28th October 2023, 13.22:56
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#4-0 (permalink)
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First Teamer
Joined: Aug 2023
Racecourse Spot: none given
Real Name: none given
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Re: Article in the athletic
I won't post the whole article (I doubt it's allowed) but there are a couple of interesting snippets, among other things:
Quote:
“League Two has changed hugely since our first season up,” says Gray (Sutton gaffer), whose unbroken run of nearly 27 months managing in the basement is beaten by only Harrogate Town’s Simon Weaver and Nigel Clough of Mansfield.
“We went to Wrexham and played in front of a 10,000 sell-out. They’d just come off the back of playing in front of 22,000 at Bradford, who we have on Saturday. This is the fourth tier of English football.
“The standard of everything has gone up, including the managers I’m up against. Plus, the budgets, the size of the clubs and the players. Just look at the subs Wrexham were able to bring on against us — Elliot Lee, their top goalscorer, and Steven Fletcher, with the career he’s had.
“It is without doubt the toughest League Two ever.”
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Quote:
Sparks (Bradford City CEO), with last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Wrexham in front of League Two’s biggest attendance of the season still fresh in the mind, certainly believes the presence of the Welsh club is a positive for League Two.
“It was a fantastic occasion,” he says, “one of the best I’ve seen at Valley Parade in my five years of attending every game. The place was bouncing, which happens when all four stands are full.
“There’s an additional cost when staging a club like Wrexham but the extra income outweighs that, be it ticket sales or the kiosks being busy. Hospitality was also sold out across the board. The press box was even full, with so many wanting to cover a game that had genuine national interest.
“People do get bitter. I’ve spoken to some and they look at Wrexham in a negative way. But that’s not for me. What they have brought to the game is outstanding. The two owners seem very humble about it, too, and seem genuine.
“Sometimes, you’ve got to recognise what the opposition brings to something. The Wrexham game last week was an eye into what League One might look like should we get there.”
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