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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

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Posted

Towards the end under Sam I was getting a bit bored at home games. I think he's stopped really being bothered about progressing us after the whole England thing etc

 

I sat next to Zico at the time and we spoke about it becoming a bit stale

 

Be careful what you wish for though, as it was still miles better than what we've had since

Posted

Towards the end under Sam I was getting a bit bored at home games. I think he's stopped really being bothered about progressing us after the whole England thing etc

I sat next to Zico at the time and we spoke about it becoming a bit stale

Be careful what you wish for though, as it was still miles better than what we've had since

That's because we didn't back him with £50m when we could have had a champions league place, or so we are led to believe.

 

Having watched Bolton for over 40 years the Sam years were probably the best I've known. The Ricoh and Greaves years were also great but not as long as the Sam years and that's what tips it in Sams favour.

Posted

Jesus H!  Djorkaeff and Okocha big enough names for you?

 

Anyone who can't see that he is the greatest manager we have had in the last half century is either in bitter denial or is a complete plantpot.

 

That first sentence had to be read half a dozen times. Eh?

 

I think you've misread what I typed. A lot of people stopped going whilst Allardyce was still here. It isn't a personal reflection but a look at the numbers.

 

Our peak in terms of attendance was in 2003-4 when we had a home average of 26,794. That reduced season on season whilst Allardyce was still here. In his last season our average home gate was 23,606.

 

So plenty of fans had stopped going during Allardyce's time here. I have no argument with him being the best manager we've had in 50 years. I don't really see what the name of players we had has to do with anything either. I was perfectly delighted with that period and had no wish for it to end. That does not change the fact that his statements about being able to win every trophy going are a bit hollow when his career, solid as it is does not reflect that and my only point was that those sorts of claims he make just sound a bit silly.

 

He should have got the England job. I think if he had it would have been better for all concerned as he would have left happy, there wouldn't have been a bitter rift between him and Gartside and who knows he may have even come back to manage us at some point. That won't happen now, but doesn't change how good he was for us.

Posted

As said before, Europe had an impact too...many spent thousands and there was less money available for season tickets. And it was in that period that the Flying Flute etc started showing every game on dodgy. Plus they put the prices up quite a bit too. I don't think it was anything to do with getting bored by Sam's football. 4 consecutive top 8 finishes was hardly boring.

Posted

How can Europe have an impact when no fucker went to the home games anyway? We only had two decent crowds in both campaigns and that was due to cheap tickets.

 

We never took more than 4.5k and the majority were miles less.

Posted

A lot of people did several trips though - at say 500 quid a time - and if they were the kind of fans who don't automatically get a season ticket then that's a lot of extra money to find. And as has been said before, once people opt out of a season ticket they don't always opt back in - especially when they find on the day prices are almost 40 quid - as they could be back then. Not the only reason, but a factor I think.

Posted

As said before, Europe had an impact too...many spent thousands and there was less money available for season tickets. And it was in that period that the Flying Flute etc started showing every game on dodgy. Plus they put the prices up quite a bit too. I don't think it was anything to do with getting bored by Sam's football. 4 consecutive top 8 finishes was hardly boring.

 

People were bored, or at least that is what was claimed if you listened to phone ins at the time or listened to what people were saying at the time. I think people picked up on the vibe that Sam was going through the motions rightly or wrongly. Watford away that season sticks in my head, we won 1-0 but there were plenty of grumbles as it was a fairly uninspiring game.

 

I was very much in the camp that said it will be a disaster when Sam goes. And it was. But the perspective is that he wanted to go and challenge himself at bigger clubs. And by and large, his best managerial achievements to date are still all at BWFC.

Posted (edited)

People remember the Blitz with fondness. Time heals and takes away the edges.

 

Never forget how shit life was under Megson and Dougie.

 

 

And a bed of roses under coyle

 

ffs

 

the cnut who relegated us gets off scot free

Edited by Casino
Posted

oh and for the umpteenth time

 

allardyce was the best manager we ever had

 

he left us a lot weaker than he should have

 

he is acnut

 

its possible to think all three of these things at once

Posted

Coyle and Freedman were in different leagues of shitness to Megson. Megson was the most unpleasant but he did enough to keep us up under difficult circumstances.

 

Coyle was a disaster and Freedman by the end an absolute shambles.

Posted

 

He should have got the England job. I think if he had it would have been better for all concerned as he would have left happy, there wouldn't have been a bitter rift between him and Gartside and who knows he may have even come back to manage us at some point. That won't happen now, but doesn't change how good he was for us.

He might, but not while PG is still in charge. Sam still lives on the Bradshaw/Bromley Cross border so he is certainly well positioned.

That said, so are Phil Brown and Ian Dowie.

Posted

oh and for the umpteenth time

 

allardyce was the best manager we ever had

 

he left us a lot weaker than he should have

 

he is acnut

 

its possible to think all three of these things at once

 

Except he wasn't.

 

Rest is true though

Posted

Really? I am not an old fan by any means but what Sam did for us in getting us European football on a regular basis and then nearly breaking into the top four, has anyone ever come close to doing that?

Posted

I think you've misread what I typed. A lot of people stopped going whilst Allardyce was still here. It isn't a personal reflection but a look at the numbers.

 

Our peak in terms of attendance was in 2003-4 when we had a home average of 26,794. That reduced season on season whilst Allardyce was still here. In his last season our average home gate was 23,606.

 

So plenty of fans had stopped going during Allardyce's time here. I have no argument with him being the best manager we've had in 50 years. I don't really see what the name of players we had has to do with anything either. I was perfectly delighted with that period and had no wish for it to end. That does not change the fact that his statements about being able to win every trophy going are a bit hollow when his career, solid as it is does not reflect that and my only point was that those sorts of claims he make just sound a bit silly.

 

He should have got the England job. I think if he had it would have been better for all concerned as he would have left happy, there wouldn't have been a bitter rift between him and Gartside and who knows he may have even come back to manage us at some point. That won't happen now, but doesn't change how good he was for us.

 

 

"Would big name players at the highest level play for him? I have my doubts." Your final line in your earlier post.

 

I rest my case m'lud.

Posted

Really? I am not an old fan by any means but what Sam did for us in getting us European football on a regular basis and then nearly breaking into the top four, has anyone ever come close to doing that?

 

You do realise we've won the FA Cup and finisghed in the top 4 in the past?

Posted (edited)

Except he wasn't.

 

Rest is true though

 

 

Go on then - trawl up Bill Ridding and Charlie Foweraker.

 

He should have said 'best in living memory' or 'best in the last half century'.

 

Do you come under the 'bitter denial' heading or 'complete plantpot'? Nobody will have to spend too long arriving at that answer.

Edited by bolty58
Posted

You do realise we've won the FA Cup and finisghed in the top 4 in the past?

it wasn't a surprise that we did back then though

 

Not going here again, you have Rioch down as better

Posted

"Would big name players at the highest level play for him? I have my doubts." Your final line in your earlier post.

 

I rest my case m'lud.

Ah I see what you mean now. Well it is one way to look at it, but different picking up has beens at the end of their careers and bringing them into a family environment at a club you run from top to bottom to going to say Man UTD and getting respect from the tossers who play there. Not saying he wouldn't just that it is a very different thing. He had issues at Newcastle getting those players to buy into his methods if reports are to be believed. And that was just overpaid Newcastle players,

Posted

it wasn't a surprise that we did back then though

Not going here again, you have Rioch down as better

Rioch is a very underrated manager.

 

Easy to forget, easy to say the work was some in the lower leagues. But Rioch gave the club and the town it's pride back after years of decline.

 

Not saying he was a better manager in terms of achievements than Sam as the circumstances were very different. But Rioch does seem to be getting more forgotten as the years pass - not least because a lot of a Prem-come-latelys probably don't recall him at all.

Posted

Go on then - trawl up Bill Ridding and Charlie Foweraker.

 

He should have said 'best in living memory' or 'best in the last half century'.

 

Do you come under the 'bitter denial' heading or 'complete plantpot'? Nobody will have to spend too long arriving at that answer.

 

I come under neither - I deal in cold, hard facts.

 

You seriously think Sam's service here (which ended when he right royally shafted us) compares with a bloke who was manager for 25 years and employed by the club for 49 years, through 2 world wars and won 3 FA cups?

 

Sam did a great job for us and I thought he was fantastic, but in years to come, when the history of this club is written, he'll be a distance behind the likes of Ridding and Foweraker

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