Welcome back Cheltenham Town

[hellogregory]

Ok so they are not quite mathematically promoted jus yet, but realistically it's safe to say they are going to back playing in the football league next season.

Some achievement bouncing back at the first attempt as champions!

Has it been done before? From memory, Shrewsbury, Carlisle and Bristol Rovers came straight back at the first attempt, but via the playoffs. Can't recall anyone doing it as champions. Could be wrong though.

 

[Soup Ladle]

They've done well but not overly excited about playing them again. Hope Grimsby come up with them. Anyone but Dover, Eastleigh or Forest Green. So Tranmere or Grimsby. Don't think two teams have ever bounced straight back.

 

[BarnwoodCTFC]

Thanks guys, after two horrific seasons it's nice to see a group of players with pride in the shirt and fans. We have been accused of buying the league in a few corners but it's still a great achievement and Gary Johnson and the board deserve huge credit. Really looking forward to being back next season and hopefully we will be towards the top of this league this time next year.

 

[StagsForLife]

Seems to be becoming a bit of a trend lately, don't you guys know you spend 5 years minimum?

However welcome back.

 

[Carver]

Another southern softie club, wonderful!

At least they have a good playing surface though. Usually give us a decent game of football down there.

 

[Si Robin]

You've not seen it the past couple of years then?

Was going to hold off until it was confirmed, but we're pretty much here now. The Non-League forum was quite decent, what's this one like?

 

[Vanni]

Seems to be becoming a bit of a trend lately, don't you guys know you spend 5 years minimum?

However welcome back.

Agreed. Sadly, that was when the Conference was highly competitive, when you really had to work hard to go up. Like when the clubs you and I follow were down there for instance

But, yeah welcome back. Don't wanna be rude.

 

[Vanni]

You've not seen it the past couple of years then?

Was going to hold off until it was confirmed, but we're pretty much here now. The Non-League forum was quite decent, what's this one like?

Hello! Don't worry Si, this forum's decent too. It also has fewer wum's, which is a bonus.

 

[hellogregory]

I thought the standard of the conference was dreadful the season we were there (04/05). We were absolutely shite all season yet still managed to scrape promotion. It's probably what tranmere will feel like if they come up.

 

[Vanni]

I thought the standard of the conference was dreadful the season we were there (04/05). We were absolutely shite all season yet still managed to scrape promotion. It's probably what tranmere will feel like if they come up.

Yep, it was poor the following season too, 05/06. The thing was we only had 4 players by July, and had to assemble a squad pronto, but saying that, we could still see it was a poor league. The worst thing was knowing we couldn't compete due to the mess we found ourselves in. But things started changing around 2008/09 due to the ever increasing number of ex league clubs. Not forgetting the addition of the sugar daddy clubs as the years went by.

 

[BeesKnees]

Congrats Cheltenham. The teams being relegated in the last few years seem to be in a better position on and off the pitch to make the return. Not convinced that will be true of the two teams who drop this time.

 

[CTFCfan99]

Well hello again.

 

[Si Robin]

Congrats Cheltenham. The teams being relegated in the last few years seem to be in a better position on and off the pitch to make the return. Not convinced that will be true of the two teams who drop this time.

We got very lucky in that we had Gary Johnson for the last few games of last season. We were all but down when he came in so no blame was laid at his door for our relegation. What he has done since has been truly remarkable. We have only two players who were part of the 14/15 squad, Asa Hall ( who played 8 mins on the opening day and missed the rest of the season) and Bobbie Dale (youth lad who's been out on loan all season). Johnson has signed a whole squad with a blend of youth and experience in pretty much perfect measures and the team has been a joy to watch. He also brought in hungry loanees, two of which have been arguably the best loanees I've ever seen in Cheltenham shirts.

We weren't particularly skint when we went down either, which played a big part, although our budget has been quoted at only £600k at the start of the season. That will have increased in January with the signings of Dan Holman and Jordan Cranston.

 

[Urban]

Seeing as we're losing 324480 Southern clubs this season, it's good to see Cheltenham up here.

Dover/Braintree would be hilarious to see in league football.

 

[shoddycollins]

I'll admit to being fairly surprised at how well Cheltenham have done, with being one of the smaller league teams, and with how awful they were last season, I thought they would probably end up turning into a steady conference side.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Ok so they are not quite mathematically promoted jus yet, but realistically it's safe to say they are going to back playing in the football league next season.

Some achievement bouncing back at the first attempt as champions!

Has it been done before? From memory, Shrewsbury, Carlisle and Bristol Rovers came straight back at the first attempt, but via the playoffs. Can't recall anyone doing it as champions. Could be wrong though.

Yep in the first few years after automatic promotion was introduced - both Lincoln City and Darlington came straight back as champions.

 

[Son of Cod]

Fully deserved, but will save the official congratulations for when you mathematically clinch it. Despite being highly unlikely, I will piss myself if you fuck it up now after these threads though. Even if it means the other less desirable half of #teamgloucestershire pipping it.

 

[JonnyWomble]

This is pretty surprising seeing as when we played Forest Green earlier in the season, they were some thing crazy like 12 points clear, or near enough.

So well done Cheltenham for defying the odds and coming back at the first time of asking I remember our fans clapping your team off on the last day of the season, and thinking "...won't be seeing them for a while." Although I'm very pleased to see you back! Much prefer to be playing you, rather than be playing FGR.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

the other less desirable half of #teamgloucestershire pipping it.

What a middle class contest that is.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Cheltenham can still balls it up with FGR coming up instead... Despite the Chelties likely to be back next week, this thread is premature.

 

[BarnwoodCTFC]

With the greatest of respect it's really not, we need three points from three games, two of which are at home where our record is exemplary. Forest Green need to win all three and have not won in weeks, we will be crowned champions on Saturday and are 1-250 with the bookmakers who rarely get these things wrong.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Yes, but until it's mathematical I'd stay the hell away from this thread!

 

[Murphy]

Why do you have to come back up when we're heading the other way?

Cheltenham is one of my favourite away days

 

[EricSabin]

Congrats Cheltenham, good achievement to bounce back first time of asking. Still hate pissflaps Gary Johnson.

 

[AdamStag]

Great to see them come backup, it's like be on Earth down there.

Would prefer it if forest green and Eastleigh didn't come up, but Grimsby should also stay in the conference for another decade at least.

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Maybe a question for the folks with clubs in the National League, but has the general standards dropped and has it become easier for those who have dropped?

That's not meant to under value the achievements of Barnet, Rovers, Cheltenham and possibly Tranmere, but previously to the last couple seasons teams generally dropped and lingered in a Conference shellshock - completely underestimating the competition and its sides.

It became an ongoing in joke that sides that would get relegated would start the following campaign high on bravado and notions of "pissing this tinpot division."
Now they seem to be doing it; so perhaps the quality has slipped even further, or the last couple of seasons have been blips from the norm?

 

[Bobbin']

We got very lucky in that we had Gary Johnson for the last few games of last season. We were all but down when he came in so no blame was laid at his door for our relegation. What he has done since has been truly remarkable. We have only two players who were part of the 14/15 squad, Asa Hall ( who played 8 mins on the opening day and missed the rest of the season) and Bobbie Dale (youth lad who's been out on loan all season). Johnson has signed a whole squad with a blend of youth and experience in pretty much perfect measures and the team has been a joy to watch. He also brought in hungry loanees, two of which have been arguably the best loanees I've ever seen in Cheltenham shirts.

We weren't particularly skint when we went down either, which played a big part, although our budget has been quoted at only £600k at the start of the season. That will have increased in January with the signings of Dan Holman and Jordan Cranston.

How has Dillon Phillips performed between the sticks?

 

[CTFCfan99]

How has Dillon Phillips performed between the sticks?

Arguably our player of the season and certainly one of the best keepers in the league until he got injured a month or so ago. Despite that he's remained part of the squad and watched every game home and away, been a fantastic part of our team and we'd all love to have him back next season if you let us!

 

[Si Robin]

He's been immense, and it's a crying shame he got injured when he did.

Talk is we'll have him back on loan next season from you guys, I hope those rumours are right because he is a brilliant goalkeeper.

 

[Vanni]

Maybe a question for the folks with clubs in the National League, but has the general standards dropped and has it become easier for those who have dropped?

That's not meant to under value the achievements of Barnet, Rovers, Cheltenham and possibly Tranmere, but previously to the last couple seasons teams generally dropped and lingered in a Conference shellshock - completely underestimating the competition and its sides.

It became an ongoing in joke that sides that would get relegated would start the following campaign high on bravado and notions of "pissing this topmost division."
Now they seem to be doing it; so perhaps the quality has slipped even further, or the last couple of seasons have been blips from the norm?

But you've got to keep in mind Barnet and Rovers weren't as poor as most of the other clubs who end up relegated. Both sides went down only on gd, with Barnet getting 51 pts and Rovers 50 pts, and 50 points or over is a high points tally for a relegated club. So their promotions were hardly surprising.