2023-24 Prediction League; Game 26 v Salford City FC (home)

Div3North · 31-12-2023, 13:21

Accrington Stanley

V

Salford City FC

2023/24 Prediction League Game 26 v Salford Central MoneyBags (home)

Starter for Ten; name the one-time Stanley defender who joined Plymouth Argyle in July 23 as Head Coach (from a coaching career which took him from Everton to Man City Academies), working with Steven Schumacher, and who is now - following Schumacher’s departure to Stoke City - Head Coach in the Poetries instead?

We’re a strange team, the Stanley; we lose games we should win,then we take two points for two half-Desmonds from the team the fourth in the League ……. injuries? Regrets? (“I’ve had a few, but yet again, too few to mention”). However frustrating we are, we should remember that we’re currently 18 points above the GreasyPole places (and some goals as well), and three points off the playoffs; we’re 12th on goals scored, and 11th on goals conceded …………. acceptable at this stage of the season, you might agree?

Salford City was founded as Salford Central in 1940, and played minor local league football until joining the Manchester League in 1963; they moved to the Cheshire County League in 1980, which amalgamated with the North West Counties League two years later. They changed their name in 1989 to Salford City, and secured promotion into the Northern Premier League in 2008. After The Great 2014 MoneyBags Takeover, they were crowned NPL Division One North champions in 2015, won the NPL Premier Division play-offs in 2016, and then the National League North title in 2018. This was followed in 2019 by promotion to the EFL after beating Eastleigh 4-3 on pens following a half-Desmond in the semis, and beating AFC Fylde 3-0 in the play-off final to go up alongside Leyton Orient. Salford won the EFL Trophy in their début campaign. They turned fully-pro on 1st July 2017

The club's colours are red, white and black, which were originally used in 1980. Prior to the change in ownership in 2014, the club played in tangerine and black, and had also previously worn tangerine and white. Many Salford supporters were unhappy with the change at the time, with the manager at the time, Phil Power, describing the issue as "delicate". The team also previously wore green in the 1970s, and had used various blue kits throughout the years; orange became their colour when facing financial difficulties and borrowing old kits from Blackpool.

Second Starter for Ten; how has Arbroath reserve GK Ali Adams recently cemented his place in the Arbroath Smokies Hall of Fame?

The Ammies finished last season in 7th place, with a record of P46 W22 D9 L15 GF72 GA54 for 75 points; in the playoffs they met Stockport, winning 1-0 at home, losing 2-1 aet away, and screwing up the penalty shoot-out 1-3 (what do you expect from a team owned by ex-England internationals?) …… twelve left in the summer, including two to HaggisLand and one to Saudi Arabia, plus others to Glenavon, Radcliffe, Port Vale and Truro; five came in, plus three for the ‘B’ team (to which they’ve since added striker Junior Luamba from Oldham) ………… three loans in (GK Joe Wright from Millwall, LB Declan John from the Trotters - both until 1.1.2024, so I don’t know if they’re still there or not - and RB Ethan Ingram from the Baggies) ….. ex manager Neil Wood Walked the Walk a few days ago, after 19 months - apparently assistant coach Simon Wiles took charge of Friday’s game at home to Grimsby (which they lost 3-0, so I don’t fancy his chances for the New Year - especially since GrimGrimsby hadn’t won on the road all season!)

Current record is P24 W6 D5 L13 GF32 GA43, for 23 points and 21st place, above Colchester on GD, and 6 points above Sutton and seven above Vegan Greenpeace United ……. record is unusual - they opened the season with a sequence of W/D/L/W, followed by five defeats, three wins, then L/D/W/D, three defeats, two draws, and three defeats ……….. in their last nine games they’ve drawn three and lost six; in their last three they’ve scored two and conceded ten, and they’ve won twice at home (Newport 2-1 and Crewe 4-2) and four on the road - 4-3 at Tranmere (who won the reverse fixture 5-1), 2-0 at Vegan Greenpeace and at Sutton, and 3-0 at Donnie; last win was 24th October ………… they’re out of the FA Cup to The Posh (4-5 on pens after an away Desmond and a home Double-Desmond aet), the EFL Cup 4-0 at home to Burnley in Round 3, and they didn’t get out of the Trophy Group stage ………. and we went to their place in Kersal on 26th August and beat them 2-1 (goals from Whalley and Andrews)

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Monday the 1st of Next Year ………… New Year, New Broom, Same Old Rubbish from me …………. COYR!

And the ex Stanley defender now at Stoke as Head Coach is former skipper and daisy-cutter free-kick scorer Peter Cavanagh ……….. and GK Ali Adams - named among the subs, of which Arbroath only had four, for their League game against leaders Raith Rovers - was brought on as an attacking option when his side were 2-0 down, and - I quote-

“When the ball dropped to him inside the home half, he spun and lashed home a scarcely believable effort that flew past stunned goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski”

…. and why - in the annals of purple prose - did he “lash” it home, so that it “flew” past “stunned” GK Kevin D? Lazy writing ……………. although the Red Lichties did manage an away Desmond off the back of his strike!

Good luck to everyone! ………… Keep the Faith (Mr Valairian, Sir!)! ………… Happy New Thingy! ............ And thanks for playing!