A bad year

[glosterred]

We’ve had a bad year, but there are 7 clubs that had a worse year than us. Hard to credit


COYR

[Chris Black come back]

It’s been a truly terrible calendar year. At least in 1998 the second half was joyous and uplifting. 2021 started badly and very quickly become disastrous. Results aside - which were abominable - the entire atmosphere around the club deteriorated very quickly.

Here’s to a better 2022!

[mushRTID]

Worst goal difference in the country.
Next year can only get better.
Stunned there are 7 worse teams to be honest.

[swintonrover]

Worst year this side of 1998 and Scunny are STILL worse than us.

[Prez]

Worst year this side of 1998 and Scunny are STILL worse than us.

Scunny will always be worse than us.

[JonWallsend]

We won 5 on the bounce in January and early Feb last season, otherwise we'd be rock bottom.
Nobody had that losing feeling more than us though.
It's a badge of honour.

[silent majority]

I wonder what's in the water in Bristol?

[Campsall rover]

Just imagine being a Bradford City supporter.

20 years ago Premier League. Last 4 seasons in League 2.

20 years ago DRFC Conference. Last 6 years League 1
5 of those years in the Championship

Who should be moaning the most. Bradford still get gates of 12.000 or more
Yes cheaper season tickets
If ours were reduced to same price i reckon we still would struggle to get much more than 5/6000

Idler I am sure will back me up as he will know many city fans. Sure they are not a happy bunch. Bet their forum is fun. 

[River Don]

Bradford has a bigger population than Doncaster.

[Dutch Uncle]

We actually started the year in January and February with 5 consecutive league wins!!

Makes the rest of the year truly abysmal - P45 W8 D8 L29

[Campsall rover]

Bradford has a bigger population than Doncaster.

They are a bigger club RD that’s the point I am making. 

[eastender]

If all teams had played 50 games each , then there's a good chance that we would be 3 or 4 places lower at least.

[NickDRFC]

If all teams had played 50 games each , then there's a good chance that we would be 3 or 4 places lower at least.

It’s not based on points, it’s based on points per game so the number of games played doesn’t matter.

[eastender]

If all teams had played 50 games each , then there's a good chance that we would be 3 or 4 places lower at least.

It’s not based on points, it’s based on points per game so the number of games played doesn’t matter.

Yes , but for example  if Southampton had played 9 more games and won them all, then their points per game would increase , or am i missing something.

[idler]

Just imagine being a Bradford City supporter.

20 years ago Premier League. Last 4 seasons in League 2.

20 years ago DRFC Conference. Last 6 years League 1
5 of those years in the Championship

Who should be moaning the most. Bradford still get gates of 12.000 or more
Yes cheaper season tickets
If ours were reduced to same price i reckon we still would struggle to get much more than 5/6000

Idler I am sure will back me up as he will know many city fans. Sure they are not a happy bunch. Bet their forum is fun. 

They have somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 so I was told before Christmas. Cheap prices and not all go to all games obviously but still a good number.
When we played there in the re-arranged game in 1966 and won promotion there were over 7,000 there on that Monday night.
They were at home again on the following Saturday and were back down to about the 1,500 mark.

[tyke1962]

Just imagine being a Bradford City supporter.

20 years ago Premier League. Last 4 seasons in League 2.

20 years ago DRFC Conference. Last 6 years League 1
5 of those years in the Championship

Who should be moaning the most. Bradford still get gates of 12.000 or more
Yes cheaper season tickets
If ours were reduced to same price i reckon we still would struggle to get much more than 5/6000

Idler I am sure will back me up as he will know many city fans. Sure they are not a happy bunch. Bet their forum is fun. 

They have somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 so I was told before Christmas. Cheap prices and not all go to all games obviously but still a good number.
When we played there in the re-arranged game in 1966 and won promotion there were over 7,000 there on that Monday night.
They were at home again on the following Saturday and were back down to about the 1,500 mark.

Idler , they brought 4k to Oakwell in January 2019 rock bottom of league one .

You have to respect that kind of support .

Especially seen as they were easily the worst side we saw that season under Daniel Stendel .

A championship club all day long Bradford City or should be .

[BigH]

I fear that what the OP may have (inadvertently) highlighted is just how much we as a club have suffered during the pandemic, particularly given the limitations of the Club Doncaster operating/financial model.

That's not a criticism by the way. The owner and the Board have always made clear their desire to put the club on a self-sustaining footing - which I, for one, entirely support - but the model will have been severely hampered by the loss of leisure and hospitality (not to mention match day) revenues over the past 20 months.

This, coupled with the Moore legacy - a denuded but costly player base - will have limited our ability to compete financially with L1 clubs that have benefited from new owners and/or longstanding benefactors.

It may be that where this all leads in the short term is relegation. The better news is that, over time, we should still have a solvent operating model that should enable us to regroup as the pandemic recedes. 

[Campsall rover]

I fear that what the OP may have (inadvertently) highlighted is just how much we as a club have suffered during the pandemic, particularly given the limitations of the Club Doncaster operating/financial model.

That's not a criticism by the way. The owner and the Board have always made clear their desire to put the club on a self-sustaining footing - which I, for one, entirely support - but the model will have been severely hampered by the loss of leisure and hospitality (not to mention match day) revenues over the past 20 months.

This, coupled with the Moore legacy - a denuded but costly player base - will have limited our ability to compete financially with L1 clubs that have benefited from new owners and/or longstanding benefactors.

It may be that where this all leads in the short term is relegation. The better news is that, over time, we should still have a solvent operating model that should enable us to regroup as the pandemic recedes.

That’s a very good post BigH and one that imo is correct.
But unfortunately that will not wash with some. Straight in one ear and out the other side. 

[idler]

Just imagine being a Bradford City supporter.

20 years ago Premier League. Last 4 seasons in League 2.

20 years ago DRFC Conference. Last 6 years League 1
5 of those years in the Championship

Who should be moaning the most. Bradford still get gates of 12.000 or more
Yes cheaper season tickets
If ours were reduced to same price i reckon we still would struggle to get much more than 5/6000

Idler I am sure will back me up as he will know many city fans. Sure they are not a happy bunch. Bet their forum is fun. 

They have somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 so I was told before Christmas. Cheap prices and not all go to all games obviously but still a good number.
When we played there in the re-arranged game in 1966 and won promotion there were over 7,000 there on that Monday night.
They were at home again on the following Saturday and were back down to about the 1,500 mark.

Idler , they brought 4k to Oakwell in January 2019 rock bottom of league one .

You have to respect that kind of support .

Especially seen as they were easily the worst side we saw that season under Daniel Stendel .

A championship club all day long Bradford City or should be .

They always have a good away following tyke.
I know many City fans and although very disappointed most still go regularly.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

With Bradford, on face value, you'd think it was a formula for success, particularly with all the work they did in the community to generate new support.

It wasn't that long ago they were doing well together when they had a day in the sun at Stamford Bridge.

It seems though with a couple of poor managerial appointments they lost their way. Perhaps not too dissimilar to where we find ourselves at the moment. Perhaps not through the lack of trying, but more the instability of one managerial regime to another and a high turnover of players.

I think we know through past experience, it's hard to arrest the slide when it starts but by eck, given covid plus all the unprecedented amount of injuries, we just haven't had the luck when we most need it. Makes you wonder whether the old gypsies curse has found it's way from Belle Vue to the Keepmoat, err EPS.

[Colin C No.3]

BigH.

Be in no doubt that relegation for Rovers would be calamitous.

This idea that ‘Sometimes you need to take a step backwards in order to move forwards’ is imo, a fools ‘mantra’ with no thought on the repercussions that a fall into the lowest tier of the football league would actually mean to the club.

With lower gates & ‘poorer’ sponsorship deals, the club would lose significant revenue. The ramifications of that mean that you jeopardise monies no longer being available to put into the junior feeder teams of the club.

We have a post running now querying the amount of money GM has to bolster the squad in the current transfer window…’TOO LITTLE’ is the cry. Would it be more in Lg2?

‘We can’t attract a good calibre of player because we’re bottom of Lg1’ I’ve seen said on this forum. Would that situation improve as a Lg2 outfit?

Gary McSheffrey, Gary Linekar, Gary Barlow I don’t mind which Gary or Mick or Steve or Pep it is in the dugout for the remainder of this season but we HAVE to stay up.

[idler]

With Bradford, on face value, you'd think it was a formula for success, particularly with all the work they did in the community to generate new support.

It wasn't that long ago they were doing well together when they had a day in the sun at Stamford Bridge.

It seems though with a couple of poor managerial appointments they lost their way. Perhaps not too dissimilar to where we find ourselves at the moment. Perhaps not through the lack of trying, but more the instability of one managerial regime to another and a high turnover of players.

I think we know through past experience, it's hard to arrest the slide when it starts but by eck, given covid plus all the unprecedented amount of injuries, we just haven't had the luck when we most need it. Makes you wonder whether the old gypsies curse has found it's way from Belle Vue to the Keepmoat, err EPS.

It was a change of ownership that caused it.
Losing in a play off final and then selling the best players.
The minor shareholder of the two had some coaching badges and thought he could run the team. He eventually went back to Germany leaving the other German to pick up the pieces. It has been a shambles since losing at Wembley.

[BigH]

BigH.

Be in no doubt that relegation for Rovers would be calamitous.

This idea that ‘Sometimes you need to take a step backwards in order to move forwards’ is imo, a fools ‘mantra’ with no thought on the repercussions that a fall into the lowest tier of the football league would actually mean to the club.

With lower gates & ‘poorer’ sponsorship deals, the club would lose significant revenue. The ramifications of that mean that you jeopardise monies no longer being available to put into the junior feeder teams of the club.

We have a post running now querying the amount of money GM has to bolster the squad in the current transfer window…’TOO LITTLE’ is the cry. Would it be more in Lg2?

‘We can’t attract a good calibre of player because we’re bottom of Lg1’ I’ve seen said on this forum. Would that situation improve as a Lg2 outfit?

Gary McSheffrey, Gary Linekar, Gary Barlow I don’t mind which Gary or Mick or Steve or Pep it is in the dugout for the remainder of this season but we HAVE to stay up.

Col, I don't disagree. A drop to Lg 2 would be dreadful for all the reasons you say.

My point is that our operating model has perhaps seen us disproportionately impacted. In a similar way that, say, a bricks and mortar retailer has been more adversely impacted by the pandemic than an online retailer.

For us it means that the adjustment could be greater than for other clubs. And that's why we find ourselves in the position we're in.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

With Bradford, on face value, you'd think it was a formula for success, particularly with all the work they did in the community to generate new support.

It wasn't that long ago they were doing well together when they had a day in the sun at Stamford Bridge.

It seems though with a couple of poor managerial appointments they lost their way. Perhaps not too dissimilar to where we find ourselves at the moment. Perhaps not through the lack of trying, but more the instability of one managerial regime to another and a high turnover of players.

I think we know through past experience, it's hard to arrest the slide when it starts but by eck, given covid plus all the unprecedented amount of injuries, we just haven't had the luck when we most need it. Makes you wonder whether the old gypsies curse has found it's way from Belle Vue to the Keepmoat, err EPS.

It was a change of ownership that caused it.
Losing in a play off final and then selling the best players.
The minor shareholder of the two had some coaching badges and thought he could run the team. He eventually went back to Germany leaving the other German to pick up the pieces. It has been a shambles since losing at Wembley.

Cheers Idler. Well that again highlights the fine lines in football. If you don't achieve the promotion, it's more likely the players who are ready to make that step will inevitably move on.

Folk keep asking the difference between Rotherham and ourselves, looking at finances etc, when in reality it's not necessarily the finances  that cause the change in momentum. When you lose good players, finding identikit replacements is extremely difficult and sometimes you spend good money after bad, trying to replace them.

Also shows new ownership doesn't always mean good ownership.

What did our board to wrong in appointing McCann who got us to the play off semi?
What did the board do wrong to cause Marosi to slip and then Rowe and Marquis to miss penalties?
What did the board do wrong when Hull City head hunted McCann?
What did the board do wrong when appointing Moore?
What did the board to wrong when Bolton failed to turn up, the season was curtailed when we were in a good position?
What did the board do wrong when the virus sent us into lockdown and our income was badly hit?

Anyway, Rotherhams good fortune was our misfortune and things sometimes just depend on the kick or spin of a ball.