mikeroyboy

I thought Fantasy Football was quite funny. Been having another look and found this Peter Beardsley skit quite amusing. Maybe others will to brighten up a foul day.

Absolutely. Happy days - both of them.

My outstanding memory of Peter Phoenix was his ability to get to the bye line and whip impossible crosses around the fullback into the box.

You fall short of saying it 'is' common knowledge but ask me if know. Unfortunately I didn't know, I must have missed the club statement on that one and apologise. There must have been some other undisclosed financial catastrophe that led to Sheridan leaving, contracted players worth anything leaving and virtually no players brought in until well into pre-season training. Maybe I missed that one as well.

Totally original I'm afraid. It just popped into my bonce. Meaning: Whatever comes his way he never seems to tire of dealing with it. Whether it's good or bad I will leave to your interpretation.

From the start the plan was to redevelop BP. The land would provide the means to do it. It has always been clear in mind what the plan was. Failsworth was another hurdle where they hit the bracken big time. A long and expensive process that unseated the rider into the brown stuff. The council ultimately taking the wrap for the long winded failure of the planning process. Corney obviously has access to a limited amount of funding but the scuffles with HMRC and alleged dealings with 'last resort lenders', (my impression only from what I read on here) indicate funds aren't free flowing. And not forgetting last seasons ST giveaway. We also don't know how much his last two novice managers have cost to jettison. From a business perspective the guy is an ox. I do hope him and Sheridan can muster something out of this coming season. We are all due a break.

They put in a planning application for 600 apartment units on land backing on to the Cumberland Drive area. The locals objected (on numbers and height I seem to recall) and the application was turned down. By the time it was toned-down and resubmitted the housing market was in recession and the plan shelved. Developing the land was at the forefront of rescuing the club. They were stuffed at the first hurdle.

I wouldn't have a clue. Know nothing about him other than what I read on here and the Chron. I do feel they found they had bitten off more than they could chew when the housing market went belly up. It's only a feeling but I think they are only still here under an affordable sense of loyalty. I choose to give them the benefit of the doubt and respect them for it. If the facts change I will change my mind.

The only people to get us promoted in my lifetime have been local businessmen ( I'm 71). Most people, I'm guessing 99%, buy something (bigger than frivolous) to benefit themselves or their family. If an outsider buys a lower league football club their is something more than fame and the goodwill of the township as motivation. There is no good reason on gods earth why TTA should be jeopardizing their investment on the quicksand of achieving success in league football. That is notwithstanding the mistakes they've made, the financial crisis and slump in the housing market, and don't mention knocking down the Ford Stand. They are doing ok. Comparing possible alternative owners over the last 14yrs is pointless. It's impossible to judge two paths in life. So here we are, still in League 1. Not exactly a disaster but certainly more upsetting for some more than others. The multi millionaire Monty Burns, maybe next up.

As I have written before it is my view last seasons cash flow and season ticket offer was a disaster of seismic proportions. Fans were invited to buy full price season tickets when we appeared down and out, on the unlikelihood of us stringing a few wins together for cash back. Relegation seemed more likely. No figures were ever published on the take-up and in my view only the brave and diehards took it up. History tells us it cost the club around 40% cash-back and an even deeper financial crisis for the club. I certainly don't put Corney on a pedestal, Tom, Dick or Harry would do if they were keeping our club afloat. But there is no Tom,Dick and Harry and that's the rub. The best way I can put it is: I have always said I would never fly in an helicopter unless it was pulling me off a sinking ship. At the moment Corney is flying the helicopter and I don't fancy my chances alone on the tug boat Oldham Athletic. I spent two thirds of my working life in business and I can't identify a more booby trapped scenario for creating a successful product than a professional football club.

You appear to feel some sort of entitlement to your hobby being funded to a level beyond what the present owners are prepared/able to pay. And to a quality no amount of funding is guaranteed to achieve. There is no queue of candidates nor is there likely to be. I honestly can't see why any football fan can expect an outsider to fund their club on the rollercoaster of promotion and relegation. If nothing else we have beaten the law of averages by staying put for 20 odd years. I notice Portsmouth have just been promoted from League 2. 7yrs ago they were in the Premier League. I would view a change of ownership with interest but no great expectations until progress was delivered.

You seem to have a lopsided view of average and mediocre. Surely remaining in the same league during Corney's reign is bang on average. Qualifiers for mediocre are the clubs relegated, some more than once, some through two trapdoors and Stockport through three, into oblivion. Irrespective of the many mistakes made someone has maintained and funded a stable league standing at no risk to our personal financial health. Football is a business, unique in the expectations of its core customers who support their club stoically through thick and thin. Patronising the business is not obligatory, more a calling and a lifetimes hobby. If Corney was trying to ruin or relegate us he would have done it by now. None of the unappreciative have a better plan or a wealthier benefactor. I don't buy the tub thumping 'we should have ambition' as fans. For me ambition is self motivated, self funded and personally achieved. Hope is what us fans should stick with and after 64yrs following Latics I still look forward to match day in hope rather than expectation. Former Premier League Champions visiting us next season I see.

Maybe we should be a insy-wincy bit grateful someone hasn't pulled the plug on the life support machine then. Most football clubs are run by businessmen benefactors who fail to deliver or come up to expectation on a very regular basis. We wouldn't dream of demanding more if a benefactor was keeping our head above water in our private life. Being unhappy with a leg-up is ok but it doesn't attract investment into our club or influence success on the pitch. Football has always been frustrating and achieving success is totally dependent on an investor. Stay well away from the life support plug - unless you have the necessary. It's been a good few years since I felt as optimistic as now. An Experienced manager, an experienced number 2 expected, a few good players under contract that most of us are happy with and a genuine expectation it is top half for us next season. Corney may surprise us come January if we are sniffing around the top six.

The 4514 figure being up on last season is interesting. My educated (debatable) guess is the club made circa £200, 000 profit by taking more match day cash from home support based on 1,000 fans declining to renew at full price on the wing and a prayer of a potential refund and threat of league 2 football. Hence our ability to get Shez back and sign Clarke and Gérard on long term contracts.

The grass cutter looks brand new?

The same could be said about fans perversely obsessed with opening threads they have lost interest in. On second thoughts - we would be bottom of that list.

They won't sack him at this stage of the season - unless they have Shez lined up for their last six games.

I would like to think the increased cash at the turnstile would have gone a long way to covering that. I suspect the average home attendance will not be too shy of last years, if at all. There is no doubt in my mind that the shambolic end to last season and the summer dearth of signings were due entirely to the 'win, win' offer, based on desperation, went badly wrong due to poor take up and winning three games.

£400,000 is probably over twice as much as the revenue they had last year, with still more to come. This based on last year sales of 900 adults @ £150 and 300 concessions @ £120 (or some other number of sales the club were too embarrassed to publicise). Sheridan should now be confidant his playing budget is not going to be blown out of the water this time round.

For me this is the first conformation of ST's sold for this season. I believe Blackpool on March 15th was the first 'win-win' deal game. Again, for me the 1-0 victory followed by a 2-3 defeat against Rochdale on the 19th killed season ticket sales stone dead. Anyone sitting on the fence before the Blackpool game would have been rueing their caution, not knowing what League we would be competing in, then compounded by the Rochdale defeat. So, for me, the 1200 quoted by the ticket office would be pretty much the final tally, especially when on March 28th we beat Chesterfield 1-0. I would recon the final tally for next season is going to be well north of 2,000, quite likely over 2,500. Pretty good for where we are now and how poor we have been for a few years. I can understand the worry about administration but making a purchase by credit card nullifies that. All aboard!

Not really. There won't be too many seniors (a big chunk of ST's) rushing to buy just yet, our price doesn't increase until end of April and juniors (under 16) have no time limit on renewal at todays price. I am a member of a group of 5 old farts and we won't be renewing until towards the end of next month. I will also be renewing for a junior at the same time. There will a boost the end of this week and steady business in the second half of next month, especially when we secure L1 status. My group are IN whichever league we're in, just as the 900 are. That number actually looks ok to me, at present.

£300 ÷ 23 games = £13 per game. £300 + 12% = £336 = 12 months @ £28.00 per month = £14.56 per game. If you don't have access to sensible credit a season ticket is probably not for you. A season ticket is not for the casual fan but a way to make football resonably affordable to the regular fan.

The mighty Sheffield United swagger noisily into town – again. How long is it now, 12yrs? Probably feels like it to them. Big City, big crowds, and an oversize opinion of themselves in the quicksand of football. You can imagine the banter as they swarm over the Pennines on their way to play Oldham (******g) Athletic in League1. What could possibly go wrong?

Where will the points come from - who knows? We will have to average Robinson's paltry .79 pts per game to fall short of a 50pt total. On the other hand if we average Sheridan's 1.78pts per game we will finish on 57pts. There is no indication whatsoever we are about to slump to Robinson's level. Why look for a calamity that's unavoidable anyway?

It's a desparation move by the club. The club is on its arse. That should count for something with all of us. Yes, it's not our fault and more to the point, the season ticket holders in the JFS but we have probably all been in a position where we renege on a promise/commitment because circumstances have changed. This would not be happening if we were having a successful season so lets try and help in avoiding the financially induced debacle of last summer. It's what fans do - some more than others.