So far, the scores after about 70 minutes going against us as all the relegation contenders are in front. The positive aspect is if we win a fair number of the games in hand, we SHOULD stay up, and it won’t matter too much what the other teams do. It’s in our own hands, and just hoping and praying we do enough.
Witton will stay up then the hard work starts in the summer. The club have to decide if they’re comfortable being a mid/bottom half club on the current budget ( don’t everyone come on saying it’s a competitive budget because it’s not), or do they look to get investment and push for the play offs. Also, the position of chairman needs sorting out and a proper board of directors need appointing to take the club forward.
Three clubs in one town, Enough said. Forget the past look to the future. Former Wittoner of over 50 yrs.
We’ve got to be realistic that we cannot compete with full time squads in our league. Their budget must be at least x3-5 times ours, and probably more. Even teams without sugar-daddies have much bigger budgets. Whatever we do, it’s potentially dangerous with possible disastrous outcomes.
There are pros and cons for every potential solution - 1) if a sugar daddy were to get involved, what happens if he gets bored, walks away, or alternatively takes the club into a direction the fans are not happy with. 2) IMO, we can only pay out what we earn, and whilst our fantastic volunteers are ageing quickly, and nobody younger seems to be interested in getting involved, there is obviously a major problem worsening year by year, as we’ve experienced in the past 2/3 years with vital people passing away or becoming ill. If nobody wants to get involved in the club (there is ample evidence to suggest this). 3) Regular fans are staying away quoting that they won’t return until this, that or the other is changed. It’s obviously their choice what they do on a Saturday afternoon, but when we need the support the most, they go missing, which is counter productive on several fronts.
With due respect to Vics who have been excellent tenants in so many ways both financially and in practical terms, it’s not a game changer merging with them and/or 1874. What have they got to offer to make us challenge at the top of the NPL? I for one do not want Witton Albion to be compromised in any way at all. We have a stadium, and that should be the aim to retain that 100%.
It has been discussed in the past about a 3G pitch, provided we get the grants etc. Morally I’m against it being a traditionalist, but the future of the club is at stake, and I’ll back it wholeheartedly if necessary. Not only will it help our volunteers with less maintenance needed, it creates an extra income stream, particularly if Witton Juniors (22 teams in all) trained on the pitch throughout the week. If they contributed a %age of the money paid to Moss Farm, Jubilee Field etc, that would be a substantial contribution.
However, ignoring that, we will NOT improve our financial status while nobody wants to help financially, and/or be a volunteer. Several attempts have been requested, but the response has been sparse at best.
If we want Witton Albion to succeed, complaining on here will not change anything - only practical help will make a difference.
Please, show some passion where it’s needed.
We will be lucky to escape relegation, other teams around us are picking up points we are not and we struggle to score goals. If we go down I’d like to see us have a fresh approach with attractive football and it would not be the end of the world. It might bring back some of the lost fans fed up with our dour and pragmatic style. UTA
We have picked up points recently. Without the 3 points against Ashton and Grantham it would be done and dusted. It’s up to the team now, we need a few wins but they need to come fast. The midfielders need to chip in with some goals, that would help.
Whilst I agree we’ve gained points in recent games, the defeat at Nantwich has not helped our cause and I would say, that defeat cancelled out the win at Grantham Town especially with Nantwich winning again yesterday, our position is a little more precarious.
Yes we have games in hand on the others but, we need to be winning those games and at the moment we’re not doing that consistently. Games coming up are not easy and the one thing that worries me is our home form.
Maybe the poor home form is down to all the negativity surrounding the club at home games. Some players are criticised if they’re in the team even before a ball has been kicked, even when winning the ground is like a library. So maybe it’s time to get off the players and management’s backs and encourage & try being that twelfth man whether winning or losing. You never know the players may respond to a decent atmosphere.
I don’t think our poor form is down to lack of support but it can only help to get behind them as you say. We then need the team to respond which hasn’t always been the case. We also need our best team out and go after teams and not sit back and wait for the inevitable. So positivity all round. UTA
I agree C.J., about our best team and going at teams. If we’re going to lose a game at least lose having a go.
Welcome back Andy, would be nice to see the both of you! We need ALL the Wittoners to stick together & pull in the right direction.
Before I forget, just look at the injuries to key players we have lost over the last couple of years, eg: Rob Hopley, Billy Smart, oh where is Nick Ryan? There are more, but when we get injuries we lose them for months, even seasons! Lady luck has not been kind to us! Carl & Gary will sort it, I have no doubt ! Keep the faith.
I would love to have the optimism of you distantwittoner but from what I’ve seen lately (and I’ve been to a lot of the recent home and away games), we are doomed.
What I find most frustrating is the total lack of chances created and a\seeming apathy to the situation from Gary and Carl. I realise that Ben Pleavin was out for a couple of games but Rob Hopley, one of the best headers of the ball in non-league football continues to play at the back when we are absolutely desperate for goals.
Has it become lost on the management that we need to score more than the opposition to win a game? Danny McKenna is offering nothing going forward and is way out of his depth at left back. Agent James Lawrie is doing a much better job for Nantwich now than he did when at the Weaver Stadium - he’s had no impact whatsoever in his time here.
Greg Hall should never have been let back into the club. He’s a ticking time bomb, always has been and always will. Callum is an absolutely fantastic finisher when the ball is in-front of him but he may as well walk round with Tracey’s bucket at present. It’s not his fault - we’ve stopped going forward and stopped playing to his strengths - the same strengths that led him to break records earlier in the season.
282 on Saturday was terrible - fans are voting with their feet. The Chairman situation needs sorting out as the club appears directionless at present. I’ll be at Hyde on Saturday and I’ll be supporting the Albs like it’s a world cup final but bloody hell, it is hard work being a Wittoner! #UTA
Well said TJW77, that is an excellent summing up of the situation now at Witton. We have had no direction and no ambition for quite some time now. We are now paying the price and it hurts.
TJW77, I agree with you about Greg Hall I wouldn’t have had him back at the club but then, I wouldn’t have had Okome back after the way he left earlier.
Carl and Gary had the budget cut again in the summer for the second season running
so their hands have been tied a bit, yes they could have made better signings in the summer but at this level some players are chasing the money so Witton probably couldnt or wouldnt pay what some players wanted.
Nick Ryan being injured, Will Sutton being recalled by Oldham means Hoppo probably had no choice but to play centre half alongside Wardle who has had 5 partners this season alone…
The club is rudderless at the moment and needs sorting out but the acting chairman seems more interested in going to Sale Sharks than being at Witton games.
I will be at Hyde on Saturday and I’m still positive Witton will stay up.
The comment regarding the budget is incorrect. I do know that the budget for this season was actually increased from last season but the decision although implemented wasn’t totally supported.
The way the budget has been used is questionable as we’ve only really signed Callum Saunders, and he cost us nothing apart from his wages.
I think a lot of people try to defend Carl maybe through friendship/loyalty! But his budget is not relegation size and they are well paid! So there is no doubt they have undeperformed this season and it feels to me like a position that has gone stale.
CJ/Wheels, I am not trying to defend Carl through friendship or loyalty. He has made some poor decisions I am posting what I was told at the start of the season about budget cuts by people in the know. Go and ask players if their wages went up! Most of our players are not well paid in comparison to other clubs excluding South Shields, Matlock & Buxton, I know players have been offered far better wages by mid table clubs and turned them down out of loyalty to Carl and the club. Let me ask a question, when Billy Smart got injured early season he was on contract but ripped it up when he couldn’t play again this season. Where have his wages gone? Isaac Baldwin when out early season told the club not to pay him, he was out 6/8 weeks where did his wages go? Both contracted players, and i was told Steve McNultys wages were paid by a sponsor so he wasn’t on the club wage bill.
Loan players at least 4 from pro clubs, SUTTON, FERGUSON, PLEAVIN & WOODTHORPE, we only pay a small % of their wage if any so, at one point we possibly had kids playing that we may not have even been paying. So don’t try and convince people the budget was increased.
Also, nobody at the club could be bothered having a bucket collection for Billy Smart so let’s not talk loyalty when he had given them x amount back by ripping his contract up.
Some good points DW, I was not pointing the finger at you because I have had the same conversation with a few others! And I was certainly not attacking players loyalty, I was talking of fans! Unfortunately, Billy got hurt before pre season having a kickabout with mates so, was really off the radar when we got going. So timing was all wrong but yes, we should have had a collection for him. His wages would just go into the budget for the mgr to use!
Loan players are not that cheap, I have seen some of the bills from clubs for players. I dont profess to say we are upper quartile payers but neither are we bottom 2 payers. Other decent clubs will always be able to attract our players with wages and I admire the loyalty shown by the likes of Josh Wardle, Billy Smart and others. Our Chairman told me he had put out a competitive budget for this season and it was higher than we could really afford (some did not want it as high as it was) but, he hoped for a cup run and better gates both have been very dissapointing due to the poor form.
At the end of the day, we have to have a balanced view of the budget as we cannot spend into debt without a serious backer to pick up the deficit? We have what we have.
Maybe we have to pay less for a mgt team and more on players with a younger more inexperienced mgr willing to cut his teeth but I accept it’s a risk losing Carl and team but, it has been so disappointing this season maybe it’s worth consideration.
C.J., I didn’t think you were pointing the finger at me and it’s good we can have these debates without slagging each other off. I agree it’s been a disappointing season for fans but I’m sure the management and players feel the same.
In my opinion, getting a young manager is a massive risk in this division as it’s a tough division with some big clubs already in it and the likes of Workington, Marine & Warrington Rylands looking to step up. I would look at getting a young coach to work with Carl and Gary with a view to taking over in the future as I think we need a bit of stability but fresh ideas (if that makes sense).
Off the field there should be more transparency with regards to what’s going on, a regular monthly message off whoever is in charge but not in the programme as not everyone buys one because after all it’s the fans club NOT the Chairman’s.
PS: WE WILL STAY UP.