League 2 relegation thread 14/15

[Walkley_Owl]

That's what makes the league so ridiculous though, even for those few sides that don't finish midtable, they still don't get out. You finishing on 88 points and still not getting promotion is madness - in any other league you'd be up with that no doubt.

I consider winning the conference outright much harder to do than in any of the other leagues by some margin. Who was the last side to bounce straight back up? Carlisle in 2004?

Not guaranteed, look at League One in 2011/12

 

[LordJord]

What's the average budget in the conference this season? It's knocking around £900k or so in league 2. I think ours is £700k.

Im sure I read Hargreaves recently saying that the average wage of his Torquay starting 11 was £350 per week, or something along those lines!

 

[Walkley_Owl]

Im sure I read Hargreaves recently saying that the average wage of his Torquay starting 11 was £350 per week, or something along those lines!

£375 per the BBC

Dunno how many professionals they have say 18, that's £350k plus the coaching staff of say £150k? That's half a mill already

 

[rudebwoyben]

£375 per the BBC

Dunno how many professionals they have say 18, that's £350k plus the coaching staff of say £150k? That's half a mill already

That was the average wage of the starting XI he fielded at home to Braintree Town last week, which they lost 5-1.
Torquay's highest earners were either on the bench or left out.

 

[Cardsfan]

Our budget is 300k I think.

 

[AdamStag]

Not guaranteed, look at League One in 2011/12

I'm talking most seasons though, not just 1. Wrexham finished on 99 and didn't go up

 

[Walkley_Owl]

I'm talking most seasons though, not just 1. Wrexham finished on 99 and didn't go up

I know, I just wanted to mention it.

 

[Luke Imp]

That was the average wage of the starting XI he fielded at home to Braintree Town last week, which they lost 5-1.
Torquay's highest earners were either on the bench or left out.

And also has non-contract/youth guys in as well apparently (I think that's what the Torquay lot said).

 

[shoddycollins]

Lanzoni wasn't the worst player I've seen!! tell you what though , looking at how other teams seem to start with a big enough squad, do you not think Pools should copy that idea? perhaps the other 91 teams are on to something !

90, you certainly have to exclude Blackpool from that

 

[Luke Imp]

Citing surely.
We didn't have the Hive in 2005 but it's definitely helped us this time around. On the other hand our attendances have not increased as they would have if we had remained at Underhill. In 2004/05 we ended up averaging 2500 as more casual fans went to more and more matches as the season progressed. This season we haven't got past a home core support of 1700 as just about anyone based in Barnet who will go to the Hive does and we're only slowly starting to get some support from the local area.
Having said that, if we do get into League 2 I think the Hive will help us immensely budget-wise. I'd think we'd have a pretty competitive budget for League 2, not among the bottom 3 or 4 as we invariably did when we were at Underhill.

In fairness to Barnet, they didn't have the Hive last time they went up

Edits: oops already been said above

Fair points (can't even remember Barnet getting promoted that season!).

Probably more of an advantage having it this time round i.e. more money men in non-league now than ever before and particularly back then, I imagine.

 

[shoddycollins]

I think only Shrewsbury and Carlisle did.

Bristol R may make it a 3rd

And to add to AdamStags point, neither of us won the conference outright, and there's a good chance if Bristol Rovers bounce back it will also be through the play-offs, which is a massive lottery. It took a penalty shootout for us to get past Aldershot in the semis.

As Dave has pointed out earlier, we were in the unusual position of going down to the Conference on a bit of a high from the way we ended the previous season and we got new investment and our crowds went up. I have a friend who was a Shrewsbury fan who said the same happened to them, they started winning games and the crowds came back.

We finished that season on quite poor form, having been pushing Barnet for the title most of the season we just couldn't catch them and somewhat slumped into 3rd place.

 

[rudebwoyben]

You were second for most of that season but to say that you were pushing us for the title is pushing it to be frank. Once we beat you 3-1 at Brunton Park back in October we were clearly ahead and kept increasing our lead. At one point we were about 20 points ahead of you (albeit you had 2 or 3 games in hand).

 

[shoddycollins]

You were second for most of that season but to say that you were pushing us for the title is pushing it to be frank. Once we beat you 3-1 at Brunton Park back in October we were clearly ahead and kept increasing our lead. At one point we were about 20 points ahead of you (albeit you had 2 or 3 games in hand).

I did say we weren't able to catch you, there was a time when we were realistically hoping to, and then a slump when we realised the playoffs were the best we could hope for.

 

[shoddycollins]

I've just looked at Carlisles remaining fixtures, and I stand by what I said, no last day jitters for you boys.... Daggers at home...Accy away with your support! That would mean a couple of draws from the other 6.... Beat Oxford and your almost there, if not , you will still be safe, if we are going to your place needing a win, then that will mean something has gone wrong, for I admit , we have on paper the best run in of anyone, then I can't see us winning

You're setting yourself up for a long old evening of bumping heads if you're wanting to try and convince HG that we aren't going down

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

That sho

90, you certainly have to exclude Blackpool from that

tenner in at Pools on Saturday, trying to get. Big crowd to boost our hopes ...now that is one idea we have got right!

 

[hellogregory]

You were second for most of that season but to say that you were pushing us for the title is pushing it to be frank. Once we beat you 3-1 at Brunton Park back in October we were clearly ahead and kept increasing our lead. At one point we were about 20 points ahead of you (albeit you had 2 or 3 games in hand).

You're right, we were never pushing for the title. In fact we were absolute dog shite for that entire season. We played well maybe once or twice. That league was so poor that you could put in a mediocre performance and win 6-0. We were poor in the playoffs as well, we had a half hour spell in the semi final second leg where we were decent, but we were poor in the final as well.

That squad we had that season only really got going the following season in league 2, mainly the same group of players with Michael Bridges added to it.

 

[HertsWolf]

And to add to AdamStags point, neither of us won the conference outright, and there's a good chance if Bristol Rovers bounce back it will also be through the play-offs, which is a massive lottery. It took a penalty shootout for us to get past Aldershot in the semis.

As Dave has pointed out earlier, we were in the unusual position of going down to the Conference on a bit of a high from the way we ended the previous season and we got new investment and our crowds went up. I have a friend who was a Shrewsbury fan who said the same happened to them, they started winning games and the crowds came back.

We really are some way apart from last May, eh?

 

[shoddycollins]

We really are some way apart from last May, eh?

Don't know about that. There may have been only 22 places between us on that day but the two teams were a million miles apart.

 

[HertsWolf]

If it comes down to the last match, maybe I'll trek up to Carlisle to provide one extra voice of support at the game! Don't want to see you going down. I guess I might even get a game if I bring my boots.

 

[shoddycollins]

If it comes down to the last match, maybe I'll trek up to Carlisle to provide one extra voice of support at the game! Don't want to see you going down. I guess I might even get a game if I bring my boots.

You'd be more than welcome although I seriously hope it doesn't come to that, especially with the team we play being Hartlepool.

Feel free to bring your wolf costume. Shame we don't have any pubs of the quality of that one in Wolverhampton.

 

[AdamStag]

Thing is it can turn on its head at any point.

Hartlepool have won 3 in the bounce and are still 1 adrift, imagine if they lose Saturday and everyone else wins and they are 3 or 4 adrift again, it would take the wind right out of their sails.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

I

Thing is it can turn on its head at any point.

Hartlepool have won 3 in the bounce and are still 1 adrift, imagine if they lose Saturday and everyone else wins and they are 3 or 4 adrift again, it would take the wind right out of their sails.

t the feeling you'd love that! At worst well get a draw, I think we will end up on 49 or 50 points, and looking at Tranny and Cheltenham that may be enough, I do not however buy the Carlisle may go down argument , and Oxford Cambridge and Mansfield would have to lose 6 or 7 of the last 8 to be dragged into anything.... Enjoy watching the bottom 4 slug it out , cos 2 of us are going not you lot in lower mid table

 

[shoddycollins]

I

t the feeling you'd love that! At worst well get a draw, I think we will end up on 49 or 50 points, and looking at Tranny and Cheltenham that may be enough, I do not however buy the Carlisle may go down argument , and Oxford Cambridge and Mansfield would have to lose 6 or 7 of the last 8 to be dragged into anything.... Enjoy watching the bottom 4 slug it out , cos 2 of us are going not you lot in lower mid table

It would take a win at Oxford for me to truly breathe a sigh of relief... well you can never totally write it off but I feel we'll not be far from what may be the safety margin for this season, should we pick up another three points. If we draw then there's work still to be done... should we lose to Oxford then there is concern that we keep missing out on these opportunities to snatch crucial victories, as we did in our recent home games to Morecambe and Shrewsbury. It does also depend on other results though and even if we lose, I can't imagine everyone below us will win.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

It would take a win at Oxford for me to truly breathe a sigh of relief... well you can never totally write it off but I feel we'll not be far from what may be the safety margin for this season, should we pick up another three points. If we draw then there's work still to be done... should we lose to Oxford then there is concern that we keep missing out on these opportunities to snatch crucial victories, as we did in our recent home games to Morecambe and Shrewsbury. It does also depend on other results though and even if we lose, I can't imagine everyone below us will win.

I still look at your games v daggers and Accy as your get safe games, were you to lose them then quite possibly you would deserve what you get, but you won't, point on Satutday is a good result, York have the most interesting selection of games, not only can they save themselves, make a hash of it and they have almost certainly condemned themselves , it's all down to strength of character now, and I think that is where Pools excel

 

[Richard Cranium]

York will probably beat us Saturday.

We have 1 winger and he's only been here 10 minutes, Brown suspended and Lambe away on International duty.

 

[shoddycollins]

I still look at your games v daggers and Accy as your get safe games, were you to lose them then quite possibly you would deserve what you get, but you won't, point on Satutday is a good result, York have the most interesting selection of games, not only can they save themselves, make a hash of it and they have almost certainly condemned themselves , it's all down to strength of character now, and I think that is where Pools excel

Could be your biggest game in years, when we played Cheltenham the other week at home it was billed as our biggest game in recent years... biggest game of the century even by some, based on the fact that now, with us in a state of flux and competition in the Conference being what it is, would be a very bad time to get relegated, and losing to Cheltenham just after dropping back into the relegation zone would have been a disaster.

You may have a similar challenge now, not because you've fallen into the relegation zone, but almost for the opposite reason, that now you've got within touching distance of getting out, you have to either get out or remain in touch. Adam Stag has a point, I don't know how it would affect morale were you to lose to Cambridge and then see two of Tranmere, York or Cheltenham get a win.

Reducing ticket prices seems to be a shrewd move.

 

[cufc17]

Well we've just beaten Carlisle City 5-1 in the Cumberland Cup Semi Final, how great are we?

Some of the fringe players got game-time, such as Paynter, Beck, Dicker etc.

Think I read there was 370 at Brunton Park for the game, great turnout.

 

[shoddycollins]

Well we've just beaten Carlisle City 5-1 in the Cumberland Cup Semi Final, how great are we?

Some of the fringe players got game-time, such as Paynter, Beck, Dicker etc.

Think I read there was 370 at Brunton Park for the game, great turnout.

Curle said in the build-up that this would be a training exercise for the fringe players, 11 changes from the Morecambe game

Has the Cumberland Cup lost its magic?

Perhaps it should carry a Europa League place.

 

[cufc17]

Curle said in the build-up that this would be a training exercise for the fringe players, 11 changes from the Morecambe game

Has the Cumberland Cup lost its magic?

Perhaps it should carry a Europa League place.

We'd still manage to fuck it up in the final.

We should invite Premier League 'B' teams into it too, to show them what real football is - Celtic Nation away

 

[shoddycollins]

We'd still manage to fuck it up in the final.

The Cumberland Cup or the Europa League?

We should invite Premier League 'B' teams into it too, to show them what real football is - Celtic Nation away

A trip to Celtic Nation would give Mike Ashley ideas.

Que Sera Sera, whataver will be will be, we're going to Brunton Park *cough* erlee.