Accrington Web - 2013 Prediction League; Game 11 (AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon

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Accrington Stanley

2013/14 Prediction League – Game 11; v AFC Wimbledon (away)

Everyone knows the history; Crazy Gang win the FA Cup, last outrageously long in the (old) First Division, somebody moves Wimbledon to Buckinghamshire, and AFC Wimbledon is formed in May/June 2002 :). They have public trials (230 to pick from :rolleyes:), and select a squad for the 2002-3 season; they survive :p. Their progress up the Leagues from there was astonishing; in 2003/4 they won the Combined Counties League Premier Division; the next year they won the Isthmian League Div One; after three years they win the Premier Division Play-off, get promoted to Conference South, and promptly win that at the first time of asking; from nowhere to Conference National in seven years …………..:D

During that period they set a new record for the longest run of unbeaten League games at any level of senior football in the UK – 78, over a period from 22.2.03 to 4.12.04 :cool:; not that that was enough, of course; in 2010/11 they qualified for the Playoffs and, drawn against Fleetwood in the semis, they did them by a record aggregate score (2-0 and 6-1 :D). They met Luton in the Final at the City of Manchester Stadium, and – after a goalless game – they took it 4-3 on penalties :):); from Nowhere to the Football League in 9 years …….:D

Not counting caretakers (both of whom have won 50% or more of their games in charge), they’ve only had four managers; Terry Eames won 75 of 96 (78.13% winning record :D); Dave Anderson won 110 of 185 (59.46% :D); Terry Brown won 152 of 304 (50% :D); and Neal Ardley – ex player, now manager – has 17 wins from 50 games (being appointed a year ago today – 10th October) – a dreadful 34% ……………..:p:p:p

In 2011/12 they started with 7 wins from 12, but eventually had to settle for (a very respectable) 16th place – 10 points above the drop zone; last season (“second season syndrome” :rolleyes:) they went into their last game, at home to Fleetwood, in the drop zone :o:o; they needed a win, and other results to work out for them; the other results did, and they got the win (2-1) with a 72nd-minute Jack Midson penalty ………. And who conceded said penalty? Then Fleetwood defender Rob Atkinson ………………..! :D:D And who got the Fleetwood equaliser? One Andy Mangan ……………….! :D:D Ain't it a small world?:cool:

They shipped out the usual droves of players in the summer; most of them went non-League, to such exotic places :confused: as Hayes and Yeading, Poole Town, Tamworth, Dartford, Ebbsfleet (“Own the Club, Pick the Team” – Flying Pigs we did :p:p ……!), Braintree and Staines Town; LB Chris Hussey went to Burton Albion; CB Pim Balkestein (26) went home, joining VVV-Venlo (Venlose Voetbal Vereniging Venlo) in the Jupiler League (“Give us a “V” …….), who got relegated at the end of last season from the Dutch Premier League (Eredivisie) to the First Division (Eerste Divisie); and RB Curtis Osano went all the way to India to sign for Bengaluru FC (based in Bangalore), whose (new) manager is ex-Crewe, Bradford, Sheff Wed, Northampton, Stevenage, Wrexham (and all stations West) player – and short-lived Kettering Player-manager Ashley Westwood :)

They certainly targeted their purchases/loan signings; two GKs :) (Aldershot’s Ross Worner, and 41 year-old journeyman Ashley Bayes, now with his 12th club this time as player-coach); three RBs :) – Norwich’s George Francomb (21), Barnet’s Barry Fuller (28), and Rhys Weston (32) – Cardiff, Walsall, Dundee, Viking FK (Norway) and KR Reykjavik – who they signed from Malaysian State side Sabah FA (think “North Borneo”, really); the Malaysian game is a bit like the Sheffield Shield ……And as if that wasn’t enough FBs, they also signed two LBs :) (Callum Kennedy from the Iron, and Gillingham’s Andy Frampton (I’m sure he was the lead singer with The Herd ………); one non-League MF :), and then they topped the lot off with 3 centre forwards :) ………..George Porter (21) from Burnley; Teddy Sheringham’s :D lad Charlie (25), who’s played in Welling, Dartford, Bishop Stortford, Bournemouth, and for Crystal Palace’s one-time American arm (or is that “franchise”?) “Crystal Palace Baltimore” :confused: (doesn't have a great ring to it .....) :o; and Charlton’s 21 year-old Michael Smith (think “Stanley 4 Gillingham 3, Leam’s first game in charge, first-half hat-trick” :D) ....... Smith and Porter are on loan

They’re not so hot away from home this season – W1 D1 L3; at home, though, it’s P5 W4 L1; overall, P10 W5 D1 L4 F12 A11 for 16 points and 11th place; it’s worth noting that there are 3 teams with 16, 2 with 17 and 2 more with 18; that said, they’ve contrived to lose three of their last 4 in the League (all without scoring – 0-2 at home to the Cobblers, 0-1 at Cheltenham, and 0-2 at Chesterfield); in addition to that, they’re out of both the Cup competitions so far played – 2-1 at Millwall in the Capital Punishment Cup :p, and 5-3 at Brentford in the Johnstone’s PaintPot ……….their 16 goals in their 12 games have been spread around 9 players; leading scorers are Michael Smith with 5, Harry Pell with 3 and Luke Moore with 2 …………as long as Rob doesn’t give away another late penalty to them :eek: ……….Oh, and Jack Midson has just the one goal ………….so far. ;)

And now the good news :D:D; in 2011/12 we beat them 2-0 away (Morecambe Legend Padraig Amond and Craig Lindfield scoring) and 2-1 at home (Joyce and Hatfield); last season we won 2-1 away (Amond and Murphy) and 4-0 at home (TheFoxInTheBox :D scoring twice, plus Hatfield (again), and Lee Molyneux :D; whatever happened to him? Whatever happened to TheFoxInTheBox? P4 W4 F10 A2 for 12 points and Bragging Rights par excellence :p:p………….When does the fightback start, Wynonie? :D:D

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 12th October. 3 points at the moment can put you up or down several places in the League, or (in our case) kick-start your season ;); logic says that every team – bar maybe a couple – will have a bad spell; we just had ours earlier than most! :o

Good luck to everyone ……… Remember; Passion overcomes Logic…………Keep the Faith!.....… and thanks for playing! :)

:alright: