Sadness

[seriouspie]

Like all Notts fans I'm desperately hoping something can be salvaged from the current mess our club is in but frankly see no answer this time. I genuinely believe football as we know it will continue to change until we reach the final stage of there being just one Premier league possibly run on a franchise basis a la the American idea used for NFL, NBA, NHL and MBL leagues. With the power of Sky and other TV companies it's obvious that football is now a major global source of income and any prospective club owners are therefore guaranteed a decent return on their investment from these companies. I can also see a draft type of arrangement also coming into play which helps to keep a 'status quo' regarding each team's strength.

Let us take take Nottingham for example. Much as it hurts, the city can never sustain two top flight clubs on support alone, much more revenue has to come from other sources and as the game progresses this will become more of an issue. This is already happening to a certain extent with the Premier league and Championship and some of the Championship clubs are struggling as other posters have noted.

Dreadful as it sounds, Forest I believe are planning for such a scenario with their proposed ground extensions and we have to accept this. Apart from their owners they have many wealthy business backers and I see Benoy are the architects for handling this work. I know their chairman well and Graham's lad Tom Cartledge was presenting their plans last night on East Midland's news. Both Graham and Tom are ST holders at the City ground as was Graham's old school pal Nigel Doughty, who before his death was another multi millionaire. I don't think we can find such backing so have to accept that even if we lose our league status, at least we may manage on 3000 gates and we have to accept that we will always be the second team in the city but still get our satisfaction from watching the 'Pies whatever their situation.

I like most on here have Notts in my blood but common sense tells me that the hordes of working lads that used to
pour down the 'Lane are a distant memory. Times have changed, and not for the better for smaller clubs.

[upthemaggies]

If league positions were based on the size of the club (ie gates) then we'd be 11th in League One right now. Still not great but a whole division and a half higher than where we currently sit.

Attendances aren't an issue for us at the moment, I think you've got to put the failure down to the club being badly run over the course of a long period of time. Maybe pressure from the terraces has had an impact on the club's ability to put long term plans in place and that might have something to do with being 2nd best to Fword for over 40 years, but it's probably more to do with the wrong people (going all the way back to Scardino) looking to buy a football club at the wrong time.

[MagpieMike]

If league positions were based on the size of the club (ie gates) then we'd be 11th in League One right now. Still not great but a whole division and a half higher than where we currently sit.

Attendances aren't an issue for us at the moment, I think you've got to put the failure down to the club being badly run over the course of a long period of time. Maybe pressure from the terraces has had an impact on the club's ability to put long term plans in place and that might have something to do with being 2nd best to Fword for over 40 years, but it's probably more to do with the wrong people (going all the way back to Scardino) looking to buy a football club at the wrong time.

Spot on. Couldn't have put that better. The only bright light since then was the glimmer when Ray Trew took over. He probably got lucky with his first managerial appointment, and then got over confident. A large part of the mismanagement (his and others) has been hiring and firing inexperienced managers. You can see the difference having someone who knows what they are doing in Ardley. If we can get wise investment from a new owner who backs him, we just may start to see an improvement.

[seriouspie]

If league positions were based on the size of the club (ie gates) then we'd be 11th in League One right now. Still not great but a whole division and a half higher than where we currently sit.

Attendances aren't an issue for us at the moment, I think you've got to put the failure down to the club being badly run over the course of a long period of time. Maybe pressure from the terraces has had an impact on the club's ability to put long term plans in place and that might have something to do with being 2nd best to Fword for over 40 years, but it's probably more to do with the wrong people (going all the way back to Scardino) looking to buy a football club at the wrong time.

Fair comment UTM but Derek didn't do too bad a job ........ all considering.