Who will win the league - Part 2

When you are in the position Cheltenham are in you're going to get idiot fans who think you are too good for the division. It happens every season.

FGR Stroud said:

Lets be fair to some of these posters, they don't all agree it is done and dusted. But yes they do have an arrogant attitude towards other teams especially their near neighbours FGR. Most of Cheltenham's history has been outside of the football league but they have always been the top team in Gloucestershire. It hurts them now that they have a local team as competitive as them.
Cheltenham do have probably the easiest run-in towards end of season and all things being equal should end season as champions. But they are draw specialist and still have yet to have a dodgy run of results, which all teams have at least once a season.
The title race is still too tight to call despite their premature celebrations.

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Yes nothing done yet its still anyone's title. You'll find there's not many who post there anymore. I haven't been on there for 18 months, although I do look in at some of the deluded posts.
Unfortunately there's a little band who's only opinions count, anyone else gets slagged off. Just have a look at the number who actively post. Less than half of the number five years ago.

Harrier94 said:

When you are in the position Cheltenham are in you're going to get idiot fans who think you are too good for the division. It happens every season.

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oh yes ! they slide out of the woodwork, mind there's a few here who have toned down their ambitions from pre season.

Agree with Rob, I only post when I can be bothered with an argument, or get wound up to the point I have to correct someone.

I don't, personally, know a single Cheltenham fan who thinks we're up. I'm confident we'll win the League, but that doesn't mean I think it's done and dusted.

As for our size as a club, there are some who have this mistaken belief we're huge. We're not, most of us know we're not, but woe betide anyone who says so on the forum. The problem we have is that the vast majority of our fans have only seen us as a Football League team, and for the most part, at the top end of League 2 or bottom end of League 1. They won't know about our lack of success as non-league club. I started supporting the club in 1994, and at that time the highest we'd ever finished was 11th in the Conference and the best we'd done in the FA Trophy was something like the second round, the same with the FA Cup (only once beating a Football League team in 1936). Within 5 years we'd won the FA Trophy at Wembley, been promoted to the Football League and taken Reading to replay in the FA Cup 3rd round, narrowly losing in extra-time. Within 10 years, we'd gone to the Millennium Stadium and won promotion to the 3rd tier of English football and got to the 5th Round (last 16) of the FA Cup, very narrowly losing to a WBA team who ended up getting promoted to the Premier League that season with the meanest defence in Division 1. The vast majority of our fans have only seen that, and the Allen debacle and last season are the only truly poor things they've seen. As a result, in some ways, you can't blame them for thinking that we are bigger than we actually are.

My first game was in 2002/03 when we'd just been promoted to League 1 so I've only known us as a League club until this season. But as Si says, I and most other fans I know are still aware that for the vast majority of our history we've been a non-league club. There are just 3 or 4 regulars on the Nest whose confidence consistently borders on arrogance and they're the ones who tend to get the attention of other teams' fans.

CTFCfan99 said:

There are just 3 or 4 regulars on the Nest whose confidence consistently borders on arrogance and they're the ones who tend to get the attention of other teams' fans.

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How did these 'three or four fans' cope with getting relegated? Their heads must have exploded. I remember seeing some footage on Twitter of an angry mob outside your ground giving the players some grief after you were relegated. They seemed to think the players hadn't been putting in a shift throughout the season or something.

Chris FGR said:

I would say that if Gary Johnson was in charge of either ourselves or Grimsby, then they'd probably win the league. As it is, Cheltenham have been smart and got themselves proven quality in the dugout. If only they'd stuck with Buckle...

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What is it about Forest Green Rovers and appointing/sticking with poor managers? I would have liked us to appoint Gary Johnson. Instead we went for Terry Butcher. If we had, we wouldn't be in the position we are now. The gulf in quality between the managers at the top of the Conference will be a huge, huge factor come the end of the season.

Johnson was already employed with us when Terry Butcher became your manager. He was on a 2 year deal, which you would never have bought out.

As for what happened when we were relegated, a group of about 20-30 people decided to confront the players after the match against Shrewsbury for seemingly not being bothered that we had been relegated (ironically, the game against Shrewsbury was the most desire I'd seen from the team all season). After the match, all but 3 players (two of whom were youth players, and the other a loanee) stayed on the pitch to applaud the fans. This, naturally, got up people's noses.

Last season was a disaster from September onwards. Yates had lucked out a few wins to put us top and then we lost a game and struggled to win a again. He was let go, with full agreement from every Cheltenham fan I know, and we were hopeful of someone coming in and starting afresh. What nobody, and I do mean absolutely nobody, expected was the appointment of Paul Buckle. When fans were drawing up there wishlists, his name didn't get a single mention. I'd actually forgotten he existed. He took us from a poor team to an absolute joke. He got one win in his 4 months in charge, alienated the players that did seem to care, and was generally just awful. We replaced him then with the massively inexperienced Russell Milton, who got the job full-time on the basis of a draw against Bury. After losing to Exeter (something we had never done before last season in 10 matches) and Plymouth he clearly knew he was out of his depth and Johnson was brought in on a no-lose basis. The loan window had ended so he couldn't bring anyone in. Keep us up, he's a hero, take us down, it's not his fault. We went down with a whimper. The fact that the only player in the team from last season's squad is Asa Hall (played 6 mins on the opening day before being injured for the rest of the season) tells you all you need to know about last seasons squad.

Of last season's squad Troy Brown (Exeter), Matt Richards (Dagenham), Kane Ferdinand (Dagenham, since released), Matt Taylor (Newport, released) and Trevor Carson (Hartlepool) found Football League clubs to take them on. Lee Vaughan, Durrell Berry, Matt Sparrow and Shaun Harrad are playing in the Conference, the rest have disappeared into the lower depths.

Raymondo316 said:

http://www.robinsnestforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20792

I think some Cheltenham fans are getting abit a head of themselves

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Wow, have you read this thread recently. They're having a right ding-dong.
I'm sure some of their posters also read this forum because a few have taken on board some of the comments stated here.

Si Robin said:

Johnson was already employed with us when Terry Butcher became your manager. He was on a 2 year deal, which you would never have bought out.

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Actually I was on about the period following the departure of Justin Edinburgh (Feb.7th) when us fans were mulling over possible replacements. Gary Johnson was one name touted and he was available, ironically Mark Yates was another name mentioned at a later date if memory serves. This was before he joined you (30th March). In the end we opted for a caretaker manager (Jimmy Dack) until the end of the season and then the ill-fated appointment of Terry Butcher. Our messageboard was swamped with Hibs supporters telling us what a terrible, mistake we had made. They were right.

One thing you are right about is that we couldn't afford to buy anyone out of a contract and that ultimately the fact that Johnson ended up with you could see you back in League 2 and us taking your place in the National League ... such is football. I think we'll survive by the skin of our teeth. Good luck to Cheltenham.

I hope you do, a work colleague of mine is a Newport fan and I'd love us to play you next season (assuming we go up).

Si Robin said:

Agree with Rob, I only post when I can be bothered with an argument, or get wound up to the point I have to correct someone.

I don't, personally, know a single Cheltenham fan who thinks we're up. I'm confident we'll win the League, but that doesn't mean I think it's done and dusted.

As for our size as a club, there are some who have this mistaken belief we're huge. We're not, most of us know we're not, but woe betide anyone who says so on the forum. The problem we have is that the vast majority of our fans have only seen us as a Football League team, and for the most part, at the top end of League 2 or bottom end of League 1. They won't know about our lack of success as non-league club. I started supporting the club in 1994, and at that time the highest we'd ever finished was 11th in the Conference and the best we'd done in the FA Trophy was something like the second round, the same with the FA Cup (only once beating a Football League team in 1936). Within 5 years we'd won the FA Trophy at Wembley, been promoted to the Football League and taken Reading to replay in the FA Cup 3rd round, narrowly losing in extra-time. Within 10 years, we'd gone to the Millennium Stadium and won promotion to the 3rd tier of English football and got to the 5th Round (last 16) of the FA Cup, very narrowly losing to a WBA team who ended up getting promoted to the Premier League that season with the meanest defence in Division 1. The vast majority of our fans have only seen that, and the Allen debacle and last season are the only truly poor things they've seen. As a result, in some ways, you can't blame them for thinking that we are bigger than we actually are.

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Couldn't have put it better, unfortunately I really have seen the struggle, been a fan since the early 60's.
Annoys me to see them rubbish (in their eyes) "small" clubs. Remember so well the dark days at Cheltenham where we couldn't afford flipping grass seed ley alone £100 a week for players wages.
The year we got back in the Conference when Cotterill took over we had a gate against Atherstone of 420.
I suppose its better to laugh about it.

One of my favourite games as a Cheltenham fan was beating Baldock Town 3-1. I remember sneaking into the main stand (no stewards then) with my two cousins and watching it from the top thinking we were right little bad boys, haha. Great days.

Oh dear, I see what you mean but at least Leo speaks any kind of sense.

"If I have a problem on this forum, it can be to differentiate between those who deliberately stay stupid things in order to cause a reaction, and those that are genuinely stupid, (I think I know where are two most frequent contributors stand in this respect though).
A message board is written like a pub conversation, but it is much more easily overheard - and if you were to overhear some of the posts on this board, the immediate impression would be "what arrogant B**s***ds".

We earned our original promotion to the Football League on merit.
We earned our return to this level on merit
...and if we are to return to the league, we will again have to merit it.

Even the financial arguments do not hold water, some posters may complain about the clubs that are "financially doped" by their owners, but we have an unfair advantage in the (one off) parachute payment, and next year's relegated teams will get this more so, as the amount increases and is spread over two seasons. Our initial entry to the football league was on a budget considerably enhanced by Paul Baker's generosity. We did not manage it on the income from our gates alone

There is much to love about this season, and it is not just better results than the two that preceded it. The fact remains that visits to clubs that are truly non-league, but do it well are a joy. None more so than Bromley. If we are guests in this league, can we please leave a good impression, lest we visit again?"

Also worth remembering that Atherstone Utd and Baldock Town as they were when you played them no longer exist!

If Grimsby had dumped themselves out of the Trophy it would have been them.

FGR Stroud said:

Lets be fair to some of these posters, they don't all agree it is done and dusted. But yes they do have an arrogant attitude towards other teams especially their near neighbours FGR. Most of Cheltenham's history has been outside of the football league but they have always been the top team in Gloucestershire. It hurts them now that they have a local team as competitive as them.
Cheltenham do have probably the easiest run-in towards end of season and all things being equal should end season as champions. But they are draw specialist and still have yet to have a dodgy run of results, which all teams have at least once a season.
The title race is still too tight to call despite their premature celebrations.

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We had our dodgy run at the start of the season.

We are top the table again and will not be moved. It's the case of when we lift the trophy and not if.

As others have said, we had a couple of dodgy patches at the start of the season: 1 win from our first 4 games, then a spell of just 1 win in 5 / 2 wins in 7 in September and October. Since then we've picked up 35 of a possible 39 points and we don't look like stopping - but we shall see, still a way to go. 13 wins and 5 draws in our last 18 ain't half bad though

rudebwoyben said:

Also worth remembering that Atherstone Utd and Baldock Town as they were when you played them no longer exist!

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Good side Atherstone, had the Flanagan brothers who in their time were great players at that standard.

Had a bet on us to win the league today, it was a lucky 15 with nigel farage to move to france, anne widdicome to win rear of the year and david cameron to personally hand out ten pound notes to the unemployed.

Mark kavanagh said:

Had a bet on us to win the league today, it was a lucky 15 with nigel farage to move to france, anne widdicome to win rear of the year and david cameron to personally hand out ten pound notes to the unemployed.

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E/W I take it? All good shouts but I think Jo Brand is fave for rear of the year for a good reason.

Raymondo316 said:

http://www.robinsnestforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20792

I think some Cheltenham fans are getting abit a head of themselves

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Good god, and you lot are letting them get out of it

There's no such thing as a club being 'too big for non-league', 'not belonging in non-league' etc. Your team is the only thing that matters, we've learnt that the hard way and so have many others. Cheltenham earned the right to be a non-league team just as much as Boreham Wood or Bromley did. Cheltenham have done extremely well this year, but the idea they can disown the non-league tag because they're top? Nonsense.

Besides, in their only home league game last month the attendance was 2,600. Its nothing to write home about for a team who have had much success this season. This isn't taking anything away from Cheltenham's displays so far by the way, but if the staff and management adopted the same attitude as is displayed in the link above they wouldn't be top.

Gashead said:

Good god, and you lot are letting them get out of it

There's no such thing as a club being 'too big for non-league', 'not belonging in non-league' etc. Your team is the only thing that matters, we've learnt that the hard way and so have many others. Cheltenham earned the right to be a non-league team just as much as Boreham Wood or Bromley did. Cheltenham have done extremely well this year, but the idea they can disown the non-league tag because they're top? Nonsense.

Besides, in their only home league game last month the attendance was 2,600. Its nothing to write home about for a team who have had much success this season. This isn't taking anything away from Cheltenham's displays so far by the way, but if the staff and management adopted the same attitude as is displayed in the link above they wouldn't be top.

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Its only a tiny minority who think this. Have a good look at the posts on there, check out who is posting and you'll see why so many of us walked away from it. Deluded is as clean a description I can give to it.

ROBH said:

Its only a tiny minority who think this. Have a good look at the posts on there, check out who is posting and you'll see why so many of us walked away from it. Deluded is as clean a description I can give to it.

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Of course, TFF tends to have a better 'good poster to moron' ratio than other places. We had our minority of morons last year and it doesn't help things at all. By actually embracing non-league I think many of our fans enjoyed last year, respected the opposition and their set-ups, and it helped the team. It has helped us in the League this year, as there's no more 'we should be beating [club X], we're bigger than them' nonsense.

Just staggering to see some fans (a minority like you say) have views like that, especially with Cheltenham's non-league history. Must be young uns.

Read my previous post on the majority of our fans.

We're set for a busy March, with new dates for the Gusieley and Southport matches that were bumped for FA Trophy matches. Hurst said after the Bromley match he was hoping to get the Guiseley match re-arranged for Tuesday, probably didn't realise their trophy replay had been re-arranged for then. As such, our current Match fixtures look like this...

Tues 1st - Aldershot (a)
Fri 4th - Forest Green (a)
Tues 8th - Southport (h)
Sat 12th - Braintree (h)
Tues 15th - Guiseley (a)
Sat 19th - Woking (a)
Sat 26th - Wrexham (h)
Mon 28th - Macclesfield (a)

Forest Green not playing on the 1st is not ideal and a tad frustrating considering they had that unnecessary midweek fixture when about 6 teams played and the rest of the division didn't for no apparent reason.

Also, we're gonna be getting used to Woking as they head to Blundell Park for a league/trophy double header on Feb 23rd/27th.

Son of Cod said:

Forest Green not playing on the 1st is not ideal and a tad frustrating considering they had that unnecessary midweek fixture when about 6 teams played and the rest of the division didn't for no apparent reason.

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Not unnecessary .. that was the rearranged fixture from back in (I think) November when we made 2nd Round of FA Cup.

Son of Cod said:

Hurst said after the Bromley match he was hoping to get the Guiseley match re-arranged for Tuesday, probably didn't realise their trophy replay had been re-arranged for then.

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We were already due to play Guiseley on Tuesday, he meant he was hoping to rearrange the Southport game for Tuesday once the Guiseley game was off due to their Trophy game.

Two horse race now after todays results.

Going back to an earlier subject I stopped posting on the RobinsNest a few years ago due to the amount of idiots, there was one guy called private fraser who bullied anyone who dared to have a different opinion, he ruined it for me.