Given what we've witnessed so far this season, and ignoring the obvious money implications involved, where would you rather watch your football? Premier league, Championship, or even the rough edged stuff down below in Leagues 1 and 2? For all the supposed glory, this season has been a pain in the arse to watch. Very little enjoyment can be derived from watching your side fail to compete with the opposition at this level. The Championship (and below) offers the ambition and even expectation to secure a prize at the end of the season in the form of promotion. A target well within the reach of modestly funded but well run clubs, and something to reach out for. The Prem appears to be just a slugging match between drop candidates with the odd glamour fixture thrown in. No real hope of coming close to dislodging those top 8 or so clubs, and the ambition limited to staying up. This isn't sour grapes nor an acceptance at this stage of the inevitable, but I'll honestly say that for a club like ours, the Championship is a far better place to watch your football as a supporter. Saying that and perversley I suppose, deep down I'll be ecstatic if we manage to avoid the drop. We may not have any choice other than to play down there there next season given the way we've been playing, but apart from the "failure" of our club to compete at Prem level as it would be seen by some, it wouldn't bother me one little bit. Funny old stuff this supporting lark.
Over the years I have 'enjoyed' watching City in all divisions. But this season has proved to be a complete anti climax. I haven't enjoyed this one at all. We just haven't been competitive despite Malky's claim to the contrary. Just not good enough and we now find ourselves needing a couple of shock results, like winning at Tottenham, to stay up. I just hope that if we do return to the Championship the squad is good enough to gain promotion at the first attempt. The problem is that even there we will need to score goals. Trying not to be too pessimistic just realistic.
Shallower waters for me Spark which is anywhere but the muddied waters of the Premiership. Fan's are the last think that matters in the Premiership. Money (sky) is king. Not that I travel away any more but look at the ridiculous kick off time for the Sunderland game for our fans.
im a lower divisions man myself, more cheap and cheerful than a expensive fools gold tart fest fan.........I also dream of standing on the terraces once again. silly me hey
Hi Sparkey. 'Small fish, big pond' - We were supposed to be a bigger fish in a small pond. 'But this season has proved to be a complete anti climax. I haven't enjoyed this one at all. We just haven't been competitive despite' SOD's and now Cotterill's 'claim to the contrary. Just not good enough and we now find ourselves needing a couple of shock results, like winning at' f**king Shrewsbury, 'to stay up'. Being a fan is a guts ache full stop but I'd swop your guts ache for mine. All the best.
it's a league for the rich if you get to the champos league i'm sure it's brilliant but other than that it's painful
Bob/aber - there's no doubt the pure enjoyment of following you team has been diluted by this polarisation caused by Sky/BT etc money coming into the game. A lot has been said by those of us who would like to see the "character" of the old days back, but we are where we are, and I doubt it'll change whilst this game of ours expands globally. North America and Asia were non existant markets for the game 15 years ago - now the're probably the biggest potential money spinners. Another season in the Championship with the aspiration to get back up would do me just fine, although I can't see me accepting a return to the bargain basement game from whence we've come.
Cheers Redprintt - I never had you marked down to come back up straight away to be honest. Despite the shenanagins with our owner Tan and his oddball ways, I've always thought that whilst Lansdown runs your club like an expensive local hobby, you'll struggle. He either needs to find a CEO/Chairman who can run it properly like Devey does for Joe lewis at Spurs and send that bloody son of his Jon on holiday, or sell up completely. Until that happens, you'll have a hard time - and it'll get harder as that sort of ethos is also taken on by other clubs down there with you. Sheffield Utd are a prime example.
If you go back, most of the fans said they would take 17th before a ball was kicked but the reality is different from that. I honestly thought that we were better or on par with at least 6 teams, we can argue that the wrong players were bought or the wrong team was picked but at the end of the day the quality in the Prem other than the top teams is dire. I still believe and hope beyond hope that we can stay up because the Championship is a hard league to get out of.
The Championship is a very competitve league, far more so than the Premier. The elite rule the Prem and they will not be ousted from that position other than with huge amounts of cash a la Man City since Mansour took over and pumped it in a few years. The difference is that a combination of the right management and reasonable funding support can get you out of the Championship - the problem is once out, staying out. Tan (and us) has found out just how hard that is. If we do go down, I reckon we'll all enjoy next season a damn sight more than this one. If we stay up, we could have a very good season next year with the benefit of the experience and Tan's further investment which I have no doubt he'll make.
there is only one reason teams like ours want to be in the premiership is for the money it offers..The championship is the best league for entertainment any day of the week. Its the best league to be in...
I mirror most peoples sentiments. From the Euphoria of promotion to the reality of this League is something i certainly didnt take on board as we DREW 0 - 0 with Charlton. I can honestly say i have enjoyed 2 matches this year and they are both the Manchester teams, the rest of the games are forgetable......Very forgetable. There is no enjoyment here for us.
Good Seeing some of the world's best players first hand at CCS The sheer quality of some of the visiting teams The thrills of beating Man City and getting a late draw v. Man Utd A full ground most weeks - so far Not having to stay up for the abysmal Football League Show - I totally hate Steve Claridge Bad Looking second class most games Some terrible performances - by team, management and sometimes our support Lack of bite and total desire to win from some of our team - 11th in the Fair Play League and nearly bottom of the playing league, ffs Games every other week at best, sometimes once every 3 weeks The ongoing Tan debacle The English and sometimes Welsh media looking to catch and expose us at every trip - no allowances made whatsoever Avoiding MoTD as not wanting to see our poor performances and have them picked over by "experts" - an "ex" is a has been and a "spurt" is a drip under pressure All the Tan based adverse publicity and public humiliation/sacking of Malky - even though he probably deserved it in the end Conclusion Not the great experience we thought/hoped it would be. I must admit I feared this from the outset due to the lack of Prem quality players signed. Championship = more frequent games against teams we know we are capable of beating and, if the parachute payments are used wisely and Tan continues to invest while keeping his trap shut we have a good chance of returning to the Prem with a stronger team and the experience of knowing what we did wrong first time round - if that's what we want? P.S. With my "senior" ticket from next season, 23 Championship home games at £10 a time will be bloody good value. In saying all that I would still like us to do a Rorke's Drift and stay up by the skin of our teeth. That would make an incredible season finale and perhaps???? make it all worthwhile.
Add Fulham away, Jacks at Home. Liverpool away was a great experience even though we were well beaten. I really enjoyed Hull away too, what a goal! The Sunderland game at home was disappointing results wise but I really enjoyed the way we went about them for 60 minutes. If you don't want to be in the PL what's the point of trying to win the Championship in the first place? I remember a West Brom fan 'warning' us about how **** the PL is about 3 years ago. Promotion seasons are always going to be more exciting than getting relegated but the fact our club has ****ed this season up on the scale it has doesn't make the PL a bad league to be in IMO.
Agree the Prem isn't a bad league to be in - but only if you're fit to compete. The chance to take on the best only has merit if you have a reasonable chance of competing with them, otherwise you suffer. This has been a chastening season and a real wake up call as to the requirements for a club to stay at this level let alone compete. Until we have stability at the club - and that means competent management bringing in competent playing staff and being allowed to build, as well as the cash cow to fund it, we will not reap the rewards. It's all a question of personel at all levels and time - this season has come too soon. If we were mid table right now instead of propping it up, I suppose we'd be singing a different tune, but we look like a Championship outfit at the moment. Like the thread title says - Small fish, big pond.
And, more often than not, not even a good Championship outfit. Too many average players who get caught out so easily when playing against the best or even the mediocre the Prem has to offer.
We messed up this season, truly messed up, regardless of who you believe to be the blame we never had the team to do the job properly. But isn't wanting to be back in the championship a bit of glory hunting? are we going to be happy down there because we have a great chance of winning every week. We should always seek to excel and perform better each time we go out onto the pitch, we should relish the fact we are playing against top teams, and if we should fail, we should seek to improve the next chance we have. This season has been a diasater, but if it hadn't been for off field happenings we might be singing a different tune now.
