Who do we want then?

[Vanni]

L1 generally is better standard, the play, getting punished for mistakes than this level and you get some really big clubs who spend good money.

I've only appreciated how decent L1 is compared to L2 after relegation down here in 2008 for the first time in 25 plus years... and noticed the improvement in our spell back in L1 mid decade.

I get you but bear in mind that L1 was a strong league at the time Vale were relegated back in 2008, and I'm sure you could easily see the downgrade in quality only a month or two into the 2008/09 season. Coincidentally, it was also around that time that the Conference was on its way up in terms of quality.

Another thing is that a decade or so ago, one could almost guarantee that the relegated clubs from L1 would make the top 7 the following year. Unless the club was in a financial mess of course. That's certainly no longer the case, and imo this strongly implies that the general standard of L1 is dropping.

 

[kieran_vale]

Just speaking to our last spell in League 1 it was slightly skewed in terms of quality that we had clubs like Wolves and Sheffield Utd who really should not have found themselves there in the first place. The bottom half clubs even when we went down were much of a muchness and not really any massive difference with League 2 in all honesty.

Only really Cov of the clubs who came down with us have done anything better than mediocre in this league though Swindon look like putting that right this year.

 

[Laker]

To be fair, Lincoln and Tranmere aside, the rest of us since 15/16 have struggled the following season.

We barely avoided relegation, Grimsby we mid-table. FGR stayed up by the skin of their teeth, Macclesfield went all the way until the last day of last season and neither Orient or Salford are pulling up any trees. Lincoln still needed a year at League 2 before going up again.

Momentum will only take you so far. A lot of Cheltenham fans thought we’d a do a Macc circa 97/98, bearing in mind we got more than 100 points and won the Conference by 12 in the end.

Yeah we came up the year before you and only finished 19th in 14/15. Luton came up with us and finished eighth but they’re an exception rather than the rule. And dare I say there’s a bit of a difference between Luton and Barrow....

 

[Pennywise]

Yeah we came up the year before you and only finished 19th in 14/15. Luton came up with us and finished eighth but they’re an exception rather than the rule. And dare I say there’s a bit of a difference between Luton and Barrow....

They'll only be one division apart next season.

 

[Luke Imp]

Oh I'm sure they would be, but I'd rather the three other sides if I were you. More chance of beating them lot you see

Speaking of L1, I think I've only watched no more than a couple of games this year so I don't know if anything's changed. Used to be a time when the difference in class was more evident than the one between L2 and the connie. I rather suspect though the quality's gone down, keeping in tandem with L2 and the NL.

The gap between L2 and L1 is bigger than NL to L2 IMO.

It's a weird season because of Bury and Bolton but also Southend who've managed to be really, really bad.

L1 certainly has more 'football' sides and is a far more technical league than L2. It's less strength and power, more technical and speed. Sides seem to want to conform to playing it on the deck for the sake of it and because it's the 'in' thing, mind.

And of course the gap in finances are crazy in this league - far bigger than L2. Some Sunderland players probably earn more in a year than Accy's annual budget! The extremes of wages, transfer fees, stadiums, attendances etc is huge.

 

[Soup Ladle]

The gap between L2 and L1 is bigger than NL to L2 IMO.

It's a weird season because of Bury and Bolton but also Southend who've managed to be really, really bad.

L1 certainly has more 'football' sides and is a far more technical league than L2. It's less strength and power, more technical and speed. Sides seem to want to conform to playing it on the deck for the sake of it and because it's the 'in' thing, mind.

And of course the gap in finances are crazy in this league - far bigger than L2. Some Sunderland players probably earn more in a year than Accy's annual budget! The extremes of wages, transfer fees, stadiums, attendances etc is huge.

Agree with that. We haven’t been in L1 since 2014 but the standard is a lot better than L2. More football is played (as you say not always successfully but is attempted) better technical standard and there’s some quality players around. L2 isn’t too dissimilar to VNL in terms of how teams play and set up. The difference between those two leagues is that the quality in both boxes is better in L2. Fitness is also superior. I know it’s only the cup but in the three years we’ve been down there and played L2 teams there hasn’t been much difference between us and the teams we played. But when we played Oxford a few weeks ago they were clearly a cut above us and we struggled to get any foothold in the game. Most Top half VNL sides would compete against league 2 sides in games but over the course of a season, without upgrading the side, particularly up top and at the back, a season of struggle is highly likely. Without significant changes to the squad and WHEN they come up, the mighty Barrow will find it tough going.

 

[les.gtfc]

For those of you who are planning a weekend in Barrow, don't it's bloody awful.

Been there, done that!

 

[shoddycollins]

I get you but bear in mind that L1 was a strong league at the time Vale were relegated back in 2008, and I'm sure you could easily see the downgrade in quality only a month or two into the 2008/09 season. Coincidentally, it was also around that time that the Conference was on its way up in terms of quality.

Another thing is that a decade or so ago, one could almost guarantee that the relegated clubs from L1 would make the top 7 the following year. Unless the club was in a financial mess of course. That's certainly no longer the case, and imo this strongly implies that the general standard of L1 is dropping.

The standard of the bottom of L1 is dropping, and usually at least two of the relegated clubs are a financial mess, but up at the top end of the division it gets close to Championship standard quickly, so to finish upper mid-table and above you really do have to rise above the usual lower league standard and styles of football.

I would say that the main jumps in quality in football at the moment are outside the battle for European places in the Premiership (harder to call that one because the difference in quality at the top is huge but the teams there do regularly underperform and let other teams into the mix); and then the next one is outside the top 6 or 7 in League One, with a whole raft of teams who will be mid table Premiership when doing well and fighting for promotion in L1 when it all goes wrong. After that the next jump is around mid-table in the Connie where the gap is between the big ex-league clubs and bankrolled clubs and those clubs for being in the Connie is a huge achievement

 

[shoddycollins]

Been there, done that!

people mock but culture is arriving in Barrow much faster than they assume. They've got a McDonald's there now and a Wetherspoons, continental lagers are available in most of the pubs, you can get wifi in some of them and I'm even hearing you get buskers on the streets there now.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

people mock but culture is arriving in Barrow much faster than they assume. They've got a McDonald's there now and a Wetherspoons, continental lagers are available in most of the pubs, you can get wifi in some of them and I'm even hearing you get buskers on the streets there now.

It made such a difference when they got electric...

 

[chipmunx]

It made such a difference when they got electric...

you may try and mock Barrow for being an old industrial town - but we have the biggest off shore windfarm in the world just off the coast - so the area has more "green" credentials and creates more "green" electricity that the numpty in charge of FGR could ever dream of.

 

[BlackHaddock]

you may try and mock Barrow for being an old industrial town - but we have the biggest off shore windfarm in the world just off the coast - so the area has more "green" credentials and creates more "green" electricity that the numpty in charge of FGR could ever dream of.

Changing your club's name to 'Green Barrow Rovers' then?

 

[chipmunx]

Changing your club's name to 'Green Barrow Rovers' then?

sod that...

 

[Luke Imp]

Agree with that. We haven’t been in L1 since 2014 but the standard is a lot better than L2. More football is played (as you say not always successfully but is attempted) better technical standard and there’s some quality players around. L2 isn’t too dissimilar to VNL in terms of how teams play and set up. The difference between those two leagues is that the quality in both boxes is better in L2. Fitness is also superior. I know it’s only the cup but in the three years we’ve been down there and played L2 teams there hasn’t been much difference between us and the teams we played. But when we played Oxford a few weeks ago they were clearly a cut above us and we struggled to get any foothold in the game. Most Top half VNL sides would compete against league 2 sides in games but over the course of a season, without upgrading the side, particularly up top and at the back, a season of struggle is highly likely. Without significant changes to the squad and WHEN they come up, the mighty Barrow will find it tough going.

Yeah, I agree about the quality of some of the players. I've found that in L1 you see some genuinely decent footballers. You get the odd one in L2 who's slipped through the net and is working his way up, but with bigger clubs dropping from the Championship into L1 you get a few in those sides and you also see more 19-22 PL loanees coming in who are generally in and around PL first team squads.

 

[Agombar stool]

Quite telling that not a single Swindon or Exeter fan has commented on this thread no?

Well as you asked (my choices are mainly geographical);

Southend and AFC Wimbledon down from League one and Notts County (never been to Nottingham) and Bromley up from the Conference.

Needless to say I hope to not be in League 2 next season, as "fun" as it is!

 

[AdamStag]

Well getting rid of Stevenage would be a welcome bonus, especially if they were replaced with barrow.

Other than from the conference I’m not fussed providing it’s not notts county, Stockport would be a nice local game for me.

We’ve pretty much got Southend and Bolton - and against tranmere or Accrington for local reasons. Playing either of the Wimbledon’s doesn’t really appeal

 

[Conker]

Cannot really comment re L1 because it’s been so long but the quality in the conference is way lower to what the likes of ourselves, Luton, Newport, Grimsby etc left it.

And for how shite Stevenage are, you can tell they are a professional team still, now go and watch Chesterfield and tell me the same.

So yeah the L1/2 gap might well be bigger but other than the very top NL teams it’s a huge gap to L2 aswell.

 

[Agombar stool]

Barrow sounds like a blast!

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/18191444.police-called-fears-gorilla-loose-barrow/

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

Hope Barrow come up, have drank round there in the past and it’s a good laugh. Halifax would be good too for some reasons.

 

[shoddycollins]

Hope Barrow come up, have drank round there in the past and it’s a good laugh. Halifax would be good too for some reasons.

I keep hearing good things about 'fax,

 

[chipmunx]

we're 7 points clear now with a game in hand - which we play tomorrow night...

 

[Attila the hun]

Why you after a new job Chris fgr

 

[Vanni]

I keep hearing good things about 'fax,

I'm not a 2CW but Halifax are kinda my second team, so it's only natural that I would want to see them come up. It's not going to be this season though, or at least, that's what their own fans reckon.

Anyway, Fax is a great away day, as one could expect from more or less any Yorkshire away day. And while the pitch is a shambles, the ground itself is the best one there is in the NL bar none.

 

[Vanni]

In other news, Barrow's unbeaten run was brought to an end by Dover so the title race's still on. They still have that 7 point lead over second placed Harrogate though, and all the other top 5 clubs keep dropping points. Not that I'm grumbling of course. Much rather them than Harrogate or one of the other hobby clubs.

 

[GTFCfish]

we're 7 points clear now with a game in hand - which we play tomorrow night...

How did you get on?

 

[shoddycollins]

How did you get on?View attachment 12519

So now they're 7 points clear without a game in hand

 

[shoddycollins]

I'm not a 2CW but Halifax are kinda my second team, so it's only natural that I would want to see them come up. It's not going to be this season though, or at least, that's what their own fans reckon.

Anyway, Fax is a great away day, as one could expect from more or less any Yorkshire away day. And while the pitch is a shambles, the ground itself is the best one there is in the NL bar none.

Speaking of 2CWs, wheres habbinalan at these days?

 

[JJ1532]

I was reading about Barrow in the Athletic the other day. They best pray they get up this season, because managers like Evatt don't stick around very long. As soon as word gets out about the work he's doing there, he's going to be in high demand. Looks like a rising star, wonder how long they'll keep hold of him for.

 

[chipmunx]

I was reading about Barrow in the Athletic the other day. They best pray they get up this season, because managers like Evatt don't stick around very long. As soon as word gets out about the work he's doing there, he's going to be in high demand. Looks like a rising star, wonder how long they'll keep hold of him for.

He's been favourite for just about every EFL League 2 vacancy that has come up this season, so we know he'll be in demand. IF he gets us up this season he'll be with us next season and he won't stop until he gets us as high up the league as he can - he thinks with a few additions he can take us straight through L2 to L1.... so yes he's very ambitious and confident and will one day end up Managing in the Championship or higher - although not with us...

 

[Chris FGR]

You won't go straight through, you'll be bottom half. Probably bottom 5.