A reality check

No one is more gutted than me how things are going for us at the moment but things could be worse :

Chesterfield are losing 0-2 at home tonight in the tinpot and as it stands are 2nd from bottom.
Wrexham are also in a relegation spot and the mighty Notts County are only mid table.

Just saying.

Never really understand these comparisons. Some teams we've played before are now doing worse than us. On the other hand, some teams we've played before are now doing better than us.

History counts for nothing.

Workington are nowhere
Stockport and York climbing back from obscurity

Do we have any gtfc fans who can update us on the golden years of gtfc in the 1930s? I would like to hear if we still have anyone left who could share some memories

Quoted from promotion plaice

No one is more gutted than me how things are going for us at the moment but things could be worse :

Chesterfield are losing 0-2 at home tonight in the tinpot and as it stands are 2nd from bottom.
Wrexham are also in a relegation spot and the mighty Notts County are only mid table.

Just saying.

Trying to use other clubs demise in the vain hope it gives a crumb of comfort just ain't going to cut it PP.
We are on a way path to the same situation as Wrexham, Chesterfield and Notts C.
If anything they'll pass us on the way up...
Nearly every fan to a man has had enough now, at least the Wrexham owners came out and apologised for the state they're in, where as ours think they're doing a great job and we should be thankful for having a team to watch...that's the reality check I'm afraid me old mucker

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Trying to use other clubs demise in the vain hope it gives a crumb of comfort just ain't going to cut it PP.
We are on a way path to the same situation as Wrexham, Chesterfield and Notts C.
If anything they'll pass us on the way up...
Nearly every fan to a man has had enough now, at least the Wrexham owners came out and apologised for the state they're in, where as ours think they're doing a great job and we should be thankful for having a team to watch...that's the reality check I'm afraid me old mucker

I was just trying to make myself feel a bit better but it didn't work  

Quoted from promotion plaice

I was just trying to make myself feel a bit better but it didn't work  

If I was you I'd take up cross stitch, lot less stressful and more fulfilling than watching town at the moment...that might make you feel better👍

Quoted from promotion plaice

I was just trying to make myself feel a bit better but it didn't work  

It was a good try but something feels even more wrong than usual at the moment. It’s got to the stage where I don’t even want to think about Town a lot of the time, which has never happened in 40 odd years as a fan! I’m just so sick and tired of it all, and there’s no end in sight. Happy days...

Knit and natter would be a better pastime than following GT at the moment.

Says so much when you see how few people are on the Fishy...the clubs killing the fans...thus board needs to wake up to the reality of the situation before it's too late...that's if it isn't already for most right now 😭

We could/will possibly be third bottom on saturday (after the Carlisle  loss).

Scunthorpe could then boast of sending us to the bottom of the league.

....or am I just being too much of a defeatist.

Quoted from tintowner

We could/will possibly be third bottom on saturday (after the Carlisle  loss).

Scunthorpe could then boast of sending us to the bottom of the league.

....or am I just being too much of a defeatist.

The title of the thread is "A reality check"... you've summed it up nicely imo.

In response to the  question above, my dad went to many games throughout the 1930s.  He told me earlier this year that he particularly remembers the record attendance v Wolves (31,651) which was 1936 I think. (God knows what the queues were like at HT for the toilets).

At the above game, when he was 11, he was selling matches and chocolates to fans in the Barratt Stand.  He had a “tray”, similar to what they used to have in cinemas during the break.

The chocolates came from Betmead’s Chocolate shop, which was near the ground. Betmead was part of our famous trilogy of Hall, Betmead and Buck.

He said that the crowd were so densely-packed in that orders and money were passed down to my dad at the front. The matches or chocolates and change were then passed back up the stand.  Their was a lot of trust then.  He said he made a £100 that day, although this a lot of money for the time.

Selling matches in a wooden stand for all the smokers does not bare thinking about.  These days you could run down to the front of the stand, given the small attendances.

He has died since telling me the above.  I had not heard the story before so it was good to hear.  At least he does not have to put up with the current dire performances.

Town have been through equally dire patches in their history. The problem the club have now is that there is far more things for people to do on a Saturday so if they drift away they’re lost and so are future generations. The negative effects of social media is also a real threat to the fanbase that weren’t there 50 years ago .
Time to wake up GTFC and back the next manager instead of this penny pinching austerity.

I think the reality is that all those clubs you mentioned are our future. We are probably on the way to being the next Stockport and tumbling down the leagues, they used to be in the same position as us years ago punching above their weight. We  are looking worse and worse each season, an endless number of players and managers through a revolving door. How many seasons will we barely scrape survival in League Two at the end of the season?

We should probably concentrate on our own problems instead of saying "at least we aren't so and so!".

I can’t believe our proud club and even prouder fans are prepared to put up with, or worse, to justify our mediocrity. Enough said.

It would be interesting to know what the board see as a good season.

* operating at break even
* mid table
* decent cup run
* majority share holder pocketing £250k
* selling youth players
* not getting relegated

Genuine question!

The apathy is quite obvious at the moment and there is a huge divide being created between the club and the supporters which needs to be addressed. I know people that are missing games for the first time in years because of what is happening.

It's obvious that the club needs a kick up the bottom at the moment before gates dwindle even more. You can't polish a turd but at least stick some glitter on it  

They may not want to address the elephant in the room, but he's sat there with a pina colada watching on

The board will point to the finances and claim they're doing their job. If only there was a spark of anything there that could stimulate fans, bring back those who no longer attend, but there isn't. Not a sausage.

We're not terminally ill yet, but we're definitely heading for life support without something radical happening. I used to get depressed seeing the results coming in when I got back my adopted team, now I hear them and think that's yet another defeat, and don't even care about it. This club is slowly, but surely, being deprived of the oxygen of life.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Says so much when you see how few people are on the Fishy...the clubs killing the fans...thus board needs to wake up to the reality of the situation before it's too late...that's if it isn't already for most right now

Fishy fans started dropping away lunch time Feb 21    2018      

Quoted from Kris2

I think the reality is that all those clubs you mentioned are our future. We are probably on the way to being the next Stockport and tumbling down the leagues, they used to be in the same position as us years ago punching above their weight. We  are looking worse and worse each season, an endless number of players and managers through a revolving door. How many seasons will we barely scrape survival in League Two at the end of the season?

We should probably concentrate on our own problems instead of saying "at least we aren't so and so!".

I think what makes it worse for us is that we can all see this eventual doomsday scenario coming if nothing changes soon. I think Stockport, Chesterfield and to some extent York's falls were far more sudden. Both Stockport and Chesterfield went from L1 to the bottom of the conference in a very short time. Seeing how long it took Stockport to get out of the National North is a scary prospect.

We have an owner who openly admits he just wants to get out. Yet at the same time it seems to be taking him forever to find the right non-tyre kicker to sell to.

On the playing side we are getting closer to the relegation zone, we cannot score goals, we have a shaky at best defence, no wingers and have zero confidence. Yet Fenty seemingly is not too bothered about appointing a new manager at all let alone one with sufficent experience and skill which is what we really need right now.

Should history repeat itself and we somehow manage to get relegated again I shudder to think where we will end up, if we will even exist. Maybe it would be for the best, the longer Fenty has been here the less it has felt "my club". In a perverse sort of way getting to be part of a Phoenix Town which would be 100% owned by us supporters sounds appealing to me.

Things might not be as bad as they seem-A lot of Newport players are down with MUMPS- if Town players had caught mumps at the end of August and this had not been diagnosed it could explain the way Town have been playing. One of the symptoms of mumps is that it feels like your balls are dragging on the ground and this seems to fit Towns symptoms

Just looking at the table and it's not horrendous reading..win our 2 games in hand and get something out the next ,2 league games and were not a million miles away from the play off spots...
If the board act and get a new man in, maybe this season isjt the right off we are all moaning about...
Got to try and find some positives from somewhere..

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Just looking at the table and it's not horrendous reading..win our 2 games in hand and get something out the next ,2 league games and were not a million miles away from the play off spots...
If the board act and get a new man in, maybe this season isjt the right off we are all moaning about...
Got to try and find some positives from somewhere..

Why did you put this in the reality check thread, its really not realistic with this squad, win 2 in hand and 2 good results over Christmas   nah not happening unfortuneately.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Why did you put this in the reality check thread, its really not realistic with this squad, win 2 in hand and 2 good results over Christmas   nah not happening unfortuneately.

Like I said madely, I'm trying to find some positives out if a seasons of negatives.
We need a "New manager bounce" to get us out of the malaise...

I remember saying similar things last year when we lost a home game around this time "were still only 7 points from playoffs or something similar" said I and I think we took 1 point from the next 4 games. I guess I've lost my belief in the Mariners after 45 years.

Perhaps we all feel a little negative at the minute, but I seem to recall that on average over many seasons we don’t tend to pick up many points during Christmas and new year.
12 points to play for in under a fortnight could give us cause for optimism if it does go well, or could leave us in serious trouble if not.

I wish I felt more confident, and maybe it WILL all come good, certainly no shortage of effort, but you also need quality and clinical finishing to move forward.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Just looking at the table and it's not horrendous reading..win our 2 games in hand and get something out the next ,2 league games and were not a million miles away from the play off spots...
If the board act and get a new man in, maybe this season isjt the right off we are all moaning about...
Got to try and find some positives from somewhere..

4 red crosses?....really?...for seeing something positive?....what a bunch of minges we lot are!!...

I think you make some good points Northbank, but I think your wish for “the board to act and get a new man in” may be some way off.
While the team are playing for AL ,creating chances, picking up the odd point, and not in the bottom two I think JF will live in hope and keep his wallet shut.

Quoted from lee65

I think you make some good points Northbank, but I think your wish for “the board to act and get a new man in” may be some way off.
While the team are playing for AL ,creating chances, picking up the odd point, and not in the bottom two I think JF will live in hope and keep his wallet shut.

Absolutely spot on Lee,...for as much as I like AL and it appears so do the players, I just don't think he's the man to take us forward and get us firing again ..but, as you say, and so have I on other threads, whilst the performances aren't completely dire the board will back him....all I can see is the odd bore draw under AL though, we need a manager who can get the most of what, on paper, is not a bad squad for league 2.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

4 red crosses?....really?...for seeing something positive?....what a bunch of minges we lot are!!...

It's been mentioned many times about an air of negativity in the club but it's just as bad with the fans. Maybe I'm the eternal optimist but seeing as I've watched town since 1965 then I've more than seen my fill of ups and downs. IMO though, regardless of how things are on the pitch surely it's up to us fans to remain positive or what's the point of being a supporter , let alone having a football club?

Quoted from rancido

It's been mentioned many times about an air of negativity in the club but it's just as bad with the fans. Maybe I'm the eternal optimist but seeing as I've watched town since 1965 then I've more than seen my fill of ups and downs. IMO though, regardless of how things are on the pitch surely it's up to us fans to remain positive or what's the point of being a supporter , let alone having a football club?

Agree to a point but if the board have decided to give AL time, why can't they let us know? It would be much easier to get behind a manager that's here for the medium term than this piecemeal mentality where we don't know if he's managing from one week to the next. At the moment, it just seems like it's Jolley's team with a bit of structure but the same limitations in terms of output.

Quoted from rancido

It's been mentioned many times about an air of negativity in the club but it's just as bad with the fans. Maybe I'm the eternal optimist but seeing as I've watched town since 1965 then I've more than seen my fill of ups and downs. IMO though, regardless of how things are on the pitch surely it's up to us fans to remain positive or what's the point of being a supporter , let alone having a football club?

REALITY is more REALISTIC than POSITIVITY. To be realistic we are shite-to be positive we can't be shite forever.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Agree to a point but if the board have decided to give AL time, why can't they let us know? It would be much easier to get behind a manager that's here for the medium term than this piecemeal mentality where we don't know if he's managing from one week to the next. At the moment, it just seems like it's Jolley's team with a bit of structure but the same limitations in terms of output.

I can see what you mean but it is Jolley's team because he assembled this squad. Maybe AL would have had some input but the final say would have been Jolley's. Any new manager coming in would have to do the best he could with these players and apart from freeing a little bit of the budget in returning the loan players then that's it. It's ok MJ having his spat about " the budget " but before the season started he knew what it was and it was up to him to use it wisely. Let's face it he was from a financial background so he should have known the importance of how and where his money went , with the insurance of keeping a little bit in hand. IMO I think JF will stick with AL until the end of December. The players seem to respond to him, he's worked with them since the summer and  it does take a few games and practice sessions to get a new playing structure into place. I know it wouldn't allow a new manager to hit the New Year running but seeing as MJ used up all the budget it's not as if a new guy can make wholesale changes to the squad.

If he can get a result on Saturday he’ll be a hero and whole mood around the club and fans will be lifted enough to get us going again.

One would hope if AL gets the job, JF would make some funds available. However,  I would envisage he would be left to wheel and deal by moving out Cardwell, Ring and maybe Cook. Good luck with that AL!!!!

Quoted from golfer

One of the symptoms of mumps is that it feels like your balls are dragging on the ground and this seems to fit Towns symptoms

I don’t recall seeing many balls on the ground this season.

Quoted from blundellpork

I don’t recall seeing many balls on the ground this season.

There was that one that the ref tried bouncing during the Macclesfield monsoon that just stayed where he’d dropped it  

Quoted from blundellpork

I don’t recall seeing many balls on the ground this season.

Jolley dropped a few.