Our Position in Context

[oldtimer]

Now that we have confirmed a 9th place finish, a time for reflection.

In our previous 46 seasons as a EFL club, we have finished in the top half of the table on only 13 occasions. We have bettered a 9th place finish on only 5 occasions. Of the 33 seasons when we finished bottom half, 18 of those were bottom 4 finishes, 6 of which were rock bottom.

The last time we finished 9th was in 1962/63. I remember the final home game of that season we beat Newport 3 - 0 , and after the final whistle the first sod was cut in preparation for the new floodlights. The season 1963/64 was eagerly anticipated. In the event we finished bottom.

What ever is to come next, to date the season 2022/23 will count as one of our most successful seasons as an EFL Club. Let's enjoy the moment.

[Methuselah]

I just hope that history does not go on to repeat itself and with Pete Wild at the helm he will do his level best to make sure we consolidate our club's position next season..

[FanzoneFan]

Now that we have confirmed a 9th place finish, a time for reflection.

In our previous 46 seasons as a EFL club, we have finished in the top half of the table on only 13 occasions. We have bettered a 9th place finish on only 5 occasions. Of the 33 seasons when we finished bottom half, 18 of those were bottom 4 finishes, 6 of which were rock bottom.

The last time we finished 9th was in 1962/63. I remember the final home game of that season we beat Newport 3 - 0 , and after the final whistle the first sod was cut in preparation for the new floodlights. The season 1963/64 was eagerly anticipated. In the event we finished bottom.

What ever is to come next, to date the season 2022/23 will count as one of our most successful seasons as an EFL Club. Let's enjoy the moment.

Of the five seasons we’ve bettered 9th position - I’m presuming one is the season we got promoted from the Fourth Division ( now League 2) the other three are the 3 seasons we spent in the Third Division ( now League 1) out of interest what is the other occasion?

[andyg]

1931/32 we finished 5th. 1933/34 finished 8th. 1947/48 a 7th finish. These finishes were, of course, in Division 3 North at the time.

[oldtimer]

That's correct andyg. The other 2 occasions we bettered 9th position were 1966/67 when we were 3rd in Division 4, and 1967/68 when we finished 8th in Division 3. That's five in all. I suppose pedantically it could be argued that our 19th finish in 1968/69 and 23rd in 1969/70 , being in Division 3, were actually higher finishing positions, but it certainly did not feel like that at the time.

[FanzoneFan]

Thanks oldtimer and Andyg for that, much appreciated. I see in the 1932/33 season we also finished 9th - we seem to have had a good side in the early thirties. Don’t want to sound patronising but I wonder why that was, because for most of our history we’ve struggled to say the least.