Rubbish Pre Seasons

[King Kev]

Those pre seasons which just leave you dreading the new season. It may be a combination of fan negativity, a manager leaves or rubbish transfer activity, which are your clubs worst and did the foreboding prove to be correct?

 

[joethegill]

Generally speaking, the majority of our worst seasons (04/05, 07/08, 16/17) in the last 20 years have come directly after a fairly highly rated pre-season, which shows how difficult it is to call! Can't honestly recall a 'negative' pre-season, although there have been several that have been a little bit 'meh'. The normal fan complaint in pre-season is that we never seem to go away on tours and only play local non-leaguers, which I'm pretty sure most teams also do...! The tour thing isn't quite true either - nearly every year we head to France for a training camp.

 

[King Kev]

Summer 2003 - After a valiant effort to make the playoffs the previous season I sincerely hoped that we would keep our team together for another crack at the playoffs. Deep down however I knew such an attempt would be unlikely.

Our main players the previous season (IMO) had been John Newby, George Clegg, Michael Nelson, Jamie Stuart and Chris Billy. Nelson in particular had been a real rock at the back who had helped guide us towards the playoffs. On the eve of the season, in the midst of a sweltering heatwave it was hard to be remotely enthusiastic.

Nelson had been sold for a paltry 70k

Jamie Stuart, Newby and Billy had all left on free transfers, Nelson had been sold for a paltry 70k and as I recall Clegg was injured.

Our summer signings had hardly been inspiring - Greg Strong on loan from Hull, a team in our division. Joe o'Neil a centre forward on loan from PNE and Lee Duxbury, a player who Preece described as the 'biggest signing' he had ever made.

Am I missing any other signings?

Season itself was just a damp squib, a poor start, then we pulled things together with a decent run of results then went on a massive losing streak. Out of all cups in round one and in December Preece was sacked. He then returned with rock bottom Carlisle to play and beat us at Gigg Lane. New year and our new manager Barrow, (clearly the cheapest option available) made a couple of decent signings and we managed to get ourselves up to mid table. Never in any trouble of going up or going down. Tbf, compared with the next four seasons this one would have seemed like a huge success in comparison.

Summer 2005 - I had an awful feeling about this one and it proved to be hugely justified. We had gone from playoff hopefuls to relegation fodder in second half of 2004/2005. We lost our best striker in Nugent and best defender in Swailes in the January. Despite some scary moments between Feb and March we had pulled over the line without too much fuss. But come the summer of 2005 things looked worse. Our keeper Glyn Garner left on a free, Kazim-Richards one we were all excited about seeing as a first team regular was sold to Brighton and Chris Porter's contract expired, Terry Dunfield, an ever present from the last few seasons had also left. There may well be others who departed but I can't remember them.

To replace Garner Barrow signed Neil Edwards, a tiny 35 year old goalkeeper who had just been released by Rochdale. Jake Sedgemore on a three month contract who had been released by Shrewsbury, a team that had finished 22nd in league two the previous season. Then there was Jon Hardiker signed after being released by Stockport County, a team who had just joined us in league two having finished rock bottom of league one the previous season. Up front to replace Porter and Kazim Richards we had Stuart Barlow and Allan Smart, two 35 year old strikers with a combined age, (if memory serves me correctly), of 70.

The season started badly, and we were rock bottom after drawing with Boston United 1-1 early in September with just one win to a our name. Just 1900 fans attended that game, on a Saturday afternoon. Barrow went, in came Casper, he blooded some kids and results improved, but things still went to the last day for us to stay up.

I don't think my foreboding had ever been more correct than that summer, there was no life in the club what so ever it seemed, and I had zero enthusiasm when I went to Gigg Lane.

 

[lordofthepies]

two 35 year old strikers with a combined age, (if memory serves me correctly), of 70.

You've remembered correctly, 35 + 35 does equal 70.

 

[King Kev]

Sk

You've remembered correctly, 35 + 35 does equal 70.

Smart arse, was curious if my memory served that both strikers were 35. I still have nightmares about that front two now.

 

[T.A]

I remember smart sticking his finger up at the fans after some gave him abuse in a 4-0 defeat. Horrible away day.

 

[Balls Of An Ox]

I'm waiting for the day we have a pre-season tour that's further afield than south London...I might take the club to the Isle of Wight next year...