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[Hugh]

It might not feel it now, but only because we lost a Cup final and a Trophy semi. Whilst there is much that could be improved, there is also much to be positive about:

We got more points than last season (admittedly only because of the now defunct Macc Town);
We stayed up by 8 points;
We got the (joint) most points we've ever had in a 46 game season;
We reached a Trophy semi for the first time in 32 years, only missing out on a Wembley return with FC Halifax's last kick of the game;
We reached a first CSC cup final for 12 years;
We ended the season with a 4 game unbeaten run (in normal time);
We coped reasonably well with the switch to FT football.

If you'd offered me 17th after the Aldershot Town home game, I'd have snapped your hand off. I'd have settled for 60 points all day before the start of the season, and we were only four points short (probably partly because of the Welsh FA). With the money from the Trophy run, Seedrs and transfers (plus I suppose a little from the CSC), we should be well placed to improve again next season. If it is 71 points for the play offs again, we shouldn't be too far away.

[Saughall Robin]

I'll have a pint of whatever you're on. 😊

[Alty Bri]

I think it was a reasonable assessment of the situation in general. I really do think though that we need to stop talking about the play offs. Without serious investment in the playing personnel, this is just a pipedream unfortunately.

[distancetraveller]

I think it was a reasonable assessment of the situation in general. I really do think though that we need to stop talking about the play offs. Without serious investment in the playing personnel, this is just a pipedream unfortunately.

Agreed

[Hugh]

I think it was a reasonable assessment of the situation in general. I really do think though that we need to stop talking about the play offs. Without serious investment in the playing personnel, this is just a pipedream unfortunately.

Ok, let's take a look at the other clubs from Woking down to us. Any supplementary information welcome:

4th) Woking - decent crowds but no big investment that I've heard of;
5th) Barnet - poor crowds. Do they have an investor?
6th) Boreham Wood - poor crowds but a lot of investment to geet them this far;
7th) Bromley -  decent crowds and some success in recent seasons but no big investment;
8th) Southend - a big club who should be too strong for us if they get thingssorted off the pitch;
9th) Eastleigh - not much bigger crowds than us and no big investment I've heard of (they even had to take seats out of their stand);
10th) Dagenham And Redbriidge - poor crowds but an investor, last I heard;
11th) FC Halifax Town - similar crowds to us and no big investor, and managed fourth place recently;
12th) Oldham Athletic - a big club who should challenge for promotion;
13th) Wealdstone - poor crowds and no big investor;
14th) Gateshead - small crowds and no big investment;
15th) Solihull Moors - small crowds but substantial investment;
16th) Dorking Wanderers - small crowds and no big investor (even if it won't feel like that for their founder);

Certainly top 7 will be very difficult, but we can definitely make the top half, and there isn't that much of a gap between 12th and 7th, and who knows how things might change in the future? Having got to mid-table, the play offs certainly long term is an obvious target.

[Alty Bri]

You can probably add Fylde to that list.

We lost our best two players to Chesterfield and Rochdale respectively - you'd think that both those teams would be higher than us.

Without significant investment in the playing personnel, our ambitions should be 1) a top half finish (that would be a real achievement) 2) a trip to Wembley 3) a cup tie against a top league club.

[Hugh]

Didn't Fylde once sign our top player and get relegated? I guess one could say it's progress if teams who sign our top players challenge for promotion!

Southend also signed our top player and finished 8th - not too many points above the top ten finish I believe could be achieved with a bit of luck. For myself,  I would particularly like to get at least 11th, and finally improve on our best post-Maunders finish. Looking on the bright side, this is now three seasons of fairly comfortably avoiding relegation from this level - another post-Maunders first!

[MarpleAlty]

I honestly don't know what to make of this season - so many highs and so many lows - but I think we were safe quite a long time ago, let's be fair.

We've weathered the storm of player sales, loanees returning to parent clubs, long term injuries, and high player turnover in the summer.

The management team still has a lot to learn in terms of game management, and we've shipped a lot of goals.

I do think we'll recruit well and I'm sure we'll be stronger for the fact we're now 12 months into full time football.

A slightly more orthodox season next year might be nice.

[Bob]

I think it was a reasonable assessment of the situation in general. I really do think though that we need to stop talking about the play offs. Without serious investment in the playing personnel, this is just a pipedream unfortunately.

Ok, let's take a look at the other clubs from Woking down to us. Any supplementary information welcome:

4th) Woking - decent crowds but no big investment that I've heard of;
5th) Barnet - poor crowds. Do they have an investor?
6th) Boreham Wood - poor crowds but a lot of investment to geet them this far;
7th) Bromley -  decent crowds and some success in recent seasons but no big investment;
8th) Southend - a big club who should be too strong for us if they get thingssorted off the pitch;
9th) Eastleigh - not much bigger crowds than us and no big investment I've heard of (they even had to take seats out of their stand);
10th) Dagenham And Redbriidge - poor crowds but an investor, last I heard;
11th) FC Halifax Town - similar crowds to us and no big investor, and managed fourth place recently;
12th) Oldham Athletic - a big club who should challenge for promotion;
13th) Wealdstone - poor crowds and no big investor;
14th) Gateshead - small crowds and no big investment;
15th) Solihull Moors - small crowds but substantial investment;
16th) Dorking Wanderers - small crowds and no big investor (even if it won't feel like that for their founder);

Certainly top 7 will be very difficult, but we can definitely make the top half, and there isn't that much of a gap between 12th and 7th, and who knows how things might change in the future? Having got to mid-table, the play offs certainly long term is an obvious target.

If by investors you mean owners and directors who underwrite big losses with share issues or loans, then I'd say only Dorking, Halifax and Wealdstone wouldn't be on that list. Aldershot would probably sneak into that class too.

Incidentally, York and (to a lesser degree) Maidenhead are heavily bankrolled, as are Fylde and Ebbsfleet who have been promoted.

[HashtagAlty]

Are Woking not absolutely minted? Just not Wrexham level? I'm not beinf facetious for once. I thought the same but soneone corrected me

[Bob]

Are Woking not absolutely minted? Just not Wrexham level? I'm not beinf facetious for once. I thought the same but soneone corrected me

Yes, or rather massively bankrolled

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1630925325528977413?t=cXi7lxxgvPHaAGjNdkPSAg&s=19

[Hale Alty]

I seem to keep seeing that Wrexham are a village community club that have come from absolutely nowhere and defied the odds to gain promotion.

[wayno]

Are Woking not absolutely minted? Just not Wrexham level? I'm not beinf facetious for once. I thought the same but soneone corrected me

Yes, or rather massively bankrolled

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1630925325528977413?t=cXi7lxxgvPHaAGjNdkPSAg&s=19

wow and you would imagine they won't go up either. This goes back to the rock and hard place

We need significant investment in the ground surely only possible with loans and fundraising

At the bear minimum we need to take down the popular side apply to take it back and up into the car park adding toilets function areas alty tv area etc etc ... Not an easy task given residents planning permission etc etc as it would not be popular in the immediate vacinity

I also imagine the main stand needs a full refurbishment or removing 

In my perfect world of us being able to do that we would then use the money we have for a bigger budget for players

The other difficult option is walk away from the ground ( history etc and significant money spent on the pitch area) to a new location within 2/3  miles another very challenging issue given scant suitable areas available in the borough and cost of land

[Altyrocket]

 I would build a new main stand on the pop side, thus allowing the old stand to continue to function whilst construction took place. That may appease objections as the main stand plot rebuilt would then have a lower height then currently. only issue would be standing area or just seats. And I know that will cost a fortune we do not have, but with the right function rooms and hospitality it may work in the long term.