Five Stages

[Athers]

It's no cheaper for away games down there, mind.

Leeds is about £35 or something isn't it

[Armchair Wanderer]

It's no cheaper for away games down there, mind.

Leeds is about £35 or something isn't it

Never been to Leeds, certainly not the stadium, don't think I've been to the city. Looking forward to it already!

[officer_dibble]

Leeds is 35 aye. Ken is afucking crook (ill be in the programme now) so probably an increase on the cards.

I entered a zen like acceptance after swansea...villa were odd cos the hope returned...I'm happy with the thought of a league more befitting our talents. Ive seen us win so few in the last 14 months its actually seeing us score more than the opposition a bit more regularly I am hoping for.

[Worthy4England]

I got to acceptance at the end of October. There is only a possible upside on Sunday.

I'm not angry, in denial or depressed. Bargaining is an interesting one, without looking up the model.

Does it mean "I promise I'll wash behind my ears every night, oh all powerful being, if you let Bolton stay up" - if it's that, I'm not doing bargaining.

If it means "I might buy a ST, if we change manager in the summer, regardless of up/down", then I might have done some of that...

[Tombwfc]

I'd say whichever one combines blind optimism with zero faith, denial probably. It's always worth the slight bit of hope, otherwise I'm not sure why I'd go.

The main reason I want us to stay up is really just for the sake of staying up. Oh, and because going down will be shit. I'm not saying the Premier League is brilliant, but it's not Stevenage at the Reebok on a Tuesday night.

[Harry Genshaw]

I thought I was at acceptance but I know there's a bit of me thinks we're going to get out of it - the same bit of me that thought we'd win the Uefa cup. The defeat at Marseille took me a few days to get over as a result.

I lost a lot of love for Football years ago and the carling cup ticket fiasco was the reason I stopped buying an ST. However, we have decided that if we go down the club will need all the support it can get and coupled with the novelty of seeing old enemies again we'll be buying ST's again.

[50sQuiff]

If we do go down, at least I'll have those away fixtures you've listed. I hate going to the London games in the Prem: it costs a fortune, we always get thrashed and it's more like a "brand experience" than a football match. So those trips will make a refreshing change.

I think I'm still at 'bargaining'. Going to be a long summer!

[norm the jedi]

Without a gazillion roubles or a couple of million barrels of sweet arabian crude behind us this is how it will be in the prem until the inevitable trapdoor..
then we drop until gravity evens out and start the climb again incy wincy wanderers..
Guess I'm in the acceptance posse... not worth slashing me wrists over...
sun'll come out tomorrow
like the proverb says 'better to travel in hope than to arrive'

[mrpiccollo]

not sure where i am at the moment but trust me its varying between rage and acceptance at the moment, i just hope we can pull out a miracle vs stoke but i doubt ill even watch the game im not sure i could cope with us being thrashed by stoke

[Hoboh]

I'll stand the ridicule on Sunday. WE'RE STAYING UP

You won't get any off me and if your right? give us 5 numbers and 2 bonus balls for tues nights euro

[Prufrock]

Thing I'm most disappointed is I'll be London way. Done Millwall, done Charlton, done Watford. Only leaves Peterborough, Palace and possibly Stevenage. Brighton hopefully. Also, this going back up lark. Coker aside, of those fit now, how many have the bottle to go and win a title? Or even win more than they lose?

[Jakerbeef]

I was in denial at the start of the season as the injuries poured in. Couldn't believe it would be a whole season without our 2 best players and an exciting third crocked too.

Anger at the fixture list dropping us in it from August onward. (It did have an effect, we played terrified at home against Norwich.)

Bargaining for Muamba. Relegate us but don't take him.

Depression. Heh, been depressed all season. With the exception of the Everton game, Klasnic's winner against QPR and 2-0 up against West Brom. It was looking rosey then.

Acceptance came round about the final whistle last weekend. I still hold a faint candle of hope, enough to watch the game but should the unthinkable happen and we lead the game at any point, I'll still be tempted to switch it off and go hide under a table.

[Bruce Rioja]

However, we have decided that if we go down the club will need all the support it can get and coupled with the novelty of seeing old enemies again we'll be buying ST's again.

Not just me thinking along those lines then? Very refreshing, Harry. Tell your kid to get his finger out as well

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Dibs: Leeds price is an anomaly. (Besides, I've got 100% record there so I wouldn't risk it.) The Champ's not cheap but it is cheaper, and a change from the same old brand workshops (as 50sQuiff rightly points out).

Tom: Stevenage or Stoke? Meh. Not been to Stevenage. Easy to roll out the "wet night in Barnsley" thing but frankly I've not had a lot of fun on the dry afternoons at Fulham.

Prufrock: I didn't think there was much fight in the 96 relegation team, but they showed some the following year. Doesn't mean this lot will but I sometimes these things surprise you.

[BWFC_Insane]

Dibs: Leeds price is an anomaly. (Besides, I've got 100% record there so I wouldn't risk it.) The Champ's not cheap but it is cheaper, and a change from the same old brand workshops (as 50sQuiff rightly points out).

Tom: Stevenage or Stoke? Meh. Not been to Stevenage. Easy to roll out the "wet night in Barnsley" thing but frankly I've not had a lot of fun on the dry afternoons at Fulham.

Prufrock: I didn't think there was much fight in the 96 relegation team, but they showed some the following year. Doesn't mean this lot will but I sometimes these things surprise you.

Galvanised by Curcic's pre season antics and ultimately "forced" sale.

Looking back at that team though, the likes of Blake, McGinlay, Thompson, Taggart, Fairclough, at the time they were a class above the championship.......I'm really not sure the same can be said of what we've got.....

EDIT: Though IF Holden and Lee come back fully fit and as good as before they obviously are a class above....

[thebish]

Dibs: Leeds price is an anomaly. (Besides, I've got 100% record there so I wouldn't risk it.) The Champ's not cheap but it is cheaper, and a change from the same old brand workshops (as 50sQuiff rightly points out).

Tom: Stevenage or Stoke? Meh. Not been to Stevenage. Easy to roll out the "wet night in Barnsley" thing but frankly I've not had a lot of fun on the dry afternoons at Fulham.

Prufrock: I didn't think there was much fight in the 96 relegation team, but they showed some the following year. Doesn't mean this lot will but I sometimes these things surprise you.

Galvanised by Curcic's pre season antics and ultimately "forced" sale.

Looking back at that team though, the likes of Blake, McGinlay, Thompson, Taggart, Fairclough, at the time they were a class above the championship.......I'm really not sure the same can be said of what we've got.....

of course not - far be it from you to resist the opportunity to write next season off before this one has even ended...

[Bruce Rioja]

Most of Coyle's signings are already proven in The Championship.

[CrazyHorse]

How come bitterness and hatred aren't included in the stages of grief? Cos that's where I'm at.

[Beefheart]

However, we have decided that if we go down the club will need all the support it can get and coupled with the novelty of seeing old enemies again we'll be buying ST's again.

Not just me thinking along those lines then? Very refreshing, Harry. Tell your kid to get his finger out as well

I'm in a similar situation, mostly due to circumstance in that I'll be back living in Bolton properly for the first time in 4 years, but I'd be more inclined to buy a season ticket if we went down than if we were to stay up.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Looking back at that team though, the likes of Blake, McGinlay, Thompson, Taggart, Fairclough, at the time they were a class above the championship.......I'm really not sure the same can be said of what we've got.....

They only seem that way in hindsight. They didn't in the Premier League, when they couldn't have fought their way out of a wet paper bag. Yer first-named man, Blake - having been bought as The Saviour, how many did he score that top-flight season? Taggart and Fairy were in the middle of a defence that lacked basic organisation. Tomo was stranded on the wing while Scott Sellars was lost in the middle.

If you were watching that season and foresaw a 98-point return the following term, then you're more of an optimist than I've ever known, or certainly seen on here...