Things to look forward too...

[Myles Francis]

The goal of &quotgetting back in the League&quot has been achieved, but what does that actually mean? Here's a few random musings:

1) League 2 having more southern based clubs than when we were last there, and some decent local games - Hereford, Cheltenham, Wycombe, Northampton, plus Barnet, Gillingham, Southend, Aldershot (possibly), and Shrewsbury (southern-ish!).

2) First round of the League Cup.

3) The Johnstones Paint Trophy.

4) TV highlights on BBC1 on a Saturday night.

5) Cancelling my order for the Non-League Paper (but not until after next Sunday's!).

6) League funding for the youth system.

7) A welcome to the League payment (reverse parachute).

No longer being the biggest fish in the smallest pond and the unwelcome attention that brings.

9) Being in a League where just 72 points from 46 games would be enough to reach the play-offs.

[boris]

And don't forget - appearing on FIFA 11 (just in time for Jason's birthday, dammit).

[slappy]

15 new grounds for me to visit (or 14 if Rotherham get promoted)
[Edit] || Morecambe's new ground assuming they don't make it through the play-offs[/edit]

[SmileyMan]

Playing at Gillingham, nice for us exiles in Kent (Websfleet doesn't count)

[x586]

Playing at Burton Albion, which is my 'local' ground. Pity Notts County got promoted, but there is always Chesterfield and Northampton in easy range.

Also looking forward to not hearing (hopefully) anything more from Andy Burgess. Ditto, Brian Lee.

[boris]

New grounds for me: Shrewsbury, Chesterfield, Morecambe, Rotherham (praps), Accrington Stanley, and, surprisingly, Hereford.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

A semi decent fixture list (which doesn't result in us having played both home and away fixtures before Christmas!).

[A-Ro]

New grounds for me: Shrewsbury, Chesterfield, Morecambe, Rotherham (praps), Accrington Stanley, and, surprisingly, Hereford.

Do I take it from this that Shrewsbury have a new ground? because I swear I parked behind you at Shrewsbury a few years back.

[boris]

Indeed. Shrewsbury, Chesterfield (next season) and Morecambe (next season) all have new grounds, while Rotherham are currently playing at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.

[Yorkie]

No more reasonably local away grounds than this last season for York(shire)-based fans. We're losing Bootham Crescent, obviously, and gaining only Valley Parade unless Rotherham fail to be promoted tomorrow night.

It's not so long ago that we had league fixtures at Doncaster, Huddersfield and Hull in the same season. We'll still be two divisions below two of them, possibly all three if Hudds win tonight, but we've surely got momentum now and can hope to go on to higher things.

As a York resident for 8 years now (Headington for 25 years before that), my preferred scenario this season was for both Oxford and York to be promoted, automatically and via the playoffs respectively, and that was a distinct possibility until the Us' lean spell in the new year. Martin Foyle said nice things about the Us and Chris Wilder in an article about his career in the local press Wembley supplement on Saturday, including &quotIt's a shame only one club can make it back into the League tomorrow&quot. Maybe next year for York ... rather than Luton, anyway.

Wembley on Sunday was a fabulous experience, as much so as my recollection of 20 April 1986, when I took my then 11-year-old son and friends. Those three seasons in Div 1 made him a Us supporter, though like me not a regular attender - he occasionally goes to games in the London area, where he lives. This time he got our tickets (the system rejected my application because of the YO postcode ..., plus some for three of his local friends including an AFC Wimbledon fan. It was probably groups like ours that accounted for the massive numbers of Oxford supporters in the stadium. For York fans the silly 5pm Sunday kickoff and the cost and practicalities of travel were a real deterrent - not a problem for me as, being retired, I was free to stay overnight in London and get a Monday morning train home.

The return to the league emphasises how depressing the last few years have been, going to venues like Farsley and Gateshead against teams with paltry support. Maybe some Div 4 grounds will be equally unappealing, but we're on the way back towards our rightful place in the footballing world.

[Dartford Ox]

Playing at Gillingham, nice for us exiles in Kent (Websfleet doesn't count)

I concur - but don't talk about Ebbsfleet like that in front of my wife.

[Ancient Colin]

Well, I won't be able to cycle to the games at Cambridge and Histon I keep Stevenage, lose Rushden (I suppose there is Northampton) and Luton and swap Dagenham for Grays (oh joy) and, I suppose, Barnet for Hayes. Lincoln is, I guess, &quotin my region&quot. But we are up and out - I'll take the travel.

[YF Dan]

Things to look forward to next year:

Going up again. Bradford will be up there next year, but as Dagenham, Morecambe, Aldershot have all shown...League two is not a great deal better than the Conference.

I'm extremely confident this time next year we'll be celebrating again.

[Sideshow Rob]

Getting the fixtures on June 171th because be don't have to wait for an idiot with a pen and paper.

Proper local derby games against Wycombe (albeit the 3rd best derby).

Symbolic appearance on the football pools coupon.

[Matt D]

this:



on our shirt's sleeve.