And if the worst happens......

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Whgat good players do we have? This is a serious question-I've not seen us play for two season's so I don't know who is good and who isn't.

As far as I can work out(based on match reports and the trustiest of barromoter's, NSC):

G.K:
both Kuipers and Sullivan are decent enough league one keepers.

def:
McNulty-everyone seemed very positive about him in the few games he played.
Whing-appears to be a 100%er. People seem undecided on his actual quality though.
Hinshelwood, Virgo, Elphick, El Abd- most people seem to think that we have a lot of quality at centreback. I presume they've played the majority of the season in the middle of a defence that has leaked goals including a number of soft ones all season. They're not that good then, surely? Or are there other reasons/mitigating circumstances for our continued poor defensive showings?

midfield:
Do we have anyone who's anygood playing in our midfield that is on a longterm contract? Livermore doesnt seem to be the player we hoped, McLeod is always injured, not many seem to rate Fraser and more and more people seem to be rating Cox less and less as a player. Who else do we have signed longterm?

Strikers:
Forster and Murray both appear to be the only truly quality players we have. Shame they've been injured so much this season.

So, looking at that lot, who are the quality players that are going to leave? I can only think of Murray as he is highly rated and still young. I can't imagine Forster will leave at his age. McNulty has only just joined and is probably some time away form playing again. The defence are pourous and have-as far as I can work out-done nothing to improve their reputations.

Feel free to ncorrect my assessments as, like I've said, it's all based on second hand evidence. And NSC.

 

[Dorset Seagull]

Let's get a few things into perspective shall we, the first game my dear old dad took me to see at the Goldstone in 1962/63 (getting old, can't even remember the exact year) was against Barrow in the old 4th Division. And now, 47 years later, it looks like we're going to end up in the same division. No matter what our aspirations are we have nearly always been a lower league club, flitting between the third and fourth divisions with occasional visits to the second. Yes we have had a few glory years in the top flight and I was one of the lucky one's to have been around at the time, but the reality is that to get the big crowds in we have to be a winning team, it has always been like that with the Albion. There seems to be this great misty eyed romance about the 'good old days' at the Goldstone, yes it could generate a fantastic atmosphere, but it was also a dump and that was why we could never keep the big crowds when we started sliding down the league. The opportunity the club has, when the new stadium is built, is to attract the thousands we will need and to keep them by providing a first class facility and, more importantly, a winning team.
My main worry is that it is not a given, if we do go down, that we will come straight back up, this team has got to be seriously sorted out and I wish Russel Slade the best of luck. But just you watch, if we do get things right the crowds will return, I'll be there next season regardless.

As someone of the same era I agree with your analysis that the support has always followed a winning team and we are a 3rd/4th div club. However with our recent spell in the Championship and encouraging signs last season I felt that perhaps we were about to have a more sustained period at the higher level.

It's sad to see what has happened at the club since as I felt that Dean Wilkins didn't have the ability to push us further and the Adams appointment was probably at the time a sensible one. ( Although I didn't agree with the manner in which it was conducted )

Unfortunately the plan appears to have failed and I fear for us if we don't get off to a winning start next season should we make the drop to div 2

 

[bright1064]

I think we will find it tough in League 2 next year. There will be a mass exodus of players who want to play at a higher level. The likes of Murray, Whing amongst others will not want to be playing football in the 4th tier.

The only positive is that we will get another year out of Forster, and he will want to stay I'm pretty sure of that. I have a feeling he will be lethal in League 2. Not only that but I'm sure Loft & Robinson will be able to provide some useful League 2 experience to our squad!