Was The Conference So Bad..?

[globegrecian]

Bear with me on this one, but given we are seemingly on course to return there, were those 5 seasons so terrible?

- we were a big club, and one of the best supported (indeed, weren't we the best attended one season?)

- we spent the great majority of that time around the play-off zone or higher

- in 42 games during that period we scored three goals or more, and four goals wasn't uncommon (even five on occasion). Games were exciting, if a little unpredictable.

- we had little option but to play youth, and is it a coincidence that Moxey, Friend etc all went onto greater things after playing regular first team football?

- there was such a positive vibe both on here and at SJP. The match day threads were buzzing, and the kids even arranged their own games v opposition supporters etc

- visits to new clubs eg Tamworth, Southport etc were always memorable days out

- there is an argument that it doesn't matter which League you are in, provided you are at or near the top of it.

Given that we have spent much of our (last few decades) history fighting the drop, do we just bite the bullet and admit we are a good Conference club that ought to cut its cloth to suit. Yeah maybe we will go up once very few seasons, but that should be seen as an adventure rather than a right, and relegation a probability.

*ducks for cover*

 

[Lager Lout]

Wait til August and you can compare again, assuming we still exist by then.

LL

 

[Pete Martin (CTID)]

No, it wasn't so bad.....at that time.

What scares me now is the likely apathy of many of the supporters if it were to happen again, the meteoric rise of the egg chasers since then, the graveyard of ex-league clubs that it has become and the ghosts of the likes of Stockport, Darlington and Workington beyond.

 

[DB9]

Wasn't bad then, We were on our last legs after the Pinky and Perky legacy but this time it would be a financial disaster, With the Trust in charge, They would be known as the people who took us down and there would be no goodwill when they come begging for help.

 

[feverpitch]

I personally enjoyed watching City at that time. There was somehow a good vibe about the place. My worry should we go down this season is that the same goodwill will not exist.

 

[foxy jim]

good will will be back when tis and co leave.

 

[geoffwp]

Good shout globey. Heresy though it will sound to many, I actually enjoyed a lot of aspects when we were conference. Games were a lot less expensive to attend, you could drink in the club bars along with oppo fans more than you often can do in the league, and the games were just as interesting and exciting to watch as anything i've witnessed in L2 or even L1 for that matter. As you pointed out we scored goals. HALLELUJAH. and our core support stood up ( not sure I agree that it would be different any other time).
For me the things I look for in a football game can be catered for non league. I want good open football. A realistic (to my wallet) entrance price, decent beer and food, good laugh with mates and banter with the oppo. Never have been bothered about who exactly the opposition is. Many point to our brief sojourn in L1 and the 'quality' of some of the billy big bo11ox teams we were playing. Big deal. IMO i really couldn't care less about this aspect. 'Oh wow, we are playing Sheffield, Leeds, Portsmouth etc and they are such big teams' ( spoken in hushed tones of awe and wonder). Nah. Cuts no ice here. Only issue that I would be very worried about would be the effect on the youth teams on losing league funding. Being a great believer in Karma, my take is that IF we do go down then it was meant to be that way. It is our Karma and we should simply embrace it. Conference football? Holds no fears for me.

 

[Shabba]

Good shout globey. Heresy though it will sound to many, I actually enjoyed a lot of aspects when we were conference. Games were a lot less expensive to attend, you could drink in the club bars along with oppo fans more than you often can do in the league, and the games were just as interesting and exciting to watch as anything i've witnessed in L2 or even L1 for that matter. As you pointed out we scored goals. HALLELUJAH. and our core support stood up ( not sure I agree that it would be different any other time).
For me the things I look for in a football game can be catered for non league. I want good open football. A realistic (to my wallet) entrance price, decent beer and food, good laugh with mates and banter with the oppo. Never have been bothered about who exactly the opposition is. Many point to our brief sojourn in L1 and the 'quality' of some of the billy big bo11ox teams we were playing. Big deal. IMO i really couldn't care less about this aspect. 'Oh wow, we are playing Sheffield, Leeds, Portsmouth etc and they are such big teams' ( spoken in hushed tones of awe and wonder). Nah. Cuts no ice here. Only issue that I would be very worried about would be the effect on the youth teams on losing league funding. Being a great believer in Karma, my take is that IF we do go down then it was meant to be that way. It is our Karma and we should simply embrace it. Conference football? Holds no fears for me.

Well you won't get that at SJP.

The conference days were great.

But I very much doubt we will be in the mix like before, the league is even harder to get out of now.

Plus the financial losses we will incur from dropping out of the football league, will have a massive dent in our income. It's a different vibe around City now, we can't sell out Argyle at home anymore, people are peed off and they certainly won't come running back, just cos we're in the conference, especially if the prices remain the same.

I understand what you're trying to say globey, but I really think that this would be the final nail in the coffin.

 

[paperclip]

The difference then was that we had quality players to enjoy watching. If we go down this time then apart from Grimes and maybe Wheeler (both of whom may be sold anyway to balance the books) then there aren't any players who I am really bothered about paying to watch.

 

[manc grecian]

It was we needed last time and had been coming. This time it would be a disaster because nobody at the club seems to give a flying one.