Which was the worst relegation and why?

[Royalclapper]

I've seen all bloody 7 relegations and none of them are good...............except for the constant delusion that the next year we'll come straight back up.

I've seen them all and it's a tough choice.

This season is the least competitive we've ever been and perhaps the earliest we've been relegated. I'd vote for this.

1977, 1988 and 2008 were basically management failures to build after promotion. Instead we sold off the best players and failed to replace.

1971 was a shock and we didn't really deserve to go down.

1983 was a sickener - having fought off Maxwell we won the last game and thought we had stayed up / on the pitch to celebrate / last result came through and we were down / on goal diff ?? Our 53 points and relegated stood as a record high for a long time.

1998 was in parts shocking but some fun games esp in the Cups.

Agree with 1983 being a horrible experience. Remember being at the last game (1-0 win at home to Wrexham IIRC) and then going for a drink after the match in the social club with the old man only to discover we were down. Like you say, the Maxwell saga was a nightmare and those were perilous days for the club. We did bounce back strongly though but it was still a pretty awful feeling being relegated.

[winchester_royal]

You obviously don't go away do you? You want quiet then you could've heard a pin drop at Everton or Liverpool for example this season.

The fans have stuck by a zero performing team all season with a balance of faith, commitment, tolerance and humour.

There is no way any blame can be nailed at our door.

Agreed, and given the predicament we've found ourselves in there's been very little negative energy (except for the Villa game) and the fans staying with the players arguably contributed to the late comebacks of January.

The away support has been pretty good too, as shown by the 1000 who made the trip to Newcastle in a week where travel was very difficult. Criticism from other fans, especially those who probably weren't there that day, is pretty pathetic.

RFC fans - Making the Middle East look united since 1871.

[Vic_Flange]

Nearly went for 71 - what a way to celebrate our centerary.
Ditto 98 - we were shite especially in the last home game at Elm Park.

This year we were pretty much down from September but for me it has to be 2008 we beat Derby 4-0 as required but then oxf*rd goal oxf*rd difference and those cheating bastards Pompey and their weakened squad due to their F A cup final? It was the only time we were in the bottom 3 all season I believe? Pompey done the same to Wolves who complained to the FA (which I know is going to do er, F-A but nevermind) When will that cheating (on and off the pitch) club finally go bust and bury that sodding bell forever?

[southbank1871]

Thinking about it, being at Derby in 2008 and watching us win, but then go down due to Murphy's goal for Fulham probably pushes that to the top of the pile. Especially when you kept getting spurious reports from people in the crowd that Pompey had equalised only for it to turn out to be complete rubbish. That team should never have got relegated.

[Sanguine]

2008 – but not because we had a decent team and should not have gone down, but because we had an ok team that had over-performed in 06-07, and that we failed to improve on to establish our place in the league. Complacency? Who knows.

OK, I'm confused.

In 2006/7 we had a OK team.
In 2007/8 we had a decent team but you say we failed to improve over 2006/7?

So I'm presuming OK > decent then?

I'm not sure what you're confused about, perhaps consider the context of what I've written rather than getting stuck on grammar.

[melonhead]

Looking forward to the Championship in all honesty - as this season has just been horrible and no one at the club – players, management, owners or even number 13 come out of it with any credit at all.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

The fans have supported and been more committed than the players. Attended in droves. Followed expensively away. Put up with left and right incompetence from the Club from top to bottom. Yet we are stil here. And will be.

You my friend are a total complete tool.

been oxf*rd awful. booing the team, getting the manager the sack, getting on consistently decent players backs cos they are black.

[melonhead]

Mind you, I was also disappointed to see The Meaks leave.

Oh i get it, its called sarcasm............right?

the one bright spot of entertainment in a dire season imo

like kebe, without the pace skillz and end product
and gilkes without the pace

[Archie's penalty]

I miss the Kebster. But don't worry, here he is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNH3Yk4Q_P0

[melonhead]

ledge

[Ian Royal]

Mind you, I was also disappointed to see The Meaks leave.

Oh i get it, its called sarcasm............right?

the one bright spot of entertainment in a dire season imo

like kebe, without the pace skillz and end product
and gilkes without the pace

I thought it was you who formed the triumvirate of Meaks love with me and Donfers.

[Terminal Boardom]

Looking forward to the Championship in all honesty - as this season has just been horrible and no one at the club – players, management, owners or even number 13 come out of it with any credit at all.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

The fans have supported and been more committed than the players. Attended in droves. Followed expensively away. Put up with left and right incompetence from the Club from top to bottom. Yet we are stil here. And will be.

You my friend are a total complete tool.

been oxf*rd awful. booing the team, getting the manager the sack, getting on consistently decent players backs cos they are black.

Worst attempt at being funny ever witnessed on the Team Board.

[melonhead]

dont worry, yours is close second

[floyd__streete]

been oxf*rd awful. booing the team, getting the manager the sack, getting on consistently decent players backs cos they are black.

Booing the team? Really? If only the simpletons could raise that much energy or enthusiasm! I swear, if we scored a winning goal in a home Champions League Semi-Final 2nd leg, the West Stand would celebr8 it sat down.

And 'got the manager the sack'? If that is the case then AZ is even more hopeless then I feared.....

[bracksroyal10]

This season without a doubt.

Our PL relegation prior to that hurt more without a doubt as we should have never gone down. However for us as a club we were in the unknown, we didn't know what money was truly required to compete over the forseeable future in that league.

This season you'd of thought we'd of learnt from the last experience and coughed up a bit more cash and while we did, we splashed it out on players who yes can do a good job such as Mariappa and Gunter but were never going to be the gamechangers for us.

We were missing a Gylfi type player all season and it really showed, no one had the balls to grab a game by the scruff of its neck apart from Alfie in and around January.

You knew it was going to be relegation I would say after the Villa game away, they were there for the taking big time but even then we couldn't even create anything and if Mcdermott deserved to go, then that should of been the time if we were to try and turn it around as much as I love the guy we were lacking creativity so badly.


So for me this season we went in with a whimper and we certainly went out with one. Whilst relegation on the last day would have been a bitter pill to swallow, I am sure I speak for the majority of fans who would rather have to go through the emotions that day and still be in contention to stay up.

[nevo1970]

98 - the decline from the Bolton Play off final, seeing our players migrate to Wolves and Terry the Taxi or could have been the Viz character of the same name and era just too much to take. This year we were utter s#it for two thirdsof the season. We had a go at the start got mugged and then played shit. If Brian had played the percentages agaist the far better teams at the start we might have nicked a few early points so not putting so much pressure on the then 'must win' games.

This season has just been dire to watch but the fall from grace in '98 tops it.

[Caversham Royal]

2008 in some ways upset me the most when it actually happened because we showed positive signs of avoiding the drop (I remember cheering loudly at SKy Sports News when they announced Harper's goal away at Middlesborough & feeling we could do it), then stuffed things up having got ourselves into an improved position (Fulham at home I think was the turning point giving them renewed hope & starting another slump for Reading). There was also the feeling that we could & should still have done at least enough to have a fairly comfortable season away from the drop zone.
1988 & this season have some similarities for me as in we had two managers in Branfoot & Maccy-D who got us up using a more direct & limited style of play that had achieved success at the previous level but ultimately wasn't suited to making us competetive at the next level up.
In the end though I think I'd have to go for this season as the worst over all, as the other relegation seasons I've experienced still at least had some positive highlights & times of hope; the Simod Cup run in '88 , a few decent victories in 2008 with Liverpool at home the most obvious & even the 1998 Bullivant season had a reasonable handfull of decent results & moments of hope at times as I recall . But this season's +ves have been all too few & far between in what's been a long, drawn out & dirge-like slog at the wrong end of the table . As I've said before though it's nearly over, praise be.....

[winchester_royal]

Apparently this season we've averaged 4 shots on target a match.

[Winchester Royal]

Apparently this season we've averaged 4 shots on target a match.

That surprises me, I'd have thought it would be much lower.

[ZacNaloen]

Apparently this season we've averaged 4 shots on target a match.

And probably 2 or 3 off target.

In terms of shot creation we've been very frugal under Mcdermott.

[West Stand Man]

I suspect that you can tell how new most of the fan base is from the weight of opinion in favour of the more recent relegations. No one who experienced 71 would be voting in favour of the 21st century options.