2013 Prediction League; Game 16 v Scunthorpe Utd (away)

Div3North · 15-11-2013, 00:45

Scunthorpe United

V

Accrington Stanley

2013/14 Prediction League – Game 16; v Scunthorpe (away)

A word of caution to all Stanley fans planning to attend the game against “The Iron” at Glanford Park; apparently Scunthorpe’s mascots are known as “Scunny Bunny”

and “Scunny Hunny Bunny”

. That may tell you all you need to know about North Lincolnshire. You have been warned!

Formed in 1899, they merged with local rivals Lindsey Utd in 1910 to become the snappily-named “Scunthorpe and Lindsey United”

, joining the Midland League in 1912. They applied unsuccessfully to join Division 3 in 1921, and pootled around the lower Leagues, applying when they could for admission to the Football League; eventually they were accepted in 1950

, when the League expanded, playing their first League game against Shrewsbury. They played then at ………..Anybody? ………. The Old Show Ground (now a Sainsbury’s Supermarket

). They won the old Div 3 North in 1957/8 – the last team to do so

, because from then on it became Divisions 3 & 4 - and stayed in Division Two until 1964; since then they’ve mostly been in the bottom tier, although they won promotion to League One in 2005

, and then to the Championship two years later

. Their stay in the Second Tier was short; despite Billy Sharp scoring 30 times

, they went straight back down in 23rd place, but came straight back up as Playoff Winners, beating Millwall 3-2

; this time they stayed up for 2 seasons, before relegation to League One in 2011 and to League Two in 2013

. Sharp - along with at least two other "home-grown" players - was later sold for a seven-figure sum ......

Famous ex managers include former Blackpool, Blackburn and Wigan defender Ron Suart, England striker Allen “Sniffer” Clarke , John Duncan (ex Spurs), Brian Laws (who’s currently back again), and ex club Physiotherapist Nigel Adkins , whose appointment prompted the fans’chant, “Who needs Mourinho, We’ve got our Physio”

; former players whom you might know include Ray Clemence , Kevin “I would love that” Keegan , Keith Birkinshaw, Neil Warnock, Jack Brownsword, who – according to Sir Stanley Matthews

– was the best fullback in the Second Division, making 597 appearances and notching 50 penalties

, and (Sir) Ian Botham – although I think he mostly graced (if that’s the right word

) the reserves. As far as the Stanley are concerned, Scunthorpe's main claim to fame is nicking our better players for a pittance (or for free); think Jimmy Ryan and Bobby Grant …………….

Lots going on over the summer, as with any relegated team; various CFs left – Akpo Sodje (32) to Tranmere, and 31 year-old Karl Hawley to Torquay; two left backs did the same – Tom Newey (30) to Oxford and Callum Kennedy (23) to the Wombles; 26 year-old LW Andy Barcham went to Pompey, Jimmy Ryan

went to Snakefield, and US-born, ex Leeds, Brentford and Bury CF Mike Grella (the 3rd CF to leave) joined Viborg FF in the Danish Superliga ….

So what do you do when you’ve shipped three centre forwards out?

Exactly; you sign five more …….

ex Wolves striker Sam Winnall (22), ex Everybody’s striker Deon Burton (36), Scots-born Christopher Robert Iwelumo (34) who’s played for St Mirren, Aarhus (Denmark), Stoke, York, Cheltenham, Brighton, Alemannia Aachen (one of the only two Bundesliga sides – well, they were then – that I’ve ever seen live

), Colchester, Charlton, Wolves, Bristol City, Burnley, Watford, Notts Co and Oldham, Huddersfield’s James Spencer (21) and Barnsley’s Jordan Clark (19); at least the last two are only on loan ………… They also signed MF players from clubs beginning with “C” (sounds like a game you play in a car ……

), including CMF Sean McAllister (25) from Cowdenbeath (hands up if you know where Cowdenbeath is?

Both hands up if you know whether Cowdenbeath is!

), AMF Matt Sparrow - currently injured - (29) from Crawley, and LMF Andy Welsh – also 29 - from Carlisle. Dave Syers (AMF, 25) signed recently on loan from Donnie, LB Andy Dawson (34) from Hull, the wonderfully-named LW Reuben Noble-Lazarus

(19) from Barnsley on loan, RB Cliff Byrne (31) from Oldham (on loan), and French LW Etienne Esajas (28), whose previous club is recorded as “unemployed”

; technically that's right; he was last on the books at Swindon in 2012. Check out the ages, by the way, and repeat after me, “you’ll win nowt with kids!”

; seven signings aged 28 or over, with 4 in their 30s …..

They’ve been astonishingly consistent in all the Cup competitions; they’ve drawn ever one 0-0

……….. sadly they lost the resultant penalty shoot-outs (shoots-out?) at Barnsley in the League Cup (CapOn Cup) 5-4, and at home to the Blades in the PaintPalette Pot by 5-3 ………makes you wonder what’s in store in the FA Cup 1st Round replay with Grimsby on Tuesday next ………… Their League form – P15 W6 D6 L3 (joint fewest losses, shared with Oxford and Snakefield

) F17 A17 gives them 24 points, and 8th place – behind Burton and Exeter on GD (0 plays +2 and +3

) ………..Their home form is W4 D2 L1; 2-0 against Mansfield and Cheltenham, 1-0 against Plymouth and Hartlepool, 1-1 v Newport and the Daggers, and a thumping 4-0 reverse against Exeter. If you study that list, it’s clear that if you score against them, you’ll get something out of the game

, and if you score more than one goal you’ll get the three points

………… 17 goals in 18 games; leading scorer is Sam Winnall (7), followed by Iwelumo, Esajas, and defender Niall Canavan, each of whom has 2; if you assume that four others have one each, you’d be bob-on!

Have we played them before? Yes. Have we played them before in the League? No ………. Our last meeting was in the Carling Cup at our place on 9th August 2011, when we lost 2-0, to a penalty from Chris Dagnall (once of Rochdale) and a second goal to Andy Barcham; before that we lost, as mentioned on another thread, 3-2 in the FA Cup in 1993/4 (14th November) ……….. We meet them in the FA Cup every 60 years, I should add (so get your 2053 tickets now, before they run out); I base that on the fact that in 1933, with them still non - League players, we drew 1-1 at the Old Show Ground (which is now, just to show you were paying attention earlier …………what?) before despatching them 3-0 in the replay …………

The deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 16th November 2013. Their Last Five have resulted in 2 wins, a draw, and two losses (7 point); our Last Five have resulted in 2 wins and 3 draws (9 points) ……….Bragging rights to us, methinks! Since we’re concentrating on the League

, and they’re concentrating on scoring in any of their cup games this season

, we might catch them with their eye off the ball and, as the Germans say (don’t they DaveInGermanyAsFarAsIKnow ?) their Panzers down …………….

Good luck to everyone

……………….Remember; passion overcomes logic

………..Keep the faith! ……………………

And thanks for playing!