TOPIC: Caught in two minds

I nearly didn't go last night, I wasn't needed to take pictures of the match and I had been invited out with some friends so nearly gave it a miss. The negatives around the place just seem so insurmountable and so ongoing that I find it harder to get enthusiastic about a home game than at any time since the end of the Knighton era. This against really looking forward to the away days, even those that stretch wallets and endurance at the other end of the country..

Anyway I went, and despite having to wait a few minutes to buy a ticket. . . despite the on the day decision costing more. . . despite a myriad of other little niggles, including being bitten by some random insect (hope it was an insect) as I stood watching the game in the paddock.. . . It was worth every penny, every niggle, one of the best games I've seen in years. We played as a team and we played well and it was really good to watch.

What a shame less than 3000 were there to see it. Maybe in the end the politics, our concerns, the undeniable fact that fans, including me, feel let down and frustrated. . . maybe in all that I am letting things get a bit off kilter. Maybe the most important thing in being a football fan is getting that huge buzz from seeing the team, our team, play well. If that happens and continues to happen, how important will we think all the other stuff?

It was touch and go for me too, just got better as the game went on and fair play to Chesterfield they came to play football, we may find the going tougher against a bunch of league two cloggers. Bloke next to me couldn't believe his eyes, it was his first game this season, it's been a long, long time since I left the ground buzzing, a few quid well spent. Still pissed off by the Machiavellian antics - "The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

Gundog wrote:
Herein lies the problem - exactly what about the Machiavellian antics; the insult to the intelligence of every single CUFC fan if what was reported to be in the programme was in the programme, is going to change if people still go...

To answer Bumble's point, very well made as usual, I guess it depends on the importance for you and others of the long-term viability of the whole club - I think you would struggle to find many people who believe the whole club is currently on an upward trajectory..

It could be. The team looks better and we'll see how Phil King performs. It certainly hit rock bottom all we need now is for AJ and NJ to sod off and we may well turn the corner.

If performances like last night happen regularly, fans will come back. There's a lot wrong with the football club at present, but ultimately success on the pitch is the most important factor.

Is there anybody who came away from last night's game that can make Saturday's game, but is choosing not to go? Very few, if any, I imagine.

I think that non cumbria living fans around the World, are of the belief that other than the billionaire/pied piper double act over the summer the progress on the pitch has been very encouraging. It looks like a good group of players is getting put together. I don't think this is due to the boys upstairs, but down to Curle. Ruffling feathers is not what weak managers do.

UTB..... what's the odds for promotion?

Oldhamblue wrote:
This is where I really worry about the future though. I look to Stockport, Darlington, Halifax and others. All these club went into a steep decline because of bad decisions [/i at boardroom level, other clubs have had similar fates. Causes needn't be criminal or a planned demise, in some cases just a run of bad luck and an inability to stop the rot. The only common thing in such clubs demise is that fans felt isolated from their club and, in larger and larger numbers stopped going. In the end that was the deciding factor that made the clubs no longer viable. Not the cause of the problems but the deciding factor , no fans, no cashflow, no hope, in an ever decreasing circle.

So staying away is totally understandable, and after all supporting a football club is only a hobby, there are plenty of other options to enjoy. But by staying away,, if for example the gate was going to stay under 3k for the foreseeable future, we are inevitably contributing to our clubs demise. Gates of under 3k would not sustain our current squad. Finding the middle ground, the way to support, to enjoy some really good to watch football, but still get across the need for change is the huge challenge that fans, including CUOSC and club face in the coming months.

Bumble wrote:
As usual you make a very good argument - but my question (as it would be to SK) would be 'how are you going to do that'? The current owners have clearly no intention of going anywhere - they kibosh the AL bid and the statement last night (which I am assuming was true given it's in the N & S as well) is the biggest f____ you to the entire fan base I can recall for a long time (certainly since Knighton for us and probably since the Glazer's in the whole of football). Given the fact that they are not going anywhere, as is there right as they own the club, your argument about contributing to the clubs demise is a bit off.....do you think if we suddenly had gates of 10K and won this division as we did in the Simmo years anything would be different at the heart of the club?

Thing is though, Bumble, if everyone starts going again these despicable individuals will feel comfortable enough to stay put and it will only be a matter of time before they run the club into the ground. Things may look good at the moment but it won't last long while these parasites are clinging on to the intestinal wall of the club. CUOSC and fans face an impossible challenge at getting across the need for change. As we've already seen with the farcical way in which the Lapping deal was handled, these pieces of filth just will not let real change happen. They need to be ousted from the club poste-haste.

You can't lay any (not even a small part) of the blame at the feet of fans for not turning up. When it gets to the point that it has got to it is solely the responsibility of the owners to realise their positions are untenable and to step down as soon as the opportunity presents itself. The opportunity presented itself with the Lapping deal but they refused to budge, so the buck stops with them with regards to any damage to the club through lower gate receipts etc.

These two parasites were dragging their feet the whole way through Lapping's efforts (I know someone who was pretty close to what was going on and there were several times when they said that Nixon was close to bottling it but didn't quite follow through with putting a stop on things). We saw what happened when Steve Patt looked like being ousted (the pathetic statement on the club's website) and that was a sure sign that they really were experiencing squeaky bum time, then it all came to a head when the deal was literally days away from being completed. The reality of the situation got to much for them and they invented this billionaire.

Anything bad that happens to the club from now on is solely because of Nixon and Jenkins. Not the fans for not turning up and not falling for their bullsh*t.

I am not a happy clapper by a million miles. I hate what is going on at high level and despise lies and deception

BUT

I tend to look at things in a very simplistic manner:
Would Nixon etc care if I don't turn up to support the team? - He wont give a rats arse!
Will it make any difference to them being in place if I don't turn up? - Not the slightest!
Will they (Nixon etc) suffer financially or in any other way if I don't turn up? - No!
Will the club be viable and able to maintain a squad or even existence if fans stay away? - No!

Will the team appreciate support from the fans who turn up? - I would hope so!
Am I supporting Nixon etc by turning up? - No!

And probably most importantly
Did I enjoy last night, forget about work for a couple of hrs, enjoy the smile on my daughters face after the game and would I go back when I can - YES!

The billionaire stuff is what it is and does not need any more comment from me. The anti Curle and Grainger brigade are what they are and allays will be on a public forum. If we ever won the league by the second biggest margin in history they would still be getting the blame because its was not the biggest.

After last night I hoped there would be a more positive feel but no. The positive comments/threads kicking about are fast derailed in the usual repetitive, boring and predictable manner.

Want to cut off your nose to spite your face? Then carry on but let the rest of us go and watch a football match and respect our choice and the reasons we have made it.

At the end of the day if the team keep performing, entertaining and winning the fans will return, regardless of the crap going on behind the scenes.

It's the buzz of watching the team you love playing well that I go for, I can't influence what ever else goes on.

Not in a positive way, anyways, plus I will keep an open mind until the politics unravel and will then make a judgement.

Personally, I won't be going back to BP while the current owners are still there in any capacity. They have had all of the chances and all of the money I will ever give them. My decision.

However I do not have a problem with those who choose to keep going to support the team, each to his own. We can agree to disagree, it's not worth getting into a slagging match over it.

As the midwife said to Snow White, you shouldn't let little things get on top of you.

RPA wrote:
That is exactly the sort of thing the current owners want. Positivist generated from good results to mask their shambolic running of the club.
RPA wrote:
That works both ways. Want to carry on going to every match regardless of the contempt shown by those at the top? Then carry on but let other people b*tch and moan and miss the odd (or more) match. One viewpoint is not more valid than the other, we're all entitled to behave how we see fit and have our opinions respected.

Not stopping going altogether btw, just won't be bothering with certain matches anymore.

I wont be at bp for a while. As much as it seems curle has assembled a better team this year, i am.not donating another penny to the horsemen until they are gone. Quite happily not go. I dont care if im cutting my nose off to spite my face. Just the way i am.sick of what has gone on. The camels back has been broken. I intend to stand my ground..

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Positive feeling towards the team has nothing to to with how the club is being ran as far as I am concerned (my opinion only)

The way the club is being ran can only be described as shambolic. My view is that I want to support the team not potentially harm it. The directors will not be taking a pay cut if support dwindles but there would be less money made available to the squad.

Its great that everyone can be free to express their views and feelings. It would be a boring world if we all thought the same!

I wrote my post to express a personal point of view, not right or wrong, just my opinion.

As far as I'm concerned mate you have nailed it

My 7 year old son got his first season ticket, is blues mad and looks forward to quality time at the footy with his dad each Saturday

Yes the dinosaurs at the top are a unwelcome distraction and all this carry on Is an awful sideshow, but going to Brunton Park has never been about winning the Champions League or having a sugar daddy

Don't get me wrong I want to club to achieve all it possibly can BUT

Supporting Carlisle to me is about the special moments and nights, trips to Wembley, Cardiff, Matty Glennon penalty saves, Jimmy Glass even Leeds playoff night, those glimmers and nights that make you feel your witnessing something special,

I won't support the two at the top, but I'll never stop supporting Cufc

Reckon there's a lot of people thinking exactly what you've written there, RPA

That's all well and good Oakley, but your 7 year old lad won't get to experience any of those great occasions, if things carry on the way they have been.

I'm sure away days at Penrith, Kendal, Blyth etc etc (with all due respect to those) would provide good memories, but I don't want to ever find out, if that's alright?

I agree to a extent pal but not going surely accelerates that process,

I'd rather see the club float between league one and two and get them glimmers of something special than be one of these clubs that fall into oblivion like so many have

P.S for what's it worth see my other post, I think the running of the club is a shambles and am just hoping the new marketing, Suzanne Kidd can offer new fresh approach and change the stale approach

We'll have to agree to disagree then. Been said a million & one times on here, but the more people that keep going (ploughing money into the club's coffers), the more AJ & JN would see that as a vote of confidence. Surely an empty Brunton Park on a match day would give them no option but to walk away. If I owned the club and people were staying away because of the dreadful job I was making of things, I'd hand over the reigns for somebody to make a proper go of it. Last thing they should want to do is carry on dragging down the club they (allegedly) love.

Unfortunately and to my amazement the two at the top whether we like it or not have a hell of a lot of support,

We who want change and have a different vision for the club seem to be in the minority,

You only have to look at the lapping deal and sure it wasn't perfect but the amount of people that came out after slating him and supporting the two at the helm was staggering,

Of all the things that could be said to the two on a Saturday between 3-5pm only a tiny tiny tiny minority is negative, more abuse is aimed at Curle/Grainger

I hate the running of the club, it's a embarrassing match day experience to take colleagues, friends and family to, but I'm still in the camp I rather have a awful mismanaged football club than none at all, and whether we like it or not with 4000 people happy and supportive of the two the club will never change.

Oakley wrote:
This kind of apathy is not a great shock in the UK - revolutions (successful ones at least) are pretty rare over history here.....but I could show you examples from History which totally disprove your argument. I would also ask this: Just because some people are supportive of something of which you disapprove - does that mean you should sit on the sidelines and say/do nothing......this is the kind of attitude that got Blair/Thatcher/Cameron their majorities....