I've come to the conclusion

[ex_pat_magpie]

I've come to the conclusion that it's not the despair that gets to you and grinds you down because year after year for almost a decade and a half we have suffered this year in year out, apart from minute periods, so much so that we are almost used to it.

No, what gets you down is the constant hope of something special on the horizon being tantalizingly dangled in front of you almost every single season and then only to be snatched away for some ridiculous and often unexplainable reason.

Who has the answer PLEASE?

[bix01]

We’ve had a series of crâp owners for decades now. Liverpool and Man Utd have been way out above everyone else plus Arsenal have consistently won things until fairly recently but the rest of the top teams are no bigger than us, they just have better owners. We’re still 9th in the all time honours list (14 trophies) despite winning nothing since 1969 then 1955 before that. I haven’t worked it out but I’d be fairly sure Chelsea (4th & 31 wins) and Man City (5th & 25 wins) would’ve been comparable to us before their takeovers. If we ever do get taken over by owners like those two, we’d compete with them again and as you say, it’s the being snatched away part that is the most galling thing.

[ex_pat_magpie]

We’ve had a series of crâp owners for decades now. Liverpool and Man Utd have been way out above everyone else plus Arsenal have consistently won things until fairly recently but the rest of the top teams are no bigger than us, they just have better owners. We’re still 9th in the all time honours list (14 trophies) despite winning nothing since 1969 then 1955 before that. I haven’t worked it out but I’d be fairly sure Chelsea (4th & 31 wins) and Man City (5th & 25 wins) would’ve been comparable to us before their takeovers. If we ever do get taken over by owners like those two, we’d compete with them again and as you say, it’s the being snatched away part that is the most galling thing.

Yes, that is possibly the main problem. It's ironic and one of the issues that fans of other cubs criticize us for, but we the supporters, can see is the potential of the club to achieve regular success whereas those outside of the area look upon it as "pie in the sky".

Proof positive of this was the surge of success in the K.K. period and later under Sir Bobby.

Those two limited periods alone showed what could be achieved, under relatively limited means but by using the potential to create a base for building.

It's an eternal shame that both periods were not used to their best effect to be built on to create a solid base where we could have been a force to equal the likes of Manure and Liverpool and be established almost to have been linked to the regular top four or five clubs every season.

[bix01]

So many missed opportunities Waddle, Beardsley & Gascogne in going the 80’s; bungling the loss and succession of KK, not backing SBR in that season we only signed Lee Bowyer then the comedy of errors of manager appointments, even not building on Pardew 5th place then of course the Rafa constructive dismissal. You couldn’t make it up!

[ex_pat_magpie]

So many missed opportunities Waddle, Beardsley & Gascogne in going the 80’s; bungling the loss and succession of KK, not backing SBR in that season we only signed Lee Bowyer then the comedy of errors of manager appointments, even not building on Pardew 5th place then of course the Rafa constructive dismissal. You couldn’t make it up!

I can't think of one single club in the entire world where so much potential has been criminally, stupidly, and greedily wasted.

And that is nowhere near to being biased either.

[bix01]

Chelsea have won 18 competitions & Man City 14 (including Charity Shields) since their takeovers according to Wikipedia so incredibly we were actually the 7th most successful club until then, imagine where would’ve been on that list in 1969 or even 1955! Just shows what can be achieved fairly quickly with the right focus a a shÃ*t load of cash unlike the incompetents, chancers and downright thieving bâstards we’ve been lumbered with over the years.

[Zippity]

incompetents, chancers and downright thieving bâstards

Doesn't have quite the same ring as 'lions, tigers and bears', mind...

[Jammy89]

Agreed Pat, it is the hope that kills you.

I worry about the fans growing up with this.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Agreed Pat, it is the hope that kills you.

I worry about the fans growing up with this.

You are spot on there Jammy. These days, unfortunately, I don't get to visit the area too often but when I've been there you see the youngsters with all sorts of tops on and not just big foreign team's tops like Real, Barca and Inter etc, but English tops such as Manure and Liverpool.

When I was a youngster and even in my 20's firstly you would never ever see that and secondly if they wanted to wear a rival shirt they just wouldn't dare for fear of their life.

The younger fans coming up to their te-ens as well as the te-enagers must be wondering what we older fans enthuse over and think we must be easily misled.

P.S. what is the reason the word te-en without the hyphen is barred.