On the bright side ...

[Not Andy Naylor]

... this season is certainly making us appreciate being in the Championship.

I think a few too many on here had begun to see being in the second tier as an inconvenient delay on our inevitable journey to our rightful place in the Premier League. In fact we've spent most of our existence in the third division, so regularly playing against clubs such as Derby, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Wolves* should be something to savour. I hope the prospect of heading back to the lower divisions has reminded some people of that and if/when we escape the drop we will be truly thankful.

(Oh, and being two divisions above that Massive Club with the Greatest Fans in the World from along the coast, of course. #twats)

 

[Mellotron]

I think a few too many on here had begun to see being in the second tier as an inconvenient delay on our inevitable journey to our rightful place in the Premier League.

I think the club are more at fault for that level of expectation than anyone else...

 

[TomandJerry]

"Premier League Ready"
"One club, one ambition"

 

[Insel affe]

" League One Ready"
"One club, No ambition"

There you go fixed for ya.......

 

[Knotty]

I think the club are more at fault for that level of expectation than anyone else...

Why? Are we all six year old children?

 

[Mellotron]

Why? Are we all six year old children?

I'm thinking more things like having some of the most expensive Season Tickets in the whole division...that sort of thing? Do you not think prices should = performance?

 

[Vegas Seagull]

I'm thinking more things like having some of the most expensive Season Tickets in the whole division...that sort of thing? Do you not think prices should = performance?

They already do, if we perform badly income goes down

 

[Vegas Seagull]

... this season is certainly making us appreciate being in the Championship.

I think a few too many on here had begun to see being in the second tier as an inconvenient delay on our inevitable journey to our rightful place in the Premier League. In fact we've spent most of our existence in the third division, so regularly playing against clubs such as Derby, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Wolves* should be something to savour. I hope the prospect of heading back to the lower divisions has reminded some people of that and if/when we escape the drop we will be truly thankful.

(Oh, and being two divisions above that Massive Club with the Greatest Fans in the World from along the coast, of course. #twats)

Good point, see Man City vs Champions League or Arsenal/Liverpool & title...often things do not fit into place as readily as you may hope, the jump from 7k to 27k has introduced a few too many short termers who maybe 'deserve' some pain to be to properly appreciate future glory (this will also delay the long termers next celebration as a consequence, unfortunately)

 

[Knotty]

I'm thinking more things like having some of the most expensive Season Tickets in the whole division...that sort of thing? Do you not think prices should = performance?

No I don't.

If that were the case, there are a number of times in my Albion-supporting history when they would have had to pay me to watch!

I would also say that there are times when I have been very happy to pay for what the Albion gives me.

 

[vegster]

I am buoyed by the revelation the Miranda Hart has decided to kill off her own series " Miranda ". So, it's not all doom and gloom.

 

[Mellotron]

No I don't.

If that were the case, there are a number of times in my Albion-supporting history when they would have had to pay me to watch!

I would also say that there are times when I have been very happy to pay for what the Albion gives me.

So you'd be fine paying anything? The club must love you.

I'm sorry but it's just plain LOGIC that if the club push prices up massively and bang on CONSTANTLY about PLR, One Club One Ambition, they then can't be surprised when fans aren't happy that we're a bit shithouse.

 

[Tooting Gull]

The 'One Ambition' line is a bit sh!te, let's be honest. Albion is about a lot more than just trying to get to the Premier League as that strongly suggests.

I don't mind those slogans (there are some very good ones in Germany) but they are more about the team, the community, the fans, and love of the club.

 

[Black Rod]

Why? Are we all six year old children?

No. But we do seem to have more than our fair share of dribblers who believe anything the club tell them - ie all this Premier League ready bollocks - when it is pretty clear that the squad is nowhere near good enough for the top six, let alone a promotion push

 

[Knotty]

So you'd be fine paying anything? The club must love you.

I'm sorry but it's just plain LOGIC that if the club push prices up massively and bang on CONSTANTLY about PLR, One Club One Ambition, they then can't be surprised when fans aren't happy that we're a bit shithouse.

PLR and the Ambition line don't promise us anything. I'm happy that the structure of the club is PLR and that promotion is an ambition. As far as I'm aware we have not been promised Premier League. And if some think we have, I refer the honourable gentleman to my earlier "six year olds' quote.

I don't suppose any club is surprised that fans are unhappy when the team is playing poorly. I'm sure I am as unhappy as you about it and I am very much in the Hyypia out camp, BUT I've seen it all before and expect to do so again, regardless of which division we're in.

I haven't been promised success and I don't expect it. I HOPE passionately for success but that's not what I pay my money for. We deserve 100% commitment from the players but good football and winning football are bonuses.

I know there are many who would disagree with me and they are entitled to their opinion. I am very comfortable with mine.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I think the club are more at fault for that level of expectation than anyone else...

Why? - by trying to beat the odds and gain promotion (which it has never promised to deliver) whilst losing millions of pounds?

Should they have just had a more realistic outlook from the start (small budget, etc) and made sure that we were never close to the play-offs?

The pre Barber regime over spent massively and made mistake after mistake which is having to be addressed but by addressing this, they are losing fans support when the blame should be laid at those who messed up before Barber and co took over.

We had massive turnover of merchandise, sell outs every game, etc and yet still lost c£8m in the first season without splashing a massive amount on new players (not the amounts that some fans were calling for anyway)

 

[Guy Fawkes]

So you'd be fine paying anything? The club must love you.

I'm sorry but it's just plain LOGIC that if the club push prices up massively and bang on CONSTANTLY about PLR, One Club One Ambition, they then can't be surprised when fans aren't happy that we're a bit shithouse.

I think you will find it is the fans that use the PLR phrase as a stick to beat the club with rather than from the club itself.

A lot of Chinese Whispers going on amongst unhappy fans and things are being twisted and used against the club which just arn't true. The PLR thing was only used internally by the club towards getting things to the highest possible standards (like the training ground) and not towards the fans and it certainly isn't used by them to build up expectations.

Too much of what is read on NSC and alike is being confused between personal opinions / digs and genuine communications from the club and the club is being criticised supposedly saying something by was in fact someones personal opinion / dig at the club.

One club, one ambition seems to be a Nike slogan rather than the clubs idea as it is also used by other clubs that Nike supply.

 

[symyjym]

I think you will find it is the fans that use the PLR phrase as a stick to beat the club with rather than from the club itself.

A lot of Chinese Whispers going on amongst unhappy fans and things are being twisted and used against the club which just arn't true. The PLR thing was only used internally by the club towards getting things to the highest possible standards (like the training ground) and not towards the fans and it certainly isn't used by them to build up expectations.

Too much of what is read on NSC and alike is being confused between personal opinions / digs and genuine communications from the club and the club is being criticised supposedly saying something by was in fact someones personal opinion / dig at the club.

One club, one ambition seems to be a Nike slogan rather than the clubs idea as it is also used by other clubs that Nike supply.

That makes it a complete lie then. It should really read Many Clubs, Many Ambitions?

 

[Man of Harveys]

Why? Are we all six year old children?

The thing is, to be quite this blithely dismissive of people's views, you really have to have your head wedged so far up your own colonic passage to an extent that would make a contortionist envious. Because of course, it's not that the club has brought these expectations on themselves. No way. Uh uh.

Oh wait...hang on, what's this? It must be made up, surely? Because anyone who dares even to mention that the whole sodding shooting match has been royally screwed up is in fact a "six year old" that didn't get its toy for Xmas. Yup, that's it.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10735370.Albion_urged_to_be__Premier_League_Ready_/

 

[Man of Harveys]

I think you will find it is the fans that use the PLR phrase as a stick to beat the club with rather than from the club itself.

I think you will find...that, with respect, you're talking 1000% pure steaming crap. Well done.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10735370.Albion_urged_to_be__Premier_League_Ready_/

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

So you'd be fine paying anything? The club must love you.

I'm sorry but it's just plain LOGIC that if the club push prices up massively and bang on CONSTANTLY about PLR, One Club One Ambition, they then can't be surprised when fans aren't happy that we're a bit shithouse.

Quite. In the olden days, everyone went that extra mile to keep the club going. We'd buy any old shit, more-or-less regarding the club as a charity to be supported else it would die. Those days are gone. If the club insists on treating us as customers, then they need to be prepared for the backlash when they start providing a shoddy on-pitch product while overcharging for the off-field product.