All Aboard

[tomogull]

I can't believe I might actually be watching Torquay at North Ferriby next season. It can't happen! It WON'T happen!! I've spent time in Ferriby and for those of you who don't know it is a small village just outside Hull. Jesus get us out of here!!

And where or what is Alfreton ?? Is it in your neck of the woods, Andy ?? North Ferriby maybe ...... but at least not Droylesden or Histon !! And I somehow don't think we'll be going to Hyde .......

[Rjc70]

I would only offer Yeoman, Craig and Lathrope new contracts for the conference, based on we wouldn't be able to afford Bodin, Labadie etc. and the others are just not good enough.

I'd probably go along with Ollie's assessment, although Lathrope is the only one that particularly jumps out of the page. Bodin and Labadie would get deals with a remaining Football League Club. Of our in contract players, I'd expect Pearce would get snapped up as well should we go down.

In Hawley, Mansell and Nicholson we have (outrageous guess/assumption to follow) possibly three of our highest earners. To me, their wages going elsewhere would greatly assist funding a squad rebuild. It's never as black and white as that, as we obviously lose revenue/funding related to our FL status and will probably have to cut our cloth accordingly.

[stefano]

We were given one after winning the play off final weren't we?

We have had a couple of those but they are not 'real' trophies. I think it a little ridiculous that the team that wins League 2 this year will get a trophy, the promoted teams in 2nd and 3rd place will get nothing, and yet a team finishing 4th to 7th will get a trophy for getting promoted via the back door.

If we did win the FA Trophy it would be our first 'proper' trophy (County competitions don't count as 'proper'!) since winning the Southern League in 1927 (the season before becoming a Football League Club). That's the first team of course, as our reserves have won the Western League since then and that is a 'proper' trophy as well.

But lets put ourselves at a big disadvantage for winning the FA Trophy .... and bloody well stay up!

[AustrianAndyGull]

And where or what is Alfreton ?? Is it in your neck of the woods, Andy ?? North Ferriby maybe ...... but at least not Droylesden or Histon !! And I somehow don't think we'll be going to Hyde .......

Alfreton is about 10 miles down the Derby Road from me. It is 10 minutes by train or about 20 by car. I would be doing an injustice to towns all over the UK if I were to call it a small town so i'll be diplomatic and call it a large village. I didn't go to Histon but by all accounts that place was just a village so it would probably be somewhere like that. It has a small high street and a Tesco and a few eateries and pubs but nothing else. You are soon in and out of it. The road through is about a mile long. It would certainly be fun seeing us play there I admit but there ain't nowt theer.

[hector]

These are out of contract this season:

Michael Poke
Martin Rice
Kevin Nicholson
Tom Cruise
Lee Mansell
Damon Lathrope
Nathan Craig
Niall Thompson
Joss Labadie
Ashley Yeoman
Billy Bodin
Shaun Cooper

Along with all the loanees.

Leaving us with a total of 10

In the Conference I would keep: Poke, Lathrope, Craig, Labadie, Bodin, Cooper. I think Danny Stevens is on that list of players who are out of contract. He wouldn't be on my keep list.

[tomogull]

Alfreton is about 10 miles down the Derby Road from me. It is 10 minutes by train or about 20 by car. I would be doing an injustice to towns all over the UK if I were to call it a small town so i'll be diplomatic and call it a large village. I didn't go to Histon but by all accounts that place was just a village so it would probably be somewhere like that. It has a small high street and a Tesco and a few eateries and pubs but nothing else. You are soon in and out of it. The road through is about a mile long. It would certainly be fun seeing us play there I admit but there ain't nowt theer.

Eateries and pubs AND a TESCO'S ??????? What more could you want, Andy ? :}

[AustrianAndyGull]

North Ferriby is a small, err ok, large village close to the banks on the Humber as you approach Hull. If you go to Hull by train it stops here so you would probably have to change at Doncaster from wherever you are coming from and get the train to Hull and disembark at North Ferriby. It's not a bad little place but again, like Alfreton there isn't anything there. That said it would be a laugh.

[tufcbrett]

Its still not all over yet. I still think its down to us to get some wins and be in contention come the run in.
We have to play wycombe last game if only we are say 0 to 2 points behind them and win who knows.

Still alot of games to go and we just we results and we will catch up. But thats a big thing for a team who can't win.

As for the conference if we go down I will still support them. I will be in tenerife until november but after that away games near blackpool will do for me as torquay is a bit far.

I still believe we can stay up. If we dont close the gap in the next few then I will change my mind. But get to within even 3 points for the run in and I reckon we can do it

[AustrianAndyGull]

Ships with holes will sink. Get the flotation devices NOW!!!!

We have won 1 game per MONTH with the exception of October where we failed to register a win and the 'bright' spot of December where we won 2 on the spin. We have 2 months of the season to go and need 2 wins and a draw just to get level and even then hoping that the teams above don't pick up points. Given this then it looks obvious that we are going to be relegated unless we suddenly start producing play off if not top 3 form. This is sport and the beauty of it is that anything can happen and that is what we are all pinning our hopes on. Does anyone trust or believe in this group of players to do something almost superhuman and start winning lots of football matches? If Hargreaves continue in the same vein of form (2 wins and a draw in 7 games) and improve on it a tad then so long as other results go our way then it could actually end up being tight at the end but it is a massive if. The one thing you would have thought is that is can't possibly get any worse so we can only get better. If this holds true but like I said, the ship has so many holes that it will be a miracle if it stays afloat.

Miracles do happen. I have a child.

[Gullscorer]

Agreed. There's far too much negativity and pessimism and defeatism on here from people who call themselves supporters. It's not over until the fat referee whistles..

[brucie]

Too much negativity? - are you actually serious. I am not sure what you expect. Before last saturdays match we were still in with some sort of chance.
We are now so far up shit creek our boat is actually poking out the end of someones toilet bowl.
I do think you are under the impression that your posts are actually witty or funny.
They are in reality pathetic.
I apologise for calling you an idiot but I just wonder how much of a true supporter you really are.

[Fonda]

Differentiating between pessimism and realism has long been a problem for some on this board. Of course we might still stay up, and we all hope we do. And the more people that can retain a degree of optimism the better. But it's not pessimistic to suggest the likelihood is we're going down. We're awful, there are literally zero signs of improvement, and in order to stay up we'd need not only a vast improvement but for other clubs who have found their feet recently, losing them again! Unfortunately, it's not just about us - we're now relying on others. And whilst retaining the belief of the fans is important, of far more importance is instilling some belief in the players. And there are no signs of that happening. We look beaten. I applaud anyone who retains a degree of optimism at this point, but mine evaporated against Accrington.

NB: Remember stopping in North Ferriby en route to the KC Stadium for the game described by Aggy in his Q&A.

[Fonda]

These are out of contract this season:

Michael Poke
Martin Rice
Kevin Nicholson
Tom Cruise
Lee Mansell
Damon Lathrope
Nathan Craig
Niall Thompson
Joss Labadie
Ashley Yeoman
Billy Bodin
Shaun Cooper

Along with all the loanees.

Leaving us with a total of 10

Of those, I'd be keen to keep Poke, Lathrope, Craig. I'd offer contracts to (fully expecting them to reject them) Labadie and Bodin. Have no opinion on Cooper as I'm not sure I'll ever see him in action.

Of the 10 presumably under contract, I'd be keen to keep Pearce, Chappell and Benyon. I'd be trying to shift the rest but with virtually no hope of doing so.

Going down this season will be a very different experience to last time. There is no 'new broom' of optimism. There certainly isn't a lot of money, and there isn't a 'blank canvass' that Buckle benefitted from. It's going to be painful.

[Gullscorer]

Brucie, apology accepted. However, I've given up trying to work out why you think what you do! :~D

Fonda of course it's realistic to say that we're likely to go down. But that's not the same as rolling over and giving up before it's all over. It's not about pessimism nor optimism. It's about FIGHTING ON...!! The problem is, as you've indicated, nobody seems to want to do that any more; not the fans, not the players, nobody.

However, a couple of wins could yet begin to turn things around. Since we seem to play somewhat better against better teams and away from home, and with the Plainmoor pitch drying out, there could be a glimmer of hope for us yet..

(Trying to be positive)..

[AustrianAndyGull]

I reckon the thread should now be about this. It's shit hot this. Can't get it out of my head. Got it on CD in my car although it is supposed to be my little ones.

GET THIS LITTLE CRACKER WHACKED ON AND CRANKED UP ON THE WAY TO HARTLEPOOL AND CHILLAX PEOPLES BECAUSE WE ARE THE TORQUAY!!!