Jump to content

The ghosts of relegation


Recommended Posts

Ok, i'll bite. You were not relegated. A new company was allowed in half way up the pyramid. 
You should know that the establishment does not relegate its clubs. 

It wasn't halfway up the pyramid - it was at the bottom of the pyramid as it existed at the time.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never seen us relegated. My first season going was our first in this shot in the top league in 85/86 - but for that reason I guess, it's taken on more of a significance to the point that I'd be genuinely devastated if it happened and I worry about it more than I should TBH.

I've always viewed the common "the first division/championship is better!" chat mainly as a bit of a P&B coping mechanism for relegated teams' supporters (and supporters of yo-yo clubs having a shite time of it in the top league). That said, there are some decent clubs (like Raith Rovers or Ayr for example) that scarcely exist for Motherwell supporters and that would make it interesting for me, at least for a while. 

The main reason I'd be happy with us plodding along in mid-table for the rest of time is the way that clubs that are our peers like Dunfermline or Falkirk have had fucking nightmares in the lower leagues - I'd never want to see us go through that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No positives from relegation AFAIC for a diidy club like Saints the best we can hope for is a major Cup win and that can only happen if we're in the top flight - this season is a prime example 3/4 of the remaining clubs in the LC are diddy clubs but all from the top flight.

Seasons in the Championship are just wasting time since we won the Challenge Cup back in 05/06.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The premiership is where you want to be there is no better buzz at the football than larger attendance.  Still the championship has its moments of greatness attach that to some great away days it's not all bad. As for losing your best players that happens in the premiership also. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although shite, I see the relegations I've experienced in my time following the Saints as a character building process. If it wasn't for these lows, would I have felt the same elation from our cup wins,  and obviously you get to witness the promotion seasons.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Getting put down to the third tier again hurt, especially with fucking Gretna beating us 3-2 in Dingwall to win the league. I'd hope St. Johnstone would go up as their record against us at that point was annoyingly good. The third tier was fun the next year, mind.

Going down under Ketts/Fergie felt almost destined after the Coyle mess. There was nothing they could do. I remember walking out of McDiarmid after his last game a seething, broken mess. The first division next year again was a lot of fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, craigkillie said:

I've never seen us get relegated - if we did I reckon it could take us 5 years at least to get back up. It's not an easy division to get out of even if you are the biggest club in it, as Rangers, Hibs and Dundee United have all discovered.

When I couldn’t get to Saints away games I would go and see Killie with my mate in the late 80’s/ early 90’s when you guys were in the old 2nd division.  It’s funny that a whole generation has never seen the goal machine Willie Watters in action. 😎

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Dons_1988 said:

Hmm got some good memories of finishing bottom of the league but unsure about this relegation thing you’re referring to. 

No good memories of finishing bottom as I drank enough to ensure I didn’t but as you say no idea what this relegation thing is. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Championship is considerably more enjoyable than the top flight. 

Being pish in the Championship is one of the worst things/feelings in football.

Take that to one side though- take away the 'honour' and the monetary gain from the club, I'd much rather be in the Championship than Prem. It's just a more enjoyable league all round unless you're just completely shite (in the context of the shite league).

Finish top 4 (comfortably) and this is a braw league.

Edited by Ludo*1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


The lower leagues arent the problem, its having a team that are garbage back-to-front in whatever league you're in that kills enthusiasm. Watching a team fling in goals at set pieces, struggle to make chances (and then struggle to score what is created), let teams run through your midfield like butter etc. etc. All are recurring themes from the top flight relegation season to the seaside league we're in now. 

See that’s what might worry us St Johnstone fans. We fling in goals at set pieces, our keeper is poor, we struggle to score the few (real) chances we create and teams run right through our midfield like butter quite often. It’s ghastly.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As sh1te as relegations are you get over them by preseason and it’s quite cathartic seeng the deadwood leave. Follow that by winning a few more games then you can start looking up. We’ve come from the benthic zone to buoyant in the Premiership in recent years and it’s definitely a richer story (and club) than 5 years of 9th place finishes in top flight, I’d say.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ludo*1 said:

The Championship is considerably more enjoyable than the top flight. 

Being pish in the Championship is one of the worst things/feelings in football.

Take that to one side though- take away the 'honour' and the monetary gain from the club, I'd much rather be in the Championship than Prem. It's just a more enjoyable league all round unless you're just completely shite (in the context of the shite league).

Finish top 4 (comfortably) and this is a braw league.

[Insert joke about spending £20m to finish 5th here]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can remember Saints being Second Division also rans in the 1980s after a double relegation in successive seasons.
Geoff Brown came in, ASDA made an offer for Muirton, McDiarmid donated some land and Alex Totten assembled a tasty attacking team. I wouldn't have said if this hadn't happened Saints would still be in the bottom division as they're fairly big in Scottish football terms but you'd probably be on a par with Ayr United- old stadium, usually in the Championship but the top flight remains the promised land.
Anyway 
Pros: Not having the great unwashed of certain clubs visiting unless it's for cup ties
Challenging at the top is more exciting than mid table mediocrity
The Challenge Cup could be yours 
A derby with Dundee for fun and games
Being able to stand at a game if a club like Arbroath are in the Championship.
Probably better pies
Kick offs likely to be 3pm on a Saturday
Cons:
Less money
 
If Brown/Asda/McDiarmid hadn't happened I wouldn't say Saints would be in the bottom tier either. I'd say they would no longer exist.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We’ve been in the league so long playing turgid pish I honestly wouldn’t care if we got relegated. The only thing I would miss is the increased media coverage and the club getting more money (although none of that actually seems to get spend on the football department so what is the point)

Would be nice to get some better away days, win more games than we lose and not have to ever share a ground with either of the old firm throughout the season. Championship sounds class tbh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, Scotty Tunbridge said:

We’ve been in the league so long playing turgid pish I honestly wouldn’t care if we got relegated. The only thing I would miss is the increased media coverage and the club getting more money (although none of that actually seems to get spend on the football department so what is the point)

Would be nice to get some better away days, win more games than we lose and not have to ever share a ground with either of the old firm throughout the season. Championship sounds class tbh.

Except when you go down, you quite often continue to play turgid pish and don't actually win more games than you lose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...