The 23/24 Relegation Thread (Featuring Morecambe)

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Surprised no one has said Forest Green to struggle. I genuinely think they will after the rapid decline theyve found themselves in since Edwards left.

 

[Casey]

I think Crawley and Morecombe will fill the two relegation plaices (sic), Harrogate will stay for at least another season. I also have a feeling Barrow might struggle. That's my crystal ball findings anyway.

I think people may be surprised about Crawley.

We're only 7-8 players away from a good side.

Casey

 

[Gi Dalor]

I think people may be surprised about Crawley.

We're only 7-8 players away from a good side.

Casey

If Jack Powell does leave though, that will be a real blow. Lots more signings to go before the start of the season, especially for Morecambe, but I'll admit, right now, I'm looking at Morecambe and Crawley as well. Crawley will have to be better than last season to stay up, and it's not trending that way.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Surprised no one has said Forest Green to struggle. I genuinely think they will after the rapid decline theyve found themselves in since Edwards left.

I'm certainly not confident, DF's win record is appalling, even given the circumstances he came in under.

 

[Casey]

If Jack Powell does leave though, that will be a real blow. Lots more signings to go before the start of the season, especially for Morecambe, but I'll admit, right now, I'm looking at Morecambe and Crawley as well. Crawley will have to be better than last season to stay up, and it's not trending that way.

I don't know how good Liam Kelley is but he sounds like a direct replacement for Jack Powell.

Need some legs in midfield and a back to goal centre forward...probably a wide midfielder since Tilley left....and we should be fine.

That's if we retain some of the others.

Casey

 

[Kauto Star]

I have a feeling Just Stop Oil Rovers will struggle to stay up this coming season along with Cryptocurrency Town.

 

[Greenacres]

I have a feeling Just Stop Oil Rovers will struggle to stay up this coming season along with Cryptocurrency Town.

We need to arrest our decline pretty quickly...seven points in the second half of last season, after the club replaced the manager, suggests that there is a bit of a battle lying ahead.

 

[Kauto Star]

We need to arrest our decline pretty quickly...seven points in the second half of last season, after the club replaced the manager, suggests that there is a bit of a battle lying ahead.

Am I right in thinking that almost all the squad that got you promoted have now since left the club?

 

[Greenacres]

Am I right in thinking that almost all the squad that got you promoted have now since left the club?

Yes...only Dom Bernard and Matty Stevens are still with us, plus Udoka Godwin-Malife who is likely to be leaving, everyone else has gone to the best of my knowledge.

 

[JJ1990]

History has proved last season that when you finish with sub 30 points in L1, you don't do very well in the following season. I think Crewe were the only recent team not to finish in the bottom 6 after going down with such a small points total. If FGR stay up this season, it'll be a decent achievement for me.

Crawley feel like they could implode at any stage and things aren't trending in a positive direction.

Morecambe are about to report to pre-season training and my worry for them is, they can't commit to 2 year deals as they don't know what funding is in place beyond this season and what decent player will accept a 1 year deal? They can get the maximum 5 loans, but they'll have to hit on all of them to have any hope of staying up.

2 from these 3 at this point I think.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Yes...only Dom Bernard and Matty Stevens are still with us, plus Udoka Godwin-Malife who is likely to be leaving, everyone else has gone to the best of my knowledge.

That's what I hate about football at this level. We rely too much on loans and year contracts. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand the reasons but when you basically lose a good team and have to rebuild every year, how the fuck are you able to get any continuity. Even if the players you get in have good reputations it doesn't mean it's going to work and of course your decent players get taken because you don't have them on a longer contract.

 

[Mighty_Bantam]

There's definitely a trend to 3 year contracts now.

I know we've offered multiple in the last few years out (Oliver, Young, Lewis, Pattison, Smith and the ill fated Willliams signing) and have seen others do so this year, notably Vernam at Grimsby.

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Agreed that we are potentially in the shit, what with having mostly unproven (or crap) players and a manager who is unproven (or crap). Main relief is that only two teams go down from this league, and at present there are (precisely) two teams here that appear to be in a substantially greater mess than we are.

 

[Casey]

 

[jojo]

It also seems that Sarbjot Johal has fucked off which is good, there's offers from some local consortium on the table but it depends on if Jason will approve it cause he doesnt want to sell the club to a chancer

 

[Greenacres]

Agreed that we are potentially in the shit, what with having mostly unproven (or crap) players and a manager who is unproven (or crap). Main relief is that only two teams go down from this league, and at present there are (precisely) two teams here that appear to be in a substantially greater mess than we are.

At the moment I would tend to agree with you...but point out that Swindon were in an even worse state before the start of last season, could barely put a team out for their friendlies, they turned things round and I think they might have made the play-offs.

We have only signed two new players so far, one who tackles like a bus and another with a dodgy hamstring!

 

[PuB]

At the moment I would tend to agree with you...but point out that Swindon were in an even worse state before the start of last season, could barely put a team out for their friendlies, they turned things round and I think they might have made the play-offs.

We have only signed two new players so far, one who tackles like a bus and another with a dodgy hamstring!

Best description of Innis I’ve ever seen, bit of a thug in the tackling department. Loves a red card or two as well, not that I think he’s a bad signing mind.

 

[Pedlar]

I think Newport, Morecombe and Harrogate will struggle this season. There is going to be such as divide between top and bottom this coming season. There are some heavyweights in this division this year.

 

[loz]

it depends on if Jason will approve it cause he doesnt want to sell the club to a chance

That might not be a bad thing. Just over a year ago, our owner said the same thing about an offer from some Yanks. They went on to buy Crawley instead.

 

[AdamStag]

That might not be a bad thing. Just over a year ago, our owner said the same thing about an offer from some Yanks. They went on to buy Crawley instead.

It’s concerning that there still isn’t a proper “fit and proper” test for league sides, how many times are jokers going to come in fuck up a club they know nothing about and presumably care even less about that affects fans, the local community and potential future of a football club

 

[PuB]

That might not be a bad thing. Just over a year ago, our owner said the same thing about an offer from some Yanks. They went on to buy Crawley instead.

Our American’s also had a look at you guys (and Donny) before choosing us, the Hollywood couple originally wanted to invest in Hartlepool, so it depends if you get lucky. You definitely dodged a bullet with WAGMI though.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Our American’s also had a look at you guys (and Donny) before choosing us, the Hollywood couple originally wanted to invest in Hartlepool, so it depends if you get lucky. You definitely dodged a bullet with WAGMI though.

We’ve had zero interest from anyone as our current owner hasn’t looked to sell so no idea where you got that info from

 

[PuB]

We’ve had zero interest from anyone as our current owner hasn’t looked to sell so no idea where you got that info from

They definitely visited and follow several of your former players on Twitter, they also said they looked at other options in this league as well as the national premier. So fans putting two and two together basically.

 

[Conker]

You don’t know if you got lucky until years down the line, and you should always be skeptical of new owners even if they have chucked money at it to solve problems in the short term.

I remember Notts County fans being very happy and defensive about Alan Hardy and look how that went in a short space of time.

 

[PuB]

Short term we were heading in to non league with a record low points and goals tally. It would have taken many years and a lot more dollars than the relatively small transfer fees we spent in Jan. I think fans of other clubs underestimate how much of a mess we were in both on and off the pitch. The main thing that appealed to the Galinsons was that there wasn’t much debt what with Scally having a piss poor borrowing history.

Thank fuck they came in when they did tbh, it have proven terminal.

 

[Conker]

Short term we were heading in to non league with a record low points and goals tally. It would have taken many years and a lot more dollars than the relatively small transfer fees we spent in Jan. I think fans of other clubs underestimate how much of a mess we were in both on and off the pitch. The main thing that appealed to the Galinsons was that there wasn’t much debt what with Scally having a piss poor borrowing history.

Thank fuck they came in when they did tbh, it have proven terminal.

I don’t disagree with any of that, but you gotta keep vigilant with new owners despite a good start, you never know what might be around the corner, also already discussed but it’s wages you committed too that cost a chunk not fees.

It took me a while before I felt comfortable with John Radford, despite the fact he immediately put in half a million to stop the club going under.

 

[PuB]

I don’t disagree with any of that, but you gotta keep vigilant with new owners despite a good start, you never know what might be around the corner, also already discussed but it’s wages you committed too that cost a chunk not fees.

It took me a while before I felt comfortable with John Radford, despite the fact he immediately put in half a million to stop the club going under.

We’re having regular fans forums with the owners, their third one is next month. We’re utilising our facilities, have done simple little things around the stadium to improve the matchday experience, LED advertising boards around the pitch to increase revenue there, good people employed in behind the scenes roles that are needed. Nothing major, all quite small things actually but they all add up.

I’m very comfortable with what I’ve seen so far but then I’ve not yet had a look at the accounts. The owners are constantly talking about sustainability, and so far, I have little reason to not believe them.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

They definitely visited and follow several of your former players on Twitter, they also said they looked at other options in this league as well as the national premier. So fans putting two and two together basically.

If there had been anything in it I would have known ( not blowing my own trumpet) just a director of the supporters co-op and as a shareholder we have to be informed

 

[Greenacres]

I'm certainly not confident, DF's win record is appalling, even given the circumstances he came in under.

...one less thing to worry about...depending on who comes in to replace him.

 

[Optipez]

It’s concerning that there still isn’t a proper “fit and proper” test for league sides, how many times are jokers going to come in fuck up a club they know nothing about and presumably care even less about that affects fans, the local community and potential future of a football club

There's always more desperate clubs than rich owners. Hardly any owners start with bad intentions, they just run out of cash and then get desperate to claw it back.
How you stop it I don't know, we've tried being a community club, had good owners, bad owners, even fictitious owners and we've been a money pit throughout.