Doncaster Rovers FC meeting the opposition

Nigel Adkins’ Tranmere Rovers return back to action on Saturday afternoon as they face Doncaster Rovers at the Eco-Power Stadium.

The week, following a good point picked up at Prenton Park against Crewe Alexandra, has brought a 2-1 win away at Warrington Rylands in a Liverpool Senior Cup Quarter Final and the announcement of a new midfielder in Ousmane Kane. 

22-year-old Kane has been training at the club for a couple of months at different stages of this campaign. He has signed a short-term deal with an option for an extension, if he impresses, thus it will be interesting to see how he gets on. 

Doncaster are currently positioned 22nd, seven points away from 23rd placed Sutton United who they claimed a last minute point against in their last outing with a penalty from top scorer Joe Ironside.

To hear more about Grant McCann’s side, I spoke to supporter Daniel Nice.

Hi Daniel, when did you become a Doncaster Rovers supporter? What was your first experience of the club like?

My first game was in 1992, so it’s safe to say I’ve seen a few things over the years. My main memory of home games is of a ground falling to bits and a team that had some players you could relate to but no real hope or ambition. It was always cold. The tea was scalding hot in polystyrene cups. I can’t quite see the attraction looking back, but something clicked for me. The love is as unconditional now as it was then.

What are some of your best and worst moments as a Doncaster fan?

There have been some real highs & lows, in essence relating to promotions, failed attempts & relegations and the odd shock cup result. Beating Leeds at Wembley was incredible, as was the win at Brentford and the drama over 3 Conference play-off games to get back into the Football League. However I am quite philosophical these days and therefore it’s often the occasions like when you travel the length of the country to watch a goalless draw in abysmal conditions that capture the essence of being a fan all at once. It can be the worst game in the world but in those moments you get that feeling where belonging and supporting is the strongest. It may sound strange but the play-off defeat at Charlton was probably my favourite ever game; hope and heartbreak, the full spectrum of emotions, the most glorious of failures. I’ll never forget that night.

Doncaster play their home games at the Eco-Power Stadium which was opened in August 2007. The venue has a capacity of 15,231. What are your thoughts on the ground that also plays host to Doncaster RLFC? 

It’s fair to say that it’s not a venue designed for a basement battle in League Two, and the football certainly hasn’t matched the surroundings in recent times. Maybe it’s too comfortable for the opposition – nobody wanted to play at Belle Vue!

Where should away fans go to make the most of their day?

The best option for food, drink and maybe even a bit of shopping is the Lakeside centre that’s right near the ground. It’s handy for cars, coaches and the train station too as you have to head that way anyway. It’s worth heading towards the racecourse to have a look in and also see what happened to Belle Vue too, if you like your football history.

Last season, Doncaster finished 18th after struggling under both Gary McSheffrey and Danny Schofield. The club are currently placed 22nd as the 2023-24 campaign enters its final moments. What are your thoughts on things at the moment?

Where do we start? It’s been pretty desperate at times, and although being 22nd feels rubbish, we were rock bottom with two points after seven games and I feared the worst then, so a seven point gap with a game in hand on Sutton actually feels like it could be a lot worse. You only have to rewind to the 95th minute last Saturday to know that. 

There are lots of theories as to where and why it’s gone wrong, but my gut feel is that everything has combined, snowballed, and contributed to it. 

I’m hopeful that the escape from Gander Green Lane without defeat means there won’t be as much drama and pain to come as there could have been – let’s not even consider that it could get worse from here. 

Sometimes, avoidance is as good a defence mechanism as anything.

Grant McCann is DRFC manager, he was re-appointed by the club in May ‘23. What are your thoughts on him and his wing-back playing style?

It’s important to be objective but it’s also hard not to like Grant McCann following his first spell plus his efforts in the middle part of this season, where we looked to have turned the corner. The reality is that he is yet to turn things around, but he is our best chance of constructing a long term rebuild. 

McCann is calm, knows the lower leagues well, understands the club, and is someone who can lay the foundations for something. Yes, he has to take some responsibility for poor results, and there have been some interesting selections and formations at times, but you can’t keep blaming and sacking the manager every time it fails. 

My instinct is that the job is harder than he imagined and he’s trying to play the cards he’s been dealt. Interestingly he doesn’t really want to play with wing backs but has moved away from a favoured back 4 to a 3-5-2 and even a 3-4-3 last week, which brought me out in a cold sweat recalling the Danny Schofield days. But it was never going to be a classic at Sutton and at least at times it turned into a 5-4-1 and we weren’t a soft touch. Rather than sticking to a plan that definitely wasn’t working, he is prepared to shuffle the pack to try to find a better option. 

It’s not pretty but it doesn’t need to be at the moment. I do feel we need to get more attempts at goal though – you miss every shot you don’t take right?

Could you talk to us about the current team and how well you believe DRFC operated in the January transfer window?

We signed so many players in the summer that we couldn’t really go with wholesale changes again. Having said that, only 2 players started at Sutton who were part of the last away league win – that decent 2-1 success at Tranmere (sorry) – back in October. Two! And they are the only two who I’d say with any conviction have been super consistent in Owen Bailey and Joe Ironside. Yes there have been more injuries and it’s hard to see how Ben Close and Zain Westbrooke wouldn’t play if fit for example, and the odd departure such as Mo Faal, but it feels like it sums it up in a way. We’re still not much further on from finding longer term solutions but we don’t have the luxury to experiment too much. We’re going game by game and trying to find some answers. 

My gut feel is the squad needs another dose of major surgery in the long term but there are some decent players to work with and we can’t really look beyond the next game at this stage. It is what it is.

Terry Bramall became Chairman a week before Christmas, he had been on the club’s board for almost twenty years and guided the club to the Championship for the first time in 50 years. What are your thoughts on him?

There’s been a lot of debate about the ownership of the club generally and I’d prefer to focus on the football. Personally I’m grateful that Terry Bramall has stepped up in a difficult moment, it’s easy to lead when things are going well but he’s trying to do it when times are tough. I’ll always respect people who do that.

Doncaster have failed to win in the league since New Year’s Day. How important was last weekend’s one-all draw at Sutton United as top scorer Joe Ironside netted a 96th minute penalty?

It wasn’t a must win for us but defeat felt unthinkable and we were staring it in the face. The last minute was absolutely bizarre, from Sutton cheaply surrendering possession when they had the ball by the corner flag to us trying to get the ball forward against a strong wind, to Dean Bouzanis inexplicably clattering Ironside towards the edge of the box with 20 seconds on the clock. Why did he do it? The referee had given us very little yet then gave the most important and arguably softest decision of all three penalty shouts after initially appearing to let it go. What took so long for the call? I can’t explain the logic of any of it. I’d describe it as being down to your last penny and then finding a £50 note that somehow goes on to change your life. It has to be the sliding doors moment. Was there a life lesson in there about never giving up? Maybe, but perhaps more to the point, it proves that however desperate things are, there’s always someone in a worse position than you.

Could you tell us a little bit more about Ironside? The 30-year-old has netted 14 goals and has provided his teammates with four assists in 33 games.

Big Joe! How can you not love him? He gets kicked from pillar to post every game but he’s the first to go in for the next challenge. He never stops running. He scores vital goals. Most importantly he has the calmness and composure of a surgeon about to conduct the trickiest of operations. A 96th minute penalty with grave consequences if you miss? No problem. I didn’t even consider him missing it. I’d trust him with my life when stepping up for a penalty. Okay, I wouldn’t have survived Meadow Lane, but in the current Donny world of trauma, drama and inconsistency, he’s someone to rely on.  

The last game between Doncaster and Tranmere finished in a 2-1 win for the visitors at Prenton Park as Harrison Biggins and Mo Faal netted for McCann’s side. DRFC have won 39 of their 79 meetings with Tranmere. What is your score prediction for Saturday?

It’s a tough one to call as both sides really need a win but we’re also at a stage of the season where it feels like every point counts. Our home form has deserted us recently but we were good up to Morecambe, and did sweep MK Dons aside 3-0. We have that in our locker on our day. We should have beat Newport. We’ve also conceded 5 at home twice within the last 5 games. So you might think it seems slightly weird for me to predict another tight game between our two sides but there will be a mutual respect between managers, who know one another well, so it has the potential to be cagey. We have looked far more assured with Richard Wood back. It has the feeling of a 1-1 or a goal in it either way. 

Finally, could you give your thoughts on Tranmere?

I’m amazed at the turnaround to be honest, the night we beat you I thought it could be a long, hard season but Nigel Adkins has done an amazing job to steer you up the table. You’re probably in that part of the league where nothing is likely to happen now but you’d have gladly taken that a few weeks ago I’m sure. Having said that, another winning run and you could be looking to gatecrash those play-offs like Harrogate are threatening to do. There’s probably too much to do though and too many teams around to prevent it from happening. I expect a hardworking, organised team that will play on the break and try to capitalise on mistakes. I can’t see it being the most entertaining of games but from our perspective we just need the points, however they come.

Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium, formerly known as Keepmoat, was opened in 2007. 

The last time Tranmere played here Doncaster won 2-0 as Ben Close and Kyle Hurst netted just after the hour mark in early February 2023. 

Crewe meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers are back in action this Saturday afternoon as they play host to Crewe Alexandra.

Nigel Adkins’ men returned to winning ways last weekend as they narrowly beat Grimsby, 2-1, in Cleethorpes. 

It was a hard working performance. The Mariners nearly drew level at the end, but for a fantastic save from Luke McGee and an excellent finish by Rob Apter, who has only recently extended his stay at the club until the Summer. 

It was a quiet transfer window for Rovers though, Adkins clearly prioritising the chance to keep the current, positive squad morale before adding quality when the season ends.

Crewe were beaten against Salford City last weekend. However, Lee Bell’s fifth placed side have been playing some good stuff this year with former Rovers man Elliott Nevitt up top and will be aiming to get back to winning ways on The Wirral.

Ahead of the game, I spoke to The Railwaymen Podcast. 

Hi The Railwaymen Podcast, when did you start supporting Crewe? 

I’ve been supporting Crewe since I understood what football was in the early 1990s.

What was your first experience of the club like? 

A very different place to what it is today. I was standing on the railway end terrace, with no roof watching the game. I’m not sure who we played, but I know we won that day.

Could you tell us some of the highs and lows in your time following The Alex?

The nine seasons in the Championship will always take some beating. Even the one we dropped down to Div 2 was superb as it was a great promotion season.

Crewe are in a good run of form, despite Saturday’s defeat to Salford City. Could you tell us how this season has gone so far?

It’s gone better than anyone could ever have thought, we were tipped to be down the bottom, even the most optimistic would not have us where we currently are, with this much of the season gone.

How much of an improvement has it been on last year?

It’s like watching two different clubs.

How likely do you view your promotion chances?

I think we’ll be in and amongst it at the end of the season. I’m not sure top three will happen, but we’ve beaten Notts, Mansfield and Barrow already this season, so why not?

Charles Grant has been Chairman of The Alex since 2021 after he joined the club’s board in 2012. How happy are you with the way the club is being run?

Pretty happy, I think there’s been some learning curves along the way, but he’s trying his best, and he has the club’s interest at heart, I think.

40-year-old Lee Bell was appointed as manager in November 2022, replacing Alex Morris, he has won 27 of his 68 games in charge. What are your thoughts on Bell and his playing style?

The man can do no wrong, and long may it continue, he’s putting everything he can into this job, he deserves all his success.

How much of a positive is it that he was previously the U18s and U23’s manager? That seems to be the case with a lot of Crewe bosses. 

I think it speaks to the ethos of the club, it’s what we’re all about.

Former Rovers man Elliott Nevitt is Crewe’s top scorer with twelve goals in 30 matches. He has also set up his teammates with two assists. Talk to us about the talent he has… 

It’s not so much about the talent for him, he obviously has it, or he wouldn’t be a professional footballer, but it’s his work ethic and his willingness to do the tough stuff that has made him a fans favourite at the club.

The most recent meeting between Crewe and Tranmere brought a 2-0 win for The Alex at Gresty Road. Mickey Demetriou and Chris Long got themselves on the scoresheet. Thoughts on that game?

I think we caught Tranmere at the right time, you were at the bottom of a trough and in reality it was a fairly straight forward game, with one club looking up full of morale and one club being the opposite.

The last time Crewe played at Prenton Park was in mid-October 2022 as an in-form Rovers won 3-0. Score prediction for your visit this time ‘round?

2-1 Crewe.

Thoughts on Nigel Adkins’ Tranmere? 

I think it’s going to be much tougher than the first game of the season, there seems to have been an upturn in fortune which is not surprising given his pedigree.

What are your thoughts on Crewe’s transfer window this January? A couple of young players have been brought in on loan in Preston midfielder Lewis Leigh and Huddersfield midfielder Josh Austerfield. 

It’s not been ideal, we’ve lost a great centre back and a centre mid with Joe White going back on loan.  We’ve got a few in on loan, they’ve started ok, but it’s too early to tell if this is the winning combination for the remainder of the season.

Crewe academy graduate, Irish defender, Connor O’Riordan has been snapped up by Blackburn Rovers recently. How important do you view the great academy that the club has?

It’s the same answer as the coaches, it’s the ethos and life blood of the club, and any Crewe fan is rightly proud of it.

Tranmere have won five of their six recent games at Prenton Park. Crewe are unbeaten in their last three road trips. It’s set to be an entertaining contest. 

Grimsby Town F.C meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers travel to Grimsby Town on Saturday afternoon, looking to get back to winning ways. 

It has been a frustrating period of time for Nigel Adkins’ side recently as a good run of winning form has been followed up by defeats to both Barrow and MK.

The tie at home to MK saw Rovers sit back and let the visitors attack, this looked to have worked and a point would have been a justifiable result. However, a late strike for Mike Williamson’s side saw ‘The Dons’ return back to Buckhamingshire with all three points. 

Adkins has been quiet on the recruitment front, it seems like Rovers fans will just have to sit out the rest of the campaign as the side edges away from relegation danger.

However, with Forest Green announcing the appointment of Steve Cotterill as manager and other top bosses at the bottom end of the division, there could be a little bit more battling to be done. 

Grimsby drew their most recent outing 5-5, at Blundell Park against Notts County, they too will be looking to get back to winning ways. 

Mariners supporter Aaron Rattray spoke to me ahead of the game.

Hi Aaron, when did you start supporting Grimsby Town? What was your first experience of the club like?

Interesting question! I have been following the club for more years than I remember! Once you’re into it, you can’t get out of it and you keep on going regardless of how bad it can get!

What are your best and worst moments in your time following The Mariners? 

The worst moments have to be the relegations into non league. The best moments, apart from the promotions, has to be that history making, record breaking FA cup run last season which saw us reach the Quarter Finals and become the first club in history to beat clubs all from higher leagues in every round. Southampton away was special, but Brighton away in the Quarter Finals, despite the result, the weekend will always live long in the memory!

Grimsby play their home games at Blundell Park, they have been doing so since 1899. What are your thoughts on the 9,002 capacity venue? What is it like for away fans?

Blundell Park will never win any awards and its best days are well behind it but it’s an old fashioned football ground, whilst other stadiums are more modern and have much better facilities, at the end of the day, home is where the heart is.

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/it-could-not-far-galatasaray-8967264

Last season, Grimsby finished 11th in League Two. They are currently positioned 19th. What would you say have been the main issues this season?

I think mistakes were made in the recruitment in the summer, the defence in particular is very leaky, one of the worst in the league which is a major, major concern and one of many issues which needs to be addressed and resolved for us to progress.

43-year-old David Artell took over as manager, at the end of last year, following on from his five year spell as boss of Crewe Alexandra. He had guided The Alex to promotion from League Two in 2020. What are your thoughts on him and his playing style? 

Artell’s style of play is very attack minded, totally different to former manager Paul Hurst’s. Artell sets his team up to play football, to pass the ball around, and look to entertain.  I am hopeful that as time goes on and he can start assembling his own squad, we will have a good team! 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67542827#:~:text=Grimsby%20Town%20have%20appointed%20former,Two%20games%20left%20them%2021st.

Artell would have been appointed by Chairman Jason Stockwood. You have spoken positively about the Grimsby-born businessman in the past. What are your current thoughts on him and what he’s trying to change around the club? 

I still think Jason Stockwood is a good man and no doubt he genuinely wants to improve the squad, but some of his interviews raise more questions than they answer and lately he has come across as quite aggressive and confrontational, maybe that is due to stress. Regardless, he is a million times better than John Fenty!

Grimsby Town F.C, it’s time for change!

How do you believe Artell will set his side up?

Most probably in a 4/3/3 formation: Cartwright, Mullarkey, Rodgers, Tharme, Glennon, Wood, Holohan, Clifton, Eisa, Rose, Vernam.

Grimsby’s top scorer is Danny Rose. He has netted twelve goals in 28 games whilst also providing his teammates with three assists. How special is he? Would you mind giving us, and the Tranmere defence, a quick scouting report?

Rose is a very good footballer and almost the complete forward, he holds the ball up well, he’s good in the air, he makes life tough for the central defenders and he chips in with goals clearly! There’s a reason why he’s been a key player for teams who have ended up getting promoted from this level.

In Grimsby’s last game, they drew 5-5 with Notts County. This weekend will bring the club’s third home game of the new year, Artell’s side are yet to play away from home. How interesting was the 5-5 tie to watch? Does it speak volumes of the side that they fought until the end?

What a ding dong game that was, certainly one for the neutral! Partly helped by some truly horrific defending from both teams! But of course I would have taken a point before the game, and it was good to see us come back to snatch a point at the last minute. We often come back from the dead over the last few seasons but it’s something we’ve not seen enough of this season.

Tranmere and Grimsby last met in early October as a two-all draw was played out at Prenton Park. Can you remember that one?

I do remember that one! I never went to that game but I listened to it on the radio! I remember it sounding like an even game, both teams could have won, and no surprise we bottled a lead, we have done that countless times this season!

Two ex Tranmere players have departed Grimsby Town this week, could you talk to us about them both?

As you saw Otis Khan and Luke Waterfall two ex Tranmere left the club the last couple of days and I think I agree on both and feel it is right for players and club, Otis is no doubt a very talented player and he has shown what he can do on occasions for us but nowhere near enough! He seems to be the average League 2 winger, on his day quality but consistently inconsistent and I feel we need to strive for better, as with Waterfall, top bloke who came from being told he could leave the club to being instrumental in our promotion season! But sadly in League 2 it was clear that his age had caught up with him and as such again we need better, Luke especially departs with our best wishes and our immense thanks.

What are your thoughts on Tranmere? Nigel Adkins’ side will be looking to get back to winning ways after recent defeats to Barrow and MK.

Where do I start?! ???? Certainly form has picked up recently, around Christmas time, which boosts everybody’s confidence but I hope the form takes a dramatic turn for the worse starting from Saturday!

What is your score prediction for Saturday? 

I never get these right, I’ll say 1-1, but no doubt I’m wrong!

Grimsby’s Blundell Park. 

The last time Tranmere travelled here was in early December 2022. Striker Jake Burton scored for the visitors as Micky Mellon’s men were beaten 2-1. 

MK Dons meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers look to get back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon as they play host to MK Dons. 

The fixture will be a chance to remember the great life of former Chairman Peter Johnson, who very sadly passed away this week and forward Rob Apter will once again play in front of the SWA after putting pen to paper on Friday afternoon, extending his loan spell until the end of the season.

The Whites were narrowly beaten last time out as they travelled to Barrow A.F.C, Rovers four game unbeaten run coming to an end. However, Nigel Adkins’ side have won their past five games on the Wirral this will be hoping that they can extend it to a sixth. 

Mike Williamson’s MK will be looking to get back to winning ways themselves as they were heavily beaten on New Year’s Day against Doncaster Rovers.

Ahead of the game, I spoke to MK supporter Peter Duffy.

Hi, when did you start supporting MK? What was your first experience of the club like?

I got into football later in life through my son’s playing and a friend invited us to watch MK Dons. I had a choice between games against Doncaster Rovers and Yeovil Town and picked Yeovil. Little did I know it would be the game that saw us promoted to the Championship. It was, I think, the last time Dele (Alli) played for us and I think the final score was 5-1. A pitch invasion happened at the end due to the promotion. 

I started going maybe once a month initially with the family thereafter and we quickly got hooked and became season ticket holders. 

In recent years, now my sons are older, we’ve been going home and away whenever we can. 

So, an amazing first experience and great to see us in the Championship but of course it’s been a bit down and up since! 

What have been some of your best and worst moments following the Dons? 

Best: That promotion to the Championship was a great start, promotions from League Two, most of the recent season where we just missed promotion back to the Championship as we had an amazing team that season.

Worst: Getting relegated again to League Two was a blow after the high of the previous season being one result off promotion to the Championship. We were also only one result off staying in League One. 

Mk’s head coach is the young Mike Williamson, appointed last year after his impressive stint at Gateshead in which he guided the club to promotion from the National League North. What are your thoughts on the former Newcastle player? How would you describe his playing style?

He had an amazing run after coming in, lost his first but had had almost no time prior, then went on an unbeaten streak that was only ended with the recent defeat to Doncaster. I like him, he seems to do things differently and I suspect is a hit particularly with young players, even little things like coming out for the warmups with his team which you don’t see very often. 

On the playing style, Mike has set the team up to play attractive football but at the same time we have stopped leaking goals. We play through the thirds really well and the introduction of Jack Payne in the pivot role has been genius. Expect to see lots of direct running and fast interplay, it’s definitely more exciting than the start of the season!

MK’s Chairman is Pete Winkelman. What are your thoughts on the way he runs the club?

Pete has taken a lot of stick over the years for how we were formed but I feel he has always acted in the best interests of the club, he’s made mistakes but he owns them and fronts them up with the fans. 

An example of the great things he’s done is to have secured the MK Bowl as a training ground, and venue, which I have no doubt will be a first class facility once we can complete the work. This will really benefit the club in terms of helping attract players and also obviously an additional means to generate revenue. The commercial setup 

should mean the club can be sustainable. 

We’ve definitely had a few setbacks footballing wise, but which club hasn’t?

MK’s Captain is 39-year-old centre-half Dean Lewington, he has made 773 appearances for the club after making the move from Wimbledon to MK when the club was formed. It must be pretty cool to have him around still!

It is amazing, and for him to be straight back on the team sheet after injury at his age just shows how he is still performing, despite his age. He’s been such a loyal servant of the club and is loved by fans. I’m sure he’s had offers to go elsewhere but has stuck with us, no doubt taking plenty of flack along the way for doing so, given how he stayed loyal with the club through the move. He’s been caretaker manager as well for short periods when we’ve had our various managerial changes. He’s so important and I hope he’ll stay involved for 

many years to come and look forward to the stand naming and statue, which no doubt he’ll hate!

The Dons were relegated from League One last season, finishing the campaign in 21st position. What went wrong and what has happened since to help sort the issues out?

We’d got the recruitment wrong after almost getting promoted. We’d lost the likes of Scott Twine and Harry Darling and loans like Troy Parrott, Connor Coventry, and Jamie Cumming. With that team it’s almost a crime we didn’t get promoted. We then tried to recruit young talents to replace them and the replacements and loanees just weren’t good enough. We eventually changed manager which wasn’t going to make up for the lack of talent and relegation was the end result, only by a result, but that wasn’t much consolation !

MK recently recalled Dan Kemp back from his great time on loan at Swindon Town. As well as top scorer Max Dean who has netted nine goals, how would you describe the team’s strong points? Could you give us a little bit of a scout report on Kemp and Dean as the Rovers defence will need to come out on top!

It’s really hard to judge Dan Kemp, as I don’t think he’s had a fair chance with us. He does seem to love to take the defence on and cut inside, something we have seen a lot of under Mike Williamson. 

As for Dean, he’s a handful and a tricky one at that. He works hard and he has real talent, he’s been our standout since Mike came in.

MK were beaten 3-0 away at Doncaster Rovers on New Year’s Day but beat Tranmere 1-0 in the last meeting between the two clubs as Mo Eisa struck early in mid August. Are you confident that MK can return to winning ways? What went wrong against Doncaster? All three goals were scored inside the first half.

I’m very confident, particularly with some additions coming in in January. I think we see Doncaster as a “blip”, they have been a bit of a bogey team for us anyway and with the run we’d been on, there’s no reason to doubt the team after one poor performance and result. 

What are your thoughts on Tranmere? The Rovers’ great unbeaten run, ten games long, came to an end on Saturday away at Barrow thus they will be looking to get back to winning ways as soon as possible.

I have always seen Tranmere as a strong and competitive side, especially when we play each other. 

The permanent appointment of Adkins seems to have had a really positive effect and there have been some very good results on a run. He’s clearly very passionate about the club, as l believe was demonstrated in the Notts County game! 

You were on a very strong run, like us, so our game should be one to look forward to.

Tranmere have won their last five home games, they will be hoping that they can extend it to six on Saturday afternoon. 

Harrogate Town A.F.C meeting the opposition

In Tranmere Rovers’ final game of a frustrating 2023, Nigel Adkins’ side travel to Harrogate Town on Friday night looking to add on to Boxing Day’s 5-1 away victory at Salford City.

The win at the Peninsula Stadium was Tranmere’s first win, on the road, since February. 

It was a dominant performance from start to finish as striker Harvey Saunders, who has struggled this season, opened the scoring in the 12th minute before four different goalscorers netted the others. 

Friday’s game may be winger Robbie Apter’s final outing in a Whites shirt, the 20-year-old has captured the love and affection of all supporters with his dazzling performances and manager Adkins has admitted to doing his utmost to try to keep him at the club.

Harrogate Town are unbeaten in their last four league games, after narrowly beating Accrington Stanley on Boxing Day and will thus put up a good test.

Ahead of the game, I spoke to Sulphurites season ticket holder Neil Hirst.

Hi Neil, when did you start supporting Harrogate Town? What was your first experience of the club like?

My first game at Harrogate was in February 2017 against Worcester City in the National League North.  I went with a mate from university who was club secretary at Worcester at the time.  As my son was born in Harrogate and getting heavy into football, I started taking him as it was accessible from home and, unlike Liverpool, you could buy tickets with ease.  The standard was clearly lower but being so close to the pitch, it made for a great experience and the hunger and desire of the players (and the crowd) made me keep on coming back for more.

You’re a Liverpool fan but a season ticket holder at Harrogate, do you like the difference down in the lower leagues?

I’ve been lucky enough to see Liverpool in lots of games and even in a Champions League Final (we lost!) but getting tickets was becoming harder and harder.  Of course, there’s lots of wonderful fans at Anfield but one look at the TV shows there are plenty of spectators who appear to be there for the prestige as opposed to the love of the game. Lower league fans are definitely there for love the game and for a club the size of Harrogate, the ambition is usually nothing more lofty than to not get relegated.  I think it also feels more intimate down in the lower leagues and you find you know more of the ground staff and the players are infinitely more accessible and happy to get a snap with the kids.

The Sulphurites play their home games at the Envirovent Stadium. Would you mind giving us your thoughts on the ground and telling us where away fans should head to?

You’ll find the Envirovent Stadium on Wetherby Road, next door to Harrogate Hospital.  There’s two main entrances to the ground, one for home and one for away and they’re both on Wetherby Road.  Away fans are now housed in two stands – one on Wetherby Road itself and depending on how many you bring, another stand next door to it which goes from the corner flag to the goal.  This new stand has only recently been opened so can’t tell you too much about the away section.  Around the ground itself, there’s not too much other than a hospital and housing.  There are plenty of pubs in Harrogate centre but I’d say the nearest to the ground is probably The Woodlands Hotel.  I’ve seen plenty of away fans there – never seen any bother at all.

Harrogate finished 19th last season and are currently positioned 12th, after 23 games, this season. What would you say are the greatest reasons for the turnaround in form?

Great question.  We had some upheaval surrounding the Luke Armstrong ‘sale’ to Wrexham and his eventual departure to Carlisle which the club and manager handled magnificently.  I think the general improvement to the depth of the squad has really helped and the quality of the purchases made during the summer.  Defensively, we’ve looked more solid and offensively, we’ve seen an uptick in the performances of some long standing players such as George Thomson and Jack Muldoon.  Our two fullbacks have been really impressive and we’re seeing great performances from offensive players like Odoh, Folarin and Matty Daly.

The club is owned by Irving Weaver and managed by his son, Simon. What has the relationship been like recently?

Simon Weaver is the longest standing manager out of the 92 clubs, possibly helped by the fact his dad, Irving, is the owner.  The crowd have been singing the Yaya/Kolo chant of late, replacing those names with Simon and Irving in recognition of the performances and a nod to the investment being made.  For a club with our gates, there’s no doubt Irving is chucking in more than a few quid.

What would you say Simon’s playing style is like? Is he loved by fans at the moment?

As I alluded to in the previous question, there’s a lot of love right now.  Now Simon is more acquainted with League 2, he’s showing more tactical nous and better ‘in game’ management.  He’s sticking with having four at the back and two holding midfielders and then three in front of them with one up top.  You’ll see plenty of plenty of width using the speed we have with Abraham Odoh and should he be fit, Sam Folarin.

Captain Josh Falkingham has been a Sulphurites player since 2017, what has the 33-year-old been like this season?

Josh Falkingham hasn’t played that much this season if truth be told but when he’s on the field, you’ll hear him barking instructions constantly.  He came on in the last match against Accrington to sure things up.

The team’s top scorer is 31-year-old George Thomson, he has scored eight goals and picked up four assists in 24 games. Could you give us a quick scout report on him as the Rovers defence will need to be on top form?

George Thomson has been in great form and getting plenty of goals and assists.  He’s often at the heart of set pieces and can be trusted to deliver quality balls into the box.  He’s got a great engine too and knows his defensive responsibilities. He’s not the tallest but deceptively good in the air and has an eye for the right pass at the right time.

Harrogate are unbeaten in their last four league games, beating Accrington Stanley 2-1 last time out. Are you confident that Harrogate can get the better of Tranmere? The Rovers won the last tie 3-0, at Prenton Park in August. 

I went to the Tranmere away game and thought you beat us comprehensively.  I was surprised to see you falter so badly but things are clearly back on track under new management.  We’ve been great of late and put together a decent run against some opponents who thought we’d be a walkover.  Strangely, we’ve had a lot of our wins away from home but we’re riding high right now so I expect this to be a fairly even affair.  I’m predicting a 1-1 draw on Friday night.

What are your thoughts on the Whites? Nigel Adkins has managed to get the best out of his team since his appointment as permanent manager, picking up nine points from a possible twelve in December. 

I was blown away by how good you looked in that first game but clearly, your form dipped considerably.  I know you’ve won the last two against Salford and Swindon but I think that needs to be tempered by the fact they’re two comparatively poor teams.  I’ve always (don’t shoot me down) been a fan of the Davies/Turnbull partnership and on their day, they’re as solid as they come.  Adkins seems to have got them firing again.  

Being a Liverpool lad, I’ve always kept an eye out for Tranmere and wish you all the best for the season.  Hope you all have a safe journey over to North Yorkshire.

Newport County A.F.C meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers face Newport County at Prenton Park on Saturday afternoon as Nigel Adkins’ side look to continue their unbeaten run of form. 

The Whites have picked up points in their last four games, beating both relegation competition Forest Green and play-off chasing Gillingham at Prenton Park. 

Adkins has got the team playing some great football and this was reflected in his manager of the month nomination for the league in November. 

Forward Rob Apter was nominated for player of the month, he will again excite fans on Saturday. 

Newport, positioned 16th, have won two of their last league games and will thus also be looking to carry on their form.

I spoke to the 1912 Exiles podcast ahead of the game. 

Hi, when did you start supporting Newport County? What was your first game?

My first was an FA Cup replay in late 2004 against North Leigh of the Southern Div 1, in the pissing rain, watched by about 600 spectators at our old Spytty Park ground, which was basically a municipal athletics stadium with a football pitch in the middle. From such humble beginnings, my Exiles odyssey began…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wgsD1oVfjE

What have been some of your best and worst footballing experiences since then?

It’s been pretty sensational – promoted twice, including by beating Wrexham at Wembley to regain our Football League status, countless great cup runs (beating yer Leicesters, yer Middlesbroughs, yer Leedses) and two play-off finals. Hard to pick a favourite, but seeing us take Spurs to a cup replay after being unlucky not to beat them at Rodney Parade was quite something. The disappointment of losing to Morecambe in the 2021 playoff final despite being the better team was a blow, even if we’d have struggled in the Third Division.

The 1912 Exiles is an original Newport County podcast that won a nomination in the FSA Club Pod of the year awards this year. Could you tell us all about the content you put out and what receiving that nomination was like?

We were obviously thrilled to be nominated. I’m writing this on the day of the awards, and although we’re not expecting to win, it’s fantastic for a Fourth Division podcast to be rubbing shoulders with the big boys doing pods for top-flight clubs who can treat it as a full-time job. We have a pool of five main contributors, plus an army of loyal and hilarious listeners, so manage to do an episode most weeks plus summer and Christmas specials. We like to think we offer balanced, calm analysis of County, with the odd bit of humour and niche cultural references.

Newport are, at the time of writing, positioned 15th in the Fourth Division and are only six points off the play-offs. What are your thoughts on The Exiles’ start to the season?

We knew this season would be a challenge. We had financial problems over the summer (more on that later), the smallest budget of any Football League club, and have also since had an injury crisis which has seen the majority of our defenders suffering long layoffs. To be clear of the drop zone, and already halfway to the 50pt target having only played 22 league games, is astonishing. It’s a real testament to Graham Coughlan (more on him later too) and the squad he’s assembled.

In the summer, players such as goalkeeper Jonny Maxted, from Northampton Town, and right-back Shane McLoughlin, from Salford City, were signed. What are your thoughts on the transfers that were completed and when you look towards the January transfer window, what more needs to be done?

We have a small squad of honest, functional pros, many of whom can play two or three different positions, offering maximum flexibility and value for money. We’re that sort of club. No-one can question the players’ work ethic or commitment to the cause, even if we sometimes lack a bit of quality and finesse. In January, and potentially with a little bit more money to spend, we might be able to add that x-factor, particularly in our midfield which has lacked a creative spark at times. A centre-half not made of Weetabix would be good as well.

Centre half Kyle Jameson also joined Newport, from Tranmere, in the summer. Has he had much action?

See above! He looked very good for the first few games, but has been one of our (many) crooked defenders so hasn’t played since August. We should have him back after Christmas but you won’t see him on Saturday.

Dublin-born 49-year-old Graham Coughlan is the boss at Rodney Parade. He was appointed in 2022, following a spell with Sheffield United U23’s, and has a 35.48 win percentage after 62 games. What are your thoughts on him and his relationship with fans?

We love Cocko! He gets the club’s DNA, speaks frankly and honestly without ever hanging his players out to dry, and has worked wonders on limited resources. Personally, I’d give him the freedom of the city.

What do you believe will be Coughlan’s starting eleven on the weekend? What can you see being his preferred formation and game plan?

I’d expect us to stick with the same XI of recent weeks: Townsend (GK), McLoughlin, Delaney (c), Clarke, Baker, Payne, Morris, Bennett, Evans, Palmer-Holden, Bogle. As for shape, your guess is as good as ours – we’re very fluid in games, so what can look like a back five can easily shift into a back three with wing-backs marauding forwards, whilst our front line might be Evans and Palmer-Holden with Bogle in the hole behind them, or might be Bogle holding the ball up with the other two out wide.

The club is owned by its supporters’ trust. What are your thoughts on that and what has been happening recently? Are there any plans to keep an eye on?

We’re in the process of shifting the ownership so that the Trust has a minority stake, with former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins taking majority control, pending Football League approval. It should be confirmed this side of the transfer window, potentially giving Cocko a few quid to spend. Whilst many of us would have liked the club to have remained fan-run in perpetuity, the reality is that we simply couldn’t sustain it financially without more people joining the Trust or people paying more. The new owner seems to be a good egg, but there’s a nagging doubt that fans have now permanently lost the ability to veto who might run our club in the future.

Wales C international forward Will Evans has netted 12 goals in 22 games whilst also picking up an assist. How good has he been this season? Could you give us a quick scout report on him?

Ah, Will Evans – the Llangedwyn Eusébio! Two years ago, he was playing in the Cymru Prem and helping out on his parents’ dairy farm. Now he’s our top scorer, is the heartbeat of the team and may well get poached by a side higher up the leagues. What a journey. He deserves every second of it – works his socks off, a good finisher, and a thoroughly likeable guy too.

What is your score prediction for the game on The Wirral? The last time the two clubs met was in mid March at Prenton Park as the visitors won 3-1. The goalscorers that day were: Aaron Wildig, Charlie McNeill and Calum Kavanagh.

We’ve just beaten Stockport and Morecambe in the league, but last Saturday’s sub-par performance when drawing with Barnet in the cup showed just how tired our squad can be. Plus your improved form means it’s a bad time to play you. Our main priority will be to not lose, so let’s say 1-1.

Finally, what are your thoughts on Tranmere? Recently appointed boss Nigel Adkins, formerly of Southampton, has turned the Whites’ form around as they’re unbeaten in their last four.

I’ve got a lot of time for Tranmere. Not many Newport fans will agree, but I thought you deserved to beat us at Wembley in the playoffs in 2019, and your fans were good eggs that day. You’ve clearly had a shocking start to this season, but ought to pull yourself clear given recent form. The tricky thing this year is that there are a lot of very strong and well-off clubs, but no obvious basket-cases at the bottom. Even so, I expect Tranmere and Newport to finish clear of trouble.

Dave Higgins on his “great days” with new Morecambe manager Ged Brannan

Dave Higgins and new Morecambe manager Ged Brannan played in the same 1990’s side that saw Tranmere rise to glory. 

https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2023/november/ged-brannan-named-first-team-manager/

There were a great number of young stars coming through at the time after Birkenhead-born Warwick Rimmer set up the Youth Section of the club in 1987.

The Rovers won promotion from the third division in 1991 and knocked on the door of the Premier League on a few occasions. 

Higgins spoke about the talented, energetic Brannan whilst also reminiscing about that great period of time. 

Higgins said “He (Brannan) certainly had the ability, quite a lot of young lads came through into the first team and so did he. He went on to play for Manchester City so that shows you the talent that he had”. 

There were a plethora of intelligent football coaches around Prenton Park at the time, managed by the great late Johnny King. 

Brannan understood that there were a lot of people he could learn from and would always be listening intently to pick up on any advice that he could. 

Brannan’s ability to take this feedback on board is why it comes as no surprise to Higgins that the 51-year-old has just entered his first managerial role. 

Higgins said “He was a good listener, always willing to learn so I’m not surprised that he’s gone into management. He’s had some great grounding”. 

Brannan would pick up on what he could see within the squad too, with there being great stars such as Tony Thomas and Kenny Irons available to have a word with. 

Higgins said “Kenny Irons, Tony Thomas etc all come through. Brannan was a great bit of talent to have, it was great to have him on board because he was a team player”. 

Due to the amount of local talent that Rimmer was able to pick up on, there was a great camaraderie within the squad. They would give each other lifts on the way to training and matches, always having something to talk about.

Higgins said “A lot of the Liverpool based lads would come through and we’d offer each other lifts, we’d talk about what had been going on and how we could get the team as far as we could”. 

Despite the experience of being on Morecambe’s coaching staff under Derek Adams, Brannan hadn’t previously managed at any level before. 

However, Higgins believes that he’s seen enough already to be successful “Ged hadn’t managed at any level but he’d seen the way that Warwick Rimmer and Johnny King had coached him. 

“Ged came through, trained very well and never gave up, all those attributes he will take with him into management”. 

Higgins knows that many questions will be asked of his former teammate in his new role. At the time of writing, the Shrimps are positioned 12th in League Two having been relegated from the division above at the end of the 2022/23 season. 

However, he believes that Brannan’s resilience will be of great help and that he may even go further in his managerial career “Morecambe have just been relegated, their manager has just been relieved of his duties so there are clearly some issues.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67474667

“Ged won’t think he’s made it unless he’s achieved promotion, he’ll keep working hard and get the best men around him. “He’s got the brain and the knowledge to go a hell of a lot further”. 

Higgins also added that “Ged will keep learning, keep going and keep trying to force things forward. He won’t stand still, if they win a few on the bounce he won’t get carried away and I think that’s one of his good characteristics”. 

Throughout Brannan’s footballing career, which saw him make a move to Manchester City for a reported £750,000 in March 1997, the midfielder played in a wide range of games played with varied levels of intensity. Some of his matches proved to be “really tight” whilst others were more open and “a lot of goals were scored”. 

Higgins believes that “He (Brannan) was able to understand the game better as (manager) Johnny King showed him in his own mind how to watch teams and what to look out for, so he will do his homework”. 

One particular game that the pair played in together was Tranmere’s third division play-off final against Bolton Wanderers. The two started the move that led to Chris Malkin’s winning goal, which came in extra-time. 

Higgins said “It (the goal) started with a corner for Bolton, I played the ball off to Ged (Brannan) and the rest is history”. 

Brannan’s first test as Morecambe boss came on November 28th as his side were narrowly beaten by Newport County at the Mazuma Stadium. 

They are back in league action, after recently progressing through to the third round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory away at Wycombe Wanderers, on Saturday as they host league leaders Stockport County. 

Mansfield Town FC meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers will look to extend their unbeaten run of form as they travel to Mansfield Town on Tuesday night.

The Rovers have picked up seven points in their last three games, following the weekend’s 3-1 victory over Gillingham.

It was a brilliant performance as the defence and midfield remained solid when required and Rob Apter continued his fine run of form, netting a brace.

Connor Jennings, playing at striker due to Luke Norris’ injury, also scored – a great way to celebrate extending his contract in the week.

Mansfield Town went away to Swindon Town and lost 2-1 on saturday, their first defeat of the season coming after 18 games, thus they’ll be looking to get back to winning ways.

Ahead of the game, I spoke to Mansfield Town supporter Sam Binch who runs the ‘MTFC Musings’ account.

Hi Sam, how long have you been supporting Mansfield? What was your first game?

I’ve been supporting Mansfield all my life, so 31 years. My first game was in March 1997 at home to Hartlepool, a 1-0 win with a screamer from Ben Sedgemore.

Could you tell us some of your best and worst moments whilst supporting The Stags?

Best moments would be getting promoted in 01/02, and the play-off semi final a couple of seasons ago at Northampton. This season’s 4-1 away at County was pretty good too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVwFsEnrxRs

Worst moments, getting relegated from the football league in 2008 and the play-off final at Wembley two seasons ago in which we didn’t do ourselves justice.

You run the Mansfield Musings account, @MTFCMusings. What’s the page all about?

Just views on The Stags really, I also publish a weekly newsletter details the weeks goings on.

Mansfield have had a phenomenal start to the season, how good does it feel?

Unfortunately we’re no longer unbeaten, after Saturday’s defeat away at Swindon, but it still feels pretty good. It’s incredible that we almost reached December unbeaten. We’re in a great position with a strong squad, hopefully we can finally achieve our aim of promotion.

Just how good was the summer transfer window as Mansfield narrowly missed out on a play-off spot last season?

It was pretty impressive, the squad as a whole didn’t require major surgery, but the defence definitely required a makeover. Aden Flint has been the catalyst for a transformation in our defensive solidity, he’s too good to be playing in League two. Lewis Brunt, Baily Cargill and Calum Macdonald have all played their part too.

A great reason for the amazing start is manager Nigel Clough, son of European Cup winner Brian. Formerly of Burton Albion, Sheffield United and Derby he was appointed in November 2020 and has a win percentage of 44.8 after 172 games. He must be loved!

He’s well liked, that’s for sure. That being said, there was a feeling before the season started that this would be his last chance, having only been handed a one year deal in the summer. He has proved he can oversee a play-off side but not yet proven he can take one to the next level, however he’s done a very good job so far this term.

What will be Clough’s starting eleven, tactics and formation on Tuesday night? It’ll be very tricky for the visitors at Field Mill. 

It will be a 4-4-2 diamond, as it has been all season. I think that the team will be: 

Pym

Johnson

Flint

Brunt

Macdonald 

Reed

Lewis

Maris

Keillor-Dunn

Akins

Oates

Mansfield are owned by The Radfords. How good are they and what are their current plans after buying the stadium completely in 2019?  

They’ve pumped so much money into the club, including building a state of the art training facility. They may have made questionable managerial decisions at times, but they put the money in and therefore they live and die by their choices.

Top scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn has netted 11 goals in 22 games whilst picking up four assists. Another one to watch out for on Tuesday night is former Rovers man Lucas Akins who has hit 7 in 19. Could you give us a quick scout report as TRFC will need to defend well! 

Keillor-Dunn benefits from the free role he has behind the front two. He roams where he likes, and is most dangers picking the ball up on the edge of the area or just inside, where he seems to create himself more time than most. Will likely take a high volume of shots. Akins is more of a link player,m. His touch is a bit hit and miss, but when on form he’s a strong forward who can hold off defenders and bring others into play.

What is your score prediction for the midweek tie in Nottinghamshire. The last time the two clubs met was in mid February as Mansfield won 2-0 at Prenton Park.  

I think we’ll bounce back with a 2-0 win.

Finally, what are your thoughts on Tranmere. The Whites have been struggling this season but are looking to turn things around after appointing former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins, following his time in interim charge. 

A good win at the weekend for sure and an experienced manager who is proven in spells at a higher level. We’re used to seeing Tranmere as a strong side in L2, so the last few seasons must have been a disappointment for the fans. I expect they will survive comfortably and move towards mid table.

Gillingham FC meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers return to Prenton Park this weekend as they host Gillingham FC in League Two action. 

The Whites have faced two relegation-threatened sides in their last two games, picking up four points after conceding in the dying moments at Gander Green Lane last Saturday. 

It’s safe to say that the second half down in Sutton didn’t meet the expectations that new manager Nigel Adkins had of his team, as the players looked like they had run out of steam.

It has been a big week at The Campus, Rovers’ training ground, as two players have extended their contracts: Connor Jennings and Sam Taylor. It has also been revealed that striker Luke Norris will be out for up to three months, requiring surgery on an injury sustained during Remembrance Day’s 3-0 win.

Gillingham are positioned 8th in the division after beating Salford City 3-1 at Priestfield and will look to carry on their good run of form.

Ahead of the game I spoke to Mail Sport and Kent Sports News freelance writer Lewis Browning who told me about the incredible turnaround under the new owners, The Galinson’s. 

Hi Lewis, how long have you been a Gillingham fan? What was the first experience like?

Hi mate. My first Gills game was in 2007 when I was eight years old. I got free tickets from my school so went with my dad and sat in the infamous stand with no roof. We lost 2-1 to Port Vale and it hammered it down all game. Start as you mean to go on and all that.

What have been some of the best and worst moments in your time following the club?

The best two moments are winning the 2009 play-off final and the 2012/13 title, both in League Two. I remember the play-off final so well, a late goal from Simeon Jackson in a 1-0 win and my dad picking me up and throwing me all over the place. I’ve also enjoyed some great away days, perhaps most notably beating Premier League Brentford on penalties in the Carabao Cup last season.

In terms of negatives, most have been in recent years. We were relegated from League One in 2022 and were bottom of League Two at Christmas last year. It was the worst it had been as a club in my time with money running out under Paul Scally and the Galinsons saved us. That takeover is one of my best memories too. 

You’re a podcaster and a freelance writer, could you tell us about the content you produce regarding The Gills?

So my writing is how I earn my living and it’s incredibly rare that’s about Gillingham. But podcasting is fun, it’s a hobby. I’m often on the ME7 Podcast, run by my friends James and Owen, and we talk about all things Gills twice a week. It’s done really well and players and staff get involved and we have a live show with a crowd coming up from Priestfield next month, which is pretty cool.

https://twitter.com/TheME7Podcast?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Gillingham finished 17th last season and are now placed just outside the play-offs. How great has the turnaround been?

The best turnaround was from Christmas last year to the end of the season. We were gone at Christmas and would have been relegated had the takeover not happened, but the second half of the season, after completely reshuffling our squad, was a dream and we achieved safety which was the sole aim. It’s been a bit slower going this season but it’s light years ahead of this time last year. 

How much credit would you give to new owners Brad and, wife, Shannon Galinson? The Florida-based businessmen came into the club in December 2022 looking to have an immediate impact.

All of the credit. They saved us, from relegation and as a slub, plain and simple. Both of them are so lovely and completely get what it means to be a Gills fan, one of the many things former owner Paul Scally was so out of touch with. They delivered on their promise of an aggressive January transfer window, helped us survive and have continued to plough money into the club and community, on and off the pitch.  

How great was the summer transfer window? 

It was alright, yeah. We had some really good pick-ups such as Shad Ogie and Conor Masterson, and other players that we’re now starting to see the best of, such as Jonny Williams and Connor Mahoney.

I do think we went into the season a little short. We needed at least one more winger and our struggle for goals has been obvious so maybe another forward too, but I expect we’ll put that right in January. 

https://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/news/2023/july/gills-sign-shadrach-ogie/

Stephen Clemence, Steve Bruce’s highly praised assistant at Aston Villa and Hull City, was appointed earlier this month following on from the dismissal of former Milwall boss Neil Harris. It will be the 45-year-old’s first managerial role, How happy were you with him coming into the club? Why was it time for Harris to leave?

It was a massive risk appointing Clemence because, like you say, it’s his first role. But he obviously did a great interview and we’ve already seen he’s very smart tactically, much smarter than Harris I think.

It was time for Harris to go because despite our league position we were the lowest scorers in the league and the method of our early wins wasn’t sustainable, which we were starting to see. Our attacking play was awful, I didn’t enjoy watching the team and we weren’t moving forwards. Goal scoring was an issue throughout Harris’ entire reign and it wasn’t changing. Brad wanted a more controlling and positive approach and we’re getting that now. 

January signing 30-year-old Tom Nichols, formerly of Bristol Rovers and Crawley Town, has netted three goals and picked up three assists in 20 games this campaign. How great is he? What’s his strengths? (We need a good scout report on him!) 

Tom is really good. He can be a hard player to understand because he’s a forward but he’s not really a natural goal scorer. He is really good on the ball and really clever and his link play is class.

I was surprised to see him start up front on his own against Salford last week but we had to get him back in the team and it was potentially the best we’d seen him. With us playing more ‘football’ now, if you like, he’s a really good player for our system and his goal on Saturday will give him confidence too. 

Looking to claim all three points, how will Clemence and Nichols work on Saturday? What will the starting eleven, formation and tactics be?

To be honest I’d be surprised if we weren’t unchanged. A 4-3-3 looks to be the way Clemence wants to go and I think his system can get the best out of our key players, getting Williams and Lapslie playing together as well and Mahoney on the right.

The defence won’t change. It’ll be Jake Turner in goal, Cheye Alexander right back, Ogie and Masterson centre back and Max Clark left back, unless Scott Malone is back fit, then he will play there. Ethan Coleman will sit in front with Dom Jefferies and I imagine Lapslie either side, though Tim Dieng might put his hand up for a place.

Up front it’ll be Mahoney right, Williams left and Nichols through the middle. Ashley Nadesan and Macauley Bonne will provide support from the bench.

Gillingham and Tranmere have played each other 37 times, The Rovers have won six more meetings than The Gills. The last time the two clubs came head to head was in March as Gillingham won 2-0 at Priestfield. What is your score prediction for the game this time ‘round?

Tranmere are struggling but I get they’re made a change recently, and that’s for the best. Despite being away it’s a nice fixture for us and I do expect us to be more commanding, which likely wouldn’t have been the case under Neil Harris. I’ll go for a 2-1 Gills win. 

Finally, what are your thoughts on Tranmere? New manager Nigel Adkins has picked up four points against two relegation threatened sides since being appointed.

Obviously the change was needed and that’s great to see because a club like Tranmere shouldn’t be getting relegated again. I think they’ll pick up and we’re already seeing signs of that under Atkins and they won’t be in trouble come the end of the season I wouldn’t think. But hopefully that doesn’t start yet!

Tranmere Rovers’ Prenton Park. 

After reading this chat with Gills fan Lewis Browning, why not give this week’s Mere Or Far podcast a listen? Zak Hayes is with me, as always, to preview the upcoming game and reflect on the point picked up at Sutton.

Sutton United FC meeting the opposition

Tranmere Rovers travel south to face Sutton United on Saturday afternoon, in the second game of November to be described as a ‘six-pointer’.

In the first game of such significance, Rovers comfortably cruised past Forest Green Rovers at Prenton Park. It was a performance to remember on Remembrance Day, with the opening goal coming from a corner on the 8th minute.

Kristian Dennis added the second after the break, in front of the Kop before Young loanee forward Rob Apter showed exactly what he can do to seal the all important three points.

The defence, an area that a lot of criticism has rightly been placed onto, also worked exceptionally well. Jordan Turnbull impressed and you haven’t been able to say that too much this campaign!

Ahead of the game against 24th placed Sutton, I spoke to Des from Gandermonium to ask why The U’s are positioned so low after a promising transfer window in the summer.

When did you first start supporting Sutton United? What was that first experience like?

First game was 1982, home to Hitchin. I was 8. I remember the ground back in it’s former athletics configuration, the one main stand, 2 smaller wooden ones on the Rec side. Mickey Joyce, a prolific goalscorer of that era, scored within about 30 seconds of us getting through the turnstiles a touch late just after kick off. Joycey can still be found about the place on matchdays today chipping in. I occasionally blame him for getting me into all this nonsense!

What have some of the best and worst moments in the time you’ve followed the club been?

Best would be Cup runs and playing the likes of Middlesbrough and Coventry. Leeds and Arsenal too. The latter run was quite something. Winning Conference South in 15/16 with a 26 game unbeaten run was special too. Of course, gaining FL status was amazing, but with the Covid restrictions we only saw 3 matches that season, so it all felt a bit weird!

Worst moments were 07/08 season. At the time, it was arguably the worst campaign in at least 50 years, if not ever for the club. We looked properly set to slide down the pyramid at that point, but thankfully we got things right the next season and here we are. Also ‘Piegate’ in the wake of the Arsenal game was shit too. Took a largely full strength top 4 PL side the distance with a performance Arsene Wenger himself described as ‘astonishing’ and all it’s remembered for is Wayne Shaw and his fucking ‘pie’. Front page of the Sun, the lot. Wasn’t even a sodding pie either, it was a pastie. Still, top bants eh?

[MOMENT] Goalie Eating Pie During the Match | Sutton United 0-2 Arsenal (2016-17 FA Cup 5R)

Could you start us off by giving us a random fact about either the club/the area of Sutton?

Our mascot is a giraffe. Two reasons for that, firstly there’s a vague colour match (look, just go with me on this alright!) and secondly, at the time we were thinking of getting a mascot, we had a strange connection to a 3rd Division side in Gambia who took our name after an expat agreed to fund them a kit, but only if they took the name Sutton United. No one knows who this geezer was, but the link lasted a number of years before the team went dormant. So as a little nod to them and that African link, we picked a giraffe. 

Could you also tell us a little bit about Gandermonium and how you’ve been doing recently?

Gandermonium is a blog I started waaaaay back in 1998. Just writing about games via match reports as we didn’t have much of an internet presence back then. It evolved over time more into being about the adventures of various idiots following the U’s along with the reports. I eventually packed it in at the end of 07/08 as it was basically just me doing it and I’d had enough after such a dreadful season and us not really being that good for a few years. Then a title win and 3 play off failures later in 2012, 2 fellow fans pestered me to bring it back. Eventually I relented, set them up a simple site and passed the baton whilst acting as an ‘Editor in Chief’ as such. 

Another 10 years of that and we’ve come full circle once more. I largely pulled the plug again at the end of last season as after going from a high point of 5 different writers spouting all sorts of nonsensical bollocks thinly disguised as match reports, we suddenly went back to it being just me again for one reason or another as people retired, got lives etc. 

Still, in that second spell, we didn’t miss a single competitive game between December 2012 and the end of last season, so it was probably time! We still do entries, but far far more sporadically now, as and when I fancy it or someone offers to knock something out for a particular match. It’s been fun though and it’s genuinely been touching finding out how many people have read it and got a chuckle out of it over the years. 

Sutton are managed by 42-year-old Matt Gray, he guided the club to promotion into the EFL for the first time in their 123-year-history after being appointed in 2019. How great has he been at the club? 

Matt’s been great for us. He had a bumpy start and was always going to find it hard to follow a long standing and very successful manager in Paul Doswell, but the club stuck by him and I think that really resonated with him as he dug in to find that winning formula. Paid off in spades as he took us into the Football League and then a first Wembley visit in 41 years with the Pizza Cup final. Suffice to say, he’s got plenty of credit in the bank and that’s helped a lot this season with the poor start we’ve had. Sure, there’s been people calling for his head, but nowhere near as many as if he’d been anywhere else. 

With The U’s bottom of the EFL, do you believe that Gray has the managerial ability to drag the team away from the drop?

Only one way we’re gonna find out! I do know that Matt will be working as hard as he can to turn it around, simply as that’s the kind of guy he is. Plus, as I mentioned above, I genuinely believe that the faith shown in him by the board and the club in those early days meant a lot to him and he wants nothing more than to repay it with being as successful as he can. Sadly, the squad’s not quite clicked this year, so it’s all about just getting points on the board, staying up and having another look at it over the summer. 

How will he approach Saturday’s game? (Tactics/Starting eleven/Formation).

We’ll play 442 or a variation of that. It’s just our way. Not sure if he’ll set up to be solid first half or hour and kick on from there or if we’ll come out front foot like we did against Notts and Walsall. In both those games, we scored early and then ran riot. Sadly, we’ve not seen anything like enough of that sort of performance this season.

Bruce Elliott is chairman of The U’s, a man who has been a fan since the 1960’s. At the moment, what are your thoughts on him? What are some of the current projects that the club is working on?

As you say, Bruce is a fan. Started in the Supporters Club. So no one’s calling for his head or anything, he and the rest of the board have been a steady hand on the tiller for many years now and one of the reasons why we are where we are. He’s always in the players bar after games and is perfectly happy for people to ask questions about what’s going on etc, which helps massively with supporters feeling involved. As for projects, I’d guess it’s currently about getting the last phase of upgrades done this season at GGL so that we fully comply with FL seating and capacity regs should we stay up. There should be a new stand of some description being thrown up on the Rec side at some point this season. Apart from that, I guess it’s business as usual, keeping us running and trying to find some other lunatics prepared to put money into a tiny FL outfit!

Summer recruitment, following on from a mid table placed finish in League Two, saw winger Omari Patrick being brought to Gander Green Lane as players such as winger Enzio Boldewijn and striker Omar Bugiel went elsewhere. With the transfers made did you believe that Sutton would be battling it out at the bottom of the division? Where would you say the greatest issues are in the squad?

Everyone was pleased with the recruitment. Solid, plenty of experience at this level and a bit of attacking nous in the likes of Partick. Sadly though, whilst this is probably the strongest squad we’ve ever had on paper, it just hasn’t clicked on the pitch in most cases. There’s definite ability there and when they turn up, they’re a bloody useful outfit  as 5-1 and 4-0 home wins over Notts and Walsall as well as the 1-0 win away at Wycombe in the Carabao Cup show. 

Sadly though, we’ve not turned up enough and conceded goals for fun far too many times this season and you’re only going one way if you’re averaging 2.5-3 goals against. Our issue seems to be in midfield where we’ve really missed Craig Eastmond and his replacements just haven’t quite done it yet. Our new wide players don’t seem to be offering our full backs a lot of protection either. Still, the goals against seem to be improving and we’re starting to put together a few more consistent performances, so we remain hopeful.

Summer signing Harry Smith, 28-year-old 6ft striker formerly of Leyton Orient, has netted nine goals in fifteen games as well as picking up two assists. How great of a signing has he been? Is he the main player to watch out for?

We’d already be as good as down if it wasn’t for Smith quite frankly. Perfect player for us, big lad up top, wins the flick ons but is also half decent playing to his feet and bringing in players around him. A lot of people were worried that losing Omar Bugiel would be an issue, however it’s turned out alright so far! 

Tranmere and Sutton used to regularly meet in the National League, both sets of fans making friends with each other. The last meeting between the two clubs was at Prenton Park in early January, finishing with a two-all scoreline as Josh Hawkes and Kane Hemmings netted for the hosts. Alistair Smith scored a brace for the visitors. What’s your score prediction for the tie this time ‘round? In your eyes, is it an early ‘six-pointer’?

Think it’s a touch early to talk about 6 pointers, but with the start we’ve had we absolutely have to start winning our home games regularly. Get 8-9 more of those this season and we’re a damn sight closer to that 50pts mark than we are currently and staying up is a bit less of a slog. Feel for Tranmere as we’ve got a soft spot for the whites from those NL days and are always made welcome at Prenton by the locals, but we gotta get results so I have to say a home win! For us, staying up is everything so 22nd will do. That extra half million or so TV money from next season is massive.

Match Highlights | Sutton United v Tranmere Rovers

Finishing off, your thoughts on Tranmere? Newly appointed boss Nigel Adkins has a lot to prove following on from his poor time as interim. Do you reckon that The Whites will go down?

I think we’ll both be fine though, as FGR look shocking and someone else always makes a late nosedive for 2nd bottom after Xmas. Plus with Adkins confirmed permanently, he’ll no doubt move to make a couple of additions in January to shore things up. I wouldn’t panic just yet.