Is it really a disaster if we go down this year?

[Rougvie]

Actually I VERY rarely agree with the IRISH one, but there is truth to a limited degree about seasons past when we have gone down and spirits have remained high.

However we were playing better football, and the novelty of Withdean (if there ever has been one) hadnt quite worn off, now it well and truly has.

 

[Uncle Buck]

If we go down it would not be a good thing for a few reasons. Falmer would still be built, but at some point we need to sell the naming rights to the ground and stands. Compainies are going to pay less for these at a lower level of the league structure. We need to sell pitch side advertising, if you can not guarantee being on ITV's flagship round up programme, there will be less interest and in the third division there will be less chance of being the live game, so less exposure for these boards and so less interest.

Then you have all these coporate boxes. Clients are going to be less interested in attending third tier football than they will be if we are in this league.

From a playing point of view, we were a rarity in coming straight back up, with what is going on currently, can you see this squad scoring enough goals to do that? Yes it would be a decent level to blood the next crop of youngsters, but if you are good enough then you should play and at the highest level possible, as this can only help their development and increase their value. Would we have got £2.3m for Harding and Virgo if we were in the league below.

From a selfish point of view, I like going to places like Leeds, Southampton, Sheffield Utd, Derby, Sunderland etc. The thought of having to go to Chesterfield, Oldham, Southend, Blackpool, Hartlepool etc does not have the same appeal.

 

[Curious Orange]

I really don't think it will matter if we get relegated (I have a feeling we won't btw) - we will get relegated at some point down the line, that is one of the inevitabilities of football. The uncertainty over the stadium is largely passed, and we can build from that irrespective of which division we're in, and if we're honest it will be a really BIG ask to stay in the Championship while we're awating the stadium to be completed.

 

[B.W.]

I am not sure there is a "fickle" part of our support. In teh last few years , we have always hovered around the 6,500 mark, even now with the extra seats we can all see empty gaps.

i think that it would be folly to spend more money at the moment on extra seats at Withdean for example.

If you are referring to people not renewing season tickets then that is people's choice....we will see in Feb/march just what that inpact will have.


I personally think going down wont be a disaster, however, i cant see us leaping straight back up. Div 1 is a strange league with teams we have always struggled to beat , ie barnsley, Bradford, port vale etc etc.

having said all that, if we are correct and the forwards we have are not Championship level, then I wonder if we might as well cut our losses, dont sign anyone ( which I think may not be a million miles away to what is happening) and look to rebuild for next year in Div 1. That is defeatist I know, but I think the only way we will survive is a change in playing personnel.

We will get a change in playing personnel if we go down... and we will lose the players we all want to retain... this is a disaster in my eyes... and, yes, you are being defeatist...

 

[B.W.]

The problem with the "not a disaster" case is that there seems to be an assumption that we will automatically be challenging for promotion fom league 1... this is not necessarily so... there is every chance we could be mid-table, or worse... we will lose money, our best players, and find it more difficult to leverage the potential of Falmer... that has to be a disaster... wake-up people...

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Also will people want to pay 25 quid to watch Mcghee football? it was dire last time in that league and like it or loath it some fair weather/fickle/one off watchers want to get there moneys worth.

 

[BensGrandad]

[B
Realistically, we are only going to struggle in the Championship for the next few seasons until we get Falmer, and the chances are we are not going to be able to hold on one year. Surely it would be better to go down this season than it would to go down in a couple of seasons' time, just before Falmer? [/B]

Why? Is it not easier to bring in players who aren't on their last legs and have perhaps 2 seasons at this level to keep us up and still blood the youngsters. 30 year olds as opposed to 34/35 year olds who have the proven ability to play at this level.

 

[Brovion]

Also will people want to pay 25 quid to watch Mcghee football? it was dire last time in that league and like it or loath it some fair weather/fickle/one off watchers want to get there moneys worth.

Reading most of the posts on here over the last few weeks I think a lot of people don't want to pay that much to watch us struggle in the Championship. Is that our fate for the next 3/4 seasons? Season after season of struggling against the odds to stay in a division which in terms of club infrastructure we shouldn't really be in anyway. Will people keep on paying to watch it?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I would have said the quality of football has improved from last year, certainly with our wingers. I am sure if we get the right striker to finish it off then we would be miles ahead of ourselves.

Kinky, I can't remember the last time you said something positive....how do you make it through the day feeling so negative