The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Dukes wrote:Are these the same supporters who watched our team get to the play-offs last season..?

Of course, Dukes. They're the 'Rushden 'til I die' brigade.

Unless, of course, we only draw our first match of the new season. ;)

It has come as a shock to me how fragile our remaining support may still be - or at least those of them that use this forum. I'd thought that those who'd supported the club through the Hart and Hill years were pretty hardy sorts, and we'd already seen the faint-hearted desert us.

The attendance figure wasn't too bad on Saturday - especially when comparing to the 1001 home fans we had for the Forest Green game in August last season, so time will tell whether it's just the vocal minority on here that are suggesting such a major downturn.

Trek wrote:

Dukes wrote:Are these the same supporters who watched our team get to the play-offs last season..?

Of course, Dukes. They're the 'Rushden 'til I die' brigade.

Unless, of course, we only draw our first match of the new season. ;)

I didn't say I wouldn't be coming to another game. I said I could see a lot of games that will struggle to raise 800 people after that performance and the price rise. I've supported the team through one promotion and TWO relegations. I have never booed any of our players nor left a game early, I have missed only about 5 or 6 home games in that time. My gripe was the cost/quality ratio.

Trek wrote:

Dukes wrote:Are these the same supporters who watched our team get to the play-offs last season..?

Of course, Dukes. They're the 'Rushden 'til I die' brigade.

Unless, of course, we only draw our first match of the new season. ;)

Yes they are the same supporters Dukes. They're also the same supporters who have spent hours cleaning seats and painting pre-season in previous years (not this year though), who stayed after games to clean the stadium of rubbish, who have weeded the grounds and spent hours writing programme notes all as a volunteer, expecting nor wanting anything in return.

Personally I couldn't give a stuff if we won drew or lost the first game of the season, that alone wouldn't have affected me going to games. If that was the case I'd have stopped coming years ago after the relegations and dross we've delivered at times.

Our team under JE last season did fantastically well and we were able to take part in the end of season promotion battle. Didin't we all enjoy that even though we were ultimately unsuccessful..?

Since then he has lost his right arm man, lost his star player, lost a number of key influential team members like Downer and Terry and lost other major players to injury. Added to that, JE has had to rebuild on a very limited budget and we know will be trying extremely hard to make us as competitive as possible for this term.

Given all of that surely he and his untried, less than familiar team deserve more than the opening game of the season to be judged.

rudolph_hucker wrote:won't be many games this season that have over 800 fans if that is the quality of football on show. We were rubbish from the start and didn't look like it was going to get any better, £17 well wasted imo.

I said that at the start of the season so I haven't just come out of my hole. Nothing has changed and with JE there nothing will do.

Now for the lottery numbers.....................................................