Play-0ff's & National League.

[Cousin Jack]

    With home clubs only "hosting" matches on behalf of the NL seem to remember that they take a chunk of the gate receipts (one third?), which will make quite a difference to what monies the club receive if we're able to progress to a semi-final against Scunthorpe.

[Pilgrim86]

It's 50/50 each club after expenses in the quarter and semi-finals. For the final, the National League also take a cut but then the rest is split 50/50 after expenses

[Cousin Jack]

  Thanks P86 - it does'nt sound so bad put that way!

[Lee Newell]

Scunthorpe saying 5500 tickets sold already, over 800 from Boston.

Could break the National League North Attendance record (which I'm told is 7920). Half of the gate money for an attendance likely to be around 8000 a nice pay back for the club and chairman, after backing the manager this season with the expense of going to hybrid etc.

[Pete Brooksbank]

after backing the manager this season with the expense of going to hybrid etc.

Or not backing him at all, if you believe Andy over on Twitter this morning!

I do think we should have tried to hit the ground running with a Hazel type player sooner, but I've no complaints about the chairman's backing this season. The small squad we've sometimes struggled with this season has been solely down to the management not quite getting things right with the u23 model, and this is by their own admission.

[Oakham Pilgrim]

Another good reason, it would seem, for refusing to have anything to do with Twitter, or whatever....

[noughtyforties]

I've not said he's not backed him, I've said they need to start being a little less conservative and be a bit braver.

we've a management team that knows how to get promoted, back them now and have no regrets next season.

[Pete Brooksbank]

Well, your exact words were "For God's sake wake up and properly back your manager" - which suggests you think he hasn't been properly backed. There was an argument being made earlier in the season that maybe we had jumped into a hybrid model too early (in a financial sense), insofar we couldn't build a squad deep enough to compete while also training three times a week. It was obvious from the start the squad was too small, lacked options up front, and was relying too heavily on u23s who weren't ready so the obvious culprit would be a lack of money in the budget. But then we went out and spent money on Jacob Hazel, signed him up for two years, and those arguments faded away - although for all the elation over last night's result we must remember we did only scrape 6th on the last day of the season and were at no point in a title race.

I personally pin that on the management rather than the chairman - the funds for Hazel were there and that they weren't used earlier isn't exactly Newton's fault. We dropped a lot of points earlier in the season that could have seen us hit the playoffs in a more advantageous position. As it is we're off to play a full-time side on Saturday who will have home advantage and the benefit of a week's rest.

[Pilgrim86]

Could break the National League North Attendance record (which I'm told is 7920)

Halifax v Chorley Play Off Final 16/17 was 7,920

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/fc-halifax-town-2-1-chorley-after-extra-time-1122747

[noughtyforties]

Well, your exact words were "For God's sake wake up and properly back your manager" - which suggests you think he hasn't been properly backed. There was an argument being made earlier in the season that maybe we had jumped into a hybrid model too early (in a financial sense), insofar we couldn't build a squad deep enough to compete while also training three times a week. It was obvious from the start the squad was too small, lacked options up front, and was relying too heavily on u23s who weren't ready so the obvious culprit would be a lack of money in the budget. But then we went out and spent money on Jacob Hazel, signed him up for two years, and those arguments faded away - although for all the elation over last night's result we must remember we did only scrape 6th on the last day of the season and were at no point in a title race.

I personally pin that on the management rather than the chairman - the funds for Hazel were there and that they weren't used earlier isn't exactly Newton's fault. We dropped a lot of points earlier in the season that could have seen us hit the playoffs in a more advantageous position. As it is we're off to play a full-time side on Saturday who will have home advantage and the benefit of a week's rest.

Hybrid was a massive crock of sh1t from day one, a cheap approach to going full time, its no wonder we limped into the play offs after the start to the season that actually saw us in the bottom half of the table for a while. I know you can't travel nowadays but if you'd been there last night you'd have seen how much goodwill there is towards the club, goodwill that now needs reciprocating in a serious push for the title next season as I think last night will have taken its toll on semi pro players coming up against full time pro's on Saturday.

what I will say is, if we do somehow go up lets enjoy the ride next season, no one would have expected it and it'll be a steep learning curve but we'll be back where we rightfully belong.

[Pete Brooksbank]

Yes, I think Scunthorpe will be rubbing their hands with glee that it went to ET and then penalties!

[Kirtonian]

If we beat Scunthorpe, would we be the home team in the final?

[Lee Newell]

If we beat Scunthorpe, would we be the home team in the final?

Unfortunatley not, only way that could happen would have been in Curzon won last night and then won their semi final v Brackley. As highest placed team is at home. Curzon lost to Chorley on pens last night. If we beat Scunthorpe will be Brackley or Chorley away.

Scunthorpe now reporting 6500 tickets sold in total including 1400 from Boston, incredible ticket sales. Feels like it should have been the final with those ticket sales from both sides.

[Lee Newell]

after backing the manager this season with the expense of going to hybrid etc.

Or not backing him at all, if you believe Andy over on Twitter this morning!

I do think we should have tried to hit the ground running with a Hazel type player sooner, but I've no complaints about the chairman's backing this season. The small squad we've sometimes struggled with this season has been solely down to the management not quite getting things right with the u23 model, and this is by their own admission.

Yes we have different opinions there, personally I think the chairman has done a good job and his stance tends to be one of giving the manager a competitive budget with a budget that is working towards the club spending within its means on what it generates, which I admire. Moving to hybrid may take a year or so to get right, the u23s on one hand not quite worked and will see how they change that for next season however we did get Dylan Hill who was signed as a u23 who is now a key first team player. Chairman could have stayed with part time players to keep costs down however I think it's good progress to move towards having a better chance of getting that promotion and hopefully within the next few years becoming an established team in the league if we get the promotion.

The money for Hazel was proberbly there at the start of the season, management did say at the time it took a few weeks to get the deal over the line and waiting for the right player like Hazel within the budget we have. It's been quite refreshing the approach this season of getting the right players in even if we have to wait rather than the revolving door with twice the players used over the season.

[Pete Brooksbank]

We've got a good group - the question is whether we're serious about retaining the more talented members of it, and I suspect regardless of what happens at Scunny and hopefully) Chorley/Brackley if we get there, this summer is going to be another very important one but for different reasons. Last season it was about building a squad around a new model; now it's about building on that work and keeping the best players. Otherwise we're just back to square one, and all the rhetoric during the season about the "group" will ring hollow.