1987 Our Centenary Year.

If you are old enough ( I was ten) you will remember we came so close to going out of business. We sold Gordon Owen, Ian Walsh & David Hirst in one fell swoop.
We sold other players to pay utility bills.
We even let fans sit on the bench and travel to away games for £100!
I don't really know what my point is other than I'm thinking about it this morning and feeling a little melancholy about our football club.

 

Centenary society started. My dad and myself won in the 1st few weeks.

 

Looks like we even let some play for £100 these days

 

Town still suffering from the affects of the miners strike.

Allan Clarke was in charge. We still had some very good players that season.

Clive Baker
Joe Joyce
Paul Futcher
John Beresford
Stuart Gray
Gwyn Thomas
Steve Agnew
David Currie
Roger Wylde

 

Some top players there. What we would give for their like now.

 

Currie was signed in 88 mate........sithi.

 

Lost 6 out of the first 7 games as I recall ........sithi.

 

We actually lost the first 6 games 86/87, the frontline was two young lads, Darren Foreman and Ian Chandler.

But things got better and we stayed up. Ended up with 55 points and comfortable mid table.

Back then football meant everything but as many have said on here it’s less so now.

 

Didn't we have Carl Bradshaw and Siggi jonnsson on loan from that shower down the road ? ........sithi.

 

The thing is that throughout our history the club has always been short of cash. There was nothing new about then or now. Bobby Doyle, Anton Otulakowski, David Hirst etc, etc all sold to keep the wolf from the door at different times. And many, many more. Unless someone comes in and spends a shed load of money that's how it will remain. And even if someone did the uptick would only last as long as their interest.
The bottom line is that unless we can magic another ten thousand fans a week from thin air we are what we are.
It's not happy clapping, not lack of ambition. Just cold hard facts.
You, like me, have followed them long enough to know that there will always be fallow spells. It makes the good times even more special though.
And I do remember well that close season we sold all our three strikers and started with Carl Airey and Darren Foreman. Surviving that season was a heck of an accomplishment.

 

Fan numbers make minimal impact on finances.

Currently 10,000 season ticket holder might generate £3m a year. The difference between Championship and league 1 is £9m next year.

Ipswich’s owners put in £43m to sustain £18m annual losses. Gates are almost irrelevant if owners are willing to fund the adventure.

 

I sort of agree and would never contradict you on finances. I think a bigger fan base makes a bigger club and certainly a more attractive proposition for the owners more liberal with their money though.
Of course there's also the Wigans and Bournemouths of this world.

 

The sithi stuff. What's all that?

I was listing players from memory. I was 2 years out on 1 player I listed. My bad.

 

....and I was merely pointing out he wasn't here in 86/87 never said owt else so wind thi neck in .........sithi.

 

My neck is wound in hence the my bad comment. I just don't get the sithi stuff.

 

You're reply came across as being a bit 'funny' if it wasn't then I apologise.
As for the sithi stuff I've been doing for as long as I've been on here so it's become a habit also i might not converse with you again or for a while so..............sithi.

 

Condescending.

 

Whatever!!.........sithi.

 

Four of us Share a number and have done so from day one. Won it twice. Both pretty early doors. Bro in law. Won it 3 times. 1st time sharing, then on his own when his mate packed in.

 

I joined the centenary in 1998 so, alongside my ST, I could be priority 1 for tickets in the PL season. Won it twice in the first year. Haven't had a sniff in the 25 years since.