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Accrington Stanley

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Burton Albion

2018/19 Prediction League; Game 7 v Burton Albion (home)

Burton and Hove Albion (aren’t they? Well they should be!) gained their place in the EFL in 2008/09 by winning the Bananarama (then called the Conference); they were 19 points clear in February 2009 – Nigel Clough having left the manager’s office in January to move to Old Big’ead’s former club at Derby, to be replaced by Roy McFarland as Caretaker – and although they tried very hard to throw their huge lead away, eventually they failed (despite losing 1-2 at Torquay) because Cambridge, chasing them down, only managed a goalless Desmond at Altrincham, and so Burton came up as Champions. They stayed in League Two until 2014/15, when – managed firstly by Gary Rowett and, when he left for Birmingham, by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - they were promoted to League One as Champions, and in 2015/16 – managed firstly by JFH, and when he left for QPR by Nigel Clough again - they went up to the Championship in second place ............. they lasted two seasons (20th place in their first foray) before they GreasyPoled back to the Third Tier this past summer in 21st place (out of 22), four points better off than the Black Cats, and behind Barnsley on GD (-23 plays -43), scoring 38 but conceding a rather scary 81 ...................

So; in their tenth season in the League, your starter for 10 this week is; who is the Brewers’ all-time leading Football League goal scorer?

We met in the Football Confidence up to 2006, of course, but since they achieved League status the head-to-head has each with five wins, and two draws (the highlights being a 1.5Desmond chez nous in 2012/13 and a 3-1 home win in 2010/11, and the lowlight being a 3-0 drubbing at the Pirelli the year they went UpPole); our last goal scorer against them was Josh Wigan-Windass in a 1-0 game in our favour

Having come down to League One, it was always likely that the Changes would be Rung, and nine players left South Staffs for Pastures New; Ormskirk-born LB Stephen Warnock (Liverpool, Blackburn, Villa, Leeds, Derby and Wigan) retired after 16 seasons, 16 goals in 457, and two England (Friendly) caps – an 84th minute sub appearance against Trinidad and Tobago, and against Egypt ............... he also went to the 2010 World Cup (although he may want to forget it, since Mr Cheryl Cole (in the days when she had two names) was the incumbent, and We Didn’t Do Very Well); CB Shaun Barker retired in sympathy; MF Lloyd Dyer, Czech CB Tomas Egert and striker Reg (Luke) Varney – who hasn’t been in “On The Buses” for a while – all left as free agents, MF Matty Lund went to Scunny for “£NotTellingYou”, Tom Flanagan went to Sunderland, Tom Naylor to Pompey, Tom Cobley to Down-Along Lee (he didn't really!) and Hope Akpan to Bradford (who are on their fourth manager in 2018, those comprising Stuart McCall (now at the Ironing – sorry, the Iron), Simon Grayson until the end of last season, Michael Collins (who lasted six games – but that’s what happens to diffident – sorry, dissident – Foreign Politicians), and now David Hopkin, who spent two years at Livingston – which would likely be enough for anyone – and who refused a contract extension there, no doubt hoping to be snapped up by a big English Club ................Dream On, My Son

In came four; yes, a whole four .................. prior to the start of the season that had been two – MF Scott Fraser from Dundee Utd and winger David Templeton from Hamilton Accies; later on RMF Elliot Hodge arrived on a free from League Two Numpties Notts County, and Reading’s Stephen Quinn was also ProperSigned. Loans added striker Devante Cole from Wigan North Western, Southampton provided two MFs, both called Jake (Jake Flannigan and Jake Hesketh), and Chelsea chipped in with GK Bradley Collins (who used to make dictionaries , me’thinks!)

The season, League-wise, hasn’t started off thrillingly well if you’re a Brewer ................... LLWLLW (home wins against Donnie 1-0 and the Wombles 3-0 in games three and six) – so if the opposition (ie us) score, this season’s stats suggest that they win: P6 W2 D0 L4 GF7 GA9 for 6 points and 15th place ............ they’ve made the 3rd Round of the EFL Cup, doing Shrewsbury 2-1 away and Villa 1-0 at home, giving them Burnley at home in about three weeks, and they’re bottom of their EFLTroffy group after one game this last Tuesday, at home to Walsall, which they lost 1-2.............. if you count the Cup games (which I don’t) you’d get P9 W4 L5 ........

Their biggest League win was a 6-1 demolition of Aldershot Town (currently 21st in the Bananarama, one place above the Daggers; current leaders are Harrogate Town on GD from Leyton Hewitt) in December 2009; biggest defeats have been 7-1 (twice, against BrizzleRov and Portly Vale in 2012 and 2013, both in April); they lost 6-5 at home to Cheltenham in 2010 .......... Overall leading scorers are Richie Barker with 159 in 270 games – not bad for a guy who’ll be 79 in November, and Stan Round (first off I misread that as “Stand Around”, which I thought was a bloody silly name for a striker, but as usual it was me ...................) ............... Barker later managed the Shrews, Stoke, Notts Co and the Baggies, with stints at Ethnikos Piraeus and Zamalek (spelled ى الزمالك للألعاب الرياضية‎”), ) which is Egyptian side Zamalek Sporting Club (once known as King Farouk Club) who play in Giza ........ this season’s leading scorers are CF Liam Boyce with 5 (four in the League) ands Scottish winger David Templeton with 2 ..................

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 8th September ................... oddly, their all-time leading goalscorer in the League is one Billy Rodney Whizz-Kee, with 37 in 95 ........ and they only win every third League game, and not at all if the other side scores ................... Plymouth still bottom of League One (no wins and 2 points), with Shrewsbury next (no wins and three) ........... Top of League Two are Lincoln (16/6), Newport and MK Dons .......... and it’s worth reflecting that the six teams we’ve met so far are all below us in the current League Table ........... and “Burton Albion” is an anagram of “Ola! Turn Bob in” ................

So there!

Good luck to everyone! .......... Keep the Faith! ................ And thanks for playing!