Accrington Web - 2020/21 Prediction League; Game 36 v The MK Dons (away)

Milton Keynes Dons

Accrington Stanley

2020/21 Prediction League Game 36; v The OncePhony Wombles (away)

If I asked you to say which is the oldest football club in the world, who would you say?

Many, I suspect, would dredge "Sheffield FC" from the memory banks; I'd also be likely to get "The Wanderers", "Civil Service Strollers", "Corinthian Casuals" ........... and you'd be out by a lot of years (arguably, some hundreds) ............ Oldest Football League team? 1860-summat - Notts County! But no, sadly, because only League sides are counted, and they're in the Bananarama, so their title has passed on ........ Small Heath? (1875) Newton Heath? (1878) Port Vale? (1876) Macclesfield? (1876) ...... It's claimed, in some quarters (mostly round the Potteries), that Notts County's mantle passed to Stoke City (formerly Stoke Ramblers), claiming 1863 origins, but that's very dubious, and 1868 is more likely ..............

And the converse of that, of course, is "who are the newest FL sides"? Well, most teams were formed from the 1860s to the end of WW I; since then, there have only been 13 new clubs - which, before you shout at the screen, includes the re-formed Accie ............. Leeds Utd (1919), Morecambe (1920), Rotherham (1925), Wigan (1932), Posh (1934), Colchester Utd (who replaced an amateur team of the same name in 1937), SalfordMoneybags (1940), Burton Albion (1950), Accie (1968), and Newport County (1989, The Exiles replacing Newport County (The Ironsides)) .......... Third newest club, in its latest guise - Fleetwoof (1997)............ second newest - AFC Wimbledon (2002) ... and the newest - The MK Donuts - 2004!

So; Starter for Ten; which is the current (directly descended, not re-formed after bankruptcy etc) oldest Football League side?

And Harry Cool has "moved on" after 218 days of trying to get Oldham back in the Premiership ........ And Ross Embleton has departed Leyton Orient (417 days), replaced pro tem by Joel Joshua Frederick Melvin "Jobi" McAnuff (Wombles, West Ham, Cardiff, Palace, Watford, Reading, Orient, Stevenage, Orient again, and 32 caps for Jamaica) as "interim manager" ..... and Darren "Who you lookin' at?" Drysdale has now admitted an FA charge and been dealt with; viz

"Darren Drysdale is free to officiate again after being given a backdated ban for improper conduct after his clash with Ipswich player Alan Judge. The 49-year-old locked heads with Judge while refereeing Ipswich's game against Northampton on 16 February. Drysdale, who admitted a breach of Football Association rules, has also been warned about his future conduct.

He said the abuse he received from Judge which led to the clash was "the worst he had experienced as a referee"; at a hearing, an independent regulatory commission was told Judge swore at Drysdale and described him as "cheating" and "bald"."

Penalty was a back-dated ban ........... and if "cheating" and "bald" - which latter he is anyway - is the worst abuse he's ever had as a referee, he's got to be the best-respected Ref ever! You get worse than that any Sunday reffing the kids!

True or False? MK Dons is the only EFL team based in Buckinghamshire. And while we're doing the Dons ... how many times (of the 11 games they've played against each other in various competitions) have the Wombles beaten the Dons?

First part is false, because Wycombe Wanderers are based in High Wycombe, which is in Buckinghamshire; I don't know where Low Wycombe is - or even JustTheRightHeight Wycombe ..... and of the 11 games played against each other, the Dons have won seven, two have been drawn, and the Wombles have won two - 3-2 at MK in the Johnstone's PaintPot in October 2014, and 2-0 at home in League Un on 14th March 2017 ............. well, you never know when it might come up in a Pub Quiz!

They finished Covid Season 2019/20 in 19th place with a PPG of 1.06 (37 points from 35); they were 0.06 (2 points) above ............ The Wombles (!), and 5 points and 13 goals from The Drop ............ They released 9, including Russell Martin (but to soften the blow they made him Manager), and then Free'd Conor McGrandles (I'm sure he does) to Lincoln, sold CMF Alex Gilbey to Charlton, released striker Rhys Healey to Toulouse, RoI defender Richard Keogh to Huddersfield (5 months after they signed him) and let Regan Poole go to Lincoln to keep Mr McGrandles company .... in all they ProperSigned 16, including Cameron Zishan Rana-Jerome from Turkish Superlig side Göztepe Spor Kulübü, GK Andy Fisher from Blackburn, MF Andrew Surman from the Cherries, striker Charlie Brown from Peanuts FC (ok, Chelski) and MF Josh McEachran ...... oh, and they also signed Harry, Darling ..... no - hang on ......they also signed Harry Darling. Darling ... lots of loans, including the extinguished - no, distinguished - Will Grigg ...... who, I see, is nearly a Brummie (born in Solihull - pronounced. the purists tell me, "Souley Hull" ..... he's got 3 in 6, last I heard

Their home record is W5 D7 L4 GF24 GA20; away, its W6 D2 L10 GF23 GA28, for an overall P34 W11 D9 L14 GF47 GA48 for 42 points and 16th place .... they've drawn one and lost four of their last five, but before that they won 4 and drew one ........... in the FA Cup they beat Eastleigh and Barnet away before losing on pens to Burnley (Barnet, by the way, have just sacked Tim Flowers and are in the BananaAroma relegation slots (not that they'll be relegated) with a record of 3 wins, 3 draws and 18 defeats) .... they made the QF of the Troffy before losing 3-0 to the BlackMoggies, and Round One of the Milk Cup, beaten 1-0 by Ricoh-bound Coventry ..... Back in December we did them 2-1 at ours (goals by Dion)

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 13th March .............. tighter than ever, now - eight points divide Pompey (52) in 6th and Plymouth (45) in 15th; in League Ducks 7 points split the top 8 (Cheltenham top on 59 and Exeter in 8th on 53 - and Morecambe, Bolton and Tranmere are all in that mix, as are Vegan Greenpeace); and Barrow, Southend and Grimsby are still propping up the rest ........... And the earliest-formed (so therefore "the oldest") current League team is now Notts Forest, who can trace back to 1865 ......... And they're quite good at colouring-in, too ........... And if we can find anyone who can walk unaided, and can stick the ball in the net their end, would it be OK if we win this one ....... Please?

Good luck to everyone! ........ Stay safe and keep well! ..... And thanks for playing!

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