Club Ambitions

[Phil Old Boy]

Interesting reading the comments made by Jeff on the Echo site.

 

With the mention of Aldershot’s form in the conf this season, you can gauge that he feels that we too also would of run things close in the conf given the chance, and our squad was even stronger this year.

 

I know about the remarks and thoughts about consolidating our position in the conf and being careful not to go straight down but I thought we would of finished at least in the top 6 of the conf this season.

 

It’s like we have had 4 seasons consolidating our position in the Isthmian premier and we have been ready for promotion for the last two seasons at least.

I wonder if in fact our transition is such that rather than be concerned of not going down, we could in fact go straight into the football league because we are already at that higher level.

 

Another thought is of our current crop of our top players signed until 2006. These players are mainly in their prime now so to wait and consolidate in the conf will only age them when in fact they are ready for league football now.

 

However, for the team itself, I would like to see us purchase another forward for cover for when one of the recognised front two aren’t available and perhaps another midfielder or two.

 

Did also read about Park Lane for league football but could that happen?

 

[Yellow Bungle]

I think top six is a bit optomistic, there's some strong ex-league teams about.

 

Realistically we don't have the fan base to contemplate Football League status yet, and Park Lane would fail on almost every criteria in the Stadium requirement regulation.

 

We need the new ground soon, and let's hope it's not all seater.

[TACKLE1000]

To think about football league right now is silly. There are teams out there, in fact lots of teams, who would sell their grans for what we have achieved. Do not get me wrong, we've done so well, but to talk about us going straight through is naive! I would settle for a top 12 finish with improvement thereafter, we do not have the facilities for league football, and will not for at least, my guess, 18-24 months. Even then, there will be another 15-20 teams with as much ambition and as much potential. Give it time, we will make it eventually, and the waiting will make it all the sweeter!

 

COME ON CANVEY!!!!!!!!!!

[CANV EFM]

ive just been looking round the confguide site and its only slowly starting to sink in some of the teams we will be playing next season.. there are clubs in there we would hve been over the moon to get in the first round of the f.a. cup 4 years ago ..

maybe with the trophy final to come looking ahead to next season has been put on hold for a bit ..

as for doing well next term, i think a lot of clubs when they go up can outperform early in the new season , but the conf is totally different gravy to what we have been used to in terms of grinding out a whole season..

[Hempstead Gaz]

Believe me, success in your first season is staying up.

The standard is MUCH higher than Rymans, BUT the refs are far worse!!(most are aware they are being watched by assessors).

 

[Phil Old Boy]

Just thought I’d start this thread in the first place for some debate and trying to gauge Jeff’s thoughts on the near future.

 

I too find this position we are now in quite incredible from Essex Senior League football for our Island. Can anyone really believe we are in this position now?

 

Also, on ITVs teletext page 475, the headline is Jeff saying we are the dark horses next season.

 

For tackles comments:

1) To talk about the football league right now is unbelievable, but not silly. Doncaster have gone straight through to the second division after being in the conf play off the season before. Whether the transition will be too quick for them remains to be seen. On our part, it will be tough, very tough getting used to the sneaky ways of the higher divisioned players week in week out but we are capable. I was mentioning the line on the echo site about league football possible for Park Lane but surely that won’t go through. Saw somewhere that had a football league stadium completed in 7 months but can’t think where now.

2) Yes there are teams that would be ecstatic to achieve anything like we have in recent years. Not sure about selling their grans for?

3) Don’t think this talk of league football is naïve, a bit scary perhaps!

4) Yes, just where would we play if we did get through.

5) Yes, the wait will make things sweeter but if you can move on why wait when there is always more new clubs on the block coming through to thwart. The teams that beat us to the titles in the Ryman weren’t close to us the season before, but they were the dark horses who had one good season and we just happened to be in the same division as them and play second fiddle.

 

I wouldn’t know what was best for the club and I’m just enjoying every moment of this success.

 

I think however that we should go into the conf rather than having a meek and hope we can stay up attitude, but with our heads held high and play great football that will command the respect of all the other clubs in the division and see what happens.

 

I just hope our boys are ready for all the little tricks that the other teams provide, but I noticed a more steely and mean attitude and more determination out there last season which took us up, as well as Lee’s 9,765 goals!

 

[Slartibartfast]

If you wish to look at Doncasters achievements you should bare in mind that they where a big club while they were in the conference ( gates of around 5,000 ) as were Yeovil who went up with them ( one of their Conf league matches attracted over 8,000 )crowds alone dont win matches but the spending power they give clubs do.

 

This season Aldershot have done extremely well and have a chance of going straight through the league as Phil Old Boy hopes you will but they actually finished 22 points behind Chester which is further than Sutton were behind you.

 

I think you will do all right next season because A) you already have Conf standard players and you have money, but before you get carried away you should remember that you will have York, Carlisle, Hereford, Shrewsbury/Aldershot, Exeter, Morecombe, Barnet all playing for two promotion places.

 

We finished 11th this year after a poor start, looking at the table from Christmas to the end of the season we were third behind Chester and Hereford most of the team have signed up for next year so how confident am I?

If we manage 10th I will be delighted, the seven teams I named above will all finish ahead of us if you get in the top ten you will have done brilliantly. Good luck <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

 

[CANV EFM]

cheers slarti good luck to your boys too.. after a great start to the first season you had a bad run in then a poor start to this one.. effectivly a relegation season in the middle of two half play off seasons.. after your run in this year you guys must be feeling pleased with the fleets new found ability to get results in tough games and do over teams that were struggling at the time like you did with the daggers ...

i can agree with POB's optimism (fk me if you dont have that whats the point of going to watch your team) but the size of some of the clubs in the conf now is getting a bit scary ..

i reckon we play better against 'better teams' and our current team will prefer playing against teams that come looking to duff up the new boys.. rather than hacking through 9 at the back and defending the break.. i also think without the pressure we had this season to win the league and with avoiding the drop being priority number one we can hopefully keep out of the mire..

[TACKLE1000]

P.O.B. Got to say that the reason i said it is silly, is we do not have a league standard ground, and wont have for a while(at least a year) and therefore we will not be allowed up! Without a doubt we should go up, play the game the way it should be, and enjoy the fact that we have done as well as we have! The sell their Grans wasn't meant literally, i'm sure if you think about it you know what i was getting at.

[Phil Old Boy]

Yes, I know what you mean Tackle. You just leave those Grans out of it!

 

It has been such a meteoric rise for the club that it is hard to take in. Am enjoying the ride and will continue to do so. Just cannot believe we are on the edge of league football with all the "matters" that go with that.

 

Next season, would be good to try to get into high position in the league, top 6 I believe to try and qualify for the LDV the following year.

 

Really looking forward to how we get on against the conf teams week in week out where we have come out mostly on top in recent years.

 

What a season to look forward to and when you rattle those names off listed by "Slarti" earlier in the thread, it's mouthwatering.

[Basil-Don]

As much as I would love to see us do well in the conference,I do believe some of you are living in cloud cuckoo land,hopefully I will be proved wrong.

Unless we improve the squad substantialy I really believe we could struggle next season,it was so obvious without Greggors,Gooden,Midgley

and Boylan we really struggled at the end of the season.You cant say that we took our foot off the gas as the players that replaced them were playing for a place in the Trophy final.Does anyone really believe apart from Dobbo and Benno that we have replacements that can come in and hold their own in the Conference?

Its all well and good beating these teams in a one of cup game but to grind out results against the likes of Carlisle and York week in and week out is going to be a massive task and I honestly feel that quite a few of the squad are just not up to it.

If Jeff brings in players for next season they have to be the right quality,not like quite a few we had at the beginning of last season when they lacked the ability and motivation to play at this level,

I think the first choice eleven can certainly hold their own but we must have a squad that are all up to the same standard so a replacement for an injured player must be equal to him.

As I said I hope I am proved wrong but these are genuine concerns I have for the club for next season.

[FleetFanatic]

At last some common sense on the subject!

 

BTW.....it's top 12 for the LDV cup!

[Yellow Bungle]

Top 12 should be achievable, but without significant increases in our crowd beyond the 30% you can expect on promotion to the Conference, I think we will struggle to improve the strength in depth of the squad given the Conference salary cappig rules.