Who do you want to come up/down to the third tier?

[Tangerine_tart]

If Birmingham come down they will spend and walk their way to the title . I've been there countless times over the years , so it doesn’t appeal at all. The loser of the Huddersfield v Birmingham match next Saturday will be joining this fabulous league next season .

 

[thewwfc]

I honestly don’t think “spending your way to the title” is as straightforward as that, as your Sunderlands, Ipswiches, Derbys etc could tell you to their bitter disappointment.

Yes, those sides did (or are about to) pull themselves out of the mire, and sooner or later they manage to pull off the escape.

But for that kind of club there are several factors working against them:

• Fanbase with expectations of success - which can turn really fucking sour if it doesn’t happen straight away
• Expensive players at risk of not turning up because they think they’re too good for the level
• I’m not sure if anyone really sees Birmingham as a “big club” but certainly some fans of clubs with a larger fanbase tend to think that “all you minnows at this level raise your game against us because it’s your cup final” etc

 

[denzel ecfc]

Dunno what other people think but I've never seen Huddersfield as a Championship side really, they're historically a L1 side. They've done really well over the last decade with a couple of PL seasons in there but their finishes in the Championship are mainly in and around the bottom 6 or 7 aside from their two anomaly PO seasons.

Yeah, see them as a top of L1 side. It's just that they have a big stadium (which we always get thrashed in) which makes you think they should be higher.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

They also have THE worst chant. 'Ooh to be a...'

 

[chief]

Sheffield Wednesday winning drags Blackburn and Plymouth into the mix. Very tight.

Feel Birmingham will secure Huddersfield's relegation on Saturday.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Great to see Birmingham in the relegation zone with two to play. Praying Huddersfield beat them next weekend. Birmingham would be a local derby for us and Brum is such a good city to go drinking in, very easy and straight forward to get to from Shrewsbury. Definitely be the first fixture I look to on the fixture list should they come down!

 

[AdamStag]

Birmingham then sheff wed then huddersfield would be my preference. Plymouth fans are lovely but the place is in fucking narnia.

A northern league is always the best.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Plymouth fans are lovely

Weirdo.

Besides, this league is northern enough, time to get more Southern teams in. We will probably get bloody Barrow too

 

[thewwfc]

Besides, this league is northern enough, time to get more Southern teams in. We will probably get bloody Barrow too

Plymouth are the only even semi-realistic Southern option to come down and that’s pretty unlikely (obviously a good game for ECFC though).

I’d take any Northern team over Franchise. I suppose Crawley are relatively inoffensive but a bit meh.

 

[GEORGE]

Great to see Birmingham in the relegation zone with two to play. Praying Huddersfield beat them next weekend. Birmingham would be a local derby for us and Brum is such a good city to go drinking in, very easy and straight forward to get to from Shrewsbury. Definitely be the first fixture I look to on the fixture list should they come down!

I doubt they would see it as that. There derby is Villa and they also have a local rivalry with Albion. But to call you a local derby would be something else.

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

I honestly don’t think “spending your way to the title” is as straightforward as that, as your Sunderlands, Ipswiches, Derbys etc could tell you to their bitter disappointment.

Yes, those sides did (or are about to) pull themselves out of the mire, and sooner or later they manage to pull off the escape.

But for that kind of club there are several factors working against them:

• Fanbase with expectations of success - which can turn really fucking sour if it doesn’t happen straight away
• Expensive players at risk of not turning up because they think they’re too good for the level
• I’m not sure if anyone really sees Birmingham as a “big club” but certainly some fans of clubs with a larger fanbase tend to think that “all you minnows at this level raise your game against us because it’s your cup final” etc

Of course they are a big club in this league.

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

Yeah, see them as a top of L1 side. It's just that they have a big stadium (which we always get thrashed in) which makes you think they should be higher.

theyve spent more time in the top 2 leagues than in the lower leagues

 

[Pompeyblueboy]

I honestly don’t think “spending your way to the title” is as straightforward as that, as your Sunderlands, Ipswiches, Derbys etc could tell you to their bitter disappointment.

Yes, those sides did (or are about to) pull themselves out of the mire, and sooner or later they manage to pull off the escape.

But for that kind of club there are several factors working against them:

• Fanbase with expectations of success - which can turn really fucking sour if it doesn’t happen straight away
• Expensive players at risk of not turning up because they think they’re too good for the level
• I’m not sure if anyone really sees Birmingham as a “big club” but certainly some fans of clubs with a larger fanbase tend to think that “all you minnows at this level raise your game against us because it’s your cup final” etc

True
]

 

[91SPP]

I honestly don’t think “spending your way to the title” is as straightforward as that, as your Sunderlands, Ipswiches, Derbys etc could tell you to their bitter disappointment.

Yes, those sides did (or are about to) pull themselves out of the mire, and sooner or later they manage to pull off the escape.

But for that kind of club there are several factors working against them:

• Fanbase with expectations of success - which can turn really fucking sour if it doesn’t happen straight away
• Expensive players at risk of not turning up because they think they’re too good for the level
• I’m not sure if anyone really sees Birmingham as a “big club” but certainly some fans of clubs with a larger fanbase tend to think that “all you minnows at this level raise your game against us because it’s your cup final” etc

Spend our way to the title? We’ve spent next to nothing due to EFL restrictions and the majority of our wage bill is spent in the infrastructure of our academy rather than first team. £300k on Blackett Taylor is the height of our spending. In the same time we’ve sold £3-4m worth of players.

We had a better starting point than clubs at this level because we’ve averaged 27,000 per game plus at home for two seasons, but it’s not like we’ve had it our own way. Lost out to May to Charlton, Lang to Portsmouth.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

I doubt they would see it as that. There derby is Villa and they also have a local rivalry with Albion. But to call you a local derby would be something else.

I don’t expect them to call us a local derby, not at all. It’ll be a local game for us though and one that will be on the fiesty side. Remember when we last played them away in 2006, only time I’ve been on a supporters coach and it’s been bricked by opposition fans. Some horrible scenes outside St Andrews that night.

 

[chief]

I don’t expect them to call us a local derby, not at all. It’ll be a local game for us though and one that will be on the fiesty side. Remember when we last played them away in 2006, only time I’ve been on a supporters coach and it’s been bricked by opposition fans. Some horrible scenes outside St Andrews that night.

That's just Birmingham fans for you, you aren't special in that regard.

 

[DaveBirm1875]

wow the hate for my club seems rather harsh, dreadful ownership for more than a decade has left scars that the new owners have found very tough to heal, the appointment of rooney was their only mistake. a big one though. remarkable things off the pitch to be excited about but on the pitch we have circled the plug hole too many times, its our time to drop, sadly.

if we go down and recruit well then i would expect promotion, i dont think thats an arrogant way of thinking. if we can do it right then we should be fine.

nice to head to some new places for me for aways and that.

 

[Si Robin]

I know it's futile given our position, but for me Blackburn and Birmingham are the dream.

Birmingham due to proximity - easy away day.

Blackburn because I have a lot of family who support them so the games would be epic days out.

As I said though, it isn't going to matter because we get to drop and play Harrogate and Crawley.....

 

[valefan16]

Stoke staying up is arguably a blessing, had they come down and we missed "El Ceramico" it would have really turned the fans big time.

Missed out really as new bogs in the Bycars paid for would have been useful!

 

[DippyDon]

Birmingham then sheff wed then huddersfield would be my preference. Plymouth fans are lovely but the place is in fucking narnia.

A northern league is always the best.

You've just escaped a Northern League, if you want one so badly can we swap our recent result around please?

I'm desperate for some South... and a London away day that isn't an absolute farce

 

[folletto]

wow the hate for my club seems rather harsh, dreadful ownership for more than a decade has left scars that the new owners have found very tough to heal, the appointment of rooney was their only mistake. a big one though. remarkable things off the pitch to be excited about but on the pitch we have circled the plug hole too many times, its our time to drop, sadly.

if we go down and recruit well then i would expect promotion, i dont think thats an arrogant way of thinking. if we can do it right then we should be fine.

nice to head to some new places for me for aways and that.

Wouldn't take it too personally. We've been languishing down here for years now and playing Birmingham next season is definitely more exciting than playing Huddersfield and Sheff W again.

The issue with Rooney is it isn't just a mistake. It's a complete misunderstanding and disrespect to your club and the league. You don't sack a manager when you're doing well to bring in a big name who is more marketable. When owners put commercial aims over footballing aims to that level of extremity, it's not a great look. I'm sure they will learn from it but it's rightfully getting the punishment it deserves and I think other clubs fans will rightly revel in it. If they do learn from their mistakes and you're in this league next season you shouldn't have a massive issue making the top 6.

 

[DaveBirm1875]

Wouldn't take it too personally. We've been languishing down here for years now and playing Birmingham next season is definitely more exciting than playing Huddersfield and Sheff W again.

The issue with Rooney is it isn't just a mistake. It's a complete misunderstanding and disrespect to your club and the league. You don't sack a manager when you're doing well to bring in a big name who is more marketable. When owners put commercial aims over footballing aims to that level of extremity, it's not a great look. I'm sure they will learn from it but it's rightfully getting the punishment it deserves and I think other clubs fans will rightly revel in it. If they do learn from their mistakes and you're in this league next season you shouldn't have a massive issue making the top 6.

as a fan base we knew long term Eustace was not the answer but the timing was awful and the person they brought in was mediocre at best, a naive mistake thats going to cost us.

It is what it is, we've accepted it now, recruitment in the summer is key as we will have huge flexibility to bring in the right type of characters we need to get out of league one, but its no gimme.

 

[folletto]

as a fan base we knew long term Eustace was not the answer but the timing was awful and the person they brought in was mediocre at best, a naive mistake thats going to cost us.

It is what it is, we've accepted it now, recruitment in the summer is key as we will have huge flexibility to bring in the right type of characters we need to get out of league one, but its no gimme.

As long as you have someone making footballing decisions who knows what they're doing you should be fine. Too often teams come down and don't recruit well for league one football. As bad as they are when I've seen them, Derby have nailed it this season with their style of play, manager and players.

 

[AdamStag]

Weirdo.

Besides, this league is northern enough, time to get more Southern teams in. We will probably get bloody Barrow too

 

[AdamStag]

I only want birmingham to come down as would be a class away day for mansfield, nothing against the club which others seem to have.

 

[Less than a mile (WAFC)]

Great to see Birmingham in the relegation zone with two to play. Praying Huddersfield beat them next weekend. Birmingham would be a local derby for us and Brum is such a good city to go drinking in, very easy and straight forward to get to from Shrewsbury. Definitely be the first fixture I look to on the fixture list should they come down!

Blues Shrewsbury, that well known derby. I bet relegation won't look so bad to them now they get to reacquaint with their rivals.

Moved from Wrexham to Birmingham for uni 6 years ago now and have stayed since so I would love for them to come down, not because I don't like Blues, certainly prefer them to Villa, but just because it's local and see them as a big(ish) club. Easy, local away game for myself. Pretty mad we could go from Solihull Moors away to Birmingham away in just 2 years.

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Great to see Birmingham in the relegation zone with two to play. Praying Huddersfield beat them next weekend. Birmingham would be a local derby for us and Brum is such a good city to go drinking in, very easy and straight forward to get to from Shrewsbury. Definitely be the first fixture I look to on the fixture list should they come down!

Be honest here, our game would be the first one to look for, surely. Then brum/Wednesday etc.

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Be honest here, our game would be the first one to look for, surely. Then brum/Wednesday etc.

Being honest, it’ll be Birmingham the first I look to and then Wrexham. I go drinking in Brum at least once or twice a month as it’s piss easy on the train from Shrewsbury and is such a great city to drink in. Wrexham is obviously a local derby but the town is one of UK’s biggest shitholes and we won’t be allowed to drink anywhere is my guess. Wednesday is a fantastic away day but we’ve done it a few times in recent years so doesn’t feel as special now. Obviously it’ll be quite something for a lot of your fans to see stadiums like Hillsborough and St Andrews after playing clubs like Dorking and Lewes in 15 of the past 16 years. There will be a generation of Wrexham fans that have never watched your club play live infront of 25 plus thousand fans before. Exciting stuff.

 

[Arbury]

Spend our way to the title? We’ve spent next to nothing due to EFL restrictions and the majority of our wage bill is spent in the infrastructure of our academy rather than first team. £300k on Blackett Taylor is the height of our spending. In the same time we’ve sold £3-4m worth of players.

We had a better starting point than clubs at this level because we’ve averaged 27,000 per game plus at home for two seasons, but it’s not like we’ve had it our own way. Lost out to May to Charlton, Lang to Portsmouth.

Cry me a river! Your making it out like your hard done by, rather than looking at the players have missed out on look at the squad warne has, Bradley, gayle, Collins, hourihane, Mendez, Wilson etc the list is endless of good quality players that all will be on a pretty penny.

You was moaning about warne earlier In The season, luckily the board didn’t think like you and have stuck by him.

KTF.

 

[E10rifle]

I'm desperate for some South... and a London away day that isn't an absolute farce

You’re the reason that away day is a farce. Any chance you’re going bust soon?