"If they were going to have promotion then they should have had relegation but they can't have relegation because the leagues beneath them ceased," added Martin.
"You've either got to say 'no relegation from the EFL and, sorry, National League clubs can't come up' or maybe they can come up and four go down next year."
Funny how they didn't question this until they were relegated. Why would 4 going down to the National league next season be any fairer?
I'm surprised actually that League Two havent changed it to three teams relegated to the National League now.
They all need to take a look at the National League table this season
Seven of the top ten are ex-League teams, more of the historic teams from the Football League are disappearing, being replaced by your Fleetwood, Crawley, Harrogate and Salford - The fact that only two promoted means they're each making it harder for themselves if they should get relegated to bounce straight back.
I'm surprised actually that League Two havent changed it to three teams relegated to the National League now.
They all need to take a look at the National League table this season
Seven of the top ten are ex-League teams, more of the historic teams from the Football League are disappearing, being replaced by your Fleetwood, Crawley, Harrogate and Salford - The fact that only two promoted means they're each making it harder for themselves if they should get relegated to bounce straight back.
L1 should also go down to three.
Four clubs is because of the restructure of Third Division North and South.
The second tier now has as many teams as L1 and L2 but we have different numbers of relegated clubs for each Division.
There's a bloke I work with, goes home and away; first team, reserves, development squad. He's saying he's not going after this season, it's that depressing. That's the equivalent of losing Seb through apathy.
I know another Shrimper who's finally got his wish. For several years he's been hoping for relegation from the league to release him from the obligation of attending.
Must be so bad.
If anything sums up the up's and down's of football it's the fact that last time Southend fans attended a game they were a League One club. Fast forward just over a year and there now going to be a National League team. I know they've had issues behind the scenes for a while but still crazy to think how fast clubs can plummet.
Reminded me a bit of Yeovil Town, still remember watching them beat Brentford in the play off final a few years ago to get in the championship. Fast forward a few years and Yeovil are in the National League and Brentford have just moved into a new stadium and could potentially be promoted to the Premier League in a few weeks time.
Yep, I was at the Brentford/Yeovil game too.
Bees were well beaten on the day but as an outsider (albeit with Brentford affiliations) I could sense that Bees were at the beginning of much better times, whereas I couldn't see Yeovil progressing much further. Having said that, I didn't expect Yeovil to be out of the league just a few years later.
As for Southend; it's going to be so hard because there are so many big clubs in National League. The good thing about that, is that it shouldn't feel so totally different to playing in League Two. There will be some fans who make the best of it and enjoy it and there will be some fans who will hate it and may stop attending. It's ever the way with relegation.
I'm surprised actually that League Two havent changed it to three teams relegated to the National League now.
They all need to take a look at the National League table this season
Seven of the top ten are ex-League teams, more of the historic teams from the Football League are disappearing, being replaced by your Fleetwood, Crawley, Harrogate and Salford - The fact that only two promoted means they're each making it harder for themselves if they should get relegated to bounce straight back.
L1 should also go down to three.
Four clubs is because of the restructure of Third Division North and South.
The second tier now has as many teams as L1 and L2 but we have different numbers of relegated clubs for each Division.
Ah oh course... I never understood why this level had four teams relegated compared with the others but your explanation about the old regionalisation of the Third Division makes perfect sense
Torquay could be on the way back and/or we could have yet another London(ish) club in Sutton United or the return of yet another Mancunian outfit in Stockport County
Torquay could be on the way back and/or we could have yet another London(ish) club in Sutton United or the return of yet another Mancunian outfit in Stockport County
Sutton wont come up, they'd have to get rid of their artificial pitch.
Unless of course their whole attitude has changed.
Remember a few years ago when they were looking favourites to win the League, their owner came on the radio and said that they wouldnt go up because the costs of being in the Football League werent realistic, and that they'd have to get rid of their artificial pitch which he said does so much more for the club than on matchdays as it brings in revenue for pitch hire etc.
Would be interested to see what would happen if they won the League or the Play-Offs, would they refuse to come up, in which case would Southend be saved, or would Sutton just end up ground sharing elsewhere e.g. with AFC Wimbledon perhaps... Even with the latter I think they'd certain timeframe to get rid of the fake pitch, as thats is what happened with Harrogate this season, they started their season sharing with Rotherham and then moved home once the grass pitch was back.
Sutton have already reluctantly accepted they'll have to rip their pitch up. It'll cost a lot initially but ultimately the money you get from being in league 2 to being in the national league is vast so worth it longer term.
Sure the National League had a rule that if you won promotion and refused it because you had to tear up your plastic pitch then you got relegated to National North or South.
Harrogate had a plastic pitch and tore it up for grass when they got promoted last season. They played their first few 'home' games at Doncaster. Surely the EFL is more lucrative than the NL, especially now that the majority of the top NL clubs are fully professional and the overheads can't be that much higher in the EFL
Comments
"If they were going to have promotion then they should have had relegation but they can't have relegation because the leagues beneath them ceased," added Martin.
"You've either got to say 'no relegation from the EFL and, sorry, National League clubs can't come up' or maybe they can come up and four go down next year."
Funny how they didn't question this until they were relegated. Why would 4 going down to the National league next season be any fairer?
They all need to take a look at the National League table this season
Seven of the top ten are ex-League teams, more of the historic teams from the Football League are disappearing, being replaced by your Fleetwood, Crawley, Harrogate and Salford - The fact that only two promoted means they're each making it harder for themselves if they should get relegated to bounce straight back.
Four clubs is because of the restructure of Third Division North and South.
The second tier now has as many teams as L1 and L2 but we have different numbers of relegated clubs for each Division.
Bees were well beaten on the day but as an outsider (albeit with Brentford affiliations) I could sense that Bees were at the beginning of much better times, whereas I couldn't see Yeovil progressing much further. Having said that, I didn't expect Yeovil to be out of the league just a few years later.
As for Southend; it's going to be so hard because there are so many big clubs in National League. The good thing about that, is that it shouldn't feel so totally different to playing in League Two. There will be some fans who make the best of it and enjoy it and there will be some fans who will hate it and may stop attending. It's ever the way with relegation.
Maybe the East Coast Super League, less members that the European Super League.
Unless of course their whole attitude has changed.
Remember a few years ago when they were looking favourites to win the League, their owner came on the radio and said that they wouldnt go up because the costs of being in the Football League werent realistic, and that they'd have to get rid of their artificial pitch which he said does so much more for the club than on matchdays as it brings in revenue for pitch hire etc.
Would be interested to see what would happen if they won the League or the Play-Offs, would they refuse to come up, in which case would Southend be saved, or would Sutton just end up ground sharing elsewhere e.g. with AFC Wimbledon perhaps... Even with the latter I think they'd certain timeframe to get rid of the fake pitch, as thats is what happened with Harrogate this season, they started their season sharing with Rotherham and then moved home once the grass pitch was back.
They'll also have to change and go full time.
Not sure if that's still the case?