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

[AdamStag]

From our side it's one of those 'west country derbys'. No real hatred, you want to beat them a bit more than the average team and a little attendance booster.

Fair, certainly looking forward to going down to WSM at a mates when we you lot (if a saturday) love both bristol and exeter

 

[Gassy]

Fair, certainly looking forward to going down to WSM at a mates when we you lot (if a saturday) love both bristol and exeter

Good thing you said you have a mate down WSM, I honestly find it a bit of a dive. I don't get the love in for it tbh!

Bristol & Exeter are both grat cities tbf. If you haven't explored the coast of North Devon I highly recommend it!

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

I've been to Birmingham before back in the carling cup in 2006 before we got relegated to NL, but not been Huddersfield and Rovrum. Looking forward to them both to tick new grounds off, along with about a dozen i've not done in this league. Birmingham on the train will be absolutely carnage as it goes straight through to Brum.

 

[AdamStag]

Good thing you said you have a mate down WSM, I honestly find it a bit of a dive. I don't get the love in for it tbh!

Bristol & Exeter are both grat cities tbf. If you haven't explored the coast of North Devon I highly recommend it!

The love of it is that accommodation would be free, us northerners aren’t fussy pal.

 

[The Terminator]

Only the 5th time Birmingham have played at this level and amazingly, we've been in the same league as them on all 5 occasions.

Last time they did the double IIRC under Barry Fry, winning the league and Auto Windscreens shield - they beat us over 2 legs 4-2 in the area final.

Nearly 30 years since we last played at St. Andrews, we beat them 2-1 on the opening day of the season in 94/95 and they finished 1st and we went down in 24th.

Huddersfield alot more recent, never seen us play well there, but watched us somehow scrape two 1-0 wins there in 2007 and 2008.

I will be amazed if Birmingham don't go up next year with the investment they have coming, why did they hire Rooney FFS?!

 

[denzel ecfc]

Do you have any kind of rivalry with bristol rovers or was just torquay/plymouth?

Don't really care about Rovers or even Torquay. Unlike some teams there's only one team we hate

 

[Luke Imp]

We played Birmingham in the cup back in 2004, they had a decent team at that time - Savage, Melchiot, Yorke, Anderton (who completed 90 minutes!), Upson, Heskey, Gronkjaer.

It'll be another Tuesday night game I bet just like Derby, Charlton and other potential decent away following games.

 

[Luke Imp]

Double post.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Don't really care about Rovers or even Torquay. Unlike some teams there's only one team we hate

Must be awful being shitter than they are then

 

[EnglishRed]

I've been to Birmingham before back in the carling cup in 2006 before we got relegated to NL, but not been Huddersfield and Rovrum. Looking forward to them both to tick new grounds off, along with about a dozen i've not done in this league. Birmingham on the train will be absolutely carnage as it goes straight through to Brum.

I'm sure it was Huddersfield where David James was in the crowd (one of his ex Watford mates was playing for us at the time). Probably wasn't too long after their ground was built. Mid 90s.

Obviously went to the FA Cup game at Birmingham but I also remember going to a league game there in 95 where we were 2-1 up at half time (Bennetts 100 and 101 goal for the club) I went to get a drink and by the time I got back to my seat we were 4-2 down. Ricky Otto and Kevin Francis absolutely battered us.

Rotherham have had a new stadium since we last played them. I went to Mill Moor though. Haven't been at the same level as all three of these since the 90s.

 

[Tangerine_tart]

I welcome all sides. We will get relegated next season. Put a bet on it . Ownership problems again.

 

[ForzaCounty]

Do Birmingham start on -10 after pitch invading after being relegated?

Reduced on appeal, 'cos of this screamer.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1786802957276635543

 

[Richard Cranium]

Reduced on appeal, 'cos of this screamer.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1786802957276635543

Hope it’s not too late for that to win their goal of the season

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

I'm sure it was Huddersfield where David James was in the crowd (one of his ex Watford mates was playing for us at the time). Probably wasn't too long after their ground was built. Mid 90s.

Obviously went to the FA Cup game at Birmingham but I also remember going to a league game there in 95 where we were 2-1 up at half time (Bennetts 100 and 101 goal for the club) I went to get a drink and by the time I got back to my seat we were 4-2 down. Ricky Otto and Kevin Francis absolutely battered us.

Rotherham have had a new stadium since we last played them. I went to Mill Moor though. Haven't been at the same level as all three of these since the 90s.

I didn't go to Brum in the cup, for reasons unknown why Dad didn't go either. I only started going to away games at the turn of the century at Northampton when Sharp and Bennett got red cards in a 4-1 defeat.

All in all i've been on 107 grounds and ticking a new bunch of grounds in L1 that i've not done before. Glad for the break, but what a great 10 months we'll have back in this league

 

[denzel ecfc]

Crawley are so tinpot they can't get a game on in May. Hopefully they will stay down

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Crawley are so tinpot they can't get a game on in May. Hopefully they will stay down

Can't remember the last time a play off game got called off. So tinpot it's something I'd expect from us

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Just sat down to watch the 2nd half and couldn't find it. Bizarre!

 

[DaveBirm1875]

Hey, greetings from the second city.

Relegation has sunk in and the fan base see this as a genuinely positive thing as a reset on the pitch is needed and we can now effect that change.

Recruitment is massive this summer as is who will be managing us, hoping TM can come back but the silence on the matter is telling, but his health does come first.

 

[IzzyFook]

Hey, greetings from the second city.

Relegation has sunk in and the fan base see this as a genuinely positive thing as a reset on the pitch is needed and we can now effect that change.

Recruitment is massive this summer as is who will be managing us, hoping TM can come back but the silence on the matter is telling, but his health does come first.

What's the issue with him? (oh, and welcome)

 

[DaveBirm1875]

What's the issue with him? (oh, and welcome)

We dont know the ins and outs but had to step aside late in the season due to a serious health issue

 

[IzzyFook]

We dont know the ins and outs but had to step aside late in the season due to a serious health issue

Yes, I'd seen that when it was announced. Just wondered if anything more had come out since.
Let's all hope he's gonna be OK, that's the main thing...it's only a game at the end of the day.

 

[masi51]

I welcome all sides. We will get relegated next season. Put a bet on it . Ownership problems again.

You do know you wrote this on the day you said you would have beaten Bolton in this year play-offs

 

[folletto]

Hey, greetings from the second city.

Relegation has sunk in and the fan base see this as a genuinely positive thing as a reset on the pitch is needed and we can now effect that change.

Welcome, should be a great addition to the league. Fully expect you to bounce back and you will rightfully be favourites but you just never know. So many teams have found themselves stuck down here.

As you said recruitment will be key, it can be really challenging to beat lower end Championship clubs to the calibre of players needed to be at the top end of the league.

 

[denzel ecfc]

it can be really challenging to beat lower end Championship clubs to the calibre of players needed to be at the top end of the league.

Let me reach for the World's smallest violin

 

[thewwfc]

Unusual to see both L1 and L2 playoff games going the right way.

Ideally Bolton to go on and win the whole thing for L1, genuinely the best team I think.

Less bothered about the L2 winner, “anyone but Franchise” is the hope there.

I understand Crewe have been wank for a while (according to their own fans) so unless Franchise can really pull it round, looks like a Crawley v DR final.

I’m fine with either, Crawley are inoffensive to me but Donny are maybe more of a natural fit at this level.

I also have a sympathy vote for Donny as I remember playing them in a Tuesday night banger of a League Cup game ages ago…finished 2-2 with us down to 10 men, and went through the whole shebang of ET and pens - which we won.

I just remember thinking, poor away fans, they’d have done well to be back by 1am on the coach, and with that result to stew over.

*EDIT: um, am I jinxing this? stop blowing it, Bolton…

 

[DaveBirm1875]

Welcome, should be a great addition to the league. Fully expect you to bounce back and you will rightfully be favourites but you just never know. So many teams have found themselves stuck down here.

As you said recruitment will be key, it can be really challenging to beat lower end Championship clubs to the calibre of players needed to be at the top end of the league.

Quietly confident, but so many variables, but if rotherham can go up and down like a yo yo then there must be hope for blues, more bob hope than no hope

 

[Luke Imp]

Do Birmingham still bizarrely have their mascot run the diagonal of the pitch before the teams come out?

 

[SF_]

I fancy Huddersfield to bounce right back. Although he took them down in his first season, their owner seems keen and committed, and he's loaded.

He inherited a very stale squad, so this could be a good opportunity to rebuild. They have the core of a decent team already for this level.

Next season could be much more competitive with Wigan, Reading, and Charlton probably being stronger.

 

[Hudders]

I fancy Huddersfield to bounce right back. Although he took them down in his first season, their owner seems keen and committed, and he's loaded.

He inherited a very stale squad, so this could be a good opportunity to rebuild. They have the core of a decent team already for this level.

Next season could be much more competitive with Wigan, Reading, and Charlton probably being stronger.

We do have money and what should be some solid league one players but we will have to recruit well especially in midfield and now that the German guy has left appoint a decent manager, not shown we can do this yet under the new regime.
Could see Alex Neil being on the shortlist.

 

[SF_]

We do have money and what should be some solid league one players but we will have to recruit well especially in midfield and now that the German guy has left appoint a decent manager, not shown we can do this yet under the new regime.
Could see Alex Neil being on the shortlist.

Would be a top appointment imo.