NL Play-offs

[O4anotherplayoff]

I didn’t see their playoff game. But the pitch didn’t stop us beating them! Norwood’s injury time winner arguably a big turning point in our promotion season.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Chris Conn-Clarke would be a fantastic signing

Having a medical today ahead of a move to Peterborough, according to one journo.

 

[Sparky]

Having a medical today ahead of a move to Peterborough, according to one journo.

I guess if someone has scored close to 20 goals in the NL and is in contract then those sorts of fees are out of our range these days.

 

[bigmart]

Having a medical today ahead of a move to Peterborough, according to one journo.

They will get him on a long contract, be interesting to see how he gets on with the step up.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Fee rumoured to be around £350k!

Yes, interesting to see how he does. Posh have a good record of getting value from non league but this looks a bit more than just a punt.

 

[ADD]

Fee rumoured to be around £350k!

Yes, interesting to see how he does. Posh have a good record of getting value from non league but this looks a bit more than just a punt.

Also a 3 year deal with an option on a 4th! Big commitment that. Portsmouth and Ipswich also supposedly interested

 

[Salfordwhite]

Fee rumoured to be around £350k!

Yes, interesting to see how he does. Posh have a good record of getting value from non league but this looks a bit more than just a punt.

I remember Danny Lloyd going from Stockport to Posh albeit on a free i think he jumped at up at least two divisions.

 

[ONIGP]

I remember Danny Lloyd going from Stockport to Posh albeit on a free i think he jumped at up at least two divisions.

Jumped up 3, then followed it by dropping down 2!

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Pretty sure it was Barry Fry’s arrival at Posh that got them seriously scouting and recruiting from non league, quite a few years ago now. He knows that scene inside out. Think he’s still involved with the club too.

 

[bigmart]

Pretty sure it was Barry Fry’s arrival at Posh that got them seriously scouting and recruiting from non league, quite a few years ago now. He knows that scene inside out. Think he’s still involved with the club too.

He is the Director of Football there.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think MacAnthony's money has made the difference for Peterborough. For many years they have been in a position to spend hundreds of thousands on players from lower divisions, the majority of whom will have been known to other clubs, but were simply out of their price range. As long ago as 2007 they spent £260,000 on George Boyd.

They have raised huge sums in transfer fees by investing heavily to begin with, but if you don't have sufficient cash for an initial outlay that strategy is very difficult to implement.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Yes, for sure, since MacAnthony took charge, Posh have had the resources to up their game considerably. Just as well, as the non league market today is very different to the one Fry began tapping into to good effect in the 90s, with professional contracts not uncommon these days as low as Step 2 and, in a few cases, even lower.

That said, there’s still plenty of value to be had in non league if you know where to look. Crawley have been a great example of that this season, which I guess is largely down to Lindsey’s knowledge and experience of non league. Closer to home, Accy have been a good example over the years too. We, on the other hand, don’t seem to have that knowledge and experience, probably not since Brabin left.

Talking of which, I was surprised to hear recently that he’s still the Director of Football at TNS. Even though that’d never have been a full time role, they’re still a full time club, so he’s done well to find an arrangement that suits both TNS and Oldham. I noticed too that Oldham recently got rid of both their first team coach and goalkeeeping coach, neither afaik being replaced, so there could be some belt-tightening going on there now. Either that or Micky’s still waiting for Dawesy to say yes..

 

[Boz]

Peterborough as a club very much a yo-yo team despite the considerable resources pumped into their development model. Have they ever had the right manager to make it work properly?

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

I don’t know, it could be argued that being a yo-yo club between Championship and L1 represents good progress under MacAnthony as, barring a brief flirtation with the second tier in the 90s, they’ve always been a lower division club.

Might even be their ceiling. I wouldn’t bet against them getting back into the Championship sooner than later, but consolidating and establishing themselves at Championship level looks a tall order these days with so many bigger and wealthier clubs in it. Certainly a much taller order than when we were last at that level.

 

[Boz]

I don’t know, it could be argued that being a yo-yo club between Championship and L1 represents good progress under MacAnthony as, barring a brief flirtation with the second tier in the 90s, they’ve always been a lower division club.

Might even be their ceiling. I wouldn’t bet against them getting back into the Championship sooner than later, but consolidating and establishing themselves at Championship level looks a tall order these days with so many bigger and wealthier clubs in it. Certainly a much taller order than when we were last at that level.

They’ve had a couple of fairly short-lived spells in the Championship alongside longer periods in L1. Certainly a lot better than Rovers recently and I don't disagree with your broader point about it being a relative success. Do wonder if someone other than Ferguson managing could make more of the present set-up though.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Do wonder if someone other than Ferguson managing could make more of the present set-up though.

I’d agree with that. He’s never particularly struck me as a top L1 manager, and certainly not a Championship manager-in-waiting.

 

[Am on mobile]

Imagine if Rover's did manage to get back to the championship. Palios would dodo himself he would have to spend big time just to be in a relegation fight no matter compete. In all reality it will never happen again. Until someone has oodles of cash to burn