Positives about being relegated

[Kent Cassandra]

I agree with Epsom R most of this thread is worst case scenario.
Relegation would be a negative thing for most of us but if it happens there are some positive outcomes to consider.  We have been in worse positions many times over the years and have mostly survived so lets not give up hope yet.

[Burt]

Relegation would be catastrophic for this club.

1. Our best players will leave.
2. We are a selling club so all the talent we have bubbling up to the first team will go to where they can get the prospect of premier league action.
3. Less sponsorship monies.
4. Less TV money.
5. Less gate receipts.
6. Reduced merchandising income.
7. Reduced loyalty... "Plastic fans" and kids currently coming here may gravitate elsewhere (although Burt Jr has said he will stick with us through thick and thin!).
8. No further development of the ground.
9. Motspur Park risks being a millstone rather than an investment.
10. Would Khan stick around?

[filham]

Relegation out of the premiership is upon us  and it is very difficult to see how it can possibly be avoided. There are no positives, we just have to wait and see how our team will be made up next season and hope the plyers are good enough to involve us in a promotion fight,

We had best try to forget all of this until August and hope that for the next few months we can enjoy being in the FA CUP.

[Logicalman]

Was the Europa League Final the zenith for Fulham? We were in such a great place then, with some additional investment we could have pushed on but to what end? The Premier League title? no that is simply out of reach for all but 5-6 clubs. So the added investment would have secured a top 10 place but not much else. The EPL is such an expensive place to compete and for all his wealth MAF didn't want to go that way. He'd already spent huge amounts of money and I love him for that but I guess he'd drawn up plans for his exit within the next few years shortly after Hamburg and didn't want to spend more than was absolutely necessary.

If we go down it'll be heart breaking, IMO we have far more to lose than we'd ever gain by dropping. Therefore its on that basis we must fight for every point until the final whistle in May.

If we are to stay at the Cottage then we are never ever going to be anything than a struggling team in the lower half of the Prem, if you want top ten football each season then we have to go to a bigger venue to get bigger revenues  and that is when Fulham ceases to exist.

:plus one:  Well said, all the sad truth.

[RaySmith]

Relegation out of the premiership is upon us  and it is very difficult to see how it can possibly be avoided. There are no positives, we just have to wait and see how our team will be made up next season and hope the plyers are good enough to involve us in a promotion fight,

We had best try to forget all of this until August and hope that for the next few months we can enjoy being in the FA CUP.

It will be avoided if we win games and get enough points -but a big IF I know, but while there's life..........

[MJG]

Relegation would be catastrophic for this club.

1. Our best players will leave. (Whos that then? Ruiz, Stek and Mitaglu are the most sell-able )
2. We are a selling club so all the talent we have bubbling up to the first team will go to where they can get the prospect of premier league action.(youngsters dont really get the action do they, sell them the prospect of first team football and a chance to get us back up)
3. Less sponsorship monies. (Our kit deal is not the biggest but yes matchday sponsorship will be down)
4. Less TV money.(Agree, but this is the first year of the Prem deal and you still get £60M for going down and slightly less in 2nd year)
5. Less gate receipts.(without a doubt, and Prices for ST will not go down, stay the same but 4 extra games)
6. Reduced merchandising income.(Our income is pretty poor anyway compared to rest of lge)
7. Reduced loyalty... "Plastic fans" and kids currently coming here may gravitate elsewhere (although Burt Jr has said he will stick with us through thick and thin!). (hard work needed by the marketing team and a good number of £5 games. But winning will always bring people in)
8. No further development of the ground.(Maybe maybe not, depends a lot on promotion. Work would not begin until summer 2015 anyway)
9. Motspur Park risks being a millstone rather than an investment.(Why?, championship teams need a training ground)
10. Would Khan stick around?(has to initially, not going to recoup his money otherwise)

[Andy S]

But at least we play most of our games at 3.00 pm on a Saturday.
It will still be Fulham and it is miles away from where we were pre Al Fayed

[Baszab]

I think it is very sweet all of you looking for positives -- however I think you're bonkers !!!

[ToodlesMcToot]

There are NO positives in being relegated - how can anyone possibly consider there could be ?

Yes there are, no more tourists, ticket prices at a reasonable level, going to watch the team try and achieve something for a change instead of survive, get rid of the cheating overpaid posers that grace the top four and hopefully we will see some decent crowd pleasing football at the cottage, yes only 3000 at the very bottom but we had gates of 12k plus in the championship   at least they were genuine Fulham fans

:plus one:

Also not starting the season thinking about 40 points and can we get into the top ten this year. When you are a club of our size and stature, football in the premiership isn't fun anymore.....

You're assuming that we'll have a roster to keep us in the top 10 in the Championship. If we're relegated, there aren't many guarantees. There's one for me at least - I won't be able to see my club play as often which makes me sad to consider.

[Bill2]

Relegation would be catastrophic for this club.

1. Our best players will leave. Not sure we have that many who would be wanted by other Prem clubs, only those in relegation shoot out.
2. We are a selling club so all the talent we have bubbling up to the first team will go to where they can get the prospect of premier league action. We have always been and will be a selling club.
3. Less sponsorship monies. Agreed
4. Less TV money. Agreed
5. Less gate receipts. Agreed
6. Reduced merchandising income. Do we have any currently?
7. Reduced loyalty... "Plastic fans" and kids currently coming here may gravitate elsewhere (although Burt Jr has said he will stick with us through thick and thin!). They may all not go. As long as ticket prices stay competitive local people will still come to watch. They certainly can't get tickets at Chelsea or Arsenal and if they could how much, QPR are more expensive than us.
8. No further development of the ground. Do we need it if relegated, invest in players.
9. Motspur Park risks being a millstone rather than an investment. will need to train somewhere.
10. Would Khan stick around? Who knows, but he does with his NFL team.

[Harold Shand]

We won't loose any true Fulham fans.
If people are not prepared to watch Fulham in the championship then they were never Fulham fans in the first place.

[MJG]

I think it is very sweet all of you looking for positives -- however I think you're bonkers !!!

There are plently of negatives with going down, but you also have to be realistic and see that if its dealt with in the right way then good can come of it. It might actually be cheaper(transfer wise) to rebuild this and next summer than trying balance the books while staying up.

Given a choice of course I want to stay up, but I do believe that next season would pretty much be more of the same. A mid to lower table struggle.

[BishopsParkFantastic]

I used to be a season ticket holder, travelled down from Huddersfield on a cheap advance train fare. Haven't got a season ticket this year, because it's impossible to know when some games will be played and therefore impossible to plan journeys - how can I risk the cost of buying (cheap) advance train tickets? Playing in the Championship will probably mean a price freeze at least on season ticket prices, and I can plan my journeys without losing money. Also, it will be great to see a younger, developing team and maybe, a great cup run? My first Fulham match was over 50 years ago (1958/9 season) when we played Derby Co in the old Second Division -  we won that match and gained promotion to the First Division that season and great to see the young talent of Haynes, Cohen and Macedo. It's not all doom and gloom!  9739.gif

[Fulham33]

I was quite positive when we got relegated from the top flight last time.

It only took 33 years to get back.

That'll make me 92 if history repeats itself. At least my season ticket should be discounted!

So are there any positives - not really - it is easier to stay up than to bounce straight back.
That is unless you are adrift at the bottom at the end of February in which case staying up would be nigh on impossible.
I am a glass half full person but have been here before.

COYW - give us something to cheer.

[ToodlesMcToot]

Examples being used are from the really bad days in the 3rd division, we would only go down to the championship, a place we were in 2000, gates under Tigana were around 12k ,  just a thought how many of the Fulham till I die and Fulham forevers will see be gracing this forum?

Just a question, why does this matter? Are these suspected "posers" or "tourists" that the Genuine Fulham Fan secret police are looking into???? Do tell.

[HatterDon]

There are NO positives in being relegated - how can anyone possibly consider there could be ?

Exactly this

[Adam87]

I like some of the optimism here, i also think it wouldnt be the worse thing getting relegated, we will have the parachute payments and also double on any of the previous years because of the money being more, so we will have £60m instead of £30m.

We were not moving forward as a club, we were just standing still, the ground and the squad need to be developed if we are to continue playing premier league football, the club dont do this then this is whats going to happen.

[Adi-ffc]

Face it, we are very likely to go down.

So why talk about catastrophe/doom/any other pointless exaggeration when there are some decent things that COULD come from it.

Firstly, it's the championship, not Torquay away. Plenty of bigger clubs than us in there, but with much less money than I'd expect Khan to throw at getting us back up quickly.

Secondly, just surviving every year in the prem means we never have the bollocks to make big changes to the side. It's nearly always been a case of deferring to experience over youth to get us over the line.
Look at the mid table teams we have always relied on beating at home to get safe. Saints, Swansea, Villa are dynamic YOUNG sides who are better tha us, have more points than us and a brighter future. We need to do the same to keep up, but have never done so on that scale in our 13 years in the league.

IF we ship out the 30 something's and really build a good young team, it could just be beneficial in the long term.
Don't forget the club's excellent reputation not just for the youth but the whole way it is run and the facilities, coupled with its location. All that will be a big enough draw to get good enough players to take us back up, even if it takes a while.

I'd obviously much rather we did this in the prem, but frankly I won't miss a midfield of Parker, sidwell and Ruiz, a desperate defence and lazy forwards if we do go down.

[epsomraver]

Examples being used are from the really bad days in the 3rd division, we would only go down to the championship, a place we were in 2000, gates under Tigana were around 12k ,  just a thought how many of the Fulham till I die and Fulham forevers will see be gracing this forum?

Just a question, why does this matter? Are these suspected "posers" or "tourists" that the Genuine Fulham Fan secret police are looking into???? Do tell.

All this fulham till I die then it will be Spurs till I die and so on, plastic fans we will be rid of, As harold says
We won't loose any true Fulham fans.
If people are not prepared to watch Fulham in the championship then they were never Fulham fans in the first place.

[fulhamfever]

its 90 Million if you go down