National League Play-off Thread 2017/18

[The Terminator]

They were in the Conference with Luton and had a play off semi final with Grimsby - you probably wouldn’t have a bigger gate there.

#justsayin

Hmmm, I reckon we'd push it - A least 60% of our fans live in that region of Essex and many would wander into the home end should it happen.

 

[The_Boss]

The only fear of going to Braintree is not knowing whether you'll actually get to see a game of football.

 

[Farleigh]

There is a precedent for a London football club playing in front of three figure crowds in the football league.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_A.F.C.

Didn't last very long though. Replaced by Aldershot, funnily enough.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Would prefer Tranmere up but the banter from a B’Wood promotion would probably make up for it.

 

[GTFCfish]

Sutton will win the playoffs. Mark my words. Everyone’s keeps saying Boreham Wood v Tranmere. No chance. We were shite but there is no way on earth they beat Sutton. I’d bet my life on it

Oh dear.

 

[GTFCfish]

They were in the Conference with Luton and had a play off semi final with Grimsby - you probably wouldn’t have a bigger gate there.

#justsayin

It would depend how many the away end holds as 3102 was the attendance against us but from memory we only took around 900, and I would expect Orient would easily sell out the away end and being local for Braintree there would probably be a few more home fans than normal too, not to mention some Orient in the home ends as well.

 

[E10rifle]

It would depend how many the away end holds as 3102 was the attendance against us but from memory we only took around 900, and I would expect Orient would easily sell out the away end and being local for Braintree there would probably be a few more home fans than normal too, not to mention some Orient in the home ends as well.

I would expect us to have comfortably over half of the gate at Braintree. Doubt it’ll break any records, though I don’t know what their highest crowd for a bog-standard league game is.

 

[Pablosammy]

I would expect us to have comfortably over half of the gate at Braintree. Doubt it’ll break any records, though I don’t know what their highest crowd for a bog-standard league game is.

You're not doing this right, you're being far too modest. You're a BELT, milk it.

I'll start you off...

"What even is a 'Brain tree'? Can you eat the fruit?"

 

[iron4ever]

Well what do you know? my earlier post in reply to the The Terminator is getting plenty of response and we are still to beat Hampton before we are back. Our manager Brad Quinton is already a Braintree legend and if we get back up he will be the 3rd great manager we have been fortunate to have in recent times. The others of course being Alan Devonshire and Nicky Cowley. I purposely dont mention the clown we had last season who got us relegated for the 1st time in our 120yr history.

 

[Raymondo316]

There is a precedent for a London football club playing in front of three figure crowds in the football league.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_A.F.C.

Didn't last very long though. Replaced by Aldershot, funnily enough.

Boreham Wood/Morecambe on a cold Tuesday night in December could very well beat that figure.

 

[Master D]

You're all having a laugh if you think the National League are going to let Tranmere up.

 

[RLC]

The universe is in a state of chaos that can only be corrected by a football club from Birkenhead.

Good luck with that one.

 

[Luke Imp]

4 in a row for us, with only one final. Read somewhere that Ipswich have the worst record but can’t remember how many they’ve lost out in.

Ours was 3 losses in consecutive seasons before winning it in the 4th consecutive season.

Seem to remember Lincoln under Big Keith losing out 4 seasons in a row in League 2 I think.

I'm quite sure Preston have the record for most play-off failures, nine in a row before they eventually won the League 1 play-offs in 2015 through beating Chesterfield and Swindon. But out of the teams never to win the play-offs, Sheffield United must have the most failures with eight (including relegation to Division 3 through the play-offs in 1987).



Five in a row, no other team has lost more than three I believe.



Interesting stuff and thanks but most of that is things Tranmere didn't expect to win (old division 2 play-offs, league cup games), that were out of their hands (getting relegated in 2014, they would have still gone down had they beat Bradford, missing out on the play-offs in 2016), that happened well before the final day, or where Tranmere were just plain unlucky (missing the play-offs in 2003 with 80 points, they went on a great run, but so did QPR and they just couldn't catch them). Only losing the play-off final last season, missing the play-offs in 2009 and losing the play-offs in 2005 count as bottle jobs, but you're right Tranmere have had more than their fair share of heartache to put up with.

We were five, but as fish says, 4 under KA. The other was Schofield. 6th time lucky this season?!

Pretty sure you're correct on the Sheffield United shout. Reading and Preston are in and around it, too.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

We were five, but as fish says, 4 under KA. The other was Schofield. 6th time lucky this season?!

Pretty sure you're correct on the Sheffield United shout. Reading and Preston are in and around it, too.

Brentford are another side who've bottled it every single time as well

 

[chief]

Brentford are another side who've bottled it every single time as well

8 times in fact. Stunning. Ipswich have failed in 7 of their 8 attempts, and Torquay have failed in 6 of 8 attempts.

 

[JaredSUFC]

Sutton have yet to win a playoff match.

Yesterday was painful to watch. You can't turn up to a match after 75 minutes and expect anything. Each of Wood's goals were poor to give away. Particularly frustrating was the fact that the 1st and 3rd came after breaks in play due to water breaks/'injuries'/drone attacks.
The one positive we can take from the game is the fact that we kept on going, trying to grab an equaliser.
I hate Boreham Wood. From ruining my game as match day mascot in 1996 by beating us 3-0 all the way to yesterday our relationship with Boreham Wood involves tough matches and more often than not painful reflection.

Having had some time, a long coach ride and some sleep I can reflect that Sutton United have just had an impressive season. We've finished 3rd in the Conference, our highest ever placing in the Football pyramid. If someone said in April 2015 when we finished 15th in the Conference South that by May 2018 this (and all that's happened in between) would happen they would have been sectioned. The club is in a great place and is growing. Yesterday was a setback not the end (hopefully).

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Although pretty ambivalent, I guess I had hoped Tranmere were promoted as they 'ought' to be a League club. But as Boreham Wood is being hammered on here for being too small, and as a supporter of a fellow tinpot club, I'm going to wish them all the best. Are they part time? Do they have much outside money (I know they have some sort of relationship with Arsenal)? Whatever, what an achievement for a club of this size, and as a non-member of the 'big clubs are best brigade', maybe they deserve some praise for what they've achieved?

 

[Master D]

Although pretty ambivalent, I guess I had hoped Tranmere were promoted as they 'ought' to be a League club. But as Boreham Wood is being hammered on here for being too small, and as a supporter of a fellow tinpot club, I'm going to wish them all the best. Are they part time? Do they have much outside money (I know they have some sort of relationship with Arsenal)? Whatever, what an achievement for a club of this size, and as a non-member of the 'big clubs are best brigade', maybe they deserve some praise for what they've achieved?

Get out.

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Get out.

Sorry... I forgot myself and tried to play with the big boys. Back in my box now.

 

[Pliny Harris]

Don't lots of cockney clubs who wind up at Wembley fetch huge numbers down? Like even Grays or whoever would attract 800 to a semi-final then bring 10,000–30,000 down. I reckon even Morning Wood could do that, wherever they may come from. Perhaps they need another endorsement from Little Mix.

I stand by wanting them to go up because it would be fascinating, and for all this nonsense surrounding tiny clubs getting into the Conference and routinely humiliating BELTs, it's not yet culminated in a pygmy side entering the league excluding Forest Green, who have a lot more name recognition. It'll be a laugh seeing their name become a byword amongst the #Elite92 for tinpottery, and in that sense a big relief to Accrington Stanley et al.

No disappointment if Tranmere win it though. They shouldn't be down here, and they're an alright bunch. My trip down to Morning Wood just after they were promoted saw twenty or so of them on the terrace opposite, gurgling in delight as their ringleader shouted stuff about northerners being wife-beaters through his brand new megaphone for the entire game.

Much sadder situation in the north, with all the big sides staying down and us having to rely on Harrogant of all places to see off the bus stop in Oxfordshire. Would only add to how stupidly M25-based this league is becoming. Will be "happy" to see Hampton & Richmond go up too for a change.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Did Grays/ Canvey/ Histon ever get to a play off final for a benchmark? If Boreham Wood bring more than several thousand I'd be surprised.

 

[Lucky Bobble]

Don't lots of cockney clubs who wind up at Wembley fetch huge numbers down? Like even Grays or whoever would attract 800 to a semi-final then bring 10,000–30,000 down. I reckon even Morning Wood could do that, wherever they may come from. Perhaps they need another endorsement from Little Mix.

I stand by wanting them to go up because it would be fascinating, and for all this nonsense surrounding tiny clubs getting into the Conference and routinely humiliating BELTs, it's not yet culminated in a pygmy side entering the league excluding Forest Green, who have a lot more name recognition. It'll be a laugh seeing their name become a byword amongst the #Elite92 for tinpottery, and in that sense a big relief to Accrington Stanley et al.

No disappointment if Tranmere win it though. They shouldn't be down here, and they're an alright bunch. My trip down to Morning Wood just after they were promoted saw twenty or so of them on the terrace opposite, gurgling in delight as their ringleader shouted stuff about northerners being wife-beaters through his brand new megaphone for the entire game.

Much sadder situation in the north, with all the big sides staying down and us having to rely on Harrogant of all places to see off the bus stop in Oxfordshire. Would only add to how stupidly M25-based this league is becoming. Will be "happy" to see Hampton & Richmond go up too for a change.

Northamptonshire

 

[GTFCfish]

 

[Pliny Harris]

Northamptonshire

I know

To be fair to the B-Wood as well, the 438 they brought to Sutton is as many as big ol' Salford took to the Shay for their own play-off semi. No further a distance, plus they're the most publicised non-league club going, representing a big city.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Salford are just the evil twin of FGR.

 

[RLC]

Although pretty ambivalent, I guess I had hoped Tranmere were promoted as they 'ought' to be a League club. But as Boreham Wood is being hammered on here for being too small, and as a supporter of a fellow tinpot club, I'm going to wish them all the best. Are they part time? Do they have much outside money (I know they have some sort of relationship with Arsenal)? Whatever, what an achievement for a club of this size, and as a non-member of the 'big clubs are best brigade', maybe they deserve some praise for what they've achieved?

I have always assumed that B-Wood are ridiculously bankrolled, probably to a greater extent than FGR and Fylde.

However, I had a look at their accounts for last season and their total wage cost was £197,000. I don't know if there is some creative accountancy going on, but if their budget for this season was anywhere near that, it is indeed incredible that they have got this far.

Either way, I think Garrard is a good manager.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

I have always assumed that B-Wood are ridiculously bankrolled, probably to a greater extent than FGR and Fylde.

However, I had a look at their accounts for last season and their total wage cost was £197,000. I don't know if there is some creative accountancy going on, but if their budget for this season was anywhere near that, it is indeed incredible that they have got this far.

Either way, I think Garrard is a good manager.

Something dodgy going on there. That might be just the non playing staff.

Ferrier alone will be on 80-100k.

 

[The_Boss]

I agree on Garrard, does seem a bright young manager, and tries to play football. Much easier to do when his chairman is forking out for the likes of Ferrier, Andrade and Balanta amongst others.

Can see Garrard moving on shortly either way, promotion or not.

 

[Luke Imp]

No way BW are paying those low wages.

They took Tom Champion from Cambridge, Scott Doe from Dagenham, Stevens from Barnet and then throw in the front three etc.

They're also FT. You can't run a FT Club on £200k wages.

 

[MTFC_07]

I would guess Boreham Wood's wage budget is at least £500k - perhaps nearer £750k.

It is pretty scary to think how much money the owner must be spending considering they get regular home crowds of less than 400.