How far has the club sunk when it seems to the Chronicle that we need to CELEBRATE because we are not in or heading for the 3rd tier ??? For decades it was NEVER like this. In fact during the Glavin years and beyond this time the regular theme from supporters was that 'they dont want to go into the Premeirship'. What happened to our club over the last 10 years ???
Whatever happened, a bloke of your intellect and in possession of your financial acumen would have no doubt prevented it, and instead turned us into the Barcelona de nos jours.
Not a difficult one this though is it. The financial gulf between clubs like this season's Barnsley and this season's Newcastle doesn't even begin to compare with difference between same clubs when their paths have crossed in the past. The last 12 months have been phenomenal for our club. That's cause for celebration isn't it?
Brighton just spent £15m and are £161m in debt. Preston are spending £2.5m on MaGeady. Forest could go down, how much spent. The list is endless. Grow up. You know we can't compete financially.
We have a bottom 3 budget so anything better than that is successful. Is that so difficult to work out?
Different times Nudger. I'd love it if football was still the relatively even playing field that it used to be but sadly those days are long gone.
Remember when Bournemouth, Hull, Brighton, Swansea and Stoke were all crap teams that were miles behind us?
Staying in the championship shouldn't be celebrated. If that's the height of our ambition we should pack in now. Huddersfield have shown us the way.
We're in an era where something like 80% of all football revenue goes to 20 clubs. Those that haven't had a share of that are gambling with increasing debts year on year. With Brighton, it's paid off. It's not BFC that's sunk, the game has left pretty much two-thirds of its clubs behind in the interest of greed. After what happened to us in 2002, we have to protect the club for me. Unfortunately that's the reality check for me and why periods such as this last 18 months are cherished and worth celebrating. In the last 50 years, our average league position is 47th, or 4th in league one. Given the current financial disparity we are up against, our achievements over the last 18 months are outstanding, even more so this season, and we currently lie in a position 18 places above average in a financial era that is most definitely not average. Yes, I'd love us to really go for top 6, top 2, Premiership. But not at any price. Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk
I agree that our ambitions should extend far beyond staying in the championship but celebrating staying in the league and having ambition to be promoted are not mutually exclusive (IMO).
Fair point. I just wonder if the fans of Ipswich if they pass us in the next few games or even QPR will be saying what a great season/ what a great achievement. We are the most ' successful ' championship team of all time after all. I guess from my point of view the lack of ambition on the part of club and fans last time in the championship felt very demoralising and depressing and I'm keen to avoid a re run.
You're right. We should all be happy we're staying in the Championship all things considered, but no-one associated with our club is thinking 'we shouldn't aim to progress further'. That's to say, staying in the Championship is a goal, not an ambition
I get this completely, very reasoned post if you don't mind me saying, and a shared sentiment. I dare say my own satisfaction with what we used to call "mid table mediocrity" might wither in 2 or 3 years' time if we don't appear to be able to challenge the top six. Our last 2 or 3 years in the division last time around were demoralising, but possibly due to lack of quality in the playing staff. Club just seems to have a different feel at the moment, with a bit more trust in the manager and coaching staff etc. I just can't help using the dark days of 2002 as my yardstick though. Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk
Over the last 20 in fact - Sky TV money and foreign ownership skewing the English game from a meritocracy into a closed shop . But it's all our fault. Thee crack on Sent from the darkest recesses of a poisoned mind.
Or when Swindon, Portsmouth, Bolton, Bradford, Oldham, Coventry, Notts County were all examples of top division, well run "smaller"clubs that we'd have gladly swapped places with? They'll no doubt have relative success again, but like us in the early 2000's, success bit them on the arse somewhat. Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk