Even with their home attendances nudging towards 30,000, skewed to an extent by season ticket sales, there have been large spaces at the Stadium of Light. "The published attendances in the mid-20,000s have been patently massaged to add gloss to a desperate situation," said Barnes. "In reality the true numbers turning up have been closer to 15-18,000, which in the circumstances is commendable. "Those that have stayed away can hardly be blamed. Their patience has been sorely tested. Consequently the atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light has been funereal and counter-productive, working to the benefit of the opposition. From the BBC website about Sunderlands demise. Ring any bells?
Anyone think they'll announce summat today? Song for Saturday, easy chorus to keep repeating. You're wondering now, What to do, now you know this is the end You're wondering how, You will pay, for the way you did behave Curtain has fallen, Now you're on your own I won't return, Forever you will wait You're wondering now, What to do, now you know this is the end Curtain has fallen, now you're on your own I won't return, forever you will wait You're wondering now, what to do, Now you know this is the end You're wondering how, you will pay, For the way you did behave You're wondering now, what to do, Now you know this is the end You're wondering now, what to do, Now you know this is the end.
I wonder if they'll delay any announcement until after Saturday now, to remove the risk of a major protest at the last home game of the season?
I'd be very surprised if they announced anything this week but who knows I'm sure they're going to say it's too late now to change things for next season anyway which I think was the plan all along , they just wanted to avoid protests
Another excellent piece by Phil Buckingham... Hull City have dodged a bullet, nothing more Feature analysis from Philip Buckingham after Hull City's safety was confirmed over the weekend https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/spo...s/hull-city-dodged-bullet-nothing-1488029?033
he seems to have picked a side or stopped holding back so much. Ehab will restrict access soon enough.
Just got to keep the plates spinning for a few more months. Then the last parachute payment will be banked and the real intentions / battle begins.
That was probably the plan all along, and why this second ballot was introduced, get to the end of the season with delaying tactics.
They have a habit of announcing things just before a game so expect something on Friday afternoon just to wind the fans up a little bit more. Then they will complain that it's all our fault about everything before jetting off to his latest yacht. The twat never changes.
Hull City have dodged a bullet, nothing more Feature analysis from Philip Buckingham after Hull City's safety was confirmed over the weekend In the end it was academic. Bolton Wanderers’ heavy defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers had guaranteed there would be three clubs unable to catch Hull City, wrapping up Championship survival for Nigel Adkins’ side with a fortnight to spare. Yet this last step to safety will never be forgotten by the 457 travelling supporters inside Ashton Gate. The 90 madcap minutes that ended in an unprecedented 5-5 draw needed seeing to be believed and none present will expect to witness chaos like this ever again. The epic contest, though, also served to capture City’s maddening season in a nutshell. For all the promise that came from an attack more prolific than any seen in black and amber since 2004-05, there was woeful defending to undermine it all. Even after fighting back from 4-2 down to lead 5-4, there was yet another stoppage-time goal leaked to snatch two points away. Little wonder City have lived in fear of relegation to League One for so long when these are the patterns that have run through this season of underachievement. And that was the unpalatable reality for an exhausted bunch of visiting players filing on to the team bus bound for Bristol airport on Saturday evening. Their revised mission had eventually been accomplished with relative ease but this was supposed to be a campaign concluding with a promotion tilt. For all Sunderland were the stark reminder of what could have been when tumbling headfirst into League One over the weekend, the struggles of others should not make this escape any more gratifying. Far too many mistakes have been made this season for it to be fondly remembered and the only saving grace was that potential began to be realised when it mattered most. Nigel Adkins, the architect of the revival, deserves plenty of credit for that. Progress has not always been smooth but the six wins collected since falling into the relegation zone just over three months ago have made all the difference. That at least gives City the chance to rebuild again. The “League One tour” supporters sang about when losing at Preston in early February has been averted and now all eyes turn towards the club’s owners Assem and Ehab Allam. The hope will be for a takeover, a new lease of life for a drifting club, or, at worst, a show of ambition that offers the chance for happier times next season. City have dodged a bullet but nothing more. Without changes this summer, either in ownership or intent, this will forever be a tough club to turn around. “We’re pleased that we’re going to be in the Championship next season,” said Adkins. “We set out to make sure we’d stay in the Championship and now we’ve done that. “There was a change (of manager) for a reason and the challenge was there for all to see. But everyone has been working hard together. We’re all pulling in the right direction and we’re excited about next season.” That outlook, however, is not currently shared on the terraces. Although recent weeks have shown the form of a promotion candidate, history has taught supporters to brace themselves for trying times in the summer months. Eight senior players, not to mention the four loans, could all need replacing on a budget shrinking year on year. Decisive action is needed from a club no longer familiar with it. Uncertainty will follow the trip to Brentford in a fortnight but these closing weeks have certainly brought plenty of smiles. Fourteen goals have now come in the last six hours of Championship football and the five scored at Ashton Gate almost delivered an away day for the ages. continued...
From previous... None could have foreseen the drama that would unfold when Harry Wilson swapped passes with Jackson Irvine before driving towards the Bristol City goal and rifling a left-foot drive over Frank Fielding and perhaps even less once the home team responded to take a firm grip of a fixture that needed to bring a victory to boost play-off hopes. For 10 minutes either side of half-time, the Tigers were a defensive shambles. Jamie Paterson had already struck the upright after Allan McGregor had tipped Stephen Kingsley’s errant header over his own bar before the visitors’ luck finally expired. Irvine failed to close down Marlon Pack, who rifled low into the bottom corner from 20 yards out and a promising lead inexplicably became a deficit when Famara Diedhiou moved away from the slack Ola Aina and shrugged off Michael Dawson to thump high into the net. The second half brought another avoidable goal when Diedhiou peeled off Angus MacDonald and converted Paterson’s cross with a glancing header but any hope that came from substitute Fikayo Tomori’s header deflecting in off the post and Fielding’s back was extinguished when Bobby Reid pounced on MacDonald’s slip. That promised to be a decisive blow so soon after getting back into the contest but this City team have nothing without resilience. Just as they had against Norwich six weeks earlier, the Tigers produced three unanswered goals of their own to turn a crazy contest upside down and inside out. Wilson’s precise free-kick was outstanding to make it 4-3 before City’s substitutes made a telling difference. Kamil Grosicki’s cross was deflected into the penalty box of a panicking Bristol City defence and Hernandez was quickest to react when thumping the ball home from close range. A fine comeback was complete but mouths were soon left agape as the Tigers edged in front with three minutes to play. The Robins’ desperate search for a winner left a stretched defensive line that Hernandez cut open with a searching pass into Grosicki’s path. The Poland international could have shot but squared for Fraizer Campbell to tap into an empty net. It was pure and unadulterated delirium for those housed behind the goal but they perhaps knew what was coming next. Bristol City swamped the visitors inside stoppage time and Joe Bryan’s shot through a crowd of bodies beat McGregor low to his left. The end of a survival fight must now be the start of something far grander. Or at least that is the hope.
