I've tried my best to articulate this without it coming across as a rant (apologies if it seems like one!!) but I think a lot of what's been said over the last 48 hours is (somewhat understandably) reactionary and said in anger at the relegation.DarrenW wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 10:57 pmI cant disagree. 30 years a fan and I want to see change but respect to the current management on the board for keeping us at this level but something really has to change. The idea of playing Stotfold (With the greatest of respect to them as they have done great) in a league game a few years ago was ridiculous.Bob_the_builder wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 6:48 pm Gutted is an understatement after today’s result!
I honestly can’t believe that Hitchin Town FC has come to this..
What I find most frustrating is that the fans never hear from the board about anything, we just seem to amble from season to season with the same stuck in our ways attitude.
Our fans deserve far better
If you look at Stotfold there forward thinking in there ambitions and achieved with it. I cant see that with us right now and this has nothing to do with whose on the pitch. Just need to see 3 points since Christmas.
If it was a comedy show at least I could laugh.
I want the best for the club and think change needs to come now. Simply for the good of the club which we all support.
We can't lie that we've been struggling to sustain any kind of long-term form on the pitch at step 3 arguably since we lost to Leamington since the playoff final back in 2017, but to claim that there weren't ambitions to play at a higher level by those involved behind the scenes at the club are unfair. Of course, a disastrous run of form in 2024 has ended in relegation and a lot of questioning of those on the committee and ownership, but the advances off the pitch in certain areas over the last 5 years shouldn't be ignored.
The work put in by volunteers to improve the clubs marketing and visibility is beginning to pay dividends with more people coming along to Top Field to enjoy the improved matchday experience. The catering is unrecognisable from what it used to be, plus hard work behind the scenes to try and forge a closer link to it's youth structure has meant a huge increase in youngsters attending games with their parents. The incredible work put in (mainly) by Stew and Paul on the merchandising side means that the club shop is now becoming a viable source of income for the club both online and offline, plus we can't forget the work put in to get the new stand in behind the goal. Although it's upset a few supporters over the years, the matchday ticketing system has been a success overall, and now the recent introduction of a ticket window by Paul and Chris has hopefully helped to alleviate the disappointment of fans who wish to pay on the gate without having to book online. It's also worth mentioning arguably the best volunteer groundstaff at Step 3/4 - you won't find a better pitch that's been meticulously prepared week in, week out by Steve and his team - and the work of Marac and Freddie with HTFC Radio so that fans unable to get to games can tune in.
I'm really gutted about how things have gone this season as well - I haven't enjoyed the performances on the pitch in 2024 and i'm as disappointed and angered by the relegation as most fans seem to be. I also respect that relegation is the time for fans to be critical of the club in how they've handed certain aspects of this season (and possibly longer term), but saying that the club haven't tried to progress over the last few years is laughable. The progress off the pitch has been commendable in many areas, thanks to the hard work of a few dozen people that contribute many hours of unpaid work to ensure that fans have a club to enjoy coming to each week.
Fans have every right to question things - I have questions myself about the way certain things have been handled by the club in recent years. But some of the hyperbolic finger pointing on the forum and social media channels is beginning to verge on the ridiculous. Some people seem to want to believe there's an ulterior motive behind everything at the club & it's eventually led to our demise on the pitch - I really don't think that's the case, here. A mixture of bad luck and form, injuries to key players, extreme loss of confidence and probably making a managerial change a month too late ended in relegation to step 4.
We've taken a big step backwards on the pitch, but this might be the hard reset that was needed. Brett now has an opportunity to build his side and mold them into promotion hopefuls next season. Let's get behind him and the club, this summer.