Pilgrims' Patter
The Forum => The B-Ark => Topic started by: green hats mate on January 19, 2013, 01:08:22 PM
-
and enjoy . Sense things are looking up for next season . :)
Rumours suggest that Pat Rayment has left Spalding , if true maybe the money has run out . :(
If so this is one less big spender to compete with next season . :)
Trinity will get promoted and will therefore poach Imps players instead of ours :)
-
I hope Trinity do get promoted this year. Just imagine the pleasure WE will have next year watching them crash and burn and if Swann does leave, go bust and lose all their players.
-
If we're competing with Spalding for players it really is proof we've reached our nadir....... :-\
But hopefully Gainsborough will get bummed in the Conference and come back down in abject shame, there's no interest in the town for a football club playing at that level and promotion will prove that. In 3 years they'll be back to lower mid table Conference North.
-
Nadir? Andy:) first time I've seen that word on here. But you are right of course.
I've not seen any rumours but are the Imps looking for a new ground?
-
Nothing would surprise me, thats a very tidy parcel of land that Sincil Bank sits on. It must cover an area 3 or 4 times what York St sits on and I don't claim to be an expert but I'm sure real estate prices in Lincoln are somewhat higher than in Boston.
-
If we're competing with Spalding for players it really is proof we've reached our nadir....... :-\
But hopefully Gainsborough will get bummed in the Conference and come back down in abject shame, there's no interest in the town for a football club playing at that level and promotion will prove that. In 3 years they'll be back to lower mid table Conference North.
Thanks for that vote of confidence
Boston, local pop 64 600 (2011 census). Average crowd 2012/13 - 848.
Gainsborough, local pop 20 110. Average crowd 2012/13 - 530
Interest per populous?...... Well you do the maths
-
Boston population should be nearer 80000
-
and enjoy . Sense things are looking up for next season . :)
Rumours suggest that Pat Rayment has left Spalding , if true maybe the money has run out . :(
If so this is one less big spender to compete with next season . :)
Trinity will get promoted and will therefore poach Imps players instead of ours :)
Perhaps Pat will give a bit of money to support G D, I understand they know each other and Pat is a fan of Drury! 8)
-
If we're competing with Spalding for players it really is proof we've reached our nadir....... :-\
But hopefully Gainsborough will get bummed in the Conference and come back down in abject shame, there's no interest in the town for a football club playing at that level and promotion will prove that. In 3 years they'll be back to lower mid table Conference North.
Thanks for that vote of confidence
Boston, local pop 64 600 (2011 census). Average crowd 2012/13 - 848.
Gainsborough, local pop 20 110. Average crowd 2012/13 - 530
Interest per populous?...... Well you do the maths
Yes but a key point you have ommitted is the fortunes of our clubs.
In the past few years you have had a chairman who has thrown money at every money grabbing journeyman going, an ex premiership manager and every half decent player of ours he can get his grubby little hands on. For the lavish outlay he has finally in the last two years brought you two successive play off pushes with an appearance in th final last year I believe and now a run at the trophy. Well done, I'm happy for you and wish you well.
In contrast here at Boston we have lost our league status whilst finding ourselves pariahs thanks to the actions of a man who's name I won't mention. We then face the indignity of being demoted a league so essentially a double relegation. One season later and still happy to have a club we then find ourselves demoted again. We had a brief respite of modest success followed by underachievement and mediocrity for the past season and a half.
But guess what? We still got significantly higher attendances than you every season. And if we had a decent tilt at the playoffs we'd be back to at least double your average.
I wouldn't get too excited, let's face it, this is about as good as its been for you in the past 50 years and you've paid through the nose for it. You are only averaging 500 odd. As a club who've always been used to being in the mix we've had a period of being in the relative wilderness and almost lost our club, and still getting 800 odd.
Having worked in Gainsborough last year I can tell you no one I worked with knew the local club were in the play offs and most shockingly, didnt care when I told them. I take my hat off to Mr Swann for what he's doing for his local club (although i don't respect his methods), but he's fighting an up hill battle.
-
And a few figures as you seem to like them:
Boston away following at Wrexham, distance 145 miles, for relegation decider and given a standing ovation by wrexham fans at the end of the game
approx 500 (or gainsboroughs average home gate)
Boston away attendance at Hayes for title decider in a televised match:
Approx 3000 in contrast to approx 300 home fans
Boston attendance on 1985 FA Trophy final
Approx 13000 (it would take Gainsborough roughly 26 home matches to be watched by this many)
As you say, the Boston population aren't very interested in watching the club...
-
The figure that stays in my mind for the Wrexham away game is 687, maybe someone can confirm?
-
Boston, local pop 64 600 (2011 census). Average crowd 2012/13 - 848.
Gainsborough, local pop 20 110. Average crowd 2012/13 - 530
Interest per populous?...... Well you do the maths
The figure that stays in my mind for the Wrexham away game is 687, maybe someone can confirm?
I reckon the figure of 687 would have been about right.
- 687 Boston United supporters can be bothered to travel approximately 150 miles to Wrexham
- 26 Gainsborough supporters can be bothered to travel approximately 54 miles to Boston for the "local derby" game on a Boxing Day
Steelihat, you do the maths and then try and argue that there's more interest in your club than ours .....
-
I think a better observation would be over the last 20 years since 1992 when we came out of the Conference and down into the NPL. For probably 10 of those 20 years we've been in the same division so a better comparison can be made.
However, I know who's going to be portrayed as the bigger, better supported club, even though by their standards they were in the doldrums......
I'll provide the attendance figures from our end, steelihat can dig them out from the massive club and prove me wrong....... ;)
http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/attend.gif
-
If we're competing with Spalding for players it really is proof we've reached our nadir....... :-\
The thing is I very much doubt we are. I've seen someone on here suggest that Spalding pay £1500 pw according to a fellow Unibond manager, I've also seen someone else suggest £2500. If that's more than we pay then I'd say we pay less than all the Conf North and most of the Unibond.
I think this is one of those things that are said that much it becomes a reality, like Evans being banned from managing in the Conference for 10 years which was bandied around whilst we were in the FL. Despite this fact that everyone just believed he managed Crawley on our return to NL.
Or maybe like the fact we can't get promoted to Conf National, despite the league we now play in being under the same administration. Some believe it's because the ground lease isn't long enough and have asked this question many times on this forum. I've put links to ground grading loads of times and it still gets asked every 6 months or so. It also gets asked at every fans forum, unveiling of managers etc. yet at the next one is still asked. Why, because people believe unsubstantiated gossip, like we pay less than Spalding.
The sum talked about doesn't tally in with figures I've been told former managers and players were paid so who's to say which rumour is wrong?
-
If we're competing with Spalding for players it really is proof we've reached our nadir....... :-\
But hopefully Gainsborough will get bummed in the Conference and come back down in abject shame, there's no interest in the town for a football club playing at that level and promotion will prove that. In 3 years they'll be back to lower mid table Conference North.
Thanks for that vote of confidence
Boston, local pop 64 600 (2011 census). Average crowd 2012/13 - 848.
Gainsborough, local pop 20 110. Average crowd 2012/13 - 530
Interest per populous?...... Well you do the maths
Yes but a key point you have ommitted is the fortunes of our clubs.
In the past few years you have had a chairman who has thrown money at every money grabbing journeyman going, an ex premiership manager and every half decent player of ours he can get his grubby little hands on. For the lavish outlay he has finally in the last two years brought you two successive play off pushes with an appearance in th final last year I believe and now a run at the trophy. Well done, I'm happy for you and wish you well.
In contrast here at Boston we have lost our league status whilst finding ourselves pariahs thanks to the actions of a man who's name I won't mention. We then face the indignity of being demoted a league so essentially a double relegation. One season later and still happy to have a club we then find ourselves demoted again. We had a brief respite of modest success followed by underachievement and mediocrity for the past season and a half.
But guess what? We still got significantly higher attendances than you every season. And if we had a decent tilt at the playoffs we'd be back to at least double your average.
I wouldn't get too excited, let's face it, this is about as good as its been for you in the past 50 years and you've paid through the nose for it. You are only averaging 500 odd. As a club who've always been used to being in the mix we've had a period of being in the relative wilderness and almost lost our club, and still getting 800 odd.
Having worked in Gainsborough last year I can tell you no one I worked with knew the local club were in the play offs and most shockingly, didnt care when I told them. I take my hat off to Mr Swann for what he's doing for his local club (although i don't respect his methods), but he's fighting an up hill battle.
Don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant.
Brian Little certainly screwed the club over, with has been journeymen on their final pay days, but that was through incompetence on his part, rather than malice.
Our clubs are similar in the fact that they are both controlled by millionaire chairmen, and have been ridiculed by dubious management appointments. Our chairman is continuing to invest in the club, yours is managing the situation.
We should both be thankful for their continued support.
Our chairman has stated that our budget has been reduced by 45% since BL, and accounts show this. Your chairman stated that your budget is in the top five for the division. Chester, Guiseley, Halifax, and Brackley should be the four biggest........
Think you have made a mistake with Mark Jones, he should have had a contract, and even at the last minute still wasn't offered one, or maybe he doesn't like Drury or his tactics
Would like to know where you worked in Gainsborough, distinct lack of industry, and people who work here hang on to their jobs, and the playoffs were the talk of the town. The queues for tickets v Nuneaton snaked through the town, and were a sell out. Think that bit of your post will be taken with a pinch of salt
-
I think a better observation would be over the last 20 years since 1992 when we came out of the Conference and down into the NPL. For probably 10 of those 20 years we've been in the same division so a better comparison can be made.
However, I know who's going to be portrayed as the bigger, better supported club, even though by their standards they were in the doldrums......
I'll provide the attendance figures from our end, steelihat can dig them out from the massive club and prove me wrong....... ;)
http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/attend.gif
I am guessing red means conf and blue means Npl/conf north.
If so all I see is your attendances dropping to below 1000 average upto the time you began to stop paying taxes. At this point you began to see a little success and as such your attendances grew. However you are now back at your level and your attendances are reverting back to about a thousand. Still more than trinity but no where near that of a club your fans like to claim you are.
You have not been a fl or conf prem club on merit for nearly 20 years unless of course you are happy to claim Evans' antics as being of merit
-
Steelihat said;
[Don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant.
Brian Little certainly screwed the club over, with has been journeymen on their final pay days, but that was through incompetence on his part, rather than malice.
Our clubs are similar in the fact that they are both controlled by millionaire chairmen, and have been ridiculed by dubious management appointments. Our chairman is continuing to invest in the club, yours is managing the situation.
We should both be thankful for their continued support.
Our chairman has stated that our budget has been reduced by 45% since BL, and accounts show this. Your chairman stated that your budget is in the top five for the division. Chester, Guiseley, Halifax, and Brackley should be the four biggest........
Think you have made a mistake with Mark Jones, he should have had a contract, and even at the last minute still wasn't offered one, or maybe he doesn't like Drury or his tactics
Would like to know where you worked in Gainsborough, distinct lack of industry, and people who work here hang on to their jobs, and the playoffs were the talk of the town. The queues for tickets v Nuneaton snaked through the town, and were a sell out.
Think that bit of your post will be taken with a pinch of salt]
I may be wrong but I think you'll find the Chairman stated that he thought "the budget was good enough to get into the top 5" not that "the budget is in the top 5"....one is a definitive statement whereas the other is aspirational and dependent on numerous factors outside his control :o
As regards the play-off match v Nuneaton, one should jolly well hope that it was a sell-out or you really would have problems! :-[
Finally, I have the greatest admiration for what Peter Swann is doing at Trinity as he is willing to put his money where his mouth is but, as the old saying goes, "you can't polish a turd!" ;)
-
Our chairman has stated that our budget has been reduced by 45% since BL, and accounts show this.
Probably because Brian Little was very handsomely paid, and Housham isn't? I would imagine that BL's salary was a high percentage of most clubs' playing budget at this level!
-
Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Does it really matter.
Our clubs would be fantasticly supported clubs if we put as much effort into supporting our own clubs than we did picking spots of each others clubs.
-
Question to all Blues and Pilgrim fans ........
Where will both clubs be in 1 years time if Newton and Swan through in the towel ?
Clue to answer , 6 letter word beginning with f . or can someone suggest differently ?
-
Question to all Blues and Pilgrim fans ........
Where will both clubs be in 1 years time if Newton and Swan through in the towel ?
Clue to answer , 6 letter word beginning with f . or can someone suggest differently ?
Hard to say a lot can and will happen in the next 12 months.
If it was to happen tomorow however.
Trinity would be okay but would have to release a lot of players and would have to get use to the level there at and work close with the owners of the ground to secure long term football at this level.
Boston, we would need to cut back to but only around 20k a season but without them football ends in around 5-6 years unless a major bulk of money turns up. ( And thats only on the basis that Chestnuts don't call the debt in).
In 12 months trinity should know where they stand in regards to ground etc and as we have 2 sites and plans been reveiwed we should have planning permission in with a financial plan in by then.
The next 12 months are interesting months for both clubs until then its football that matters not crashing and burning
-
I think a better observation would be over the last 20 years since 1992 when we came out of the Conference and down into the NPL. For probably 10 of those 20 years we've been in the same division so a better comparison can be made.
However, I know who's going to be portrayed as the bigger, better supported club, even though by their standards they were in the doldrums......
I'll provide the attendance figures from our end, steelihat can dig them out from the massive club and prove me wrong....... ;)
http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/attend.gif
I am guessing red means conf and blue means Npl/conf north.
If so all I see is your attendances dropping to below 1000 average upto the time you began to stop paying taxes. At this point you began to see a little success and as such your attendances grew. However you are now back at your level and your attendances are reverting back to about a thousand. Still more than trinity but no where near that of a club your fans like to claim you are.
You have not been a fl or conf prem club on merit for nearly 20 years unless of course you are happy to claim Evans' antics as being of merit
Ridiculous statement. Even with these current low turnouts we are still the 25th best supported non league club and only need a small rise to put us in the top 24, which is Conf Prem standards:
http://www.thelinnets.co.uk/turnstile.php?s=2011 (http://www.thelinnets.co.uk/turnstile.php?s=2011)
Not that only attendances make you a FL or Conf Prem club. Otherwise Gateshead, Alfreton etc would be in the Unibond. Clubs like Dagenham, Accrington, Barnet etc. would still be non league. If we somehow get promoted (unlikely this season) our crowds would rise enough to put us easily in the top 20.
Along with Halifax, Chester and Altrincham we are the only clubs in this league that could sustain Conf Prem without a large input from someone like Swann. Not saying you cannot build your club up that's what Burton Albion did, they were smaller than you and much smaller than us in the 80's and early 90's but have built their club, it just takes many years and a good plan (as well as good people to put that plan into practice).
-
And trinity seem to have neither!!
-
Unless I have missed something Trinity are nowhere preperred for BSN never mind BSP . To make it sustainable where are your community and acadamy teams ? Hows your Commercial managers doing ?
Hear you have progressed a little with your matchday program , sorry from piece of paper to program!!!!
-
:-\
Would like to know where you worked in Gainsborough, distinct lack of industry, and people who work here hang on to their jobs, and the playoffs were the talk of the town. The queues for tickets v Nuneaton snaked through the town, and were a sell out. Think that bit of your post will be taken with a pinch of salt
I'm not sure why where I worked was important, but for the record the company in question were a market leader in their field and I travelled throughout europe supporting their products. There are at least three current sizeable firms in the town I can think of that are respected in their field and employing significant numbers so perhaps you dont know yoyr own town that well. As I have a young family I chose to take a job closer to my family home involving less international travel. Is that ok?
I'd be suprised if you didn't attract a reasonable following for such a big game for you, but that was my experience. I'd looked forward to a bit of Boston/Gainsborough banter and found nobody who had the slightest interest. Most were more interested in the likes of Doncaster, Forest and the Sheffield clubs. You can dispute it if you like, but that was my experience.
Great point from Woad Pilgrim about us being the 25th best attended club in Non League. I used to often check the conference attendances in years gone by and we regularly beat at least half the clubs. The fact that we are still competetive despite several seasons of mediocrity in the lower tear tells you what a well supported club this is. In fact we still maintained good attendances even when we were in the Unibond League.
I think its clear for anyone to see that this club has an excellent fanbase and truly is a sleeping giant of Non League football. However, I think that there is more apathy at the club that I have ever known though during my time supporting them. I think Graham Drury's biggest challenge is to get people excited about the club again and looking to the future rather than constantly looking back.