How Bad Would Relegation Be?

[mygiddypant]

When I started watching the Millers in '59 we were an established 2nd Division side (now Chumpship). It was (almost) a given that we wouldn't be promoted or relegated. Clearly we are nowhere near 'permanent' status, and clearly it's going to become harder to achieve that because of the finances required.
I don't know anyone who has ever expressed the opinion that it would be a good idea to go down - 'cos you never know when you're coming back up.

[animallittle3]

Well if you divide 51 points by 46 games and then multiply by 5 games played you will find that to be on target we should have 5.54 points, so I would argue that we are only 1.5 behind. Bearing in mind we have played 2 of the strongest teams away I'm not grumbling

Thanks mate for the compliment , aye your right of course tough ask for you to get owt at fortress Oakwell

[Anderson Council]

I can't think of 3 at the moment but it's a bit too early to worry about that yet.
If we can make NYS a fortress, as the saying goes, we will have a fighting chance.ĺ
We're going to need a striker or two though!

I think there is a lot of tosh spoken about the strength of the championship. Sure there are the big clubs whose wealth has been swollen by the totally undemocratic practice of parachute payments. Many clubs no longer belong to local owners, but to oversea tycoons who have their own idea of how to run a club.

However, there are a lot of ordinary clubs such as Preston, Barnsley, Blackburn, Burton, Cardiff, Brentford and ourselves. Perm any three from seven or maybe more. Yes we may be in the dreaded mix but TS has made a bold decision to hire a young manager who has changed the demographic of the side.

Will it work? We dont know. Not the moaners, not the happy clappers, not the pragmatists. Its going to be a very interesting sesson.

Up the Millers.

[caytonmiller]

Anderson. you mentioned 7 teams there. that imply s there are 17 other teams that are strong teams. which teams from league 1 would do any better than the 7 you mention in the championship? Bolton? Bradford? Millwall? sheff U?
most of the teams you mentioned would be pushing for auto promotion come May if they were in league 1.
sadly money talks and the fanbase has a massive influence on the success of the clubs.
though this season there are more teams with sim spending power to our own budget so relegation will be down to good management and a little luck..

[caytonmiller]

ow forgot to answer the original question.
no way can we afford to go down. looking over the past 5 years, teams of sim size to our self dont come back easily. donny, millwall, coventry, pompy, scunny. you do get the one or two exceptions. wigan/barnsley but wigan still had parachute payments so cash to burn for league one stds and barnsley all the stars aligned just right

[pip_y]

Thanks mate for the compliment , aye your right of course tough ask for you to get owt at fortress Oakwell

Sorry to burst your bubble but both Brighton and Villa will finish above Barnsley. ����

[millavanilla]

What would be the point in going down again? Surely the effort would then be to get back up to the Championship again and if we managed it what then? Would we want to go back down again. If we dont want to be in the Championship then there is no incentive to compete in L1. Which then begs the question do we want a football club at all.

Sport is about competing and striving otherwise there is no point in any of it

Best post ever..

[millavanilla]

Good topic Riley

Have to say my wife and I travelled to Plymouth by train when we got promoted from L2. It was a great day and I think there would be say 150 Millers fans that day. We won and were so excited at the prospect of promotion. But it was a bloody long day.

Then, next season and on to the Play Offs v PNE when we got to Wembley. Fantastic atmosphere at the NYS all season really so winning does give us fans that feeling of wellbeing. Then Wembley itself – the greatest day in our lives for me and my wife. Immensely excited, immensely proud and the prospect of Championship footy with that team of never say die players, just could not wait.

Then the Championship. We lost our players and lost our mojo some might say. Been nothing but a struggle with very few wins, good hidings every now and again and the season end elation when we achieve missing the trap door back to L1.
For me, the Championship is absolutely supreme. I love visiting the mainly first class stadiums, the much bigger crowds and boy do we as away fans put up a fair shout – until we fall behind at least. The quality in the Championship is far removed from L1 and L2, a different world. I have the chance to see our lads against £12 - £15 million pound players and teams approaching £100million in value. For me, I want our lads to pull that shirt on, be very proud to wear it and watch them get stuck in until such time as they are almost feeling sick because they are that knackered.

Not sure we’ve seen that this season but hopefully it will come.

I know and I have always known that the Millers can’t really compete at this level and I hope (in vain) that TS will get a joint investor in at some stage so that the miracle can happen. I doubt it will ever happen. I watched the Millers when we had 17 consecutive seasons in the then second division but I can’t remember that division ever being gifted with as many top clubs as the Championship possesses now. Money has talked and will continue to do so. Would love a little more so that we could afford the wages of a Gerry Gow for example or a Bob Delgado. We need a Mr Nasty to help us compete properly imo. We are way to nice and will be footballed off the field until we start to tackle hard. Maybe Stubbs can introduce this concept.

I like winning, who doesn’t? Never understood people saying they were happy to come second or third and glad to have taken part. Not for me, I hate getting beat but I hate getting beat when I think players haven’t put a shift in. Put a shift in and you’ll do for me.

So I suppose I might enjoy games in L1 more. Something tells me I won’t.

I prefer to battle the big boys and I love the big upset.

Championship all day long and every day for me.

Bob delgado ? Really? Its a good post but bob delgado ?

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

The club need to stay in the championship, to sustain the fan base it has now, relegation to division 1 would be a crushing blow, & the fan base would drop accordingly.
The championship has good teams in it, be it we have our local derbies, plus better teams who have been relegated from the premier come to the NYS, & our fans visit their stadiums, personally I don't agree with the parachute payments the teams get when relegated from the premier.
When a premier team get relegated its up to the club to put a clause in the contract of players, that their wages will drop accordingly, whether the player stays with the club is up to them.
I am one of the old school, where as if a team plays better than the Millers, I accept defeat acknowledging the team that have beat us, same as in the past a visiting goalkeeper makes a good save, or the opposing team score a good goal, I acknowledge them by clapping.
We as Miller fans want to see good teams at our stadium, & want our team to win, if not winning, putting a decent shift in on the pitch.
The town needs Rotherham United, & Rotherham United need the town to give reason to fight for a championship place, be it the Millers finish 4th from bottom, it is a result for the club, with its finance against the millions other clubs have paid.
Looking at the money the other clubs are spending in the championship, it would seem that sooner than later Tony Stewart will look to get more investment into the club, while requiring a person also on board with more football knowledge, than what is in the boardroom now.

[mellowmiller]

Ericslad, concerning your last sentence, that's what a lot of us have been saying needs to happen for some time now for the club to have a realistic chance of becoming established in the Championship and not being involved in a relegation battle every season.
I'd like to know if Tony Stewart is actively pursuing further investment or if he genuinely feels he can continue to do it on his own at this level.
I suspect it is the latter.