January Transfer Target - Page 5

KIPAX · 09-01-2007, 17:08

Quote:

It wont be the be all and end all if we did get relegated

Jeeze another one

... Is it just the ultras banging on about how good the conference will be next season or anyone else... I prefer crappy old football league thank you

Tin Monkey · 09-01-2007, 17:14

Perhaps it was a shock that we got promoted?? I certainly never expected it.

KIPAX · 09-01-2007, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

Perhaps it was a shock that we got promoted?? I certainly never expected it.

What did you think was going to happen when we where top of the league then?

Tin Monkey · 09-01-2007, 17:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by KIPAX

What did you think was going to happen when we where top of the league then?

I fully expected us to blow it.

I meant in all the previous years.

Paper Boy · 09-01-2007, 19:16

The talk in this thread blaming all our woes on the lack of ambition by Eric Whalley, I believe are totally ill foundered. Eric has been the driving force behind this club achieving what it has to date. Sure, his approach may be a little out dated in many of our eyes, but his passion for this club and his determination to ensure the football loving people of Accrington have a quality football team to follow for many years to come should not be underestimated. Better that than have someone come in for a couple of seasons to flash some cash, get bored and leave us in the lurch. I'm sure if the money trees in Eric's garden started producing fifty pound notes instead of fivers, he'd shove more into the club. Don't get ambition mixed up with wealth.

I lay the blame for our current problems squarely on the shoulders of the people of Accrington. I appreciate that it's not overly appealing to watch a poor standard of football in a poor stadium, but the only way we can improve our situation is to increase the cash coming into the club. This means all the people who purport to hold Stanley close to their hearts, get off their backsides and support the club. We simply cannot afford to build the facilities everyone wants or attract the players we need with the current level of support.

The only area were I feel we failed, was during the last close season when John Coleman chose to stay loyal to his Conference winning team rather than to use all the media frenzy and hype surrounding it to bring in a couple of top players. But hindsight's a wonderful thing...

Tin Monkey · 09-01-2007, 20:03

Good points, but as always with blaming the people of Accrington for our troubles, you're preaching to the converted.

Nice to see Mangan posting on here though.

lancsdave · 09-01-2007, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paper Boy

I appreciate that it's not overly appealing to watch a poor standard of football in a poor stadium, but the only way we can improve our situation is to increase the cash coming into the club.

Chicken or Egg situation ? People have a lot of things to do with any spare money they have these days, thats if they have spare money in the first place. Football has become too expensive for working class people and you won't get many middle class people forking their money out if the standards of football and facilites are as bad as you describe.

fettler · 09-01-2007, 21:05

ok things are looking decidedly iffy, but if you are a Stanley supporter you will have suffered all sorts of ups and downs over the years. Being a supporter of a club like ASFC is a full time job with not many real benefits but we all continue to do it because we have a deep love of this club. If you have a wayward chid in your family you give it unconditional love and support. Stanley is like that wayward child (at the moment) so we continue to give it our support. Things will improve, and all this talk of Eric going and John not having experience will be easily forgotten......I would like to see Cook return to give the necessary help and support to the team. There, I have said my bit, lets get behind the team on Saturday and rejoice in the victory.....(sounds a bit Churchillian but you get the idea)

Doug · 09-01-2007, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

Nice to see Mangan posting on here though.

Where?.................

Redraine · 09-01-2007, 21:50

Paper boy!

Doug · 09-01-2007, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redraine

Paper boy!

Cheer's Redraine;

His balls are as big as his gob.....I like the lad.

I would have to agree with a mix of points made. It's going to be a 50/50. The team need to pull up and get themselves motivated and build their morel, Eric needs to invest in the areas that brings the club best value and the people need to get off their bums….

On Stanley On.

Tin Monkey · 09-01-2007, 21:59

Hehehe! I think it was at Lincoln. We were bringing Mangan on and somebody shouted out, "They must be desperate. They're bringing paper boy on!" Made me laugh anyway.

Oggy · 09-01-2007, 22:18

There's a lot of good stuff on this thread, if I can throw my two penn'orth in.

Stanley under Coleman and Eric have been the biggest football story of the last few years, by a long way!

I've always had a romantic view on sport, from comic book heroes, Alf Tupper, Wilson, Gorgeous Gus etc. Stanley's performance over the last few seasons have surpassed their achievements. To be living just a mile from the ground has been unbelievable, also to have Kiwi John etc. getting enthralled from far away is what it's all about.

We are now, and for the foreseeable future, the cinderella team of League football, but a League team nonetheless.

I don't think we'll go down because we've got players coming back, Boco particularly, who will give Coley more scope. To lose 3 of your best players, plus injuries and suspensions, (something we can improve), has been very hard, (my heart bleeds for Jose).

20 games to go, eyes down, look in.

Oggy · 09-01-2007, 22:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

Hehehe! I think it was at Lincoln. We were bringing Mangan on and somebody shouted out, "They must be desperate. They're bringing paper boy on!" Made me laugh anyway.

Same match, everybody shouting, "don't dive in, Andy", Andy dives in. Possibly the only time it wasn't his gob that got him booked.

I, too, like the lad. 10 goals, Andy, and we're sorted.

maccawozzagod · 09-01-2007, 23:28

As a Stanley lifer I have seen us at the absolute arse end of football. I currently watch Stanley play in lovely grounds with nice seats and big impressive floodlights and crowds of 6/7000. I personally do not care per se if we end up having to play in the lower leagues again because I have watched the dream unfold before my eyes over the last 10 years.

When Eric Whalley took over we were £75000 in debt, playing in front of 250 people with a ground capacity of 2600. We were signing players from Whinney Hill and Altham for Gawds sake. Now we are free of debt, with considerable assets and a million pound turnover, playing in front of 2500/3000 people regularly and the ground, although lacking in comforts, holds over 5000. And we have witnessed one of the greatest sporting comebacks ever. For a tiny club like Stanley to come through the pyramid, in spite of the bigger clubs at the end of the street, in spite of poor crowds, in spite of poor facilities, in spite of local public apathy, is nothing short of a miracle. This has been made possible by shrewd helmanship by the Chairman and by the galvanising man management of the manager. Eric Whalleys' contribution to the footballing folk of Accrington must never be forgotten. John Coleman must be allowed to make mistakes as he has taken us further than one could ever imagine and has earned the right to get it wrong.

Things may not be rosy in the Fraser Eagle garden at the moment but we have plenty of time to get it right. McGivern getting injured was an absolute gutwrench as he looked like the foil for Mully we have lacked since Lutel ran his course. Roberts and Craney going was an inevitable nightmare that rocked the club, Boco doing his back whilst on International duty (when did Stanleyites ever envisage that problem?) was harsh, an almost entire team on the treatment table was the straw that broke the camels back. If we stay up we know that we have been able to compete in plenty of games this season and assuming that we dont have equally bad luck next season we will be entirely better equipped to have a tilt at something meaningful. We will also have a second successive year of 'big league' money via television money that will start to make a difference to the aesthetics of the ground, we will also have hopefully learned the commercial lessons of this season and be better able to exploit the cash cow.

If we do go down, it wont be the end of the world, it will be no more than another chapter in the romantic fairytale that is Accrington Stanley