Marketing next season

By Eric Sion
February 19 2023

A few weeks ago it seeemd we still had a slim chance of making the play-offs. Then we had defeat at Bradford and the abject failure of our performance against Mansfield. 'Is this a library?' the Town fans sang. No, you can sometimes find interesting stufff in a library. Maybe it's Hoylake library, shut and empty, with just the memories of what used to happen there. At the moment our football is awful, and that's the good bits. The rest of it is depressing.

Most people would agree that in football getting the simple things right constitutes a good starting point. The basics, like throw ins, seem to challenge us in the way that a sheep,is challenged if you ask it to speak Russian. Shots on goal are clearly beyond the 'best transfer window ever' misfits that have been pulled together at Prenton Park. Worse still, players that were once competent are being dragged backwards. This may be some genius plot so that wealthy clubs don't come in for,our best players. It seems unlikely. The good talent will leave. We will be left with more of the same.

The greatest achievement of the Palios era could, arguably, be our return to the Football League. Some fans will be forever grateful for that. If things continue as they are though, we are heading away from the promised land of climbing the Leagues, and moving to a future in the 5th tier. That is unlikely to happen this season, but if this continues? A silk purse from a sows ear? 

It's not the supporters. We have shown up, bought season tickets, trudged to away games, spent money at the ground, funded the fan zone, supported SW2A, and done much more than just moan from the sidelines. The fact that our gates have held up, albeit attendance figures are manipulated by including season ticket supporters who stay away, is token that enough people still care about the team. The problem comes with next season, what are we going to be promised?  The idea that we are putting our money into a club that aspires to greater things seems tarnished. That was supposed to be this year. Bring on the kids, play attractive football, learn a bit. You could do that for 12 months. It could be tolerated. Mid table? Well, maybe, but if you went home having lost but seen a thrilling game. A game where the sheer enthusiasm and raw talent on display gave you hope for the future, yeah, that could be tolerated. At the moment the excitement ends at a punt up field that goes a few yards wide.

In a week or two the early bird season ticket renewal offers will come out. It will take a creative genius to come up with an exciting tag line. 'Show your love for mediocre football, renew'. 'Another season of having your dreams laughed at'. 'Micky Mellon needs your support so that he can rip Tranmere Paul apart'. Of course, I'll renew, at this level football is an act of faith. It's like voting for a Party that doesn't win power, or doing dry January. It doesn't make much difference to the world in particular but what else is there. And mid table? The glorious, sunligh uplands of mid table. Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive. 

The mad thing is many of us will assemble again, regardless of what level of football we are playing, to support the team. The 'fight back' never started here, but we still deserve better.