: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:18 pm  

af wrote:

Argument is, as ME points out, largely academic. We know Hood backs SM and while we can offer possible replacements for SM, we have none for Hood.

I think what we're seeing is the mirror image of the '96 feel. The potential energy stored up by fifty years with just one Wembley trip and fifteen without a trophy meant that the silver rush was a huge contrast that captured people's imagination. Now, the current situation looks all the worse when compared to what went immediately before.
As I've just posted on another htread, what I find odd is this 'It shouldn't happen to a Bradford fan' vibe. I'm hardly the oldest stager on here, and yet I've seen us significantly worse than this.

But this time is very different. Back then we were on the edge of switchig to Super League. For the rugby fans we had Brian Smith acquiring anybody and everybody. Some good, some not so good and they were on short term contracts. THey didn't stay long but the comings and goings generated a lot of interest. Off the field Peter Deakin grasped the Super League thing and pushed the newly named Bulls into every school and home in the area. On top of that we started to win things. Now we are a club that seems to show little imagination off the field and are permanently in transition. As you say you can remember when we were in worse positions. So can I. Unfortunately a lot of speccies can't.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:21 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Do you think there is anyone who is "happy" with the decline of 2009? I doubt you do.

Obviously I would hope not but the post Fans Forum positivity seemed to suggest that the club were a bit more content with the situation than many on the terraces were at that time.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:37 pm  

I'm not sure that there is a great deal more to say that hasnt been said numerous times already.

[Bulliac]

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:15 pm  

af wrote:

Argument is, as ME points out, largely academic. We know Hood backs SM and while we can offer possible replacements for SM, we have none for Hood.

I think what we're seeing is the mirror image of the '96 feel. The potential energy stored up by fifty years with just one Wembley trip and fifteen without a trophy meant that the silver rush was a huge contrast that captured people's imagination. Now, the current situation looks all the worse when compared to what went immediately before.

As I've just posted on another htread, what I find odd is this 'It shouldn't happen to a Bradford fan' vibe. I'm hardly the oldest stager on here, and yet I've seen us significantly worse than this.

A decent summary of the current position to be fair.

I`m in the position of being able to remember 1963, so it`s fair to say I`ve definitely seen worse. I do agree that looking at the recent past makes our present position seem much worse, how could it not?

I`m one who hasn`t commented on the last game, not because of apathy but because there is little new to say to be honest. You can take the comments from any one of ten previous games and just copy and paste. I`ll still never know why the defence seems to follow the plan to the letter and defend like heroes (Leeds at home, Saints away, Wire away etc) then the the same players tackle like an under twelve girls team the following week(You might well know an under twelve girls` team which tackles far better than the Bulls have done on far too many occasions this season, so I`m sticking this edit in to apologise to any under twelve girls` teams who feel insulted).

As regards `it shouldn`t happen to a Bradford fan` I`ve never believed any side can carry on forever at the top (life just ain`t like that), so it goes without saying that I don`t believe any side has the divine right to win all the time. Maybe a few fans who only came on board post `96 are having a bit of a reality check?

Four or five years back there was a guy on the Leeds club board who always used the words "maybe next week Leeds" as his sig, got to say I`m seriously thinking of changing it slightly and using it myself

[Bullseye]

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:22 pm  

Mentioning the fortunes of the club in the 60s or the 80s might provide historical perspective but that's it. Sure the club aren't at death's door but the first team is in decline and is in the worst league position at this stage in the season since 85/86 IIRC. That's still pretty dire.

Most fans won't know or care about where the club was 30 or 40 years ago. It's where it is now and where they perceive it to be heading that matters.

Given the positive vibe that came out of the fans forum I'd say that fans can cope with having less success at the moment so long as they can see obvious signs of improvement. The decline since 2006 needs to end soon. It's great to see kids like Whitehead coming through but we also need to see the rest of the first team play to their potential, find some more consistency and improve.

Performances like the one versus Cas simply infuriate everyone and overshadow all the fine words and efforts behind the scenes with the academy. More often than not the first team have shown that performances like the one versus Cas are in the main what we can expect this year. While that remains the same and the protagonists are kept at the club all we can expect is further decline.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:55 pm  

af wrote:

Argument is, as ME points out, largely academic. We know Hood backs SM and while we can offer possible replacements for SM, we have none for Hood.

I think what we're seeing is the mirror image of the '96 feel. The potential energy stored up by fifty years with just one Wembley trip and fifteen without a trophy meant that the silver rush was a huge contrast that captured people's imagination. Now, the current situation looks all the worse when compared to what went immediately before.

As I've just posted on another htread, what I find odd is this 'It shouldn't happen to a Bradford fan' vibe. I'm hardly the oldest stager on here, and yet I've seen us significantly worse than this.

Maybe he does but not as strongly as he once did.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:58 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Mentioning the fortunes of the club in the 60s or the 80s might provide historical perspective but that's it. Sure the club aren't at death's door but the first team is in decline and is in the worst league position at this stage in the season since 85/86 IIRC. That's still pretty dire.

Most fans won't know or care about where the club was 30 or 40 years ago. It's where it is now and where they perceive it to be heading that matters.

Given the positive vibe that came out of the fans forum I'd say that fans can cope with having less success at the moment so long as they can see obvious signs of improvement. The decline since 2006 needs to end soon. It's great to see kids like Whitehead coming through but we also need to see the rest of the first team play to their potential, find some more consistency and improve.

Performances like the one versus Cas simply infuriate everyone and overshadow all the fine words and efforts behind the scenes with the academy. More often than not the first team have shown that performances like the one versus Cas are in the main what we can expect this year. While that remains the same and the protagonists are kept at the club all we can expect is further decline.

Well said.

[Bulliac]

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:44 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Mentioning the fortunes of the club in the 60s or the 80s might provide historical perspective but that's it. Sure the club aren't at death's door but the first team is in decline and is in the worst league position at this stage in the season since 85/86 IIRC. That's still pretty dire.

Most fans won't know or care about where the club was 30 or 40 years ago. It's where it is now and where they perceive it to be heading that matters.

Given the positive vibe that came out of the fans forum I'd say that fans can cope with having less success at the moment so long as they can see obvious signs of improvement. The decline since 2006 needs to end soon. It's great to see kids like Whitehead coming through but we also need to see the rest of the first team play to their potential, find some more consistency and improve.

Performances like the one versus Cas simply infuriate everyone and overshadow all the fine words and efforts behind the scenes with the academy. More often than not the first team have shown that performances like the one versus Cas are in the main what we can expect this year. While that remains the same and the protagonists are kept at the club all we can expect is further decline.

Tomorrow is more important than all the yesterdays added together, but it`s only in the light of what happened previously that we can make sense of the tomorrows still to come. You use the word perspective and it`s an important one and you are right to use it for it`s perspective that gives us the tools to make comparisons; remember, success and failure aren`t absolutes they are comparatives.

With this in mind I do believe we have been, to some extent, spoiled by success, mainly to the extent it creates expectations which can`t always be delivered. I really don`t know about thirty or forty years, the fanbase demographic is pretty wide to be fair, though clearly whilst more recent fans will be hitting new territory many others will have been there, done that etc.

I don`t think Mr Hood is one to be panicked into making decisions, though if the attendances were to fall away much more he may well feel that `something` must be done, if only to placate the critics. Whether or not `all we can expect under the same protagonists` is decline I really don`t know (and neither do you really) but one thing for certain is that success will come again, whether with the current "protagonists" or with their successors, or maybe three lots of successors down the line.

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:47 pm  

redeverready wrote:

Maybe he does but not as strongly as he once did.

Sorry if this sounds a bit blunt RER and I mean this question genuinely...

What makes you so sure of this?

: Tue Jul 07, 2009 3:06 pm  

mystic eddie wrote:

Sorry if this sounds a bit blunt RER and I mean this question genuinely...

What makes you so sure of this?

Earlier in the season when you asked Hood about our form he was always very protective of Macca. In the last few weeks that hasn't been the case he's been very non- committal when questioned. The other people who have been their talking to him have also picked up on that it looks like his faith in him is wavering more and more each week.