Just thought I would start a thread to comment on all the end of season play-off games.

Last night's scores, Championship:
Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford
Barnsley 0-1 Swansea

Today's games:
Oxford v Blackpool (League One 18:00)
Newport v FGR (League Two 20:15)

Come on Sunderland tomorrow night.

Enjoyed both of last night's games. Nice to have an atmosphere too, especially the Barnsleh match.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Just thought I would start a thread to comment on all the end of season play-off games.

Come on Sunderland tomorrow night.

Aren't you backing the plucky underdog?

3,146 Imps allowed inside the ground tomorrow night .... that'll be a decent gate for you next season  ;)

Quoted from Abdul19

Enjoyed both of last night's games. Nice to have an atmosphere too, especially the Barnsleh match.

Yeah considering there was only 4,000 of them, the Barnsley fans made a right racket. Hope they can turn it round and get promoted. Sick of the same teams going up or down from the Prem. Them or Brentford for me please.

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Aren't you backing the plucky underdog?

3,146 Imps allowed inside the ground tomorrow night .... that'll be a decent gate for you next season  ;)

Would have been a decent gate for you before the Cowleys invented football. Anyway good luck for tonight, hopefully you can get past Sunderland and lose in the final. Would be good for Blackpool to get some revenge on you after you ragged it twice against them this season.

Quoted from Abdul19

Enjoyed both of last night's games. Nice to have an atmosphere too, especially the Barnsleh match.

Are they on Sky?

Quoted from promotion plaice

Just thought I would start a thread to comment on all the end of season play-off games.

Last night's scores, Championship:
Bournemouth 1-0 Brentford
Barnsley 0-1 Swansea

Today's games:
Oxford v Blackpool (League One 18:00)
Newport v FGR (League Two 20:15)

Come on Sunderland tomorrow night.

In a strange way I'm hoping Lincoln do get promoted

It would really stuff up all the focus and attention that Look NorthBank will look to give to the top team in their broadcast area   ::)

Quoted from tanga_the_indestructible

Are they on Sky?

Yeah.

Oxford 0-2 Blackpool after 25 mins.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Just thought I would start a thread to comment on all the end of season play-off games.

Come on Sunderland tomorrow night.

Check out if you can the excellent programme  they done on Netflix if you havent already on Sunderland football club "Sunderland till I die ". Reminded me a bit of Grimsby a bit but on a much larger scale eg deprived area economically but some lovely people who had a real passion  for their club.

Have been in a support bubble with a mate who is a Blackpool fan so have watched them a fair bit when Town haven't been playing and they're a really tidy, solid side. Jerry Yates has had a great season, probably their standout player along with their keeper. Embleton has struggled at times but is coming good now, that ball he played in for the first goal was quality. Ethan Robson has been pretty crap.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Have been in a support bubble with a mate who is a Blackpool fan so have watched them a fair bit when Town haven't been playing and they're a really tidy, solid side. Jerry Yates has had a great season, probably their standout player along with their keeper. Embleton has struggled at times but is coming good now, that ball he played in for the first goal was quality. Ethan Robson has been pretty crap.

according to BBC N.Ireland tonight they're signing Shane Lavery from Linfield, who's scored nearly 30 goals for them this season

Lincoln City v Sunderland (League One Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg)

18:00 (Sky Sports Football)

Should be interesting, Lincoln were forced to sign an emergency goalkeeper yesterday due to a training ground injury to their regular keeper, he's only had one training session with them.

It's a Lincoln win then

Quoted from promotion plaice

Lincoln City v Sunderland (League One Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg)

18:00 (Sky Sports Football)

Should be interesting, Lincoln were forced to sign an emergency goalkeeper yesterday due to a training ground injury to their regular keeper, he's only had one training session with them.

Please tell me it's a certain  Mr Tommy Forecast ???

Must say Lincoln's pitch looks miles better than ours this season.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Lincoln City v Sunderland (League One Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg)

18:00 (Sky Sports Football)

Should be interesting, Lincoln were forced to sign an emergency goalkeeper yesterday due to a training ground injury to their regular keeper, he's only had one training session with them.

Man of the match for us too ..... what a debut ;)

Quoted from Rick12

Check out if you can the excellent programme  they done on Netflix if you havent already on Sunderland football club "Sunderland till I die ". Reminded me a bit of Grimsby a bit but on a much larger scale eg deprived area economically but some lovely people who had a real passion  for their club.

Agreee. Really enjoyed that... I'm currently watching bits and bobs of the 'all or nothing' man city on amazon. Only watch about half hour a week as its not as interesting

Quoted from promotion plaice

Must say Lincoln's pitch looks miles better than ours this season.

https://twitter.com/Craig_Housley9/status/1395263238368018437?s=20

not anymore.

Quoted from ironwin

https://twitter.com/Craig_Housley9/status/1395263238368018437?s=20

not anymore.

And that is why the pitch is so good  - Spending the Coin.. Plus we want to play football so a decent pitch is worth a few points each season.

Quoted from ironwin

https://twitter.com/Craig_Housley9/status/1395263238368018437?s=20

not anymore.

Still looks better than ours after Ian Flemings grass cutting efforts

Latest...Tranmere 0-1 Morecambe.

Totally against the run of play.

Now....1-1.

Have both Morecambe goals been knobbed in?

Quoted from WayneBurnettsJockstrap

Still looks better than ours after Ian Flemings grass cutting efforts

The pitch at BP is starting to look better now. A lot of work going on to improve it.

1-2 now.

Tough cookies are Morecambe.

Some magnificent shithousery by Morecambe.

Quoted from ginnywings

The pitch at BP is starting to look better now. A lot of work going on to improve it.

I'm not denying that. Having worked with Mike Phillips for several years I have witnessed him perform magic on that pitch many a time. I was purely comparing it to when he had been furloughed

Quoted from lukeo

. I'm currently watching bits and bobs of the 'all or nothing' man city on amazon. Only watch about half hour a week as its not as interesting

I ve seen it Lukeo . I liked it to be honest . Their in another world compared to Grimsby though.

Quoted from ironwin

https://twitter.com/Craig_Housley9/status/1395263238368018437?s=20

not anymore.

When did a nice pitch get you 3 points on a Saturday?

Quoted from jamesgtfc

When did a nice pitch get you 3 points on a Saturday?

Nice pitch. Round balls. Pre-seasons. Respectable training ground. Respectable stadium. Competent players. Fit players. Fitness coaches. Competent managers. Scouting systems. Long-term recruitment philosophies. Some kind of plan. Any kind of plan.

All sounds expensive and unnecessary to me.

Quoted from Poojah

Nice pitch. Round balls. Pre-seasons. Respectable training ground. Respectable stadium. Competent players. Fit players. Fitness coaches. Competent managers. Scouting systems. Long-term recruitment philosophies. Some kind of plan.

All sounds expensive and unnecessary to me.

Sports Direct had some Gilbert balls on offer, I don't know why everyone is kicking off about it.

Quoted from Poojah

Nice pitch. Round balls. Pre-seasons. Respectable training ground. Respectable stadium. Competent players. Fit players. Fitness coaches. Competent managers. Scouting systems. Long-term recruitment philosophies. Some kind of plan.

All sounds expensive and unnecessary to me.

Sounds like that could have been the "pep talk" the former principal funder might have given when he went off on that crusade down the A46  ;)

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Sports Direct had some Gilbert balls on offer, I don't know why everyone is kicking off about it.

They should sell Gary Childs balls instead. Apparently they were bigger than Gilbert’s 😎

Brilliant goal by Elliot Embleton!

Quoted from Abdul19

Brilliant goal by Elliot Embleton!

It was 👍

Absolute worldly by Embleton - Oxford just conceded again

Oh how we've missed the crowd chanting "you're fcuking sh!t"  ;D

Quoted from Teestogreen

Absolute worldly by Embleton - Oxford just conceded again

Yeau what a goal. Fair play to him. Blackpool look great again. Hopefully they do Lincoln.

Barnsley, Blackpool and Morecambe promotions would be nice. This Blackpool performance over the two legs reminds me of when we did Eastleigh en route to the Bristol Rovers final. Just totally dominant.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Yeau what a goal. Fair play to him. Blackpool look great again. Hopefully they do Lincoln.

Barnsley, Blackpool and Morecambe promotions would be nice. This Blackpool performance over the two legs reminds me of when we did Eastleigh en route to the Bristol Rovers final. Just totally dominant.

Can't see Lincoln coping with Blackpool on this showing tbh.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Yeau what a goal. Fair play to him. Blackpool look great again. Hopefully they do Lincoln.

I wouldn't write Sunderland off just yet, they hammered Lincoln 4-0 earlier on in the season.

Was not going to watch Blackpool v Oxford tonight but glad I changed my mind a good game to watch and plenty of goals.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Can't see Lincoln coping with Blackpool on this showing tbh.

We've taken 4 pts out of 6 off them this season 3-2 and 2-2 .... but lets not get ahead of ourselves eh?

Its just hit me, there could be 6k Imps up at The SoL amongst a baying crowd of 40,000 this afternoon (sad)

Quoted from NorfolkImp

We've taken 4 pts out of 6 off them this season 3-2 and 2-2 .... but lets not get ahead of ourselves eh?

Its just hit me, there could be 6k Imps up at The SoL amongst a baying crowd of 40,000 this afternoon (sad)

What's the current ruling? I'm sure that I read/heard somewhere that it  was half capacity or 10,000 whichever is lowest with no away fans allowed still. If so there should be 10,000 Mackems there today.

Quoted from Poojah

Nice pitch. Round balls. Pre-seasons. Respectable training ground. Respectable stadium. Competent players. Fit players. Fitness coaches. Competent managers. Scouting systems. Long-term recruitment philosophies. Some kind of plan. Any kind of plan.

All sounds expensive and unnecessary to me.

Good on Lincoln  though.I always like it when the underdog does well. Their first leg result against their more affluent opponents Sunderland in the first leg was a brilliant result and certainly surprised many people and went against the odds. I hope they go up to be honest .Rivals or no rivals there still a relatively  local club and its nice to see the underdog do well. Similar to Brentford. Never been in the premiership . I would love it if they beat Bournemouth this afternoon and go through to the final and win that.

Brentford just experimented with the idea of leaving no one back at a corner. Didn’t end well.

Brentford score from a penalty to make it 1-1 (1-2)

Not sure what the Bournemouth defender did wrong there, arms in a totally natural position.

Bournemouth down to 10 men but still ahead on aggregate, interesting.

Quoted from Les Brechin

What's the current ruling? I'm sure that I read/heard somewhere that it  was half capacity or 10,000 whichever is lowest with no away fans allowed still. If so there should be 10,000 Mackems there today.

Yes Les, 10k Mackems inside (which will look a bit sparse tbh) Most on their messageboard are fearing the worse and may turn on them if they don't score early doors.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Bournemouth down to 10 men but still ahead on aggregate, interesting.

Crazy game, The Cherries pressing the self-destruct button here ... especially the keeper who has bags of top flight experience.

What do you think of their multi-coloured seats PP, I think the new York City Stadium has something similar?

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Yes Les, 10k Mackems inside (which will look a bit sparse tbh) Most on their messageboard are fearing the worse and may turn on them if they don't score early doors.



Crazy game, The Cherries pressing the self-destruct button here ... especially the keeper who has bags of top flight experience.

What do you think of their multi-coloured seats PP, I think the new York City Stadium has something similar?

I like them, they have the effect of making the crowd look bigger than it actually is.

Quoted from promotion plaice

I like them, they have the effect of making the crowd look bigger than it actually is.

Yeah I think I read somewhere that was the original idea ... not keen personally, giving me a headache (or maybe that's pre-match nerves I can't decide?)  ??)

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Yeah I think I read somewhere that was the original idea ... not keen personally, giving me a headache (or maybe that's pre-match nerves I can't decide?)  ??)

I agree. They were doing my head in. A distraction from the game. Mind you that sometimes can be a bonus!

Sunderland 1-0 Lincoln

After 12 minutes, game on.

2-2.😀

Get in.....2-0 (2-2)

2-0 sun land  after 33 min 2-2 aggregate

Lincoln are all over the place. They need to get a grip ASAP or they'll get hammered.

Really surprised by the Lincoln performance. Look scared to attack

Quoted from Hagrid

Really surprised by the Lincoln performance. Look scared to attack

Probably pressure. You need characters to step up when the going gets tough and lead by example.

I mean the games pointless anyway isn't it? The 2 worst play-off records in English football deciding who loses to Blackpool in the Final. Sunderland (0 promotions from 4 play-offs) v Lincoln City (0 promotions from 6 play-offs).

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I mean the games pointless anyway isn't it? The 2 worst play-off records in English football deciding who loses to Blackpool in the Final. Sunderland (0 promotions from 4 play-offs) v Lincoln City (0 promotions from 6 play-offs).

And Blackpool have 5 promotions from 8 previous play-off appearances.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I mean the games pointless anyway isn't it? The 2 worst play-off records in English football deciding who loses to Blackpool in the Final. Sunderland (0 promotions from 4 play-offs) v Lincoln City (0 promotions from 6 play-offs).

Records are there to be broken Golly. I always go back to Spain and for so long bottle jobs on the international scene .They get a old school manager in Luis Aragones  in 2004 who changes the mindset and philosophy of their play and they go on that unprecedented treble from 2008 to 2012. I for one as well felt they never would win the world cup . Dreams do sometimes come true .

Quoted from Hagrid

Really surprised by the Lincoln performance. Look scared to attack

Stage fright, men against boys .... they’ve absolutely butchered us. Need some experience in there, Walsh & McGrandles on at half-time.

They should be out of sight tbh.

Poor 1st half from Lincoln. They certainly need to improve immeasurably in the 2nd half if they're going to make the final.

Much better from Lincoln 2-1

Get innnnnn, much better this half

Missed penalty. But Lincoln look so much better this half

Interesting last 25 now all to play for

Deserve to go through Lincoln. Be a good P/O final

Quoted from Les Brechin

Poor 1st half from Lincoln. They certainly need to improve immeasurably in the 2nd half if they're going to make the final.

And so they did. Well done Lincoln.

Cmon blackpool

Pisses me off. They’ve done everything that we didn’t and are reaping the rewards

Quoted from Hagrid

Pisses me off. They’ve done everything that we didn’t and are reaping the rewards

They gambled on  the Cowleys who did a great job tbf, if they had flopped they probably would be non league with us that one appointment changed their direction. In twenty years gtfc haven’t had one successful appointment I don’t acknowledge anything in NL as a success

Well done to the Gimps. Good luck against Blackpool.


(God, that was difficult to write)

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I mean the games pointless anyway isn't it? The 2 worst play-off records in English football deciding who loses to Blackpool in the Final. Sunderland (0 promotions from 4 play-offs) v Lincoln City (0 promotions from 6 play-offs).

Don't Brentford have 0 from 9?

At least we started well winning our first play-off final.  

No doubt we’ll be underdogs next Sunday v Blackpool. They’ve won 6/6 Play-Offs whereas ours is 0/6.

Still can’t believe we turned that round in the 2nd half, showed immense character didn’t we? Only 4k tickets allowed is a bleedin’ disgrace though, I reckon we’d have matched your 35k from back in 90’s v Bournemouth (or was it Northampton?)

4K is better than your home attendances for most of the last 20 years though.

I see Elliot Embleton is now eligible to play in the play-off final, makes me wonder if Sunderland management kinda regret loaning him out to Blackpool, especially with no recall clause lol.

‘Different class’, ‘better than our entire midfield’ – plenty of sunderland fans react to 22-y/o loan star’s key moment for blackpool vs oxford united.

Link >> https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/different-class-better-than-our-entire-midfield-plenty-of-sunderland-fans-react-to-22-y-o-loan-stars-key-moment-for-blackpool-vs-oxford-united/

Quoted from Nelly GTFC

I see Elliot Embleton is now eligible to play in the play-off final, makes me wonder if Sunderland management kinda regret loaning him out to Blackpool, especially with no recall clause lol.

Can't recall half season loans anyway.

Quoted from Abdul19

Can't recall half season loans anyway.

Yeah, I read an article the other week saying Lee Johnson was looking at recalling him.

53.2.2

Subject to the proviso that the duration of a Standard Loan must be the time between two Transfer Windows, Standard Loans can be for half a Season or a full Season. Any recall clause requiring the early termination of a Standard Loan can only be included in a full Season Standard Loan and this can only be activated during the second (January) Transfer Window. Any other early termination of a Standard Loan must be by way of a mutual agreement in writing (including by way of a recall clause within the Standard Loan Agreement) between both Clubs and the Player but can only be completed after the expiry of 28 days and only during a Transfer Window.

I couldn’t watch the Brentford game tonight.  They came from 2-0 down to beat 10 man Bournemouth 3-2.  

If Brentford have lost all 9 play-offs then they have a very good chance to fix that in the final.

Latest....Morecambe 1-0 Tranmere (3-1)

Looking like Morecambe to reach the final at the moment.

Morecambe have done the business big time this season. Favourites for the drop before a ball was kicked

So Morecambe can reach the League Two play-off final whilst we can’t even stay in the division. Something seriously wrong there - nothing we didn’t already know but yet another reflection of the problem.

Credit where it’s due to Morecambe all the same - great achievement.

Quoted from Poojah

So Morecambe can reach the League Two play-off final whilst we can’t even stay in the division. Something seriously wrong there - nothing we didn’t already know but yet another reflection of the problem.

Credit where it’s due to Morecambe all the same - great achievement.

They clearly employed a manager who knew what he was doing.

Quoted from arryarryarry

They clearly employed a manager who knew what he was doing.

Derek Adams is an absolute mentalist - apparently they had 5 (FIVE) pre-season games. The madness knows no bounds.

Forest Green 2 up inside 8 minutes v Newport. 2-2 agg. Matt and Amond both playing.

Quoted from arryarryarry

They clearly employed a manager who knew what he was doing.

They clearly have a board who know how to make the right managerial appointment  ;)

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

They clearly have a board who know how to make the right managerial appointment  ;)

One of the keys to not making mistakes in managerial appointments is limiting how often you have to make them. Morecambe appointed Sammy McIlroy in May 2006 and in that time they’ve had 3 permanent managers - McIlroy, Jim Bentley and now Derek Adams. We’ve been through 11 of the cúnts (most of them quite literally) in that same period, 12 if you count Hurst’s second coming.

We are managerially promiscuous to say the least. If GTFC were a girl, we’d be that cheap skank off the estate named Mercedes but who everyone knows simply as ‘the sperm bank’. Every bloke in the community has either been there or has got a mate who has, and all but one of them caught the clap.

What a goal by 42 year old Ellison

Quoted from Ashby mariner

What a goal by 42 year old Ellison

Amazing how he keeps going to be fair - I remember him being on trial here under Lennie Lawrence ffs. Absolutely ancient in football terms but still doing the business.

Latest...FGR 3-2 Newport (3-4)

Newport back in charge.

Not any more, going into extra time

Fantastic game, this. Loads of goals, pissing it down, Swampy from the Newbury bypass protests in the posh seats - lovely stuff.

Amond is on the way out by the looks of it

Forest green could teach Tom Daily a thing or two on how to dive

Newport score to take the lead again at the death  8)

Or one more chance at Wembley

Bizarre. The 2 clubs with caretaker managers both lost in the L2 Play-off Semi-Finals.

Looking forward to Ellison v Adams.

Two things came out of these play offs for me as a neutral.

One is that we should stop looking at age as the first consideration in every new signing. Just to change the saying a bit - if they’re good enough, they’re young enough.

The other is that Morecambe nearly got automatic promotion and have have reached the Wembley final with the lowest budget in the EFL.

I notice that Jamille Matt scored an 87th minute goal for FRG to take the game into extra time; and apparently his 17th goal of the season. I assume that we didn't try to sign him after his loan period ended, although he did look like Bambi on ice on many occasions, I recall him scoring the goal that kept us in the football league that year; and also a superb towering header from a free kick or corner, against I think it was Barnet. Which showed that he had something about him.  :-/

In fairness to whoever made the decision to not sign Matt, he was bloody garbage when he was here.

Quoted from Abdul19

Looking forward to Ellison v Adams.

Absolutely nailed on for Ellison to score a late winner.

Quoted from diehardmariner

In fairness to whoever made the decision to not sign Matt, he was bloody garbage when he was here.

Absolutely! You can't sign every shite player who scores one good goal, on the basis they nay therefore not be shite. Or else matt green will be earning another contract thanks to his goal against Chelsea lol

Quoted from Mallyner

I notice that Jamille Matt scored an 87th minute goal for FRG to take the game into extra time; and apparently his 17th goal of the season. I assume that we didn't try to sign him after his loan period ended, although he did look like Bambi on ice on many occasions, I recall him scoring the goal that kept us in the football league that year; and also a superb towering header from a free kick or corner, against I think it was Barnet. Which showed that he had something about him.  :-/

It's amazing what Matt can do when he receiving the ball high up the pitch and is being supplied with chances. He was feeding off scraps for a year at Town and receiving the ball 40-50 yards from goal.

Quoted from NorfolkImp

No doubt we’ll be underdogs next Sunday v Blackpool. They’ve won 6/6 Play-Offs whereas ours is 0/6.

Blackpool lost to West Ham in the 2012 Championship playoff final.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Two things came out of these play offs for me as a neutral.

One is that we should stop looking at age as the first consideration in every new signing. Just to change the saying a bit - if they’re good enough, they’re young enough.

The other is that Morecambe nearly got automatic promotion and have have reached the Wembley final with the lowest budget in the EFL.

Has that Morecambe lowest budget thing been confirmed? I thought they'd put a bit more money into it this season. Certainly looks like it from their squad, and I'm not sure Derek Adams would have gone there with the budget sizes Bentley used to operate on. They obviously haven't spent loads and loads and it's still a great achievement but I was of the impression that it wasn't Little Morecambe on quite the same scale.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I mean the games pointless anyway isn't it? The 2 worst play-off records in English football deciding who loses to Blackpool in the Final. Sunderland (0 promotions from 4 play-offs) v Lincoln City (0 promotions from 6 play-offs).

Quoted from GollyGTFC

And Blackpool have 5 promotions from 8 previous play-off appearances.

Correction...

Brentford have the worst play-off record in English football. This season is their 10th play-off campaign and they are yet to win promotion through that route.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Blackpool lost to West Ham in the 2012 Championship playoff final.

Yes. Blackpool have had 8 previous play-off campaigns...

5 x Promoted
1 x Losing Finalist
2 x Lost in Semi-Finals

So they have a 77.7% success rate in Semi-Finals after beating Oxford. And they currently have an 83.3% Final win rate.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Blackpool lost to West Ham in the 2012 Championship playoff final.


Has that Morecambe lowest budget thing been confirmed? I thought they'd put a bit more money into it this season. Certainly looks like it from their squad, and I'm not sure Derek Adams would have gone there with the budget sizes Bentley used to operate on. They obviously haven't spent loads and loads and it's still a great achievement but I was of the impression that it wasn't Little Morecambe on quite the same scale.

I am just going on the report in today’s Times. I haven’t researched it.

Bit of a double whammy for me yesterday.

Following Town's relegation, Brechin City were relegated to The Scottish Non-League system after losing their play-off tie.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Bit of a double whammy for me yesterday.

Following Town's relegation, Brechin City were relegated to The Scottish Non-League system after losing their play-off tie.

Talking of which, it’s sad we don’t get any updates on Auchinleck Talbot any more, for obvious reasons.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Talking of which, it’s sad we don’t get any updates on Auchinleck Talbot any more, for obvious reasons.

It is, I do miss Jock Dock Tower's updates on Auchinleck Talbot, and this board I feel is a much lesser place without him.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Bit of a double whammy for me yesterday.

Following Town's relegation, Brechin City were relegated to The Scottish Non-League system after losing their play-off tie.

Yes, very sad for Brechin .... always liked them as a kid because they sounded similar to Lincoln to me, and we lived on Glebe Park in later years.

A car load of us went up to watch The Imps in a pre-season friendly at Forfar in the late 90’s, but stopped off for a nosey at Brechin, Arbroath & Montrose beforehand.

So off they drop into oblivion with East Stirling & Berwick Rangers 😩

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Yes, very sad for Brechin .... always liked them as a kid because they sounded similar to Lincoln to me, and we lived on Glebe Park in later years.

A car load of us went up to watch The Imps in a pre-season friendly at Forfar in the late 90’s, but stopped off for a nosey at Brechin, Arbroath & Montrose beforehand.

So off they drop into oblivion with East Stirling & Berwick Rangers 😩

It was only 3 seasons ago they were in The Championship. I saw them that season lose at Livingstone's brilliantly named Toni Macaroni Arena. They didn't win a single game that season and successive relegations saw them back in the basement division. It was only Covid that saved them from the relegation play-off last season.

They will play in The Highland League next season.

Quoted from Les Brechin

It was only 3 seasons ago they were in The Championship. I saw them that season lose at Livingstone's brilliantly named Toni Macaroni Arena. They didn't win a single game that season and successive relegations saw them back in the basement division. It was only Covid that saved them from the relegation play-off last season.

They will play in The Highland League next season.

They haven't got an ex-non-chairman call John McFenty have they ?     ;D ;D ;D

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

They haven't got an ex-non-chairman call John McFenty have they ?     ;D ;D ;D

Jock McFenty. Former owner of a local haggis factory, self-made gazillionaire and renowned fashionista. He is the self-proclaimed club saviour but has been inexplicably pilloried as an 'eejit bawbag' by supporters ungrateful for the club's supersonic fall from grace.

Understand he has family round this way.

[img]https://i.ibb.co/VVT4mSX/jock-mcfenty.png[/img]

Quoted from Poojah

Jock McFenty. Former owner of a local haggis factory, self-made gazillionaire and renowned fashionista. He is the self-proclaimed club saviour but has been inexplicably pilloried as an 'eejit bawbag' by supporters ungrateful for the club's supersonic fall from grace.

Understand he has family round this way.

[img]https://i.ibb.co/VVT4mSX/jock-mcfenty.png[/img]

And this will get my gold star tomorrow!  ;D

Swansea should be down to 10 men. Grimes with a terrible challenge on 5 minutes. Doubt he would have got away with that if there was VAR in operation.

...penalty to Brentford...

Brentford v Swansea (Championship play-off final)

Swansea player lucky to not get a straight red early on.

Brentford penalty 8th minute.

Freddie Woodman obviously not as good as his dad at saving penalties at Wembley.

1-0 Brentford.

Didn't want to spoil the occasion

2-0...

And then Ivan Toney hits the crossbar with the ball bouncing down on the line and out.

Swansea all over the place.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Freddie Woodman obviously not as good as his dad at saving penalties at Wembley.

Looks like his mum’s cut his hair too.

Brentford finally reach the promised land.

I didn't realise Toney had been out on loan at Scunny.

Brentford in the PL, blimey. As a kid growing up watching football in the 90s, they were a bit of a nothing team. Tbh I thought their time in the Championship would run out eventually, never thought they’d take this route out of it!

Same here - Brentford always Division -3 in the old days.
Good luck to them and their supporters - bet they can’t believe it

Quoted from Teestogreen

Same here - Brentford always Division -3 in the old days.
Good luck to them and their supporters - bet they can’t believe it

Last time they where in the top division they were playing against us !!

Think they mentioned 1946 - Grimsby tried hard to get back in around the 1980s but Brentford only in the last 10 years.
Always thought these 2 clubs were on a par but the divergence is currently very stark 😥

Quoted from Squinter

Last time they where in the top division they were playing against us !!

Another that we could regard as a similar-sized club back in my youth, reach the prem - like Bournemouth. They've a new stadium, 20k, that will be full every week and they are now a size of club that we can never aspire to be without a new ground. Here's a nostaglia trip from when we were at the same level with similar crowds etc
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIc8c9H4R2A[/url]

See this on BBC Sport app.

[tweet]1398672143936901120[/tweet]

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Freddie Woodman obviously not as good as his dad at saving penalties at Wembley.

Went to the Bromley v Notts County game. Andy Woodman seems to have got Bromley going again. They played some nice stuff and should have won by more.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Another that we could regard as a similar-sized club back in my youth, reach the prem - like Bournemouth. They've a new stadium, 20k, that will be full every week and they are now a size of club that we can never aspire to be without a new ground. Here's a nostaglia trip from when we were at the same level with similar crowds etc
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIc8c9H4R2A[/url]

I was at that game - remember the Lew Chatterley and Dave Worthington strikes. Not sure how Clive Wigginton gets mistaken for Phil Hubbard though. Alan Gauden - what a gem for £5000.

Quoted from Teestogreen

I was at that game - remember the Lew Chatterley and Dave Worthington strikes. Not sure how Clive Wigginton gets mistaken for Phil Hubbard though. Alan Gauden - what a gem for £5000.

I don't think I was. It was a pre-Christmas game - mother would have insisted we all went shopping. I remember getting into a right strop one time when my mum insisted on us going shopping instead on the day of a Scunny game - in turn I insisted on putting my scarf out of the window even though we weren't going to the game and she kept telling me to pull it in. My Dad was going for the quiet life...

Interesting looking at the packed Osmond - I checked the attendance it was 8,934 so not that many for the old, nearly all terracing, BP - then I twigged - in those days everyone changed ends at half time - the Pontoon and half the Barrat would have been empty

[quote=231]

Another that we could regard as a similar-sized club back in my youth, reach the prem - like Bournemouth. They've a new stadium, 20k, that will be full every week and they are now a size of club that we can never aspire to be without a new ground. Here's a nostaglia trip from when we were at the same level with similar crowds etc
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIc8c9H4R2A[/url]


Thanks for sharing this.

I would have been 2 at the time, I’d have been living in Duke street, that third goal was just stunning, my first ever game watching Town was in 1976.

That was my first season as a regular at BP. Remember that Chatterley goal like it was yesterday.

Thought it would always be like that.

Quoted from cmackenzie4

[quote=231]

Another that we could regard as a similar-sized club back in my youth, reach the prem - like Bournemouth. They've a new stadium, 20k, that will be full every week and they are now a size of club that we can never aspire to be without a new ground. Here's a nostaglia trip from when we were at the same level with similar crowds etc
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIc8c9H4R2A[/url]


Thanks for sharing this.

I would have been 2 at the time, I’d have been living in Duke street, that third goal was just stunning, my first ever game watching Town was in 1976.

You don’t even have to go back as far as the 70s. From 2000 up to our first non-league relegation in 2010, their average attendance was a fraction over 500 larger than ours. We spent the first three seasons in the league above them, and five below them in total, so I’d argue it evens out. Particularly when you consider we only finished in the top half of any division in one of those seasons.

Brentford are exceptional by the way, let’s not make light of their achievement. What they have done is not easy. But anyone who says that this club can never aspire to be anything more than a League One also ran is wrong in my opinion. Granted, we’d all love to be a League One also ran right now, but there are many chapters to this club’s history, and future, and we should never unduly write ourselves off.

Next up.....Blackpool v Lincoln.

I'll be watching, come on Blackpool.

Quoted from Poojah

You don’t even have to go back as far as the 70s. From 2000 up to our first non-league relegation in 2010, their average attendance was a fraction over 500 larger than ours. We spent the first three seasons in the league above them, and five below them in total, so I’d argue it evens out. Particularly when you consider we only finished in the top half of any division in one of those seasons.

Brentford are exceptional by the way, let’s not make light of their achievement. What they have done is not easy. But anyone who says that this club can never aspire to be anything more than a League One also ran is wrong in my opinion. Granted, we’d all love to be a League One also ran right now, but there are many chapters to this club’s history, and future, and we should never unduly write ourselves off.

Interesting - if you account for the larger away followings at GP (I'm sure they would have been) it would be even closer or parity.

With the combination of the Premiership cash plus the stadium they have now made a quantum leap - which medium-sized London clubs have been able to do when they have improved or moved stadium. Going back to the late 70s early 80s you could argue that Town were as big as Fulham, Millwall and Charlton! Ok so we had 3 exceptional seasons on the trot, but none of those clubs would have averaged 11k at home in Division 3 apart from in a promotion season.

Elliot Embleton starts for Blackpool

Blackpool v Lincoln City / League One Play-Off Final  / 15:00

Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football / Sky Sports Ultra HD

Anyone watching?

Blackpool OG inside a minute ffs.

Anyone fancy letting Blackpool’s defence they’ve got to join in...

Get in Blackpool!!!!

40 mins in 1-1 all Blackpool now

2-1 Blackpool   8)

Holloway strikes shows him sat by himself in the stand and Blackpool score !!!!!

Get in

Johnson a Very good player on Lincolns right

Morton comes on

Feel Blackpool deserve it so far. Lincoln the poorer team so far.

Lincoln not time wasting and slowing the game down anymore, funny that.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Lincoln not time wasting and slowing the game down anymore, funny that.

Probably because the whingeing Cowleys have gone.

Agent Embleton doing a fine job to date. 😁. Developed well with us.

Lincoln “scored” far too early.

Quoted from grimsby pete

Holloway strikes shows him sat by himself in the stand and Blackpool score !!!!!

Or maybe he has been lined up for the Lincoln job...

Best team won

Id worry for Lincoln in that their best players are all on loan

8)  8)  8)

Lincoln just didn’t turn up...in truth they never laid a glove on Blackpool. Huff and puff, ironically, looked like pre-Appleton.

Scored early on from an OG but had little after that...

Gimps not good enough today, shame that  8)

Well done Blackpool. Pleased about that, especially when you read them smug **** comments on the Lincoln City forum about our demise.

Bad weekend for people who support Lincoln and Man City.

Lincoln lost to a far better team.

Nice for Lincoln fans to have some misery given that most of their fans have never experienced any in the 4 years they’ve supported them.

Hope they’re all absolutely gutted and it ruins a nice weekend

Delighted for Blackpool fans after what they've endured in the last decade.  Pleased for Elliot as well; he's going places.

Don't know how Lincoln will fare going forward but they've had another exceptional season with a talented manager.  I believe they said last year that they'd have to develop players moving forward to compete, starting with the appointment of Appleton.  That project seems to have started very well, will be interesting to see if it pays off in the future.

Still, at least we won't have to endure Man City fans gloating on here tonight. ;)

FACT: Blackpool's keeper today was in goal for Wrexham when Richard Brodie smashed the ball out of the HA9 postcode.

Living in Lincoln, all I can say is, thank fck for that. Truth be told, I'd like to see all Lincolnshire sides doing well, as long as we're ruling the roost. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we might be.

I wonder if Sunderland consider Elliot Embleton a contender to get in their team yet?   ;)

Fuckin Hollowhead has to be in the male masturbator.

  I enjoyed the game. Blackpool were the better team and definitely deserved it.  Main takeaway for me though : I wouldn't want to arm wrestle with Michael Appleton!

Norfolkimp......Norfolkimp.....hellooooo.....


Oh...... he's disappeared.

Quoted from Nelly GTFC

Well done Blackpool. Pleased about that, especially when you read them smug **** comments on the Lincoln City forum about our demise.

This

I've seen some of the comments so happy days.

I know many Town fans regard Scunny as the main rivals - geographically closer, and coming from Wrawby / Brigg, it was Grimsby v Scunthorpe at school for me, but actually, Scunthorpe are the Johnny come Lately club of the Lincs 3 and will never displace Town as the big club of North / NE Lincs. Lincoln are different - our shared history goes back to both being founder members of Division 2 in 1892. They have a huge geographic catchment - nothing to the south until Peterborough, it's a growing city and getting wealthier. I could have seen us struggling to compete with them long-term if they'd gone up ( but not permanently in their shadow like that feckin embarrassment of a banner they produced!). We've never been two divisions below them until now, thankfully it's not going to be three. Let's start closing the gap next season...

Cheers Lincoln! Won £23 from that game. Put £10 in a fruity pressed spin at £2 a spin by mistake. Walked out with £150 ☺
Definitely spending even more money in the club shop this week once I find out children's size ratios 😂

Grimsby Town club president - John Elsom - is from Wrawby / Brigg as well Limerick (and former Leicester City chairman) - would give a penny for his thoughts on the last 15 seasons!

I could have easily been a Lincoln supporter! Living in Skegness there was a regular Trent bus that went from the Lawn Car Park every Saturday morning and bound for Nott'm. It stopped in Lincoln and there was a return bus back at about 6.30pm. You could catch a direct train to Grimsby from Burgh station but you had to catch a service bus to get to Burgh. But, but by accident, I learnt that a shopkeeper I knew in Skegness was driving to Grimsby one March Saturday in 1958 to watch them play Sheffield Utd. The game was billed as the comeback of Tommy Briggs. I unashamedly begged a lift and attended the game. Town lost 3-1 but I was hooked.  He was a great bloke and paid for me to go in, plus tea and cake in a cafe somewhere in Cleethorpes afterwards while waiting for the traffic heading out of town to die down! Great memories for me.

About the same time I was travelling from Skegness to home games with my dad,sometimes by car much usually by train, travelled to Firsby caught the Kings Cross to Cleethorpes express which was hauled by steam engine,always hoped it was one of Immingham's Britannias .Loved the excitement of Firsby station now long gone,but every time I go past it I still recall that excitement I felt as an 8 year old.

My dad said that in the 1930s, when we were in the Prem equivalent, buses used to go from as far as Boston and Skegness to Grimsby home games.  Those were the days.  

Quoted from hampshiremariner

I could have easily been a Lincoln supporter! Living in Skegness there was a regular Trent bus that went from the Lawn Car Park every Saturday morning and bound for Nott'm. It stopped in Lincoln and there was a return bus back at about 6.30pm. You could catch a direct train to Grimsby from Burgh station but you had to catch a service bus to get to Burgh. But, but by accident, I learnt that a shopkeeper I knew in Skegness was driving to Grimsby one March Saturday in 1958 to watch them play Sheffield Utd. The game was billed as the comeback of Tommy Briggs. I unashamedly begged a lift and attended the game. Town lost 3-1 but I was hooked.  He was a great bloke and paid for me to go in, plus tea and cake in a cafe somewhere in Cleethorpes afterwards while waiting for the traffic heading out of town to die down! Great memories for me.

I shiver at the thought but I also could have been a Lincoln fan. Dad game me the choice of who I wanted to see and it happened to be the day we beat Sheff Utd 4-0 to win the championship. As it was a big game I choose town and was hooked from that day forward

UTFM

Quoted from Teestogreen

Grimsby Town club president - John Elsom - is from Wrawby / Brigg as well Limerick (and former Leicester City chairman) - would give a penny for his thoughts on the last 15 seasons!

I see he's a bit younger than my dad was - probably knew him if he went to Brigg Grammar...

Quoted from Posh Harry

I shiver at the thought but I also could have been a Lincoln fan. Dad game me the choice of who I wanted to see and it happened to be the day we beat Sheff Utd 4-0 to win the championship. As it was a big game I choose town and was hooked from that day forward

UTFM

Now that's hardly a choice is it...

Quoted from moosey_club

Norfolkimp......Norfolkimp.....hellooooo.....


Oh...... he's disappeared.

Apologies, been a tad busy .... in hindsight, its been a fantastic season without the cherry on top. Saturday night hurt far more than last night tbh. Both Chelsea & Blackpool were the better sides on the night/day so no complaints from me, as the future is bright on both counts.

Now then, Hillsborough or The Walks Stadium ... which do I prefer visiting? ;)

Quoted from Abdul19

Bad weekend for people who support Lincoln and Man City.

Can I call Sunderland a credible rival now, seeing as we've played them 7 times in 2 years with a W2 D1 L3 record ... as we hardly ever play Town these days?

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

I see he's a bit younger than my dad was - probably knew him if he went to Brigg Grammar...

You’re not my brother are you? 🤙  
Knew Wrawby like the back of my hand.
Eh but Kevin Ellison - what a game for him.

Morecambe keeper looks all over the shop

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Can I call Sunderland a credible rival now

If you like!

[img]https://media.giphy.com/media/PYEGoZXABBMuk/giphy.gif[/img]

I bet the Newport fans wish VAR was in operation, looked like a clear penalty by the Morecambe keeper.

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Can I call Sunderland a credible rival now, seeing as we've played them 7 times in 2 years with a W2 D1 L3 record ... as we hardly ever play Town these days?

Who the feck cares? Totally bizarre behaviour to spend so much time on here considering we ‘hardly ever play Town these days’.

Highlight so far, the flag falls apart.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Highlight so far, the flag falls apart.

Was Fenty involved?

Podge is Dorian Grey.  He looks younger than when he was with us

Quoted from mariner91

Who the feck cares? Totally bizarre behaviour to spend so much time on here considering we ‘hardly ever play Town these days’.

Well moosey_club was asking where I was .... so just being polite  :)

Poorest play-off game for me but I don't suppose the winner will care.

Morecambe 0-0 Newport, extra time being played.

Morecambe 1-0

Never a pen, but slotted away nicely

Madley has got to be the worst referee ever. He should never have been allowed back into the game  

I'd feel robbed if I was a Newport fan, deffo penalty for Newport in the first half that wasn't given and that one for Morecambe was just outside the box.

Quoted from Perkins

Madley has got to be the worst referee ever. He should never have been allowed back into the game  

Agreed - his decisions have been poor all through this game - for both sides - and he just laughs it off. Not a patch on Michael Oliver.

Quoted from Abdul19

Never a pen, but slotted away nicely

Wasn't a great pen. Shouldn't have been given.

Full Time....Morecambe 1-0 Newport.

Morecambe promoted to League One.

Morecambe the club with the lowest budget in the EFL this season.

Just shows what can be achieved when a club is run properly.

Imagine  us being 2 divisions below morecambe .. ffs

Huge League 1 derby v Fleetwood next season - Lincs equivalent would be Boston v Skegness as a League 1 game...

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Huge League 1 derby v Fleetwood next season - Lincs equivalent would be Boston v Skegness as a League 1 game...

Derby v Fleetwood a derby ??!! Has one of them relocated

Quoted from NorfolkImp

Well moosey_club was asking where I was .... so just being polite  :)

Took your time.....I wonder if you would have been back a bit quicker if you had won? 🤔
Glad you lost , dont want your new support getting even loftier opinions of themselves.
While I am envious of your recent successes on and off the pitch which are made more galling by our own failures in the same time frame thats as far as goodwill goes for me.

Quoted from dapperz fun pub

Imagine  us being 2 divisions below morecambe .. ffs

We have to take it as a positive. If Morecambe can do this, so can we.

Bring me sunshine ... bring me smiles


... in this world in which live - there should be more happiness

.. bring me sunshine - bring me love .. ❤️❤️❤️

I did not see the game.  But the BBC report was very scathing about the 2 pens.  Newport were very hard done by.  Just like our final against Bristol Rovers.

When your luck is out it is just not your day.  

Quoted from Teestogreen

Bring me sunshine ... bring me smiles


... in this world in which live - there should be more happiness

.. bring me sunshine - bring me love .. ❤️❤️❤️

Of course, he was a big Luton fan. I vaguely recall a big fuss about him coming to BP for the League Cup game in 73...

Anhhaarrssnal

Quoted from Teestogreen

Aaarrssnal

Quoted from friskneymariner

About the same time I was travelling from Skegness to home games with my dad,sometimes by car much usually by train, travelled to Firsby caught the Kings Cross to Cleethorpes express which was hauled by steam engine,always hoped it was one of Immingham's Britannias .Loved the excitement of Firsby station now long gone,but every time I go past it I still recall that excitement I felt as an 8 year old.

I have similarly happy memories of trainspotting days around the same age . After years of the Kings Cross expresses being pulled by the uninspiring B1 workhorses, we were blessed with the Immingham Britannias: 70039 Sir Christopher Wren, 70040  Clive of India and 70041 Sir John More. We also started to get some of the same class shedded at Norwich Thorpe pulling the so-called “March Freight” including Britannia itself. Another impressive sight was the huge 9Fs flying down to London with the day’s fish delivery. I was lucky enough to see a couple of Wembley cup finals and England internationals at that time, and the train journey from Louth was a massive part of the day out.

Bobby Madley was the ref that gave us that vital pen v Chesterfield a few years back when Jolley took over. Big call at the time, never complained, but having since seen the footage back a few times, we got lucky.

Morecambe v Accrington a 3rd tier fixture next season.

Derek Adams is a top manager, he had one poor season at Plymouth and the next thing I see is him pitching up at Morecambe. I’d have had him here in a shot- he’s way better than this level.

Apparently he’s off to Bradford now.

Quoted from RichMariner

Bobby Madley was the ref that gave us that vital pen v Chesterfield a few years back when Jolley took over. Big call at the time, never complained, but having since seen the footage back a few times, we got lucky.

Morecambe v Accrington a 3rd tier fixture next season.

Derek Adams is a top manager, he had one poor season at Plymouth and the next thing I see is him pitching up at Morecambe. I’d have had him here in a shot- he’s way better than this level.

Apparently he’s off to Bradford now.

It's funny that I've read some posts on numerous different platforms all but saying Morecambe shouldnt go up as there a small club and comparing to ourselves.  Some people need to stop looking at the size of clubs nowadays and take note of who's in charge.  Derek Adams is a good manager and even I was surprised they managed to get him.  I don't understand why he'd leave (well I do money talks) but doesn't he want to carry on what he started, as a Morecambe fan I'd be gutted. If he does leave I can't see them staying up as the momentum would be lost.