League 2 General Chat Thread

[Conker]

Not sure I would put Yeovil in the same category as they were relatively well supported as a league club (average gates of 6,000 plus in some seasons) and have traditionally been one of the larger non league clubs.

By contrast, Fleetwood rose from effectively playing parks football in front of two digit attendances to the Football League in a very short period.

Fleetwood and Salford are by far the smallest clubs in the EFL.

 

[Casey]

It seems strange that Crawley are not in the discussion about the smallest club in the league.

I would think Harrogate must be close to the honour/stick to beat them with alongside us, Salford and Morecambe.

Casey

 

[Bottega Don]

Official rankings of club sizes in L2. So many clubs are incredibly similar size so it makes more sense to have groupings. There are a few I was unsure about (Southend could be lower, Barrow could be higher).

The Big Boys - Bradford, Bolton

Not the big boys but have potential- Tranmere, Grimsby, Port Vale, Oldham, Southend

Average - Scunthorpe, Colchester, Walsall, Cambridge, Exeter, Carlisle, Leyton Orient, Mansfield, Cheltenham, Newport

Small clubs - Crawley, Harrogate, Barrow, Stevenage, FGR, Salford, Morecambe

 

[Carver]

Official rankings of club sizes in L2. So many clubs are incredibly similar size so it makes more sense to have groupings. There are a few I was unsure about (Southend could be lower, Barrow could be higher).

The Big Boys - Bradford, Bolton

Not the big boys but have potential- Tranmere, Grimsby, Port Vale, Oldham, Southend

Average - Scunthorpe, Colchester, Walsall, Cambridge, Exeter, Carlisle, Leyton Orient, Mansfield, Cheltenham, Newport

Small clubs - Crawley, Harrogate, Barrow, Stevenage, FGR, Salford, Morecambe

I would have us and Exeter in the 'Not so big but with potential' category and relegate Southend and Port Vale down into the average category.

 

[valefan16]

Official rankings of club sizes in L2. So many clubs are incredibly similar size so it makes more sense to have groupings. There are a few I was unsure about (Southend could be lower, Barrow could be higher).

The Big Boys - Bradford, Bolton

Not the big boys but have potential- Tranmere, Grimsby, Port Vale, Oldham, Southend

Average - Scunthorpe, Colchester, Walsall, Cambridge, Exeter, Carlisle, Leyton Orient, Mansfield, Cheltenham, Newport

Small clubs - Crawley, Harrogate, Barrow, Stevenage, FGR, Salford, Morecambe

It’s about right, possibly Orient up one.

Bradfords an iffy one, no where near Bolton size wise and is a bit inflated due to the cheap tickets (not a criticism before Firthy jumps up and down! It’s a great scheme)

We’d be second category, decent history and time in the second tier, decent fan base is there, not many clubs have pulled in nearly 50,000 for a home game before I guess.

I’d say we are similar or even slightly bigger than Brentford or Bournemouth so the potential for us and clubs our size is there if the money is pumped in like they have had.

Always the dream I guess!

 

[shoddycollins]

It’s about right, possibly Orient up one.

Bradfords an iffy one, no where near Bolton size wise and is a bit inflated due to the cheap tickets (not a criticism before Firthy jumps up and down! It’s a great scheme)

We’d be second category, decent history and time in the second tier, decent fan base is there, not many clubs have pulled in nearly 50,000 for a home game before I guess.

I’d say we are similar or even slightly bigger than Brentford or Bournemouth so the potential for us and clubs our size is there if the money is pumped in like they have had.

Always the dream I guess!

I think Oldham aren't as big as a lot of people think they are. They were in the top flight for a spell in the late eighties / early nineties and a founder member of the Premier League, I remember them being in Merlin sticker albums in the nineties so when they sank down to League One I looked at them as fallen giants for a little but, but then realised in terms of historic attendances and league positions they weren't all that different from ourselves. They just had a good spell coincide with a defining period in English football so lots of people think of their natural level as being similar to clubs like Sheff Wed and Norwich.

 

[Myblueheaven04]

I think Oldham aren't as big as a lot of people think they are. They were in the top flight for a spell in the late eighties / early nineties and a founder member of the Premier League, I remember them being in Merlin sticker albums in the nineties so when they sank down to League One I looked at them as fallen giants for a little but, but then realised in terms of historic attendances and league positions they weren't all that different from ourselves. They just had a good spell coincide with a defining period in English football so lots of people think of their natural level as being similar to clubs like Sheff Wed and Norwich.

Attendance wise, a succesful Oldham team has big potential, 236k population, plus tap into the rest of greater manchester, not everyone supports the two big boys.
Ive supported Oldham since 76, if we do well fans will flock, especially away games, many fans have been in dispute with the club since 2003, alot have stopped attending due to poor ownership and poor product on the pitch.
It would take alot to get these fans back and new ones but they are there. 10 - 15k is achievable in the championship i have no doubt. In league two if we push for promotion 7-8k + big away numbers.
Not a sleeping giant just a proper football club with some decent history. Bolton, Bradford would get bigger home attendances yes.
Not many oldham fans spout bull about being a big club cos none see it that way.
League 2 is poor and for alot of oldham fans its saddening to see but were here for a reason and so are you all, big, small, tinpot or whatever.

 

[GTFCfish]

Bolton deserve their own category at the top because they won the FA Cup around the time that David Attenborough was a toddler.

 

[masi51]

Bolton deserve their own category at the top because they won the FA Cup around the time that David Attenborough was a toddler.

Enjoy your derby match next season with Skegness.........shut the door on the way out

 

[Robshep]

Bolton deserve their own category at the top because they won the FA Cup around the time that David Attenborough was a toddler.

Scum, as we all know, rises to the top.

 

[Robshep]

Enjoy your derby match next season with Skegness.........shut the door on the way out

I thought you only have a go at me and a certain Vale fan. Am i now GTFCfish?

 

[Vanni]

But what makes one club bigger than others- honours won, average home gates, potential for growth or the number of years spent in the old 1st and 2nd division? Is it one or the other, or all 4 factors taken into account?

If it's home crowds then we're average, and probably the same could be said for potential growth but otoh we have had 8 seasons in the 2nd division since getting elected to the FL in 1970, and that's certainly in the 'above average' category.

Re. the honours won debate, does winning the FA Cup in 1903 mean the winners will always be considered a big club? It doesn't have to be that long either, Wigan did win the Fa Cup in recent memory and yet nobody claims they're a big club.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

But what makes one club bigger than others- honours won, average home gates, potential for growth or the number of years spent in the old 1st and 2nd division? Is it one or the other, or all 4 factors taken into account?

If it's home crowds then we're average, and probably the same could be said for potential growth but otoh we have had 8 seasons in the 2nd division since getting elected to the FL in 1970, and that's certainly in the 'above average' category.

Re. the honours won debate, does winning the FA Cup in 1903 mean the winners will always be considered a big club? It doesn't have to be that long either, Wigan did win the Fa Cup in recent memory and yet nobody claims they're a big club.

It's based on how many entries you have on the tinpot thread. We've got loads.

 

[masi51]

It's based on how many entries you have on the tinpot thread. We've got loads.

why have you only 6 subs? covid? injuries?

 

[Kauto Star]

It’s about right, possibly Orient up one.

Bradfords an iffy one, no where near Bolton size wise and is a bit inflated due to the cheap tickets (not a criticism before Firthy jumps up and down! It’s a great scheme)

We’d be second category, decent history and time in the second tier, decent fan base is there, not many clubs have pulled in nearly 50,000 for a home game before I guess.

I’d say we are similar or even slightly bigger than Brentford or Bournemouth so the potential for us and clubs our size is there if the money is pumped in like they have had.

Always the dream I guess!

Agree that our attendances rocketed when we brought in the cheap season tickets a few years ago, however, even with cheap season tickets on a similar price to ours, who else would get attendances of approx 15k in this league, I suspect only Bolton.

 

[BarraMatt]

why have you only 6 subs? covid? injuries?

We're tinpot and don't really have a youth setup yet so we can't name a full bench as we don't have any players developed by the club.

 

[valefan16]

Agree that our attendances rocketed when we brought in the cheap season tickets a few years ago, however, even with cheap season tickets on a similar price to ours, who else would get attendances of approx 15k in this league, I suspect only Bolton.

Oh no doubt your second in size to Bolton but I’d say Bolton are way above anyone else.

 

[masi51]

We're tinpot and don't really have a youth setup yet so we can't name a full bench as we don't have any players developed by the club.

yes i know all that but why have you only 6 on the bench???

 

[BarraMatt]

yes i know all that but why have you only 6 on the bench???

I've literally just said. One player on the bench or in the match day squad HAS to be developed by the club and we don't have any, so we're not allowed to fill that slot with another player.

 

[masi51]

I've literally just said. One player on the bench or in the match day squad HAS to be developed by the club and we don't have any, so we're not allowed to fill that slot with another player.

i forgot about that rule cheers !!

 

[Casey]

I've literally just said. One player on the bench or in the match day squad HAS to be developed by the club and we don't have any, so we're not allowed to fill that slot with another player.

Crawley have the same issue. Since Galach left (gone to Poland it seems) we have not been able to fill the bench.

When the EEPP (or whatever) came into effect it wiped out any case for a youth set up for smaller clubs. That means we only run an u23 side on the lines of Brentford.

Casey

 

[Chris FGR]

Didn't realise that rule was a thing. I would imagine we're only able to name 7 proper subs due to Udoka Godwin-Malife being a regular, who I assume counts as club developed. Can't really think of anyone else who would tick that box, so if he's ever out then I expect we'll stick one of our first year pros on the bench or go with 6.

EPPP is a joke and should be fucked off asap.

 

[Robshep]

Didn't realise that rule was a thing. I would imagine we're only able to name 7 proper subs due to Udoka Godwin-Malife being a regular, who I assume counts as club developed. Can't really think of anyone else who would tick that box, so if he's ever out then I expect we'll stick one of our first year pros on the bench or go with 6.

EPPP is a joke and should be fucked off asap.

39 year old Joe Murphy qualifies as one of ours. Started here in 1999.

 

[Son of Cod]

Hmmmmm, looking at our lineup yesterday we had 7 subs and nobody in the matcday squad was homegrown.

 

[Gladders]

33.8 Home Grown Players. Each Club shall be required to nominate a minimum of seven Home Grown Players on their Team Sheet of Players for all League Competition Matches (including Play Off Matches).

Carabao Cup, EFL Trophy and FA Cup matches are exempt from the Home Grown quota.

33.9 ‘Home Grown Player’ shall mean a Player who irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with:-

33.9.1 his current Club; and/or

33.9.2 a Club and/or any other football club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales,

for a period, continuous or not of three Seasons or 36 months prior to his 21 birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21). For the purposes of this definition of Home Grown Player only, a Season will be deemed to commence for all Clubs on the same date as the date on which the Summer Transfer Window in that Season closes for Clubs in Leagues One and Two, and expire on the date of the final League Match of the Season.

33.10 For the purposes of Regulation 33.9.2, but not otherwise, a Player who was at all times registered with a Club (or club) affiliated to the Football Association of Wales shall be treated as having been registered with a Club (or club) affiliated to The Football Association, and vice versa.

33.11 Club Developed Players. Subject to Regulation 33.12 each Club shall be required to nominate at least one Club Developed Player on their Squad List on each occasion that it is due for submission, or on their Team Sheet of Players for all League Competition Matches (including Play Off Matches). Where any Club does not name a Club Developed Player on the Team Sheet, that Club will only be permitted to name up to six substitutes on that League Team Sheet (rather than the seven as permitted by Regulation 33.4).

33.12 If any Club has prior to the date of the applicable League Competition Match (including Play Off Matches) transferred the registration of two or more Club Developed Players and:
33.12.1 in consideration for the transfer of each Club Developed Player’s registration, the Club receives an initial Transfer Fee, Compensation Fee and/or compensation in accordance with the Youth Development Rules on transfer of the registration; and
33.12.2 each of the transferred Club Developed Players:
(a) are, as at the date of the applicable Match registered as a Contract Player with a Club (or club) in the same division or higher (including, in the case of a Championship Club, the Premier League); and
(b) are or will be aged 24 or under on 1 January in the Season in which the applicable Match occurs,
then, the Club will not be required to comply with the requirements of Regulation 33.11.

 

[Gladders]

Hmmmmm, looking at our lineup yesterday we had 7 subs and nobody in the matcday squad was homegrown.

Aye I can't think of anyone that gets out of it based on the above rules either?

Looking at our line ups all season at least one of Pollock or Clifton has been in every matchday squad until yesterday

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Aye I can't think of anyone that gets out of it based on the above rules either?

Looking at our line ups all season at least one of Pollock or Clifton has been in every matchday squad until yesterday

Points deduction incoming.

 

[Gladders]

Points deduction incoming.

Not yet!

The expected entry point for sanction on a first offence will be to treat the Club as having named (but not played) an ineligible player and this would ordinarily warrant a financial penalty.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Not yet!

The expected entry point for sanction on a first offence will be to treat the Club as having named (but not played) an ineligible player and this would ordinarily warrant a financial penalty.

Just off to check all your line-ups from earlier this season...

 

[Gladders]

Just off to check all your line-ups from earlier this season...

I already did as I mentioned above!