I cant help but think that all this "hoofball" talk is like a chinese whisper, it starts and just continues without too much reason. Firstly commiserations to Torquay and especially now with Buckle jumping ship to the Gas. I was extremely worried about facing them, they seem to have been our bogey team for over 3 years now. Its the first time we've beaten them i believe. I feel extremely proud of my team, i remember the dark days of 1996 when we didnt go up for ground reasons, ironically Torquay were the team to benefit as they were reprieved. I for one may have been the only Stevenage fan to be pleased when Graham Westley was re appointed after the shambles that was Peter Taylor. The play offs gave me my most terrible football moment however......4th May 2009 at the Abbey Stadium, we led Cambridge Utd 3-1 after the first leg only to lose 3-0 and 4-3 on aggregate. Since then we have added an FA Trophy in 2009, BSP Champions in 2010 and now this!!!!! Thank you to Graham Westley for proving the doubters wrong and thank you to Phil Wallace for giving us a solvent, well run club with a great youth academy, a ground we can be proud of and with the prospect of more development on the North terrace. I believe Stevenage have gone about things the right way, we dont swap and change our plan at the drop of a hat and we dont have a revolving door policy within the team and this has helped us with stability. Just an interesting fact but Chris Day, Ronnie Henry, Mark Roberts, Scott Laird, Lawrie Wilson, Darren Murphy and Michael Bostwick all played on that awful day against Cambridge and they will all be with us in League 1. Jon Ashton makes another although he was injured on that occasion. Maybe the team and management were determined never to let that happen again. I for one realise that League 1 will be a tough proposition and am hoping for consolidation above all else. I think 4th May 2009 still haunts me more than anything else and will never let me get carried away.
League One is a far more competitive division than League Two. The big teams are capable of finishing outside the playoffs, while teams who would consider the third tier to be their level start most seasons with little idea whether they'll be top six or bottom six. It would be a massive ask to do anything more than survive in reasonable comfort, but if any manager in that division is capable of exceeding expectations, Westley is.
i was rooting for you guys all year as live only down road! can not wait for the away game at your place! what a piss up it will be! look forward to facing you! Come on you addicks!
As an devoted Stevenage fan I agree with Lucifer’s comments and I and many Boro fans felt the pain of not being allowed to gain promotion back then and having to work very hard to get into League 2 and after being at Old Trafford to see us gain promotion to League 1 which was an unbelievable and special day for all of us and what a great season we have had especially with the FA Cup win over Newcastle! I am especially looking forward to SBFC playing some big named clubs now but bring on the Addicks! I am pleased to say that is the one I am looking forward to as I have lot of friends who support them and I went to see them when they won at Peterborough last season. They are my choice this year to go to the Championship. Let’s hope Stevenage does us proud again this year and if we can survive in League 1. I will be happy as I think will most boro fans!
