Promotion thread 2024/25

[Mid Sussex Royal]

5 defeats on the bounce 8 in the last 10 for Huddersfield, the last 2 after leading, who`s hopeful?

Nope - if we win there can't be many cases of sides missing out on 78 points.

[stealthpapes]

After Lincoln, it was always going to go down to this, wasn’t it?

Leyton Orient have edge on form, and Huddersfield have collapsed.

[tidus_mi2]

With Wrexham 2-0 up and Bristol Rovers and Crawley having shocking goal difference, it looks like our battle with Orient for 6th is the only final day League One drama.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Other thing I noticed is that Stockport, our kryptonite, have snuck into 3rd and travel to out of form Wycombe on the final day. If we sneak into 6th, our reward could be getting battered over 2 legs.

[genome]

If Huddersfield beat Orient I’ll forgive them for 2017.

[windermereROYAL]

If Huddersfield don`t get beat by Orient I’ll forgive them for 2017.

Fixed for you, we have to win mind.

[From Despair To Where?]

I think we're more likely to drop points to Barnsley than Orient are to Huddersfield.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I think we're more likely to drop points to Barnsley than Orient are to Huddersfield.

Barnsley lost to Shrewsbury today! It's hard to see beyond wins for us both being honest. I won't be too disappointed, a great effort of a season and what really matters is off the pitch.

If the takeover goes through, we could use an extra year or two squad building to get ready for them Championship. This squad would be mincemeat at that level if we somehow got promoted, and I think the task would be beyond even Carey to get us competitive.

Of course winning at Wembley after all we've been through would be epic, but ultimately I'd be happier seeing start next season in L1.

[From Despair To Where?]

I can't see Orient not matching our result. We're both playing teams in terrible form who've had nothing to play for for a month.

Regardless of where we finish though, it's been a fantastic season. We lost our one genuine winger in August, our talismanic manager in December and our top scorer in January on top of everything else yet our senior players (Pereira, Mbengue, Wing, Knibbs, Smith) have all led by example, our younger players have come of age and our academy players have once again stepped up and acquitted themselves admirably. Though their achievements pale in absolute terms in comparison, I'm as equally proud of this team as I am of the 2005-07 team.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's been a pretty great reset hasn’t it. Bar the first 10-15 games last season, on the pitch things have been vastly more enjoyable than for most of the previous decade.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I'm just desperately hoping the takeover goes through this week and these guys have seen them through our darkest moment.

Football goes in cycles. You read about teams like Cardiff, QPR and Hull and you really recognise it as us in the Championship since 2014 or so. But it feels like we've seen the bottom, and perhaps we have a good cycle to look forward to. If so, I'm just happy to be here for the ride whatever division it's in.

[stealthpapes]

Football goes in cycles.

No, no it doesn't.

[stealthpapes]

This is Cardiff's history

Decline, severe decline, resurrection



This is QPR's history



This is Hull's history



No cycles, no patterns*. There's a noisiness about the data, and we project what we want to see on it.

*there is one, I think, moving to a nicer ground (Cardiff in 2009, Hull in 2002) usually coincides with some improvement in form, but I bet that's not true for every side.

[stealthpapes]

This, because I know they spent forever in the same division, is Rochdale



Flatlined for 30+ years.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

We're overdue a promotion from my time of supporting us since 1971.....this is the longest gap by some distance.

IF we make it next weekend its Stockport or Wycombe in playoffs given they play each other with Stockport needing a draw to finish third given goal diff. Would imagine they will both go for it to avoid Charlton.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Those graphs look like cycles to me.

I can say the Reading cycles of my lifetime easily:

Early SJM at Elm Park: Hopeful, valiant but not with the infrastructure to compete. Ends with the blip of relegation.

SJM at Mad Stad: Starts with a blip under Tommy Burns, but generally sustained success and our best period.

Post SJM part 1: Consistent decline and mediocrity, probably ending around the Covid time.

Dai crisis era: Not much to say, except it's ending in the next few weeks for better or worse, and you can see green shoots of recovery.

There are ups and downs within all of these, like 16/17 and 20/21 for us. But you can also see the big picture. Every club has cycles. Ask Man Utd, Man City or Wrexham.

I'm hoping our next one will be a positive rebuild cycle.

[Sutekh]

This, because I know they spent forever in the same division, is Rochdale



Flatlined for 30+ years.

Reading flatlined for more or less 50 years!

[Sutekh]

Those graphs look like cycles to me.

I can say the Reading cycles of my lifetime easily:

Early SJM at Elm Park: Hopeful, valiant but not with the infrastructure to compete. Ends with the blip of relegation.

SJM at Mad Stad: Starts with a blip under Tommy Burns, but generally sustained success and our best period.

Post SJM part 1: Consistent decline and mediocrity, probably ending around the Covid time.

Dai crisis era: Not much to say, except it's ending in the next few weeks for better or worse, and you can see green shoots of recovery.

There are ups and downs within all of these, like 16/17 and 20/21 for us. But you can also see the big picture. Every club has cycles. Ask Man Utd, Man City or Wrexham.

I'm hoping our next one will be a positive rebuild cycle.

General decline since SJM gave it up. First the Russian with no money and even fewer contacts (I mean how can you not sell or even attract investment for, what was then, a well run a Premier League club) then came the Thais where the club was just a distraction as they were only really interested in the car park, and finally the current idiot with no idea, no communication and even less sense.

[stealthpapes]

Nope, far from it.



Postwar to 1971, you could call a flatline, but thereafter it was a slow and steady rise until 2007, some peaks on the way but mostly a rise with noise on top.

If by 'cycles', we really mean 'spells which are good and spells which are less good', maybe. Hell, I'm feeling magnanimous, so we'll go with that.

[Snowflake Royal]

This, because I know they spent forever in the same division, is Rochdale



Flatlined for 30+ years.

You may be taking this a bit literally