Pre Season Expectations versus reality at the end of season

[Dutch Uncle]

For me the two extremes of this are 2012-13 and (there may be a few older supporters on here who remember it) 1966-67.

In 1965-6 we had won the Division 4 Title with brilliant attacking football backed by a mean defence. Spirits, momentum and supporters' moods were sky high. In Alick Jeffrey and Laurie Sheffield we had an attacking partnership second to none in the lower 2 Divisions , with chances created by Tony Coleman, Bob Gilfillan and Graham 'Dan' Ricketts among others. The defence, brilliantly marshalled and led by John Nicholson included excellent defenders like Brian Kelly, John Wylie and Jim Watton. Most supporters were reckoning on a top half finish, and thinking we were only 2-3 players short of a real chance of a second promotion.

In 2012-13 we were in the football and financial aftermath of the doomed 'experiment' which had drained team and supporters' spirits. We had been relegated by a country mile, we had a manager we were at best unsure of, and we endured a summer firesale of players at knockdown prices, and several last minute signings right at the end of pre-season. I for one feared a second successive relegation.   

We all know what happened in 2012-13, and team spirit was a huge factor, culminating in many late goals, not least on that memorable day at Brentford.

For those of you under pensionable age, 1966-67 also did not pan out as expected. After a promising opening 2 games a car crash claimed the life of John Nicholson and left Alick injured for several months. We hung around mid-table for 15-20 games, although several heavy defeats gave an indicator of what might happen. Then we disastrously sold Laurie Sheffield, had goalkeeping problems resulting in teenagers appearing between the posts. Spirits dropped and even the return of Alick could not prevent a comfortable relegation with the team conceding a record 117 goals along the way. 

For what it is worth I am expecting mid-table this year, which probably means anything but will happen.  By the way mid-table finish in tier 3 would represent a finish somewhere between bloody marvellous and total pie in the sky for the first 40 seasons I supported the club from 1962. Let's get behind the manager and team, and make club and team spirit a major positive factor this season. Let's hope for good luck on the injuries and refereeing fronts, and hope at least a couple of younger players surprise us with a successful step up.   

 

[mrfrostsdad]

I remember 66/67 reasonably well. I was only 11, but I remember it. The car crash was awful and Alick Jeffrey was never the same after that. I also remember we got promoted again in 68/69, so we've always been a bit of a yoyo club. More downs than ups having said that!

Where will we finish this season? Well, obviously we don't know. We have a paper thin squad though and if we have a run of injuries like we've had the last few seasons I would fear for us. I think Wellens and Quinn will go, and personally if he has a good start to the season, I can see Forrester going in January. Will we be able to bring in more players if Wellens and Quinn go? Who knows? I'm not convinced personally. I think we may finish half way if we have a decent run with injuries and suspensions (ie, lack of) if we have a bad run with both then I would be happy with anything out of the relegation zone.

Having said that, I know plenty of people who said we would get relegated again after our last Championship demise. And no, I wasn't one of them

[The Red Baron]

For those of you under pensionable age, 1966-67 also did not pan out as expected. After a promising opening 2 games a car crash claimed the life of John Nicholson and left Alick injured for several months. We hung around mid-table for 15-20 games, although several heavy defeats gave an indicator of what might happen. Then we disastrously sold Laurie Sheffield, had goalkeeping problems resulting in teenagers appearing between the posts. Spirits dropped and even the return of Alick could not prevent a comfortable relegation with the team conceding a record 117 goals along the way.  

Obviously one hopes and prays that there are no car accidents lurking around the corner, but some of the other aspects of 66-67 sound disturbing. Especially when we appear to be starting the season with only one goalkeeper and that a loanee.

I'm surprised no-one has invoked the name of Hubert Bates in the context of the present budget situation!

[richtherover]

Hi Dutch,
Some great memories there. I particularly remember the 1966/67 season as a really painful one. I saw every home game that season and quite a few away. After a cracking 3-3 draw at Peterborough and a positive start to the season it all went badly wrong following the car crash after the away game at Brighton. I still have nightmares over watching us capitulate 4-0 at home to Darlington, followed by 6 goal defeats at QPR and Oxford within 3 weeks. Things did not improve and one of the lowest points had to be losing 6-4 at home to Mansfield with David Cromack in goal who couldn't stop a beach ball. Still, we did manage to beat Scunthorpe 3-0 late season when they had a certain Ray Clemence in goal.
Not sure what to expect this season but like you say - mid table in the "3rd Division" would be a fantastic finish compared to what we used to settle for. Didn't Lawrie McMenemy get the sack for finishing mid table in 69/70 in yet another DRFC Boardroom catastrophic blunder?
Here's to a new season and a new adventure. I'll still bleed red and white whatever happens.
RTID Rich the Rover

[AlonzoDrake]

Same here Dutch -- thanks for reviving some great memories. The tumultuous 1966/67 season hit us all really hard, as there was great expectation that we'd storm through D3 that season and return to, what we believed even way back then, D2 and our rightful place. The 'Cromack game' Rich recalls was awful, as we were winning 4-3 thanks to a Trevor Ogden hat-trick! It was so dispiriting for me as a 16/17 year old witnessing these thrashings, that I stopped attending away games, and instead saw a dozen Rotherham D2 games at Millmoor, as we were letting in our customary 4, 5 or 6 goals at each away D3 game. A good thing about my Millmoor desertion was that I saw Clish, Rabjohn, Wilcockson and Haselden in action at D2 level in 66/67, and realized what a great deal George Raynor made when he brought them to BV for the 67/68 season. I always say that Rotherham's manager Tommy Docherty built our D4 Championship winning side of 68/69!

[BobG]

Wilcockson in particular was a real class player wasn't he Alonzo? And I remember Tommy Haselden being stuck upfront as centre forward for a few matches when we must have had an injury crisis. He couldn't stop scoring. One of them was a mazy, slow time dribble through a great big crowd of defenders starting 10-15 yards outside the box on the Pop side towards the Town end. Never thought he had it in him before that!

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

The biggest exceeding of expectations for me was 03/04. We had hardly set the world on fire in the Conference and I was worried that we'd forgotten how big the gap was to League football. After 25 minutes of the first match at Orient, I was cracking it because we simply hadn't touched the ball. Even though we won that one, we still looked a poor side over the next month and by early Sept I was convinced we were in a relegation scrap. Who knew that we were just about to go on one if the best runs in the club's history (40 points out of 45 wasn't it? can't have bettered that many times in our history) and win the division playing some devastatingly potent attacking football. Green, McIndoe and Blundell simply overwhelmed opponents like hyenas hunting down prey. They were at the opponents' throats from the off.

[The Red Baron]

The biggest exceeding of expectations for me was 03/04. We had hardly set the world on fire in the Conference and I was worried that we'd forgotten how big the gap was to League football. After 25 minutes of the first match at Orient, I was cracking it because we simply hadn't touched the ball. Even though we won that one, we still looked a poor side over the next month and by early Sept I was convinced we were in a relegation scrap. Who knew that we were just about to go on one if the best runs in the club's history (40 points out of 45 wasn't it? can't have bettered that many times in our history) and win the division playing some devastatingly potent attacking football. Green, McIndoe and Blundell simply overwhelmed opponents like hyenas hunting down prey. They were at the opponents' throats from the off.

When you think about it, we made some superb signings that season- LFW, Blundell (towards the end of the previous season), McIndoe and then the loan signing of Chris Brown. Strikes me we need to get similarly savvy in the transfer market if we're going to prosper in the future.