I'll admit now I've been that nervous for the last few weeks that although I've viewed the forum, I've not posted much incase I jinxed us. Silly superstition I know, but when does being rational ever tie in with being a football fan? For weeks, if not months, following our lousey run of form in January and February I had hope, but the worry of what would happen if we didn't make it. Sheffield United spent 6 years in league one recently, and the worry that if we didn't go up that we'd lose the likes of Stewart, Pritchard, Embleton and so on with another rebuilding job due in the summer, with a harder league again next season really had me really concerned. Thankfully after today those worries are largely gone, and personally I feel that the weight and dark clouds that have surrounded the club since Allardyce left 6 years ago have finally cleared. Its not going to be easy, but right now I think we can look to the future with genuine optimism for the first time in a very long time.
Absolutely. As you say it seemed to be vital that we took the chance of promotion in terms of holding on to key players etc. I do trust Dreyfus but I'm very pleased that we don't have to anxiously wait and see how gutted the squad is and bed in a load of new players as we start another year in league one. Feels like a big turning point.
strangely, i have felt 'quietly confident' all the way since AN came in and i always think the worst. it helps that i also feel that the current squad should more than hold its own in the championship, although there will be some inevitable changes and/or additions i think promotion and the team spirit the play-offs appear to have generated also offers hope that players will stick with us now...but yes, getting out of that bloody league feels like a weight has been removed from the club.
My comfort level that we could make it came when Clarke and Roberts started to do the business up front. When you add Stewart it reminded me of Halom, Hughes and Tueart. The big guy flanked with two types that will run at you with the ball. Defenders hate that and I also felt it took pressure of our own defense.
After all our recent disappointments ( Wembley cup final aside, and great to break that hoodoo ) I was strangely calm up to the match. The two play off legs were marred by the loss of one of me dogs. But I was up for it yesterday. Great early goal, but nerves started to creep in a little when Wycombe came into the game more. Thought Vokes was going to score and "here we go again" but great recovery. Akinfenwa coming on and still only 1-0 thinking "oh no, it's going to happen to us again ffs". Willing that second goal, believing. Stewart had missed a chance and showing frustration. I think I posted "calm down, you'll get another chance". And Bang, up he pops and I'm out in the garden shouting for the 2nd time (it upsets me dog if I celebrate in the house,) so I have to run outside and make a tit of meself But amazing, counting down them last ten minutes was it ? Then five extra ? The last 2 or 3 minutes of extra time and 2-0 up, the performance overall of the team throughout the match and then the realisation we were going to make it. Magic
This is funny mate, having a little chuckle imagining you quietly and calmy walking out into the back garden and shutting the door like nothing is happening, then going nuts in the garden
Nah it was the front garden mate, and the street for the first goal Was a nice day too so a few people about wondering what the fook was going on with some nutter screaming and waving a scarf about
yes, big sense of relief this morning. I posted on here weeks ago that I thought we weren't good enough to reach the playoffs, let alone win them, never been so happily proved wrong.
Absolutely, this was a promotion which was as much about what was being left behind as what the future may have in store.
In answer to the banner yes , but had faith in AN from the start, and my only real fear was loosing out, and loosing him Neal and Stewart, we are now in a much better position to retain all three and strengthen an already decent squad to more than hold our own in the Championship. When we crept back into the playoff position I was then confident we would win in the play-off final ( and beating Wycombe to boot ), and pondered who would make a better go of it in the Championship between us and whoever finished in the automatic spots. I now believe we will, if we retain AN and I look forward to that mini competition if you like. But for me the biggest weight lifted was LJ's departure as I never warmed to him after his treatment of some of the younger players in the squad, saying one thing and doing the opposite when he showing his yellow streak repeatedly, in match situations, substitutions and team selections , his after match statement down at Portsmouth summmed him up perfectly, I honestly believe he set us back at least one full season and almost two, and I have reservations about Speakman also but he probably will get a second chance from KLD who I hope will see, all his and our dreams come true. OaU.
And Bang, up he pops and I'm out in the garden shouting for the 2nd time been there myself mate, cant keep yourself in check when billeted away from home or abroad, The fever gets you
It's the most unstressed I've been watching us. The final whistle was kind of an anti climax, in a good way.
My worry wasn't that we weren't good enough, I still think the squad is/was good enough to go up automatically, but that the bad runs under Johnson hadn't left us with much room for mistake. Had things been different on the last day of the season, we could have missed out and finished 7th instead of Plymouth and god knows how bad it would have been. The one big bit of confidence I had this time was that we were going into the play offs in good form and with confidence high, not stumbled in or going in with poor confidence like the last few times. Once we got to the final I was confident we could do it, but still the nagging fear was there at least until Stewart got the second!
It's a strange one. I predicted in February the 2 teams would meet in the play off final and we would beat them was us and MK Dons, I was wrong about the opponent I suppose. On the bus going down I felt an air of inevitability that we were going to win because it was our time. We had won the year before and broke the Wembley loosing curse. Got a funny feeling about next season aswell.
Was a mad sensation at the end for me. I had my joy and elation with the 2 goals, the second in particular i let a lot go, but final whistle, was absolute calm and overwhelming relief. I stayed clear of social and forums for the run up, because I was completely convinced we had it, and didn’t want knocked out of my stride. It’s not to be underestimated how absolutely monumental getting up this season was. I genuinely don’t want to contemplate what might have been if we’d missed it. I couldn’t agree more with any of you. A massive weight indeed.
The bad doesn't hurt me nowhere near as much, the good doesn't excite me either, just a mild warm glow. Which suites me fine. The first Charlton play off years ago? I felt like someone died. For the sake of my delicate mental health my more laid back approach is for the best.
