Ethan Hoijord

Ollie Stockdale – Audio Description at Cardiff City F.C.

I spoke to LJMU Sports Journalist Ollie Stockdale who is part of Cardiff City’s Football Audio Description team about the need for what he does. He also explains his love for the game, goes into depth about his upbringing in a sporting environment and describes how he believes Cardiff City F.C’s season has been so far.

Hi Ollie, to start our chat off, could you tell us a little bit about yourself? How long have you been a football fan? What are some of your earliest footballing experiences that helped you fall in love with the sport?

Being born in Cardiff, it won’t surprise you to hear that my first sport was rugby! I played at my local rugby club Pentyrch RFC from the age of six. I had kicked a football around before that, but I do remember very well playing football in the school playground with a sponge ball every breaktime! I particularly loved the summer because that was the only time the school field was dry enough for us to play on a full scale pitch with actual goals! I fell in love with the game then and pestered my dad until he let me join the local team.

What is Audio Description?

Audio description is a specialist form of commentary. It is a much more descriptive form of commentary compared to standard radio or television commentary.

It is sometimes found in theatres and museums but in the past decade, audio description has also been introduced into some football grounds.

Audio description exists to enable blind and partially sighted people to access sporting and live action events more fully by providing all the significant visual information that a blind or partially sighted person may need.

At a football match this could include clothing, emotions, players’ body language, position on the pitch, action off the ball and even information about what is happening in the crowd!

When did you first get involved with description commentary and how did this opportunity come about? Has the football media always been of interest to you?

I have always been interested in football and the discussions and disagreements on and off the field, as well as being an avid watcher and player of the game. I had started to do some live commentaries of Liverpool games on my YouTube channel which were gaining quite a few followers. One of them sent me Cardiff FC’s advert looking for new audio describers and I decided to apply. I was only 16 at the time and didn’t hold out much hope but I was lucky enough to be selected for ADC training. I’ve never looked back.  

Do you believe that Audio description is important in sport and have you had much praise in terms of people telling you how much it helps them get closer to their club?

Making sport accessible to people with disabilities is hugely important and I’m very proud to be part of a service that does that. We’ve had excellent feedback from fans from clubs across the country who appreciate the service that is run by Alan March Sport. We try to bring fans closer to the action and bring the game alive and I think we do that pretty successfully. But there’s still work to be done – only a few football clubs currently offer audio description service as standard so the uptake needs to be much greater if we are to give blind and partially sighted fans a better experience.

What are the AD team like at Cardiff City and who are the other clubs that have an AD team?

The audio description team at Cardiff City FC is fantastic. It’s run by Andrew and overseen by Alan. The team consists of Jez and Ivan who are both a delight to listen to, I could listen to Jez for years and Ivan has a scarily good memory about Cardiff. There are many other clubs that provide audio description, clubs like Southampton, Leicester and Wolves in the Premier League and clubs like Nottingham Forest and Cardiff in the Championship and again with lower league clubs like Mansfield and Wrexham. However, audio description isn’t solely limited to football clubs, Alan March Sport provides audio description across a wide variety of sports and activities and events.

Now focusing solely on Cardiff City, how can people find your written work about the club as well as your audio description work?

Most of what I do is on my Twitter feed ‘@OllieStockdale1’; there’s stuff on there about audio description but also articles I’ve written for Dai Sport and All Out Football relating to Cardiff City.

Also, how would you describe The Bluebirds’ season so far?

It’s been pretty dreadful to say the least. They are way off the play offs and battling against relegation.  It’s been a season with glimpses of promise like the wins over Forest and Peterborough and with the FA Cup run that ended with a creditable effort at Anfield. But it’s also been a season full of frustration for Cardiff fans, like the hammerings given out by West Brom and Blackburn in September and the frustrating losses to Bristol and Swansea. Further frustration from Cardiff fans as they saw beloved Welsh striker Kieffer Moore leave on a fee of £3.78 million to close rivals Bournemouth, after initially being priced around £10 million when clubs showed interest earlier in the year. Hopefully for Cardiff they can avoid relegation and start a fresh next season.

• ‘Audio description is a specialist form of commentary. It is a much more descriptive form of commentary compared to standard radio or television commentary’.

West Kirby 3 Marshalls Reserves 1 – The Match Report. 

West Kirby won 3-1 against Marshalls Reserves on Saturday afternoon, they now hope to gather some positive momentum going forwards in their league campaign.

The hosts were able to be in control throughout the first half and when they managed to bring the ball into attacking areas they looked dangerous instead of wasteful. 

The first goal came on the 15th minute mark after James Harris beat two men in the box before squaring the ball to Harrison Hindley who fired past the two defenders that were standing on the line.

A quarter of an hour later, the scoreline was doubled. Carl Murphy laid a through ball to James Harris, involved in the build up once again, on the left of the box. Harris’ accurate cross found the head of Sam Haley, his glancing header sailing into the far side’s top corner.

The visitors managed to get themselves back into the game on the stroke of halftime, netting a penalty before the whistle blew.

It became a more balanced showing in the second half as the Marshall Reserve players were tasked with finding the equaliser. Both sides would create chances and passion was shown in the form of strong tackles. 

West Kirby would seal the game off with a goal with fifteen minutes left, Jordan Chwalko the scorer. However, the visitors continued to push hard in their search for a goal and were arguably unlucky not to find the back of the net through their efforts.

Man of the match: James Harris. The debutant looked a threat throughout the game as he managed to assist two goals.

The victorious manager, Nathan Brooks, spoke after the final whistle of the commitment and dedication that he has seen from his players since his appointment.

“The players have worked incredibly hard since we arrived at the club, especially over the past few weeks in some tough situations. So, I am really pleased for them today as they fully earned our first three points. We competed all over the pitch, in particular Ciaran Gregory, Carl Murphy & Harrison Hindley who I felt won most if not all of their individual battles. However, in all honesty every player can be proud of their contribution, they were a credit to the club”.

West Kirby F.C team:

Lewis Burrows, Dave Hird, Dan Smith, Lewis Boardman, Adam Chwalko (c), Ciaran Gregory, Connor Eccles, Harrison Hindley, James Harris, Carl Murphy, Sam Haley, Jordan Chwalko, Josh Sutton, Patrick Carpenter, Sam Parker.

Hartlepool United meeting the opposition.

Following a poor afternoon away at Walsall, where Micky Mellon’s Tranmere lost 1-0, The Whites are back in action as they travel to the North East where they will come up against Hartlepool United this Tuesday night.

It’s vital that Rovers start winning on the road as they have dropped points in their last two games, games in which they probably expected to win against opposition that are further down the table. Tonight brings a relatively similar challenge and if Mellon’s side are to occupy the three automatic promotion places they need to show what they’re capable of producing in these fixtures.

Hartlepool United currently sit 15th and are in good form. 

The two clubs have met many times before with a certain play-off game that Tuesday’s visitors won’t want to remember but to find out more about the hosts, I spoke to Dan Patton who made sure to mention it!

How long have you been supporting Hartlepool United and what were your initial reasons for doing so?

I’ve been supporting Pools since I was a bairn, my dad took me to a game when I was very young and I fell in love with the club since then. Falling in love with Pools is not good for your health though that’s the issue.

What were your expectations going into this season and how do they compare to those that you have now as we’re a few games into the second half of the campaign?

I wouldn’t say expectations were very high amongst the full fanbase, but personally I was optimistic coming into this season, knowing the quality we had in certain areas of the squad. 

Now I think there’s a lot more optimism and confidence in the full fanbase, after promising performances and a great January transfer window. The majority of people think we can really push on now.

Graeme Lee is Hartlepool manager after being appointed in December 2021. How would you describe his time at the club so far and are you optimistic about the future with him at the helm?

So far he’s done well, given the circumstances. We’ve had cup runs in the FA Cup and Papa Johns, while the league form has been lacking. However, I think a turn around in league form is inevitable, with our recent system change and January additions.

Who would you say are United’s stand out players? Where will the key battles be on Tuesday night?

Timi Odusina. As of late the Centre Half has been exceptional, his pace and power make him very difficult to play against, and I’d imagine your forward players will have a hard time on Tuesday. Also Luke Molyneux, when played on the wing, he’s a very effective player, with a great left foot and an eye for goal.

How do you see the upcoming fixture panning out, score prediction etc, and do you believe this game will pose different questions than the previous encounter (A 1-0 win for 6. Tranmere at Prenton Park in early September) between the two clubs? If so, why?

To be honest I think we dominated the reverse fixture in September, just couldn’t get the ball in the onion bag. I think realistically a draw is likely but I’m hopeful for a 2-1 win.

We will more than likely set up differently too, playing a 4-3-3 formation, instead of 5-3-2. This frees our forward players and allows us to be much more dangerous in attack, we will definitely take the game to Tranmere that’s for sure.

What starting eleven do you believe will be selected by Lee and how would you describe the playing style he’s managed to implement on his side so far?

Killip, Sterry, Byrne, Odusina, Ferguson, Morris, Crawford, White, Molyneux, Bogle, Grey.

I think since GL has been appointed we’ve played some really good stuff, especially in our most recent league game against Barrow. We keep the ball on the deck when we can and I think we’ve looked much better defensively since he was brought in.

Thinking of the previous meetings between Hartlepool and Tranmere, what games/moments stand out as being memorable for you?

The obvious answer to this would be the League One Play Off Semi Final in 2005. We won on penalties in the second leg to book our place at the Millennium Stadium. Unfortunately, we didn’t go on to win the final, but that is definitely the most important game between the 2 clubs. 

I also remember Nicky Deverdics scoring a beauty of a free kick in 2017 against Tranmere, ultimately a season to forget for us though.

As the January transfer window has now finished, were you happy with the business that The Pools were able to complete in terms of incomings and outgoings?

Very happy with the recruitment, with the additions of Omar Bogle, Bryn Morris and Joe White in particular, we’ve brought real quality into the squad. 

Omar Bogle will, without a doubt, score plenty of goals for us over the next 2.5 years and Bryn Morris is seen as a perfect replacement for the ageing Pools legend Nicky Featherstone.

Additions like this are the reason why I believe we can push up the table in this second half of the season and leave ourselves in a respectable league position, giving us momentum going into next season.

Walsall meeting the opposition.

Tranmere are now back in good form, as they’ve hit back from a heavy defeat to win two and draw one of their last three league games. Their January transfer window signings have come to fruition as Kane Hemmings showcased his goal scoring ability in midweek, putting two into the back of Swindon’s net. Lewis Warrington is another player to keep an eye on, the midfielder from Everton’s Reserves but in a phenomenal performance against The Robins.

Up next for the Whites are Walsall, a side currently sitting in 21st and fighting to get away from the relegation zone on the back of a 1-0 loss against Keith Hill’s Scunthorpe United.

Ahead of this weekend’s encounter, I spoke to Walsall supporter Simon, who runs YouTube channel Walsall Fan TV. He spoke of The Saddlers’ poor start to the campaign and how he believes the upcoming fixture will pan out following the departure of manager Matt Taylor.

How long have you been following Walsall and what were your initial reasons for supporting the club?

I’ve followed Walsall since 1981, my Dad was from Walsall and took me to one game. I had to make my own way after that first game despite living seven miles away and being much closer to Wolverhampton Wanderers. My buddies tried to get me to support the Wolves but I like the underdog fight and that’s what Walsall have always had.

You produce many great videos relating to the club. How would you describe the content you produce and where can people find your work?

I run Walsall Fan TV (YouTube channel) and produce regular content: match previews, instant match reactions, matchday vlogs, livestream watchalongs and Walsall updates. The subscriber numbers have climbed from under 300 to over 800 in the last 12 months which is pleasing despite the poor performance of the team.   

What were your expectations going into the season and how do they compare to those that you have now as we enter the second half of the campaign?

We were expecting to be challenging top 7 or even perhaps top 3, but now we’ll do well to stay up.

Matthew Taylor is Walsall’s manager after being appointed in 2021. How would you describe his time at the club so far and are you optimistic about the future with him at the helm?

Matt Taylor was brought in because of his coaching ability with young players at Tottenham, but the young Walsall players have gone back in their development this season and the first team have struggled to get any kind of consistency. The recent consistency of losing 7 on the bounce has led to his sacking earlier this week after we lost to bottom of the league Scunthorpe (with 10 men).

Who would you say are your stand out players?

Best fit Walsall players are Liam Kinsella (CDM) and Brendan Kiernan (LW)

How do you see the upcoming fixture panning out, score prediction etc, and do you believe this game will pose different questions than the previous encounter (A 1-0 victory at Prenton Park on the opening day of the season) did? If so, why?

On current form it is an easy win for Tranmere (0-2), but Football is a strange beast and with the management change Walsall may spring a surprise. (1-0), but I’d take a point now.

What starting eleven do you think will be selected by Taylor and how would you describe the playing style he’s implemented on his side?

Matt Taylor switched from his immoveable 4231 to a 352 for his last two games without success. Neil McDonald may have other ideas. Continuing with 352 is likely but with players missing I’d go for a traditional 442. Rushworth, White, Meyanese, Monthe, Devine, Osadebe, Kinsella, Perry, Kiernan, with Miller and debutant Willock upfront, but who knows what’s in McDonald’s head.

Thinking of previous encounters between the two clubs, what games/moments stand out as being memorable for you?

Historically Walsall have got the better of Tranmere. The best recent memory was Walsall’s 3-1 win with Wes McDonald scoring a beauty for Walsall’s decisive second.

As the January transfer window has now finished, how would you describe the business The Saddlers were able to complete in terms of incomings and outgoings?

The transfer business last January nearly sent us into the National league and this one is as bad. Being short of striking options Walsall needed strikers but instead lost one loanee striker, Kieran Phillips. Otis Khan who scored two goals in his last appearance also left the club. The target man we desperately needed did not arrive. The only attacking player coming in was the promising but volatile Devante Rodney. Despite failing his medical, we signed him anyway on a two-and-a-half-year contract.  

The Bescot Stadium is the location of this weekend’s fixture as 2nd placed Tranmere travel to 21st placed Walsall.

Swindon meeting the opposition.

• I’d like to start this feature off by paying my respect and sending my condolences to the Gidman family following the death of young Nate, who the majority (if not all) Tranmere fans will know about. Nate’s fight with brain cancer was brought to an end on Monday in the early hours. However, his fight was one that galvanised the SWA and helped them through their own battles during such tricky times. Nate scoring against Joe Murphy on the 18th December was an emotional day to remember. For me, it’s the moment of the season.
• There will be a fundraiser at tonight’s game for the families chosen charity, ‘Children’s Brain Tumour Research Fund’. 

Tranmere are now unbeaten in two after drawing away to Barrow as they aimed for a period of stabilisation following a crucifying defeat against Forest Green. However, they will need to fight to get more points next to their name against what many see as their ‘bogey team’ if this unbeaten run is to be extended.

Swindon have had a relatively good start to the season themselves, currently placed eighth and one point away from the Play-offs. However, they have failed to win in four games (drawing three) thus they will aim to get back to winning ways this week.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s game at Prenton Park, I spoke to Swindon Town supporter ‘@OOCSTFC’ who gave his thoughts on the club’s campaign so far amongst their transfer window before discussing how he believes the ninety minutes will pan out.

How long have you been following Swindon and what were your initial reasons for supporting the club?

I’ve been following the club since 2007 as I was taken by my dad from a young age. Supporting Swindon runs in the family.

Your Twitter page is ‘@OOCSTFC’. Would you say that you’re a relatively big account in the club’s fan media and what are some of the funniest or most unusual events linked to Swindon Town?

I probably talk the most rubbish of all our media accounts! The most unusual moment has to be not celebrating a title due to Covid. However, after what happened to Tranmere that summer I’ll not go into details!

What were your expectations going into the season and how do they compare to those that you have now as we enter the second half of the campaign?

There weren’t any expectations at the start after a change of ownership late into Pre season. After the start we’ve had most wouldn’t accept less than top 7. Personally, I would be happy with being in the top ten.

Ben Garner is Swindon’s manager following his appointment last year, how would you describe the former Bristol Rovers boss’ time at the club so far and are you optimistic about the future with him at the helm?

Garner certainly had a game plan. We’d dominate the ball and keep it on the deck. When it works it looks amazing. However, our lack of a ‘plan B’ has come back to bite us recently as we’ve dropped points far too easily. I think Garner will be here for at least another year.

What are your thoughts on the ownership at the club and who are they?

The club has recently been taken over by Australian Clem Morfuni after a long court battle with old owner Lee Power. Clem seems to have the club and fans at heart, a far cry from the old regime.

Who would you say are your stand out men and who, in your opinion, are Tranmere’s key players?

Due to injuries and suspension, two of our better players in Jack Payne and Louis Reed are unavailable. So, our two men to watch on Tuesday night will be Harry McKirdy who’s had a fantastic January (including four goals in one game against Northampton) and Welsh international Jonny Williams who, in my opinion, is a high end League One player. 

For Tranmere, I’d say your two central defenders who have bags of experience will be hard to break down – Peter Clarke and Tom Davies. Elliott Nevitt’s height gave us problems in August and may do the same tomorrow.

How do you see the upcoming fixture panning out, score prediction etc, and do you believe this game will pose different questions than the previous encounter (A 0-0 draw at Swindon in mid August) did? If so, why?

I believe the game will pan out with us dominating the ball with you looking to catch us on the counter. We struggle to keep clean sheets, we’ve had one since October, whilst you are defensively solid.

My score prediction is 1-1.

What starting eleven do you think will be selected by Garner and how would you describe the playing style he’s implemented on his squad?

I believe the 11 will be – GK. Jojo Wollacott. CB. Brandon Cooper. CB. Jake O’Brien. CB. Akin Odimayo. RWB. Rob Hunt. CM. Ryan East. CM. Jonny Williams. CM. Ben Gladwin. LWB. Joe Tomlinson. ST. Harry McKirdy. ST. Louie Barry.

As mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t expect you to have much of the ball but it will mainly be in our half between the three central defenders and East as the ‘holder’ if you will.

Thinking of previous encounters between the two clubs, what games/moments stand out as being memorable for you?

Tranmere is one of the few clubs we have a good record against. My personal favourite has to be a 5-0 win just before Christmas when Tranmere were top of League One. Proper Di Canio masterclass.

As the January transfer window has now finished, how would you describe the business The Robins were able to complete in terms of incomings and outgoings?

In terms of outgoings, three loan players were recalled with two being sent back to League One clubs. Those are probably our biggest losses.

Louie Barry on loan from Villa is one for the future and not many players will go from Barcelona to Swindon! 

6 ‘5 O’Brien brings a bit of an aerial threat in both boxes which we’ve been missing all season. Hes’ Palace’s U23’s captain and looks a bright prospect too.

Litherland Remyca Reserves v West Kirby F.C

West Cheshire League Division Two

Saturday 5th February 2022

West Kirby faced Litherland Reserves on Saturday afternoon in tough weather conditions and left feeling disappointed with a result that halted their progression under their new manager.

The first half was in truth, a relatively even contest as each side had a few chances of their own. However, as they would do throughout the ninety minutes, the hosts took advantage of the chances they were able to create as they put themselves in front in the opening ten minutes. 

Liam Morris rolled his marker before firing the ball powerfully into the bottom left side of the net.

In the 35th minute, they were able to double their lead through a Lennon Wherell strike.

The visitors got themselves back into the game late into the half, Litherland’s keeper unable to prevent Carl Murphy’s glancing header firing into the net after a brilliant deep free kick was placed into the box.

As the weather began to get worse, the hosts continued to impress as they managed to finish the ninety off in a very comfortable manner. 

Ten minutes into the second half, Ewan McDevitt placid himself onto the scoresheet with a drilled finish from outside of the box. 

It wouldn’t take too long for Jay Hughes to extend the lead, an exquisite wind-powered free kick flying into the goal from 30 yards out.

The fifth was scored by Jay Alty, Lennon Wherrel soon got his brace and the seventh saw John Graham adding his name onto an extensive list of goalscorers. 

It was a performance to forget for the visitors but one to remember for the hosts as West Kirby were probably glad that the whistle came when it did to avoid further damage.

Following the final whistle, visiting manager Nathan Brooks was full of praise for the winners. 

He said “Litherland are where they are for a reason, I thought they managed the game excellently. They played attractive football and moved through the thirds at a really good pace. I am certain they will be promotion contenders”.

West Kirby F.C man of the match: Carl Murphy who managed to link play up well and continued to look a threat the whole time he was on the field. 

West Kirby F.C line up, subs included: Lewis Burrows, Robbie Williams, Dan Smith, Patrick Carpenter, Lewis Boardman, Dan Lewis, Jordan Chwalko, Joe Haste, Josh Sutton, Sam Haley, Carl Murphy, Dave Hird, Harrison Hindley.

Barrow – meeting the opposition.

Tranmere got back to winning ways after a heavy 4-0 defeat, with a 1-0 win at home to Stevenage on Tuesday night at Prenton Park. The defeat brought a fantastic run of results to an end, a run that consisted of a 2-0 over Barrow on Boxing Day.

Since that festive encounter, The Bluebirds have been on a mixed run of form with two League wins from seven outings. However, they will be heading into the fixture against Rovers at Holker Street this Weekend in a positive frame of mind after beating promotion candidates Northampton Town 1-0 on the road.

Ahead of the game I spoke to Barrow supporter Taylor Nelson who gave his thoughts on the season so far, the transfer window that saw the return of John Rooney and discussed how he feels the upcoming ninety minutes will be played out.

What were your expectations going into the season and how do they compare to those that you have now as we enter the second half of the campaign?

Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect from this season. Our first season back in the EFL last campaign was a real struggle and I think we were served with somewhat of a reality check. There is quite a step-up when it comes to running a club in the EFL compared to a club in the National League League and we had to learn that the hard way. Surviving was massive for us and, personally, I wanted to see us make an improvement on that and learn from the past twelve months. It hasn’t been easy at all again this time around but I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to be in a position where we can keep our heads above water and maintain our league status again. The lower end of mid-table mediocrity seems to be where we’ll be headed.

Mark Cooper is Barrow’s manager and this is his first season in charge of the club. How would you describe Cooper’s time so far and are you optimistic about the future with him at the helm?

Cooper’s appointment was a real indication that the board were keen to learn from the previous season’s errors. We went with an experienced appointment with somebody who has a proven track record at this level and in the EFL with clubs like Swindon and, more recently, Forest Green, opposed to the inexperienced managers we went with previously. It hasn’t been easy for him. He’s come into a squad that he is still working on moulding to his own style and I think we’re only just going to start seeing what the blueprint is. Again, it hasn’t been easy and there have been a minority of doubters but I do think the mass majority see that he is probably best equipped to bring us forward. I see this season as one which he can start to build for the future and the summer will be a real indication as to what he can do with the club.

Who would you say are your stand out men and who, in your opinion, are Tranmere’s key players?

Former Tranmere midfielder Ollie Banks is probably the pick of the bunch when it comes to players to watch for. I remember quite a few Rovers fans being disappointed when he was allowed to join us in January last year. He often dictates the tempo of our game and is a real menace from set-pieces, as highlighted quite a few times this season – in particular against Barnsley in the FA Cup recently. Tranmere are well-known for a defence-first approach. Interestingly, aside from Peter Clarke, I don’t think there’s many real standout names in the defence but they obviously work together excellently.

How do you see the upcoming fixture panning out, score prediction etc, and do you believe this game will pose different questions than the previous encounter did (Tranmere won 2-0 on Boxing Day)? If so, why?

We’ll take a lot of confidence from our victory against Northampton and I’m hoping there is more to come from this group of players. However, Tranmere’s quality is obvious and I do expect a mightily difficult encounter. We often maintain a lot of possession but need to do more with it. Against a side who defend as stoutly as Tranmere do, we have to take our opportunities when they are afforded to us – otherwise, we’ll fail to get the breakthrough and that has been the case far too often. I think the first goal of the game will be massively important.

What starting eleven do you think will be selected by Mark Cooper and how would you describe the playing style he’s implemented onto his side?

I expect a largely similar side to that who played in midweek. It was a fantastic performance that has certainly lifted the mood a little after a pretty worrying few weeks, admittedly. We’ll look to keep the ball and work our way into the box however the recent acquisition of Aaron Amadi-Holloway provides us with another route which we were lacking for too long.

Thinking of the previous encounters between the two clubs, what games/moments stand out as being memorable for you?

None more so than that fateful night at Holker Street, unfortunately! Losing a game from 3-1 up so late into the game can never be forgotten. It certainly changes your perception on a result being ‘done.’

As the January transfer window has now finished, how would you describe the business The Bluebirds were able to complete in terms of incomings and outgoings?

The final 48 hours or so of the transfer window were massive for us. We brought John Rooney back to the club who was hugely influential in our promotion campaign and took no time in reintroducing himself into the team during the week. It was great to see him back in a Barrow shirt. Niall Canavan also joined the club from Bradford which I feel is somewhat of a statement. Capturing the captain of Bradford City on Deadline Day is certainly a way to improve your team and make the teams around you take notice. Elsewhere, we really bolstered our striking options which was massively important given our lack of goals throughout the season and I’m glad to see Amadi get off the mark. The only negative is that Offrande Zanzala, who was loaned out to Exeter in an attempt for him to regain his confidence after a poor spell with us, suffered an injury and will now require surgery. It’s a shame that what I would say was the marquee signing of the summer hasn’t quite worked out.

Everton v Brentford – Match Preview 

FA Cup 4th Round

Saturday 5th February 2022, 3pm K.O

Goodison Park

Frank Lampard’s tenure as Everton manager gets underway this weekend as Everton face Thomas Tuchel’s Brentford in the FA Cup 4th round at Goodison Park.

There has been some debate in the media throughout the past week regarding whether the former Derby County and Chelsea man was good enough to replace Rafa Benitez. However, if the Blues have a positive February and manage to remain in the cup then these doubts will almost vanish as The Toffees aim to have a period of progression that many thought would happen under the guidance of Italian Carlo Ancelotti. 

The 43-year-old was announced on Monday and his first few days have seen the club secure the services of attacking midfielders Donny Van De Beek, the Dutchman is on loan from Manchester United, and Dele Alli who signs on a 2.5 year deal from Antonio Conte’s Spurs. Away from the players Lampard has brought in, it will be interesting to see how left-back Mykolenko manages to benefit from the aid of coaches Leighton Baines and Ashley Cole. Everton’s coaching set-up now holds former players who you may expect to be in an all-time best 11 of England’s top division.

Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri spoke of the unity that needs to engulf the blue half of Liverpool if the club is to have success. This can be done by ensuring Goodison has an impassioned atmosphere on the weekend as Frank’s Bees travel north. 

Some would say that Brentford have started the campaign off in a better manner than their opponents, the visitors sit in 14th which is four points higher than the Blues. However, they have played three games more as Everton have had a few outings postponed for reasons such as a Coronavirus outbreak. Thus, although some have made a case for Lampard’s side being found in the Championship next year it is still very close at the bottom half of the table.

Frank’s side have definitely brought a breath of fresh air to the League though as games such as the opening fixture of the season, at home to Arsenal, stands out greatly in the mind. The atmosphere at Brentford’s new stadium has been applauded by many, Sky Sports Football pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville even managed a little dance there! 

To strive away from the three relegation spots, you need positivity and a sense of togetherness to get away from the rut that you have found yourself in. Thus, a great cup run would certainly do no harm. Lampard’s new found club hasn’t won the competition for 27 years, as The Bees have only got as far as the Quarter Final on four occasions with the last being further back than Everton’s trophy win. Another way you build that positivity is by having a successful transfer window by bringing in players of great quality, in that respect it would only be necessary to commend the signing of Christian Eriksen as Brentford captured the services of the former Spurs trickster on deadline day.

Regardless of the above, the modern landscape is almost typified by the head-to-head statistics as it shows that there isn’t that much between the two teams in terms of quality. The first meeting was in April 1936, the last was in November 2021 and Brentford have managed to edge out more wins thanks to an Ivan Toney penalty in that previous meeting. 

It will be interesting to see if Lampard is able to bring that head-to-head stat level this weekend as he embarks on a great new managerial adventure.

Officials.

Referee: Michael Oliver.

Assistants: Stuart Burt and Scott Ledger. 

Fourth Official: Andrew Madley.

VAR: Andre Marriner.

Assistant VAR: Harry Lennard.

Premier League teams in FA Cup action this weekend: Manchester United (v Middlesborough), Chelsea (v Plymouth), West Ham (v Kidderminster), Crystal Palace(v Hartlepool), Man City (v Fulham), Southampton (v Coventry), Wolves v Norwich, Spurs v Brighton, Liverpool (v Cardiff), Leicester (v Forest).

Stevenage F.C – meeting the opposition.

Following on from a heavy blow in a 4-0 defeat at home to first placed Forest Green Rovers, Tranmere will now be wanting to get back to winning ways after capturing the services of Everton u23s midfielder Lewis Warrington. In their way stand Paul Tisdale’s Stevenage who travel to Prenton Park on Tuesday night in great form, winning three out of their previous five.

Ahead of the midweek encounter, I spoke to Boro fan Reece Donnelly ‘@ReeceDSport’ who gave his thoughts on Stevenage’s start to the season as well as giving his opinion on a strong hosting defence despite the heavy weekend loss.

What were your expectations going into the season and how do they compare to those that you have now as we enter the second half of the campaign?

After such a strong end to last season, hopes were high. We were named ‘dark horses’ for the season by many but after a very strong start things quickly unravelled for Revell, once he got into a rut I’m just unsure if he had the experience to get out of it. Now it’s about building solid foundations for next season and finally push on after seasons of struggling

Paul Tisdale is Stevenage’s manager after being appointed in late November, was it the right time to part ways with Alex Revell and how would you describe Tisdale’s opening couple of months?

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the appointment but he’s slowly turning me around with his articulate interviews, calmness, approach and of course most importantly results. Our only loss recently was a 2-0 loss to Forest Green. We’re competitive in every game, we’ve got players who are thriving such as Jake Taylor and Terence VanCooten and that has meant we’ve been able to get ourselves away from the bottom.

Who would you say are your stand out men and who, in your opinion, are Tranmere’s key players?

Luke Norris scores goals, on one hell of a run of form at the minute. Jake Taylor has been truly exceptional since moving out wide, relentless energy and a desire to push us up the pitch. Jake Reeves is a real heartbeat to the side at the minute also.

Peter Clarke and Tom Davies have been exceptional this season and are going to be very hard to get past. Then there is a strong case for Callum McDonald to be one of the best in the league. That back unit is so impressive at Tranmere. Although maybe I shouldn’t say that after a 4-0 loss!

How do you see the upcoming fixture panning out, score prediction etc, and do you believe the game will pose different questions than the previous encounter did? If so, why?

It’s a very different game. We’ve been competitive in every game we’ve played unlike before so I think it’s a very different game. We have a bit of momentum too which can change the nature of games. Also after a real shock to the system on Saturday, Tranmere are gonna be desperate for a result. 

With Stevenage having a point to prove and Tranmere also desperate to prove a point also I think it turns into a bit of a scrappy ugly game rather than the game of football it could be. Think I’m edging towards a 1-1 draw at the minute. 

What starting eleven do you think will be selected by the Stevenage gaffer and how would you describe the playing style that he’s implemented on his side?

Pym – O’Neil, Cuthbert, Prosser, Coker, VanCooten, Reeves, Westbrooke, Taylor, Norris, Reid.

We want to play football. We want it at a fast pace. Those two midfielders of Reeves and Westbrooke want to constantly find the half spaces. We want crosses into the box and use the width of a 4-3-3 to our advantage as much as possible. We are comfortable letting a side have the ball due to the fitness, agility battling and counter abilities in our team.

Thinking of the previous encounters between the two clubs, what games/moments stand out as being memorable for you?

I’ll be totally honest, there aren’t too many memorable games when it comes to Stevenage v Tranmere. The lockdown game was a superb memory, celebrating that late screamer on zoom with mates. Also, I remember the home game on opening day a while back as we were both insanely optimistic for the season after that and of course only one of us had reason to be! 

As the January window has now finished, how would you describe the club’s business in the past month? 

I can’t fault Tisdale on the recruitment process, position wise, whatsoever I must say. Bought in everything we needed. Some experience too! We bought our average age up significantly but he’s very much ticked the boxes. I’m also never going to complain about a window where Micheal Bostwick came home! 

West Kirby F.C v Marine U23 F.C Report.

Haworth and Gallagher bowl Quarter Final.

Saturday 29th January 2022.

Marine progressed into the Semi Final of the Haworth and Gallagher bowl competition with a penalty shoot-out victory against West Kirby F.C.

It took both sides a little amount of time to settle into the game. However, a good competitive contest would soon be played out. 

There were plenty of good challenges placed in the opening stages of the afternoon as well as a few opportunities at either end, none testing the keepers too much.

The second half brought more of the same. However, the visitors would get a good hold of the game with twenty minutes remaining as they began to dominate possession. West Kirby’s defensive structure remained solid, starting a few counter-attacks when possible.

With the ninety being brought to an end at 0-0, there was a period of extra time to follow as the winners of the tie would be confirmed on the day. 

The hosts could have won if it wasn’t for an offside flag being raised to rule out a goal. Marine came close to scoring too as they put in a great corner, the ball failing to go further than the goal line on that occasion.

There has to be credit given to both keepers for their performances as two perfect saves were made in the shoot-out. However, for the hosts an unbeaten and resilient Marine side stood in their way of progression as the shoot-out would finish 4-3.

After the game, Captain Charlie Clewlow spoke of his side’s performance before speaking of the winners.

“Either side could have won the tie had the referee awarded a penalty for Marine in the second half for a potential handball, or allowed our disallowed goal during extra time. We can be proud of our performance today as we showed that we’ve got more than enough to compete against the top teams in the league. Good luck to Marine in the next round”.

Man of the match: Patrick Carpenter. West Kirby’s left back won multiple 1v1 duels.

West Kirby F.C team: Lewis Burrows, Robbie Williams, Adam Chwalko, Dave Hird, Dan Smith, Patrick Carpenter, Charlie Clewlow (c), Dan Lewis, Jordan Chwalko, Joe Stephenson, Sam Haley, Tila Davies, Jay Rimmer.