Realistic expectations

[Ian]

I’ve read the recent debates regarding our league position and the views expressed, admittedly many of which reflect the disappointment of consecutive home defeats. I’m quite amazed however that certain individuals demand that we be pushing for promotion from this division and in some cases going even further than that. I cannot possibly see what justification people have for these expectations.

 

Don’t get me wrong, aiming as high as possible should always be the target but it’s important not to confuse ambition with realism. Our desire for our team to achieve as much as possible needs to be tempered with a sense of realism about what is achievable. This season we’re playing in a division comprising, at worst, top six teams from our league last year and others of the same level. Last season we finished 4th, not 1st, so on that basis you could realistically expect us to finish somewhere around 14th in a division comprising entirely of top six teams. Despite recent disappointments, I still expect us to finish higher than that.

 

I find it laughable that certain expectations are based upon us once being a Conference club. We’re not a Conference club and, in fact, Slough Town has spent less than ten seasons in the Conference in their entire history. On that basis our ‘natural’ position is a level or two below the Conference. That doesn’t mean however we shouldn’t aspire to return, just that we will only achieve that through hard work and fans supporting their team, not sulking that we can beat this team but not that one. That’s an over simplistic and crass assessment, in my opinion. Watford finished runners up to Liverpool not that long ago and Nottingham Forest won two European Cups yet both are on the brink of playing third division football next year and Sheffield Wednesday, present in three cup finals in the nineties, are already there. Nobody has the right without earning it.

 

Would I have liked to see us further up the league table? Yes, of course. Do I consider our season to have been a success? Absolutely, because realism is about appreciating success in the context of the circumstances in which it is achieved. No ground, few revenue sources, an unsupportive council etc. Those that I talk to, regulars at both home and away games, appreciate what a successful season this has been. I suspect therefore that many of the current unrealistic views are being aired by people who no longer attend and probably haven’t done since the Conference days.

 

Being proud of your club should extend beyond the ninety minutes on a match day and if you cannot derive any enjoyment unless your team is winning then you are probably watching the wrong sport and certainly watching the wrong team. 0891-121011 is the telephone number for the ticket office at Stamford Bridge.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

well said ian!

[BFR]

Well said indeed, though being picky I should point out Sheffield Wednesday were in three cup finals in the 90s. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/busted.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

I agree with you totally Ian but I dont see why you had to bring Chelsea into it, apart from the odd FA cup final we havnt won anything for years but I have always supported them and will continue to do so even if the money goes. Apart from that Well said.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

im sure optimistic and all the other people who like to slag off the team will see the word 'realistic' and run a mile!

[Guest]

I wasn't picking on Chelsea, just suggesting that from this point forward it's likely that they will be dominant for a few years.

[Guest]

AS on many occasions I do agree to a very large extent with Ian's thesis ! WE do have to bear in mind that supporters of long standing will always recall conference days and will still be looking at conference tables and doing the traditional "what ifs"-----after all it isnt that long ago and this weekend is the anniversary of that Semi Final trip to Southport(still say that goal of theirs was offside !).On this basis we must cherish the ambition to get back up there even if accepting that it wont happen immediately-first step on each occasion is to get out of the league you are in whether via playoffs or however, and at the start of each season players, management and fans must have a common belief in the possibility of that happening.We thrfore need to understand the disappointment of many of our number at the realisation that for this year that prize is out of reach,

 

Yes its been ,overall , a good season because of cup successes and the profile that created and Eddie, Mickey and the players deserve credit and they talk to enough of us to know that we believe that but will always hope that next year will be even better(Off the field situations permitting}

[Martin]

Agree wholeheartedly with Ian and Graham C. There is nowt wrong with ambition and aspiration but it must be tempered by realism. There was no point even contemplating the play-offs this season. We need to consolidate and sort out the off the field issues. We will not be promoted whilst sharing with Windsor so even reaching the play-offs would have been depressingly futile. Good season regardless of what happens in this final month.

[Burnham Lad]

And agreeing with all the comments made on this thread, there is another worry we need to address, what is going to happen at the end of this season? However realistic we make our expectations for the end of this season and for next, none of it has any point unless we have a club going forward.

 

I know that the club don't like this being discussed on here - having been told off for posting such comments, but if Mr Deaner or some other group of financiers are not picking up the tab, then we, the fans, need to be doing something pretty sharpish, if we even want to stand a chance of starting next season. Mr Simpson has made it clear what the first deadline is - £25k by 1st August, so does anybody know if that is a starter or not? If not, are there any plans via the Trust to see if it can be raised? Even if it can, what about funding the team for the rest of next season? Are there any sponsorship deals on the horizon?

 

I know there are those who say that is down to the moneymen, and that the fans should mind their own business and let them get on with it, but leaving it to them is NOT a back up plan.

 

So do we have any idea where we are? FRUS is still in existence as a company, but has not published its accounts at Companies House since 2003. I think it is a legitimate question for the fans to ask - should we be worried?!!!

[Rebel Kay]

We can all share in the disappointments and understand the frustration of some of the supporters. However, it is the destructive nature of so many of the comments that is totally unproductive and causes so much bad feeling

[BFR]

Quote:

Andrew S said:
Mr Simpson has made it clear what the first deadline is - £25k by 1st August, so does anybody know if that is a starter or not? If not, are there any plans via the Trust to see if it can be raised?

Andrew, have a look at the Trust forum and the Slough Observer - the Trust Board have put out a rallying call to raise money. If you can get hold of a copy of the Observer, the statement in full will be on the Trust website in the very near future

[Burnham Lad]

Thanks BFR - I had just posted my comment, when I saw your item on the Trust Forum and as a result checked the Observer, so some of my comments are a little behind events. Having now read the Observer article, I think it raises as many questions as it answers! It is interesting that FRUS have a three year contract, so whatever happens, the club is into paying Windsor money, even if the Wexham Park option were back on the table.

 

It is also interesting that we still really have no idea what the commitment the Trust could be into to keep the club going - i.e. what other financial arrangements are available from Mr Deaner and other sponsors, if any, so that the Trust knows what is left for it to find.

 

I volunteered with Marcus to do certain things to help raise some cash, but we were told to just go and watch the football and leave these things to the "experts", so I hope that these efforts have been successful and will fund another season!

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[BFR]

I'll answer as best I can

 

The article in the Observer about going back to the Park doesn't hold much credence. All it has said is that the Ryman League would not be opposed to us going back there on a short term deal like we currently have at Windsor. Byron Thorne has not spoken to the Trust and as far as we know there has not been any recent attempts at contact made between the club and Thorne. So for the timebeing that is a complete non-starter.

 

Your point about not knowing how much money the Trust would have to make to keep the club going is a fair point, and the truth is neither does the Trust. The point of the statement was to issue our response to what Peter Simpson said a couple of weeks ago. We're not saying the Trust can stump up £25K, nor are we saying that the club will not be able to do so. The point of the Trust is to try to safeguard the future of the club and if that means raising money to help things ticking over then that has to be a target.

 

In your previous questions you asked about FRUS. I can't answer those points because I don't know the answers. The Trust has tried on a number of occasions to contact Martyn Deaner but he has not responded. Should we be worried by this? Well perhaps, and that is why we as the Trust want to raise as much money as we can by the beginning of August so that there is some sort of contingency in place. Obviously we hope it will not come to that, but it would be irresponsible to not consider that a possibility.

 

I'm sorry to hear that you and Marcus were told to butt out as it were. I wasn't aware that this had happened and I would welcome any ideas that you may have to help raise money for the Trust.

[Martin]

My understand is that it wasn't the trust who told Andrew and Marcus to butt out. I thought that was a very disappointing move when you have people ready willing and able to help.

[Burnham Lad]

Martin is right, it wasn't the Trust. Sent you an email, BFR.

[BFR]

Cheers Andrew

[Guest]

All I can say...is that as a trust we should be raising money like hell...and if andrew can come up with the goods all the better...we need the trust to be strong and in a position to bale out/take over if everyone runs away...

 

As members of the trust you will be the ones to make the decisions of where you want the money to go too...no one else !!!

 

So lets get the trust up and running and get some serious money in the pot.....

 

cheers chris sliski <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

BFR - it seems as though the Observer article suggests a further option for the club to pursue to help the fans back into the town while a long-term solution is found. Mike Lightfoot says Wexham Park is where the majority of fans want to be. It's only a non-starter if the club (Martyn/Roy) do not want to investigate and try to contact Byron Thorne, which would then be fair enough. So why have they chosen not to answer?

[Ian]

What incentive is there for Byron Thorne to let us play at Wexham Park? All the time they were after the freehold they couldn't realistically kick us off (despite late rent etc) as the deal they had with the council to purchase the freehold meant keeping us going.

 

Now they've got the freehold they have no obligations to Slough Town Football Club and can let the place rot until such times they get planning permission. Why would they want us there claiming some form of rights over their asset? The only way they would ever let us back is if it was short term, they could kick us off with one day's notice and all rent and bills were paid in advance and at an inflated cost. Hardly Marytn's style to go for a deal like that is it? What's in it for him now any land deal has gone?

[Barry Scott]

also, everyone seems to be forgetting that Wexham Park doesn't meet Conference South standards at the moment let alone Conference National, and we all know how stubborn South Bucks can be when it comes to giving planning permission