Unofficial Halesowen Town FC Forum

There has been much discussion about the current position of HTFC, anyone who tries to explain the wider picture is instantly labeled as a member of the Happy Clappy Club, a title once reserved for those who backed previous owners. However, there is a gulf between the club of the past 3/4 years and what we have now.

Agreed, we are in a poor run of form, agreed, we have discipline problems, this needs addressing but a change on manager would not be the answer, just ask some simple questions, who do we bring in? what does this do for the stability the club needs? Losing games pisses me off as much as anyone else, but be assured, no one else at the club likes losing games.

We all need to be aware of exactly where HTFC is and the answer to that is is probably 2 steps higher than it should be, had Steve not completed his purchase of the club when he did, our plans for the Trust alternative would have kicked in and the team playing at the Grove would have been at MFA at best, possibly West Midland League, look around, see what has happend to other clubs that have been put through the crap we have recently, Bromsgrove, Stourbr*dge, Leamington, Chester City, Halifax Town, Wimbledon etc etc, it takes time to rebuild but there is a huge difference between HTFC and any of these other clubs, a lot of local business has been left out of pocket and any confidence between the local community and the club has not just been weakend but completely blown to pieces.

All the other clubs have had at least some backing from the local community, ours has to be re-developed from the bottom up, as that is achieved it will naturally transfer to the pitch, it is extremely difficult to attract players to a club that has the reputation HTFC currently has, a situation we are not used to as it was far easier to attract players when the club was well respected and seen as a big club within Non League circles.

Make no mistake, if the Trust owned HTFC, it would be operated on exactly the same principle it is now, concentrating on putting all the off field building blocks in place, then building SLOWLY on field, just like Stourbr*dge have, we would need people to get involved, just like the club does now, it can not be left to handful of people.No one talked about promotion this season and to gain promotion so soon into the new structure would do the club no good in the longer term, we have to ensure the club can cope with promotion financially as I am sure EVERYONE wants us to stay up when it is achieved.

Happy Clappy Club? I doubt you will find anyone happy with where we are, but to do anything about it we have to form the Roll your sleeves up, get involved and do something about it club

We have supporters involved in the running of the club, something that seemed impossible less than 12 months back, we have a chance to ensure the long term future of OUR club, it could well be the last chance, make sure we take it.

If anyone has issues, ideas, offers of assistance etc I can be contacted by E-mailing yeltztrustrep@hotmail.co.uk

A few good comments there zee zee,but one sticks out with what you said,if we are operating 1 or two leagues above what we are, why didn't the club not register themselves for this league and go down to mfa or wmp. At least then your are starting afresh etc, I understand that 50% are for there manager and 50% are against, I have to ask at what stage do you say to yourself look it isn't working.If this time next season we are languishing towards the bottom end of this league I think you would think different.

frankowba wrote:A few good comments there zee zee,but one sticks out with what you said,if we are operating 1 or two leagues above what we are, why didn't the club not register themselves for this league and go down to mfa or wmp. At least then your are starting afresh etc, I understand that 50% are for there manager and 50% are against, I have to ask at what stage do you say to yourself look it isn't working.If this time next season we are languishing towards the bottom end of this league I think you would think different.

I think the majority of supporters would agree, it is better to make a fresh start, but from as a high a position as possible even if that means a season of relative struggle.

I agree that people will only allow so much time for the club to transfer any off field development to the pitch, a football club is after all is said and done, a business, its product is football, therefore it needs at some point to concentrate on selling 'the product'. I fully expect that we will see improvement over the next 12 months,hopefully that may lead to a push towards the play offs, expecting us to be storming to the league title with a record number of points may be a little over optimistic. Everything depends upon improving off field activity, the current income just about covers the playing budget, most other costs are met by the owner (and they are considerable), that's not a situation that could continue in the long term, at some point the club has to be self funding.

Personally I am so glad we haven't had to start at the bottom, if we had the choice and chose to start at the bottom as opposed to where we are now then surely that would have been madness! Like saying we won't win the F.A Cup so let's not enter it!!

My criticism has never been about our position, if all the players are fighting tooth and nail, chasing back and the best is being got out of them, then that is certainly fair enough, but it is just the stuff that can be avoided silly red cards etc that concerns me.

I didn't realise that we were operating a league or 2 above ourselves, as we kept most of the squad from last season, I certainly don't question the manager or players from last seasons commitment to the club as they would have walked last season when the going really was tough, for that you really do have to credit them, I think what everybody doesn't want and that is next season we could potentially be 3 leagues below Stourbr*dge! We would never live that down!

See you all Saturday!

I am pretty certain we won't be being relegated. As has already been alluded to in another post, only 2 teams get relegated from this division, and as we are already one team light, then only the team finishing bottom, will go down, and currently that looks like being Stourport. If they do go down this could depending on what happens with the feeder leagues mean a chance to be moved to the Northern Premier League Div1, or possibly Southern league Central, as there would be no other team within 50 miles of us.

Simons wrote:I am pretty certain we won't be being relegated. As has already been alluded to in another post, only 2 teams get relegated from this division, and as we are already one team light, then only the team finishing bottom, will go down, and currently that looks like being Stourport. If they do go down this could depending on what happens with the feeder leagues mean a chance to be moved to the Northern Premier League Div1, or possibly Southern league Central, as there would be no other team within 50 miles of us.

The Northern would be the prefered choice if we have to move, better pies + cheaper beer!

If we go in that league we will wear the M6 out! Most are from round Preston and off the M62!
Years ago there was a bit of graffiti just as you got on the M6 north from the M5 under a motorway bridge "Get out and walk its quicker" Sums that stretch up perfectly!

Zee I thought you had given up pies as there wasn't enough room for your beer!!

Sutton and Romulus are in that division, as well as Coalville and Loughborough

Simons wrote:Sutton and Romulus are in that division, as well as Coalville and Loughborough

Yes that's the First Division South I believe, the First Division North has teams like Durham and Salford City and Wakefield, surely we wouldn't get put in there?

dazzlingdazza wrote:

Simons wrote:Sutton and Romulus are in that division, as well as Coalville and Loughborough

Yes that's the First Division South I believe, the First Division North has teams like Durham and Salford City and Wakefield, surely we wouldn't get put in there?

The division that would suit us is the evostik north league south division which is mainly west and east midlands will a few away days such as Lincoln United.
So we would still be south but north south not south south like we are now!
clear as mud!