After three successive, largely lacklustre and disappointing seasons in the Championship my hopes and expectations for the upcoming 4th season are anything but excessive (well, we'll see).
When we first got relegated I thought we would be back in the Prem at the second time of asking. I thought the first season would see us just miss out via playoff disappointment (I was nearly right), but the second would see us up there after acclimatising to our new environment.
Now we enter our fourth Championship campaign and the only thing I hope for is to win a few more games and for me to actually enjoy football again. This season just gone totally sucked the life out of me. I lost interest and started not to care whether we won or lost. I hated feeling like that, I want the excitement back! Don't get me wrong, there were moments, especially once Lennon came in, but the damage was already done by Coyle and Freedman.
The financial predicament also puts to bed any lingering hopes of promotion, but that said, Ipswich did alright with very little cash this year, so who knows.
When it comes down to it I am more realistic with what I want. A top half finish playing decent football, seeing the youth come through and hopefully flourish will be enough for me. It would be nice to dole out a couple of thrashings and not be on the end of any as well. I just hope Lenny shares my sentiments and he too is realistic with what we can achieve t the minute. If we can show progression this coming term then maybe the 2016/17 campaign we can maybe start to dream.
Hopes and Expectations
posted on 19/5/15
No problem with the wish YOP, mine would be that we avoid lengthy and consistent injuries, not just to key players but the entire squad, that's what really hampered us this season. Imagine if Lennon was able to utilise Pratley, Clough, Clayton, the Davies' every week. We would be in a much better position im sure.
posted on 19/5/15
Here's my thoughts.
I would like some mega rich individual or consortium to come in and buy the club. Investment would be better than nothing but I think we need a complete change at the top.
Don't get me wrong, I think Eddie Davies, has done his best and supported the club with an immense amount of money. The problem being that he has let Gartside, cripple the club, increasing debt year after year. Only recently learning the lesson that you can't spend more than you earn on an on-going basis. Unfortunately, this lesson has been learned too late in the day and the club really is in a dire state.
So, a new owner and more importantly, a new Chairman.
On the playing front as things stand, by that, I mean no new owner or investment, which seems unlikely, I would hope that Lennon can wave a magic wand and produce some decent players on what is looking like a very meagre transfer kitty.
I hope that the youngsters come up to the plate and produce good football that will hopefully move us into a top half finish. Obviously I dream about getting prompted but it is just a dream.
My last hope is that we can survive both as a club and as a force in the league, without having to sell any of the youngsters that improve enough to have other clubs looking to buy them. The only caveat I place on that, is that if we have to sell, which now seems to be what the club will need to do, if we are to have any chance of lessening the debt, is that we sell for the very highest price and don't sell them for a paltry sum, as we usually do.
posted on 19/5/15
i have fallen out with football - im just not interested anymore. I genuinely prefer watching a non league club.
Even if we were to have a revival, its not going to be with a John McGinlay, that you can relate to. Who you see in the boozer after a game. Footballs lost its romance. Its a corporate entity, where spoilt working class kids are paid more money than they know what to do with.
The raheem stirling situation is sickening, its a disgusting thing for a massively overrated player. He was terrible at the world cup (as where the rest of em).
Footballs gone for me. Its boring, classless, has no romance anymore, and has sold its soul. Thats from the top, Blatter, down to non league.
Dont get me wrong, i watch Barcelona and Bayern in awe and think, wow theres some talent there. Will we ever play those teams, no, i dont think so.
The last club, to have any real success on very little money, in the old romantic style, was US. Little old bolton, dominating arsenal, bullying Tottenham, keeping Man U honest - scraping survival, punching above our weights.
Football - its boring, its irrelevant and lost most of its charm.
Cant even go to a match, have a few beers with the lads, watch a reasonably entertaining game without being bankrupt.
Football, may get its soul back, if it start opening the grounds for near free, or a small ticket. TV can pay for everything. Full grounds, good atmosphere, happy days. - The reebok is boring, half empty, no atmosphere.
I mean, weigh it up. How much is it, take me and my nephew to the match, 4 pints, 2 tickets, bus there and back, pie and soft drink for the kid......i tell you, its more than its worth, to watch liam trotter mill around doing nothing, and feeney to trott back coz he cant be bothered.
Rant over!
posted on 19/5/15
I would like some mega rich individual or consortium to come in and buy the club.
----------------
Even this - it will bring success to BWFC PLC Limited inc. .com.co.uk.
Yes we will have a good time. But are we really watching BWFC. im not sure. I think we will actually be watchin, abu dhabi UK FC sponsored by Oil.co.uk.
i want, local lad done good in the side, Jimmy Phillips, nicky hunt, glossed over with a foreign geezer who you cant spell, but....he must be good, hes foreign. I want to see John Mcginlay Junior int pub, after scraping a last minute equaliser, i wanna see said foreign player "lost" on lever street, after he booked a massage, gettting rescued by the lads int little john, before papers are all over it and we have to sell him to blackburn for 48p and half price membership at abduls gym. WE NEED SOME CHARACTERS, NOT CORPORATE SUITS
posted on 19/5/15
Glegg - spot on I'm with you all the way,
Go and watch amateur football or go down the park and watch the kids giving there All .
The best football to watch by a country mile.
And all for next to nowt!!!!!
posted on 19/5/15
Top ten finish and a decent run in one of the cups would do me very nicely next season. This summer is really about Neil trying to lay some foundations for the future because we don't and won't have the money to go out and buy Fiftygoalio Aseasonopolis from FC Exotica Nameus of the Farawaylandia League
posted on 20/5/15
Only 2 really. Staying up and not going into administration.
posted on 20/5/15
BWFCCLEGG, I enjoyed your post. A lot of truth in your words.
I can't help hoping things will turn out well. Where are we without hope?
posted on 21/5/15
comment by SUPERWHITEINEXILE (U2020)
posted 23 hours, 6 minutes ago
BWFCCLEGG, I enjoyed your post. A lot of truth in your words.
I can't help hoping things will turn out well. Where are we without hope?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I spose so mate.
i often look at Man City and think, i bet theres a legion of fans who love there current situation, winning, yaya toure, David Silva. i bet its brilliant to go an watch your team compete with Barcelona.
i bet however, theres a sizeable group, who loved it, in Division 2, 32k on the door, Shaun Goater and Paul Dickov etc. Probably felt like there club, belonging to them
posted on 22/5/15
Yes but I didn't enjoy my time going to Burnden Park, when you could almost count the number of fans who turned up for the games. I never want us to go back to a situation like that.