Non-League Win Everything, Football League Win Nothing?

[jacobncfc]

Same here as well. For years the thought of dropping out of the league and edging close to dropping out of the league after being in the Football League for all our history with our unique tag as the Oldest Football League Club ended up like a noose around this clubs neck. It did not help when opposing teams supporters told tales of how grim depressing, lonely and dark it was in tier 5.

However the reality has been somewhat different. We have won more games as you’d expect and I don’t think the standard of football has been that much worse than League Two. A goal we score is also celebrated and feels the same way as it did when we were in the Football League. In fact this season we have scored an abundance of goal of the season contenders.

It always intrigued me as to how teams from the National League on the whole managed to hold their own in League Two or even carry on their momentum and quickly go up to League One. Now I can see why.

It has been a bit of a novelty being in the National League as well and we have been on TV more times this season than if we were in the Football League . It would be fantastic if we could get two dates at Wembley and win both games. Yes I would prefer that to a mid table season in League Two or a relegation battle in League Two.

In a nutshell I don’t mind us being visitors to the National League but wouldn’t want us to become residents.

I think the entertainment value in this league has been better than any of the last two or three in League Two. More teams seem to try and pass it and play relatively attacking, and there's nowhere near as many of those 'go for a 1-0 away win every time' teams. Possibly because there's not the pressure of potentially being relegated out of the league.

That said, I obviously hope we get back up as soon as possible.

[PedroTheFisherman66]

"We are in this division because N.A. couldn't keep us up..! It's as simple as that."

You don't need to read any further than that. I cant take anyone seriously who puts all the blame at the managers door and none at the previous two managers that season, or the chairman who sacked two and appointed two within just a few months.

If Kevin Nolan had managed just a meagre point a game from his first 5 league games, that would of been enough. He managed one and a shocking negative goal difference.

If Alan Hardy hadn't......[people can fill in the blanks here, cos it's a considerable list of mistakes]

Dress it up how you like laddo
NA was tasked with saving us in the remaining games he had left when he joined us...
For what ever reasons he failed..
The task given was no where near like mission impossible
He was out witted by the football genius that is sol campbell
If he had won enough games we wouldn't have gone down...
What camp was you in when Nolan was sacked?
And to that matter when Harry was sacked?
On a personal note I think we should have stuck with HK.
Are we going to start the argument about how many chances did hardy put wide or goals he let in..?!
I think zero was the answer to those questions.?!

[laddo]

There is no argument on that score. Anybody who falls into that camp, 'you can't blame the Chairman cos he didn't miss those sitters or let goals in' I want nothing to do with. A short sighted simplistic and naive view, in the extreme.

I've seen literally nobody on here say it was mission impossible, it was very possible. It was very doable , and he failed. But we were doomed to failure because of Hardy's erratic, rash actions.

To answer your questions

Nolan was sacked too early.
Kewell was sacked too early.

I've made that obvious and stated it many times. I can't remember many on here or more importantly at the ground demanding and putting pressure on the chairman to sack either of those two. One man's choice, the boss man's.

Obviously we will never know , but I believe either of those two left in charge for the season would of kept our league status. What we do know is , one season, three managers , club put up for sale, first relegation out of football league, ever.

Historic Alan, historic.

[Elite_Pie]

I've seen literally nobody on here say it was mission impossible, it was very possible. It was very doable , and he failed. But we were doomed to failure because of Hardy's erratic, rash actions.

So which one was it? Firstly you say "It was very possible, it was very doable" but then you say "we were doomed to failure because of Hardy's erratic, rash actions". I'll help you out - your first bit was right, your second bit wasn't.

[upthemaggies]

Nolan was sacked too early.
Kewell was sacked too early.

I can't remember many on here or more importantly at the ground demanding and putting pressure on the chairman to sack either of those two. One man's choice, the boss man's.

I'd say there was no demand whatsoever for Kewell's head, that was a complete bolt from the blue.

As for Nolan, it was perhaps more of a case of panic that a promotion push was fast becoming out of the question, rather than a genuine demand to sack him, but Hardy would not have taken that decision lightly as they were close and there probably was a major non-football factor involved. Hardy' relationships with staff may have been an issue too, directors were quitting, but with 7k behind the team (no protests or unrest in the stands) and having finished 5th the previous term, we really should have been able to avoid finishing in the bottom two and finish above a club who were not paying staff during the actual season.

[laddo]

So which one was it? Firstly you say "It was very possible, it was very doable" but then you say "we were doomed to failure because of Hardy's erratic, rash actions". I'll help you out - your first bit was right, your second bit wasn't.

Well at least you are consistent. I don't your help you've misinterpreted what wrote.

It wasn't mission impossible for Ardley, nobody has said that but when you change manager 3 times by mid November and then publicly put the club up for sale before the season is over, as a club you a doomed to failure. Too turbulent , too much change, too many new starts and uncertainty to succeed or get anywhere close to succeeding.

I believe you will once again mention the fake money Munto season now, for a prime example of when having 3 managers end in success lol. Priceless#thegift

[laddo]

I'd say there was no demand whatsoever for Kewell's head, that was a complete bolt from the blue.

As for Nolan, it was perhaps more of a case of panic that a promotion push was fast becoming out of the question, rather than a genuine demand to sack him, but Hardy would not have taken that decision lightly as they were close and there probably was a major non-football factor involved. Hardy' relationships with staff may have been an issue too, directors were quitting, but with 7k behind the team (no protests or unrest in the stands) and having finished 5th the previous term, we really should have been able to avoid finishing in the bottom two and finish above a club who were not paying staff during the actual season.

Exactly my point, no demand from the supporters to sack either manager. Yet both sacked in no time at all. Neither given anywhere near enough time especially Kewell. Strange appointment, bizarre sacking. But when you are the boss you get to make the big decisions.

What was the major non-football reason?

[Elite_Pie]

I don't your help you've misinterpreted what wrote.

Sorry, I'm not fluent in tw@tspeak so don't understand that sentence, but what bit are you failing to comprehend? It's there for all to see, you made two completely contradictory statements in a single post.

It takes a special talent for a poster to defeat their own argument, but you seem to manage it on a regular basis!

[navypie]

So which one was it? Firstly you say "It was very possible, it was very doable" but then you say "we were doomed to failure because of Hardy's erratic, rash actions". I'll help you out - your first bit was right, your second bit wasn't.

Well at least you are consistent. I don't your help you've misinterpreted what wrote.

It wasn't mission impossible for Ardley, nobody has said that but when you change manager 3 times by mid November and then publicly put the club up for sale before the season is over, as a club you a doomed to failure. Too turbulent , too much change, too many new starts and uncertainty to succeed or get anywhere close to succeeding.

I believe you will once again mention the fake money Munto season now, for a prime example of when having 3 managers end in success lol. Priceless#thegift

I dunno why you bother with him saddo, the man's clearly an idiot.

[upthemaggies]

I dunno why you bother with him saddo, the man's clearly an idiot.

The relegation, and Ardley's part in it, comes up over and over again on here. I don't think any other subject has ever been discussed so regularly and so thoroughly in retrospect, probably because it still hasn't sunken in. We're playing non-league fixtures now but it just seems surreal. Not so bad when it's an Aldershot or a Wrexham, but part time teams and a club who can't even attract 1k, my god, how could this happen? How is the man who oversaw the football side of it still in charge of the team?