Crowds

I would suggest that OUR crowds THIS season are more a reflection of what would have occurred LAST season had we been lumbered with the "Dream Ticket" of Beeny and Rosenior that Bateson would have inflicted on us..............and if that had been the scenario and with the inevitable struggle that would have continued; we could now be looking at three figure attendances.

Having said that, the new regime AND the blinding start to last season had their effect and inflated the figures well beyond reasonable expectations.

Oxford United, and to a certain extent Wrexham; stand alone as groups of supporters who have maintained their loyalty following the devastating disappointment of loss of Football League status. Although when I survey a League 2 containing clubs like Accrington, Dagenham, Macclesfield, and the usual old lags like Rochdale, Bury, and the like I don't reckon it's that great a loss.

I still contend that the level of bile, petulance and self damaging abuse aimed at the manager early season was out of all proportion to any reasonable level in the wake of the disappointment of losing out to the next door neighbours at the end of last season and we have to be thankful that the under fire manager and therefore the board proved themselves to have much more moral fibre and substance about them than the dissenters who have inflicted so much damage to the crowd figures and therefore the club's financial well being and ability to compete on the level we have been fortunate enough to enjoy so far.

I'm NOT ignoring the financial pressures EVERYONE is under ( I'm certainly under them myself, hence being at home at this very time instead of at a match or racing) but I do feel OUR fans have a much higher percentage of those who can be considered to have let both the club and themselves down by staying away.

I wouldn't argue with that, but I'm NOT criticising ALL the fans, far from it; I was pointing to the one's who had spread the doom and gloom for no better reason than they wanted to vent their spleens..............they've contributed much to the damage.

I'm perfectly aware of the realities of trying to live a champagne life style on brown ale wages down on the English Riviera. The very fact that it was so easy to descend to a flat beer and slops level of income was one of the prime reasons I buggered off!

You can discount Horsham from that list too as they are platying their home games at Worthing now since leaving Atspeed last season. No doubt their fans find the distance too far lol!

The main reasons crowds have fallen so much are people dont have enough cash or they feel that the standard of football on offer just isnt worth the admission price. This is coupled with the fact that there is so much footy on telly these days.
I dont think that a few people whinging on the internet or on the terraces has had much impact at all, no matter how much some people imply it as fact.

I'll suggest even bigger twaddle being the shite you and your ilk spouted about the manager of a side that's just gone 11(ELEVEN) games undefeated!

.............and to be fair to Buckle, Aldershot began their campaign last season getting hammered out of sight by us on their own patch and they didn't hit the top of the league until November.

Paul Buckle took the brave decision to radically alter the squad and vary the methods of playing from week to week but people like YOU were all too quick to crucify the guy and do the whole club (players, management ,board and LOYAL supporters; a huge disservice)

I really suspect that YOU genuinely believe your dreadful behaviour has galvanised the team effort whereas I would contend that anything that MIGHT be achieved will be in spite of you and your sort rather than because of you!