Matthew Jones (Tranmere) vs Lee Croft (Doncaster)

(Taken from: Episode 41 – Wembley Beckons)

One of West Ham or Blackpool will be back in the Premier League next season, after both came through in their Championship play-off semi finals this week. We preview next Saturday’s big game at Wembley and the key men involved. We also discuss the ‘rebranding’ of Cardiff City and are joined by Hull City blogger Rick Skelton to discuss the departures of Nick Barmby and Adam Pearson from the KC.

In League One it’s advantage Huddersfield against MK Dons in the play-offs, whilst Stevenage and Sheffield United play out a bore draw . In League Two we’re joined by Torquay fan and Experimental 3-6-1 blogger Ben Mayhew, for his verdict on their first leg defeat to Cheltenham. There’s also more love for Crewe after their 1-0 win against Southend – plus who is singing the Tetris theme on the terraces?

There’s all that plus Tranmere vs Doncaster in the second Allan Johnston Paint Trophy play-off…

Remember you can read our latest blogs at wearegoingup.co.uk and follow the show on Twitter @WAGUpodcast.

Plus to watch the video of Ben’s Torquay coverage we mentioned on the show, watch below:

Well, success would be nice!

But honestly– with Scunthorpe United finishing 18^th post-relegation, labelling our season a “success” would be violating the Trades Descriptions Act. To be avoided if possible!

It’s been a long, painful season of upheaval –where for a considerable few months, we flirted dangerously with relegation and a return to League Two for the first time since 2005. Thankfully, following an active January and a brief scoring flurry, Scunthorpe United live to fight another day, and shall be battling in League One in 2012/2013.

If you searched the Scunthorpe category on WAGU, you’ll notice it’s been a quiet 2012 for myself. With ourselves having been consistently underwhelming but avoiding Armageddon – nothing of real note has punctured the latter half of our season. We were saved by there being enough sides slightly worse than ourselves, 18^th was about fair.

Indeed, where we would have finished without re-signing David Mirfin, alongside our new cult hero  Jon “Beast” Parkin is anybody’s guess. Successive relegations without Plymouth-esque financial Armageddon is perversely impressive achievement for any side really. There was a revolving door of loanees, ranging from Sam Johnstone to Jamie Reckord and Connor MacAleny, but all never stretched to being emphatic or enigmatic sadly.

But it’s no surprise to see that fellow defender Paul Reid has been publically pleading for Mirfs to stay! Nobody has even tried to get Parkin to do the same – he’s miles out of our league financially for permanent residing. I’ll bare my backside in Scunthorpe Primark if he signs up full time!

A run of 1 defeat in 9 games through late February and March slowly guided us away from the bottom and into the relative happy bliss of mid-table mediocrity, virtual respectability and hopes for a summer season of rebuilding and pushing for brighter things next season. A particular highlight of this run was a wonderful cliché of Yeovil away.

With the first game having been postponed due to frost, (Scunthorpe fans had got as far as Cheltenham!), we desperate wanted the re-arranged fixture to be on hassle-free. So when the supporters coaches reached Bristol and were engulfed in fog – worries were rampant! Thankfully, the game managed to go on regardless, (even if the views were terrible).

And to cap being 300 miles away from home, (we weren’t back till well gone 3AM!), a Jon Parkin 94^th minute equaliser sent the 100-strong Iron contingent delirious. Whilst not the most important, it was certainly my favourite personal moment, having travelled to every single Scunthorpe United away game this season… Apologies – none of us are perfect!

If nothing else, we did have a unique record. Having drawn more games than anyone else in the entire football league – an unwanted mass of 22 draws from just 46 games. The all-time record in English professional history is 23. Bloody typical, only 1 away from matching the record!

In all seriousness though: this has long typified our woes. With manager Alan Knill having been fortunate not to have been sacked at the turn of the year with us 2^nd bottom – the fans deserve huge credit with having stuck by the manager and players though the very tumultuous year. We’re a patient bunch!

Ranging from exciting draws away to Charlton, to dull and shocking affairs against Chesterfield & Wycombe, they have marred our season: for whilst we have been defensively sound for huge parts, the goals have for far too often: sorely lacking. Chris Dagnall sold, Bobby Grant blunt. Not a good partnership or combination at all.

And the final twist in the tail is one that had been expected per se, but not quite in this manner. With the budget confirmed as being decreased for next season – it is as yet unknown as to whether we can yet build a successful team in Knill’s mould: or find ourselves creeping ever further backwards for a wee bit longer.

10 players have been released – including the likes of decent and honest club servants such as Garry Thompson, Sam Togwell, Eddie Nolan, Michael O’Connor & Josh Lillis. All have been regulars throughout the season – and despite having option of automatic renewal over some, the gaffer has instead opted for a clear-out. That by nature requires putting by-products out to pasture. Hard to take – but not shocking:  Especially when considering our financial motivations and league position.

That said – what truly was a shock was the release of adored club captain Cliff Byrne after 9 years of wonderful service that kids of dream of giving to clubs. Popular with supporters, and completing his UEFA A Licence coaching qualification in the summer – it was hoped that the blood & thunder Right-Back would be with Scunthorpe United till the cows came home.

He and the fans have been placated with the promise of a benefit match, (with him one year short of a testimonial), but it’s just not the same…

After all, he’s guided us through 3 promotions, and arguably our most successful historical purple patch. So for him to be callously let float in the wind of uncertainty post-release is heart-breaking. With Cliffy known to not be on a fortune – it was particularly perplexing.

But what can we say? This is the nature of modern football, although it’s rare you hear interviews with local radio stations where the footballer is clearly genuinely heartbroken post-release. The same is true of the fans, and the outreach of support on Twitter has been wonderful.

Nothing in football ought to surprise me anymore. For Christ’s sake, Steve Kean has still got the Blackburn job.

So with Scunny now having one goalkeeper, no full-backs: and a shockingly blunt forward line – who knows what could happen next? Indeed, I might win the lottery and invest to see the return of Cliff…

It might be the only chance we’ve got of promotion any time soon! See you all next year.

The top of League One, and the Championship were good whilst they lasted… But who really wants to go back there eh?

Written by Max Bell, We Are Going Up’s Scunthorpe United blogger

Max tweets at @UseTheLeftWing

At the end of August a 2-0 win at Bournemouth left Walsall in 10th place and, five games in, their only defeat was an unlucky 3-2 reverse at promotion hopefuls Sheffield United. It wasn’t looking too bad at all.

However, a disastrous September set the tone for the season. Three straight defeats to Brentford, Notts County and Oldham left Walsall comfortably in the bottom half, and a run of just one win in the 16 league games between that Bournemouth result and Christmas left the team, unsurprisingly, in the relegation zone.

A gutsy and spirited display at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day resulted in a valuable 2-1 win. A day that will live long in the memory of Saddlers’ fans, as on 90 minutes the score was 1-0 to Wednesday, before two injury time goals provided the highlight of the season.

Unfortunately, it was to be a false dawn. Another run of seven league games without a win left Walsall in serious trouble, and looking like, this season, the game was up. In those seven games, the performances weren’t too bad – creditable draws had been achieved away to play-off chasing Brentford and Carlisle – but it wasn’t enough, something needed changing.

It wasn’t until mid-February and the signing of Stoke City’s Florent Cuvelier on loan, that the promising performances started turning into results. The strengthening of the team had come just in time, exactly as it had 12 months earlier. Sam Mantom followed on loan from neighbours West Brom, and forward Emmanuel Ledesma returned from Argentina for his second spell with the club in March.

A further five wins and seven draws from February, March and April saw the Saddlers reach safety in the penultimate game of the season, thanks largely to the three new additions to the squad, and the four teams below them being so poor.

It was a Florent Cuvelier goal that sealed Walsall’s League One status in the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, very fitting for a teenager who has proven to be a cut above this level. He was a breath of fresh air in the midfield, and it is a shame he will not be seen wearing Walsall colours again. Bigger and better things beckon for him.

Some say achieving safety one game earlier is “progress”, but mere survival in the third tier should not be seen as success for Walsall Football Club. Thankfully this seems to be manager Dean Smith’s view too, but talk is cheap, and it will be interesting to see how well he does in his second attempt at avoiding a relegation battle.

He seems to have divided opinion amongst the supporters. Some still appear to be hailing his ‘achievements’, having pulled off the ‘Great Escape’ last season and ensured survival this season, despite having a ‘tiny budget’. But other managers have achieved far more at Bescot with similar financial constraints; Ray Graydon’s true miracle of 1998/99 in finishing 2nd ahead of Manchester City (where are they now?) being a prime example of that.

One thing is certain, he needs to learn from his mistakes of 12 months ago. Too many players he signed did not perform. It would be a nice change for a Walsall manager to build a squad capable of achieving something by August, and not in February like the past two seasons. If this happens, maybe some stability will occur, and Walsall can look forward to a boring stress-free season of WDLWDL, and not DDLDDL. Finding another Cuvelier could be key.

Being a Walsall supporter is never dull. In my 15 years supporting the team I can only remember one season (2008-09) when neither promotion nor relegation was pondered at some point. Oh for a season of mid-table mediocrity next year!

Written by Tom Miller, We Are Going Up’s Walsall Blogger

Tom tweets @likelyladtom

33 years ago this month, Graham Turner was celebrating a Football League Third Division win in his very first season in management as player-manager of Shrewsbury Town. His return as manager in 2010 created much optimism for success in the town once again, and only two years into his tenure he has provided. So what comparisons can be made, not only between Turner’s first & most recent promotion successes, but The Shrews’ prospects for retaining League One status for as long as they did in the 1980’s?

In front of a near 10,000 strong home crowd for the final home league game at the Greenhous Meadow, a solitary goal from James Collins in the 38th minute was enough to finally confirm promotion to League One for The Shrews. It was a match that Turner’s side dominated in the form of possession & chances, but it was Nicky Wroe who once again provided the opportunity for Collins to convert, with the final whistle sending the fans into pitch invasion pandemonium. Whilst Turner would have wanted the opportunity to go for the league title going into the final game, he was clearly in awe of his player’s efforts throughout the season…

“It was a surprise when we went up in 1979. And the expectations were greater this season, but we’ve got there in the end.” Turner stated shortly after claiming promotion to League One. “I’ve got to pay tribute to the players. They’ve been fantastic all season. For all the hard work they’ve put in, they deserve everything they’ve got.”

The League Two Manager of the Month for April also suggested that the art of being successful is to finish strongly, which is evidently justified in the fact that Shrewsbury were the most in-form side by winning seven & losing only once in their final ten games. Another stat, which has elevated The Shrews to promotion, is their unprecedented unbeaten home record this season in the Football League, only Manchester City look likely to match that out of all the English Leagues. Flashback to 1979 and you find one stand out similarity between both promotions. Under Turner’s first season as player/manager, The Shrews were also unbeaten at home throughout the whole season, a great credit to his coaching abilities over his career, in particular converting his playing experience into coaching as a solid defender. At no other club has he managed to lead a team to an undefeated home campaign, and as the River Severn literally and yet fittingly wraps itself around the town like his very own moat, under Turner’s helm Shrewsbury is known as ‘Fortress Meadow’.

As soon as the pitch invasion, the open top bus parade & town celebrations come to an end, preparations for League One commence. Several players have signed new contracts such as Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Chris Neal, Nicky Wroe & most notably the skipper and one of the players of the season, Ian Sharps.

Players to leave the Greenhous Meadow already are Sean McAllister, Lionel Ainsworth, Carl Regan & Ben Smith, all have shown great promise but never on a regular enough basis to cement their place in an already strong starting eleven. Turner will hope that top scorer James Collins will sign a new deal offered to the striker some time ago, with the hope that the promising young talent will endeavour to prove himself at a higher level with The Shrews.

If we follow the performance of Turner’s winning formula of ’79, the Greenhous Meadow will hopefully be home to League One or better for the foreseeable future. When promoted to Division Two as it was back then, Town spent a decade at this level with Turner leaving his post for the dizzy heights of Division One with Aston Villa in 1984. With a combination of Turner’s previous experience in League One with Hereford and a team built based on a mix of experience supported by a string of exciting young players, Town will aim to not only retain their League One status, but grow as a club in all aspects in preparation to push for even bigger honours.

As previously stated in earlier blogs, it’s been seven years of near misses for the fans, but Town have finally snatched promotion, and once more Turner is the Pride of Shrewsbury, the Pride of Shropshire!

Written by Michael Aldridge, We Are Going Up’s Shrewsbury Town Blogger

On May 23^rd 2011, the new Swindon Town manager Paolo Di Canio said he “was close to signed Lionel Messi”. In hindsight, he’s had the kind of season you can’t help but be impressed by – lighting up every game he’s been part of, appearing to be several steps ahead of the opposition and gained even more admirers than he already had.

And Lionel Messi has had quite a good season too.

Paolo Di Canio’s first season, not only as Swindon manager, but also as a manager full stop, has been little short of perfect. Many ‘experts’ wrote him off instantly and declared he would be out of the door at the first sign of trouble. Understandable, yet humorous with hindsight. What has transpired is a title-winning season, FA Cup giant-killings, a trip to Wembley and the bottom line of Di Canio still in charge of the club he joined a year ago.

The stats are the simplest way of describing the Robins’ path to glory – the best home record in the league, the most victories in the league, the best defensive record in the league. Cogito ergo sum; they’ve ended up as the best placed team. Curiously, they’ve lost ten away games, whereas a team like Crawley have lost just four. Yet, amazingly, in twenty-three home league games they’ve conceded just eight goals – seven of which came in three matches. Yes, that’s nineteen clean sheets at home, let alone including away games, all season.

Yet, when they lost at home to bitter rivals Oxford United on the 21^st August, and then lost away at Shrewsbury Town, Swindon sat 21^st in the league having lost four of their first five games. Doubt poured through the minds of Robins fans like cheap Italian wine at high-streets restaurants across Wiltshire. Had we paid untold fortunes to this man to see him leave before the first leaf fall of Autumn?

Arguably, the turning point came with Swindon’s televised victory over the team then top of the table, Rotherham United, but defeats still found themselves sown into the team’s form. The fact the team found themselves either winning or losing, and not dropping points in the form of draws proved vital as the season progressed (a stat they’ve maintained all season, drawing only one game throughout 2012). Yet as Paolo finally settled and players began to warm to his style of management, things back to bloom at the County Ground. But that’s not to say he’s always known who his best players are…

Before the season started, I wrote of the early flames of what would be Di Canio’s roaring season. Yet, the list of players he collected, and latterly disposed of is quite staggering for a level of football where money is tight. Alberto Comazzi and Ibrahim Atiku left the club after cancelling their contracts, Mehdi Kerrouche fell out with Di Canio and was shipped out on loan to of all clubs, Oxford United, and Mattia Lanzano’s contract was cancelled by the club, but curiously he later changed his mind and made his way back to the County Ground. These are just players who he had already bought in by mid-July, let alone other car-crash signings such as Leon Clarke and Lukas Magera. While he has freely acquired players left, right and centre, at a higher level where wages increase and the financial risks of failure are greater, this is something which cannot be risked from now onwards. His mistakes must be learnt with immediate effect.

That’s not to say there aren’t methods to his madness. Take Wes Foderingham in goal – pinched on loan from Crystal Palace and latterly signed permanently, he has been an incredible find and proved a constant rock, albeit a very agile one, in between the posts and surely not coincidental that Swindon have not only broken their club record for clean sheets during this season, but the fourth tier record has been rewritten.

Of course, far be it from me to reminisce just of the good times – thirty thousand Swindon fans rocked up at the Venue of Legends in March and were odds on favourites against Chesterfield in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final. They promptly walked away empty handed with a performance devoid of anything which had been witnessed by fans in the recent months before the day at Wembley. At least the heavens didn’t open, which had magnified most supporters irritation when the club last appeared in HA9 back in May 2010 against Millwall in the League One play-off final. Big days out appear to be Di Canio’s Achilles heel, if indeed he does possess such a mythological weakness – Oxford fans will continue to remind Robins fans of both derby victories this season. However, I’m sure collecting the league trophy will numb the pain over knowing their rivals up the A420 will be spending another year behind Swindon in the standings.

The past twelve months have actually been the most tumultuous and upsetting of Di Canio’s life with his father, Ignazio, and his mother, Pierina, passing away within months of one another during his time at the club. His father’s illness was actually something that stopped Di Canio becoming Newport County manager in March 2011, yet when the Swindon job arose, his father insisted on him pursuing his dream of becoming a football manager. Somewhere they’ve looked down on him and guided him through a period of his life when lesser men would have understandably walked away. The ability to separate such personal hardship and continue your fledging professional career can only stand him in good stead wherever the next few years take him.

Chairman Jeremy Wray has justifiably said that Di Canio was a “risk” – the biggest risk now however is keeping hold of the man. Di Canio has provided a catalyst of hope for Swindon Town the whole way through the club – from the Chairman to the fans – which many worried may not arrive with immediate effect after Paul Hart’s atrocious spell at the club which saw them consigned to relegation last season. Yes, they were early season favourites to bounce straight back, but so were Bristol Rovers, who have ended in mid-table, and Cheltenham Town were favourites for relegation yet ended up in the play-offs – nothing is certain in football, regardless of what level its played at.

The close season will now, inevitably, link Di Canio with various managerial positions as they become untenable and available. The enormous elephant in the room still remains West Ham United, although with Sam Allardyce on the verge of guiding them back to the Premier League via the play-offs, it could mean he receives a deserved stay of execution. Would Di Canio really want to go elsewhere other than West Ham? Although managers will come and go over the next three months, no job will arise that will honestly have Paolo bolting for the County Ground door – no Premier League team will risk going for him, and why would he leave for a Championship or League One club when his intention all along with Swindon was to get them back to the second tier of English football?

His commitment and professional to the Wiltshire club has surprised many at times, myself included. Although money inevitably talks louder than most things in these situations, he doesn’t appear swayed by moving on after one season at Swindon. He appears to have committed himself to launching Swindon onwards and upwards – not something that is a god-given right as Chesterfield have proven this season after walking away with League Two last season, but something that isn’t beyond the realms of possibility either if Di Canio stays at the club.

Players will come and go between now and the middle of August – players such as Matt Ritchie, Paul Caddis & Wes Foderingham must remain, and a proven striker must arrive. Season tickets will be sold, new fans will be found, and hype will be built. But as long as Jeremy Wray keeps hold of his Italian gaffer, Swindon Town have every hope of being the latest team to become part of the “double-bounce” phenomenon which the likes of Southampton, Norwich, Stevenage and Crawley have all enjoyed in recent years.

All together now – Paolo Di Caniooooo! Paolo Di Caniooooo!

Written by Carl McQueen – We Are Going Up! Podcast member and Swindon Town Blogger

Carl tweets at @mrcarlmcqueen

Well, the play-off dream didn’t happen after all. After tempting fate by checking the play-off dates ahead of my last blog, Albion failed to win another game all season, ending the campaign in 10th place, nine points adrift of that elusive sixth place.

Despite tailing away during the last month of the season, 2011/12 has been a season to remember for everyone involved at Brighton & Hove Albion. The opening of the Amex Stadium has, of course, been the biggest change of all, and has changed the club beyond all recognition.

I’ve watched about 30 games there now, yet I still get goosebumps every time I go through the turnstiles. As someone who remembers all the protests and petitions required to get the planning permission in the first place, it still seems barely believable that the place really is ours. To say it is a different match day experience to Withdean would be an understatement!

The club could never be accused of sitting on its laurels though, proven by the application to expand the Amex’s capacity to over 30,000. The proposal was granted planning permission by Brighton & Hove City Council less than two weeks ago, yet work is already well underway. An extra 5,000 seats will be ready for use by the start of the new season, with the rest completed by the start of 2013. If the Amex is great now, I can only imagine how good it will be when 30,000 fans are packed inside.

It isn’t just the new stadium that has made this season so special though. Our 10th place finish is the highest the club has achieved in over two decades, further proof that the club is moving in the right direction at a rapid pace. We’ve also finished above arch-rivals Crystal Palace for the first time in just as long, which is particularly pleasing for those of a blue and white persuasion!

On the pitch, Albion has signed players of staggering quality. Inevitably, that leads me onto Vicente – a man who has graced the Champions League on a regular basis, and won 38 caps for Spain during a glittering career.

It is no understatement to say the Spaniard has been a revelation on the south coast. The way he can run past opponents with such ease, always have that extra yard of pace, and see passes that no-one else can is a pleasure to watch. Chuck in the stunning goals he has scored as well, and that is some player.

Naturally, all the talk now concerns whether Vicente will sign a new contract with the club, or decide to head back to Spain. My head says he’ll choose the latter option, but then again, I never thought he’d join us in the first place! If it turns out he has appeared in an Albion shirt for the final time, he will leave us with dozens of brilliant memories, including his spectacular solo strike at Ipswich and his match winning strikes against Portsmouth. I feel honoured to have been around to witness him play for my club, as I will constantly remind my grandchildren in about 50 years time!

As well as Vicente, other players more than warrant a mention for a superb season, particularly Liam Bridcutt and Will Buckley. Despite going own goal crazy during our 6-1 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, Bridcutt has been a rock in our midfield this season, culminating in him being named Player of the Season by the fans. Aside from trying to tempt Vicente into signing a new deal, tying Bridcutt to a long term contract is Gus Poyet’s main objective this summer. It is only a matter of time before bigger fish come sniffing otherwise.

Buckley couldn’t have started the season better when he scored both goals in a 2-1 win against Doncaster in the first ever league game at the Amex. His performances during the rest of the campaign were hardly shabby either, particularly in the FA Cup win over Newcastle where he virtually beat the Premier League high flyers on his own.

For all of the players that have had great seasons, some have slipped below the standard expected, including £2.5m signing Craig Mackail-Smith. Maybe the huge price tag weighed him down, or maybe he hasn’t managed to adapt to our style of play yet – either way, I’m sure scoring just 11 times this season and ending the campaign as an impact sub isn’t what he hoped for when signing from Peterborough.

With the season now completed, attention has turned to who Poyet plans to keep for the 2012/13 assault on promotion. Poyet has already played tough in that department with the surprise release of midfielder Alan Navarro. The Liverpudlian had been a virtual ever present since the turn of the year, so would have been forgiven for being confident over a new deal.

Poyet clearly has his own ideas though, and obviously feels he can bring in players of a better calibre than the likable Navarro. If that is the case, we are set to enjoy another thrilling season in 2012/13. Roll on August!

Written by Liam Dawes – We Are Going Up’s Brighton and Hove Albion Blogger

Scott Easby (Middlesbrough) vs Steve Shea (Wycombe)

(Taken from: Episode 40 – Project Promotion (The Trilogy))

Elsewhere in League One we preview Stevenage vs Sheffield United and MK Dons vs Huddersfield in the play-offs, plus review our early season predictions.

In League Two we’re joined by Ian Townsend, the chair of the Crawley Town Supporters Alliance, after they sealed a second successive promotion on the final day with a 1-0 win at Accrington. We also catch up with Hugh Webster, our Barnet blogger for wearegoingup.co.uk – that after Martin Allen masterminded yet another last day escape with a 2-1 win at Burton Albion. We also talk relegated Hereford, plus in the play-offs preview Crewe vs Southend and Cheltenham vs Torquay.

In the Championship play-offs, there’s also West Ham’s win at Cardiff, and Blackpool’s narrow victory over Birmingham to discuss – plus Middlesbrough vs Wycombe in the very first Allan Johnston Paint Trophy play-off – and a nod to Hartlepool’s smurfs on tour at the Valley…

Remember you can read our latest blogs at wearegoingup.co.uk and follow the show on Twitter @WAGUpodcast.

Whatever happens to Scott Neilson this summer, whether he’s offered a new contract or leaves, he will be forever remembered as the player who scored the goal that sent us up to League One.

Sixty-six tense minutes had passed – Accrington had had the better of the first half, with Scott Shearer making two or three excellent saves, whereas the first 20 of the second half had seen Crawley hit the bar twice and have a header cleared off the line. Just one goal would change everything. Another Crawley attack had been cleared – Kyle McFadzean controlled the ball, and with a swift swipe of his right foot the ball was launched forward towards the diminutive Scott Neilson – he found himself in a yard of space just inside in the Accrington penalty area, but was quickly closed down by the closest defender. No matter. He controlled the ball, his back to goal, shifted the ball onto his right foot and curled the ball past the keeper – the goal that we so desperately craved had come. The end of the ground housing the Crawley fans exploded; they knew this was the goal that would send Crawley to League One.

The remaining twenty-four minutes felt like hours, but the defence held steady. Anything that Accrington threw at Crawley, Crawley headed and hacked away – each clearance met with a sigh of relief from the Crawley faithful. Another clearance, another sigh of relief; the referee looked as his watch, raised the whistle to his lips and that was that – Crawley became a League One team. Fans streamed onto the pitch, and the players were mobbed. Eventually we retreated back onto the terrace, where the promotion party continued.

And whilst we have achieved our pre-season aim of getting promoted, it has to be said that the second half of the season has been pretty poor. Seven wins in 2012, and really we struggled over the line. Considering our position at the start of the year, we should have won the league, and had it not been for numerous points not being stupidly dropped, we would have. But we got promoted and at the end of the day, that was our aim.

Quality must be added to the squad if we are to be competitive in League One; another goalkeeper as cover for Scott Shearer, and perhaps another striker are top of the list – the striker preferably being in the mould of Matt Tubbs (ie. Gary Alexander with more pace). Or Matt Tubbs himself if he fancies it. Player contracts are another issue, and of course, the manager.

Personally I think that, assuming he wants the job, the board should offer it to Steve Coppell. His enthusiasm and passion is obviously still there, despite what he said when he left Bristol City, and I really can’t see the point of getting another person from outside- after all, he knows the players by now, he’s got a lot of managerial experience and from what I’ve heard likes to player attractive football- something which for much of this season has been lacking, but a style which we are best employed playing in my opinion. Apparently Ray Wilkins has thrown his hat into the ring (my word…), but the Crawley board, for all their faults (not mentioning the sale of the league’s most potent strike force), are generally quite sensible in their decision making and, thankfully, the appointment of Steve Coppell would seem to come under that headline.

But for now, we’ll just enjoy the promotion, and bask in the glory of being a League One team…

Written by Louie Elmer, We Are Going Up’s Crawley Town blogger

Louie tweets at @LouieElmer