[theo_luddite]

The McGalphsmiths Stadium
Has the fog clered yet
Hope you all didn't
Have a Blue Christmas
Kick-off 15:00 UK Time
Sunday 29/12/24

Town are at home again for ther final match of 2024, with the Brewers, or Burton Albion to give them their full Sunday Best name, making the trip up the M1 from the depths of Staffordshire. Burton is one of the homes of British Brewing, the town where IPA was first brewed to create a beer robust enough to survive the journey and then quench the thirsts of the British Army during the days of The Raj in India. Hence India Pale Ale.

More on my favourite subject in a later thread.

As this is the final home match of the year, Town will run their usual pre-match and half-time tribute to fans, former staff and players who are sadly no longer wth us. Rest in peace all of you.

On the tellybox

Not showing anywhere at the moment other than HTTV.
Only the two early kick-off's appear to be being televised at the moment.

Latest news

It shouldn't be as foggy as it was on Thursday. The light mist we started in became a pea-souper by the time the final whistle was blown. That was a bit of a hairy drive back over the hill to Halifax, it couldn't have been much fun heading back to Smogport.
The evening kick-off at Liverpool did exactly the opposite.

The rumour mill has Joe Taylor from Luton signing for us in January after we failed to sign him in July/August as Luton called him back on deadline day when he was about to pen to paper. Luton failed in a bid to sign his replacement (whoever that was).

Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating
Thanks to Towns Website

Club captain Jonathan Hogg (calf), Lee Nicholls (elbow), Radinio Balker (ankle), Joe Hodge (groin), Antony Evans (toe), Rhys Healey (calf), Mickel Miller (knee) and Lasse Sorensen (hamstring) continue to be unavailable through injury.

Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame

Mr. Bojangles Radulovic is supposedly fit again (Duff Duff might say otherwise) but is wrapped up in cotton wool for Christmas as he's apparently dancing through the exit door in January.
Duff confirmed that Nigel Lonwijk picked up a slight knock towards the end of the Stockport game, and he will be closely monitored ahead of this game.

Musical Interlude

First up, a guy that i once described as a 6 foot something version of cartoon character Tin Tin - Joe Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJwt2dxx9yg

Followed by a band that even on closer inspection, I still don't really know - The Telescopes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qtl0ykGNlI

(The video's won't play embedded again)

Last time out

Town beat Stockport 1-0 thanks to an own goal that went in off former L666s U21 player Bate's heel.



Burton lost 2-0 at Brum, with one of the goals resulting from a penalty decision that was apparently softer than the one we were turned down for on Thursday.

Make you own mind up





The top 4 all won, leaving Brum top from Wycombe, Wrexham and Town. Stockport stay 5th but are now 6 points behind Town. Reading's win pushed them into the top 6 at the expense of Bolton who slid back down to mid-table mediocrity after losing at home to Barnsley. Mansfield started to climb again by winning at Pish Posh.



Down amongst the deadmen, Burton are back on the bottom again after Shrewsbury (surprisingly?) beat Lincoln, Cambridge lost at Charlton and Crawley lost at Orient in the early kick-off TV game. Northamton remain on the trap door after the defeat at Reading.

The Sack Race

Carlos Corberan decided to jump ship as expected at WBA and return to (almost) home town Valencia for Christmas.

Inigo Calderon was appointed at Brizzle Rovers on Boxing Day, Pete Wild, formerly of Halifax and Barrow has been appointed at Fleetwood.

Tables, Form

Town are 20 places and 30 points above Burton.



Burton started with an opening day defeat to Lincoln, followed by 5 successive draws. Just when it looked like they might kick on they follwed that start with 8 succesive defeats. This left them rock bottom of the division. Their first win didn't come until 9th November when they beat Shrewsbury, who replaced them at the bottom of the division. They then lost at home to Stockport, won at Pish Posh, lost at home to Wrexham, drew at Orient, and have lost their last two at home to Exeter and away to Brum. The new manager bounce (Gary Bowyer) hasn't kicked in yet.







The Sleigh Ride



Unlike Town, losing at Tamworth, Burton spared themselves the embarassment of an early FA Cup exit to Non-League opposition by beating Scarborough 1-0, only to lose in the 2nd round in a penalty shoot-out to er, Tamworth.

Innies and Outies

The Brewers spent a small fortune by their standards on bringing Terene Vancooten in from Stevenage.



Who's banging 'em in

Danilo Orsi and Billy Bodin are their dangermen up front, with little in the way of goal contribution coming from elsewhere in their total of 17 league goals.



They can't all win

Brum are home to Blackpool, Wycombe go to Charlton for one of the two early tellybox games, Wrexham are home to Wigan. Stockport go to Rotherham for the other early tellybox game and Reading are home to Mansfield. Hoping to capitalise on any slip-ups, Barnsley are at Pish Posh.



Down in the dungeon, you know where Burton are, Shrewsbury are home to Northampton, Cambridge go to Orient, Crawley to Exeter.

We've played 'em before

The first season we met was also the last season we met, 2016/17 with both sides winning away from home 0-1. Hope that's not an omen.



Next up?

Town play at Wigan on New Years Day. We played them at home on 3rd December so a quick turn around for us on this fixture. All the New Years Day fixtures are being televised.

Pressers

Duff Duff on the Town YouTube Channel.



The view from a selection of Burton Breweries

https://www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/news/20...quickly--/

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one theo.

Talking of Tamworth. Have you seen what they're charging their loyal fans to come and watch them get tonked by Spurs? Forty-two quid! And £29 for under tens!

[theo_luddite]

It's outrageous, but they don't get the chance of a real bumper pay day by taking Spurs to a replay or moving the fixture to say Brum or Villa either. All of which were allowed in the past.

[Lord Snooty]

That's true. Good old FA.

[theo_luddite]

Me & my predictions

[Lord Snooty]

Rubbish first half. Typical Town against the bottom of the league team.

[Lord Snooty]

Much better second half but blooming frustrating. Definitely two points dropped. Could've been right up there now with Wycombe losing and Brum drawing. Typical of Wrexham to get another late winner.

[theo_luddite]

Christmas fixtures, bah, humbug.

[jjamez]

Atrocious first half. Lees and helik can't play together, they are too limited, sooner we can get balker back fit the better. Ladapo was crap and wiles largely ineffective.

Second half we seemed better but we kept trying the same thing over and over again hoping for something different, trouble is we have only one player truly capable of playing out wide and he was cutting in and his full back behind him was right footed. Wiles out on the right saw the ball getting crossed in but like I said, it was rinse and repeat.

So what do we need in Jan, weve got a new left back/wing back, we'll have lasse back, Hodge returning was a good thing, still think we could do with one more midfielder to offer more rotations. Defensively I think we're fine, a good ball playing defender would be nice but not essential. Up top we need a lot, the fact that bojan looked half decent shouldn't hide any truths, he's been an abject signing. Would it be worth adding options for potential wing play, duff has said that's not how we play, yet we seem to "revert" to it when we are chasing, so surely it would be prudent to find someone who can, unless lasse becomes your option there.

Departure wise, ruffles can go, ladapo can go, no idea how long ward is going to be out for. Looks like headley could be going too. Anyone else?

[Lord Snooty]

Wardy looks likely out for a while. So do we give Kieran Phillips a run out at Wigan? Or is he another one on his way out?