2014-15 Lower League & amalgamated non-league thread

[DEVO]

Anyone rate Barnet's chances in League 2 next year? Or reckon they'll be fighting for relegation as they always seem to do in that league?

I think they have been going up and down between League 2 and the Conference for a decade or so now. I remember they won the Conference title comfortably in 2004/05 ahead of Carlisle but the following season in league 2 they struggled and barely survived while Carlisle cruised to the title and were immediately promoted to league 1. Surviving League 2 seems to be a battle for them.

 

[DEVO]

DEVO Pretty good news for your boys!

http://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/article/official-club-statement-dated-19-may-2015-2463323.aspx

Hopefully it is a sign that things are looking up in Cumbria, the more investment we can get over the next few years, the better our chances are of staying viable and achieving our ultimate aim which is to make the Championship. The top priority though is a new stadium and there has been some discussions that this may progress pass the planning stage in the coming months. Fingers crossed.

 

[DEVO]

Here's are s couple of articles from the BBC and the local Carlisle newspaper (News & Star) stating that it is a billionaire who is interested in investing in Carlisle. It also mentions that Andrew Lapping has withdrawn his investment plans. Hopefully it is true and the unknown billionaire comes in, cleans out the club of the deadwood and we can once again be the over achieving club we were in the 60's and 70's.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32812171

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/carlis...w-carlisle-utd-investment-bid-claim-1.1213379

 

[TooUglyForFugly]

Here's an article from the BBC stating that it is a billionaire who is interested in investing in Carlisle. It also mentions that Andrew Lapping has withdrawn his investment plans. Hopefully it is true and the unknown billionaire comes in, cleans out the club of the deadwood and we can once again be the over achieving club we were in the 60's and 70's.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32812171

Hopefully not another Cashley or whoever the hell is killing Blackpool.

 

[DEVO]

Hopefully not another Cashley or whoever the hell is killing Blackpool.

I'm hoping it's one of the Stobarts who are locals who have built their Carlisle based Infrastructure and Transportation Company (The Stobart Group) into one of the largest in Europe and they were our shirt sponsor for 19 years up until the 2014/15 season. I'm not sure if they are billionaires, but they have a wonderful business sense and genuinely love the area and the club.

There are rumours on the Carlisle websites and local paper that the billionaire might be Mike Ashley who I think is currently involved with Newcastle United. Obviously this would be a huge step up for him if was to become involved with CUFC.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

I'm hoping it's one of the Stobarts who are locals who have built their Carlisle based Infrastructure and Transportation Company (The Stobart Group) into one of the largest in Europe and they were our shirt sponsor for 19 years up until the 2014/15 season. I'm not sure if they are billionaires, but they have a wonderful business sense and genuinely love the area and the club.

There are rumours on the Carlisle websites and local paper that the billionaire might be Mike Ashley who I think is currently involved with Newcastle United. Obviously this would be a huge step up for him if was to become involved with CUFC.

So how long DEVO before we can start calling Carlisle 'moneybags'?

Hope that rumour of a billionaire investor is true, could really help propel the club forward.

If it's Mike Ashley though...gods help you! Man is a cancer on football.

 

[palmomagpie]

Lets just hope its not like the tosser who purchased sheffield wednesday at the start of the season, chuck his sponsorship details all over our kit, and then get refused ownership because he doesn't has as much money as he says he does

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Lets just hope its not like the tosser who purchased sheffield wednesday at the start of the season, chuck his sponsorship details all over our kit, and then get refused ownership because he doesn't has as much money as he says he does

Haven't heard of this mate - what happened?

He bought the club but was refused ownership (assuming by the Football league) due to insufficient funds? Would have thought he'd need to go through the 'fit and proper' test thing before any sale could be sanctioned?

 

[Milang_Panthers]

Lets just hope its not like the tosser who purchased sheffield wednesday at the start of the season, chuck his sponsorship details all over our kit, and then get refused ownership because he doesn't has as much money as he says he does

Sounds like the guy that 'bought' the NY Islanders.

 

[palmomagpie]

I think it may have come down to the fact that they announced the takeover before it was actually confirmed fully, got all our hopes up. He started spreading his influnce, got the Azerbaijan logo on our shirt, then we found out some french club he owns was going bust and the FA didn't trust him. Even after he pulled out we were still wearing the logo all season. Its hard to find information about the breakdown but i remember talks on the radio, facebook etc. saying he just wasn't reliable in terms of keeping the club afloat. But oh well, we had a Thai Tuna tycoon take over instead

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheff-weds/breaking-sheffield-wednesday-takeover-off-1-6822977

 

[palmomagpie]

Haven't heard of this mate - what happened?

He bought the club but was refused ownership (assuming by the Football league) due to insufficient funds? Would have thought he'd need to go through the 'fit and proper' test thing before any sale could be sanctioned?

Basically just pi*s farted around with the deal while trying to patch up the damage he'd done to Baku and Lens or whoever it was he owned. Our owner put the foot down and said enough is enough, and it was rejected

 

[DEVO]

Thank You Gentlemen, you are all filling me with so much hope. As if I don't have enough trepidation with past owners as it is.

The memories of Michael Knighton's ownership will live with the Carlisle faithful for ever.

 

[palmomagpie]

Thank You Gentlemen, you are all filling me with so much hope.

Its not all doom and gloom mate! I'm sure Carlisle wont be as silly as we were. Mandaric, our old owner, saved us from adminstration and injected a lot of his money into us, but was always looking to sell. Got his chance to sell us to someone he thought would fund a premier league so he got excited and told everyone. We recieved another takeover push later in the year and he kept it quiet until like the day before it was a done deal, and that one seems to be going well. I'm sure Carlisle's in good hands! would be good to see them pushing up there! Just asking, whats the highest they've ever finished? don't know much about their history?

 

[DEVO]

Its not all doom and gloom mate! I'm sure Carlisle wont be as silly as we were. Mandaric, our old owner, saved us from adminstration and injected a lot of his money into us, but was always looking to sell. Got his chance to sell us to someone he thought would fund a premier league so he got excited and told everyone. We recieved another takeover push later in the year and he kept it quiet until like the day before it was a done deal, and that one seems to be going well. I'm sure Carlisle's in good hands! would be good to see them pushing up there! Just asking, whats the highest they've ever finished? don't know much about their history?

In April 1974 Carlisle finished third in the second division and won promotion to the first division (now the Premier League) at the expense of Manchester United. We then went on to win our first three games away to Chelsea and Middlesbrough and home against Tottenham, and for two glorious weeks we were the best team in all of England. Unfortunately we were unable to keep the run going and ended up finishing last and were relegated back to the 2nd division where were remained for a majority of the next 10 seasons, but it all started to go sour in the late 80's when we were relegated in consecutive seasons and we have basically been a struggling fourth tier club ever since. We have a few good years were we have worked our way back to the third tier, in 2008 we were about 5 minutes from automatic promotion back to Championship, but we have also been relegated to the Conference once. Carlisle's history is has been very up and down over the last 30 years more promotions and relegations than just about every other club, and very few years of stability.

That 1974-75 season when we played in the 1st Division, we ended up losing 25 games, but 16 of them were by a goal, and 8 by 2 goals, we were competitive for the whole season, we actually won more games than Chelsea and Luton who finished just above us, but because it was only 2pts for a win back in those days we just couldn't accumulate enough points to stay out of the relegation zone.

To answer your question the highest we have ever finished is 22nd in the old 1st division. Or 22nd best in a country that 24 tiers, 480 leagues and approx. 7,500 football clubs.

 

[palmomagpie]

In April 1974 Carlisle finished third in the second division and won promotion to the first division (now the Premier League) at the expense of Manchester United. We then went on to win our first three games away to Chelsea and Middlesbrough and home against Tottenham, and for two glorious weeks we were the best team in all of England. Unfortunately we were unable to keep the run going and ended up finishing last and were relegated back to the 2nd division where were remained for a majority of the next 10 seasons, but it all started to go sour in the late 80's when we were relegated in consecutive seasons and we have basically been a struggling fourth tier club ever since. We have a few good years were we have worked our way back to the third tier, in 2008 we were about 5 minutes from automatic promotion back to Championship, but we have also been relegated to the Conference once. Carlisle's history is has been very up and down over the last 30 years more promotions and relegations than just about every other club, and very few years of stability.

That 1974-75 season when we played in the 1st Division, we ended up losing 25 games, but 16 of them were by a goal, and 8 by 2 goals, we were competitive for the whole season, we actually won more games than Chelsea and Luton who finished just above us, but because it was only 2pts for a win back in those days we just couldn't accumulate enough points to stay out of the relegation zone.

To answer your question the highest we have ever finished is 22nd in the old 1st division. Or 22nd best in a country that 24 tiers, 480 leagues and approx. 7,500 football clubs.

Wow that would be frustrating to say the least! I've been frustrated enough watching sheffield wednesday linger midtable-relegation zone every year in the Championship since 01 (and the two relegations), as well as Barnet lingering between league 2 and conference. Hope this new owner can propel you guys higher! One advantage Wednesday's always had is a large stadium, made us attractive to buyers. Hopefully they can upgrade Brunton and you guys are up in the championship (or higher) soon!

 

[DEVO]

Wow that would be frustrating to say the least! I've been frustrated enough watching sheffield wednesday linger midtable-relegation zone every year in the Championship since 01 (and the two relegations), as well as Barnet lingering between league 2 and conference. Hope this new owner can propel you guys higher! One advantage Wednesday's always had is a large stadium, made us attractive to buyers. Hopefully they can upgrade Brunton and you guys are up in the championship (or higher) soon!

I don't think Brunton Park is going to upgraded, the club are looking at building a new 12,000 seat stadium at a new site in Carlisle that is a little closer to the CBD and has more room for further growth if required. Brunton Park is right up against those ugly, old style housing estates the English liked to build in the 60's and 70's and so it would be difficult to do any major upgrades without significantly effecting the nearby households.

My hope is one of the first things the new owners/investors do is green light the stadium proposal or a variation of it and we can move out of Brunton Park in the next two or three years. It is such an old, substandard stadium I think it has just as much to do with the poor crowds we have been getting over the last few seasons as the on field performances themselves.

One issue I have with the new Stadium plans though is it only 12,000 seats. Back in 2008 when we almost won promotion to the Championship we averaged 13,500 a game, and got full houses (capacity is around 16,800) for the Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Swansea and Bournemouth games. If we want to make it to the Championship we are going to need to average those kind of crowd numbers again, and in a new, cleaner more family friendly stadium I think 17-18,000 people would be a realistic target for League One football and 20,000 for the Championship. Greater Carlisle's population is over 100,000 and we are the only professional club in Cumbria so 20,000 should be possible target.

I remember Carlisle playing Sheffield Wednesday only a couple of seasons ago in League One, I think in one of the seasons both the Sheffield teams had dropped down to League One. I think Wednesday spent about three seasons down there before winning promotion back to the Championship. I think they were promoted a season or two before United, which was the first time in about a dozen years or so that Wednesday were in a higher tier than United or finished higher on the table. I don't mind Wednesday, their shirts are Blue and White vertical stripes like NMFC. It was never enough though to switch allegiances.

 

[Jatz]

League 2 playoff final tonight.

Rooting for Southend. Have it on record because staying up until 2:30 is just not on haha.

 

[Milang_Panthers]

In that case...Go Wycombe

 

[Jatz]

Congratulations to Southend! Won on penalties. Which of course meant that my recording didn't actually record that.

Mother *er!

 

[Beavis07]

Thought it was great to see the managers together during the penalties.

 

[TooUglyForFugly]

Tomorrow morning can't come quickly enough ...

... no pervo.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Stadium looks pretty sweet. Dirty Bird

Have you found a team sheet of the invitational XI?
I know it was ex players and the like. But I haven't found anything naming that XI.

Benfica next week!

 

[Dirty Bird]

Found it!

some names in there I don't recognise but when I'm seeing names such as Lee Neville, Carlos Roca, Jake Cottrell, Nick Platt and Rhondri Giggs I have a smile on my face

 

[Jatz]

Preston huge winners!

Wicked!

 

[Dirty Bird]

Preston huge winners!

Wicked!

Preston win?
YES!
That was one of the 2 teams in the WORLD I've been following during the playoffs.

Now just want Rangers to lose in Scotland. 1 more hurdle. Hopefully they trip.