Do we want to go up this season?

[Waynflete]

I seem to remember a discussion on here around the start of the season about whether we really wanted to get promoted this year.

Some people obviously argued that promotion is always the aim, while others were saying they'd rather have a strong first season at Falmer chasing promotion in League 1, building up big crowds etc., rather than a tough season in the Championship.

What do people think now that it's January and we're in a strong position? Personally, from where we are now, I'd be very surprised if many people would be happy for us not to go up this year! Thoughts?

 

[16bha]

Hmmmmm let me think..........

Promotion, what else!!!

 

[Ecosse Exile]

I'll be gutted if we dont go up automatically now, although in the summer i would have been delighted with the play offs.

 

[GT49er]

Always HOPED for promotion - now it's looking lke a possibility - Hey! Let's go for it!

 

[Waynflete]

I'll be gutted if we dont go up automatically now, although in the summer i would have been delighted with the play offs.

Completely agree. The difference now is that if we keep hold of Gus and our best players, I think we'd stand a fighting chance in the Championship, which I wan't sure of before. Here's hoping...

 

[Sam Ovett]

We'll storm the Championship, with Doncaster being our new Orient, and then win it comfortably, forcing ourselves into the Premiership where we will do what Blackpool have done this season and stay up hopefully, and the next season we will establish ourselves as a new Tottenham. Season after we will win the league and European competition, whether it be the Champions League or Europa League.

 

[algie]

I'm sorry but this is a stupid thread and i can't be bothered to list the benefits of going up.It's obvious.

 

[Waynflete]

I'm sorry but this is a stupid thread and i can't be bothered to list the benefits of going up.It's obvious.

Sorry to waste your precious time algie. I was referring to discussion such as the one on this thread: Bloom wants automatic promotion next season

including posts such as this:

"First Season at Falmer - Still in League 1 - Free flowing football, winning most games, Promotion from League 1 to Championship, perhaps via play-offs...

OR

First Seaon at Falmer - Defensive football, losing most games, Relegation from Championshiop back to League one.

Which would attractt he bigger crowds?

I guess we'd sell more ST if we were in Championship, but over the course of the season, which option would be better?"


and this:

"The main thing I want for Falmer is that we fill as many seats week in week out and I don't really care what league we are in. Obviously being in the championship may increase attendances but you could also pose this question,

Would there be more bums on seats if we where in a relegation battle in the Championship or if we where winning week in week out flying high at the top of the table in League One?

At the end of the day the fans who are just coming along for the first few times will only return if we are winning, which is more likely in League One. As much as I would LOVE us to be in the Championship maybe one season in League one may not be so bad... as long as it is only ONE season"

Just asking the question as I was under the impression this is a forum for discussion about football...

 

[algie]

We won't play defensive football under Gus

The Championship is not that good.Look at Norwich,Leeds and Millwall.

We have a quality manager

We will have a large home crowd behind us.

We have Blooms cheque book

We won't struggle at all.


Bloom gave Gus two years to get us up.He isn't going to put pressure on him and say i want promotion this season is he? It takes time but luckily we are giving a right go this season.

 

[Waynflete]

We won't play defensive football under Gus

The Championship is not that good.Look at Norwich,Leeds and Millwall.

We have a quality manager

We will have a large home crowd behind us.

We have Blooms cheque book

We won't struggle at all.


Bloom gave Gus two years to get us up.He isn't going to put pressure on him and say i want promotion this season is he? It takes time but luckily we are giving a right go this season.

I agree with you. I'd be gutted if we don't go up this year. I was surprised anyone at the start of the season suggested we'd be better off staying down, to be honest.

 

[Robdinho]

I think the difference is that, at that stage, no-one could have envisaged just how much better the team would be playing this season - we'd struggled the previous year and the thinking then was that, if we somehow got promoted, we would inevitably struggle in the higher league and be serious relegation candidates.

But now, we've come on so much since last season that people are starting to believe that, were we to go up, we could more than hold our own in the Championship. So obviously everyone wants us to get promotion this year, as the subsequent year of struggle seems a far less credible outcome.

 

[algie]

Gutted? I would be very p1ssed off mate.

We run a much higher risk of losing our better players and possibly our manager.

With championship football at the Amex we can compete at that level with wages and attract quality players.Gus is building up a very good reputation for himself and that can only bode well when we are hunting down new players.

 

[The Brighton Bear]

I think the difference is that, at that stage, no-one could have envisaged just how much better the team would be playing this season - we'd struggled the previous year and the thinking then was that, if we somehow got promoted, we would inevitably struggle in the higher league and be serious relegation candidates.

But now, we've come on so much since last season that people are starting to believe that, were we to go up, we could more than hold our own in the Championship. So obviously everyone wants us to get promotion this year, as the subsequent year of struggle seems a far less credible outcome.

This.

 

[cuthbert]

What on earth is the point of playing if you don't try to win every game, and thus get promoted?

 

[Beach Hut]

I think this season is beyond a joke now, if we are playing championship football next season then we will have failed and I expect Bloom to sack Poyet at 14:59 on the 6th August.

 

[chimneys]

Now let me think...

I reckon I would rather we didnt win a game for the rest of the season, get a 10point deduction for going into administration as TB had been having us/Buckingham Group on all the time, get relegated, and find Falmer is actually built upon a very important Roman settlement, so has to be demolished!

 

[Thimble Keegan]

I seem to remember a discussion on here around the start of the season about whether we really wanted to get promoted this year.

Some people obviously argued that promotion is always the aim, while others were saying they'd rather have a strong first season at Falmer chasing promotion in League 1, building up big crowds etc., rather than a tough season in the Championship.

What do people think now that it's January and we're in a strong position? Personally, from where we are now, I'd be very surprised if many people would be happy for us not to go up this year! Thoughts?

Very interesting thoughts because that is pretty much what I was thinking at the start of the season, albeit I did not post it on here. From my point of view I never subscribed to the "we must be in the Championship for the first season at Falmer". The way I see it we will pretty much sell out the opening year at Falmer and having big crowds in the Championship is a given...So, having next season in League 1 would be a bonus in terms of gates as even if we played Rochdale in February we would still have a full-house.

Also, I believe in making steady progress (even if it is small steps) and before a ball was kicked this term I would have taken a top-half finish. It would have been an improvement on the previous season and with the stadium ready it would have represented the club moving forward..

But, then this season things suddenly clicked and it changed everything! Watching us play it is clear we play a brand of football that is by far and away streets ahead of anyone else (as I said last night). We have been the best team in this league for majority of this year and we, quite rightly, sit atop the division. So, this has now lead me to be greedy and now I want nothing more than the League 1 title. Yes, I appreciated that finishing in second will still result in promotion but I believe we are the best and want us to prove it over the 46 games...I want to be CHAMPIONS!

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Rustington BHA

 

[chimneys]

So, having next season in League 1 would be a bonus in terms of gates as even if we played Rochdale in February we would still have a full-house.


Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Rustington BHA

I dont think that's a given. Imagine-we lost Gus/Tanno, got a hoofball manager in and were languishing in 21st place of 1st Division next Feb. Some of our support are a fickle bunch as we all know and it doesnt take much for our floating support to die away after the initial euphoria of the new stadium.

A very unlikely scenario but I dont think a full house against Rochdale in February guarenteed in any eventuality. But us in Championship (even without Gus) would guarentee pretty much a full house all next season

 

[simon swagbag]

I said I wasn't bothered whether we got promoted or not, and that the important thing is that the club is financially sound & we have a strong youth policy.
I'd just read "The Beautiful Game?" by David Conn, which warns of the perils of reckless spending whilst also championing clubs like Crewe with their policy of nurturing home grown talent.
Look at our league position now, a few points clear & games in hand. It would need a proper wobble to see us fall to third and touch wood we've had our wobble & we're getting stronger.
Bring on West Ham, bring on Forest & the rest. Sod it, let Palace stay up & let's muller them too.
Yes, I want Championship football at Falmer.

 

[Bold Seagull]

With nearly 3000 1901's secured, looking likely that we'll probably sell almost all the 16,000 ST's, it's not like we'll be going up without any secured income to bring some new faces in etc. Going up this season will be massive, more than Bloom and the club could have hoped for with the stadium opening.