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SUMMARY

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Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Ave Att:
22	3	8	11	4,319

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This issue is for the Brentford game on 2nd April 2005 – a 2-1 defeat. The cover features Michael Raynes who had come into the team, making his full debut at Torquay on New Years Day after 3 sub appearances. He had become an integral part of the team, despite being only 17.

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TURNER PROVES TO BE FAR FROM THE ANSWER

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Statistically this was the most dismal year I spent watching the Hatters. We played 49 games in total, (I missed just the one, on the opening day of the 2005/06 season against Mansfield when Lanzarote had more attraction), and in total there were just 7 wins, and two of those came in the FA Cup. The 45 league games produced 5 wins and 14 draws – a points total of 29 out of a possible 135. They also featured 45 players! It really doesn’t get much worse than that. We started the year 8 points adrift of safety in the 3rd Tier, and ended it 6 points below the safety zone in the 4th Tier. A drop into the Conference was looking almost certain.

Chris Turner, who had taken charge on Boxing Day 2004 presided over the whole of this debacle. The Club was on the way to being in the hands of the Supporters Trust, (with the deal being finally concluded in early July just in advance of the 2005/06 season).

For me the year started with a trip to Torquay on New Years Day. more of which is recounted in the Plainmoor post. A memorable day for more than just the win, which came courtesy of a late Rickie Lambert penalty, after we had gone 1-0 down. There were 21 games left, and a huge job in hand if we were to avoid the drop.

Those 21 games produced a couple of wins and three draws, a haul of 9 points and the inevitable relegation came with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Brentford in early April, with 6 games left to play. For those of us who had travelled the length and breadth of the country it had been hard labour, but equally for those who are just “home fans”, they had seen 8 defeats in 13 games.

Turner had brought in a series of players to try and stop the rot. Of the team that turned out in his first game against Bristol City on Boxing Day only 5 played in the last game of the season. Keith Briggs had returned after making little impression at Carrow Road following his transfer to Norwich and we saw a single appearance from Darrell Clarke. We had seen him also bring in Joe Dolan; Kevan Hurst; Evan Horwood; and Ludovic Dje.

Added to these were two of the most ineffective strikers I have ever seen in a County shirt – Marvin Robinson and Chris Armstrong; and Lee Cartwright and Ezekiel Tomlinson, who had been at the Park all season, but had featured rarely, if at all, were given run-outs. This kind of turnover is never a recipe for instant success, and so it proved. All in all he fielded 31 players in his 18 games.

The last new face we saw was in a 4-1 home trouncing by Wrexham. Still at school, and only just turned 16, Paul Turnbull came off the bench in that game. A striker at that point he failed to influence the outcome. The next time we saw him was two and a half years later. He had stayed at County, after turning down a move to Chelsea, and of course went on to have an outstanding performance in the Rochdale Play-off final victory. After moving onto Northampton, he came back briefly on loan in 2012 before returning permanently in 2018.

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He was an absolutely integral part of the Conference North Championship winning season, and as captain had the privilege of lifting the Trophy at Nuneaton, (left). He passed 250 games in a County shirt in an FA Trophy replay against Dorking a few weeks before lockdown. I can well see him play a part on the coaching side of things at EP in the near future. †

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† I originally wrote this back ay the beginning of July 2020. The initial lockdown was coming to an end, and a few days later County returned to training. It was then announced that a number of players would be leaving the Club. Amongst them was Turnbull, but interestingly both he and Sam Walker were allowed to continue training and indeed playing in the pre-season games until they fixed themselves up with a Club. Certainly it was a measure of the contribution they had made over the preceding couple of years. Turnbull joined Curzon Ashton, but interestingly still works on the County Community programme. I’m glad that this link still exists – he has been an important part of the renaissance of the Club since returning in 2018.

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THE DIE IS CAST

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So League 2 beckoned, but before then the take over by the Trust was completed on 8th July. My thoughts on the structure, and practicality, of the deal are outlined in Home Games: 2004. Some may suggest that my feelings about the whole thing are gifted by hindsight. Not so – the whole thing was madness, and given the way Kennedy had stitched up the Trust, the way things unfolded was a sad and inevitable conclusion. The essence of the deal was that the Trust paid £1 for the Club but in exchange Kennedy took 30 per cent of all transfer fees and the majority of the revenue from matchdays to recoup the £4 million he had supposedly spent. And most importantly the ground remained with Kennedy.

On the day of completion the Trust Chairman, Norman Beverley, described things as:

“The most significant day in the Club’s history since the formation of Stockport County as Heaton Norris Rovers in 1983″

Well, he wasn’t wrong about it being ‘the most significant day’. But the significance was far from his expectations. As I have said elsewhere, the guys who drove the deal were County ‘through and through’, and therefore their intentions were completely honourable. A combination of a totally unsustainable business model, and a lack of real business expertise, was a recipe for all that followed. A significant day indeed, which within 4 years led to administration; two consecutive relegations; a series of chancers making us a laughing stock and then two characters playing out a real life version of Football Manager led to regional football. And all of this within 8 years … a significant day indeed.

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BACK TO THE 4TH TIER …. AND NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR EVEN THAT

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The opening day of 2005/06 saw a raft of new faces. Of the 14 who featured in a 2-2 draw with Mansfield, only 5, (James Spencer; Ashley Williams; Michael Raynes; Harpal Singh and Keith Briggs), were left from the previous season. Turner had brought in two strikers who promised much. Tes Bramble came in from Southend, and Jermaine Easter, (who had been with Turner at Hartlepool), arrived from Boston. Easter hit the target 11 times, but after the turn of the year with Gannon in charge there was a swift parting of the ways. Easter had hawked himself around to both Oxford and Bristol City before leaving for Wycombe.

Rob Clare returned after a season at Blackpool, and joining him were defenders Mark Robinson, (ex Hereford) and Ross Greenwood, (Sheffield Wednesday); midfielders Mickael Wolski; Danny Boshell and Matty Hamshaw together with Michael Malcolm, another striker.

It wasn’t unreasonable after the previous season’s travails to expect that the change of personnel might bring an upturn in fortunes. A fond delusion – of the nine newcomers only four made it to the end of the season.

Home supporters had to wait until late October to see a win, and those who had the fortitude to travel away had returned having seen a victory only once by that time. We had seen more new faces, as Turner realised that his team rebuilding over the summer had singularly failed to cut the mustard. Tony Vaughan, (formerly of City), came in but had gone by the end of October and Carl Ikeme, (a keeper on loan from Wolves), made it three custodians in the first nine games, (following James Spencer and Matt Duke). We also saw Dean Crowe and Gavin Strachan.

The team sheet had little consistency, as we entered November with the two wins, and had ended October with an apocalytically bad performance at Carlisle where we went down by six with Ikeme having an afternoon that he will wish never to remember, but sadly for him is recorded for posterity, (see the ‘highlights, (sic), on the Brunton Park post).

At that point we stood 22nd but well within reach of mid table in what was a Division of absolute mediocrity. FA Cup wins over Swansea, (exacting revenge for the exit at their hands 12 months previously), and Hereford saw us into the 3rd Round, but the league form in November and December was beyond woeful.

Seven games brought only two points, and the year was ended with a shameful display at the Moss Rose.

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Jim Gannon held court that afternoon in the tea bar under the stand at half time. Little were we to know that within hours he would be appointed caretaker manager as Turner received his marching orders. His last act had been presiding over the second 6-0 humiliation in the space of a few weeks, but the penultimate act was the signing of Liam Dickinson from Woodley Sports for the princely sum of £2,000. A couple of grand it might have been but came with a sell on clause. Sadly for Woodley the financial debacle that ensued meant that they failed to profit to any meaningful extent from that after he moved to Derby.

We have little to thank Turner for but the arrival of Dicko provided long suffering fans with an entertainer; a goalscorer and a crucial figure in the promotion campaign two years later .. and delivered a hefty profit as well!!

The year turned with us looking nailed on for a drop into the Conference. But there as a change afoot .. and we didn’t have to wait long to see Dicko make a real impact.

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Back to 2004 Forward to 2006 Home Games Summary Page Away Games 2005

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THE HOME GAMES I SAW THIS YEAR

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Day	Date	Competition	Tier / Round	Opponents	Res	F	A	Crowd	Home Game
Mon	03/01/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Hull City	L	1	3	6,670	733
Sat	22/01/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Barnsley	D	2	2	5,326	734
Tue	01/02/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	AFC Bournemouth	D	2	2	3,850	735
Sat	12/02/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Port Vale	L	1	2	4,587	736
Tue	22/02/05 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Chesterfield	L	1	2	4,201	737
Sat	26/02/05 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Hartlepool United	W	1	0	4,548	738
Sat	12/03/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Colchester United	L	1	2	4,004	739
Sat	02/04/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Brentford	L	1	2	4,408	740
Tue	12/04/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Blackpool	L	0	1	4,302	741
Sat	16/04/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Doncaster Rovers	L	2	4	4,508	742
Sat	30/04/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1	Tier 3	Wrexham	L	1	4	5,480	743
Sat	20/08/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Notts County	D	1	1	3,922	744
Tue	23/08/05	Carling Cup	Round 1	Sheffield Wednesday	L	2	4	3,001	745
Mon	29/08/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Peterborough United	D	1	1	3,774	746
Sat	10/09/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Wycombe Wanderers	D	3	3	3,507	747
Sat	24/09/05 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Chester City	D	0	0	4,873	748
Sat	08/10/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Leyton Orient	D	1	1	3,901	749
Sat	22/10/05 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Northampton Town	W	4	2	4,150	750
Sat	05/11/05	FA Cup	Round 1	Swansea City	W	2	0	2,978	751
Sun	13/11/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Barnet	D	1	1	6,056	752
Tue	06/12/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Bristol Rovers	L	0	1	3,460	753
Sat	10/12/05	Coca-Cola Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Darlington	L	0	3	3,502	754