Chesterfield

If you think things are bad at Town, have a read of this:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/dec/28/chesterfield-relegation-national-league

Things aren’t so bad but there’s a lot of parallels...and nothing to suggest that couldn’t be us...

If things don’t change for the better soon, then I think we will go that way sadly.

If they ‘do a Bury’, because they’re in non league, it would barely cause a ripple. Next-to-nobody would notice, or care.

If you go down to the conference, you’re nothing. If the people running our club didn’t realise that during those 6 horrendous years, then there’s no hope for us either. The fact that this is our 4th season back in the league and we’re seeing the opposite to progress suggests we’ll be joining Chesterfield pretty soon if there’s no investment.

We could add them to the "it could be worse we could be......" list

However you view this situation, it does show how perilous life in the lower part of the EFL is.

I guess when Chesterfield were getting a shiny new stadium, had backers with (apparently) plenty of money, and were moving up the table everyone would be happy?, and I remember wondering  why they could get a new stadium etc. while we spent years taking one step forwards and two steps back in the pursuit of a new home away from BP

A few short years later they are sliding in to oblivion

It really is difficult to know what is the best way forward,
keep working “within our means” which may lead to continued survival at a lowish level? (but may only postpone relegation for a couple of years too)

Or speculate to accumulate, which might work but if not might mean unsustainable debts leading to the end much quicker ?

In a way this isn’t about Town really, it’s about the sad state of football where the rich get richer while the poor dwindle and die

York also lost at home yesterday to an average Marcus Bignot team.

Quoted from lee65

However you view this situation, it does show how perilous life in the lower part of the EFL is.

I guess when Chesterfield were getting a shiny new stadium, had backers with (apparently) plenty of money, and were moving up the table everyone would be happy?, and I remember wondering  why they could get a new stadium etc. while we spent years taking one step forwards and two steps back in the pursuit of a new home away from BP

A few short years later they are sliding in to oblivion

It really is difficult to know what is the best way forward,
keep working “within our means” which may lead to continued survival at a lowish level? (but may only postpone relegation for a couple of years too)

Or speculate to accumulate, which might work but if not might mean unsustainable debts leading to the end much quicker ?

In a way this isn’t about Town really, it’s about the sad state of football where the rich get richer while the poor dwindle and die

Some excellent points Lee.

Agree with points made by Lee
Chesterfield were flying - I think they were play off final away from Championship about 4/5 years ago?
New stadium/investors not exactly worked for them
Then you look at Accrington - average stadium, small budget and a L1 side

So, money not everything - it's about how you own/manage those situations and GTFC have not been great with a lot of it self-induced by our owner (eg: not giving Hurst that little bit extra he needed when we were 8th L2 and looking to solidify our place after promotion... downhill ever since)

Having the right manager is huge IMO - big or small budget - and we had that with PH...but it's gone now so we move on

There are no guarantees - look at Wrexham who along with Chesterfield could well go Nat Lge North

Don't know what the answer is? Certainly a new owner with fresh ideas (at least enabling us to have a modern thinking board - like Lincoln - would be a start)

Roll that dice...

The thing is, when you take the angst out, I just find the whole situation very sad and depressing.

I’m not even sure which way I would choose to go.  Part of me thinks it’s time for all or nothing (and I’m normally a low risk guy) because though I would never support anyone else but the Mariners I’ve had enough of the status quo