18/18-19)

Probably more that happened in the 80s and 90s as well!

Crikey, as many as that? Can you tell I've generally grown up on L2 football with Lincoln? That's why I couldn't think of any! Had forgotten about Notts.

 

[kieran_vale]

Notts had thrown a bit of money at it in a final push that season but seemed to have a bit of a hangover at the start then seem to remember their then owner posted a dick pic on social media or something like that and they just went off the rails.

 

[Laker]

We finished 5th in the second tier in 91/92 then lost a few key members of our team. John Beck lost his way and was sacked before Christmas the next season. We finished second bottom in 92/93, missing out on safety by a point.

 

[valefan16]

Notts had thrown a bit of money at it in a final push that season but seemed to have a bit of a hangover at the start then seem to remember their then owner posted a dick pic on social media or something like that and they just went off the rails.

They were heavy title favourites the year they went down Notts Co. Be interesting to see if they come back after the disappointment of missing out on Auto.

To get 107 points and not get promoted would be bonkers!

 

[UppaTowen_ITFC]

Can't be too many (any?) examples of a team being relegated after being in the PO's the previous season?

It’s obviously not the same but Ipswich were relegated in 2002 in the same season as beating Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup, having finished 5th the season before (and having just missed out on third by 3 points for the Champions League spot and reaching the Semi-finals of the League Cup). All that to relegation in 12 months.

 

[Valeite]

Can anyone confirm that Vale are mathematically safe? I put a ridiculous bet (50p) on at the weekend, bet365 have now settled it as lost.
But as far as I could see, Cambridge could win their three games, MK and Oxford their two and they could all overhaul Vale. Or am I missing something?

They need that 50 p for the leccy meter for Stoke City.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Accrington Stanley is a funny one. Last season when we thrashed them in the FA Cup, Coleman said that 'we won't be playing Port Vale next season ', he was almost right, just out by a season. I hope that finally some of these no mark teams are replaced with proper football clubs like Stockport, Notts County etc.

 

[kieran_vale]

Accrington Stanley is a funny one. Last season when we thrashed them in the FA Cup, Coleman said that 'we won't be playing Port Vale next season ', he was almost right, just out by a season. I hope that finally some of these no mark teams are replaced with proper football clubs like Stockport, Notts County etc.

I’ll be honest I couldn’t disagree with you more on this calling them no marks. Accy have done incredibly well on an extremely limited budget for a long time proving it’s not everything. Their spell in L1 may be coming to an end this weekend but they are run sustainably with a good owner and though they are horrible buggers to play against Coleman always sends them out to compete hard.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Got no respect for John Coleman myself. Was absolutely deplorable trying to get our FA Cup tie in 2019 abandoned just because we were battering his side that day.

I think they'll struggle badly in League Two next season as well.

 

[valefan16]

Accrington Stanley is a funny one. Last season when we thrashed them in the FA Cup, Coleman said that 'we won't be playing Port Vale next season ', he was almost right, just out by a season. I hope that finally some of these no mark teams are replaced with proper football clubs like Stockport, Notts County etc.

He said “we’d be lucky to play them” so slightly different but it came around that we went up anyway.

They’ve done incredibly well.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I don't deny that they've done well, but would I rather be playing teams bringing 1k plus than those bringing 80? 100%. They've worked miracles really and perhaps no marks is disrespectful but I'd far sooner play against teams that at least create a bit of an atmosphere.