I'm not surprised you take that perspective Fletch.Fletch wrote:Unusually, im with Yellow on this one Fonda. You can hardly point the finger at MB for relegation and yet say the promotion the season before was down to the manager/players and yet MB warrants no credit for it. A tad unfair matey. Bear in mind that the players/management probably had promotion rises in their contracts and the resultant rise in the running costs was not covered by an increase in attendances. Wasnt it something like an increase of 50 on the average gate over the previous season? And thats with the likes of Sheff Weds, Hull, Bristol C, Huddersfield, Ballmouth etc visiting us.
Our promotion was founded on a great squad - in most part created by Roy Mac, but coached to perfection by Leroy. There was no huge financial investment that made it possible - just two managers that new their business. We then proceeded to attempt to take on the teams you list - Sheff Weds, Hull, Bristol City, Huddersfield et al, with barely any investment in the team. Perhaps our 'fair-weather fans' didn't want to turn up merely to watch those teams strut their stuff? Perhaps our attendances would have improved if there was any belief, eminating from any part of the club, that we were going to even try to compete? From the moment we won promotion we were destined for an immediate return. It wasn't seen as an opportunity to progress, it was an inconvenience. We were tourists, taking in some different sights before going back to where those in charge thought we belonged. The frustration for me about that season it that we just didn't give it a go. Had we done, we'd have stayed up.
