It's always darkest before dawn (a lesson from Germany)

[DangerousSausage]

As many of you will know I have somewhat split loyalties. Having moved to Germany 12 years ago, I acquired a second team (SV Waldhof Mannheim) - a former Bundesliga team that has fallen, Notts-style, on hard times.

After a decade in the Bundesliga in the 80s, they were relegated in 1990 and were relegated again and stripped of their licence by the German FA in 2003. They were thus relegated to the fourth level - the state-level Oberliga Baden-Württemberg - for the first ever time. This wasn't like League Two or even the Conference, this was village clubs playing in front of small three-figure crowds. And worse, Waldhof simply couldn't get out of it. Protests, boycotts and home crowds of 600 followed. The club looked finished.

After qualifying for the Regionalliga in 2008 (which was now also the fourth level thanks to a reorganisation), Waldhof again ran into financial problems and were again sent packing to the Oberliga (now the FIFTH level) in 2010. The club had to start from scratch - discussions were held about dissolving the first team and instead restarting at the sixth level, or giving up the 26,000-capacity Carl-Benz Stadion and moving back to their old and dilapidated Alsenweg ground. In the end they stayed put and a new manager had to put together a completely new squad on what was called a "micro budget". The goal was consolidation. Instead, the new team thrillingly chased down the leaders, overtook them in April and sealed promotion in front of a crowd of over 18,000 (a record for a fifth division match).

Today, after three failed attempts at promotion in the play-offs (there was no automatic promotion in the Regionalliga until this season), Waldhof sit eight points clear at the top of the Regionalliga after beating their nearest rivals Saarbrücken at home in front of a crowd of more than 14,000. I was there, it was belting and it inspired me. There is still a lot of football to be playing, but Waldhof are now in a fantastic position. If they finally gain promotion to the third division, the club will be resurgent and the city will be fully behind them. The sky is the limit.

So what can Notts learn from this? Even if relegation happens, there is a way back and the future can be brighter. Waldhof have plumbed depths they've never known before not once but twice in the last 15 years, but there's a way back. Just look at these pictures, think about where they've been and remind yourself that could be Notts in a year or two, whatever happens this season. The fight for our future doesn't end in May - it's only just starting. Let's make it a good one.

 

 

[Joshua]

1 hour ago, DangerousSausage said:

So what can Notts learn from this?

Probably not but it would be nice to think the club could learn.

[steve61]

Do they make a good salad in Waldhof ?

[DangerousSausage]

1 hour ago, Joshua said:

Probably not but it would be nice to think the club could learn.

Well, it's more a message for the fans really, to keep the faith. Promotion, glory and fantastic experiences like the one I was privileged to be a part of yesterday will be up for grabs in the future too, and maybe, just maybe, the future will be brighter than the 15 years or so since we slipped into administration.

[cheeky~k8]

Alot of bad luck it seems. Theres not much fans can do really.

[liampie]

if only, i think notts fans give up easily and become very much a joke.

[batonncfc]

Notts are too big to remain in the non league for too long, lets hope they come back like mansfield and lincoln city have done.

[CliftonMagpie]

If Notts just learned that there's no easy way to gain promotion, you can't rush or gamble your way to the top. It's all about stability and understanding the opposition around you. Since 2013 we have just floated from one thing to another.

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

Better things could come, this is the way I view things and it's some inspiration at least to focus on the current situation. Hopefully once the takeover is confirmed things can improved, first task is to unite the whole club and work moving forward together as one.

[DangerousSausage]

20 hours ago, liampie said:

if only, i think notts fans give up easily and become very much a joke.

Not sure I agree with you there, our crowds have been fantastic this season, especially considering the dross on the pitch. If we stand by our club, better things will come.

[Magic magpie]

I believe we had this conversation @DangerousSausage because the team in question have a clock saying something about the amount of time in the league they stopped it when they went down. I truly believe with all my heart we are not going down we will beat this and remain a league side.

[super_pie]

U don't think it will teach us anything

[DangerousSausage]

50 minutes ago, Magic magpie said:

I believe we had this conversation @DangerousSausage because the team in question have a clock saying something about the amount of time in the league they stopped it when they went down. I truly believe with all my heart we are not going down we will beat this and remain a league side.

No, the clip above is from a fourth division match. You're thinking of Hamburg and their "look at us, we've never been relegated" clock

Whatever happens, come the start of next season we hit the reset button and something new begins. With all the hard times we've experienced, it'll be all the sweeter when we'e eventually successful. It's all the better if we're still in League Two though, obviously...

1 minute ago, super_pie said:

U don't think it will teach us anything

Well, it's more for encouragement for us fans really. A few years ago Waldhof were in a MUCH worse state than Notts, but now anything seems possible. If we hold on we can turn it around too.

[Magic magpie]

@DangerousSausage ahh right you are mate I remembered we have that convo and the feeling we had that notts could suffer that this season. But not the team in the clip  .. yeah next season will have to be a reset year we can’t carry this on we need to look at things and start thinking of a starting point.

[TheSkipper 𝕏 TheSkipperNCFC]

It would be nice to think Notts could have a fairytale ending, I would just accept seeing the club retain its football league history.

[allardyces tash]

It's been dark for the past 10 years almost, that's the standard fan package of Notts County.

1 Promotion

9 years of terror and stress, oh and bad owners!!

[upthepies]

Whatever happens there will always be a Notts County, the club will have good and bad times. Hopefully if relegation does it happen this season its something that the people in charge can learn from.

It shouldn't have happened but something has gone terribly wrong.