Promotion?

Just asking again to stir up debate!!

Good for the excitement of the play offs...

But, we'd get annihilated in the Conference North / South. We'd be straight back down and we've had enough relegation battles to last a lifetime!!

Promotion is always a good thing.okay we have suffered since our relegation from conference north but would anyone swap our promotion season that great win at rugby after been 2 down clinching the title at Cirencester i waited 28 years to see us win the league again,then winning at king's Lynn and Merthyr i wouldn't swap a moment of it. When we had our best team ever in the 70's and won the league and cups yes we suffered again but it was amazing and i wouldn't change that neither. If we get the chance to go up again then lets take it.

Just to add one thing to my previous post, if we are not interested in promotion for fear of what it might bring then i will ask one further question what the hell are we doing in this game?why don't we just close up and forget about it. All fans want success what ever level you are at listen to what Newcastle fans are saying for example and i am not comparing us to them they are finacially stable and in profit but want there club to push on. If we are sending out a message to the people of Redditch that we don't want to go up then they will say what is the point of us spending our hard earned cash just to stay where we are. If we lack ambition then lets call it a day,and if we are lacking ambition then the manager certainly is not and after doing a fantastic job with us with nothing imagine what he might do with something.Telford for example might just be looking for a new boss following their relegation and i am sure our boss would head that list if it becomes available.

I don't think it's a case that none of us want promotion, but more a case of us not being quite ready for it.

We need to be at a level of football where we can compete and the higher that level the is, the better. But at the moment we are arguably over achieving.

Realistically, a 3G pitch being installed and used 7 days a week plus a clubhouse being used 7 days a week is the best chance we have of improving our finances. If some of that money is directed towards the playing budget, then great. Maybe then, with improved finances we can think about being competitive at a higher level.

As for Liam McDonald, I don't think there is any chance of a big or bigger non-league club tempting him away. What has he achieved so far? Nothing of note.  Yes, he has built our best team in years, but is that down to luck or judgement? He will need a far longer track record before bigger clubs will take an interest.

I completely agree with Del Boy although the way things are going this is a rather academic discussion unless we suddenly hit a tremendous run of form in the last few games and all our rivals screw up big time.

Anyway, you can't really say whether promotion is a good thing, it either happens or it doesn't. It's not like we would win the play offs and then say to the Southern League 'sorry lads we don't actually want to go up '.

I can't help but feel that if by some miracle we did go up it would be a year or so too soon. We all have brilliant memories of the season when we went from the Doc Martens to the Conference North but really behind the scenes I don't believe we were remotely geared up for it in terms of revenue, facilities, organisation etc. And there can be no doubt that we spent money we simply didn't have in order to achieve all that.

From what I've seen and heard we are in a much better place off the pitch than we were then but I can't believe we are there yet. As Del Boy says, 3G pitch, maximise use of the facilities, different revenue streams, work on increasing crowds etc. If that could be achieved then Conference North/South should be our minimum aim but at the moment we are about at the right level.

I'd say if we didn't want to go up, WHATS THE POINT.
I doubt we will make playoffs and realistically we are massively punching above our wait, I'd like to congratulate the players tho for giving us our best season in years. It's give us supporters hope and to even be in our position now hats off to them. The club has something to be proud of now and it's been a long time since we could possibly say, we can compete with all the teams locally on the pitch( not off it with budgets) but if we play local sides I'd back us all day.
The 3G pitch will give the playing budget abit more I hope, which maybe will give enough to fight for a playoff spot next season.
We have local lads in mutton and jones in the side which is great. We are now a club on the up and we have to pay a massive respect to the swans.
Mr McDonald, will he be courted in the summer???? If people think he won't then what planet your on god knows. What has he archived ; firstly he's took us from relegation fodder to competing for a playoff spot. He's developed 3 players into full time footie. Everyone knows our budget is bottom 6 at best, so to be fight for top 5 is incredible. The footie the reds have played this season has been a pleasure to watch. Not forgetting the cup win last season. All at the age of 29!!!!
Can we honestly say any other manager could have done this after 2 seasons on that budget????
If we supported a Stourbridge, telford, leamington would we want mr mcdonald, answer is yes, he's the best out there in my opinion at the moment and has given us hope. Mr swan if you read get him tied to the club as I think long term the club can flourish.

Will we ever be ready for promotion? Probably not and after the bank holiday results even i would say not this season. Okay what has McDonald achieved? When you look at where we were playing wise when he took over an awful lot. He has turned us from relegation battlers to promotion hopeful's on a zero budget so if you think other clubs with a budget haven't noticed then that amazes me.hopefully Mr Swann can come up with a suitable budget to keep McDonald at the reds if not he will be head hunted and get an offer he can't refuse.

As much as we should strive to play at the highest level...seeing how Leamington have struggled in the Conf North...I think we are miles away from being ready to go up to the next level.

Leamington's budget would be 2 or 3 times ours....so we would only be relegated straight away...so who wants another season of loosing most games?

Our average attendance is a healthy 280...and rising....so it tells me that success is more important than who we are playing...although some would argue that the games against Moors, Worcester etc would be attract more folk...?

I think we need a couple more seasons like this one, to consolidate and build a stronger infrastructure off the field.

Thoughts?

Bob Marley wrote:

Our average attendance is a healthy 280...and rising....so it tells me that success is more important than who we are playing...although some would argue that the games against Moors, Worcester etc would be attract more folk...?

There are often debates on here on how to attract more fans. For me it has always been really, really simple.... it's down to what happens on the pitch. We could have the biggest promotional budget ever, but if the football is terrible, it's money better spent elsewhere. No amount of adverts in the local press, special offers, price cuts or anything else that anyone can suggest will trump what is happening on the pitch. I think we can all see that the crowds have been creeping up recently, and that is down to what is happening on the pitch.

Next season is already looking rather interesting. I wouldn't like to guess at what the league / divisional lineups will be, but it looks as though we could have Kettering, Merthyr, Farnborough and Leamington in the SLP. With Bedworth/Rugby and Stratford/Evesham in the mix, there could be a lot more local interest. And we need more local interest after this seasons 'local' games were against Banbury and Hereford.

Yes Del Boy...this Division could be very interesting and lucrative next year...

I hope beyond hope we can continue to strengthen the 1st team and develop the youth team players to come through the ranks...that is the ultimate situation for a club at our level.

I see the reserves are going from strength to strength and I hope everyone can get down to support these kids in their cup final....Highgate throw a lot of cash at their team and even seeing the ressies in a final against them is a massive achievement for Julian, Ade and all the lads.

COYR