[Div3North]

Cheltenham Town

V

Accrington Stanley

2014/15 Prediction League – Game 2 v Cheltenham (away)

Cheltenham aka “The Robins” was formed (the football club, not the town) in 1887; they play at the Abbey Business Stadium (Whaddon Road, to you and me), and have been managed by Mark Yates since 22nd December 2009, making him the 3rd longest serving manager in the League (after Paul Tisdale at the Grecians, and the Chief Gooner, Arsenal Winger ). They joined the League in 1999 by winning the Conference, spending 11 of their 15 seasons in the Fourth tier (Division 2) and the rest in League One. The Conference title was their last piece of silverware , preceded by the FA Trophy in 97/98 and the Midlands Floodlit Cup ten years earlier (well, someone’s got to win it ……..)

They came back down at the end of 2008/9, with a record of 9 wins in 46 games, a -40 goal difference, and 39 points ; they were actually 23rd (Hereford were 24th with 34 points but only -37 GD); that was the season that Luton and Chester left the League via the trapdoor (Luton having suffered a deduction of 30 points) ……… to show how things change, that year Grimsby were 22nd in League 2, Macclesfield were 20th, Darlington, Lincoln, Aldershot and Barnet were also in L2, and Stockport were in League One …………..and Burton came up from the Conference; sic transit Gloria Swanson!

They released four over the summer; Sido Jombati (def, 26) left for Wycombe, having joined from Bath; ex Oxford and Barnet MF Sam Deering (23) was shipped out (perhaps 0 goals in 78 games – probably the legacy of only being 5’ 5” – informed that decision ), signing for Whitehawk in Conference South; former academy player Ed Williams went ……. I don’t know where ; and ex-Robin Ashley Vincent, now 29 and a winger-cum-striker, who went to Colchester, then to Port vale, and then came back, was booted to the Shrews. They also lost GK Scott Brown (29), who was the number 1 for 10 years, and who moved on to Aberdeen (signing on fee included four jumpers and an oil-fired radiator ); he was also contracted, at one time, to Wolves, and to Bristol City (but didn’t get a game at either place), and Welshpool Town (where he got 14); and finally Jermaine McGlashan (26), who refused their offer and instead joined Gillingham.

In came ………….lots; defender Paul Black (24) – ex Oldham and Tranmere, latterly of Mansfield (where he didn’t get to play last season); Rochdale, Falkirk, Bury and Burnley MF Andy Haworth (25) arrived from Notts Co; GK Trevor Carson (26) – ex Bury, last season on loan at Pompey; MF Asa Hall (27), formerly of Oxford and Aldershot Loan), latterly of Shrewsbury – who started on Saturday, was injured after 8 minutes, and will be out for up to 6 weeks (giving Tom Hanks – sorry, Joe Hanks (19) his debut, in which he scored the only goal as they rather surprisingly undid Bury 1-0 at Gigg Lane); then there was Lee Vaughan (def, 27), whose cv includes not managing a first team appearance at any of Birmingham, Pompey and Walsall, which well qualifies him to be vice-captain following his arrival from Kidderminster Harriers, Matt Taylor (32, CB) who joined Bratfud on a two-year contract, was selected four time last season, left for the giddy heights of Gloucestershire, and was given the armband (presumably) on the strength of his loan spells at Charlton and Colchester ……… add ex Brum and Eastbourne def Jack Deasman (21) and ex Brum and Walsall winger Omari Sterling-James (20) - of whom Mark Yates said "He has impressed us during pre-season because he can do a bit of everything and he excites people ." OK Mark, whatever …………….and finally Ghanaian loanee winger Koby Arthur (19) from Birmingham, and you’ve got the makings of a team who aren’t going to know each other’s names until October which could be part of why they exited the League Cup tonight 2-0 at Brighton!

They currently lie 5th with 3 points from one game ; they were one of seven teams to win 1-0 in their season opener; Bury may well be pig-sick, because Cheltenham only had 4 shots, whereas they had 16; the difference is that 3 of their four were on target, whereas only 2 of Bury’s were ……….last season they beat us 1-0 at Fortress StoreFirst in Game 3 of the season (they’d lost their first 2, but beat us chez nous for the third time in four), but we got our own back in mid-January, winning 2-1 with goals from George Bowerman and Luke Joyce, the Robins’ goal coming from Jamie Cureton, now older than Dr Who, and having just signed for his 113th League club , this time the Daggers ….

Trivia corner…………their kit sponsors are Mira Showers; their record “home” attendance is 35,672 in a 3rd round FA Cup game v Spurs in 2012 (their ground holds 7,266 – the match was played at White Hart Lane! ); their record defeat was 10-1 against Merthyr Tydfil; former managers include Bobby Gould, John Ward, Steve Cotterill and – for half a season in 1980 – Terry Paine; in 1968/69 they were relegated from the Southern League First Division by 0.019 of a goal (how do you score 0.019 of a goal? ) ………….. Starter for 10; Terry Paine was one of four players who featured in the group stages of the 1966 World Cup but didn’t play in the Final; name the other three* …………………by the way, at the same time as managing Cheltenham for that half a season, Paine also managed the Prince of Wales pub in the town centre ………………

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 16th August ………. We might have lost at Leeds, but at least we’re up and running in the “we scored” stakes (thanks Mr Gray!), and maybe one will be enough to get up and running in the “we’ve got some points on the board” stakes ……………. Get your entries in good and early, Ladies and Gentlemen ……….. show the players (I have it on good authority that they all read this thread every week) what we expect of them!

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




*Jimmy Greaves, Ian Callaghan and John Connelly