The Football.....

[Pblakeney]

There's nothing really wrong with relegation. Sure, it's nice to be among the big fish but if you're not, so what? You still play every week and provided the club hasn't bankrupted itself trying to stay up you can still enjoy the game. From what I've seen of Championship matches this season they are mostly more entertaining than the PL fare.

It is always an interesting debate. Would you rather be fighting relegation in a top tier league, or competing for trophies in a lower tier league?
Owners chase the money, fans not so much.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

It is always an interesting debate. Would you rather be fighting relegation in a top tier league, or competing for trophies in a lower tier league?
Owners chase the money, fans not so much.

Unless you are one of the top half dozen or so clubs, the EPL is a miserable place. You spend a season or two chasing an outside chance of a Conference or EUEFA League spot with zero chance of getting any higher, and the next couple of years in a relegation dogfight.

 

[PaulSB]

Unless you are one of the top half dozen or so clubs, the EPL is a miserable place. You spend a season or two chasing an outside chance of a Conference or EUEFA League spot with zero chance of getting any higher, and the next couple of years in a relegation dogfight.

Very much my view. As a fan of an at best mid-table Championship club I want us to be successful. It's impossible not to dream if one's team hits the play off places...........but I know the outcome. If Rovers were promoted we would face a miserable season of defeat after defeat in the PL.

A competitive season in the Championship is a lot more fun than being hammered every week in the PL.

It's a question of be careful what you wish for

 

[Mike_P]

The 1974 relegation of Man U didn't do them any harm; came straight back as Champions even if it did mean visiting Bootham Crescent to play York City . Topically bottom of the second division in the 74-75 season (todays Championship) was Sheff Wed.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Very much my view. As a fan of an at best mid-table Championship club I want us to be successful. It's impossible not to dream if one's team hits the play off places...........but I know the outcome. If Rovers were promoted we would face a miserable season of defeat after defeat in the PL.

A competitive season in the Championship is a lot more fun than being hammered every week in the PL.

It's a question of be careful what you wish for

So what's the point then?Just stay in a comfortable position in the championship and hope you don't get promoted?
You said if you went up to the EPL it would be miserable but Sunderland are doing ok.
Blackburn Rovers are a great club who have won the premier league which only a handful of clubs have done so surely you must strive for better times?

 

[Animo]

For us fans of smaller clubs, the consequences of success usually involve all the best players and the manager getting poached so it's all pretty self-defeating.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

So what's the point then?Just stay in a comfortable position in the championship and hope you don't get promoted?
You said if you went up to the EPL it would be miserable but Sunderland are doing ok.
Blackburn Rovers are a great club who have won the premier league which only a handful of clubs have done so surely you must strive for better times?

Well Huddersfield came up for two seasons, finished 16th and survived on last day of the season, and relegated the next (earliest confirmed relegation ever, joint with Derby County, down before April). In the two seasons they were up they played 76 Premier League games and lost 43 of them, winning just 15 times. A load of the players that won them promotion were moved on, as was the manager after half a season. Five years after relegation from the Prem, they were relegated down to League 1, where they are now. All in all it was a pretty brutal experience for them, and they haven't really recovered from it yet. My Huddersfield mate fully expected to be relegated the first season they came up, his attitude was "we'll go down, but hopefully we'll have a good laugh round the country and play a few good games on the way, anything more is a bonus". Despite not being instantly relegated, his feeling after that season was that they'd just been battered up and down the country and it was nowhere near as fun as a half decent season in the Championship.

 

[Pblakeney]

Well Huddersfield came up for two seasons, finished 16th and survived on last day of the season, and relegated the next (earliest confirmed relegation ever, joint with Derby County, down before April). In the two seasons they were up they played 76 Premier League games and lost 43 of them, winning just 15 times. A load of the players that won them promotion were moved on, as was the manager after half a season. Five years after relegation from the Prem, they were relegated down to League 1, where they are now. All in all it was a pretty brutal experience for them, and they haven't really recovered from it yet. My Huddersfield mate fully expected to be relegated the first season they came up, his attitude was "we'll go down, but hopefully we'll have a good laugh round the country and play a few good games on the way, anything more is a bonus". Despite not being instantly relegated, his feeling after that season was that they'd just been battered up and down the country and it was nowhere near as fun as a half decent season in the Championship.

I suspect a lot fans would like the option of winning the league without automatic promotion.
'tis a double edged sword.