Shrimpsvoices

Football League for 2019/2020 guaranteed today. If we can survive next season without being relegated (as I'm sure we'll be bookies favourite to go down, again!) then we'll have managed 100 years without ever being relegated.

As we start our centenary year, I hope the new commercial manager is already planning to make the most of it!

Congratulations to Jim, the players & backroom staff for guaranteeing another season of Football League football. Back in the 1980's who would ever have dreamt that we'd one day be only one league below Ipswich & Bolton Wanderers? Johnson Paint Pot Trophy, or whatever it is called, might be interesting if we can draw Bolton!

Up until about the 1980s I do not think it was possible for the club to be relegated! A bit like saying that if you are the longest serving manager you must be good!

al1 wrote:Up until about the 1980s I do not think it was possible for the club to be relegated! A bit like saying that if you are the longest serving manager you must be good!

It has been possible to be relegated since MFC joined the NPL in 1968. We did finish in the relegation places early 1980s but for some technicality we were reprieved.

Surely we'll technically have avoided relegation for 100 years? Even if we do end up relegated next year, it won't happen until after the 7th

In the early days of the NPL you had to re-apply for membership if you finished in the bottom two (or three?) I *think* we always avoided having to re-apply, although it was close a couple of times.

[Edit] 1980/81 we finished second from bottom. That was our lowest finish.

I don't know about the Combination days, if there was anywhere else to go, but we were never at the bottom end. In fact, we applied for the Football League on a few occasions (four?) at the end of the 1950's early 1960's but back then, every Football League club voted for the club they wanted, either the ones at the bottom of the old Division Four or the ones applying to join. I think that Barrow didn't even finish bottom when they were relegated, and the team below them remained in the League.

Regardless, it is still a bloody good achievement and something we could actually be positive about???

After a quick check I think you will find that until 1986/7 season teams left the npl only for financial reasons ie Great Harwood,Fleetwood and Kirby Town and Gateshead.I think this is when the Alliance Premier started and the relegation was possible after a proper pyramid system began,just saying

al1 wrote:After a quick check I think you will find that until 1986/7 season teams left the npl only for financial reasons ie Great Harwood,Fleetwood and Kirby Town and Gateshead.I think this is when the Alliance Premier started and the relegation was possible after a proper pyramid system began,just saying

No, you re-applied if a club from a leader league applied to join, but it was the same 'old boys' votes as it was for the Football League, in that almost always the existing team was returned. Many seasons there wasn't an application to join. The Lancashire Combination and Cheshire League were feeder leagues at the time. I'd guess there would have been another feeder league from the other side of The Pennines too?

Not worth arguing about really,but I will try and be more positive when we have a more positive manager!Once again sorry for the fans who travelled today,I do not know how they do it a poor performance where "we rolled over and had our belly tickled" according to JB

al1 wrote:Not worth arguing about really,but I will try and be more positive when we have a more positive manager!Once again sorry for the fans who travelled today,I do not know how they do it a poor performance where "we rolled over and had our belly tickled" according to JB

Personally I do it as I don't like Shopping or Garden Centers.