There is a significant amount of the Carlisle United support that has the attitude "When are we going to get out of this crap division?". There is a significant amount of the Carlisle United support that knows the highs that the team temporarily achieved and expects such status to be achieved again permanently.

Let's be clear about the club's status. Carlisle United joined the Third Division North in 1928. From then until the end of the Third Division North in 1958 the team played 999 matches in that division and got 949 points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw). Thus it can be stated that the club was effectively in Tier 4 for those years. Since then the club has been actually in Tier 4 for the vast majority of the time.

Probably at least half the clubs currently in Tier 4 have far more robust finances than Carlisle United. Probably at least 6 clubs in the National League have far more robust finances than Carlisle United.

So let's not get the idea that the club's natural status is any higher than Tier 4. No doubt some people will cite small clubs that have gone higher but these are exceptions and they have either returned to Tier 4 or are about to return there. The common sense natural order of things is that if you want to fight it is better to be big and strong rather than small and weak, although a small and weak person may win the occasional fight.

Only when Carlisle United FC has an incredible manager (Ashman, Stokoe, Simpson etc) can it sustain any period of time above Tier 4. In the event of the team achieving promotion this season is there anyone who would believe (rather than merely hope) that the team will remain above Tier 4 in 5 years time? It is inevitable that whatever takes a small club above its station gets taken away from it and the club, although getting a financial boost, will inevitably descend.