Humble Pie

Quoted from Maringer

Well, we did have a 'six figure' offer for Angol accepted, but he obviously didn't want to come and used our interest to get a move elsewhere. The loss of Whitehouse, who will be one of our biggest earners shouldn't be forgotten either.

I do think we started the season several players light though of course the arrival of Thomas, Pringle, Hendrie and Emberton added much-needed numbers. However, I don't think the players we've signed indicate we've been exactly pinching the pennies. Not that we'll be spending as much as several of the teams.

Hopefully, Hooper and the returning Cardwell can offer enough support to the likes of Thomas/Cook to get the goals we need. Regardless of whether or not Jolley has Zlatan Mk. II ready to sign in January!  

Good balanced post. Something substantial would have been needed to get Whitehouse here from the Gimps and both Welsh and Hess were persuaded to drop down a bit but it is reasonable to assume that we won't be in a position to outspend the likes of County and FGR if we are living within our means. I can see the arguments for both sides.

Quoted from Poojah

I think with hindsight, our summer recruitment had hallmarks of a restricted budget. Apparently missing out on numerous targets, obscure signings such as the likes of Robles (no disrespect to the lad intended) and in particular our inability to sign a physical striker (which presumably we were trying to given our interest in Akinde, Fortune and Bowman).

Which does kind of beg the question why, given that we have top 6 average gates, and that's even with our abject home form - I reckon we'd be pushing top 3 if we were playing decent football and in with a genuine shout of promotion. Are we being more sensible than other clubs, or do they simply have more investment from directors than we do?

Whilst I don't condone clubs spending beyond their means, it's true that you have to speculate to accumulate and I do wonder if a little more ambition in the transfer market would be a risk worth taking. You can't guarantee success, but another 1,000 on our average gate would equate to roughly £300k - £350k in the coffers over the course of the season. Like it or not, Lincoln are a testament to what forward momentum can do.

I know that we might have built up our expectations a bit, but the first game attendance shows that there is (and always has been) an appetite for success - an extra 1000 on the home gate is an achievable objective.

Quoted from Poojah

Which does kind of beg the question why, given that we have top 6 average gates, and that's even with our abject home form - I reckon we'd be pushing top 3 if we were playing decent football and in with a genuine shout of promotion. Are we being more sensible than other clubs, or do they simply have more investment from directors than we do?

Whilst I don't condone clubs spending beyond their means, it's true that you have to speculate to accumulate and I do wonder if a little more ambition in the transfer market would be a risk worth taking. You can't guarantee success, but another 1,000 on our average gate would equate to roughly £300k - £350k in the coffers over the course of the season. Like it or not, Lincoln are a testament to what forward momentum can do.

Its a shame more fans dont support the team through thick and thin as opposed to just when they are doing well.So long as the players are making the effort and are prepared to make sacrifices to better themselves as players and in turn the club I think they merit the support of the fans.

Having said that I appreciate that nowadays football isnt cheap.Hence £20 to watch a game in league 2 is quite expensive and Iam sure some would prefer to do other things on a Saturday rather than regularly watch Grimsby play on a cold Saturday afternoon at Blundell Park.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

I know that we might have built up our expectations a bit, but the first game attendance shows that there is (and always has been) an appetite for success - an extra 1000 on the home gate is an achievable objective.

Yes, 1000 extra on the gate is realistic if we're at the top end of the table. The problem is that spending an extra £500k doesn't guarantee that, then the gap has to be covered by Fenty and the loans go up which the majority will complain about and then blame him for badly managing the budget. You've only got to look at Chesterfield last season to see that having one of the biggest playing budgets in the division guarantees you nothing.

Quoted from pen penfras

Yes, 1000 extra on the gate is realistic if we're at the top end of the table. The problem is that spending an extra £500k doesn't guarantee that, then the gap has to be covered by Fenty and the loans go up which the majority will complain about and then blame him for badly managing the budget. You've only got to look at Chesterfield last season to see that having one of the biggest playing budgets in the division guarantees you nothing.

Agree that I for one dont want Fenty increasing his loans in any shape or form BUT I maintain that with proper engagement with the community the budget could be bigger, much bigger.

The fact is there is no encouragement for season ticket purchases, no genuine attempt to involve the business community, no clear plan to get buy-in from all elements of the community.

There are ways of increasing income other than Mr Fenty lending the club money

Quoted from Rick12

Its a shame more fans dont support the team through thick and thin as opposed to just when they are doing well.So long as the players are making the effort and are prepared to make sacrifices to better themselves as players and in turn the club I think they merit the support of the fans.

Having said that I appreciate that nowadays football isnt cheap.Hence £20 to watch a game in league 2 is quite expensive and Iam sure some would prefer to do other things on a Saturday rather than regularly watch Grimsby play on a cold Saturday afternoon at Blundell Park.

Probably because many locals these days support the likes of Man Utd,Liverpool etc on the TV and have little interest in following Town unless we're doing really well.

Quoted from Rick12

Its a shame more fans dont support the team through thick and thin as opposed to just when they are doing well.So long as the players are making the effort and are prepared to make sacrifices to better themselves as players and in turn the club I think they merit the support of the fans.

Having said that I appreciate that nowadays football isnt cheap.Hence £20 to watch a game in league 2 is quite expensive and Iam sure some would prefer to do other things on a Saturday rather than regularly watch Grimsby play on a cold Saturday afternoon at Blundell Park.

There's your problem. When was the last time we were successful in the league? We fudged the momentum of returning to the league, and we did the same when Jolley pulled off the great escape. First game of the season against FGR, there were 5800 Town fans in BP, and the same against Lincoln. By the time of the Port Vale game, there were 3600. Those 2200 fans were instantly disengaged by poor football and even poorer results.

I know scores of fans who keep coming back, see nothing has changed and drift off again. There are the core fans such as myself, and 3000 ish others who keep plodding along thinking it will get better eventually, but it never does. A lot of people will not pay 20 quid to watch us meekly lose to Morecambe, that's the reality.

I fully understand both sides of the argument regarding the budget, and we are, on the whole, stable financially, but there also has to be an element of a gamble on better players to enthuse the fans to return and stick around. To be fair to the club, it did look like we were trying to use the Dembele cash to fund a striker, with known bids for one or two, but like some of the stay away fans, we couldn't persuade them that BP was the place to be. Maybe the next window or two will see some better players brought in?

The simple fact is that winning teams bring in the fans, who bring in the extra money, which allows you to sign the better players. The dilemma is whether you spend that money up front and hope it works, or you try to build a winning side within budget restraints, and slowly improve as results improve. There are arguments for both.

As I said on another post after the Carlisle win, I don't think anyone is to blame for the 6 straight defeats as such.

MJ Had a plan
JF agreed to the plan and has supplied a 'competitive' budget

The problem as such is we let Mills go, as Hall-Johnson suits the wing back role a lot better, but then he got injured
Probably one of our biggest signing of the summer in Whitehouse got injured in pre-season and its out for majority if not all of the season.
Fox who is a decent if not fantastic Wing back got injured

And despite bids for numours strikers, for one reason or another it didnt happen.

We also got suspensions.
Rose in the 2nd game
Dixon in the 4th game
Thomas in the 5th game

So for this, i don't blame MJ or Fenty


Fenty continuted to back MJ and let him sign Hendrie, Pringle and Thomas

People have give Collins stick, yet at 38 years old, he's played 10 of the 14 games, and the 4 he didn't play was because he played 89mins vs Lincoln with a broken arm.

I think it's easy to forget that Jolley still has the Dembele money to spend.  I think it's a fair presumption that the money we used to bid for Bowman and Angol was from the Dembele sale and unless we had to pay Thomas an extra £2k a week to get him to sign, it's still there to be spent.

Ideally you want your squad in place for the whole season but if it's January when we bring in the final few pieces then so be it.  But where are they going to go?  

GK - McKeown and Russell - both signed deals in the summer
RB - Hall-Johnson - signed a deal in the summer
LB - Dixon (out of contract in summer, highly unlikely to stay) and Fox (signed a deal in the summer)
CB - Collins, Whitmore and Davis all signed deals in the summer.  Famewo here for the rest of the season on loan
Wing - Woolford and Wright both signed deals until the summer.  Embleton on loan until January. Pringle on loan for the rest of the season.
CM - Rose, Welsh, Clifton, Hessenthaler and Whitehouse all signed deals in the summer.  
ST - Cardwell and Hooper (contracted for the rest of the season) Rose, Cook, Thomas and Vernam all signed deals in the summer.

I think there's the possibility that Dixon will leave in January but otherwise I'm struggling to see anyone else leaving.  I think we would benefit from some defensive cover, especially at full-back but in more advanced positions I'm doubtful if there's room in the squad without it becoming a bit bloated.  

Quoted from promotion plaice

Probably because many locals these days support the likes of Man Utd,Liverpool etc on the TV and have little interest in following Town unless we're doing really well.

Shame  .I rather follow a team I have an affiliation to rather than just supporting a team because they are successful

Quoted from ginnywings

. I rather be a true supporter that follows a club where I have a affiliation to than just following because a team is successful


The simple fact is that winning teams bring in the fans, who bring in the extra money, which allows you to sign the better players. The dilemma is whether you spend that money up front and hope it works, or you try to build a winning side within budget restraints, and slowly improve as results improve. There are arguments for both.

I rather we do the latter. Just look at Leeds not so long ago.Were living beyond their means and look how they have since fallen from grace