Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Good riddance to the basement division
IT remains to be seen whether Cherries have said goodbye or bid au revoir to League Two. With Eddie Howe at the helm, the former could be a better bet than the latter.[LNB] One thing, however, is certain. For 12 months at least, it will be a case of good riddance.[LNB] Cherries' two-year sentence in the basement division has seemed like an eternity.[LNB] Pounding the motorways to some far-flung northern outposts must have become a chore rather than a pleasure for the club's loyal travelling supporters.[LNB] And since the Dorset club last plumbed the depths of the bottom tier in 2002-03, it has also been plain to see that some of the newer members of League Two appear to have quickly lost sight of from where they have come.[LNB] Or, in the case of perennial cellar-dwellers Rochdale, where they have been for so long.[LNB] In footballing terms, Rochdale's achievement in winning automatic promotion should be commended, while those of Morecambe, Aldershot and Dagenham & Redbridge in qualifying for the play-offs applauded.[LNB] The exploits of the Shrimps, the Shots and the Daggers have proved the gap between the Football League and the Conference has diminished significantly, arguably to its narrowest margin.[LNB] However, the world-against-us mentality of the likes of Dagenham and Accrington Stanley has done little to frank the case for automatic promotion between the league and the non-league, while Rochdale's chip-on-shoulder attitude has been baffling.[LNB] Hopefully, the mould has now been broken with the humility and good grace displayed by Burton Albion restoring some faith in Conference success stories.[LNB] However, only time will tell quite how Rochdale and their embittered manager Keith Hill will be received in League One. When it comes to spouting ill-informed claptrap, Hill, who was last night crowned manager of the year for League Two at the League Managers' Association annual awards, is in a league of his own.[LNB]
