How you ended up here

[Dan_Macclad]

We have all had either a relegation or promotion to get to this league, describe that season.

For us, it was the 2011/12 season, up until Christmas we were doing well, top half of league two and an FA Cup 3rd round replay at Premier League Bolton Wanderers. Ironically many of us said it was the best macc team in years. It then went a bit pear shaped, loads of injuries to key players and after beating Port Vale on New Years day we didn't win another game for the rest of the season.

Gary Simpson was given the boot and the owners brought in Brian Horton, we had loads of loan players who didn't want to fight for the cause and we ended up finishing bottom of the league.

It's been a behind the scenes fuck up ever since.

 

[Pliny Harris]

2012/13. Added some "big" names to the side that were beaten in the playoffs the season previous, a bit of experience and a lot of confidence and togetherness. Lost pace with Chester and Guiseleeds early on as they both had seven/eight straight wins and established ourselves in the playoff positions instead. The winter was appalling and never ending, pitch couldn't hold up and an FA Trophy game further held up progress. By about this time in the year we were out of the Trophy, knowing if we'd advanced we'd be in the semis which would push at least one league game into a Thursday slot. The worst snow came late March and in April we had 12 games in 27 days, winning two and resting players in the final few games to prepare for the playoffs, fielding youth instead. The playoff wins at Guiseley and Brackley were two of the best days ever.

 

[Greenacres]

Promoted from the Southern League at the end of the 97/98 season and have remained in the Conference ever since.

I am not well placed to comment on what the promotion campaign or first few seasons in the Conference were like as I only started watching Rovers in 2005. I had moved to Gloucestershire and wanted to find a decent non-league team to follow, as I had become disillusioned with what was happening in the higher echelons of the beautiful game. There have been times when we have struggled, both in terms of finance and support, but the arrival of Dale Vince seems to have put the club on a far sounder footing. As a village club we will always be considered to be punching well above our weight, but we love that and anyone who doubts us only strengthens our resolve. Everyone who visits is pleasantly surprised by what they find, a set-up that belies our status. We have a nice ground in a stunning location, a matchday experience that is hard to beat, what is not to like?

 

[Bluandwite]

Won the Conference North in 2012-13 which made it thee consecutive titles since reformation.

We only lost three times that season, two of which were after we'd been declared champions during the end of season party, the only other was to Boston early in September. We just kept racking up the wins and won it with four games to spare finishing with 107 points.

I think we ended up being victims of our own success a bit and lost some good players for winning it in such style, losing Sarcevic & Danny Williams, couldn't get Curran back when he was flying either. It resulted in a bit of an overhaul with over the hill journeymen last season that weren't up to it.

 

[slaphead]

..... what is not to like?

B2TF will be along shortly.......

 

[Greenacres]

B2TF will be along shortly.......

I know, but does anyone actually pay attention to anything he says, I bet even the Halifax fans find him embarrassing.

I guess he is young, eventually he will realise that the only way to get people to listen to what you have to say is for it to contribute to a discussion and actually mean something. If you keep flaming or insulting people they will just put you on permanent ignore.

 

[slaphead]

Our fifth League season started well, losing on penalties away at recently relegated from the Prem. Wolves after drawing 1-1 in normal time, followed by a 2-0 away win a Plymouth. The signs looked ok after a decent end to the previous season, but the wheels flew off spectacularly. 5 points from the next 13 games saw us only kept off the bottom by an even more inept Barnet. A decent run then of 4 defeat in 15 saw us out the relegation zone(just) but contained far to many draws whilst other teams kept winning. At the end of that little run for some inexplicable reason the club released Holdsworth's number 2, and the brains of the outfit, Matt Bishop and we were rudderless and Holdsworth out of his depth.

The next 6 games saw only 8 points gained and Holdsworth sacked. Andy Scott was appointed and we then went unbeaten in the next 4, winning 2 and drawing 2 and up to the dizzy heights of 19th. A little glimmer of hope, light at the end of the tunnel? Not a chance. After defeat at home to Burton,we were just out side of the relegation zone having played a game more than everyone else. The 16th March was the day that sent us down. An absolutely must win game at home to Wimbledon we lost, and every other team at the bottom won, and we end up 23rd, from which we would go no higher. The mathematical end didn't come until the last day with a 2-0 defeat at Rotherham which saw them promoted, but we knew our goose was cooked long before.

Much angst and wringing of hands saw fans debate with hindsight was sacking Holdsworth the right thing to do and was Scott the right man for the job. Two days after the season ended we were in admin., and the future of the club was uncertain. Only an 11th whipround from the fans saw us start in the Conference all be it on -10, but we survived, just. So, here we are....

 

[GodsGift]

I'd rather not talk about it.

 

[Master D]

Sorry, can't remember that far back.

 

[Luke Imp]

We started the season under Chris Sutton who then left us high and dry 6 weeks into the season having pissed all the budget up the wall on players such as Drewe Broughton on, I shit you not, £1.3k/week.

Tilson came in, we bobbed along, won 5 on the spin in January/February, which left us with needing 3 points in 11 games being stuck well into mid-table. I think we managed 1 draw.

We lost tonnes of players in mid-Feb. Carson got recalled by Sunderland, Hoyte got injured and went back to Arsenal, Facey got injured (did a brilliant job for us alongside Grimes who didn't score again that season without him), Howell got injured, Carayol etc. If we hadn't have lost tonnes of players in a short space of time and therefore having to rely on shite like Josh O'Keefe, we'd have been fine IMO. Tilson's biggest mistake was choosing mid-Feb, around the time of all our injuries, to tell a load of players to find themselves new Clubs because they'd not be here next season and weren't good enough. So it was rather ironic that he ended up relying on those players in the end.

I can't go into it much more because a) I'm still receiving therapy and b) I've got tears in my eyes just from typing the above out and I'm struggling to see the screen.

 

[Jemfy]

We have all had either a relegation or promotion to get to this league

Erm this is awkward...

 

[B2TF]

I'd rather not talk about it.

Four or five years ago I followed a few Grimsby coaches on the M62 on my way to some place I'd never heard of in the Unibond North. There was a row of glum faces looking at out of the rear window and they waved when they saw my Town scarf on the dashboard. I waved back and then they turned off the motorway at the junction for Rochdale. I checked the result later and they'd lost 4-0. "See you soon" I thought.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

Obviously this is our first season down here and it comes off the back of the worst year in our history.

We had flirted with the League Two trapdoor a few times over recent years - which in itself is inexplicable given the budgets our managers had - but always found a way to pull ourselves clear at the business end of the season. In 2012-2013 we were outrageously bad and looked certs for relegation until John Ward came in at Christmas, turned things around and had us as the 'form' team in the division in the new year. The following summer we signed our loanees permanently, including John-Joe O'Toole who was absolutely sensational and signed only because no League One clubs came in for him, and everyone hoped/expected us to carry on from where we left off.

Unfortunately it didn't go to plan but we went on a roller coaster ride in terms of emotions throughout the season. Everyone was pretty much resigned to the fact we weren't good enough to be winning many games but it always felt as though we had enough about us to crawl over the finishing line. Our form took an alarming turn for the worse in February/March time and relegation then became a very real worry. We couldn't pick up points on the road and we weren't scoring enough goals, which is obviously a recipe for disaster and probably prompted Ward's decision to move upstairs and allow Darrell Clarke to replace him as manager with a few games left to play.

Clarke couldn't get Ward's wasters playing as he wanted but on the penultimate weekend of the season we pulled off a terrific 2-1 victory at relegation rivals Wycombe in front of 2000+ Gasheads and, on paper, it looked like enough to keep us up and send them down. All we needed on the final day was a draw to guarantee survival but in typical Rovers fashion we lost 1-0 and both Wycombe and Northampton won. They both leapfrogged us and sent us into the bottom two for the first time all season.

I will never forget that feeling of dejection, anger, sadness and utter embarrassment when the ref blew the final whistle and our fate was confirmed. Without doubt the worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life.

 

[Pliny Harris]

I know, but does anyone actually pay attention to anything he says, I bet even the Halifax fans find him embarrassing.

We certainly do, but I'm sure my toes would curl even more if I were a FGR fan reading that my club offered "a matchday experience that is hard to beat".

 

[Son of Cod]

Four or five years ago I followed a few Grimsby coaches on the M62 on my way to some place I'd never heard of in the Unibond North. There was a row of glum faces looking at out of the rear window and they waved when they saw my Town scarf on the dashboard. I waved back and then they turned off the motorway at the junction for Rochdale. I checked the result later and they'd lost 4-0. "See you soon" I thought.

4-1*
Was actually quite an enjoyable day, Fenty laid on those coaches you saw so there was a lot of us there. Fenty didn't pay for my train ticket from Leeds though, unfortunately.

 

[GTFC1979]

Going 25 games without a win in 2009/2010 is a pretty big factor as to why we are down here!!

 

[BeesKnees]

Every year a new manager, every year a narrow escape. For five years it was like this. 2011/12 it was Lawrie Sanchez turn, not sure I've seen a more disinterested manager than when he turned up 10 minutes before a 6 pointer against Hereford. Mr Allen comes in and does his usual last minute saviour.
So 2013 the chairman decides he's had enough of big name managers wasting his money and hires Mark Robson as first team coach and what is rumoured to have been a pathetic budget. The squad assembled is without doubt one of the worst ever to wear the shirt. Aging defenders who's legs have gone and kids released from west ham academy. disastrous start means 3 points from first 13 games. Then the fun begins, Davids invited as joint head coach, chairman starts making bizarre signings like Collins John, plus the squad has been bolstered since the start of the season by a few decent players like Stack and Stephens. A truly memorable night against Northampton when Davids plays his first game and we win 4-0 marks the start of a fantastic run of games culminating in the drama of the last game at Underhill.
After the Underhill finale we had the last game showdown to escape relegation, players and fans were completely flat and we were relegated with a whimper by goal difference with the highest points total ever. It was a sad end to what had been the most entertaining season in years.
There were a few factors that ultimately killed us, inexperienced manager, poor squad, dreadful start, Ricky Holmes injury against Bristol Rovers and Jon Oster getting homesick towards the end of the season were a few, but it was the combination of these that did for us in the end.

 

[rudebwoyben]

That's about right. The team that Davids assembled was probably our best team since the end of 2008/09 as well.
We just never seemed to get going against Northampton although if Keanu Marsh-Brown had converted an early chance it could have all been very different.
The feeling was different from our previous relegation in 2000/01 as well. That time I was distraught. At Northampton I simply felt a sense of dull relief, that's what going through three successive last day escapes does to you.

 

[DarkSithLord]

We got here via our surreal yet superb 2010/11 Conference North winning season

That season saw some of the best football ever played at the Impact. Liam Hearn and Paul Clayton in their pomp along with Nathan Jarman, Matt Wilson. Nicky Dverdics plus countless other regular Conference Premier North performers it was a great team. We started like a train and won all of our opening ten. Then in around December to January we faulted but picked up going on a run of 7 straight wins which set us up for the title. Telford did well to keep pace up until the final weeks when they started to settle for play-off spot which they were successful in.

Great times!!

 

[rudebwoyben]

Nicky Deverdics certainly is a seasoned football traveller. From Gretna to Gateshead, from Barnet to the Faroese second division and Alfreton to Dover.
Mind you, Wikipedia said he only played six matches for you.

 

[CrazyImp]

As Luke alludes to - strange, strange season was 2010/11.

People were actually talking about an outside chance of a play-off push after we won five successive games in February (and looked quite good in doing so), that was soon tempered but we kept on picking up some impressive wins at a decent rate against the likes of Morecambe, Oxford, Southend etc, all top-half standard sides at the time.

Just cannot believe that ten game run, even to this day. To pick up 1 point from a final 30 is inexplicable from 11 points clear, even if we were relying on shite in the end.

And here we are, doomed to eternity in the Conference. I do miss League Two.

 

[The_Boss]

Simple really. Lincoln got relegated, so we had to follow them.

 

[Destruction]

I meant to click on the League Two forum.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

Every year a new manager, every year a narrow escape. For five years it was like this. 2011/12 it was Lawrie Sanchez turn, not sure I've seen a more disinterested manager than when he turned up 10 minutes before a 6 pointer against Hereford. Mr Allen comes in and does his usual last minute saviour.
So 2013 the chairman decides he's had enough of big name managers wasting his money and hires Mark Robson as first team coach and what is rumoured to have been a pathetic budget. The squad assembled is without doubt one of the worst ever to wear the shirt. Aging defenders who's legs have gone and kids released from west ham academy. disastrous start means 3 points from first 13 games. Then the fun begins, Davids invited as joint head coach, chairman starts making bizarre signings like Collins John, plus the squad has been bolstered since the start of the season by a few decent players like Stack and Stephens. A truly memorable night against Northampton when Davids plays his first game and we win 4-0 marks the start of a fantastic run of games culminating in the drama of the last game at Underhill.
After the Underhill finale we had the last game showdown to escape relegation, players and fans were completely flat and we were relegated with a whimper by goal difference with the highest points total ever. It was a sad end to what had been the most entertaining season in years.
There were a few factors that ultimately killed us, inexperienced manager, poor squad, dreadful start, Ricky Holmes injury against Bristol Rovers and Jon Oster getting homesick towards the end of the season were a few, but it was the combination of these that did for us in the end.

I remember that game you had at our place - it was on a Friday night. The atmosphere was electric as it was a real relegation 6 pointer and after grinding out a 1-0 lead you pegged us back just before the 90th minute. I couldn't believe it. You had played some terrific football but I thought 1-0 would be enough for us, so everyone was distraught to see Crawford equalise.

Thankfully new boy Ryan Brunt popped up in stoppage time to nick it and give us a real boost in our quest for survival. I think we had beaten Rotherham away 3-1 and Fleetwood away 3-0 in the two games prior, which underlines how well we did in the second half of that season. You were definitely one of the better teams we had played though.

 

[SomeMightShay]

...a matchday experience that is hard to beat, what is not to like?

Terrible parking, rough house joyless stewards and terrible food for away fans. That's three for starters.

 

[Clarkey_GTFC]

Mike Newell.

 

[Luke Imp]

I meant to click on the League Two forum.

Welcome to the non-league forum.

 

[Nansan]

Won Conference North play-off final in 2009 beating Telford one nil.

 

[Nansan]

Mike Newell.

Are you sure? I thought ITV Digital, unfair fish quotas in the North Sea and the state of our pitch were to blame.

 

[B2TF]

a matchday experience that is hard to beat, what is not to like?

I think I speak for all of us raised in real football in saying that your "matchday experience" as you optimistically describe it, is something one samples once out of morbid curiosity and leaves feeling you have been held at arms length with rubber gloves while being "processed" in a money extraction facility, rather than provided with shared time among fellow football beings. I won't be going back.