Most hypothetical scenarios thrown at you and your mates usually end in some kind of consensus after a beer and a chinwag don’t they?
When it comes to the Wolves, people can throw any proposition my way and I can swat it away like a Matt Prior cover drive. When I’m with friends, we all swat it away and generally arrive at a unanimous verdict.
I wonder what Mick would say?
This one however, is different. And no amount of rational discourse over a bag of scratchings could lead me and my friends to a comfortable conclusion.
See what you think folks…
So a Portsmouth fan – who is known for taking centre stage in our little social circle – triumphed again after the Stoke City game in the Clarendon, where he asked us if we’d take eight years of what he has just had, with the one condition that it ends in relegation at the end of it all.
So the deal is: An FA Cup final win, an FA Cup final appearance, European football including AC Milan at the Molineux, and a collection of some of the best players in the club’s recent history over the course of the period.
Also thrown into the mix are regular, virtually guaranteed spankings of our arch rivals, a brand of football for purists to purr over, and some atmospheres and memories to tell the grandkids about. Let’s not forget winning at Old Trafford and Spurs in the semi-final, as well as a load of others in between.
The one condition is that it ends, after eight years, in relegation.
Would you take it? Or, would you take eight years similar to the one we have just had where we carefully build, stabilise and supplement our admirable young squad as we go?
Mr Portsmouth’s conundrum is probably as much a commentary about the Beautiful Game itself, and the expectations and romance that comes with it compared with, say 30 years ago, when anything seemed possible.
He is basically arguing thus: Where is the fun in following a Premiership side whose odds will long be stacked against them, while an elite band of clubs always challenge for honours every single year?
With that in mind, isn’t the prospect of an FA Cup final win at Wembley too alluring to turn down? Remember how such successes in 1949 and 1960 shaped our own club’s history. Remember what the competition means to Sir Jack. I’ve even got an original gold-tinted ‘It’s Ours’ Sporting Star framed on my wall from the final against Leicester!
After a few too many Carlings I arrived at my conclusion, and I’m sticking by it.
Like most things in life, football evolves. So too do expectations and outlooks. So I gratefully consider Mr Portsmouth’s enticing offer and hand it back to him.
Instead, I opt for eight years of stability, growth, and fighting like hell against the odds to stay in the league no doubt.
Why? Because this way, our great club will be in the strongest position ever to give my little boy years of enjoyment at the right end of the football hierarchy, along with every other Wolf cub of his generation. No 4th division for them!
We would have honoured the principles that we were founded on in 1877 and would be in the strongest financial position to make our long-term future a resounding success.
The fact the FA Cup matters little these days – thanks to Manchester United’s revolting snub in 2000 – is sad. The fact the Premier League’s riches matter more, and that we barely stand a chance of winning it, is also sad.
But like I say, football evolves and we act accordingly. I’ll take eight more years of what we’re getting, with the hope that the following 80 could then be something to really make Portsmouth fans jealous of.
What do you think?
Good evening Ben.
Interesting blog. Portsmouth sold out 30000 tickets for their recent cup final, so the fans took what was on the table. The reality was it was based on fraud, ie what other business can not pay the revenue PAYE, trading when insolvent, paying players with money they didn`t have, rolling up debts hoping for a miracle. Serves them right, in fact any guesses which division they are in next year.
It gets worse the owner puts in a receiver, offers what 15p in the £, and then it looks like he`s going to buy the club back. Scandalous.
I feel for the true Portsmouth fans, but even Man Utd and Liverpool have beeh shafted by american businessmen. The whole thing is a crock of shite, with the premier league bodies impotent.
Us wolves fans are very fortunate that Sir Jack owned the club, sold it with no debts apart from his own, and refused to sell to these johnny no money foreigners. Us wolves fans are very fortunate also that Steve Morgan has bought the club. The last five years have been the perfect model for any football club wanting to move forward and progress. We wolves fans are very fortunate to have a manager who says it like it is, won`t take bullshit of anyone. We are also very fortunate to have come so far in such a short time, winning the championship, staying up and at Everton looked a real premiership side.
So its a no brainer, it may be through good luck or good intentions, but with honourable (it seems) people runnung our club, our way has been the route I believe all clubs should follow, or at least try to. Honesty, endeavour with some talent also, strict financial control, wonderful team spirit and fanatical support. I don`t go to many away games, but at Everton our fans were terrific. Our way, the Wolves way every time.
I agree 100%
Chelsea’s current squad will age, and there is no guarantee The Russian will stick around.
This is also true of all the “get me silverware quick” brigade of too rich owners currently around.
What they fail to realize is that only one team can win the League, only one team can win the Champions League, and any other piece of tin is not really worth bothering with.
When the penny drops, these mega rich morons will drop the clubs and play with something else that takes their fancy.
Lets face it, non of them are in it for the love of the game or the loyalty to their hometown boyhood heroes.
So, I envision lots of clubs coming up for sale, at great losses, lots of “players” getting stiffed on their inflated contracts, and lots of clubs facing financial ruin, all within 5 years.
The bubble has to burst, it cannot be sustained at the current level of stupidity and greed, and eventually transfer fees and contracts will come down to reasonable levels.
So, with Wolves on the same path as now, and much as we all detest greaseball Moxey, he seems to be doing the right things financially,
I will take another 8 years of steady progress.
Until the Champions League reverts to the European Cup, with only one team per country playing, then The FA Cup will never regain it’s former glory.
But, at the moment, money is talking, that’s why EUFA want as many matches as possible.
Anyway, I’m rambling so I’ll just say, Ben I am with you on this one, and tell your mate he’d better get to as many championship venues as he can this season, coz Pompey will be in a lower division next year!!
FOWB
Clive, I agree entirely when you look at the “long game”. Sure we may not be challenging for silverware at the moment, but we are building a strong base from which we will potentially be able to stay up for generations (Great point that Ben).
I believe that we don’t need to consider this because we could have both. Pompey spent big (money they didn’t have), but what was their highest position? 8th or 9th i think. We could win the FA Cup this year with a bit of luck and then be in Europe next year.
We are currently building brilliantly, bringing in superb players and can only continue to do so. Some scoffed four years ago with the young and hungry model, but it’s serving us well and we should stick with it
If the scenario didn’t involve the going bust bit but instead say we would end up in league 2 then I would take it. It grates me when I hear about the poor Pompey fans and prior to that the unfortunate sods at Elland Road. They had it great.
It’s basically impossible to answer the question because we now have the benefit of hindsight. When Pompey were in Europe, winning the FA cup , and signing players galore, we would have spilled blood to have been on a par. Now, years later, they are viewed as cheats and over achievers, and billed as the format not to follow. We now see the sense in patience, you and hungry, call it whatever you like.
Surely the more salient point to ask…. would we rather be Man City and have their owners ?? This one doesn’t give us any benefit of hindsight, and, for all we know, it could come back to bite them in teh same time frame as Pompey. Just a thought
We would NOT rather be City, I think to a (wo)man on this blog.
As a Wolves fan for 45years,I have rarely felt so proud of my beloved club or so confident of the future as now. In short, I echo much of what has been said in previous comments and I wouldn’t swap any of Pompeys ‘success’ with the warm glow of satisfaction I feel at the awesome Championship winning season, and the excitement I now feel at our prospects for the coming seasons.
So proud of our GREAT CLUB.
I also like that very few people understand exactly what and how we’re building. Relegation fodder us. Newcastle are a big club like. They’ll stay up like.
Also – credit has to go to Mick McCarthy. I know I bang on about this a bit but remember when he first signed for us and we had 16 players?
The question does not go deep enough for me. It depends on the circumstances of the relegation*.
On one extreme: A relegation caused by a couple of bad injuries to key players, and a handful of below par performances on top. We only go down for a single season, faces duly slapped, and we return stronger … Verdict: That’s OK. I can live with 8 years of relatively good times in return for that.
To the other extreme (and perhaps Portsmouth are nearer to this): A relegation caused in part by poor club management, leading to financial woes and the club being threatened with going into administration. There follows an exodus of players from the club, and then 15-20 years of fizzy-pop-sponsored visits to Derby and Nottingham. No thanks.
But – putting the hypotheses to one side – I am happy where we are. We finished last season quite strongly, and we have incrementally improved at the beginning of this season (and I reckon we’ll improve more once the likes of Hunt are fit). Long may it continue.
* I bet you’re glad I wasn’t in the Clarendon!
Incremental improvement is very important. As is surviving below our means. I’m not one for pushing the boat out too far, as the ratio of reward to risk is not kind in football. Even Villa, quite a well run club, are feeling the pinch of their high wage expenditure now.
Chickens, eventually, do come home to roost.
Oh, and by the way the fizzy pop people don’t sponsor that league anymore
No thanks to the Portsmouth situation – cant help but think Man City will end up in difficulties at some point in the future too.
Last night was the first time their owner could be bothered to attend a home game – hardly someone who is at the very heart of the club. More like a play thing for someone with more money than sense.
Also interesting to see the situation developing with the Man City fringe players. Good players will be left out of their 25, but will not get moves away as other clubs are not willing to meet their massive wages. Will players continue to sign for a club where so many other good players fail to get a game?
At least we only have to worry about trying to get £2.5million for Keogh!
Hello everyone from Mr Portsmouth himself!
Firstly thanks to Ben for conveying our inebriated conversation to you all – cheers mate!
Secondly I’d like to make it clear that I wasn’t sat in the Clarendon that day giving it the big one – bragging about cup finals and claiming life is great in the championship because I’ve got some amazing memories to cling on to. Let’s make this clear – I wish Pompey were still in the prem. Our debate was about Pompey having something tangible to show from our tenure in the top flight– something the vast majority of clubs in living memory (Charlton, Derby, soon to be joined by Wigan and eventually the likes of Sunderland, Birmingham et al) don’t.
We all started supporting our respective clubs because we wanted to see them do well at the highest possible level. The sad fact is, unless you support an ‘elite’ club, the most any football fan can realistically hope for is sustained mediocrity. The top 8 in the league is all but watertight and the rich clubs are also gobbling up the Carling and FA Cups these days.
I know Wolves are doing well right now – and I honestly wish you all the best. But deep down you all know that relegation is more likely to come before a cup final or even a top 10 finish. I’m not having a swipe at Wolves – the same can be said for just about every club that finished outside of the top 8 last season.
So, back to the hypothetical question; Do you want another 5,6 or more years chipping away at that top half finish knowing a poor start one year will condemn you to relegation – or do you want to blow your wad in a drug crazed frenzy and eat at the top table for a while? After all, supporting football is meant to be fun. Be honest…
In the nineteen thirties, Wolves were in the second division.
During the fifties, most of the sixties and seventies, Wolves were in the first division.
After that, down, down, down.
Along came a certain Mr. Bull.
The rest is history.
Only one team has not been out of the First Division/Prem since the second world war ( 3 points for naming them), so even the mighty go up and down.
The old saying what goes around comes around applies in football.
We ARE in the Prem, we are doing things right, and we have a glorious history that others envy, and we WILL be great again.
I for one am prepared to wait, coz it’s not too far away, and be happy in the knowledge that I am a Wolves fan, one of that happy band of fanatics who support our team through thick and thin, and am not a fair weather fan like most of the rest of the Prem teams have.
So, Mr.Pompey, have a nice life in the nether reaches of the league, and perhaps we’ll see you again someday, in a cup match or something.
We will patiently go on building a solid team.
FOWB
This egotistical hedonistic numpties on Mol Mix ( pass the bucket)…. are reporting we have sent Keogh our on loan to Cardiff and are back in for Mancienne on loan… I hope both are true !
If true that leaves us pretty short up front though?
Injured Fletch
SEB
Doyle
Who else can play up top?
Wardy !!! we are saved ….
Oh yeah, former Championship striker of the month. How could I forget?
And Halford can pinch hit (to steal a baseball expression)