Your club's natural level

[Back in the DHSS]

Lower mid league one. Things might have been different if it wasn’t for that Adolf Hitler and Rick Parry.

 

[hellogregory]

Other CUFC fans may disagree, but in my time supporting this club, we’ve been a solid L1 side for a good period and a crap L2 side for pretty much the rest. I know before my time we’ve had years in the top 2 divisions, but I can’t really comment on them.

I do think our natural level should be flirting between the upper half of L2 and the lower half of L1.

Unfortunately due to crap leadership, crap ownership and crap decisions, we’re more likely to go out of this league the other way and into non league oblivion with poor crowds. So it’s laughable to say we should be flirting with League 1, but I believe if the club was run even just to an average level of a competency, it would be.

 

[Loyal Dale]

Dale have been a FL side for the past 100 years and (so far) have never dropped out of the top 4 divisions.

Given our geographical position, so close to 3 PL teams, all of whom take a considerable number of the townsfolk away (especially Man U; who seem to have fans in every pub !!) we have done remarkably well to survive.

In addition, we are going through a horrible hostile takeover bid instigated by our former Director & CEO David Roger Bottomley. The EFL have taken an absolute eternity, but have eventually decided to charge the club, together with several unnamed individuals over the saga.

AFC Fylde need to watch themselves very carefully having foolishly employed Bottomley. They were warned mind.


Given all the above, I feel that our level is mid to lower L2. It would undoubtedly be higher if Man U went bust, but would also be much lower if Bottomley had been successful with his evil plan.

 

[coronakopite]

Division 3 North

Naaah!

Division 4, applying for re-election every 3rd year.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Dale have been a FL side for the past 100 years and (so far) have never dropped out of the top 4 divisions.

Given our geographical position, so close to 3 PL teams, all of whom take a considerable number of the townsfolk away (especially Man U; who seem to have fans in every pub !!) we have done remarkably well to survive.

In addition, we are going through a horrible hostile takeover bid instigated by our former Director & CEO David Roger Bottomley. The EFL have taken an absolute eternity, but have eventually decided to charge the club, together with several unnamed individuals over the saga.

AFC Fylde need to watch themselves very carefully having foolishly employed Bottomley. They were warned mind.


Given all the above, I feel that our level is mid to lower L2. It would undoubtedly be higher if Man U went bust, but would also be much lower if Bottomley had been successful with his evil plan.

With him, the chairman and the manager all in place, Fylde is like an Axis of Evil. The sooner they turn that place into a big Lidl, the better.

 

[Chris FGR]

Conference.
[#] Small crowds
[#] Crap stadium

Yeah bottom half of the Conference is probably our natural level these days, given how our core support has grown.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Yeah bottom half of the Conference is probably our natural level these days, given how our core support has grown.

I was going to be a bit more pessimistic and say NLS/N (as it seems to very round our way) Conference yo-yo club, as we might not continue our lucky streak in the AGM Cup.

 

[GEORGE]

I won't be the only one to say it but we're odd.

Stadium and crowd wise we are a mid table conference club but...

When I first started watching we had about 250 fans, a cess pit of a stadium and we longed to get into the Southern Premier. Some good decisions and a lot of luck later we find ourselves in league 2 wondering why the crowds are so small.

If we can continually play decent attacking football, threaten the play offs a few times, add in a cup run now and then our catchment area means we could make it to become a stalwart of league 1.

We could also end up in national south with a bitter fan base.

Casey

Did'nt a bloke called Stan Gladwin really help you guys ?

 

[MadJohn]

We're tier 4, and when I turn up at the start of yet another tier 4 season I usually expect to see Rochdale, Exeter, Northampton, and Scunthorpe waiting for us. Never surprised to see Mansfield or Carlisle pop in, and Colchester seem to be becoming regulars again after a few years of drinking in swankier bars.

 

[Casey]

Did'nt a bloke called Stan Gladwin really help you guys ?

Not that I know off but I'm not clued up on what goes on behind the scenes.

We've had some really decent people and some right (insert swear word of choice here) in charge/contributing over the years. Nearest to Gladwin was Gladwich Land Sales who threw his toys out the pram after our first televised game when his company didn't get much advertising on the telly.

Casey

 

[Sestonpoolie]

Top half league 1, but capable of better. But we’re the serial underachievers of British football considering the size of the city we should be able to have two decent size clubs really as we have a far higher population than Stoke for instance. That said we are competing with Leeds next door and up until 10 years ago had a very successful rugby league team that’s gone to the pits.

What did happen to the Bulls/Northern.
I remember yonks ago going to Odsal with my cousin, they lived in Queensbury,it was enormous.

 

[Kauto Star]

What did happen to the Bulls/Northern.
I remember yonks ago going to Odsal with my cousin, they lived in Queensbury,it was enormous.

Northern changed their name to Bulls for the inaugural Super League season late 90's. The Bulls were a power in the Super League for the first 15 years or so.

I presume, like City did in their 2nd premiership season, the Bulls vastly overspent in their quest to be world champions, and they suffered 3 administrations in about 8 years, culminating in going bust altogether and reforming.

Since reforming they have failed to attract the crowds back in numbers nor regain their Super League status.

They recently had a couple of years away from Odsal playing at Dewsbury due to financial woes. They are now back at Odsal, bit their fortunes do not appear to have improved on the pitch.

A very similar path to us really, except we have managed to build up and retain the strong fanbase in numbers

 

[denzel ecfc]

Not that I know off but I'm not clued up on what goes on behind the scenes.

We've had some really decent people and some right (insert swear word of choice here) in charge/contributing over the years. Nearest to Gladwin was Gladwich Land Sales who threw his toys out the pram after our first televised game when his company didn't get much advertising on the telly.

Casey

Article on Gladwish from 2004 where you feature heavily

Glad all over

One man has changed the face of sponsorship in non-League football. Craig Ellyard explains the Victor Gladwish phenomenonIn the world of non-League fo

www.wsc.co.uk

 

[shoddycollins]

Other CUFC fans may disagree, but in my time supporting this club, we’ve been a solid L1 side for a good period and a crap L2 side for pretty much the rest. I know before my time we’ve had years in the top 2 divisions, but I can’t really comment on them.

I do think our natural level should be flirting between the upper half of L2 and the lower half of L1.

Unfortunately due to crap leadership, crap ownership and crap decisions, we’re more likely to go out of this league the other way and into non league oblivion with poor crowds. So it’s laughable to say we should be flirting with League 1, but I believe if the club was run even just to an average level of a competency, it would be.

Historically we seem to divide our time equally between Div 3 and Div 4 so I'd say our level does include both those divisions. Like a lot of the clubs down here, we're not entirely satisfied being in Div 4, but aren't high and mighty enough to think it an abberation that we're here now.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

What did happen to the Bulls/Northern.
I remember yonks ago going to Odsal with my cousin, they lived in Queensbury,it was enormous.

They went pop and started again, not sure how as I don’t follow rugby I got dragged along to a grand final against St Helens as a kid and was bored shitless. I think once the buzz of Super League started to die down so did the crowds and that with over spending probably did for them. They only get a few thousand now, another thing that will probably be extinct in Bradford unless they can get back to the top.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Historically we seem to divide our time equally between Div 3 and Div 4 so I'd say our level does include both those divisions. Like a lot of the clubs down here, we're not entirely satisfied being in Div 4, but aren't high and mighty enough to think it an abberation that we're here now.

Agree. I enjoy the fact that most seasons we have something to play for, either going for promotion from the fourth division or attempting to avoid relegation from the third. It must be boring being mid table every season...

 

[Indian Dan]

Realistically, most of us are dreaming of the promised land of the Championship although a couple of clubs - Scunny and Yeovil - the fallout from a stint there has been massive.

If we’re all honest, all we really want is for our team to win matches. Where that takes us is actually secondary.

 

[Trapdoor]

That's the weird thing about the conference, it absolutely sucks getting relegated and going down there. But it does allow teams to rebuild/restructure/refinance and then because most L2/L1 sides are absolutely massive at that level you end up smashing teams and winning a lot of games.

That winning feeling is pretty good and getting promoted back into the league has to be one of the best feelings you can ever experience in football. (It sucks missing out on promotion in the Conny but if you're an established league club it's only a matter of time before you escape.)

I would say our conference promotion season was one of my favourite ever seasons as a city fan.

 

[chipmunx]

That's the weird thing about the conference, it absolutely sucks getting relegated and going down there. But it does allow teams to rebuild/restructure/refinance and then because most L2/L1 sides are absolutely massive at that level you end up smashing teams and winning a lot of games.

That winning feeling is pretty good and getting promoted back into the league has to be one of the best feelings you can ever experience in football. (It sucks missing out on promotion in the Conny but if you're an established league club it's only a matter of time before you escape.)

I would say our conference promotion season was one of my favourite ever seasons as a city fan.

getting promoted back is a great feeling - but getting promoted back after 48 years when you've long since lost all hope of ever returning is an amazing feeling.

 

[GEORGE]

Realistically, most of us are dreaming of the promised land of the Championship although a couple of clubs - Scunny and Yeovil - the fallout from a stint there has been massive.

If we’re all honest, all we really want is for our team to win matches. Where that takes us is actually secondary.

I started off watching my club in the 2nd division and that is how i wish to end my days of watching in that division again.

 

[shoddycollins]

Realistically, most of us are dreaming of the promised land of the Championship although a couple of clubs - Scunny and Yeovil - the fallout from a stint there has been massive.

If we’re all honest, all we really want is for our team to win matches. Where that takes us is actually secondary.

Credit to Rotherham and Wycombe though who look like becoming established Champ/L1 teams, when they were each relegated to L1 you could see the bottom falling out but they're both competing now to get back up there.

 

[Chris FGR]

I’ve forgotten what it’s like being a non league club tbh, now we’re a long established football league club it’s hard to imagine having to play in that tinpot league. Would be terrible.

 

[FGR-Star]

I was going to be a bit more pessimistic and say NLS/N (as it seems to very round our way) Conference yo-yo club, as we might not continue our lucky streak in the AGM Cup

Nah, we are definitely a mid-sized Conference club in terms of support and status. We are bigger than Crawley for example and I would firmly put them as a mid-sized Conference club.

 

[Casey]

Not sure FGR are a bigger club than Crawley (not that it matters). FGR have had ten years of relative success playing at the highest level they've ever been at where Crawley have dropped from the highest level and have been ... underwhelming for the last five years or so. The fan support at each club is not that different.

I would place Crawley, FGR and Sutton as (pretty much) the smallest clubs in league 2...Barrow and Stevenage should probably get a mention too.

It's the famous Peter principal. People (or clubs) get promoted to a level of their incompetence then have to drop back to succeed.

Casey

 

[shoddycollins]

I was going to be a bit more pessimistic and say NLS/N (as it seems to very round our way) Conference yo-yo club, as we might not continue our lucky streak in the AGM Cup.

To be fair folk do like to throw shade on FGR for being tinpotters but I'd say your natural level based on the last twenty to thirty years is comfortably conference premier at the least. You aren't one of those clubs that have come out of nowhere.

Salford for example, whose natural level is probably Phil Jones' testimonial match.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Nah, we are definitely a mid-sized Conference club in terms of support and status. We are bigger than Crawley for example and I would firmly put them as a mid-sized Conference club.

My thinking is even such crowds as we've grown aren't particularly loyal and would probably melt away again if we drop down, plus there seems to be even more larger ex-league clubs down there than ever, though of course we did sustain twenty years of Conference prem even if it was a bit spawny at times, so I am probably being a bit Eeyore.

 

[Valeite]

16th in league 1 but as the population of the city of Stoke falls and the area gets even poorer that may get lower

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Sutton probably count as bigger than us (an advantage of being in a built-up area for one thing, but also a longer history, albeit with ups and downs of being a leading and much-respected non-league club). Not really sure where we stand in comparison with Crawley, but possibly slightly bigger now: at any rate our away support is bigger (and louder). Plus, we've never employed Steve Evans and never will, so.

I'd have said our natural level is mid-table National League. But on the other hand, pretty much one half of that league is now (as it mostly was not back in the day) ex-league "brotherhood" clubs most of whom have substantially larger fan bases, and in some ways better grounds (or less tinpot ones, at least) than we do. So, hmm, does that put us lower half Conference then? Hopefully not ... I mean, we are hardly North Ferriby but nor, really, are we Grimsby....

 

[E10rifle]

I would place Crawley, FGR and Sutton as (pretty much) the smallest clubs in league 2...Barrow and Stevenage should probably get a mention too.

Harrogate and Salford are both smaller than all of the clubs you mention. Just inconsequential vanity projects with 200 fans who should be playing in Step 5.

 

[Chris FGR]

Harrogate and Salford are both smaller than all of the clubs you mention. Just inconsequential vanity projects with 200 fans who should be playing in Step 5.

So inconsequential that Casey forgot they existed.