2016/17 Prediction League; Game 22 v Grimsby Town (away)

[Div3North]

Grimsby Town

V

Accrington Stanley

2016/17 Prediction League; Game 22 v Grimsby (away)


“What can’t speak”, as My Old Granny used to say, “can’t lie”. Setting aside any semantic argument about a new born baby in a crib, and anticipating that many of you had old Grannies who were as fond as mine was of making statements which were blinding flashes of the bloody obvious, I give you ......................The Facts!

We aren’t the worst team in the League over 2016; that dubious honour belongs to Crystal Palace, apparently, who just divested themselves of Alan Pardew and replaced him with Big Sam (frying pan / fire / frying pan / fire) ....... We aren’t even the worst team overall in League Two over the last ten games; that’s still Notts County (W1 D2 L7) who’ve lost their last six, have a manager (John Sheridan) serving a five game touchline ban and expecting to be fired any day now, have just been sold (or are in due diligence, I’m not sure which), went out of the FA Cup 2nd Round this week (2-0 at Posh in a replay, thereby missing a Massive Pay Day trip to Stamford Bridge), and who, at the end of September last were fifth in the table with 17 points from 10 games ..................... If you look at the current bottom seven sides, Cheltenham (23rd) have won 12 points in 10, Newport (bottom) have 10 in 10, Leyton Orient (21st) 9, Hartlepool (18th) 8, Morecambe (if they still exist (?)) are 19th and have earned 7 in 10, we’re 22nd with 6 in 10, and Notts County (20th) have 5 from 10 (Morecambe and Newport have a game in hand) ............we’ve conceded 27 in 21, but 10 sides have conceded more, including Doncaster (30), Stevenage (32) and all the sides around us except Leyton Orient (GA27) ...............our main problem – as if we didn’t know it – is hitting the floor with our hat when the stable door’s been shut after the bolting horse; we are, if you care to look, now the only team to have scored less than a goal a game (20 in 21); and goals win games!

I’m perfectly aware that everyone says how unlucky we’ve been; we’ve battered lots of sides, come up against loads of GKs who’ve played out of their skin, had the mucky end of the refereeing decisions from start to finish, hit the post 27 times, been mugged late in the game etc etc etc ............ tosh, frankly; if you don’t score you won’t win, and we’ve scored two in our last eight League games (one of those in the 93rd minute), and ergo have earned two points over that period; the table doesn’t lie, and we’re where we are for a reason, viz we aren’t (currently) good enough ...............and the non League pyramid is peppered with teams who were much too good to go down ........... and the players and management (we hear) are “hurting” (sorry?) ........... I happen to believe that we will turn it round, but I’m seriously worrying when it’s going to happen, because time is passing us by, and - as My Old Granny used to say – “Time and tide wait for no man” ................... and I don’t want us to be playing AFC Fylde in the Conference next season!

At the moment Grimsby are 14th; P21 W7 D5 L9 GF27 GA27 for 26 points. They’re managed by ex QPR defender Marcus Bignot, who joined on 7th November from Solihull Moors (there are no bloody moors near Solihull, how many times!), replacing Paul Hurst, who went to Shrewsbury ............... he started well, achieving Desmonds against Barnet and Carlisle, and winning 3-0 at Plymouth – 5 points from 3 games; sadly for him it’s now 5 points from 6 games, because they’ve lost their last 3 (3-2 at Crawley, 0-1 against Pompey, and 0-1 at Donnie last time out .............. we’re in front on the head-to-head, 5 wins to two with one drawn, and we’ve done them 4-1 twice and 3-1 (Jamie Clark - remember him?- hat-trick) once (all at home); we lost our last meeting 3-2 during their relegation season 2009/10 .................

Grimsby Town – arguably more correctly Cleethorpes Town, since that’s where their ground is – was formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham (something to do with that being the family name of the Earl of Yarborough, a significant local landowner); they achieved League status in 1892 when the League was expanded to two Divisions, winning their first-ever League game 2-1 over Northwich Victoria, and sometime about then they changed their name to Grimsby Town; in 1910 they missed out on re-election, but came back into the League one year later, where they stayed until 2010 ........ they’ve played at Blundell Park (Cleethorpes) since 1899 .................. Famous ex managers include Bill Shankly, ex Man U star Allenby Chilton, Lawrie McMenemy, Ron Ashman, Alan Buckley (three times) and Russell Slade, who's been bounced more times than Djokovic's tennis balls on service and is now the incumbent in the revolving door at Coventry .................... famous ex players include Peter Beagrie, Dave Beasant, Garry Birtles, the legendary Tony Ford MBE (“He’s Big, He’s Bad, He’s older than me Dad, Tony Ford ...”) who played 931 League games in his career, 1000+ including Cups, and is second only to Peter Shilton in the all-time list, Graham “Did I not like that” Taylor OBE, Neil Webb, and the Chinese International Team Captain from the 2002 World Cup Zhang Enhua (what d’you mean, “Never heard of him!”)

Following promotion in the summer they released or sold or otherwise dispensed with fifteen of the side that got them back in the League; Podge and Toto, of course, left for Hartlepool; John-Paul Pittman signed for Harrogate Town; actually, lots went to non-League, including MF Anthony Straker to Aldershot (I rather wish he’d been a CF, because then he’d have been Striker Straker!), RW Andy Monkhouse (to Ilkeston), RWs Nathan Arnold to Lincoln City and Marcus Marshall to Boston; Richard Tait and Craig Clay went to Motherwell; and MF Jon Nolan went up a League, to Chesterfield ................ In came two non-League strikers and a proper striker (Scott Vernon from Shrewsbury); CB Andrew Boyce and CM Sean McAllister arrived on the down train from Scunthorpe, and two more CMs – James Berrett and Luke Summerfield – joined from York; LBs Danny Andrew (Fleetwood) and Dan Jones (Hartlepool) and RBs Ben Davies (Pompey) and Zac Mills (Boston) completed the New Defence ....................five loan signings completed the Squad ..................

They went out of the EFL Cup 1-0 at Derby, and the FA Cup by the same score at Bolton in Round One; in the EFLTroffy they did pretty badly, really, losing 5-2 to Walsall, 4-2 to the Blades, and 1-0 to Leicester’s Academy (P5 L5 GF4 GA12) ............. 31 goals in 26 games; the Mariners’ leading scorers are Omar Bogle, Omar Bogle and Omar Bogle – he’s got 16 so far, no-one else has more than two ............... bit of a clue tactically there, maybe? ......................

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Boxing Day (Monday 26th December, for those who’ve been at the sherry). I did write to Santa a week or two back to see if he could fix it for us to borrow You Fat Bastard for the rest of the season, but I haven’t heard yet .................... that’d put the cat among the pigeons, though, wouldn’t it?

May I wish a Very Happy Christmas to each and every one of you, starting with a win on the East Coast on Monday and another one at Crewe ................... Good like to everyone! .................Keep the Faith! ................. And thanks for playing!

[Stevie R]

1 each please

[MikeA]

Back to winning ways; 2-1 to Accy, please.

[accybeme]

Grimsby 2 Stanley 0 please

[cashman]

2-0 accy fer xmas,

[monkey hanger]

fishermans friends 2 stanley 1

[Proccy fan]

Merry Christmas to one and all,its 2-1 to Stanley from me

[AccyMad]

Well, I've put a prayer request in & also one to Lady Luck in the hope that these Christmas games will see a u-turn in our fortunes so on that note I'll go for a 2 - 1 win to Stanley (didn't wanna be greedy & predict a massive score line, 3 points'll do - however they come)

[yerself]

Grimsby Town 2 - 1 Accrington Stanley, please.

[DaveinGermany]

3-2 to the Stanley please D3N.

[Wynonie Harris]

3-1 to the Stanley please.

[Outback Ozzy]

Merry Christmas from GTFC to us and a 2-1 win for Stanley please

[DAV007]

Grimsby 2 - 1 ASFC

[Revived Red]

We may score a goal, so I'll go for 1 - 1 please. Happy Christmas to you, D3N.

[football19]

1-0 to Acci