ComeOnYouUll wrote:It's a hypothetical point now thankfully with the new owners but I still believe there's no chance we would have only had 3000 members.
For me, the only way our core support would fall to the 3000 level would be on the back of a prolonged spell of being stuck in the Championship.
Even if we had been relegated at the end of last season, I still think the numbers would have been way above 3000 (all other factors still being in place). A lot of fans would have looked at it as a point at which the club turned itself around (again, assuming other factors such as financial sustainability did not radically alter our situation). There is also the likely fact that we would be watching a winning side most weeks which tends to put a smile on most people's faces, even if we were winning in a lower league. People like to watch a winning side whatever the circumstances!
I would go even further and make a claim that there are possibly at least 3000 supporters who would continue to follow the club come what may, whatever the circumstances, virtually to the point of the club's oblivion (if it were to come to that end). Even an extended prolonged residence in the lower-tier might not see our following dip below the 3000 mark. For a significant section of our fan base this is a life habit which they seem unable to break, and I think that would continue to be the case. I think some on here underestimated that aspect of our core supporter base.
Anyway, it's all hypotheticals as you say. We didn't get relegated, we're still here, we're still in business, there is a renewed sense of optimism around the club (for the first time in a number of years) and, by and large, the faithful still appear to be on board for the ride ahead.
I reckon the moral of the story is, never underestimate the durability, stubbornness, stoicism and sheer bloody-mindedness of your normal black & white faithful. We're an odd-ball lot, and no mistake, but that's who we are! (God bless us, eh!!).
