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Post by timothyq on May 18, 2015 8:38:33 GMT
Firstly, GET IN! Like many on here I didn't foresee us bouncing straight back into the FL and the last 6 months have been well beyond my expectations!
Conference football has been quite an interesting one for me, I think I've been surprised by the standard. In some ways it was slightly lower than I expected and I can't understand how a few of the players on display are actually getting paid to play football, but there are a few players who have stood out (such as Arnold yesterday) and would probably be strong players in L2. I've only been to a few of the live games this year (as well as the televised matches), have any of the more hardcore fans spotted players who we should be taking with us into the FL? Also, what memories will everyone take away from conference football?
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crater
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,444 
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Post by crater on May 18, 2015 8:43:05 GMT
Majority of teams pose no genuine goal threat.
If your team has decent strikers you will do well.
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Post by gasparilla on May 18, 2015 8:51:00 GMT
Having watched regular Championship footie as well throughout the season makes for an interesting comparison. Players are more skillful higher up the pyramid (no surprise! ) eg being able to control and pass in one movement. I also notice more mistakes in the FC guys will be great for most of a match but will make unforced errors.
As was said earlier if you have a decent striker(s) you will do well - Akinde at Barnet was the only difference btwn us squeaking through and winning this League by double figures.
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Post by matealotblue on May 18, 2015 9:00:11 GMT
Never to go back there. A dark passage of time has come to an end and I do not want it to be repeated. It is unlikely to be over that quick next time (ask Grimsby!)
But I do feel that having done what we have done we are somehow better for it.
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Post by megansgrandad on May 18, 2015 9:10:14 GMT
Hi Rovers fans. I hope you don't mind a Bees fan posting on here.
Firstly, many congratulations on your result yesterday. I hope that both Rovers and Barnet can do themselves justice next season. Although I am a lifelong Bees fan I did once live in Gloucestershire and worked for a while in Bristol and went to see you a few times back in the 70s so I was rooting for you yesterday.
As you probably know Barnet's history has been predominately non-league and we have spent many seasons in the Conference, three promotions to theLeague and two relegations, and I wouldn't mind betting that our yo yo existence continues long into the future. Anyway, probably because of our non -leage roots, we have learnt to never under-estimate other Conference clubs. The standard of football is not as good as L2 but there are some decent clubs and many players who can step up given the chance. Ex Bees currently gracing the higher divisions include Jason Puncheon, at Palace, Albert Adomah at Middlesbrough, Mark Marshall at Port Vale and there have been many more. I am sure other teams in the Conference can come up with their own lists of players who have progressed into the League. So the potential is there in the Conference.
Why I think, Rovers did what many other Clubs have failed to do, and gain immediate promotion,back to L2 ,is because your management team just got on with the job of staying focused and not be phased by other teams reputations (good or bad) . You have an excellent Manager. Keep hold of him.
Anyway, good luck next season. I am really looking forward to meeting you guys again.
All the best from Barnet.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 10:01:21 GMT
What I'll take from 5th tier football is that there is a desperate shortage of referees, I thought L2 officials were bad, but this lot take it to a new level.
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Post by Colyton Gas. on May 18, 2015 10:17:10 GMT
Lots of positives.Despite the stress of yesterday the financial aspect of the play offs was advantageous.Playing part -time teams and travelling on the day of the match to Altrincham was not good enough.
Loved visiting some grounds like Telford and Wrexham but places like Nuneaton and Braintree were Non league through and through.After our club was allowed to go into Freefall for so long,it is wonderful to be back so please let's now become more professional in EVERY aspect.
More quality needed up front and whatever the Court case brings we do need to make plans and apply for grants to enhance our ramshackle ground.
Will be nice to see us back on TV Sat nights and our exposure will surely make us a more attractive club to join.Wonderful day.Lets keep moving forward away from the malaise which depressed us for so many years with the lack of ambition and investment.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 11:13:57 GMT
I went to a few away games and I enjoyed the experience,the football was a bit rubbish but I quite liked the old grounds it took me back to the 70s.
I only expected a top half finish at the beginning of the season,after Barnet away I thought that we might struggle to stay up,so to go up through the play offs was good,thought that we had lost our chance at Dover.
We need to get rid of some players who were only just good enough for the conference and replace them with better quality,I hope Lines stays,need some width too.
I hope they have learnt the lesson that Rovers are not 'too big' to go down,another time we might not bounce straight back.
Fair play to all the Rovers supporters who stayed with the club and travelled in impressive numbers,we will look back at these days and remember the'hardcore' fans.
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faggotygas
Byron Anthony
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,862
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Post by faggotygas on May 18, 2015 12:20:04 GMT
What I'll take from 5th tier football is that there is a desperate shortage of referees, I thought L2 officials were bad, but this lot take it to a new level. Its not hard to do the course and get yourself started, local leagues are crying out for refs |
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 13:19:56 GMT
What I'll take from 5th tier football is that there is a desperate shortage of referees, I thought L2 officials were bad, but this lot take it to a new level. Its not hard to do the course and get yourself started, local leagues are crying out for refs It's easy to criticse, but I couldn't do it. Well, I could but Rovers may get quite a few penalties and there may be rather a lot of sendings off for anyone who has ever played for City, Wycombe, Cardiff, Swansea, Millwall. Mansfield's goal last year would have been dissalowed, O'Toole would be told to get his hair cut and then I would book him twice, once for now having short hair and then again for impersinating a professional footballer. In all seriousness, the stakes for clubs like Rovers and Grimsby are huge, the Conference have a duty to ensure that the rules are applied correctly and fairly, that simply didn't happen over the course of last season, whilst in general I think that the officials were fitter than some of the fat lumps we had in L2, their decision making was often, at best, unpredictable and eratic. |
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faggotygas
Byron Anthony
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,862
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Post by faggotygas on May 18, 2015 14:30:11 GMT
Its not hard to do the course and get yourself started, local leagues are crying out for refs It's easy to criticse, but I couldn't do it. Well, I could but Rovers may get quite a few penalties and there may be rather a lot of sendings off for anyone who has ever played for City, Wycombe, Cardiff, Swansea, Millwall. Mansfield's goal last year would have been dissalowed, O'Toole would be told to get his hair cut and then I would book him twice, once for now having short hair and then again for impersinating a professional footballer. In all seriousness, the stakes for clubs like Rovers and Grimsby are huge, the Conference have a duty to ensure that the rules are applied correctly and fairly, that simply didn't happen over the course of last season, whilst in general I think that the officials were fitter than some of the fat lumps we had in L2, their decision making was often, at best, unpredictable and eratic. I don't disagree, but what can the Conference do about it? The pool of refs in this country is what it is. Recruitment of refs is the best example in the world of reliance on Luck and Chemistry, and this is the fault of the governing body. |
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irishrover
Global Moderator
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 3,372
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Post by irishrover on May 18, 2015 14:43:33 GMT
1. It's not the total hellhole disaster that we'd been led to believe. I think part of getting in trouble year after year in League 2 was the collective paralysis, panic and fear that would takeover as soon as vaguest possibility of relegation to the dreaded Conference was raised. I'm not talking about the financial implications which are obviously very real, I'm talking about the attitude around the club of 'we are a league club and it's inconceivable we'll go down'. We now we have gone down, have survived, have actually had a surprisingly nice time and have bounced back. So hopefully that whole panic might be a bit lessened in future. Obviously we don't want to get relegated but I think the utter terror of the prospect has in the past created a problem in itself and turned bad situations into terrible ones. We've been there and it wasn't the end of the World.
2. We have reinforced something of golden rule of Bristol Rovers which is that we always seem to do much better when run by a young manager with something to prove rather than an old hand. The same goes for the players somewhat too.
3. Don't give up on players especially if they're young. Keep in mind the potential for players to a)mature b)get better and c)be a better fit in some sides than other. Loads of people had Ellis Harrison on the footballing scrapheap at various times over the last 2 years and he has just scored one of the most important goals in the history of the club.
4. Be flexible. I've been impressed that DC has consistently tinkered and changed the way the team has played and responded to what over sides have done.
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on May 18, 2015 15:20:48 GMT
I think we've learned to respect teams that are in essence a fraction of our size with limited resources. Not just turn up and expect them to roll over.
I like to think we've made friends along the journey, and gone about our business in the right way. All bar a couple of individual incidents, we have largely added to the division in a positive way and found to be welcomed in some places.
And maybe more importantly, we've learned something about ourselves along the way....what it's like to be faithful and true, and always follow the boys in blue. And white.
I made the promise we'll never part.
And I meant it.
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LJG
Peter Beadle
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 969
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Post by LJG on May 18, 2015 15:50:03 GMT
That the quality of football is dog sh1t - anyone looking at FGR over those play-off legs and thinking "this is the team that finished 5th" or Grimsby yesterday "this is the team that finished 2nd" and then ever thinking "The quality of Conference football is not really that different to Lg 2" is totally deluded. And don't get me wrong - I know how bad the quality of Lg 2 football is.
That the quality of the officials is dog sh1t.
That's all anyone needs to know. Let's forget it ever happened and move on.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 16:25:49 GMT
It's easy to criticse, but I couldn't do it. Well, I could but Rovers may get quite a few penalties and there may be rather a lot of sendings off for anyone who has ever played for City, Wycombe, Cardiff, Swansea, Millwall. Mansfield's goal last year would have been dissalowed, O'Toole would be told to get his hair cut and then I would book him twice, once for now having short hair and then again for impersinating a professional footballer. In all seriousness, the stakes for clubs like Rovers and Grimsby are huge, the Conference have a duty to ensure that the rules are applied correctly and fairly, that simply didn't happen over the course of last season, whilst in general I think that the officials were fitter than some of the fat lumps we had in L2, their decision making was often, at best, unpredictable and eratic. I don't disagree, but what can the Conference do about it? The pool of refs in this country is what it is. Recruitment of refs is the best example in the world of reliance on Luck and Chemistry, and this is the fault of the governing body. Are the 5th tier refs full time professionals? It's a difficult job though, in the CL final the ref was roundly criticised for sending Jens Lehmann off as it all but ruined the game, yesterday Puddy doesn't get sent off and it's easy to understand why Grimsby fans are upset with him. |
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Post by PessimistGas on May 18, 2015 16:36:04 GMT
I kept hearing that the top half of the Conference is on a par with the bottom half of League 2, I learnt that it isn't.
I think that all bar perhaps Barnet, us and Grimsby would struggle in League 2. Perhaps it's just a weak league this season but basically everything from 4th, maybe 5th downwards is complete garbage, and when you get into the bottom half of the table it's extremely poor.
A club our size should never find itself at that level.
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