Happy At Step 3 or Boom & Bust? The Lessons of Gosport Borough.

[Geoff]

IMO: Not a good debate, at this time, while we are trying to avoid relegation.
OR ARE WE ??
The contrary argument could be applied to a relegation that may reduce a clubs expenditure.
Only the 'few' who know the budget details of running a club can provide the confirmation of being able to afford promotion, or maybe 'staying put' (if possible) is best.

[Steve]

I agree with Geoff, this is not the time for the proposed debate and perhaps return to it once the seasons over.
What I will say is in the case of Arlesey is that had the ‘money man’ not come along and piled his money in, which led to their brief time at success then where would they be now rather that their drop down the leagues to where they started from?
Running a team at the level they were at cannot be sustained from crowd income alone as they are within a small’town’ or as some would say, a village.

[anthony.brown]

Always fun to read fans' viewpoints, as fans are rarely objective, and know little about what goes on behind the scenes at their clubs. Debate does not change anything; management does. I am happy to see our Club fighting to stay at Step 3; no club gets relegated on purpose, though some choose to compete at a lower level. I am sure we want to compete at a level which suits our circumstances.

[ClubAdmin]

I don't think it's an inappropriate time at all for this thread to crop up.

The fact is, we know where we are....and what has to be done. If nothing is done, we will be relegated. Two years of that previously at Step 4 was a tough time. Some good away days, some horrific ones (AFC Hayes springs to mind). The standard of football was significantly worse. Fact is though, if a team is winning, irrespective of what level they are playing at, fans will come along. Stotfold aren't doing too badly at Step 6 are they?

Great win against Leiston and much needed, but much more of the same is needed.

Cast back to 2016-17 when promotion to Step 2 almost became a reality. And believe me.....it is a step up. Not only budget wise for what happens on the pitch, but also.....ground grading. The step up of requirements between Steps 3 and 2 are significant, and to be honest, even with the improvements made which should ensure we get the grading for Step 3, to go to Step 2 and stay there would need significant investment again for the existing Top Field. Having been to Chelmsford, Maidstone, Billericay and the likes for FA competition games, my perception is that they operate on another level. I am sure that there are teams at our level that are now employing salaried staff for their admin and management - we don't, we rely on dedicated volunteers. At Step 2 I am not sure that would be enough. We are not far off that "cusp" as to how a club is run in 2021.....and salaried staffing is creeping down to become a reality at the top of Step 3. South Shields? FC United of Manchester? Tamworth definitely have a salaried full-time General Manager, and probably others as well.

Well I've added my two penneth to the conversation. Survival at Step 3 has to be the first priority......but what then?

Oh and by the way Jackie, I was at that Gosport play-off at Hemel! It was madness! Over 2,300 wedged in.

[MichaelD]

Step 3 suits Hitchin perfectly. Step 2 would require a different mentality and outside financial investment for a start.

[Brian]

I guess we all have our own aspirations for our club and some will say I'm being unambitious but the first ambition must be to survive as a club.

We can compete at Step 3. All clubs like to think they have the lowest budget in the league and punch above their weight but we should be able to sit comfortably mid table.

As for relegation. One person has already said to me it would not be a disaster if we went down this season and we had big crowds when we were winning most weeks but given the division below us has the likes of Berko, Bedford, St Neots and Barton all doing reasonably well, I think we would struggle to get back to step 3 and slip slowly into decline.

Chris - Remember Rothwell? the first visit, second visit and then the game we finally completed!

As for step 2. It's another world, a massive step up if you want to compete and not go straight back down. The trouble of relegation is it can be a catalyst for dropping 2 or 3 divisions. We went to Weston Super Mare in the FA Trophy a few years ago. They were deep in relegation trouble however the club, ground and set up were light years ahead of us.

I think this thread if nothing else backs up the importance of us not going down this season.

[Brian Parker]

This is all hypothetical. I and expect most others want to see my club succeeding. Who really wants to follow a team that is content to just stay where they are. No the lure of the game is in not knowing what's going to happen. The excitement of wondering if we are going up or of avoiding relegation. Whatever happens the outcome has to be dealt with. Money is always going to be a problem at whatever level and the club has to be properly managed to survive. If we are promoted then the financial consequences have to be handled as well as possible and if that results in relegation back to where we are, well we are no worse off than where we were previously and we have at least experienced the thrill of promotion.

[pudgy]

In the 1950’s Stevenage were competing in the Delphian League, one below us, and had a miserable little ground in the Old Town, opposite Kings factory. As the New Town developed, a lot more money flowed into the club and they moved to a smart new stadium, rose through the leagues and became a very strong competitor in the then Conference League. They attracted a large, enthusiastic following, a real achievement given many of the new town’s population had strong loyalties to clubs near their former homes – Arsenal etc. - and they dominated the non-league scene in the local area. Eventually their success led to promotion to League Four, where the fairy-tale seems to have ended. Most seasons sees them regularly dicing with demotion back to non-league.

It would be interesting to learn whether or not their following enjoy their current, usually perilous, seasons, or if they’d prefer to compete at a slightly lower level and win more games. Their current gates seem no better, perhaps worse than in their successful Conference seasons, but their expenditure, as a full league side, must be higher.

[MichaelD]

This is all hypothetical. I and expect most others want to see my club succeeding. Who really wants to follow a team that is content to just stay where they are. No the lure of the game is in not knowing what's going to happen. The excitement of wondering if we are going up or of avoiding relegation. Whatever happens the outcome has to be dealt with. Money is always going to be a problem at whatever level and the club has to be properly managed to survive. If we are promoted then the financial consequences have to be handled as well as possible and if that results in relegation back to where we are, well we are no worse off than where we were previously and we have at least experienced the thrill of promotion.

Apart from the odd season here and there, over the last 50 years or so. Hitchin fans, as a whole, have seemed content to stay where they are in terms of league status. I remember the 1970s &1980s as a time when finishing above the relegation places was regarded as 'success'. Mid-table was a good season. But runs in the cup competitions were expected. But above all, supporters wanted to see the team play attractive football, an ethos that seemed enshrined in the club. Whether it was just the reality of the club's position, winning was not everything.

[russell]

As a commited (or should be committed) newcomer to supporting the club Michael D and Brian Parker sum up my own feelings - I'm totally happy to see us hovering above relegation and seeing the odd bit of glory here and there, but also I think the romance of going up is still a vital part of it. The beauty of English football to me is there are so many small towns / villages with loyal fans who, in theory, if they won enough games could end up in Europe on merit alone (ground regs permitting). This is partly why the Super League was such a nauseating idea to any true football fan.