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Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2026 6:32 pm
by Matty
Although it was great to be there let's not pretend that League Two was game after game of exciting football. For the most part they were tight games won by the odd goal. Even in our most successful seasons under Wild the games weren't exciting to watch, and were often nervy affairs where we tried a pinch a lead and be hard to beat from there, which was the main reason we were totally found out in the second half of each season. The period at the start of his first season was the most entertainment we had (games such as Stockport away, and Bradford, Walsall, Donny at home), when it finally felt like we could establish ourselves properly.
What being in League Two did do however was get younger generations of fans interested and that's why our crowds are still now much better than what we were averaging in our middling days in the NL. A winning team draws fans, that's why we averaged more when we won the NLN compared to the Pennock season for example.
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2026 9:28 pm
by Jonty
We topped the league playing some great football, but there’s more than one way to play the game, be successful and entertaining. Promotion set a bar and the club should always aspire to be a football league club again. I just hope we don’t slip into a mindset that it’s out of reach for us. We have a Manager who has a vision and a way, I don't think we've had that since Wild.
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 10:43 am
by blue nige
Jonty wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 9:28 pm
We topped the league playing some great football, but there’s more than one way to play the game, be successful and entertaining. Promotion set a bar and the club should always aspire to be a football league club again. I just hope we don’t slip into a mindset that it’s out of reach for us. We have a Manager who has a vision and a way, I don't think we've had that since Wild.
Here's another thought Jonty!
To get anywhere to achieve anything you need planning etc. Adam Murray quite rightly points out that the club was in a negative state! when he arrived!
So to move on ,everytime I attend a meeting, we're always firefighting, so wouldn't it be better if we had something concrete as to where the club sees itself?
Football league yes but how can we achieve this and more importantly how would we sustain this if we got there?
The ground any future plans/ developments on the horizon?
How are we going to cope financially after this season to compete at the top level in non league ( unless we get promoted)
I personally think the board needs more bodies, Paul Hornby cannot with a family/ work commitments possibly do this singlehandedly ( unless he wants a breakdown
)
I genuinely worry about the clubs future ( don't think I'm being dramatic here)
What do others think, do we carry on as now or do we need a strategy to become a successful business model! ?
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 11:31 am
by bluessupporter
I agree with you 100% nige, but everything you say needs money, and who’s going to put that in?
As an EFL team, we were more attractive to investors than we are today as a member of the National League.
We lost our chief investor and nobody seems to be stepping in to take his place.
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 11:42 am
by Main Stand SeasonTct
bluessupporter wrote: ↑Tue Sep 08, 2026 11:31 am
I agree with you 100% nige, but everything you say needs money, and who’s going to put that in?
As an EFL team, we were more attractive to investors than we are today as a member of the National League.
We lost our chief investor and nobody seems to be stepping in to take his place.
Exactly and our chief investor had a 40% share in the club. Another example is sponsorship of the ground. Rickie Wallbank said in an interview with Adam close season that the club had two interested parties looking at sponsoring the ground this season but both pulled out once we were relegated to the National league.
There is no getting away from it that without new substantial investment in the next 18 months we are up shit creek without a paddle.
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 12:18 pm
by mall
All correct.
'Enjoy it' / 'the moment' while we can because we cant live in the past, though we can be fearful of the future.
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 12:55 pm
by Jonty
blue nige wrote: ↑Tue Sep 08, 2026 10:43 am
Jonty wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 9:28 pm
We topped the league playing some great football, but there’s more than one way to play the game, be successful and entertaining. Promotion set a bar and the club should always aspire to be a football league club again. I just hope we don’t slip into a mindset that it’s out of reach for us. We have a Manager who has a vision and a way, I don't think we've had that since Wild.
Here's another thought Jonty!
To get anywhere to achieve anything you need planning etc. Adam Murray quite rightly points out that the club was in a negative state! when he arrived!
So to move on ,everytime I attend a meeting, we're always firefighting, so wouldn't it be better if we had something concrete as to where the club sees itself?
Football league yes but how can we achieve this and more importantly how would we sustain this if we got there?
The ground any future plans/ developments on the horizon?
How are we going to cope financially after this season to compete at the top level in non league ( unless we get promoted)
I personally think the board needs more bodies, Paul Hornby cannot with a family/ work commitments possibly do this singlehandedly ( unless he wants a breakdown
)
I genuinely worry about the clubs future ( don't think I'm being dramatic here)
What do others think, do we carry on as now or do we need a strategy to become a successful business model! ?
Your concerns are valid. We have been saying “where’s the plan” for years, even before the current board, but whilst the results on the pitch kept us bobbing along it was always met with “we are ok, just enjoy it” We have had many discussions on here about lacking foundation and a plan, no team other than the first team etc. Now things have changed and we no longer have guaranteed sky money and one significant investment owner less. Two seasons of parachute payments and then what?…..
I have always been an advocate for a shared ground for years and many are in that camp but kept getting told why we can’t do it. Opportunities come and go. See Workington AFC. Sometimes you have to change the mindset and look into other alternatives.
Re: Quality or Entertainment?
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2026 1:19 pm
by bluessupporter
"If you always do what you've always done, you always get what you always got".
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