If we had lost at Hereford?

[Return of the Rev]

WHERE WOULD WE BE NOW? WOULD BLOOM HAVE PUT MONEY INTO A CONFERENCE SIDE,WOULD WE HAVE EVER GONE TO WITHDEAN? WOULD WE STILL BE THERE? would gillingham seasons ever had happened?

What do think would have happened​

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Interesting question. With no Doncaster to finish below us in the Conference, might we have dropped straight through?

I think we were locked into the Gillingham groundshare anyway, so we'd have played there - and as we were down to the hardcore support, I presume gates wouldn't have been very different. Withdean would still have been the only answer to a temporary ground in Brighton, but whether we would have attracted big enough gates to keep going is the big unknown. On the other hand, AFC Wimbledon managed to get to the league from the ninth level of the pyramid, so anything is possible, and we had a larger crowd potential. I reckon we'd have been in Conference South in the first season at Withdean, with back-to-back titles taking us back into the league in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

As for the Bloom question, only he knows, but I suspect he would. Maybe the bigger issue is whether Bobby zamora would have dropped out of the league to go on loan from Bristol Rovers ...

 

[Giraffe]

It is an interesting question. I was at Hereford and really felt at that time that it was the end if we lost. However in hindsight I think we would be where we are now. Dick Knight would have still supported the club through Gillingham and back to Withdean, we may have taken a little bit longer to get up the leagues, but still think by now we would be in the Championship and in our ground. It was 16 years ago. Clubs have survived going into the conference and risen again, but it does take time, as Luton are still finding.

 

[Seasidesage]

It is an interesting question. I was at Hereford and really felt at that time that it was the end if we lost. However in hindsight I think we would be where we are now. Dick Knight would have still supported the club through Gillingham and back to Withdean, we may have taken a little bit longer to get up the leagues, but still think by now we would be in the Championship and in our ground. It was 16 years ago. Clubs have survived going into the conference and risen again, but it does take time, as Luton are still finding.

My feelings too really. I think it might've taken us longer to get to where we are, but as I have always argued. This is a big club and eventually the level of support/interest would've ensured at least a measure of success.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Interesting question. With no Doncaster to finish below us in the Conference, might we have dropped straight through?

I think we were locked into the Gillingham groundshare anyway, so we'd have played there - and as we were down to the hardcore support, I presume gates wouldn't have been very different. Withdean would still have been the only answer to a temporary ground in Brighton, but whether we would have attracted big enough gates to keep going is the big unknown. On the other hand, AFC Wimbledon managed to get to the league from the ninth level of the pyramid, so anything is possible, and we had a larger crowd potential. I reckon we'd have been in Conference South in the first season at Withdean, with back-to-back titles taking us back into the league in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

As for the Bloom question, only he knows, but I suspect he would. Maybe the bigger issue is whether Bobby zamora would have dropped out of the league to go on loan from Bristol Rovers ...

Interesting post. I too was at Hereford that amazing heart-stopping day in 1997. I really thought at the time it was avoid defeat and survive, or lose, drop out of the League, and die. That simple.

Of course though nothing in football ever is that simple, and all these years on l can see the other side. As others have said, Dick Knight with his cash would still have been around, and other clubs like Wimbledon survived and even increase their support! In conclusion l think it may have taken us longer to haul ourselves back into the Football League, but ultimately, over time, we would have made it.

 

[Giraffe]

A more interesting question would be if the Goldstone had not been sold, when it was, would we now be at Falmer. I think the answer is almost certainly no. We would be looking at a redeveloped Goldstone, much smaller capacity, and not as much potential as now. Or possibly we would have gone bust.

I still won't be sending Archer a Christmas Card though.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

A more interesting question would be if the Goldstone had not been sold, when it was, would we now be at Falmer. I think the answer is almost certainly no. We would be looking at a redeveloped Goldstone, much smaller capacity, and not as much potential as now. Or possibly we would have gone bust.

I still won't be sending Archer a Christmas Card though.

And taking it one step further, if we had still been playing at the Goldstone, would we be pushing for promotion into the Premier League now?

 

[Robot Chicken]

Never mind losing to Hereford, if we hadn't sold Mark Beeney to Leeds in 1993 we would've been wound up by the Inland Revenue.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

WHERE WOULD WE BE NOW? WOULD BLOOM HAVE PUT MONEY INTO A CONFERENCE SIDE,WOULD WE HAVE EVER GONE TO WITHDEAN? WOULD WE STILL BE THERE? would gillingham seasons ever had happened?

What do think would have happened​

bullying conference sides every other week AND a return to the away membership scheme along with shouts of disgust from liz costa
regards
DR

 

[TheJasperCo]

Moot point really. I don't mean to sound facetious, but we got the result we needed to stay up and that's all there is to it. The rest is history, and as my History teacher used to say: "If "Ifs" & "ands" were pots and pans, there would be no need for tinkers".

 

[Return of the Rev]

bullying conference sides every other week AND a return to the away membership scheme along with shouts of disgust from liz costa
regards
DR

A few in the conference that might not like getting bullied

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Moot point really. I don't mean to sound facetious, but we got the result we needed to stay up and that's all there is to it. The rest is history, and as my History teacher used to say: "If "Ifs" & "ands" were pots and pans, there would be no need for tinkers".

A silly stat, but Kerry Mayo scored three own goals in his career. We didn't lose any of those three games.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I think the club would have folded as playing football at Conference level wouldn't have paid the rent to Mr Scally. Dick wouldn't have liked to end up as a pauper and pulled the plug on the whole venture.

 

[glasfryn]

its bloody unthinkable

 

[Icy Gull]

Tits up and would have had to reform and start at the bottom.

 

[The Birdman]

Tits up and would have had to reform and start at the bottom.

Who went to the meeting at Hove Town hall were that was one of the motion and the fans voted to fight to take our club back or form a new club. Those were dark days and thank you to all those who did protest with some very close to the knuckle ones!!! It was the right thing to do.

 

[marshy68]

I think the club would have folded as playing football at Conference level wouldn't have paid the rent to Mr Scally. Dick wouldn't have liked to end up as a pauper and pulled the plug on the whole venture.

Read his book?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Read his book?

You beat me to it. DK covers this in his book.

 

[Kent Seagull]

I wonder that if we had been relegated, would we have been seen as a smaller club with less fans and perhaps been able to do a deal for the Greyhound Stadium or Crawley rather than move to Gillingham? Perhaps it's possible that relegation could actually have worked in our favour, crazy as it may seem.

 

[marshy68]

I wonder that if we had been relegated, would we have been seen as a smaller club with less fans and perhaps been able to do a deal for the Greyhound Stadium or Crawley rather than move to Gillingham? Perhaps it's possible that relegation could actually have worked in our favour, crazy as it may seem.

Again read Dick Knight's book Greyhound stadium and Crawley were exhaustively investigated - in no way would relegation to the conference have worked in our favour.