Accrington Web - 2017/18 Prediction League; Game 13 v Coventry City (home)

Accrington Stanley

Coventry City

2017/18 Prediction League; Game 13 v Coventry City (home)

This week’s starter for ten; there was – or maybe still is, I know not – a Coventry “Fanzine” mag called “Gary Mabbutt’s Knee” (or GMK for short); have you any idea why – and there was a valid reason - they called it that?

So; when was Coventry City last in the fourth tier of English League football (prior to sliding down the Greasy Pole last summer?) The answer, you’ll perhaps be surprised to hear, was 1958/59 – the season when Division 4 – remember that? – first saw the light of day .............. It was created, you’ll remember, by merging Div 3 North and Div 3 South (the Stanley finished season 1957/58 placed 2nd in D3N, behind Scunthorpe and Lindsay United, who won D3N with 66 points to our 59; also in D3N that year were Halifax, Stockport, Wrexham, York, Gateshead, Barrow, Workington, Darlington, Chester, Bradford PA and Southport) ............ Coventry graced – if that’s the word – Div 3 South, finishing 19th with 39 points and a GD of -20, winning 13 and drawing 13 (two points for a win in those days), and although they beat Shrewsbury 5-0, Aldershot 6-0 and Exeter 6-1, they were 8 points and some goals shy of making the cut into Division 3

That said, Division 4 proved a Happy Hunting Ground for them in their first (and so far only) season Languishing in the Doldrums, because they ended 1958/59 as runners-up to Port Vale, and with a home record of 18 wins, 4 draws and just one defeat (2-1 to Carlisle, if you must know – but they did them 1-6 in the return game at Brunton Park) .............and they’ve never been back – until May 2017

Not counting 1925/26 – why would I? – the only time we’ve met in the League was in 1959/60 – in Div 3 – but it wasn’t thrilling, given that we lost 2-0 at home and 2-1 away; they finished 5th, we finished 24th .......... and the rest, of course, is history ................ Burnley - who never topped the League all season until the final match was played - won League 1 that season, with a Monday-night 2-1 win at Maine Road (I was there that night – 11 years old, on my own in a crowd of something like 65,000+); Denis Viollet topped the goal scoring list with 32 for the Reds, and “Old Big ‘ead” – Brian Clough – topped Div 2 with 39 ..................Oh Happy Days!

The Sky Blues were formed, it is said, as Singers FC in 1883, and took their present name in 1898; they joined the League in 1919 and won the Cup in 1987, 3-2 a.e.t against Spurs (Clive Allen and Gary Mabbutt with the goals for Spurs, Dave Bennett, The Man With The Diving Header, and Gary Mabbutt (own goal in the 95th minute – it bounced in off his knee) scoring for Coventry) ................ Spurs team included Ray Clemence, Chris Hughton, the Allen Cousins (Clive and Paul), Hoddle, Waddle and former law-student Ossie Ardiles; anyone remember the name of the Man With The Diving Header? Yup, Keith Houchen it was ............... after climbing out of Div 4 they spent a few years footling, then in 1967 – managed by Jimmy Hill - they won promotion to Division One where they stayed for 34 years (until 2001), followed by 11 years in the Championship, followed by Greasy Pole Time ..........founder members of the Premier League, they haven’t seen it for a while!

They came down in May after a season of 9 wins (from 46 played), 12 draws and 25 losses; they scored a measly 37 (worst in the Division) and were 11 points and some goals from safety; Chesterfield did worse but scored more; of their 39 points just EIGHT were scored on the road – one win by 2-0 at Port Vale after ten games without a victory – and five draws (and 17 losses), and there were eighteen games where they failed to trouble the man who writes down the names of the scorers. There was also a spell where they won four out of 6, but they slightly ruined that by taking two points from the next fourteen games ................. Hmmmmm

So far, including departures in August and September, they’ve shipped out 14, including striker Marcus Tudgay (now 34), whose career includes Derby, Sheff Wed and Notts Forest, who signed for Sutton Coldfield Town, who play in the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League (who moved Sutton Coldfield? Northern?); Irish RB Kevin Foley joined Billericay Town; Burundian CM Gael Bigirimana joined Motherwell; Bulgarian international MF Vladimir Georgiev Gadzhev left for Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus (who don’t play in Famagusta – they play in Larnaca, which is a bit like Man U playing in Buxton (but maybe a bit warmer); Gadzhev, according to his biography, is “known for his goals from long distance” ............. presumably he posts them, or something ............. They also released James Pearson (Nigel’s lad) on 30th August, who joined Kidderminster Harriers; interesting thing about that is that they only signed him from Barnet on the 4th, which raises more questions than it answers .............. more so since he was the only triallist who they signed up!

Among the twelve who came in were some “lower-league “names””; Maxime Biamou – no, Maxime, not Maxine – arrived from Sutton Utd; CMF Michael Doyle joined from Pompey, who also coughed up GK Liam O’Brien and CB Tom Davies (who played 32 times for us in 2015/16 before joining Pompey where he played 12 in 2016/17); MF Peter Vincenti arrived on a free from Rochdale, CF Marc McNulty from Sheff Utd and French-born MF Tony Andreu, who's been around the Scottish scene a few times, came in from Norwich

Currently they’re 5th – ahead of us by +2 on the GD (I did say we needed to mark Collins and Hylton, did I not!) We’ve scored 150% as many goals as them (21 plays 14), but we’ve conceded 250% as many goals – 15 plays 6; their goals seem to be spread around – the wonderfully-named Duckens Nazon (he’s from Haiti) has five in all competitions; MF Jodi Jones has 3; Marc McNulty has 3; and six others have one each, including Jack Grimmer (known to his mates as “Reaper” – Grimmer Reaper? Get it? Oh for goodness sake!)

McNulty takes their spot kicks (2/2 for the season, v Shrewsbury at home and Walsall at the Bescot); Jodi Jones stuck in a hat trick when they beat Notts County 3-0 in the first game of the season; and the same Jodi Jones has made the EFL Team of the Week twice already, so he Probably Should Be Marked ................... Lads ...............Yes? Cheers!

6th play 5th, then ............ Even Stevens on wins, draws, losses and points; eight of their League opponents have drawn a blank when they met, so only Newport, Yeovil, Cambridge and Swindon have put the ball in their (League) net .............. and Newport beat them 1-0, Yeovil won 2-0, Cambridge won 2-1, and Swindon scored but didn’t win (1-2) .......... the only team to score against Coventry and not get the 3 points ...............or, to put it another way, if you can score against Coventry, you’re 75% likely to beat them, which sound like decent odds .............so we’ll probably ****** it up again this week!

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 14th October ................ they may have a good defence (or they may just have the luck of the Irish?), but we’ve got Billy Whizz and SpecialK Jackson, and Sean the Sheep (sorry, McConville), so we’re gonna win! .......... So there!

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

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