If and When..........

[Seagull over SW France]

We go down,bearing in mind we now have to win three more games than Sheff Wed(although we have yet to play them,I know) what is going to change in Div 1? Are a host of players going to suddenly come out of the woodwork? I don't think so. For most of the season,we have been promised either 2 strikers,a left back etc..
In my opinion,as the league table says,we've punched above our weight all season and have done nothing to turn it around.Everyday I see other clubs signing this striker and that striker to reasonable effect whilst we do bugger all........where are the players Dean White alledgedly went to scout on?? Do you think,like me,that what with not getting into debt and the Falmer saga dragging on,we want to get relegated 'cos surviving on our wagebill and 7,000 crowds,a Champioship club we are not??
I've got my tin hat on for the likely responses!!!

 

[Yorkie]

Why the tin hat?

This question has been debated in depth many many times over the last few months.
I don't think any of the posters in any part of the spectrum has changed their stance.

 

[Wardy]

If possible we need to stay up. Bigger TV money, bigger gates etc. Going down will not be the death of us but will be another nail in the coffin until the Falmer issue is sorted out.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

bigger gates

I'm not sure about this ...

Yes I agree, when we play big-name teams like Leeds we can count on a few big game fans to turn out. But I'd say, winning and being near the top (of any division) will encourage more fans to come and watch.

 

[Icy Gull]

Just maybe our strike force has enough to get by in League 1. Mid table obscurity will satisfy me whilst the never ending saga of Falmer drags on for another couple of years as it becomes apparent the world is against us. The lack of any sign of investment depresses me to the extent that I have my doubts it will ever happen

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

I'm not sure about this ...

Yes I agree, when we play big-name teams like Leeds we can count on a few big game fans to turn out. But I'd say, winning and being near the top (of any division) will encourage more fans to come and watch.

Very true, and if on the opening day of the season, Gatts or CKR get a goal think their confidence will rocket and really think they could be 20 goals a season in them. Also at a lower level think our youngsters will get encouraged by getting a couple of results, which again will increase confidence. Not sayin we will come straight back up but think we may flirt with play offs, keeping everyone interested then the following season we could come back.

 

[pasty]

Just maybe our strike force has enough to get by in League 1.

I bloody well hope so. If players don't want to sign for Brighton (for whatever reason) whilst we're in the Championship, they sure as hell ain't going to want to play for us in League 1.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Its a very iffy if now,though not undo-able.I think mid table in L1,though I believe if we COULD stay up,next season will be better.As to who would sign if we went down,L1 players would sign,and I expect we have been trying to borrow Championship players who don't want to play at the Withdean Astrodome.

As to crowds,tv money and the such,certainly crowds will drop unless we do well (at least scoring and winning at home).TV money will be less.Income will be less.Expenditure will have to be less.So unless Burton Albion have another unknown genius to let us have,it could be a dour old few seasons until Falmer comes on stream and hopefully fires up some investment.

But we lose trips to all those shiney new stadia we've seen this last couple of years,the chance to play in front of biggish crowds every other game in sometimes superb facilities,and look forward to trips to Carlisle,Grimsby and the like.....teams that we should (ahem), with all due respect,be beating!

 

[Gully]

This has been doing my head in, players don't want to come to Withdean because of the stadium, hang on a moment they are running around on a grass pitch which is roughly the same size as that used by every other football club in the World. It is us, the fans, who have to pay to sit in the ground and watch them doing their running around, in a ground which largely has no roof and is open to the elements. On a wet and windy day the players will still have to brave whatever the weather throws at them as that is what they are paid for, regardless of the quality of stadium surrounding the pitch, it is us who are getting wet and paying for the privelage.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

It's not the pitch but the facilities that go with it, changing in Portakabins, using University facilities to train on whose pitches are not the greatest and can be liable to flood in the rainy season. Many championship sides can offer far better working conditions, therefore it isn't surprising we lose out. Perhaps in League 1 we will be on a par with a lot of lower league clubs.

 

[London Irish]

It's interesting that both Knight and McCammon are scoring straight away in League 1. I think it shows the potential of our guys should the worst happen and we go down.

 

[Gully]

Fair point, and those two came in for more than their fair share of criticism on NSC for their inability to score at Championship level.

 

[Yorkie]

It's interesting that both Knight and McCammon are scoring straight away in League 1. I think it shows the potential of our guys should the worst happen and we go down.

True.

Talking of lack of facilities it isn't just the portakabins but playing reserve matches at Worthing which very often gets waterlogged and not being able to use the Uni fields at all for weeks at a time when the weather is bad.

 

[trueblue]

This has been doing my head in, players don't want to come to Withdean because of the stadium, hang on a moment they are running around on a grass pitch which is roughly the same size as that used by every other football club in the World. It is us, the fans, who have to pay to sit in the ground and watch them doing their running around, in a ground which largely has no roof and is open to the elements. On a wet and windy day the players will still have to brave whatever the weather throws at them as that is what they are paid for, regardless of the quality of stadium surrounding the pitch, it is us who are getting wet and paying for the privelage.

If you were looking for a new job would you choose the place with the shiny, smart air-conditioned offices and loads of regular business.. or the guys operating out of a portakabin with red bills all over the desk but a grand plan?

 

[Gully]

Since I am the type of person who looks to improve what they already have, or indeed move somewhere with potential, then I would definitely see what the guys operating from a Portakabin had to say for themselves.

I am moving home in a few weeks, the place I am buying is in need of a lot of modernising and updating but is essentially sound, when the job is finished it will be a stunning place to live and in a good area. For the same money I could have bought an all singing and dancing brand new appartment in a smart development, but I choose not to. For me it is like choosing between the Albion and a team like Reading, one has plenty of potential for improvement, the other has pretty much reached it already, I like a challenge so I choose the Albion.

 

[seagulls4eva]

If we stay up we're just going to go through the same thing again. If we go down it's likley we'll finish at least mid table. If we do well in league 1 then more fans are going to want to (from us and whoever we play.) If we stay up and hardly win at all there will be no where near as many fans. But we'll get bigger TV money. If we get some strikers in before the start of the season, we can do well (whether were in the Championship or League 1.)
Whichever division were in were not going to get that much money until we get the falmer.

 

[bathseagull]

We go down,bearing in mind we now have to win three more games than Sheff Wed(although we have yet to play them,I know) what is going to change in Div 1? Are a host of players going to suddenly come out of the woodwork? I don't think so. For most of the season,we have been promised either 2 strikers,a left back etc..
In my opinion,as the league table says,we've punched above our weight all season and have done nothing to turn it around.Everyday I see other clubs signing this striker and that striker to reasonable effect whilst we do bugger all........where are the players Dean White alledgedly went to scout on?? Do you think,like me,that what with not getting into debt and the Falmer saga dragging on,we want to get relegated 'cos surviving on our wagebill and 7,000 crowds,a Champioship club we are not??
I've got my tin hat on for the likely responses!!!

Good point - i think by offering so many youth team players professional deals, mcghee has admitted that he doesn't expect to sign many players before the start of next season whatever division we are in.

I think gatting, ckr, loft (although he wasn't great on saturday), lynch, hammond will all thrive in league one, along with some of the other members of the youth cup side.

It's the same old problem with us at the moment - we are not an attractive club to come to, especially when someone else is interested. if it comes down to a choice between us and leeds or hull or plymouth even, most players aren't going to come to us. maybe next year, if (when) we're in the same division as tranmere, bournemouth, hartlepool etc, we will stand more chance of attracting players...

 

[Lammy]

It'll be easier to attract strikers at the top of league one that at the bottom of the Championship. FACT.