JoeP

The Broadway Bird?

Pity Palmer's Past-it...........

There's a bit of a difference between asking questions and planning a full on protest at the way they're running the club, though. There have also been plenty of opportunities to ask questions (e.g: the forum). This wasn't taken up. Apathy, maybe, but people seem to lose site of this apathy when they're in front of a computer typing on this board. My issue with the club at the moment is the football and management of the team have yet to show any sign they are capable of the job. This is not the TTA's fault. It makes me laugh the way people look into statement's like Barry's to knock the TTA. I think if I was them, as a non-supporter I would have bolted long ago. If that happens, which is looking increasingly likely, then it's by-by to OAFC as no one is going to want to put a penny into this club.

- He’s taken a team up from this division. - The fans love him and will give him time. - He plays good, attacking football. - He will have more time than Joe Royle did last year and will be under more pressure to perform...and so will! - And he’s a f***ing legend! ANDY RITCHIE’S BLUE AND WHITE ARMY!!!!

I don't think either is anything we should particularly aspire to, but surely the odd on target pea-roller might decieve the keeper and get us goal. Eternal off target efforts, however..........

Didn't sound like we had many shots on target, though.

Spent some times in stormy weather Under clouds of my dilemma Now there's nothing much to do But sit and rot in front of televisions Staring back at me I'm just waiting for the microwaves To wash me into the sea You know they don't give a f**k about anybody else! SFA!

No and no. Gannon would be too much of a Penny-type appointment, I reckon. Reasonable track record, but no real affinity with the club. Get Ritchie back - we can't get a top-name manager, so lets get one that gets the fans buzzing a bit.

David Beresford.

I agree - the budget excuse holds no water for me. Does 11 cr@p players in a starting line-up mean we don't try to win ANY games, regardless of the opposition? I see his post-match interview was the usual generalised drivel. Has he once come out this season and said "We were awful" or even had a go at the referee - at least that would show a bit of enthusiasm. Can't ever imagine him having a go at the players for a poor performance. I've said it before, there might be a few who have given up the ghost because of Failsworth, TTA, etc. but I reckon the majority are missing because the football is just dire.

Maybe: - I never expected us to win tonight, anyway. - You just wait until Taylor and Pav are fit. Whatever he says it's going to be superficial and meaningless. Think I prefered it when our games were being postponed........

Good post. Agree the Trust member on the board hasn't really worked. With regards the land - does anyone know the valuation of the land for the new site? With it being near a city centre, surely it must be worth a bit.

Cheers, best of luck yourself. Always liked O'Grady but our managers, in their wisdom, haven't!

I agree. O'grady has done the best thing for himself and joined a club that are more likely to be playing in the 1st division next year. Good luck to him - was never given a fair crack here. Who do we bring in? Well we seem to play with tactics that doesn't involve strikers so I say save the money......

Got to hand it to Robbie Savage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...nty/8453055.stm A snippet of the enthusiasm shown by him in this interview wouldn't go a miss in our team.

How many? 2,000? Even if we took triple our biggest away support of the season so far, we'd still have room to spare......

OK, here's my own perspective. I don't think I'd ever let the threat of a shiny new stadium a few miles away from an apathetic support or a board I may or may not agree with will stop me going. I'm a fan, I'll be here (hopefully!) long after Penny, TTA or any journeyman player you can mention. Call me an old romantic, but I think the first step to getting "the faith" back for a lot of people would be to appoint a manager who knows what the fans want and would adapt the team accordingly. The other factors mentioned, like the Lookers not being there anymore, I reckon would quickly be forgotton about if the faithful had a football team they feel they could get behind.

Well, yes, those hardcore who are "hanging their scarves" up would, I think, return if the team started winning. The hardcore, however, who have stuck with the team are only now losing interest in the team, even though we've been rubbish for a while. I think this is due to loss of identity with the team.

But like I say, it's the football team we support, so why use this as a reason not to attend? Also, the faithful who have seen the club through so much, I reckon, would be back once they re-discovered identity with the team, or the team improved. I'm not sure how bothered the faithful are anyway about the move to Failsworth - other than your regulars on here, no one seemed enraged enough to go and make any sort of protest at the public meeting about the move.

Which is exactly what I'm trying to get at. Even if the average is the same now as under Ritchie, there now seems to be an element of the "Faithful 4,500" that are losing their connection with the club. We lose them, we effectivley lose our core support. Then we really would be screwed. I know there are other elements why people aren't turning up, but I think what happens with the team is crucial. If you retain the interest of the hardcore fan and there is a bit of belief around the place, then surely that's a good foundation to build on when it comes to matters such as Failsworth, etc.

I think Royle did, to some extent. Despite not winning a single game, the atmosphere and numbers at Wallsall on the last day of the season was superb. I think Mr Bean would have more success than our present manager, but that's for another topic......

Agreed about Sharp....and he thought he could get the Everton job on the back of his performance as manager of Latics! Fans Liaison Officer is as good as it has got for him at Goodison! The Ritchie era was a country mile better than how things stand now - when he was sacked by Moore there was signs of that the club was on the way back up. Got to believe we can get back to that point - it's just about working out how to do it.

Isn't that better than we're getting at the moment?? Anyway, I was trying to make the point that the hardcore fans are looking for some personnel within the club to identify with and I think Ritchie is a good example.

So the passion and encouragement shown by the fans then was in no way connected to who was in charge and the effort the players put in for the shirt? Don't remember as much enthusiasm the seasons Sharp was in charge and that was even nearer to our halycon days.

Without asking for a stat-attack, I don't remember crowds ever consistantly being this low, but I'll take your word for it. I do, however, remember that the encouragement and the passion shown for the team by the fans was fantastic, despite the team's limitations. The game at Maine Road under Ritchie was played in one of the most electric atmosphere's I can remember at a Latics match.