[Albion] Does anyone want to go down to The Championship?

[crodonilson]

As the remainers famously sung on their march around London a couple of weeks ago 'there's no better deal than what we've got now'.

 

[A1X]

I don't want to, but I don't think it'll be the disaster some seem to think. Essentially we're a well run, well managed club who don't look like we'll be spiralling out of control like Sunderland or Bolton if we do go down.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

The Championship was a far more enjoyable experience and less sterile than the Premiership.......but would i like us to be relegated from the so-called 'best league in world' ? - no.

 

[kjgood]

I would like to stay in the Premier League please Mr. H.

 

[monty uk]

The Championship was a far more enjoyable experience and less sterile than the Premiership.......but would i like us to be relegated from the so-called 'best league in world' ? - no.

Was it not more enjoyable because there was the chance of promotion and bettering ourselves? An achievable goal? Which we don't have in such a realistic way, because the ultimate now is to displace one of the big 6, and that ain't gonna happen.

We still play good football (mostly/sometimes). We win games. We have ups and downs. Why was it more enjoyable, because to me it is better now as an all-round experience?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Once down, we won't be back.

So, no.

 

[rippleman]

I'm not sure I would mind too much to be honest. I am bored and frustrated with the negative football we are playing in the PL. I don't like the never-ending change of fixtures.

I enjoyed the football we were playing in the Championship far more. It was more competitive and we were far more adventurous than we have been in the PL.

Wouldn't be good for the club finances or for Mr Chairman were we to be relegated but it's likely the PL plastics would drift away and that might mean that Barber has to reign in his pettiness just a weeny bit and treat the club's core fan base with a bit more respect.

 

[Hamilton]

No.

End of.

 

[London Irish]

Curious really. Looks like us and cardiff are main contenders for the dreaded drop. Just wondering if some people, although tough to take relgegation, dont mind dipping back into the championship for a bit??


- 8 more games a season
- away days full of loyal fans not day trippers
- seeing attacking football each week
- winning games
- scoring and celebrating away goals
- going to some good grounds with good atmospheres?
- knowing literally anyone can beat anyone and usually big upsets every week


Granted the PL with all its riches and tv coverage is amazing and excellent for our saviour TB and all the money hes kindly used on our club though!!

Will be fascinating to see what attendances are like then. I suspect Barber might be really forced to earn his money

 

[Nixonator]

So assume the chances of actually doing anything and the bigger chance of every season being in a relegation/ lower table dogfight, you would prefer that? For the rest of your football supporting life? Watching some of the dross we have had to watch this season?

Blimey

I would hope/assume our perpetual PL status would allow us to progress, if not in league position then at the very least with a more progressive playstyle.

Pre-empting your follow-up question of "Would I want to stay in this league permanently with current playstyle?" then the answer would also be yes.

Last season was decent, this one will be equally so if we can snatch another 4~ points.

We've had some good days, and I'd rather us beat just one of the six MEGA clubs each season than win 20 times against the likes of Rotherham.

It also means cup runs, as evidenced this season.

 

[trueblue]

Of course, it’s as easy as ‘dipping back into the Championship for a bit’. It’s not like the top level is going to get further and further ahead....

 

[Pantani]

Want an awayday with the Albion? Where do you fancy....Liverpool or Luton, Middlesbrough or Man City/ United?

Liverpool twice a season, Manchester twice a season, London six or seven times a season, shit south coast away days twice a season, doesn't leave many good, or at least different away days. For me that is the major positive of the Championship. Nottingham, Sheffield, Norwich, Bristol, Huddersfield, Fulham and Derby are all top quality away days and that would provide some comfort from the disappointment of being relegated

 

[BBassic]

Was it not more enjoyable because there was the chance of promotion and bettering ourselves? An achievable goal? Which we don't have in such a realistic way, because the ultimate now is to displace one of the big 6, and that ain't gonna happen.

We still play good football (mostly/sometimes). We win games. We have ups and downs. Why was it more enjoyable, because to me it is better now as an all-round experience?

I think there's a couple of things, for me, that I don't generally like and they've come from our being in the Premier League:

- The lack of achievable goal, as you mention. For the foreseeable we're one of 14 teams who's ultimate goal is to not get relegated. F**king big whoop. Year on year all we can hope for is to not be one of the three worst teams in the league.
- Following from that there's a distinct feeling I get from the media, commentators and other fans (ours and others) that we (and the other 14 teams) should consider themselves lucky to even be here. Isn't it marvellous being at the big boys table, hoping to nick a point maybe.
- And following from that the whole "isn't it a privilege to see world class players at the AMEX?" No, not really, not when they're running circles around us. F**k them.

It's just a whole other league (pun intended) from anything I've known before. Most of the time though I'm actually enjoying our football enough to ignore all the other shit. But we've been shit since Christmas and watching us stink up the league a bit only serves to reinforce the opinions in point #2 up there that we're lucky to be here and so the whole cycle ends up leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

But! Having said all that - it sure as shit beats getting tonked by Derby on a freezing Tuesday night in January.

 

[n1 gull]

I’d say the Palace game is up there with my list of greatest Albion games ...ever

100% agree!

 

[Surf's Up]

Once down, we won't be back.

So, no.

This, and anyone who thinks differently is deluding themselves. We need to hang on this season (one/two wins more is all), have a good summer clear out and recruitment and go again next season with a better more balanced, more skilful, more experienced, more athletic and better motivated Premier League squad. Not sure about CH.

 

[Easy 10]

Once down, we won't be back.

So, no.

Out of interest, what do you base that on ?

I'm not saying if we went down we'd bounce straight back. But we are a stable, well run, well supported club with a fantastic infrastructure, bankrolled by a billionaire fan. We came within a pube's width of automatic promotion following a couple of tilts at the Playoffs, so we'd been knocking at the door for a while before we finally kicked it in.

If we went down then I think we'd regroup, rebuild, and be challenging the top 6 again before too long. I don't really get this "we'd never get back up" mindset.

 

[Easy 10]

This, and anyone who thinks differently is deluding themselves. We need to hang on this season (one/two wins more is all), have a good summer clear out and recruitment and go again next season with a better more balanced, more skilful, more experienced, more athletic and better motivated Premier League squad. Not sure about CH.

So you're saying that if we go down, then promotion from the Championship would be completely impossible ever again for BHA.

Mmmkay.

 

[Silverhatch]

Relegation to the "most competitive league in the world" does not in any way guarantee that our results would be better. Much rather be surviving in the Premier League than potentially struggling in the Championship.

 

[Nixonator]

Out of interest, what do you base that on ?

I'm not saying if we went down we'd bounce straight back. But we are a stable, well run, well supported club with a fantastic infrastructure, bankrolled by a billionaire fan. We came within a pube's width of automatic promotion following a couple of tilts at the Playoffs, so we'd been knocking at the door for a while before we finally kicked it in.

If we went down then I think we'd regroup, rebuild, and be challenging the top 6 again before too long. I don't really get this "we'd never get back up" mindset.

Surprised you even bothered to respond to a suggestion that we would never be back in the top division. I might have believed that 20 years ago but not now, for the reasons you outlined.

People love to take the 'all or nothing, woe is us' stance in these situations.

 

[Easy 10]

Surprised you even bothered to respond to a suggestion that we would never be back in the top division. I might have believed that 20 years ago but not now, for the reasons you outlined.

People love to take the 'all or nothing, woe is us' stance in these situations.

Indeed. Coming off the back of a couple of depressing defeats, some peoples mindsets seem to go into full-on Eeyore mode, where everything is shit, everyone is made of poo and nothing can ever be good again.

I'd best stop there though, or I'll be accused of being a happy clapper.