Massive game at Cambridge

In my opinion the biggest game of the season
A win we are moving up makes us look more appetising to potential new players.
A defeat we are deep in relegation trouble how many players will want to sign up for a potential drop to the conference.

It's a home game!

Quoted from Yoda

In my opinion the biggest game of the season
A win we are moving up makes us look more appetising to potential new players.
A defeat we are deep in relegation trouble how many players will want to sign up for a potential drop to the conference.

I hope we're safe by the time we play at Cambridge

Against  away whatever a heavy defeat we are in big trouble.
Especially as Southend and Stevenage are picking up results.

Quoted from Yoda

Against  away whatever a heavy defeat we are in big trouble.
Especially as Southend and Stevenage are picking up results.

No we're not. Worst case scenario if we lose (heavy or by a single goal) we will drop into the bottom 2 on goal difference. Over half the season left. Plenty of time for us to find us shape and start picking up results.

my argument is if your in the bottom 2 in January with other teams having games in n hand on you.
You will struggle to attract players.

Also you have the London effect a lot of good clubs in London looking to loan players if you where a young player on London would you go to Grimsby or a southern based club.

Phil Neville talks about this the southern dominance of the premier league.

Quoted from Yoda

my argument is if your in the bottom 2 in January with other teams having games in n hand on you.
You will struggle to attract players.

Also you have the London effect a lot of good clubs in London looking to loan players if you where a young player on London would you go to Grimsby or a southern based club.

Phil Neville talks about this the southern dominance of the premier league.

Might be worth you and Phil having a quick peek at the premier league table

take manchester and liverpool out of the equation there is nobody

Quoted from Yoda

take manchester and liverpool out of the equation there is nobody

Brilliant

Quoted from Yoda

Phil Neville talks about this the southern dominance of the premier league.

28 Premier League seasons....

Northern Champions - 19
Man Utd - 13 titles
Man City - 4 titles
Blackburn - 1 title
Liverpool - 1 title

Midlands Champions - 1
Leicester City - 1 title

Southern (London) Champions - 8
Chelsea - 5 titles
Arsenal - 3 titles

Surely there are only 6 London clubs out of 20

Quoted from Yoda

take manchester and liverpool out of the equation there is nobody

None of the current top 5 and only 4 of the current top 12 are southern. Only 1 southern winner in the last 5 seasons.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

28 Premier League seasons....

Northern Champions - 19
Man Utd - 13 titles
Man City - 4 titles
Blackburn - 1 title
Liverpool - 1 title

Midlands Champions - 1
Leicester City - 1 title

Southern (London) Champions - 8
Chelsea - 5 titles
Arsenal - 3 titles

More details...

Top 3 Premier League finishes by English region (28 seasons)...

North West - 44
London - 31
North-East - 4
East Midlands - 2
West Midlands - 1
East of England - 1
Yorkshire & Humber - 1
South-East - 0
South-West - 0

Yeah, but Phil Neville said it.......

Southern teams

Arsenal
Spurs
West ham
Palace
Chelsea
Brighton
Southampton

For me only two big teams on there Arsenal and Spurs.

I am starting to believe the 'can't attract players to this area' is a red herring. The vast majority of lower league players rarely stay at a club for more than 3 years so tend to rent anyway. Rental properties around here are as cheap as anywhere in the country. Those who have earnt a few quid usually buy in the area they are from.

Quoted from Yoda

Southern teams

Arsenal
Spurs
West ham
Palace
Chelsea
Brighton
Southampton

For me only two big teams on there Arsenal and Spurs.

Are you arguing against yourself?

Quoted from Yoda

take manchester and liverpool out of the equation there is nobody

Genius, what did the Romans ever do for us?

Quoted from smokey111

I am starting to believe the 'can't attract players to this area' is a red herring. The vast majority of lower league players rarely stay at a club for more than 3 years so tend to rent anyway. Rental properties around here are as cheap as anywhere in the country. Those who have earnt a few quid usually buy in the area they are from.

I’m not so sure. I think by and large at this level players prefer to stay in a relatively local area wherever possible. Contract lengths are short and it can be quite disruptive to have to move every year or two, particularly older players with school age kids.

Proximity to major cities is going to increase the pool of players who already live within commutable distance, making them easier to sign. There probably aren’t many clubs in the EFL further away from a major city (I’m not counting Hull, obviously) than us so it is a bit of a disadvantage in that sense.

All that said, you are right that the cost of living is much, much cheaper - if you’re a League Two player earning £50k a year then better to be paying £800 a month rent in  North East Lincs than double that down south.

It’s also a nicer place to live than it’s reputation suggests, something probably not helped by the fact that the drive to the ground from the A180 doesn’t give the best first impression. We do need to do a better job of selling the area I suspect, as it’s not just the players themselves that are making the decision.

Quoted from Poojah

I’m not so sure. I think by and large at this level players prefer to stay in a relatively local area wherever possible. Contract lengths are short and it can be quite disruptive to have to move every year or two, particularly older players with school age kids.

Proximity to major cities is going to increase the pool of players who already live within commutable distance, making them easier to sign. There probably aren’t many clubs in the EFL further away from a major city (I’m not counting Hull, obviously) than us so it is a bit of a disadvantage in that sense.

All that said, you are right that the cost of living is much, much cheaper - if you’re a League Two player earning £50k a year then better to be paying £800 a month rent in  North East Lincs than double that down south.

It’s also a nicer place to live than it’s reputation suggests, something probably not helped by the fact that the drive to the ground from the A180 doesn’t give the best first impression. We do need to do a better job of selling the area I suspect, as it’s not just the players themselves that are making the decision.

I do agree with your point regarding proximity to major cities, many players do tend to move around within a 100 mile radius at our level.

I think the disruption to the schooling of children is unlikely to be an issue in the vast majority of cases. Footballers appear to settle down and have kids later, so by the time their children are in education they are in the early to mid thirties (spot ball for us if you throw in a track record of recent injuries!!!).

I don't agree that the Cambridge game is make or break. it's too soon after the chaos king quit to turn the team around.  Hurst is basically stuck with the current squad minus the two loanees that were recalled, including edwards who would most probably have started.

Any points we pick up in the  next two games are welcome, but it's really the four games starting 16th Jan that are key. All six pointers. It's tight, but we may have some reinforcements brought in by then. Maybe Wright and Scannel will be back too.  

Lose those 4 and we are in deep deep do-do.

If it was the last game of the season and we needed a win to stay up, it could be classed as a massive game.

I'm desperate for us to get 3 points tomorrow, but if we don't, it's not the end of the world.

Quoted from ginnywings

If it was the last game of the season and we needed a win to stay up, it could be classed as a massive game.

I'm desperate for us to get 3 points tomorrow, but if we don't, it's not the end of the world.

I would settle for a draw to be honest. Same at Port Vale.

Quoted from RonMariner

I would settle for a draw to be honest. Same at Port Vale.

People tend to focus on their own team, forgetting that other struggling sides have tough games too. They are not all going to suddenly start winning games and they have to play against each other also.

Lot's to play for and plenty of twists and turns to come. We'll have good weeks and bad.

Quoted from Yoda

my argument is if your in the bottom 2 in January with other teams having games in n hand on you.
You will struggle to attract players.

Also you have the London effect a lot of good clubs in London looking to loan players if you where a young player on London would you go to Grimsby or a southern based club.

Phil Neville talks about this the southern dominance of the premier league.

Current Top 5 in The Premier League

Liverpool,
Man Utd,
Everton,
Leicester City,
Aston Villa.

Got to say that I'm struggling to find the southern dominance in there.

Seeing as the PL is moving inexorably towards more foreign bodies in the squads and the disease is spreading down the pyramid it hardly matters where they are. I was impressed by the traditional Lancashire names in the Oldham side the other day for instance.

If the money is right, mercenaries will come and in the end, that is all a professional footballer is.

Are we at the stage where in tomorrow’s scunny v Stevenage game, and this really hurts to say this, are we after a scunny win, now I’ll go was my mouth out with caustic soda.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Are we at the stage where in tomorrow’s scunny v Stevenage game, and this really hurts to say this, are we after a scunny win, now I’ll go was my mouth out with caustic soda.

Absolutely. I wanted them to beat Southend too, but they failed.

I don’t think Scunny will go down, so I want to see them take points from all our relegation rivals. What an awful situation!

Quoted from smokey111

I do agree with your point regarding proximity to major cities, many players do tend to move around within a 100 mile radius at our level.

I think the disruption to the schooling of children is unlikely to be an issue in the vast majority of cases. Footballers appear to settle down and have kids later, so by the time their children are in education they are in the early to mid thirties (spot ball for us if you throw in a track record of recent injuries!!!).

Footballers tend to settle down and marry younger. They even tend to look older than their years. Accelerated living due to having relatively high income at a young age?

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Footballers tend to settle down and marry younger. They even tend to look older than their years. Accelerated living due to having relatively high income at a young age?

It’s an odd one that I’ve never understood. If you’re a young athlete with a bit of cash (at least relative to age) then it’s basically a license to shàg what you want. And good luck to you.

Why so many choose to ‘settle down’ and have kids at a young age, only to be exposed by a tabloid newspaper for being unfaithful, I don’t quite get.

Quoted from Poojah

It’s an odd one that I’ve never understood. If you’re a young athlete with a bit of cash (at least relative to age) then it’s basically a license to shàg what you want. And good luck to you.

Why so many choose to ‘settle down’ and have kids at a young age, only to be exposed by a tabloid newspaper for being unfaithful, I don’t quite get.

I actually made the comment based on no evidence, just a hunch. I would be interested to see factual evidence but still maintain my belief that most don't start a family until their late twenties at the earliest.

Therefore moving from rented accommodation in place A to rented accommodation in place B isn't the major upheaval it may appear. If you are being offered £800 a week in Oldham or £1,000 a week in Grimsby over 3 years surely you would pick Grimsby??? Even if you are young and single you can disappear off to whatever major city takes your fancy Saturday night and then get back Sunday evening to your gaff ready for Monday morning.

The guy who started this thread as obviously not football brain ..............end

Quoted from smokey111

I actually made the comment based on no evidence, just a hunch. I would be interested to see factual evidence but still maintain my belief that most don't start a family until their late twenties at the earliest.

Therefore moving from rented accommodation in place A to rented accommodation in place B isn't the major upheaval it may appear. If you are being offered £800 a week in Oldham or £1,000 a week in Grimsby over 3 years surely you would pick Grimsby??? Even if you are young and single you can disappear off to whatever major city takes your fancy Saturday night and then get back Sunday evening to your gaff ready for Monday morning.

£1,000 a week to live near Grimsby or £800 a week to live near Oldham (Manchester!!!!). Even if you lived in Oldham you could have your night out in Manchester and get the tram back home.

Quoted from Heisenberg

Absolutely. I wanted them to beat Southend too, but they failed.

I don’t think Scunny will go down, so I want to see them take points from all our relegation rivals. What an awful situation!

Have you heard the Peter Swann interview from the past week or so? Scunny are in big trouble financially. Could be a painful transfer window for them.

Quoted from smokey111

I actually made the comment based on no evidence, just a hunch. I would be interested to see factual evidence but still maintain my belief that most don't start a family until their late twenties at the earliest.

Therefore moving from rented accommodation in place A to rented accommodation in place B isn't the major upheaval it may appear. If you are being offered £800 a week in Oldham or £1,000 a week in Grimsby over 3 years surely you would pick Grimsby??? Even if you are young and single you can disappear off to whatever major city takes your fancy Saturday night and then get back Sunday evening to your gaff ready for Monday morning.

Well, yeah, of course a 20% difference in pay is going to make a difference. My point was more that if the packages on offer were equal and one meant you didn’t need to relocate, then more often than not the player is going to choose the option with less upheaval.

Ultimately, Oldham as an example will have more players within a commutable catchment than we do, making recruitment generally easier.

Our problem is exacerbated by the fact that not only are we 80 or 90 miles from Leeds and Sheffield, but we are also coastal. Not many footballers live in the sea, so the chance of a player already living within commutable distance is reduced by somewhere in the region of 50%.

It’s not reasonable to use it as an excuse for underperformance, but it shouldn’t be dismissed as a non-issue either.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Have you heard the Peter Swann interview from the past week or so? Scunny are in big trouble financially. Could be a painful transfer window for them.

I half-listened to an interview with their manager. Talk of bridging loans - as damaging as our much maligned ‘benign loans’ may have been, bridging loans typically carry eye watering interest rates and are a usually pretty desperate act.

I’ve long predicted this, even before Covid, but Scunny are fúcked.

Quoted from Poojah

Well, yeah, of course a 20% difference in pay is going to make a difference. My point was more that if the packages on offer were equal and one meant you didn’t need to relocate, then more often than not the player is going to choose the option with less upheaval.

Ultimately, Oldham as an example will have more players within a commutable catchment than we do, making recruitment generally easier.

Our problem is exacerbated by the fact that not only are we 80 or 90 miles from Leeds and Sheffield, but we are also coastal. Not many footballers live in the sea, so the chance of a player already living within commutable distance is reduced by somewhere in the region of 50%.

It’s not reasonable to use it as an excuse for underperformance, but it shouldn’t be dismissed as a non-issue either.

I agree with all your points regarding location and commutable distance. So we might have to just swallow the pill and offer that little bit more, maybe not the 20% I used as a trite example!

I believe most young men would be fickle enough, in a good way, to move for an extra £100 a week over 2/3 years.

I have gone full circle now and acknowledged that it might be a small issue, but money would talk for most.

Quoted from smokey111

I agree with all your points regarding location and commutable distance. So we might have to just swallow the pill and offer that little bit more, maybe not the 20% I used as a trite example!

I believe most young men would be fickle enough, in a good way, to move for an extra £100 a week over 2/3 years.

I have gone full circle now and acknowledged that it might be a small issue, but money would talk for most.

Absolutely, and therein lies the rub. We are geographically inconvenient and if recent accounts are true, have been making financially underwhelming offers. Those two things combined may largely explain the last decade and a half.

We can’t move the town (although we can move our training ground), but offering attractive contracts (within our means) and selling the area better might go a long way.

Barrow and Bradford games are off today, and the other relegation threatened sides have tough looking fixtures. A win today could see us jump up the table a couple of places in a best case scenario, or drop into the bottom two if results go against us.