Tamworthram

The way I see it, why rush to do it on the first day or two when there might well be teething problems and why leave it until the last day or two when you might forget, encounter technical problems or have another unexpected commitment that means you might not have time?

I assume it just means they’ll allow celebrating fans behaving sensibly (if we nail it tomorrow) but reserve the right to move folk on if it gets a bit too rowdy or members of the public feel harassed.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, I never understand why some people renew on the first day or wait until the final day.

Still got mine simply because it's a Derby scarf (and hasn't got "with compliments from Mel" on it 😀)

How can I possibly know if he is any less fit that Curtis was for that game but I doubt he was "nowhere near match fit".

Or just stop being a crypto evangelist and just enjoy your profits instead of trying to convert the rest of us.😀

That's just you though. Can you vouch for all the others running on the pitch? I don't think anyone would deny that we have our fair share of morons. All it could take is for one Carlisle player to react to being blocked from reaching the tunnel and react in a way you might not expect. I agree with @Ian Buxton's Bat's comment that a pitch invasion, whilst it might give a few their moment of jumping around on the pitch, it might deprive the majority of enjoying the bounce started by PW and the players (and their families) lap of appreciation (unless the pitch can be cleared fairly quickly).

Haven't you got a garden? 😀

I'd take mid table next season (in the Championship of course 😀). I'm not sure any of us have realistic expectations for top 4.

Are you talking about Nelson being relegated with Blackpool? If so, he only joined them in the January of that season by which time they were already bottom but one in the league. So, I’m not sure how much of Blackpool’s relegation you can attribute to him.

I think that depends on the nature of him keeping us up. If we survive by the skin of our teeth, having spent a reasonable amount in the summer, playing awful football then I’m not so sure. I may not be sacking him (or maybe I would if the season was panning out that badly) but extending an expiring contract is a little different.

I understand that but I wouldn’t want to waste a place on the bench for someone not remotely match fit. We have enough players, that may be called upon, to fill our substitutes allocation. Also, how much of a psychological boost would it be to be seen to be picking a player in that condition? I’m not convinced it would have that much effect or is even required. I would think, and hope, the players and fans will be going into the game full of confidence (but not complacency) already. I’d love to see Gayle available and on the bench but only if fit to play.

A bit of a waste of places on the bench to have two “nowhere near match fit” players there isn’t it?

I don’t know where you’ve been reading that but I suspect there is zero chance of a points deduction. It happens all the time when a team wins something or gets promoted. It’s already happened at least twice this season (Pompey and Wrexham) and I’ve not see any mention of such a sanction. Wherever you read it, stop reading there. I also don’t think the club should embrace a pitch invasion. They’ll probably expect it’s going to happen IF we seal promotion but they shouldn’t be encouraging it. Accept that some will run on the pitch but hope/aim to get them to return to stands for the lap of appreciation to take place. I’m not sure how the elderly and unsteady person on the row in front of me would be partying on the pitch. 😀

Yes but as I said, how would a one off game prove they can compete? We all know a one off game isn’t necessarily proof of anything. Your suggestion is that they can compete against the team finishing third. Well so what? Why should they have to “prove” they can compete against a single team in the league above? And, as I said, the team claiming the third promotion spot might well strengthen their squad anyway so this one off game definitely wouldn’t prove anything. I like the play offs system (although I do understand the point regarding the team finishing third potentially feeling hard done by if they don’t make it) but I certainly wouldn’t be giving the team finishing third from bottom another chance to avoid the drop.

Why would you want to give the team finishing 3rd from bottom in the Championship or below another chance to avoid relegation simply because the team finishing third in the league below were not good enough on the day to beat them in a one off game (or two games if played over two legs)? The fact that the team finishing third MIGHT not be good enough to play in the division above isn’t sufficient justification for another team to avoid relegation. If you hate the idea of the team finishing third missing out against the team finishing 6th possibly due to injuries or because they had an off day, wouldn’t you hate the idea of the team finishing third losing out to the team finishing 3rd from bottom potentially for the same reasons?

I would damn well hope so. Otherwise, get off this forum. 😀

I’d give him a full season in the Championship IF we’re not in the bottom three or seriously flirting with relegation after a decent number of games. If we get promoted and manage to finish something like 15th or above I don’t think many of us would be complaining too much in our first season. I’ve not been through the full list but, whilst it may be correct, the fact that every team in the bottom half of the Championship have replaced their managers is a little misleading. Firstly, Plymouth had to because their manager was poached, Birmingham owners have admitted they acted too hastily in getting rid of Eustace and then made a mistake with Rooney, Rotherham are so far adrift that it’s hardly surprising and Stoke are a bit of a basket case that seem to change managers at the drop of a hat. Of the others, there is only Sheffield Wednesday playing their first season back in the Championship and their first half of the season was so poor that, if that was us, it would meet my above criteria for making a change.

Playing the team that finished third bottom in the league above wouldn’t prove you are capable of playing in the league above. It would just prove that in a one off match (or two if over two legs) you might be able to complete with the players you currently have (that might well change if you’re promoted) against a team that weren’t necessarily good enough themselves. I know the current system can be harsh on the team finishing third but I think it’s OK. It’s also not just about the football league making more money. Don’t the clubs involved make something out of it as well? but, more importantly, it keeps the season alive longer for the fans of more clubs. As other have suggested, the only thing I’d consider changing is to give the higher finishing teams more of an advantage. Maybe the semi’s only played over one leg (at the venue of the team finishing highest). Or: 3rd place go straight through to the final. QF: 4th v 7th (one off game at 4th placed ground) QF: 5th v 6th (one off game at 5th placed ground) SF: Winners of the above play each other also in a one off game at the venue of the team that finished highest to earn a place in the final. Final at Wembley. I know the team finishing third wouldn’t have home advantage but I think playing it at Wembley is important in order to make it a special occasion (or horrible day out if you lose 😀).

I retired early a couple of years ago and I know it's an old cliché but I'd say make sure you keep busy. Most of us dream of doing more travelling which may happen but is probably only going to occupy you for a few weeks of the year. Similarly with hobbies. You're not likely to spend as much time as you think on hobbies (in my experience). So, the way I keep busy is to volunteer as a trustee for two charities (Citizens Advice and a local grade 2 listed building and it's estate) and as a business advisor with a nationwide sporting charity. This enable me to still do the type of work I quite enjoy, finance, governance, business planning and project management (financial not building related) without committing to which days I work (other than attending meetings of course). Believe me, most charities are crying out for trustees.

True but I'm not going to contain my celebrations in the hope that one day that day will come for us.

I wouldn’t hold your breath for winning the FA Cup, I reckon the top half a dozen or so teams have got that pretty much sewn up despite their lack of interest in the earlier rounds. I also don’t think we’ll be back in the Premier League anytime soon. For me it’s not just a case of celebrating any kind of achievement whilst you can but also a sense of relieve being back to where we belong. I guess some people will just politely applaud, as they may have done if we’d been able to attend the game when we narrowly escaped relegation (it could be argued that avoiding relegation is nothing to celebrate but, it’s the same, - it was an achievement of sorts and a sense of relief - albeit only short lived) but I’ll be cheering and applauding with vigour if we make it on Saturday.

As others have pointed out, you’re wrong.

They’re going to need to win by 4 goals on Saturday in order to overtake Bolton. Given it’s a bit of a lottery as to whether it’s better to finish 3rd or 4th I reckon they’ll be resigned to finishing 4th. Our best hope (only as our insurance policy as I can’t see us losing on Saturday) is that they will want some momentum going into the play offs (there may be some negative psychological effect of being beaten badly by Bolton even if they do play the kids) and they may not want to rest the players too much and risk them getting a bit rusty. My best guess is that they’ll field a reasonable squad but the players may not be going full pelt through fear of injury. Maybe Bolton will be doing the same. They’re probably more confident that Derby won’t lose than we are - especially the fans.