[theo_luddite]

The One Call .... aka
The Three Sides Live Stadium
There's an old Mill By A Field
A good shot with a Longbow
From Sherwood Forest
NG18 5DA

Kick-off 15:00 UK Time
Saturday 07/12/24

Town make the short(ish) journey down the M1 to the land of Robin Hood, Maid Marion, Alan a'Dale, Friar Tuck and The Sheriff of Nottingham for Saturday's League One fixture. Sherwood Forest is almost always associated with Nottingham, but it's far closer to Mansfield. They aren't called The Stags for nothing. Town are now unbeaten in two slack handfulls of games whilst Mansfield have dropped out of the play-off spots with 4 defeats in a row. Managed by Nigel Clough (is there anyone in and around the East Midlands he hasn't managed, except Leicester and his dad's old haunt at Forest)? He's been there 4 years so far and he'll likely be there for a while longer yet.


By Smithd127 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 - he wanted a credit for his work.
Hey, who am I to deny him? No I don't know him either but he's famous enough in his own online lunchbox to request a credit.

Pies, Pees 'n' Pubs

I'll let the good folk at The Football Ground Guide describe it all for you



Their (current) main stand is named after one of their more famous managers, a certain Mr. Ian Greaves who led Town to our only other recent(ish) foray into Division One (aka the Prima Donna League) just as I was leaving junior school. It's a pity he doesn't have at least two stands named after him in the country. Don't suppose anyone involved at HD1 will take any notice.

The Bishop Street Stand and terraces opposite is deemed safe enough for the TV gantry but not safe enough to house supporters. Having rebuilt three sides of the stadium with modern cantilever stands, you have to wonder whey their glamour-puss owners have let the 4th side down. He's a rich sod and she's a glamour model. I guess it might be a bit of Genesis moment if they ever did redevelop that side so they could Turn It On Again. It is recognised as the oldest Professional Football ground, having first been used in 1861, a year before Bramhall Lane, though it was a wee while before it went from being a football field to an actual stadium. The dugouts are on that side of the ground. Hard hats and hi-viz might not be a bad idea.

From the Football Ground Guide - in case you didn't read it.
Mansfield Town owner Carolyn Radford has confirmed the club aims to develop the Bishop Street Stand but they face difficulty due to infrastructural issues.

The Bishop Street Stand was condemned in 2006 due to safety issues but, Carolyn is eager to rebuild the stand to continue to grow the club. Carolyn Radford is in constant contact with Mansfield Council in a bid to come to an agreement for the stand to be redeveloped in hopes of increasing Mansfield Town’s growing support.

Mansfield have finally received a boost in their quest to renovate the stand, having had plans approved by the council in the summer of 2024. A three-step process will now be put in place, with the club stating that a brand-new toilet facility, state-of-the-art hospitality boxes and a capacity expansion are all part of the plan.

So putting a shit-hole in to replace the shit-hole that's not been used for yonks is the first priority? So that's all right then.



The Sheriff of Nottingham and Maid Marion, sorry, the Radfords, owners of and apparently the most glamourous pair-sonalities in Mansfield.
As Mrs. Merton might have once said, you also have to wonder whatever attracted her to the multi-millionaire owner of One Call Insurance?
The chance to run a glamorous National League football club and get them back into the EFL obviously .....

On the tellybox

Not showing anywhere at the moment other than HTTV in furrin lands. Radio Local feeds also available for a fee. Otherwise good luck with the dodgy sticks.

Latest news

Mansfield, like most of Cloughies teams, are a good footballing side and Town have come unstuck on more than one occasion in games against him. Clough considers they have been unlucky in recent games, with the late in the game defeat to Wycombe being described as a fluke. That's how it works when you're playing a side flying high at the top though.

Scroll to 1:45, I've no argument that this was one of the best miss-hits of the season so far.



That was one of three 1:0 defeats in 4. Narrow margins.

Town are still more than a win behind the top 3 now, despite our impressive run, so need to keep picking up wins to ensure the gap doesn't grow.

Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating

From the abscence of questions or statements in the presser, I believe we are as were were before Wigan.

Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame

From the abscence of questions or statements in the presser, I believe we are as were were before Wigan.

Last time out

Town beat Wigan (eventually) 1-0 with Ollie Turton's first goal for the club, in a televised game that would have done wonders for the insomniacs around the world, though some thought it entertaining if not quite riveting. When you replace your centre forward and The Ginger Cafu then scores the winning goal, are you claiming that as an inspired substitution or are you admitting your forwards are crap given that both Kasumu and Turton were already on the pitch and Ladapo was no more effective than Ward?



Mansfield lost 3:1 at Bolton, the same Bolton that Town go to next Tuesday in the EFL Cup The same Bolton that we beat 0:4 before losing the rest of the games in September. Despite Mansfield taking the lead late in the first half, Bolton got their tails up after Mansfield's skipper Hiram Boateng got himself sent off with goals in the 75th, 80th and 85th minutes.



In the midweek games at the top, Wycombe came back from 2:0 down at Exeter to draw and finally end their winning run. Wrexham beat Barnsley to stay 2nd with Barnsley dropping to 8th. Brum beat Stockport 2:0 thanks to 2 Alfie May goals (if only we could have signed a striker like Alfie May, effing agents, who'd have one?) to put them 4 points above 4th placed Town and still having a game in hand. Stockport remained in 5th with that defeat whilst Reading moved into 6th with a 3:0 win over Cambridge. Bolton's win moved them into 7th within a sniff of the top 6.



Down at the bottom, Burton finally moved themselves off the basement floor with a surprise 0:1 win at Pish Posh. Shrewsbury's new manager bounce didn't last long as they followed up the win over Brum with a defeat at home to Blackpool to take Burton's place as bottom of the cellar dwellars. Cambridge's defeat kept them 22nd while Northampton dropped below the trap door with a defeat at Stevenage. Yes, that Northampton that beat Town 1:3 not too long ago. Orient moved back onto the trap door with a 3:0 win at home to Brizzle.

Musical Interlude

Bernard William Jewry, known professionally as Shane Fenton and later as Alvin Stardust, was an English rock singer and stage actor. He had some minor hits in the 60's performing as Shane Fenton and the Fentones but it was in the glam-rock era of the 70's that he relaunched hiself as Alvin Stardust and Coo-Ca-Choo'd his way into the charts. By the 1980's he was feeling like (a very grainy) Buddy Holly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfvniO-DWZ8

Also from Mansfield were a band called Ohio Express, except it was Mansfield Ohio, hence the name. Their brand of music was branded bubble gum pop. Maybe because you didn't want it sticking around your face when the bubble you blew burst. Later band members eventually formed 10cc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tty2LRrihU

Oh, go on then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYRH2-dC3jg

I've only provided the links for most of them because the miserable sods make you watch them on YouTube anyway.


Not quite the Three Sides Live version but my other fave track on the album.

The Sack Race

More fun and games in the pre-Christmas lottery. After Steve Cooper got his big "stay at home Christmas bonus pay-off" Hull City joined in and parted ways with Tim Walter after about 6 months in charge of The Chumpionship club. Three draws to start followed by defeats to The Blunts and L666s they then won the next 3. They've drawn 3 and lost the remaining 7 from 10 to leave them 3rd bottom. van Missed'emall (Leicester) and Lampard (Coventry) are still the most recent appointments so 'oo are 'ull looking at?

Jon Brady has resigned as manager of Northampton Town on Friday 6th December. Brady guided Northampton to promotion from League Two in the 2022/23 season, but has found the going tough this season. Northampton, who were recently humbled by lower league neighbours Kettering Town in the FA Cup, have won just four times this season. They last tasted a victory back on 26 October after a 3-0 win over Crawley Town. Ian Sampson will take temporary charge alongside Marc Richards on a temporary basis.

Tables, Form & other stats

Mansfield are 6 places and 8 points behind Town. 4 defeats on the bounce have dropped them into mid-table mediocrity.



We couldn't be much further apart in terms of recent form. Don't let that fool you, this is Town we're talking about, we've been here before.



Our home form is mostly driving our current position but we are improving on the road.



After a win and two draws from 4 games to start with, they turned this around and 5 wins on the bounce moved them into the top 6. They mostly hung around the promotion places until the recent run of poor form dropped them into mid-table mediocrity. They have only won once and drawn once in their last 7 games. Town have finally banished the pink results from their last 8 games.



Innies and Outies

Clough managed to open the cheque book of their Chairman, John Radford and his missus and co-owner Carolyn a little bit, however his best signing (not shown here) was getting Lee Gregory to move down the road from Wendies on a free. In total 7 came in an 7 went out.



Who's banging 'em in

Well it's that man Lee Gregory and the guy they paid a small (by recent history) amount for, Will Evans. Formerly of Halifax Town and Mansfield Town on many previous occasions before he started wandering around the country, Cloughie was able to persuade Lee to come "home". Though he's their leading scorer, he's been injured for a few weeks and is unlikely to start. Their extended bad run of form and his abscence aren't just a coincidence. Their skipper will also be missing but don't let that fool you.

Lee Gregory - transfers and loans.




They can't all win

Wycombe are home to 6th placed Reading, Wrexham go to 23rd placed Burton, Brum to 8th Barnsley, we know where Town are, Stockport are home to mid-table Exeter. Bolton will be looking to get a toe into the top 6 from a trip to Brizzle and Barnsley will be looking for a first win in 5 to halt their slide.



Down amongst the dead-men, Cambridge and the Shrews play a 6 pointer, Burton will try and get something off Wrexham and Northampton will look to add to Pish Posh's recent run of defeats. Orient will try to stay the right side of the trap door at Wigan, who will be looking to move back up into mid-table mediocrity.

We've played 'em before

We don't meet very often and we're just ahead. The last time we did was in Cardiff in 2004 (how time flies) at the Division Three (now League 2) Play-off Final where Town won on penalties after Andy Booth curled a sitter over the bar and Mansfield had a late "winner" chalked off as the lino decided the ball crossed into the area had crossed the deadball line. Wonder what VAR would have made of that these days or would they just have ignored it?

One of the deciding penalties (apart from Town winning them 4-1) was taken by a far too cocky Liam Lawrence. That he chose to chip the ball stright down the middle and managed to bounce it twice on the crossbar got him one of the biggest cheers of the day from those of us assembled at the other end of The Millenium/Principality Stadium. Wemberlee was being demolished and rebuilt at the time.



Still he didn't do too badly, He scored 40 of his 93 career goals for Mansfield before going on to far better things than most Town players managed to do at the time.



A youthful Mark Clattenburg ref'd that game. Wonder what happened to him?

Next up?

Bolton away in the EFL Cup, I doubt we'll win 0:4 again, followed by our last home fixture before the Christmas madness takes over at home to The Imps.

Pressers

Tom Lees and Duff Duff get the Radio Local show on the road.

Duff Duff

Tom Lees

The view from The Stags Head.

He wasn't pulling any punches after the defeat at Bolton. They were in front and on top until Hiram Boateng got himself sent off. Then the wheels fell off.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/art...rn8yq9gqvo

4 years and counting

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

As and when he does a presser for this match I'll post it here.

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one theo.

It's her ladyship's big birthday today. The big six-o. So we're off on a long weekend break to the English Riviera, so might not get to comment muchly over the next few days. Probably will though.

Nice to see that Ian Greaves is well thought of in Mansfield. He ought to have more recognition in Hudders as well really.

[theo_luddite]

Jon Brady has resigned as manager of Northampton Town.

Added to The Sack Race section.

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Apologies, that original transfer history is Lee Gregory's. I've removed the duplication and added Lawrence's record in it's place. I'll get the hang of this eventually.

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I'm still looking for a Cloughie Presser, but back in 2017 he had this rant about Town when we got promoted to the Prima Donna League. If he thought we'd heavily invested at the time he might want to explain how we had the 2nd or 3rd lowest budget in the division and were 2nd or 3rd favourites to get relegated before we'd even kicked a ball.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/foo...n-13714396

Must have been on a bottle of his dad's funny fluids.

[jjamez]

Take a kite snoots!

As for Mrs Radford, sea life probably needs a safety warning when she goes to the beach, probably more Seychelles than Skegness, still one of the best looking football owners around though.

[Lord Snooty]

Having a lovely time here in Torquay. Just been delivered the red weather warning to stay indoors.

Happy birthday, Chaffers.

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Talking of birthdays. She is joined with birthdays on Dec 6th by.....

Andy Booth
Jonathan Hogg
Ollie Turton
Rhys Healy
Jac Khunt

[theo_luddite]

As the long-running radio ad goes in Canada, it's looking like a rainy day in Pizzaville today Snoots. If your not looking for a soggy bottom on your favourite deep pan, phone 7-3-6 3-6 3-6. That's not 7-free-sex free-sex free-sex in case you heard it wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CxTevhs...G4&index=5
Be careful with that spicey Italian sausage though.

On a more serious note, the weather will either be a leveller or will result in more than a few postponed games today. Games at Everton, Plymouth, Cardiff, The Gas, Creepy Crawley and Newport are already off.

Happy Birthday weekend AmChaff.

[Lord Snooty]

TOWN’S TEAM vs MANSFIELD TOWN (A

13. Jacob Chapman
4. Matty Pearson
5. Michał Helik ©
7. Callum Marshall
8. Ben Wiles
10. Josh Koroma
16. Herbie Kane
18. David Kasumu
20. Ollie Turton
25. Danny Ward
32. Tom Lees

SUBSTITUTES

Chris Maxwell; Josh Ruffels, Jonathan Hogg, Bojan Radulovic, Brodie Spencer, Freddie Ladapo, Nigel Lonwijk

[theo_luddite]

Thanks Snoots, bit late with this update after chasing a few things round the garden


Matty Pearson replaces Nigel Lonwijk
Squad otherwise unchanged from midweek
Michał Helik continues as captain

[Lord Snooty]

We have weathered the storm, got back in the room and watching Final Score on the i-player.

1-0 Wiles

[theo_luddite]

Goal, Ben Wiles

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Oh!