pg
Newbie
Posts: 65
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Post by pg on Mar 6, 2019 16:18:22 GMT
I get that everyone who follows Sutton is entitled to their opinion, but I have to say some of this negativity is a little bit unwarranted. I, perhaps like many, have been coming down to the club for many years but they were always my “second team” behind a larger top division club whose support was instilled in me by my father. However, the manner in which the club has moved forward over the past few years has been very endearing and they are now definitely the primary club I support.
The pitch was laid that allows the whole club and community access, the improvements to the Boom Boom ensure a much more comfortable experience, progressive stadium improvements, wider visibility of the womens and disability teams, the obviously skilled and passionate volunteers you see every matchday. It’s truly incredible if you think back 10 years and look at where we are now. And the team are doing this while still being part time.
I care about promotion – and that horrible feeling at the end of last season still lingers - but it can wait. If we can keep ourselves pushing for play-off positions for the next few seasons and solidify our status in this league, then our fan base will swell and (like with me) a bond will be created or strengthened that will remain hopefully for a lifetime. My only worry is that a minor contingent won’t get that and their views will be amplified through this forum and social media, and then Dos leaves. Then we really will be at a major crossroads.
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Post by baggiesansutton on Mar 6, 2019 16:29:19 GMT
Not for the first time this season, I find myself genuinely perplexed by some of the views expressed on this forum. To those who somehow believe that this club lacks either the conviction or the aspiration to ultimately compete in the Football League, I would like to reiterate that this is precisely why the board made a decision, which I happily supported, to double the number of shares available in the club for the express purpose of ensuring we are financially prepared for the transition to the Football League. I and many others were more than happy to double our existing shareholdings in the club, because I firmly believe that our future lies at a higher level. But it is vital to point out that this is not an aspiration which will be realised overnight. To those who have been listening, Dos has mentioned numerous times over the last couple of seasons the importance of organic growth. The history of football is littered with "Icarus" clubs that have tried to ascend the football pyramid far too quickly, only to crash and burn. Suffice to say, we are a club which is undoubtedly on an upward trajectory, but our climb will not be so steep that we allow ourselves to live beyond our means. I have every confidence that we will ultimately play league football, but we will get there when we are good and ready, and on our current resources we are not quite there yet. That's interesting I wasn't aware of that hopefully the plans they have in store materialise. Do you think it will see us go full time and possibly seek some new investment, don't want to be pettimistic but can't see how it will be achieved otherwise, thanks for the info anyway.
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trev
1st team skipper
In Matt We Trust
Posts: 2,477
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Post by trev on Mar 6, 2019 16:36:58 GMT
You're welcome. It would be inappropriate of me to discuss the possibility of us going full time, as I'm not privy to such information but financial provisions are clearly being put in place to bankroll our transition to playing league football in the future.
As far as "new investment" goes, I expect us to continue to be collectively funded by our fans. The will is undoubtedly there and long may it continue.
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Post by baggiesansutton on Mar 6, 2019 16:49:22 GMT
You're welcome. It would be inappropriate of me to discuss the possibility of us going full time, as I'm not privy to such information but financial provisions are clearly being put in place to bankroll our transition to playing league football in the future. As far as "new investment" goes, I expect us to continue to be collectively funded by our fans. The will is undoubtedly there and long may it continue. Thanks for the info and yeah I respect that. What else I find interesting is how a large majority of the fanbase see Doswell as such an integral part of us achieving league football and how if he was to go we would revert backwards rapidly like the poster said on this page. My understanding of it was that he couldn't manage a club full time due to his commitments in property developing?.
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kpinwp
1st team Player
Posts: 1,190
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Post by kpinwp on Mar 6, 2019 16:49:30 GMT
Well, I dunno. It's been pretty much downhill since we failed to beat Arsenal, really.
I mean, that was inexplicable.
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Post by Andy K on Mar 6, 2019 16:49:36 GMT
I love what pg wrote. Take a step back and just think of what we've achieved. I get that there are some here who have only been following for a couple of years, but since 2008 the transformation of the club has been nothing short of amazing, and allied with the fact that pretty much all of us who were around during the times when we were in the doldrums (not just that 2007/8 season, but that hugely underperforming season before we won the CS title) have been carried along successfully. You don't see many people here "jumping ship" because they want to see Sutton "back in the Isthmian where they belong!"
What I don't understand is the minority who just come on here to moan when we've had a couple of bad results (and really does losing to big spending Salford away midweek class as a bad result?) when we're still sitting within striking distance of a play off spot? It's not been the easiest of seasons for the management team but a number of supporters, who if I may be bold enough to class as "Johnny-cum-latelys" have this level of expectation which is utterly realistic. I remember a few from last season saying that Dos should go and be replaced by a proper manager like Chris Kinnear or Marcus Bignot. To put that into context, this was at the tail end of the season where we finished 3rd, our highest finish ever.
Again context - only the top 4 have lost fewer games than we have. We're still 2 points off a play off spot with 10 games to play. We are nowhere near a relegation spot. We've got the basis of a good squad for next season. We've got a great management team. We've got a fantastic board where we don't have HMRC breathing down our necks. We've got successful sides in all areas.
Yes of course we're all entitled to our "opinion" for what it's worth, but when that opinion is so rooted in inaccuracy or that opinion is put on show with the main aim of provoking a reaction from others because the source of it is a bit bored or gets their kicks out of it, then I would argue to say that we're not entitled to your opinion.
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Post by Del on Mar 6, 2019 16:51:24 GMT
Nice touch at Salford last night was one of their officials coming around and giving away team sheets to the away fans. Add to that £10 for an adult match ticket and £5 for concessions which included seating.
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trev
1st team skipper
In Matt We Trust
Posts: 2,477
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Post by trev on Mar 6, 2019 17:00:22 GMT
Here's hoping for a Saturday game if we're both in the same division next season. I definitely want to check out their ground in the foreseeable future..
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Post by baggiesansutton on Mar 6, 2019 17:56:09 GMT
I love what pg wrote. Take a step back and just think of what we've achieved. I get that there are some here who have only been following for a couple of years, but since 2008 the transformation of the club has been nothing short of amazing, and allied with the fact that pretty much all of us who were around during the times when we were in the doldrums (not just that 2007/8 season, but that hugely underperforming season before we won the CS title) have been carried along successfully. You don't see many people here "jumping ship" because they want to see Sutton "back in the Isthmian where they belong!" What I don't understand is the minority who just come on here to moan when we've had a couple of bad results (and really does losing to big spending Salford away midweek class as a bad result?) when we're still sitting within striking distance of a play off spot? It's not been the easiest of seasons for the management team but a number of supporters, who if I may be bold enough to class as "Johnny-cum-latelys" have this level of expectation which is utterly realistic. I remember a few from last season saying that Dos should go and be replaced by a proper manager like Chris Kinnear or Marcus Bignot. To put that into context, this was at the tail end of the season where we finished 3rd, our highest finish ever. Again context - only the top 4 have lost fewer games than we have. We're still 2 points off a play off spot with 10 games to play. We are nowhere near a relegation spot. We've got the basis of a good squad for next season. We've got a great management team. We've got a fantastic board where we don't have HMRC breathing down our necks. We've got successful sides in all areas. Yes of course we're all entitled to our "opinion" for what it's worth, but when that opinion is so rooted in inaccuracy or that opinion is put on show with the main aim of provoking a reaction from others because the source of it is a bit bored or gets their kicks out of it, then I would argue to say that we're not entitled to your opinion. With all due respect though and trust I fully admit I can be too negative sometimes okay most the time, fans need to realise people have different personalities and have different takes on games etc it's one of the biggest gripes on the baggie board to is the happy clappers and moaners as they've been labelled going at eachother constantly. I respect the man or lady who can sit in the middle and understand both sides arguments when they see fit too. Many of the problems going on in this country atm stem from people being labelled as either this or that and not being a able to discuss and understand both sides okay we are going deep now 😁. Not everything from kingdom come is as rosey as a rose pampered garden and visa versa not everything needs to be lambasted and shot down at the first given opportunity.
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Post by medwaysider on Mar 6, 2019 18:43:56 GMT
Baggie, it's the same on the Gillingham forum, the two groups refer to each other as "bedwetters" and "apologists". I totally understand the frustration of U's who have been attending GGL for donkeys years but it's a natural consequence of becoming a larger and more successful club, you attract new fans and they're (like any other group) a cross section of the general public. Same frustration for Gills fans who were going years before we had our one and only stint in the championship (5 years). We look at the "newcomers" and think they're totally unrealistic to expect us to challenge for a championship spot and sustain it with our crowds and budget. But on the other hand, these people weren't going when we were in administration, when we stayed in the league by winning our final home game v Halifax and won no away games that season (92/3), when we did a conga on the pitch at Torquay in 95 and thought it might be our last ever game. But then, why would they? They weren't there.
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Post by Amber Aleman on Mar 6, 2019 19:11:19 GMT
There are those of us here who supported Sutton through the 2007/08 Conference South season, in which we won a grand total of five league games, losing twenty-eight, and were relegated back to the Isthmian League from which we thought we'd escaped. Maybe you need to have been there to understand the bigger perspective.
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Post by nebogipfel on Mar 6, 2019 19:22:16 GMT
I remember reading this forum at the tail end of Rains management, then the mishandling of the club by Ian Hazel and Ernie Wise. Those were dark days indeed.
If anything last seasons third place was an outlier. Longevity in this league must be the aim.
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Post by sol on Mar 6, 2019 19:22:37 GMT
This is a reset season. To be where we are at the moment is already a fantastic achievement - Why is it a reset season? What does that even mean ?It doesn't mean anything - whoever said it.It's yet more gobbledygook speak.Total bollocks. BILLY: What a legend Bill Shankley was. When Jock Stein won the European Cup with Celtic in 1967 - he was as pleased for him as anything he achieved, that is a special chap.
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billy
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,626
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Post by billy on Mar 6, 2019 20:07:42 GMT
This is a reset season. To be where we are at the moment is already a fantastic achievement - Why is it a reset season? What does that even mean ?It doesn't mean anything - whoever said it.It's yet more gobbledygook speak.Total bollocks. BILLY: What a legend Bill Shankley was. When Jock Stein won the European Cup with Celtic in 1967 - he was as pleased for him as anything he achieved, that is a special chap. He was a wonderful man.When he and Matt Busby were in charge there was great rivalry but it was all very respectful.Goodness knows how we arrived at the current state of affairs between these two great clubs. I had the honour of shaking hands and speaking (or at least listening !) to him in the bootroom at Selhurst Park around 1971 I could watch him all day.Here's one of my favourites,i believe it was after Liverpool lost to Arsenal in the Cup Final.
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Post by os on Mar 6, 2019 22:31:37 GMT
There are those of us here who supported Sutton through the 2007/08 Conference South season, in which we won a grand total of five league games, losing twenty-eight, and were relegated back to the Isthmian League from which we thought we'd escaped. Maybe you need to have been there to understand the bigger perspective. There have been so many post today on this subject it took a little while to read up, some far too negative and some with rose tints to their glasses. I choose AA's post to quote as I remember being on the GGL terrace the day we lost 3-0 to Cambridge City with @350 other hardy souls. My dream that day was that we could find a manager to get us back in the Conference South as I watched our relegation confirmed with yet another dire performance. Its interesting that 11 years on, all but 2 of the 21 clubs that finished above us are now below us in the pyramid, with just Eastleigh and Newport County above. We lay 37 places above our position that day, we have won 2 league titles and reached the 5th round of the FA Cup playing in front of an estimated 100 million worldwide TV audience. Everyone knows who we are from Rio de Janeiro to Moscow, we have made the front and back pages of newspapers. So I can understand why some of the newer supporters might be a bit fed up with real life. Having said that no one can live on yesterdays success, there is always a new kid in town, and we face a battle just to keep the club at the level we have risen too. To go even further won't be easy, IMO it will require a complete reshaping of the club, something akin to the company formation back in the 50s. We have risen through the ranks on the back of a great manager, who is prepared to work for nothing and even put his own money in without any promise of return. That won't last forever, the next guy is going to want 50k PA, players wages are only going up, and we need to have the revenue to support that. That means larger support levels both on a match day and online. It means the club will have to generate new revenue, making the most of modern technology and all that goes with modern advertising, the days of doing deals in smoke filled back rooms have gone. The club does rely on its excellent volunteers, but the expertise that is required may have to be shipped in from outside. I think we are back at the 1950's stage, the club is at a watershed in its history, and I think this time will either be judged as a chance spurned or an opportunity taken. FOR BETTER OR WORSE?
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