As the football season draws to a close, it's been interesting to see the difference in fortunes of the teams that have moved in to new stadiums in recent times. Looking at the Championship alone at time of writing, 6 of the top 7 have moved in to a new home venue in the past 15-20 years. The notable exception being Burnley.
It gets me thinking about how huge the gap is these days between the teams at the top of the Premier League and those in Leagues One and Two. Having researched many of the teams in the 92 over the past few years I've learnt a lot about the changes in the game. As an example, Manchester United were relegated in 1973 and despite the fact that they bounced back the very next season and that they've had a relatively poor season this year, relegation is still completely unthinkable.
Money is obviously the be all and end all for every teams. In some cases, it buys trophies and success, whilst in others it helps to keep success coming. At the other end of the spectrum you have teams like Accrington Stanley. When I visited the Crown Ground recently as part of the 92 ground tour, it was obvious how desperate they were to raise money just needed to help them survive. We parked in a car park outside the stadium where all proceeds raised were being put towards buying the groundsman a new lawn mower! It's a sorry situation but one that was enlightening to be a part of even if only for a couple of hours. Whilst sitting in the reception area a guy walked in, handed over £1000 in cash and walked straight back out. Fans, club staff and even players wives were helping with the fundraising showing just how alive club loyalty is. In the wake of the ITV digital disaster, I remember a similar situation at many of the football league clubs including Gillingham.
I've looked at records from days past of clubs reaching cup finals despite being in the third tier of the game. Those days are long gone.
What can change this pattern from forming and becoming more and more friendly everyday for the teams with rich foreign investors? Capping wages would be a start. The talk of bringing in a rule on how many English players you need to have in your side would be good for the national game but I'm not a believer of it ever being fully implemented.
As a fan of a team that would be punching well above their weight if they made it back into the Championship again let alone the Premiership, I look for any small rays of hope that are possible. Staying in League One would be considered a success for me this season but I dont only ever want to watch lower league football with my team. So what do I hope for.. A cash friendly Gills fan thats been hiding under a rock for the past 20 years or all the capping they can implement to hopefully one day bringing the four divisions back closer together?
At the moment the top 6 or 7 will just keep getting bigger and stronger and the only interesting talking point is going to be which of them will or wont make the Champions League qualification spots.. Where's the fun in that? And more to the point, where's the hope of any team like mine ever being anything other than an also-ran. Sometimes I wonder if we're even that...
The gulf in quality of team stadia is indescribable as well. I make no apologies for saying that I love my teams football ground, Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium. In no way do I claim it to be or make it out to be the most aesthetically pleasing stadium to the naked eye, but having visited all other league grounds over the past few years it made me realise how much I appreciate having the chance to walk through a fairly run down high street, after a health conscious fry up, knowing that by the time I reach the train station at the top of town I'll be able to see the floodlights towering above the stadium, guiding the way down two or three short residential streets. It doesn't sound glamorous and in the mind of a plastic, success driven, Premier League team supporter it's likely that not a lot could sound worse. In fact, it probably isn't even glamorous to me, but why would I want it to be? A dodgy parking space, greasy spoon bacon and eggs, a pint with no bubbles, your team winning 2-1 after trailing at half time and 5 live sports report filling you in with the days other results whilst you drive home. That's what football's all about isn't it?
Ten years ago now, a national newspaper published a story revealing the worst grounds in the English football league. Even in 2004, with a set of terracing behind the town end goal and away toilet facilities reminiscent to the bucket and spade method found at some coach stops in France, I could have reeled off a list of at least 20 other teams situated in worse areas, with worse facilities and a worse stadium. The outrageous article went on to add that "Gillingham was the biggest dump in English football” and that it made “Middlesbrough look like Monte Carlo”. But I like it.
Don't get me wrong, some new builds are essential due the lack of expansion space or cost of re-developing the old stadium, so not all teams can stay in their spiritual homes. But the need for teams like Darlington to build a 25,000 all seater, completely soulless and pointless leisure centre with a council restriction on the capacity for the club reduced to 10,000 seemed little short of crazy. There was no history at the stadium and barely any association with the club it was meant to be benefiting and that's before going inside and witnessing the non existent atmosphere. It must have be soul destroying for any fan of that club to see how much their new stadium had taken away when it had promised to be so advantageous. The move ultimately bankrupted the club.
The sound of ticket tearing at the turnstiles has been replaced by a small human version of the Dartford toll. Enter your ticket or card, wait for the green light and proceed through the barrier. The sight of four floodlight pylons has been exchanged for a hundred of those B&Q spotlights that often illuminate your neighbour’s back garden. The list really could go on....
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