[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Port Vale

2011 Prediction League – Game 34; v Port Vale (home)

If you had any sense, you wouldn’t have Micky Adams’ job for all the tea in China ………..

Former Chairman Peter Miller has resigned from the Board of Directors, having only come in last September to find new investors when a previous deal collapsed; that leaves the club with 3 Directors, one fewer than legally they have to have, so they can’t do the day-to-day things, like entering into contracts (to buy half a pound of sausages, never mind sign new players) . The fans wanted – and probably still do want – all four out, and shareholders might have got them out at an AGM/EGM fixed for 13th March – except that the necessary information packs weren’t posted to shareholders in time, so the meeting’s had to be postponed ……………. Last Saturday the Football League imposed a transfer embargo, apparently over an unpaid tax bill (sound familiar?), so they can’t even sign Chris Birchall, a 27 year old English-born midfielder who was with them from 2001 to 2006, before joining Coventry, Brighton and LA Galaxy, who has played international football for Trinidad and Tobago, and who’s now back home and would be happy to play for them for free …………. They’ve got problems, apparently, over a number of recent late payments of interest on a loan (about £2M) from Stoke City Council (£19,000 a month) , they’re being sued by their own shirt sponsors over repayment of another loan , and they’re in dispute with their match programme producer and an American firm which sponsored their pre-season tour of the US and Canada ………Apart from that – and a real fear of “doing a Rangers” ie going into administration – everything’s apparently fine ……………

It’s all the more credit to them in those circumstances that they’re currently 8th in the League on 49 points – one ahead of Gillingham, who hit 3 in the last 10 minutes to beat Hereford 5-4 earlier tonight, and two ahead of Crewe, who got a point at Vale Park with a second half equaliser, and two points behind 7th placed Oxford. Their form has been quite odd at times; in November they won none, lost 3 and drew 2, failing to score during the entire month (sound familiar?) , in December and January they won 5 out of 9 and lost the other 4, and in February, to date, they’ve drawn 2 and won 2. They’re actually unbeaten in their last 6 (W4 D2 – wins over Northampton 2-1 away, Rotherham by the odd goal in one, also away, Gillingham 2-1 at home, and Plymouth 1-0), athough their decent form didn’t extend to the Cups, where they lost in the first round of everything – 4-2 at home to Huddersfield in the Carling, on penalties after a 1-1 at Tranmere in the JPT, and 1-0 at Grimsby after a famous goalless draw at home in the FA Cup. Well, maybe not a famous draw ………..

They had some decent players on loan earlier in the season; CB Liam Chilvers (30) – ex Colchester (he played at the Crown in the 2003/4 FA Cup game), PNE and Notts Co; Jennison Myrie Williams (23) a winger from Stevenage; Guy Madjo (27), a Cameroonian striker, also from Stevenage (who went back having scored 4 in 6 for the Valiants and was then sold to Aldershot for a five-figure sum); Shane O’Connor (21), a Republic of Ireland u19 defender loaned from Ipswich; Rangers 22 year-old Northern Irish International Andy Little, who can play anywhere from right back to striker, who injured knee ligaments 7 games into his loan; and – unluckiest of all – ex Bristol Rovers and Oxford winger Lewis Haldane (26), virtually ever-present last season, who suffered a double leg fracture in the JPT loss to Tranmere. Came Christmas, and the money previously ‘available’ to sign / keep players suddenly wasn’t (available) ….. so back home they all went . Recently they’ve managed to bring in two free agents – ex Coleydale MF Paul Marshall, and former Morecambe (and seven other clubs) midfielder Chris Shuker (29), released from the Globe Arena last summer, but it does look like that's it for signings for a while..........

In the League they’ve scored 51 and conceded 43; in the cups they managed 3 but let in 6; their home league form is W7 D3 L6, and away it’s W7 D4 L5. They’ve managed four goals twice, both times against teams starting with “A” (4-0 against Aldershot and 4-1 against us (Murph getting our consolation) ) and 3 goals four times (beating Barnet 3-1 away, Bristol Rovers 3-0 away, the Cobblers 3-0 at home and Bradford City 3-2, also at home); outside of that, they’ve netted 2 goals 10 times, one goal 11 times, and nothing 7 times (including 5 consecutive games (sound familiar?) in November, two of which featured Grimsby); they’ve let in 4 once (in the League, losing 4-0 at home to Morecambe), 3 four times, 2 eight times, one eleven times, and kept 8 clean sheets. Leading scorers are Marc Richards (29) – with a cv of nine clubs including Blackburn, Oldham and Rochdale – with 11, Sean Rigg (23), a midfielder formerly of the Pirates, with 9, and three players with 5 each - 26 year old Tom Pope (ex Rotherham and Crewe striker), Doug Loft (25), a midfielder from the Daggers and Brighton, and Gary Roberts (24), who hit 5 in 9 but got sacked (sorry, "had his contract terminated") around Christmas after one too many ‘issues’ – he also having been previously "let go", apparently, by Crewe, Yeovil and Rotherham, it being said that he has/had gambling and alcohol problems, which is a shame ……….

Our head-to-head is even-stevens; W3 D1 L3 in the League (two victories in 08/09, each by 2-0, a 2-2 and a 2-1 loss in 09/10, a 2-0 defeat away but a 3-0 win at home last season (McConville, Craney and Proccie – the last two on 86 and 89 respectively), and a 4-1 thumping on 20th August last in Burslem. They have a one-win advantage, having put us out of the FA Cup in 2010/11 …….. Our day will come!

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 3rd March. The motto is “Keep the Faith” – so we will …….Won’t we Lads? (you watch the daft predictions come flooding in from my mates on the Clayton End ). Lots to play for, both for the team and the PL players, so get your bets down, one and all ………….

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!