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James Constable has signed for Eastleigh. They already have Stuart Fleetwood up front, and are after Jack Midson too. With the money they're spending, we have no way to compete against them. They could be a good bet for a play-off spot at least.

Jesus Christ Almighty, imagine those as a front three in the Conference. They'll get 100 goals between them. Might as well hand them the trophy now and just play for second place.

Matt.

Gulliball wrote:James Constable has signed for Eastleigh. They already have Stuart Fleetwood up front, and are after Jack Midson too. With the money they're spending, we have no way to compete against them. They could be a good bet for a play-off spot at least.

They also have Jai Reason - 21goals last year

Strikers Craig McAllister who got 15, Ben Wright (although a loanee) who got 13, Ben Strevens with 11goals and mentioned Fleetwood who got 11.

Wouldn't actually be too worried by these signings. Constable has scored a few goals but has always struck me as a striker who really doesn't have too much skill. McCallister has never been league standard and Fleetwood is way over the top.

brucie wrote: and Fleetwood is way over the top.

What, at 28 ? I take it you would be none too impressed if we did actually sign 39 (well he will be at the end of August!) year old Jamie Cureton then Brucie!

I take you mean age ... when you say " over the top".

What I meant was Fleetwood has gone downhill in his career big time. Thats why he is playing for Eastleigh. Everyone wants goalscorers and the fact that he was playing in a league lower than the conference last year tells its own story - he is basically a limited player.
I will concede that Constables signing is a good one for them - quite odd that he would consider dropping into the Conference when he must have got offers from league clubs - all about money I suppose.
With gates of 700 though signing a shedload of players on big money is unsustainable.
Personally not quaking in my boots over Eastleigh and can't see them walking the league at all.

Do we have wage cap rules in the Conference? I'm guessing with those gates Eastleigh would be in big trouble with their wage bill should they ever make it to the League.

brucie wrote: With gates of 700 though signing a shedload of players on big money is unsustainable.
Personally not quaking in my boots over Eastleigh and can't see them walking the league at all.

It's amazing what a bit of success does though, I can well remember Crawley having a very similar average home gate when we were last down in the Conference but then the money men came in and their attendances leapt, same with Fleetwood too. I wonder how many of their " fans " will make it to Wembley on Monday!

Just checked ....

Crawley Town
Average att. 2013-14. 3486
Average att. 2007-08. 1042

Fleetwood Town
Average att. 2013-14. 2819
Before their investor came in ..... 1 man and his dog!!!!

I'm pretty sure there is not a wage cap in the conference, found this written about a year ago suggesting there should be a wage cap in the non-league, so take it from that there isn't one.

http://theballisround.co.uk/2013/06/15/ ... ay-part-1/

Eastleigh's ground needs improvements to get it to league standard,apparently.(Chris Todd player-coach there.)

Behind-the-Gulls wrote:Eastleigh's ground needs improvements to get it to league standard,apparently.(Chris Todd player-coach there.)

They only just have spotlights in the corner, let alone any stands!

Bloody hell that is a hovel - makes Plainmoor look like Wembley

Actually they have fantastic facilities that put Plainmoor to shame. They also make excellent use of them so I wouldn't get on your high horse Terry. They are a forward thinking club, can we say the same?

Interestingly they have just purchased a 2000 capacity stand to bring their stadium up to scratch ..... Indeed it may seem quite familiar to some of our fans when we go to visiit ... they bought it from Exeter Chiefs!

http://www.eastleighnews.co.uk/2014/05/ ... hs-future/

I can't wait until L1 is packed full of shit clubs like this. All getting 3000 "die hards" (since 2009) through the gates, all paying £8000/week to their Championship quality players who all insist it's about being at "such a great club".
The internet trolls who'll come here over the next few years, telling us their club is different from all the rest, their Chairman's carpet warehouse in Huddersfield made £6,000,000 last year and he's using it all on players. Telling us how he'll never walk away and won't stop spending until they're in the Premier League and how we're a shit, tin-pot outfit because their new ground will hold eleventy billion fans and Plainmoor won't and never will.
I'll laugh at all that, it'll be brilliant, I can't wait, but you know when I'll laugh hardest?
It'll be when the Chairmen start realising that they're running out of money and pull their respective plugs.
How I'll chuckle as we watch club after club collapse into a pile in the pub leagues, their loyal supporters back to watching Man Utd on telly instead. Their endless begging "Save Our Club" appeals on Twitter, forever crying out for retweets from Stephen Fry and Jake Humphrey.
The scenes of fans crying into their Conference Playoff Final 2015 scarves outside the High Court as they're issued with yet another winding up order.
There'll be some who'll peddle the "think of the true supporters" line, but you know what? **** them too. They knew what was coming and they joined in anyway. This isn't a new thing anymore, we've had this for years now. Watching clubs like Leeds, Portsmouth, Wolves spend miles beyond their income, only for it to fall on its arse. Those clubs were the lucky ones. Have a look at Rovers, Stockport and others who don't have a 20,000 strong fanbase to see them through.

Eastleigh are currently outbidding some Championship clubs in terms of salary. Knowing what we're paying and knowing where that budget puts us among our Conference peers, it wouldn't surprise me to find that Eastleigh have a budget which eclipses even Bristol Rovers. It'll certainly make Luton's of the last few years pale into insignificance.

Matt.