I’m sure many will disagree, but for the future of our club is it better if we go down?
If we want Bonser gone, things are going to have to get worse before they could get better. It’s a lot harder to churn out the “well-run club” narrative when we’re languishing in the lower reaches of League Two or even faced with a drop into the Conference. Maybe that will be enough to break the apathy and force a change?
Should we stay up, I just can’t see myself celebrating. I have no faith in the club’s leadership whatsoever; it will just be more of the same, delaying the inevitable. We would have gone down in 2011 were it not for the Plymouth points deduction and probably would have dropped out of the league soon after had they not lucked out with the Smith appointment.
From a purely fan perspective, I think League Two, at least at first, would be more interesting too. New opponents, new grounds. At least finishing in the top seven of League Two is slightly plausible. Even reaching the top half of League One is increasingly looking like a pipe dream for us. Thanks Jeff.
I’m torn in all honesty. Absolutely no confidence in the board as you have probably noticed(!) - they fully deserve League 2 - but the thought of all the Wrexham, Tranmere, Shrewsbury and many more clubs’ fans gloating over our demise absolutely galls & pains me. We have lorded it over these clubs for years, but they have been quietly building from the bottom gathering momentum and adding numbers to their fanbases for years, meanwhile we have been moving backwards and alienating our fans - it is only a matter of time.
The sooner we can hit rock bottom the sooner we can start making our way back, hopefully rid of the Bonser, Mole & Gamble shaped weights around the clubs neck. The question is will relegation get us this chance at freedom - because I believe until there is a rowdy working class group putting pressure on Bonser and his commercial activities, he will just continue to take his 400k rent.
Dunno, another interminable season of scratching about in league one, doing absolutely bog all, the highlight an unusual away trip to Ipswich.
OR
The genuine possibility of plateauing out in league two, apparently our realistic level. Everything diminished by 20%, the death of the club set in stone, our destiny petrified in glass.
The rent still paid like clockwork. Has Bonser finally killed the club?
I actually believe it is, the toxic atmosphere around the club needs to be broken. To achieve this we need a good season and I don’t see us achieving that in League 1.
Completely agree, I really don’t think this Board deserve to get away with another stay of execution in League One. Whilst you obviously want to be competing at the highest possible level, we currently aren’t doing that, we’re just surviving. A 13th consecutive season in the third tier, with no real chance of promotion doesn’t exactly sound too appealing. Short-term pain for long-term gain I think…
Which actually just adds to JB’s outdated and predictable rhetoric and therefore ultimately, allows him to continue with his sickening and self serving position at the helm of the inevitably sinking ship that is WFC…
No, it wouldn’t be good at all. Football has changed considerably since we were last in the fourth division and there are plenty of up and coming clubs with more money than half of the league one clubs so we are unlikely to bounce back any time soon, if at all.
Well if history is anything to go by then yes . We had 16 years in the then 3rd division from 1963-1979 and got promoted in our first season at the 4th level which led a year or two later to one of our golden periods BUT we had a certain Alan Buckley around at that time firstly as player and then a manager. I cannot see another Alan Buckley at the moment or indeed a group of young players similar to the ones who came through in the early eighties.
My worry is that if we go down it will be like the Hibbitt years so I think ,on balance, I would prefer an escape and a new Manager who knows what he is doing next season.
Stay up and bring in an experienced manager at this level - both unlikely however
Can’t see us coming back up or even competing for top 7 if we were to drop, can see the point people are making about other teams having done it and benefited from it but I see us more likely to replicate a Chesterfield, Notts County, Port Vale…
Is relegation better? Short, no, cuz you want club to compete the highest possible level. Long, plus 20 years ago, when I learnt there is such club, environment was totally different. Premier League was a distant being, on another continent, but it was possible to get there (not saying it was easy, but possible to imagine at least). Championship was another city, not so far away, you could visit it quite regularly if you want and were prepared for a journey. League One was a natural ground for the club, there were periods when you could think we are strong here and it wasn’t too bold opinion. League Two? Ah well, group of shacks nearby. Hard to end there, easy to return to higher level. Now, end of 2018/2019 season, Premier League is in another solar system. Championship? Distant being, disappearing on the horizon. League One? Starting to move to another city, quite rapidly I would say. League Two? Probably next natural habitat, but already there are clubs with more money, relentless ambition to push forward and soon it will be too strong league too. For now we can assume relegation can force owner to sell club, but I don’t think it will change a lot of things. Why? The general method how pension fund and club connected to it operates, won’t change. It doesn’t require any change, as long as rent is paid. You don’t change something, that works ok, right? There will be always people ready to pay to see a game, so footy can be tolerated. At the end, when club will be unable to pay rent, ground will be sold and it’s over then. So, in summary. Fight as hard as possible to postpone inevitability, but it will come one day for sure.
Relegation will be better in the long run,if we did well (and I think we would) we would get bigger attendances,better morale for the fans and players,and a chance to build some momentum for the following season. Bring it on!!!
I can understand the rhetoric of dropping down in order to ‘re-group’, the chance to have a better season than we’re currently having, and maybe even enjoy a playoff or promotion finish. This is what happened in 06/07 and it went about as well as any of us could’ve hoped for.
Why does it take relegation for this to happen though? Is each season not a chance to start afresh, regardless of division? Had we survived in 05/06, who’s to say the renaissance would still not have happened? Could it have been a promotion to the Championship?
We’ll never know. Dropping down perhaps had the effect of imposing a sense of superiority on our squad at the time, which had a positive outcome, but would that still be true in 2019?
I think people thinking it might be better to go down are missing a trick. Firstly Bonser will still be owner taking his pension wedge. Secondly, last time we went down there was an instant feel good factor because we’d finally got rid of Merson, Dosh came in and it was like a real clean slate. Don’t forget we took nearly 1000 to Rochdale for the opening match that season, that simply won’t be happening this time around. Our fanbase has been shrinking for the last few seasons, I think relegation will see us down to very average league two support levels, and I get the feeling that even a good season wouldn’t be enough to make much of a difference.
As for the players who are out of contract, and the perceived clear-out? I honestly don’t know what to make of it. Do we even play these players in the last few games given what happened on Saturday? Maybe some of them would actually be ok in League Two ironically? The whole thing has degenerated into such a mess I couldn’t even pretend to know where to start, even going into Saturday, yet alone next season. Feel really sorry for MOC. He’s come in to help out and now he’s got a huge thankless task on his hands.
Even though I’m not a fan of all this mid-week tub-thumping I’m surprised there’s not been a bit more by way of interviews given what’s happened. The whole thing looks very down-beat unfortunately.
Thinking back to 2006/2007 when it was dickie’s first season, nothing against what Dean Smith done in his time with us but for me personally that was the happiest I’ve been as a Walsall fan, having the likes of dann coming through, every player putting in the shifts and Swindon away last game of the season was just unforgettable. Think we need that feel good factor again, and if it takes a year in league 2 to go back to basics then I’ll take it unfortunately…
