Just back

Quoted from HerveJosse

Thank gos for glass screens ( paid for buy a grant) and expensive food . Where would we be without them

Quoted from Mariner_09

Leave aside the result on Saturday for a second. My overriding emotions extend beyond losing to top of the table Stockport. I'm thoroughly fed up with supporting the club. Almost want it to go away and pretend it never existed.

In the last 2.5, nearly 3 years, we have changed owners and since then changed and improved the whole ethos and culture of the club. We treat players so much better now, look at Scannell and Pearson as examples for that. Giles Coke was held onto as well and allowed a transition into his post playing career rather than being just cut adrift. We're not hearing stories of contracts being changed as players drive to sign.

Our backroom staff has grown. We now have a proper Strength and Conditioning Coach, a data analyst, a guy whose sole job is identifying players. Ben Davies's role didn't exist previously.

We are staying over before and after for long away journeys now.

The mood in the club shop and ticket office is far more helpful and warm. Although the ticket situation has struggled for big, big games, the system is a massive improvement on what preceded it.

The communication with the fans is so much better, interviews with Humberside, Mariners TV and columns in the Guardians means we're far better informed.

The matchday experience has improved, take the glass panel at the front of the Upper Findus, we've won countless awards for food on match days. Hey, even the Gents in the main stand are no longer truly disgusting!

All of this is an immeasurable improvement on what went before it and yet, on the pitch, after two years of what threatened to bring back genuine, tangible progress, we're back here again. Despite all of the above, it seems like we're incapable of being any better than this.

Scrambling around, hoping we're somehow better than two sides as to avoid a THIRD spell in the Conference. This is seemingly what we've become and it depresses me.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Not a very intelligent response to what was a very structured and well worded post that reflects many a fan’s feelings at the moment.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

All of that is obviously true and as a lifelong fan I completely share your frustrations.

I suppose the only way of looking at it is Fenty allowed the club to rot, and all the things you mention are now standard practice for a professional football league club. In that sense it has taken this long to get to the starting point.

I am quite an impatient sort so I wanted more to happen, more announcements about the training ground, the future of BP, inward investment but I guess it is a long term thing.

We simply have to avoid the drop though otherwise it doesn't bear thinking about.

Quoted from rancido

All very true. A lot of work had to be done to the ground which will have swallowed up a fairly substantial amount of money and still more to be spent on the Main Stand this summer. The improvement to the coaching staff will have also meant an increase in the overall wage budget. These were all expenses just needed to drag us into the 21st Century ( finally). They ground costs  make the fans experience better but is hard to quantify in financial return. They coaching staff expense is more of a long term benefit but allows us to keep up with other teams at our level. Yes, The Leech left us in a right mess and knew when to get out.

Quoted from chaos33

I honestly think that going back to the national league again would kill off the club’s ideas about evolving and see us shed at least half the fan base. Disastrous from a business and community point of view. It simply must be prevented at all costs. It’s unthinkable.

Quoted from rancido

It is unthinkable and must be avoided at all costs. Interesting to note that Stockport sunk to low depths of the Non-League football pyramid and look on course to get promoted to League 1 this season.

Quoted from ginnywings

Stockport have a hugely bigger playing budget than we do.

Since their owner arrived four years ago, he has invested massively in the club, writing off millions, and it shows on the pitch. Not one of our players would get in their squad.

They were firmly stuck in non league for years until he came along.