[gordon_brittas]

Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

Without a billionaire owner or loads of luck, promotion to the Championship looks a pipe dream sadly.

[Trigger]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 04:19 PM, said:

Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

Without a billionaire owner or loads of luck, promotion to the Championship looks a pipe dream sadly.

The kirks have mentioned potential extra backers in the future when they first came on board

[Mr Mercury]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 04:19 PM, said:

Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

Without a billionaire owner or loads of luck, promotion to the Championship looks a pipe dream sadly.

If/when we do return to L1 I’d imagine we’d find a much different standard to when we left 7 years ago. I’d certainly be prepared to survive/consolidate to see what it would take to even mount a serious challenge.
I seem to remember Phil Kirk at the AGM, apologies Phil if I misquote, when we were last in the NL saying that they, the Kirk’s were happy and capable to bank role the club in L1, maybe even a tilt at promotion to the Championship, the last bit I’m unsure about, but then I think he added that finances in the Championship are so far ahead of what they are in L1 that there may have to be further investors.
Again apologies if not 100% correct but it’s the gist of it if I remember correctly.

This post has been edited by Mr Mercury: 14 May 2025 - 04:38 PM

[Mr Mercury]

Trigger, on 14 May 2025 - 04:36 PM, said:

The kirks have mentioned potential extra backers in the future when they first came on board

Again from memory from a question I initially asked Phil there was potential for further investors but when they took full control, from a follow up question at the next AGM, they were happy with their own input into L1.

[Benno Spire]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 04:19 PM, said:

Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

Without a billionaire owner or loads of luck, promotion to the Championship looks a pipe dream sadly.

Have you not heard the rumour of Ronaldo coming is as a player/owner or the number of Saudi princes who have been in the lounges at recent matches?

[Osborne again]

Most of the squad we have already, are capable of making a good show of themselves in league one, but it needs to be a fit squad firing on all cylinders. It's the injuries that's stopped us having a good stab at the automatic promotion places, not the quality of player.

[Sammy Spireite]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 04:19 PM, said:

Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

Without a billionaire owner or loads of luck, promotion to the Championship looks a pipe dream sadly.

If (when) we go up to L1 (whether it be this season or in the next 2/3 seasons) then the club needs to aim to be self-sustainable at that level, not be searching for new investors or expecting the Kirk’s to put more money in.

Looking at the teams in L1 currently, and their fan base and infrastructure, we should easily be able to “hold our own” in that division without posting huge losses continually or relying on huge investment again.

The Kirk’s have been a breathe of fresh air for this club and hopefully are laying the foundations for a long and stable future, after a turbulent 20 years or so, but if they’re still having to pump money in, in 5 years time to cover the losses I’d be worried.

Championship football is a pipe dream, and should remain that way but for a well run and well supported established L1 club, it should be something to strive for one day.

This post has been edited by Sammy Spireite: 14 May 2025 - 05:01 PM

[Misnomer]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 04:19 PM, said:

Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

Without a billionaire owner or loads of luck, promotion to the Championship looks a pipe dream sadly.

That's why the playoffs are there....

The chance of us getting into the Championship is about zero.

Flirting with the playoffs or even getting into them, would be a major achievement.

[Valley Blues]

Osborne again, on 14 May 2025 - 04:55 PM, said:

Most of the squad we have already, are capable of making a good show of themselves in league one, but it needs to be a fit squad firing on all cylinders. It's the injuries that's stopped us having a good stab at the automatic promotion places, not the quality of player.

I’m not sure your opening line is accurate.

Personally I think there’s a gulf between L2 and L1 from what I’ve seen.

[gordon_brittas]

Thinking about the 90s, if Lea had backed Duncan properly in the transfer market by signing a proper striker, we’d have probably got promotion by the playoffs in either 96 or 97 to what is now the Championship.

I think looking at it now, you need a really good squad and side just for finish mid table. I agree with the poster above who said about building a side that is self sustainable at that level.

[stainlessstephen]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 05:31 PM, said:

Thinking about the 90s, if Lea had backed Duncan properly in the transfer market by signing a proper striker, we’d have probably got promotion by the playoffs in either 96 or 97 to what is now the Championship.

I think looking at it now, you need a really good squad and side just for finish mid table. I agree with the poster above who said about building a side that is self sustainable at that level.

Yes agree with that. Being a solid and consistent L1 has to be the aim for the foreseeable future.

As for JD back then, if only we ended up with the likes of an injury free Paul Barnes or Mark Stallard rather than Gerry Creaney, Gary Lund and Jean Jacques Misse-Misse.

[Westbars Spireite]

1998 should have been the year with all the money from the cup run and player sales. The recruitment wasn't amazing and there wasn't enough of it.

[60s 70s Spireite]

Westbars Spireite, on 14 May 2025 - 05:47 PM, said:

1998 should have been the year with all the money from the cup run and player sales. The recruitment wasn't amazing and there wasn't enough of it.

That money was kept back, presumably with a view that the buyer from Norton Lea would borrow it (a la Glazers at Man Utd) and pay out NL for the sale of his shares.
Except the buyer spent it all on himself and associated Sheffield non football clubs.

[Westbars Spireite]

60s 70s Spireite, on 14 May 2025 - 06:01 PM, said:

That money was kept back, presumably with a view that the buyer from Norton Lea would borrow it (a la Glazers at Man Utd) and pay out NL for the sale of his shares.
Except the buyer spent it all on himself and associated Sheffield non football clubs.

Suffice to say it ended badly.

[gordon_brittas]

Westbars Spireite, on 14 May 2025 - 05:47 PM, said:

1998 should have been the year with all the money from the cup run and player sales. The recruitment wasn't amazing and there wasn't enough of it.

It was criminal the underperformance that year. Lots of draws and loads of 0-1 defeats. Only 46 goals scored too which was bonkers. I often think back that with that striker draws become wins, defeats become draws. Think that was the season too when there wasn’t many standout sides so it was a very open league to get promoted from.

This post has been edited by gordon_brittas: 14 May 2025 - 06:11 PM

[Westbars Spireite]

We scored a miserable number of goals, fewer than all of the relegated sides.

[Zigsuk]

Sadly division 3,as it still really is, is our highest realistic level. Throughout my lifetime we have been up and down between the lowest two divisions (apart from the recent 6 years in division 5) and I can’t see that changing. Only twice in that time have we got near division 2 - Cookies previous spell and Cox’s 1980 side who actually would have gone up under 3 points for a win. Other than that it’s been yo yoing between 3 & 4.
The only light in the darkness is that in all these years many clubs of our size have spent time in league 2, usually not for long, even including the Stags for one miserable season. So I guess there is always hope for us, but if it ever happened it doubtless would be for one or two miserable seasons. However even that would make a nice change.

[Siberian Spireite]

Benno Spire, on 14 May 2025 - 04:50 PM, said:

Have you not heard the rumour of Ronaldo coming is as a player/owner or the number of Saudi princes who have been in the lounges at recent matches?

Royal Pearl International? Dennis Bingham?

[DIFH]

[quote name='gordon_brittas' timestamp='1747239576' post='1894168']
Looking at the amount of money floating around in League 1 currently, and the eye watering losses from clubs like Huddersfield, even if we do manage to somehow manage to overturn Walsall and win at Wembley, are we just looking at survival in League 1?

I was going to respond sensibly but I ain’t going to put myself through it.

Every point you bring up has already been answered.

[Spireite93]

gordon_brittas, on 14 May 2025 - 05:31 PM, said:

Thinking about the 90s, if Lea had backed Duncan properly in the transfer market by signing a proper striker, we’d have probably got promotion by the playoffs in either 96 or 97 to what is now the Championship.

I think looking at it now, you need a really good squad and side just for finish mid table. I agree with the poster above who said about building a side that is self sustainable at that level.

It's only 9 or so years ago we could have had a right go at it

Burton won League One the season after we made the Playoffs