3 consecutive seasons in League One… can we do it?

[A view from afar]

If, we manage to get the required points to stay up again, this feat will be one never previously achieved in our entire history.
Correct me if I’m wrong Marvo but I think I’m right.

I’ve taken absolute pelters from Beds, Duston and certain others for being a “Thomas fan boy” or “son of Thomas”….
You know what though…. If the above does become reality, with the stand albeit a polished turd, complete, trips to Wembley, promotions and a whole load of drama in between then yes, I reckon we should all be proud of what’s been achieved under these owners.

Name another group that’s done more for this club.
Bring on safety!

[Shoemender]

If, we manage to get the required points to stay up again, this feat will be one never previously achieved in our entire history.
Correct me if I’m wrong Marvo but I think I’m right.

I’ve taken absolute pelters from Beds, Duston and certain others for being a “Thomas fan boy” or “son of Thomas”….
You know what though…. If the above does become reality, with the stand albeit a polished turd, complete, trips to Wembley, promotions and a whole load of drama in between then yes, I reckon we should all be proud of what’s been achieved under these owners.

Name another group that’s done more for this club.
Bring on safety!

We've managed to complete 3 seasons in the 3rd tier at least twice before and once we stayed out of the bottom division for 8 consecutive seasons.

[DavCobb]

Did I miss a season? It's quite possible. 

[Melbourne Cobbler]

If, we manage to get the required points to stay up again, this feat will be one never previously achieved in our entire history.
Correct me if I’m wrong Marvo but I think I’m right.

I’ve taken absolute pelters from Beds, Duston and certain others for being a “Thomas fan boy” or “son of Thomas”….
You know what though…. If the above does become reality, with the stand albeit a polished turd, complete, trips to Wembley, promotions and a whole load of drama in between then yes, I reckon we should all be proud of what’s been achieved under these owners.

Name another group that’s done more for this club.
Bring on safety!

I ❤️ KT. Got the t-shirt, I am saving up for the tattoo.

[A view from afar]

We've managed to complete 3 seasons in the 3rd tier at least twice before and once we stayed out of the bottom division for 8 consecutive seasons.

I stand corrected then thank you.
In recent years since I’ve been supporting (1980 onwards)…, I don’t think we’ve done it.

[A view from afar]

Did I miss a season? It's quite possible. 

Next season will/could be our 3rd mate.

[CobblerForever]

I ❤️ KT. Got the t-shirt, I am saving up for the tattoo.

When your wife sees that you'll be out on your ear!

[DavCobb]

Next season will/could be our 3rd mate.

That's what I thought. When you said if we manage to get the required points to stay up, it is understandable to think that you meant this season. We have done 3 seasons before but need to stay up next season, so a bit early to be calling that one. Looking forward to see what Kev can do with the budget and who he can bring in.
I would hope that we can expect a little progression with bigger aims than just avoiding the drop.

[everbrite]

If, we manage to get the required points to stay up again, this feat will be one never previously achieved in our entire history.
Correct me if I’m wrong Marvo but I think I’m right.

I’ve taken absolute pelters from Beds, Duston and certain others for being a “Thomas fan boy” or “son of Thomas”….
You know what though…. If the above does become reality, with the stand albeit a polished turd, complete, trips to Wembley, promotions and a whole load of drama in between then yes, I reckon we should all be proud of what’s been achieved under these owners.

Name another group that’s done more for this club.
Bring on safety!

Brave man - proper Daniel!

[DrillingCobbler]

I stand corrected then thank you.
In recent years since I’ve been supporting (1980 onwards)…, I don’t think we’ve done it.

Graham Carr certainly achieved it.

Also, the team that Calderwood took up also managed to stay in the division for 3 years between 2006 and 2008 finishing 14th and 9th before 21st saw us go down.

I believe Big Dave and the Captain were our owners back then so perhaps not best to use league finishes in the 3rd tier of English Football to beat the current owners drum with! 

[DavCobb]

I believe Big Dave and the Captain were our owners back then so perhaps not best to use league finishes in the 3rd tier of English Football to beat the current owners drum with! 

TBF AVFA was a fan of his too....until he wasn't. I'd probably keep my powder a little dryer. 

Joking aside, if we stay up this season (surely) and next (hopefully) it will be something to be celebrated. Would it make us an established L1 team?!

[Michael Walker]

TBF AVFA was a fan of his too....until he wasn't. I'd probably keep my powder a little dryer. 

Joking aside, if we stay up this season (surely) and next (hopefully) it will be something to be celebrated. Would it make us an established L1 team?!

I think next season will be the most important in ages (provided a Bristol Rovers sized disaster doesn't befall us on the last day of this season).

For the first time in a long-time we will have the revenue available from the FULL East Stand to help either curb our losses or invest in the squad.

We will have a newish person in the ownership group who will have seen that the club can attract decent crowds, even when nearer the bottom than the top..

(And something might be happening with the land, but let's forget this for now.)

I think for the first time in my lifetime the ground, the revenue and the manager will be in alignment and all pointing upwards...

Cue..an asteroid hitting Sixfields and the insurance company refusing to pay out.

[Manwork04]

I ❤️ KT. Got the t-shirt, I am saving up for the tattoo.

I will pay for it as long as its on your forehead.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

I will pay for it as long as its on your forehead.

What, and cover over the penis?

[TPFKA Marvo]

The three previous times we've been at this level for three seasons, we were in Division 3, then Division 2, then League 1.

However, if you want to be pedantic, we spent 31 seasons at this level either side of WW2 when in Division 3 South of the football league. Had we ever won promotion from that division we'd have gone up to Division 2, just one step from the top flight.

We've actually played more games (2,296) in the third tier of the football league than we have in the fourth (1,907) so maybe we are already an established third tier football club?

[Cobblersmad]

Don't forget the forgotten years of 2000-2001, 2001-2002 and 2002-2003

[Winslow Lee]

Joking aside, if we stay up this season (surely) and next (hopefully). Would it make us an established L1 team?!

It’s a pretty nebulous term in a football context so I guess it’s up to you. As Shrewsbury will show this season a prolonged stay in the division gives you no security against relegation and every club is a bad transfer window away from the drop. So I guess it’s more about history than the future so it’s just how seasons constitute ‘established’.

[A view from afar]

Brave man - proper Daniel!

Daniel?

[Fabbiadini]

It’s a pretty nebulous term in a football context so I guess it’s up to you. As Shrewsbury will show this season a prolonged stay in the division gives you no security against relegation and every club is a bad transfer window away from the drop. So I guess it’s more about history than the future so it’s just how seasons constitute ‘established’.

You're right that every club is only one bad season away from relegation, but the chances of that happening will vary significantly by club based on budget which I'd argue determines how 'established' you are.

For instance, even though we've come close to relegation to non-league, I've always felt 'comfortable' in League Two. Something would have to go seriously wrong for us to be worse then the smaller clubs in that division, and even in the disaster years we've managed to stay up.

You never know what the future holds but I can't see us ever having that security in League One.  As things stand the objective will always be try to survive, and anything more than that is a bonus. I'd suspect the bookies will have close odds between us, Stevenage, Burton, Mansfield and the promoted teams as favourites for relegation next season.

Not to sound pessimistic. I think Nolan has made us quite dogged, and it'd be interesting to see the squad he builds over the summer.

[Shoemender]

You're right that every club is only one bad season away from relegation, but the chances of that happening will vary significantly by club based on budget which I'd argue determines how 'established' you are.

For instance, even though we've come close to relegation to non-league, I've always felt 'comfortable' in League Two. Something would have to go seriously wrong for us to be worse then the smaller clubs in that division, and even in the disaster years we've managed to stay up.

You never know what the future holds but I can't see us ever having that security in League One. As things stand the objective will always be try to survive, and anything more than that is a bonus. I'd suspect the bookies will have close odds between us, Stevenage, Burton, Mansfield and the promoted teams as favourites for relegation next season.

Not to sound pessimistic. I think Nolan has made us quite dogged, and it'd be interesting to see the squad he builds over the summer.

The security we get in league one is, if we get relegated we're still in the football league and you don't have to be a particularly "smaller" club to be in danger of dropping out of it. Look at Carlisle.