One thing has struck me over the last week since our fate has been known. Have we accepted it too easily? Are we just too happy?
Not for most of us anyway has the end this season brought the tears and empty dejection of previous relegations. Watching the tensions of the play off semi tonight the utter desolation of losing the shoot out demonstrates the huge pain of failure for Saints fans.
For us it has been choruses of "always look on the bright side" and on Sunday, good gallows humour throughout.
I am worried that the general acceptance feeling does not necessarily send the right message to the club officials and players.
Take a few recent examples
Birmingham City - The painful relegation for fans and officials forged a renewal of effort which has produced automatic promotion this season
Sunderland - The Roy Keane " we've not won anything yet" factor has produced a club re-galvanised by a man who refuses to accept any form of success except the highest honours. They have bounced back stronger than ever.
After the joy of the play offs in 1998, the pain of relegation the following season was palpable. The game against Villa is etched on my mind. The sunken eyes of Curbs, the passion of Danny Mills late winner, the fighting spirit of players and fans alike is hard to forget. The misery of failure in the end was gut-wrenching but it bred a determination to bounce back.
This season we went down with a relative whimper and a whimsical look at ourselves.
I have great hope for next season. I believe that Pards is an excellent leader and we will bounce back but the Championship is littered with other teams who thought likewise.
Palace,
Soton,
Norwich,
Ipswich,
Sheff Wed,
Leeds,
Coventry
QPR,
Barnsley,
Leicester
Plus of course two out of the three of
Wolves
WBA
Derby
I am now a little uncertain. Is our positivity now a strength or a weakness for the battles that lie ahead?
What do you think?
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Comments
The Pardew appointment changed everything and it was almost like that was the start of something new regardless of whether we stayed up or not.
If we had gone down like the Blades then, yes, we would have been gutted but ours was a much different experience which is why people are still upbeat because they know they won't be seeing the Dowie era or the Reed era again.
Ormiston - you're spot on - Pardew has done the hard part and now needs to work out his best options for centre mid and up front - I hope he keeps Holland and Kish in the squad and buys / borrows one more and we all know we need something up front!
It's almost good to be out of the Premier league for a year while we continue to rebuild because let's face it we are going to struggle to compete for signings given Sunderland's promotion and the new ownership and or management of all the mid-table clubs who want UEFA qualification
Its really strange, anyone who i talk to is still upbeat, and i have notiiced more cars on the road with Charlton posters, those flappy noise maker things on the parcel shelves and in rear windows of vans, stickers and even shirts i have seen milling around. Its quite difficult to believe we are actually going to be playing fizzy pop next year.
Anyway onwards and upwards hopefully, and i would love it, just love it if we won the league, and came back up outright. Here's looking forward to a bit of a different season next year, after all these boring curbs type run ins, this one was actually really riveting, so thanks Pards and thanks to the fans, i am sure we made a difference.
Quality post dood.
cheeky, i wrote it meself man! came from the heart!
CAFC till i die
I have not seen that clip before. You and others are right, that was the nadir and what's come since has led to a mood of optimism despite the relegation.
I'd like to echo what MCS said. I cannot remember a time when our support was so passionate. I really hope that the level of support and general optimism around bodes well for next season. Imagine how passionate we will be when we start winning a few more home games. I can't wait for some of the tasty away days as well. Roll on Scunthorpe.
If we're not winning games etc then i can see the feeling within the crowd turning
Ollie, got to echo what others have said about your post above.
The perception most outsiders have of you lot is a nice family club with little to no passion.
I'll admit to having that view of you.
But this season you've shown you are passionate, hats off to you lot for that.
Other clubs have no real idea what its like to be 'ardcore cafc! lol
Ollie you wrote that lovely post less than a year ago.....How do you/we feel now?
So you are Len Glovers love child!
Spoooooky!