Do we accept relegation and plan PROPERLY for next season?

I agree we need to start preparation now and its why I'd suggest sacking Bignot. He's made a bad situation worse and is absolutely not the long term answer.

I'd argue that goes against the idea of preparing for a new season. If we're accepting that we're down anyway, I don't see much point in sacking ANOTHER manager, appointing a new one and effectively spending the rest of the season paying off both McCarthy and Bignot's contract and someone else's as well. That's paying three managers at once for another six months - not a good use of funds if we expect to go down anyway.

I'd say the only point of sacking Bignot would be if we really wanted to have a "stay up at all costs" mentality and gamble on appointing someone who can keep us up. This is kind of what York did last year and it didn't work for them. It's too big a risk for me. Plus I personally still lean towards "benefit of the doubt" with Bignot, although I think I'm in the minority now on that one.

Bignot lost the players at Kidderminster. Joke manager who is even managing to turn our superb right back into a poor player. What a bad appointment Bignot has been!

Another interview process should be conducted with a view to taking over from Bignot the day his contract ends.

I'm not using this thread to call for the dismissal of MB. Of course, others think he should go but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
(Personally I think he'll jump before he's pushed and it could be sooner than some think)

I was merely suggesting that we have an "opportunity" if you could call it that, for us take a bit more time to re-evaluate our position and develop a well thought out plan ready in place rather than the "back of a fag packet" panicked attempts we seem to produce on a regular basis at the end of each season.
MB may be a part of it, who knows? But life in the Conference North needs to be really prepared for otherwise a slide further down the ladder is distinctly possible.

What we shouldn't do is spend money we don't have in an attempt to stay up. That would put at risk any chance of a competitive team for next season. Whatever league we are in. Our budget will already be down by £80k, increased by our losses from lower crowds.

If MB doesn't have a contract requiring a pay off, I'd get rid now and make Shaw caretaker until end of the season. We our going down this season. We can't afford to put next season at risk too. I'd fear for our club if we did.

I think battling relegation is preparing for next season in a way but as I said on another post we need to plan for conference north (with a heavy heart)

1. The Board needs sorting. We need to be able to operate financially on reduced gates. That means more money making efforts. We are pants at that now. Next season we’ll need to be better - all v worrying
2. Board appointment timings are wrong. They should be done at the end of the season. That would then give board members 4 months to devise plans and implement them before the start of the season.
3. Board plans should be on the club website and updated monthly so all can see what’s going on (or not) not just CFU members who can make meetings
4. Those with the time need to stop being keyboard warriors and show that they can do better than the board incumbents. That isn’t to say that they aren’t right but there comes a point when you either need to put up or shut up.
5. We need to tell players we are planning for conference north. Hopefully that will make some of the longer contract players start looking elsewhere. But we need a manager (MB or otherwise) in situ in early 2018 in whom we have faith - they will need time to plan so their vision can be put in place prior to next season.
6. We need to blood more youth players. They may not be completely ready but we will need them next season when we have no Sam Hughes money and 25% less ticket sales. At least they play for the shirt.
7. Once this change has happened we need to learn to encourage the new board and squad. Can we unlearn this as fans, given the last few years?
8. Dropping a league isn’t a panacea. In many ways we will need to be more professional next year in how we operate the club than we have shown we can be this year. You can’t knock the volunteers but at this level AND conference north clubs are businesses now and need to be run on a proper business like footing - whether fan owned or not.

To be honest, I kept it to myself, but I thought even before a ball was kicked that there was a good chance our luck would run out this time. I wasn't as convinced as some at the quality or depth of the signings, and I thought our faith in McCarthy - though somewhat touching in these times of very short patience levels in football - would probably backfire.

If relegation is pretty much a certainty then it’s a worry how low our crowds will fall. If we can only get a crowd of 1,600 on Boxing Day then it’s not inconceivable that we could be struggling to get much more than 1,000 for end of season games against unattractive opposition if our fate is sealed (realistically or mathematically). Given a fair number of those in attendance will be season ticket holders, the money coming into the club will be extremely minimal.

I've made no secret that I believe the views of Banksy as to how the club was run back in the early years are a major contributing factor to the sorry situation we now find ourselves in. He did a lot of good for the ethos of the club, and the match day experience but he championed, and still defends to this day, the whole "Conference as soon as possible boom or bust" approach which meant as a club we ran 100m in world record time before beginning to take our first steps.

Thanks and agreed. I await their response. In fact I’ve been so upset about all of this that I’ve spent a chunk of the night awake penning an email to MMcG in my head that I am now typing out to him. Although it’s largely an elaboration of what I said above. I know it may not make much difference but at least it is cathartic!

I’m not going to claim to be a footballing genius but I come at this from the business angle - and the way I see the club being run fills me with nothing but dread for the future even if someone works a miracle on the pitch. I Have been an advisor to businesses for a v long time and what I see at the club seems disfunctional. I am more than happy to pass on the benefit of my knowledge to anyone with more time than I have and who thinks it may help.

BTW - someone please remind me what MMcG’s email address is.

I think we need leadership in the boardroom, and a figurehead from the boardroom in public. Mark Maguire comes in for a lot of stick purely because he is the public figure. He is paid to be responsible for all aspects of the club, but should not have to do all the work.

We need a 5 year plan tied in to the "sustainable football club at the highest position" mission statement of the club. This should be a root and branch operation starting now, and should involve people from all aspects of the club (supporters, sponsors, governance committe, current staff, current board members, former committee members, former board members) and should be in place for the start of nect season.

I would look at all aspects of the club including

Football
Community
Fundraising
Commercial
Facilities
CFU inc matchday experience
Communication
Junior Blues
Academy
Administration
Disabled
Seniors
Etc

And where no committee exists one should be formed. All committees should meet regularly and feed back progress to the supporters on a fixed basis.

Anybody putting up roadblocks on ideas should be challenged, anybody not inputting should be replaced. There is more to being a director, volunteer or committee member than doing two hours on a matchday in your tie, and boasting about it on a CV or twitter biog.

This sharing of the workload was what got us through the early days. It also gave people a sense of ownership and belonging that I feel has long since gone.

Weve had that feeling before, and the folks who feel wanted and appreciated become your best advertisers through their preaching the gospel.

On the pitch success helps a great deal, but it isnt the be all and end all. It is a virtuous circle, the more energy and positivity off the pitch, the better we will become on it.

But Bignot is hopeless.............planning for any future includes finding the right manager and you keep on looking until you do. Bignot will only make things worse, the sooner he goes the better 

Who is it that's on 2 year deals? I can only think of K. James?

It's not the end of the world. At least everyone else can be shipped out. I don't get the whole religion of Astles. If the mistake was made yesterday by Halls there would be murder!! He's Just a wobbley mess.