Tues 25th/Sat 29th fixtures

[Si Robin]

Oh yeah - congratulations to both Ipswich and Plymouth.

That's two draws we've lost from next season...

 

[Chris FGR]

Most interesting part of the day was seeing Denise Van Outen blindfolding Big Dunc and feeding him chips pre match.

 

[UppaTowen_ITFC]

20 years a Towen fan waiting for something to cheer. Feels great.

I won’t miss league 1, albeit there’s some good people in here who I will be popping back on here and keeping an eye on.

As for the game, we were excellent first half. Exeter were actually good in possession I thought but defensively looked all at sea any time we passed it in behind. Davis for us on the left and burns on the right got in behind their back four about 10 times across the 65 minutes before the latter was subbed.

Class from the Exeter fans today as well with a couple hundred of them still there for the Ipswich lap of honour. A lovely touch. Even a few of them still there for our end of season awards ceremony which was over an hour after the final whistle. I wish them well for next season and a safe trip home today.

 

[Laker]

Congrats on your promotions Plymouth and Ipswich. Missed that in the tension of our game. Great seasons for both and hope you make a decent fist of it next season.

 

[geg1992]

Absolutely buzzing after today. Fair play to Exeter for travelling in numbers and staying until the end.

Bit gutted we let off the gas after our sixth goal as was hoping for a crazy score but can't moan at 6-0!!

Delighted to be in the Championship but will also actually miss league one.

Got a bit emotional as it's been a terrible year so far personally, but to see Ipswich finally win promotion after 20 odd years of misery is great.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Well done Ipswich and Plymouth, fully deserved! Will be an interesting playoffs with some big sides, hopefully Peterboro miss out

 

[geg1992]

Well done Ipswich and Plymouth, fully deserved! Will be an interesting playoffs with some big sides, hopefully Peterboro miss out

Very interesting play-off set up, will definitely be tuning in. I'm hoping Barnsley do it personally.

 

[codaplenty]

Plymouth and Ipswich both have first class managers and have overseen excellent seasons for their respective teams. We were unbeaten in both games against Plymouth and only need to draw next Sunday ( or even win ) to keep the same record against Ipswich
As I write this a Sus domestics is flying past the window......

 

[Chris FGR]

Congrats to both Plymouth and Ipswich, both have been outstanding this season could both still get 100 points as well.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Yep, congrats to Ipswich and Plymouth, both worthy over the season. Ipswich really should have expected promotion and anything less would be a failure but Plymouth are a team that we should try and emulate....getting fairly similar attendances to what we are now up until a few years ago but have really engaged with their fan base, used the loan market well and have built a good stadium and an excellent team. We will be in huge trouble unless we use this pre season more wisely and get 4 or 5 better first teamers.

 

[valefan16]

Yep, congrats to Ipswich and Plymouth, both worthy over the season. Ipswich really should have expected promotion and anything less would be a failure but Plymouth are a team that we should try and emulate....getting fairly similar attendances to what we are now up until a few years ago but have really engaged with their fan base, used the loan market well and have built a good stadium and an excellent team. We will be in huge trouble unless we use this pre season more wisely and get 4 or 5 better first teamers.

Need a number 1 goalkeeper, 6 ft plus head on a stick centre half, right back, left back x 2 fit striker and a pacey wide man all of whom can play 40 plus games a year please!

Injuries have played a huge part in our form but it isn’t just bad luck, it’s bad recruitment.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Need a number 1 goalkeeper, 6 ft plus head on a stick centre half, right back, left back x 2 fit striker and a pacey wide man all of whom can play 40 plus games a year please!

Injuries have played a huge part in our form but it isn’t just bad luck, it’s bad recruitment.

Yep. Look at Charlton today. A thoroughly average team but lifted by Rak Sakyi (or however you spell it). If they had a decent core team then that sort of loan would help. Our team is still essentially a league 2 team...I'm amazed we've escaped relegation. Glad to get rid of Ipswich though, one ridiculously unfair budget out of the league.

 

[valefan16]

Yep. Look at Charlton today. A thoroughly average team but lifted by Rak Sakyi (or however you spell it). If they had a decent core team then that sort of loan would help. Our team is still essentially a league 2 team...I'm amazed we've escaped relegation. Glad to get rid of Ipswich though, one ridiculously unfair budget out of the league.

It is but shows the incredible effort to make a game of it against them when they’ve smashed pretty much everyone else in recent weeks, only conceded 2 and one of them was to Mal, barely had a shot on target against us so why couldn’t we defend like that against lesser opposition!

We’ve done our job, it’s frustrating as we’d rode the wave of euphoria from Wembley and got ourselves up to 9th and winning regular so feels a failure in a way to then win 3 of 21 but injuries, bad decisions in January have hit us hard, Bristol Rovers and Exeter have faired similar second half so shows once that crest of a wave passes it becomes a real slog.

Second season syndrome is the worry probably for all three realistically, lessons need to be learnt by Carol and Flickers though, you can’t consider it job done in January and flog players and not replace them being one!

Let’s get on with sorting the manager position out and contracts and kick on now, we’ve done well looking at the bigger picture with finishing 3 weeks later than everyone else (4 over the other L1 sides) and the early start considering we had no strikers at the start of the season and had to play Procs with one fit leg and a youth Midfielder up front and had only one first team pre season game of 90 minutes!

Carol and Flickers will get some flack but il give them benefit of the doubt for the summer that they learn the lessons from this season.

 

[Gassy]

Firstly, huge congrats to Ipswich & Plymouth. Glad especially to get rid of Ipswich tbh, will be really interesting to see how they do next season.

Pleased with our point today, think we also owe that to Derby after drawing with them recently as well, no doubt we’re their 2nd team after today!

On the comment above, I think 2d season syndrome could be a real threat next year for all of us. The bottom 4 are mostly much smaller in stature and Exeter, Vale & ourselves have all struggled in the 2nd half of the season.

I’d imagine our owners will back Barton fairly handsomely though, especially if we can sell Collins

 

[leedsvaliant]

Firstly, huge congrats to Ipswich & Plymouth. Glad especially to get rid of Ipswich tbh, will be really interesting to see how they do next season.

Pleased with our point today, think we also owe that to Derby after drawing with them recently as well, no doubt we’re their 2nd team after today!

On the comment above, I think 2d season syndrome could be a real threat next year for all of us. The bottom 4 are mostly much smaller in stature and Exeter, Vale & ourselves have all struggled in the 2nd half of the season.

I’d imagine our owners will back Barton fairly handsomely though, especially if we can sell Collins

Do the fans still back Barton? He's had a bit of a stinker recently.

 

[Gassy]

Do the fans still back Barton? He's had a bit of a stinker recently.

There was a wobble back in Feb or something when we lost 4/5 games in a row, but he turned that around. Apart from yourselves, our last 6 games have all been against the top 6/7 sides and we’ve been safe for a while, so I don’t think anyone is really too bothered about the results right now.

Reality is, we’re generally competitive, play attractive football and our crowds are the highest they’ve been since DCs double promotion to L1 which before that was 1970s.

I’m not a giant lover of Barton, but I do trust him to take us forward tbf.

 

[GEORGE]

Do the fans still back Barton? He's had a bit of a stinker recently.

I do. I love his passion and unlike a lot of our previous managers he has good contacts at higher clubs. Things are looking up as we will have a new stand in place for next season and hopefully not to far in the future the new ground at the " Fruit Market " which is being talked about.

 

[denzel ecfc]

There was a wobble back in Feb or something when we lost 4/5 games in a row, but he turned that around. Apart from yourselves, our last 6 games have all been against the top 6/7 sides and we’ve been safe for a while, so I don’t think anyone is really too bothered about the results right now.

Reality is, we’re generally competitive, play attractive football and our crowds are the highest they’ve been since DCs double promotion to L1 which before that was 1970s.

I’m not a giant lover of Barton, but I do trust him to take us forward tbf.

Attractive football? Are you sure?

 

[coronakopite]

Congratulations to Vale for staying up.

Thanks to Barnsley for waking up and saving Vale as well as putting our fate firmly in our own hands.

Just need Burton to do their job (fine chance) and make our final day more relaxing than the nervous shit show I know it's going to be. Don't care if it's dodgy ref and lino decisions (like 15 years ago) or an honourable own goal but Fake Dons have to go down. Apologies DippyDon

 

[kieran_vale]

Congratulations to Vale for staying up.

Thanks to Barnsley for waking up and saving Vale as well as putting our fate firmly in our own hands.

Just need Burton to do their job (fine chance) and make our final day more relaxing than the nervous shit show I know it's going to be. Don't care if it's dodgy ref and lino decisions (like 15 years ago) or an honourable own goal but Fake Dons have to go down. Apologies DippyDon

All the best to yourselves in the next week. Living in MK I’ve probably been influenced by some of their fans that I work with etc but there is a real disconnect there with the team and the fans and I think it looks grim for them. Phrases like gutless are quite often thrown about and I can’t say based on when they came to us they’re wrong in all honesty. I think it’s them who will drop. Yesterday is exactly the kind of thing that happens to a team that goes down.

We need to improve this summer big time if we are to compete next season (and by that I mean stay up). I think the second half of the season once the element of surprise wore off has given a more accurate summary of where we are at.

Enjoyable day at the Valley though yesterday even in defeat and being delayed at Euston coming back. Probably one of the better away atmospheres can remember from us and my new favourite away ground in this league. Charlton will have a job next season replacing Rak Sakyi, he is an incredible talent for this division and no doubt will play higher next season.

 

[codaplenty]

I do. I love his passion and unlike a lot of our previous managers he has good contacts at higher clubs. Things are looking up as we will have a new stand in place for next season and hopefully not to far in the future the new ground at the " Fruit Market " which is being talked about.

He was always popular at Fleetwood. I remember going to a fans forum with the Chairman and Barton who had just been appointed manager. At question time a
little old lady stood up and said to Barton ' your not going to cause us any bother are you ' - absolutely priceless, the whole place fell apart laughing, and so did Barton. Unfortunately for Joey there were 2 alpha males at the club, the other being Pilley so sooner or later one had to go..........

 

[Gassy]

Attractive football? Are you sure?

For the squad we have in the position we're in, yeah, we try to. There are games we're bad but many games we play a good brand of football.

Of course, someone of you intelligence would know better from the 2 times you've potentially seen us play in the last 12 months. How silly of me.

What happened to you lot finishing in the play offs btw?

 

[Super_horns]

Congratulations to Vale for staying up.

Thanks to Barnsley for waking up and saving Vale as well as putting our fate firmly in our own hands.

Just need Burton to do their job (fine chance) and make our final day more relaxing than the nervous shit show I know it's going to be. Don't care if it's dodgy ref and lino decisions (like 15 years ago) or an honourable own goal but Fake Dons have to go down. Apologies DippyDon

Isn't that assistant now a Premier league ref?

 

[denzel ecfc]

For the squad we have in the position we're in, yeah, we try to. There are games we're bad but many games we play a good brand of football.

Of course, someone of you intelligence would know better from the 2 times you've potentially seen us play in the last 12 months. How silly of me.

What happened to you lot finishing in the play offs btw?

Touched a nerve there? I never said we'd finish in the play offs, maybe you're confusing me with someone else..

 

[UppaTowen_ITFC]

Touched a nerve there? I never said we'd finish in the play offs, maybe you're confusing me with someone else..

Devon Lad. He was adamant Exeter ‘would finish top six minimum but likely automatics’. He was pretty sure this league was going to be a piece of piss and, like the Port Vale fans, that the promoted teams would storm the league (sure he also said 3 of the 4 teams who came up would be top half this season). Went well.

 

[kieran_vale]

Devon Lad. He was adamant Exeter ‘would finish top six minimum but likely automatics’. He was pretty sure this league was going to be a piece of piss and, like the Port Vale fans, that the promoted teams would storm the league (sure he also said 3 of the 4 teams who came up would be top half this season). Went well.

I’d love for you to show where I’d have said anything of the sort. I’m not even sure anyone else will have done.

 

[Gassy]

Touched a nerve there? I never said we'd finish in the play offs, maybe you're confusing me with someone else..

I just always find it odd when people challenge something they don’t know much about.

Don’t worrry, don’t think anyone could ever forget DevonLad, who seems awfully quiet these days, but I do remember a fair bit of confidence amongst Exeter fans of a strong season and L1 not being that much more difficult.

Tbf, a few Vale fans were also saying it after 15+ games

 

[valefan16]

I’d love for you to show where I’d have said anything of the sort. I’m not even sure anyone else will have done.

Not seen any Vale fans say that! Don’t drag us into DevonLads delusions of grandeur!

 

[kieran_vale]

Not seen any Vale fans say that! Don’t drag us into DevonLads delusions of grandeur!

The closest I can think of was LV and I’m paraphrasing his view here that it’s a poor league but that’s hardly saying we’re going to wipe the floor with all in sight. Very dishonest to suggest otherwise. I never agreed with that opinion either as it’s been a clear step up.

 

[leedsvaliant]

I’d love for you to show where I’d have said anything of the sort. I’m not even sure anyone else will have done.

Yep, we didn't. I think I said we'd finish between 14th and 18th, so not a million miles off. My beef was teams saying that this league is so much better and the gulf is huge, which it hasn't been. The fact that we've stayed up with a league 2 squad says it all. With even moderate form since Christmas, we'd be top 10. We've even beaten some of those teams around the top with said league 2 squad. What's frustrating is that 90% of teams in this league are bang average but usually illuminated by a loan player or two, or the odd couple of permanent players.