Welcome Wrexham and Stockport.

[Master D]

Literally never ventured up onto this forum, nosebleed territory now.

 

[Stocky]

Thanks for the welcome.

Aware it will be a step up, encouraged by how Orient, Stevenage and Northampton have done up here though.

14 years since we dropped down here, we went to L2, NL, NLN and all the way back again. It's been some journey.

 

[thewwfc]

Well done, like your realism too. Someone was on 606 saying they were targeting the playoffs. That would be a stretch, bit I could see you getting to the top half.

I think if Wrexham sign wisely, they could quite easily be a playoff contender, but they'd have to be aggressive in terms of moving on any players that aren't L1 level, you need strength in depth of the right quality to mount any kind of promotion effort.

But look at Northampton this season, I wouldn't say they have a particularly distinguished squad yet they came up and have immediately shown consistency and a really good base for consolidation next season, so if you add the extra £££ factor that Wrexham will bring into the equation, I could see them having a strong season also.

 

[Luke Imp]

Buzzing to be back in the league we were in when I started going. Never thought if see the day. Some big clubs in here.
I'll take 5th from bottom next season now

You'd be fuming if you finished 5th bottom!

 

[Luke Imp]

Welcome and well done to Stockport and Wrexham. We have a bit of history both - we got relegated from L2 with Stockport and were Wrexham's final fixture in their L2 relegation season.

Touched on it on here earlier in the week but the three promoted sides are quite intriguing. It'll be interesting to see whether they, given that they have the financial clout to compete very well at L2 level, decide to take a breather and try and build a little more long term or just keep throwing money at it. Mansfield and Wrexham in particular have older average age squads as well, which they'll probably have to start to change a bit and the peak 'here and now' type signings in L1 cost a fortune and generally end up at the bigger sides so unless you're willing to pay that, the squad build is slower.

I think if you ask any Lincoln, Shrewsbury, Northampton, Orient, Cambridge type sized club, they'll all tell you that it's a weird position to be in because you're competing with the Portsmouth, Bolton, Derby types who can pay more or the top end of L2 where players can earn more and/or prefer to be at a Club who're battling at the top of a league rather than the bottom half of the league above. Even with loan players, you might be able to offer more minutes to players but they'd rather be on the bench at a bigger side. I think it's something a few managers have commented on in the last three years or so.

Clough, Parkinson and Challinor should all be fine at this level, though - the former two have been here before and the latter has done enough in L2 and NL to think he'll be ok.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

The jump from League Two to League One is a very big jump in my eyes. The Conference and League Two is packed for of tinpot clubs but there’s very few in League One and it’s where you first see a lot of big ex Prem teams here who get 20k plus gates every week. The promoted teams from last year got away with it as it just happened to be the shittest (imo) League One in quite some time. Very few clubs come up from League One and spend more than three or four seasons here before they’re back down in League Two or at worse, the Conference.

Stockport and Wrexham (plus whoever the other two promoted clubs will be) will have to sign a lot of new players as this division won’t be as poor next season just in order to reach midtable mediocrity. I’ve seen a few Wrexham games this season, including our cup game against them, they need to strengthen or they’ll be lower midtable. I think this is where players like Lee and Mullen will start to struggle. Big difference from Salford, Harrogate, Sutton, Newport, etc to Bolton, Peterborough, Barnsley, Charlton, etc.

Wrexham can at a push go one further than this and then that’s their ceiling, so it’ll be interesting if they keep pulling in big crowds if they survive at this level for the next few seasons when they’re playing somebody like Stevenage in mid March on a Tuesday night battling it out to go from 16th to 15th and have nothing else to play for. The new ‘fans’ only know success so this could be a shock to them next season.

As for away days, hope Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday come down. Both have to rank in the top 10 best away days in the whole of England surely.

 

[folletto]

Congrats to both, two exciting teams to come up and two decent away days. I'd expect both to bring a great following to the Valley too.

Can see both being safe from relegation next season. Wrexham's model the last couple of seasons has been to sign players that are too good for the level they are at. That's going to be a lot tougher now as those top league one players don't come cheap!

 

[thewwfc]

You'd be fuming if you finished 5th bottom!

seriously, can you imagine?

You'd have to think that Wrexham will be going for it again next season.

Never watched their documentary thing (not out of snobbery, just don't have the channel) but I hear it's big business, and pulls in the punters from all over to watch their games.

I have no idea how much it's genuine reality, and how much may be "assisted reality" in terms of how the Hollywood types want it to come across, obviously there's only so much you can spin it.

But from that side, let's imagine which of these plot arcs is more appealing to the floating viewer:

Option 1:

"Um ok lads, well, we've done great over the last couple of seasons for sure, and we've come a long way.

But now comes the point of reckoning.

We need to keep our feet on the ground this season, and realise that there's a bunch of big teams that have found it tough in this division, your Portsmouths, Derbys, and Charltons have found it a tougher ask than they might have expected.

So.

Our aim this season is to establish ourselves a decent base in this division - and if we keep our noses to the grindstone, we should be able to get to a solid mid-table position, somewhere between maybe Lincoln and Leyton Orient.

All right lads? 65 points, and we're good. "

Option 2:

"All right then you c@nts!

New season, another new division.

No resting on your laurels - no billy big bollocks from any of you - we're starting from scratch here yet again.

BUT WE'RE FUCKING GOING FOR IT.

If even Lu'un can bag consecutive promotions from L2 and L1, no reason why we can't.

Shit or bust - Wrecsam am Byth - now put your fucking backs into it".

 

[Conker]

Welcome and well done to Stockport and Wrexham. We have a bit of history both - we got relegated from L2 with Stockport and were Wrexham's final fixture in their L2 relegation season.

Touched on it on here earlier in the week but the three promoted sides are quite intriguing. It'll be interesting to see whether they, given that they have the financial clout to compete very well at L2 level, decide to take a breather and try and build a little more long term or just keep throwing money at it. Mansfield and Wrexham in particular have older average age squads as well, which they'll probably have to start to change a bit and the peak 'here and now' type signings in L1 cost a fortune and generally end up at the bigger sides so unless you're willing to pay that, the squad build is slower.

I think if you ask any Lincoln, Shrewsbury, Northampton, Orient, Cambridge type sized club, they'll all tell you that it's a weird position to be in because you're competing with the Portsmouth, Bolton, Derby types who can pay more or the top end of L2 where players can earn more and/or prefer to be at a Club who're battling at the top of a league rather than the bottom half of the league above. Even with loan players, you might be able to offer more minutes to players but they'd rather be on the bench at a bigger side. I think it's something a few managers have commented on in the last three years or so.

Clough, Parkinson and Challinor should all be fine at this level, though - the former two have been here before and the latter has done enough in L2 and NL to think he'll be ok.

The club made a decision to start lowering the age of the squad January 23 still got a lot of work to do but it’s in motion.

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

Excited to be playing the teams I only saw us play as a kid.

What are the best away days in this league then? Paticularly excited for Charlton, having worked at their ground previously.

PV is the worst and Charlton the best

 

[Luke Imp]

The club made a decision to start lowering the age of the squad January 23 still got a lot of work to do but it’s in motion.

Crikey, what was it before this seasons 28 or so?!

 

[Ellis]

Good to see the league one section on here is active that we don’t need to migrate to the other forum!

 

[denzel ecfc]

Good to see the league one section on here is active that we don’t need to migrate to the other forum!

There's another forum??

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Its quite funny that I look at some of the teams in L1, I would like to ground hop if given the chance. Before the takeover, I went Charlton v Pompey (2-2) and thought we were an absolute age away from playing those teams in the league. Now I get the chance to go again but with little old Wrexham. Absolutely huge clubs who have been in the prem and sitting on hard times.

 

[Grumpy Grecian]

No disrespect to Wrexham but a special welcome back to Stockport.
I still fondly recall our last visit to Edgley Park back in 2009, after our own long sojourn in NL hell. That November win (along with our away win at around the time to our long-time bogey team, Bury) were the moments when I actually began to believe that our spell back in the EFL (even the fourth tier) might not be quite as brief as feared. (Spoiler alert, we ended up with back-to-back promotions in 2nd place).
Well remember the cracking pub we went to as well (The ArtillerY??). Is it still open?

 

[The Terminator]

Welcome back to both teams, both been through the non league hell like ourselves. I was there watching Stokport lose 1-0 to 9 man FCUM in an FA Cup qualifying replay back in 2017 and IIRC Ben Hinchcliffe was in goal that day.

7 years later back in League One together.

I'd imagine both teams with a few additions will look to push for a playoff spot, although this league is alot tougher near the top.

Dave Challinor will be in demand though, his record is very impressive and he comes across very well too.

 

[Ellis]

There's another forum??

The non league section effectively migrated to it and left it dead when the board was down/barely functional for a few weeks.

 

[Ellis]

No disrespect to Wrexham but a special welcome back to Stockport.
I still fondly recall our last visit to Edgley Park back in 2009, after our own long sojourn in NL hell. That November win (along with our away win at around the time to our long-time bogey team, Bury) were the moments when I actually began to believe that our spell back in the EFL (even the fourth tier) might not be quite as brief as feared. (Spoiler alert, we ended up with back-to-back promotions in 2nd place).
Well remember the cracking pub we went to as well (The ArtillerY??). Is it still open?

The armoury? If so then yes it’s still open and the best pub on Edgeley. Home fans only now though so if you want to get in definitely no wearing colours, big groups and put on your best Stockport accent!

 

[EricSabin]

Footballing wise I don’t think it’s a big jump at all, we’ve come up with largely the same squad and a really poor budget and we’ve had plenty of dross visit us at Sixfields that didn’t look much different from L2. However the big jump is the teams at the top end have absolutely rinsed us and we’ve looked absolutely miles away from the level against them.

Don’t see any of the promoted sides having much trouble.

 

[Grumpy Grecian]

The armoury? If so then yes it’s still open and the best pub on Edgeley. Home fans only now though so if you want to get in definitely no wearing colours, big groups and put on your best Stockport accent!

That's the one!
And good advice about the accent. A southern one and we'd probably be mistaken for ManUre fans.
Will have to spend the summer practacing to assorted Owen Jones' podcasts.

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

There's another forum??

Full of whinging Liverpool fans and the National league crowd who went over there

 

[denzel ecfc]

The armoury? If so then yes it’s still open and the best pub on Edgeley. Home fans only now though so if you want to get in definitely no wearing colours, big groups and put on your best Stockport accent!

What is it with clubs and 'Home Fans Only' nonsense. Really no need at this level

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

What is it with clubs and 'Home Fans Only' nonsense. Really no need at this level

Agreed. NWP say that to away fans who come to Wrexham, but the Turf (If you get a chance of getting in), Maesgwyn and Plas Coch all allow away fans.

 

[EricSabin]

What is it with clubs and 'Home Fans Only' nonsense. Really no need at this level

To be fair our group were in The Armoury pre and post match last year with no bother, think it’s just to keep the wrong uns out

 

[iesty wfc]

The non league section effectively migrated to it and left it dead when the board was down/barely functional for a few weeks.

i was one of them. To be honest i flick between the two regularly now. The off topic section is much more active 'over there' than on here.

but the League 2 and League 1 sections are dead.

 

[AdamStag]

There’s a lot you guys will know compared to us, obviously we join the league 1 with a draw at home to accrington tonight.

One train of though is that if northampton, lincoln and cambridge can hold their own there’s no reason why any of us can’t (firstly no offence to any fans from those teams) but also i appreciate its not that simple. We’ve not been up here in 20 odd years so a complete unknown for us, and we’d be instantly one of the smaller clubs in the division.

One thing i have noted from league 1 is the teams are a lot more pacey, which is something we’d have to address as a matter of urgency if we make it.

 

[Si Robin]

i was one of them. To be honest i flick between the two regularly now. The off topic section is much more active 'over there' than on here.

but the League 2 and League 1 sections are dead.

I've been on the other one for 17 years. The old League 2 and 1 forums used to thrive but they died a death a while back.

Like you, I tend to only post on the off topic section and maybe put one post a month in the League 1 forum. Here is definitely better for Leagues 1 and 2.

 

[Master D]

Same with us, we've hardly any genuine pace in the side. It shows up massively the higher up you go.

It was startling the pace with which Blackburn, Sheff United and Coventry broke with against us in our Cup runs over last 2 years. We would have the ball on the edge of their box and then 5 seconds later they are having a shot at our goal.

 

[iesty wfc]

Same with us, we've hardly any genuine pace in the side. It shows up massively the higher up you go.

It was startling the pace with which Blackburn, Sheff United and Coventry broke with against us in our Cup runs over last 2 years. We would have the ball on the edge of their box and then 5 seconds later they are having a shot at our goal.

Even Sam Gallagher who is 6ft 4 and built like a brick shithouse was skinning our defence that game though

 

[LordJord]

There’s a lot you guys will know compared to us, obviously we join the league 1 with a draw at home to accrington tonight.

One train of though is that if northampton, lincoln and cambridge can hold their own there’s no reason why any of us can’t (firstly no offence to any fans from those teams) but also i appreciate its not that simple. We would’ve have been up here in 20 odd years so a complete unknown for us, and we’d be instantly one of the smaller clubs in the division.

One thing i have noted from league 1 is the teams are a lot more pacey, which is something we’d have to address as a matter of urgency if we make it.

Yeah I dont think its unreasonable to think that a promoted team can hold their own here, ourselves, Orient and Stevenage being prime examples.

Looking at us we kept the vast majority of our squad from our L2 campaign and still have had a very successful season. I think utilising the loan market is key (certainly has been for us).

The quality in and around midtable to the bottom is not a step up, but the top teams have some real standout performers and have hammered us on most occasions so its there the gap is more noticeable. Some far better grounds to visit also!