Yep, they will be playing my team Bury next season, at least in League one they should be able to win one or two games
Lots of clubs have been down there - the soon to be Premier League champions among them. Forest - European Cup winners, Leeds and Wolves, Fairs Cup winners, European Cup Winners Aston Villa, and the best team in the world, Derby County, who 'celebrated' their centenary year in the 3rd tier. Bolton's problems are the same as many other provincial clubs have suffered - periods of financial overstretching and ambitions beyond their means, speculative purchases made in order to take the next step up, and offering contracts based on wild optimism, with no escape in case of a downturn in fortunes. But clubs are like phoenixes, and bad club owners move on. Through the ruins of financial mismanagement is usually born a new, smarter version of what went before. Bolton are at that stage now, and as a founder member of the Football League, have probably seen this before and survived. They can be the new Bournemouth!
Bournemouth have only in recent years been on the up and never had the success they are having now by staying in the top tier, however look at Carlisle, Portsmouth, Luton Town amongst others once in the top tier mis managed and they fall away.
Northampton and Huddersfield too. But there are only so many places in the Premier League, and so many in the Championship. Badly run clubs are being relegated, and replaced by clubs such as Bournemouth who, like Wimbledon in the 80's and 90's probably don't have the following or local interest to sustain the expense of such a high level. I think that the Premier League needs clubs with an average home crowd of 30,000+, and those clubs who can't provide that shouldn't really aspire to such a lofty perch. But Wimbledon were backed by Sam Hamman, and Bournemouth nowadays by their Russian oligarch, and the Cherries also have the benefit of a guaranteed income of 100 million quid next year from Sky TV. The badly run clubs need to get their act together, or spend years in the wilderness, watching their replacements grow stronger. Most of the northwest clubs - Bolton, Blackburn, Bury, Oldham, Stockport and Rochdale are based in pretty small towns, the populations of which are naturally drawn to the giants in Liverpool and Manchester. Their potential can only be realistically assumed to be second tier at best, and only improved with the aid of massive investment/donations from a benevolent benefactor. As their towns shrink and the demographic of the population changes, the potential for these clubs to succeed contracts accordingly, unless revenue from another source skews the picture. They might once have been giants of the game, but like faded gentry to the manor born, should now cut their cloth accordingly. It just looks wrong when an average attendance of 12,000 have attended a Premier League club's home games. That it is possible is possibly the most damning indictment of those running the bigger clubs.
I'm glad you mentioned Northampton Town ( The Cobblers) as they have enjoyed a well deserved wonderful season that has seen them has already secured their promotion to League 1 and still 5 games in hand. What a pity I missed their perfect season. I can still be so proud of them though. It happens after some dire years with almost final winding up orders, nobody getting paid and a bleak outlook. The Cobblers have battled 7 long long years in League 2. I hope it's not Deja Vu Remember that the Cobblers still hold the record for being the team that climbed from almost the bottom of the league to the top division and then back down again all within 9 years. They made it from the then Division 4 to the first division in 1965 in only 5 years. Sadly, they didn't fair well and found themselves back down in Division 4 by 1969. I can also well remember their 8-2 defeat by Man U in 1970. The wonderful and charismatic George Best scored 6 of them. To be honest he was on fire that game and played a real blinder. He was a true gent and made himself available for all the fans after the game. Great great memory
You have to wonder how George would of faired in the modern game and the guidance of Sir Alex. Watching him with his skills on the modern day surface true bliss along with many other mavericks and high class players Worthington Hudson Bowles Moore Charlton Marsh the list is endless
I'm quite confident Leicester have it in the bag now, its theirs to lose, they have only lost three times this season and played consistently throughout. Makes me wonder how many teams will clamber to try and sign Vardy for next season
He's not exactly one for the future though as he is already 29 and turns thirty in January 2017. He's having a great season but I wonder how many of us knew his name beforehand. Blistering pace is always a handful for a defence, and his finishing this season has been something else. The thing is, Jamie Vardy suits Leicester City's style. A move to another club might make him a square peg in a round hole. It happens so often. Torres at Chelsea, Andy Carroll at Liverpool etc etc
Leicester City are a counter strike team with the long ball, such other teams he may blend in but sorry to say Crystal Palace is one such team, fast on the break. nicknamed the Eagles. But I like that king of footie.
