End of a very disappointing season. Same again next season.

[busby1966]

As a very disappointing season draws to a close I was hoping for a club statement along the lines of “The club thanks manager Graham Drury for his efforts over the last three seasons but have decided it is time for a change”. I think most supporters would share that view. Then I saw the back page of the Mercury today “New deal for Drury as Daniels manager has a point to prove”. Surely he has had more than enough time to do that.?

It got worse when I read the article. He said he’s going to have a busy summer recruiting new players something he failed to do this season. He also said we’ve missed the qualities of Delroy Gordon and Henry Eze. We have but they left at the end of last season. Last season our biggest weakness was scoring goals. Same again this season.


He ends by saying players missing for the Cleethorpes game will give him chance to look at younger lads. We’ve had two young players on contract all season but both have spent most of the season on loan.


We’ve lost so many points in games that we were in a winning position. The Mercury says 11 games and I can remember several when I’ve gone home thinking how did we not win that game. In a normal work life, a manager of a team repeatedly making the same mistakes would probably have been sacked long before it got to 11.


A poor decision by the directors.

[y]

i agree i have had enough of dreary drury teams he seems to think if he can get one striker who can score 20 goals a season that it would get him promoted it wont he is a one trick pony. look at peterborough sports they have a manager who knows what it takes to win a game. contributions from at least 3 players and others with the odd goal to keep them ticking over.107 goals this season and promoted to level 3 of the non league. if the directors wont get rid of drury , then maybe its time they left.

[Dean]

I don't want rid of him. Certainly not yet. If we look like we're struggling in October, i will think differently, but for now let's keep the faith.

[ryhallite]

Amazing. Wait until October, that could be 15 league games gone. Do you think progress of any sort has been made in three season, if so would like to know your reasoning. On a plus side I am amazed that the crowds have held their own, considering the seeming negativity towards the Manager, just shows that supporters appear to support the Club, not the Manager.

[StamfordShrew]

If the board had got rid of him, who would they replace him with, popular choice among many supporters ‘Jimmy Dean’ is going to get a crack at step 3 and if he starts doing well will probably end up at Boston.
Frecklington will be a free agent on Saturday evening, but I would imagine a step 3 club will snap him up.
So let’s face it we are stuck with Drury next season,let’s hope he can recruit the same standard of players like last season and a decent striker, because majority of this seasons recruits have been dog turd.

[weareleeds]

Don't see the reasoning behind keeping him till October we could be in a relegation scrap by then and none of the players we currently have would be able to fight out of paper bag .Has for a 20 goal a season striker we would have to pay big money I keep buying my lottery ticket but so far I haven't won so keep dreaming

[justin123]

I Really cant believe that the club has gave Drury another contract he just tell you how far the club wants to go backwards we will struggle to get 250 a game next season If Drury could get the players he would have done this season so how will he next please some one tell me

[weareleeds]

Good point on the players Justin I think some people on here are a bit deluded they we are Stamford and everyone wants to play for us rather than a more successful team drury has to go and so do most of the useless players we currently have

[justin123]

I do think the board should listen to the fan I think the majority of the fans think he should go

[redarmy1]

Had to register just to show my disgust at Drury been given another contract he’s done nothing but take us backwards the board want us back in the ucl. Drury just do the everyone a favour and resign you’ve had 4 seasons give Challinor a chance to take us forward

[justin123]

I form over the last ten game were relegation form so next season let's get ready for fight but at the wrong end

[weareleeds]

Don't think the board would want us back in the UCL that would be a massive mistake great facilities but only 50 fans pointless I thought they wanted us in the conference north within so many years

[y]

sack the board

[emj]

Yes it’s been a disappointing season for us but we need to get behind Graham and the players. We have some great players in our squad and a passionate manager so need to approach next season with positivity. Support is very appreciated at the club so I, like many others, have renewed my season ticket. Hope to see you all next season too.

[weareleeds]

Passionate he maybe but tactically he is not losing 3.0 he takes probably our best attacker off I will be there next season to shout my support for the boys in red

[justin123]

We have only 3 may be 4 who should be with us next season yes Graham is passionate but he cant attract the players he will be going back to his old black book next season

[Richard]

Apr 27, 2019 14:07:57 GMT y said:

sack the board

Very easy to say sack the board.

If you want to know some of the jobs that board members do then here goes. Who edits the programme, updates the website, does updates for supporters who cannot make games, who does the tannoy, who writes match reports for away games. This is only some of the tasks of one director.

Who gets the commercial sponsorship, who runs the bar, who runs the 200 club, who does the match day admin.

All of this is done without financial reward so we can provide funds to enable us to have a football team. Most board members will be doing football club work on most days of the week, they do this while managing their work and home life.

People are very quick to criticise but very slow to praise. Yes this has been a poor season but the way to improve is for everyone to work together to grow our great club on and off the field.

[justin123]

Yes the board dose a great job but that dose not change what happening on the pitch yes I agree we do have a great club but disagree regarding on the pitch

[weareleeds]

All the volunteers do a tremendous job unfortunately it's the manager and players who get paid who are the ones that are letting the club down yesterday result was embarrassing could someone on the board please explain how they came to the decision to give him an extension on his contract surely they hear on the terrace how the fans are feeling or don't they care

[dwatch]

Quit moaning just try and be positive and get behind the players and the manager and appreciate that we have a good football club that could be a great one if everyone accepted the boards decision and support not criticise

[weareleeds]

Ok dwatch will try and see what next season has to offer

[justin123]

How can people accept the decision when the majority of people thinks it wrong

[thechump]

I can see this point of view but as a supporter I give approximately 2 hours on a Saturday to the club and probably £300 a year on tickets. 50/50 and burgers. I am positive that the board give many, many times over the hours that I do and probably the money. I don't agree with the decision to keep Drury but the board have the clubs interests at heart and are also privy to all of the financial implications that certain decisions would have. We need to accept their decision, move on and get behind the club as a whole.



Next season can't get much worse than yesterday so it is onward and upward!

[stillfatoldgit]

To say that Drury can't attract good players is nonsense. If they are that bad how come so many of them left during the past season to join higher clubs? It must be so frustrating for the manager to work his socks off to persuade quality players to come here only for other clubs to poach them with better offers. Had he been allowed to keep all of his signings this season would have been so much enjoyable and successful. The club's prudent policy of never overspending beyond income is correct compared to the "boom and bust" history of many others - but the inevitable downside is seen on the pitch. Our attendances and facilities are superior to most clubs at our level so we must either find ways of additional income or search lower leagues to discover and bring on new talent to progress. Proven talent costs big bucks and the blame for poor performances shouldn't be on the shoulders entirely of the manager or board who have to do their best with what we can afford. OK poor tactics or motivation are firmly down to the manager but his hands are tied player-wise by budgets.
While on the subject of the board, those who want to sack them should read and re-read Richard's excellent posting. They are all unpaid volunteers who devote much time, anguish and, yes, their own money to keep the Daniels both solvent and comparatively successful. Would those misguided few who call for the board's sacking be willing or able to take on this huge responsibility? We all know the answer to that, don't we Justin?

[weareleeds]

Perhaps I don't realise what the board do behind the scenes but being a supporter who pays my 10 pounds this season has been rubbish I'm not the only one I hear all the moaning end of matches like things have to change its not just 1 or 2 saying this .The last few games at home surely the board can see people are not happy and as for yesterday well

[anon]

And I suppose if we got a new man in back in February/march who didn't perform well until now Justin would still be calling for his head??

[justin123]

Like I said before the board dose a fantastic job but I feel Graham has had time to get us out of the league give chally the job it cant be much worst

[dantheman]

I can see why the board have offered Graham another year, but I'm sure there are slight changes to his contract in terms of performances and bringing youth through. If you look back at Grahams three seasons two of these have been great, the cup run was amazing and last year to get to the play off final was a great journey! I think we all agree this year has been disappointing and Graham would be the first to admit this too.

I genuinely don't think we are too far away, but without doubt we need a decent striker, it's frustrating when you see ex Stamford players scoring goals(Elliot Sandy), but I suppose that happens at all levels.

The other way to look at it is, who would we have been able to bring in, there aren't a huge amount of options and it would mean even more upheaval. I'm sure the board would have garnered a few of the senior players opinions before offering the new contract.

If we can keep the key individuals for next season, Morgan, Haysted, Armstrong, Burgess, Cooke, Eggy and the likes of Adams and Peasgood get more game time and we secure that elusive striker there could be a few people eating humble pie.

My fingers are firmly crossed for a good start both in league and cup which will help with crowd numbers and creating some momentum. If we get this then who knows!!!

[chewy]

Having read all the posts on this thread I find the one posted by SFOG the most reasoned and balanced although personally I would have been perhaps a little mess generous in supporting the manager. I also take on board the comments made by Richard it is just too easy to forget that it is public spirited volunteers like him who
Enable the club to function. I always think that when you support a club through thick and thin it's because there is an emotional investment there and it's not in the
DNA to cashin that investment. Graham has been appointed for next season so good luck to him. SFOG made the point about club income which I think a particularly
Important matter. The club appears to have a history of being prudently run which suggests that expenditure could be increased only if income increased,this seems like stating the blindingly obvious.l. I will willingly be corrected on this as I do not have the facts and would happily be enlightened.
All are in agreement that it was a disappointing season particularly after last season and in the way wins were conceded in a number of games. Time marches
And that is behind us and we will be looking forward to next season and after a few early wins the mood will change.

[Marc]

Sure I’ve said it before but NL football is littered with the ghosts of clubs where they spent beyond their means.

More often than not it was because one person or a small group of people were pumping money into the club.

When this person becomes bored or has a major disagreement with other long standing board members then they withdraw the money and the dream is gone.

Then there are the clubs who persistently employ creative accounting to get success. For some reason the names Nuneaton and Ilkeston apply. Even our Grantham contributors very nearly had no club due to people mis-managing affairs off the field. They did very well to come back from that and not just become a Phoenix club.

We can all call for another local manager to take over, but Peterborough Sports are undoubtedly throwing money at it. They have players with proven step 2 experience who will not come cheap despite some people on here protesting our budget is higher. It’s been a disappointing season by ours and GD’s standards but as pointed out above we forget quickly about the previous 2 seasons.

The board and all other volunteers deserve credit. Will be much better to still have a club to watch in 5 years than try and gamble on promotion in a league where some clubs are signing players who less than 12 months before started an EFL championship game.