creative36

So, in the absence of an ability to revitalise topics almost 4 years old, I thought I'd pose this question again.

Playing in Serie C2, my team had a season where we drew games we should have lost and won games we should have drawn (or lost). We were thoroughly mundane and it was my hope that we would be able to keep our upper-mid-table position until the season end so that we could bring in a few fresh faces.

Problem was that we didn't. A last-day win saw us leapfrog 2 clubs into the Playoffs and then beat both our opponents over 2 legs to gain promotion.

Now we're in C1 with a miserly wage budget, no transfer money, a squad full of not-very-good players and a club reputation that means we can't bring any better ones in. And I'm a bit miffed by the whole thing.

Obviously promotion is a good thing, but I've gotta say I feel like there are a few gods out there laughing at me now. Any thoughts?

retired_kris1971again

Take promotions where you can get them, you never know when you'll next get the opportunity. Usually only takes a season or two to turn a squad into one capable of being comfortable in the next division up, and the struggles are worth it for the extra options and growth you get being in a higher league.

retired_millie and amanda

Suffered a similar fate taking lowly Vauxhall into League Two via play-offs from Conference. Everyone was still part-time and we clearly weren't ready for the leap in class. First 11 games were all defeats and while we did get steadily better we never got off the bottom or looked like we might survive.

Going pro, getting relegated and now getting whacked by the attendances bug means we're losing money hand over fist even though we're performing better back in the Conference than in the season we were promoted.

Promotion sucked, and while I've been able to bring in better players because we played in a higher league (though not in time for the season we were there), they'll only have a positive influence if we don't go bust first.

retired_shel227

I have similar thoughts on promotions too - having fluked promotion from the Danish Second League by dint of finishing 6th behind all the B teams in the competition, and then going through the playoffs.

The team really is crap, I'm not sure how we managed to win the playoff, and not sure how we are actually mid-table in the first division... no one wants to come on loan (not even loan-listed players from my parent club), no one wants to sign except for crap non-division players, staff all demand 5 times their current salary (and 5 times my allowed wage) to join, and I have 20 crap players transfer listed in the reserves all with 2 years to run on their contracts

KingsbayYHPE

Nothing's changed in four years.

creative36

Strangely enough, Ian, I kinda thought you might say that...

retired_sandra

I agree. I would never hold back on promotion if it meant a terrible season in the higher league. I'd much rather be in the higher league.

Case in point my current Billericay save. Three times I have now won promotion to the Premiership, and it was only on the third occasion that I managed to survive the first season there.
And I've loved every minute of it.

retired_i_want_hot_bod97

Is it possible IRL to decline promotion?

"[Team] manager has declined promotion for next season. He mentioned that his team was total rubbish and promotion would only end up embarrassing its fans for the long season ahead. He would much prefer to maintain mediocrity in the current league."

retired_nekh_20

I don't really understand this. Well I do, I just think it's silly.

Promotion is what you should be striving for. Ok, so you don't think you are ready for the next league, well you were good enough to get there in the first place.

You might get smashed every other game and struggle, but that's the whole point. It's probably going to happen anyway even if you had a few seasons in the league below.

I wish I could actually get a promotion under my belt right now.

retired_chairman413

It happens occasionally in the lower lower leagues. When our local team gained promotion, they turned it down due to the fact that it is mostly seasonal work in the area, and the team changes so much from one season to the next.
Nobody complained. Certainly not the team who avoided being relegated. And the other third div teams (11 of them) didn't mind, as they knew it was just a fluke season. (the've won the div. 3 times in 48 years and declined promotion every time)