..

SUMMARY

..

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Ave Att:
27	5	11	11	3,702

..

..

I picked this issue specifically. It marked the very last Football League game at Edgeley Park, after 106 seasons of League football. As the front cover notes our first game, (back on 2nd September 1905, was against Chelsea, (a 1-0 win!). We ended with a 1-1 draw, Greg Tansey scoring County’s last ever goal from the penalty spot.

..

A QUESTION OF NUMBERS

EIGHT WEEKS; THREE MANAGERS; FOURTEEN GAMES; EIGHT POINTS

..

We were beaten heavily at the b2net Stadium, (to date our only game there, with the one scheduled for April 2020 falling victim to the Covid-19 cessation of the 2019/20 season). It was a truly woeful performance. Two days later, Morecambe, who were below us in the table, came and won at EP. But little did we know as we traipsed out onto Hardcastle Road that evening that the defeat was to spell the end for Simpson. The news emerged later that week, and his assistant, Peter Ward, was appointed as Acting Manager. Wardy was well loved at EP, playing as he did a crucial role in Bergara’s teams of the early 90’s. He had of course also been Gannon’s Assistant prior to administration. Maybe the Board, (which by this time had changed out of all recognition from the one that had taken over only the previous summer), thought that he could spread some gold-dust, given his previous track record at EP? We all now know the answer to that one!!

Reflecting back, with the hindsight of nine years, I have often wondered whether, or not, we would have escaped the drop that year if Simpson had been left in-situ. There’s many who certainly believe that, and I’ve got to say that I’m one of them. Unlike twelve months previously relegation may have been a possibility, but at that point it looked unlikely. If we had kept with Simpson how would the next decade have unfolded? What of course the ordinary supporter did not know at this point was that the clean slate that the new Board had taken on the previous summer was rapidly turning into another financial debacle, Maybe the turnover in Board members should have been the warning sign?

Whatever the case off the field, Ward singularly failed to improve matters on it. He started with a humiliating 5-1 home defeat at the hands of Gillingham, and then followed it with 2 points from the next 5 games, which saw 15 goals conceded. A raft of new faces had appeared. Tom Grieve, (from Newcastle on loan) and Ishmel Demontagnac and Stephen Husband were both on a months loan from Blackpool; central defenders Danny O’Donnell, (Shrewsbury) and Aaron Brown, (Orient) made a debut in a 4-0 rout at the Don Valley Stadium and a familiar face in Anthony Elding returned, having played for 6 clubs since leaving for Leeds 3 years previously. Ward was clearly struggling, (with the team switched around so much that only 4 players who had started his first game on 8th January featuring in the last game of the month). The Board moved and brought in the vastly experienced Ray Mathias to assist him. Mathias had worked with Paul Ince at MK Dons with the pair having won them both promotion and the FL Trophy.

We then saw more incomers. Matt Paterson, (Southend); Ryan Doble, (Southampton); and James Wallace, (Everton) all came in on loans, as did keeper Ian McLoughlin, (Ipswich). Alan Goodall, (Rochdale) signed on permanently.

..

..

I thought Wallace, (left), was a really gifted footballer, and he showed leadership qualities, despite being only just 19. These were recognised by him stepping up to captain in the latter part of the season. Sadly his career after leaving EP to return to Everton was blighted by injury.

With all these names we had seen 11 new players inside 7 weeks. Totting things up these 11 players played. on average, 9 games each. It made for a grand total of 38 players for the season, and yet towards the end of the campaign we were unable to fill the bench!

It was appalling stuff. After a very rare win against Oxford at the beginning of March came the absolute nadir. The Board decided to relieve Ward of his duties. All well and good, you might think. It was their prerogative. But no replacement was decided on, which proved a bit problematic 24 hours later when we were scheduled to visit Accrington. Legend has it, (and I’ve never heard anything to the contrary), that the Directors who made the decision were unaware of the game and as a consequence the available players arrived at the Crown Ground with nobody in charge. This was Sunday morning stuff. There was a decent following, on what was a dismal night weather-wise in east Lancashire, and before the kick-off this situation was common knowledge. By all accounts Mathias decided to do the necessary. It made no difference, as we slumped to a spiritless and gutless 3 goal thrashing. By this time the position of relative comfort that had been ours when Simpson was fired had long dissipated. We were rock bottom, 4 points from safety but having played between 4 and 6 games more than our fellow strugglers at the southern end of the table.

..

106 YEARS IN THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE … BUT NO MORE

..

Mathias tightened the defence up a fair bit. A rearguard which had conceded 42 in 15 games since the New Year, was far more effective, letting in only 14 in the last 10 matches. But there was little firepower upfront, as we hit the target only 9 times in the same period. There were two wins, firstly against Southend and then, in a history making encounter at Vale Park, our last ever League victory. Realistically, we had known for weeks that we were doomed and that the welcoming arms of the Conference were open in warm embrace. The die was cast after a draw against Northampton on Easter Monday – a 6 point deficit with two games to go, but a negative goal difference of 46, (28 worse than any of the others), meant it was all over. A festival of resurrection but not in SK3.

We dutifully wended our way down to Gresty Road for the last FL away game, and the following Saturday, with Cheltenham as visitors, a 106 year stay was ended. Naturally being County it wasn’t without some incident. A sit down protest on the pitch halted play for a while. Tensions might have been running high but it was all very peaceful, (bar for a couple of arrests), unlike the disgraceful scenes at Kidderminster two years later.

Having been reconciled to the outcome for a long time I hoped that we would now be able to stabilise. Knowing a fair bit about non-league football I probably had a more reasoned view than many others who viewed an automatic return not as a given, but something more likely than not. I’d seen a lot of Conference football on my non-County travels, and what I had witnessed at places like Altrincham; Northwich and Runcorn told me that it would be a difficult time. The events of the summer made it doubly so.

..

FOREST GREEN HERE WE COME

..

Th events of the summer are fully described in “Beyond Administration: 2011″, and properly sub-titled “The Evans Era… if 10 weeks is an Era”. It left us approaching the new season with a new manager, Didi Hamann. and a new team, We travelled to Forest Green for the first game. It was on a Friday evening with the game televised on Premier Sports. I leave my thoughts about The New Lawn and its proprietor to the Forest Green post!!

It was one of those occasions when it was a case of guess the player, or for those of better eyesight than me reading the back of the shirts. Of the 16 who made up the squad that evening only the two keepers, Matt Glennon and a still youthful Ian Ormson, together with Andy Halls had been at EP three months previously. It’s worth looking at the provenance of the other 13 that Hamann had cobbled together.

There was a Merseyside contingent. which reinforced the views of the cynics amongst us that the Evans takeover, and the connections at the western end of the M62, had a strong influence. Three, (Miles; Routledge and Fraughan) started at the New Lawn, with two more, Nolan and McConville, (who was suspended), not making the cut. Up front Chadwick and Gritton both had experience, and goals were expected from them. At the back Danny Hall, (in what was his sole appearance); had come from Crawley, and had previously played a lot of non-league as had Sheridan; Bounab, of whom nothing was known had arrived from French football; and Holden had been playing in the USA. Of the 3 others on the bench, two of them, (Piergianni and Elliott),unlike many of the starting XI, actually made a meaningful contribution during the season, and lastly there was Parker, who was gone as soon as he arrived.

The certainty of all this is that we looked at a team that Hamann had brought together, and wondered if it would fit the bill. Put it this way, of that starting XI only Sheridan and Holden made it to the end of the season, and 6 of them failed to make it beyond Christmas.

Well, we surely didn’t lose many in the opening couple of months, but with only two wins and two defeats in the first 12 games, it was a succession of draws. It was a journey around places never before visited. Forest Green; Kidderminster; the Newport Stadium and Tamworth gave us an introduction to life outside the FL, and on the field those who had thought that it might be easy at this level had a rude awakening. They should have known, as we also faced Luton and Wrexham, opponents in League days, who had found it a struggle to get back.

At the same time the “Evans Era” came to a close – the deal was off, and as the year wended its way to a close there was a two man board, (Snape and Taylor). Hamann appeared to be disconnected, and it as little surprise when he left after a 3-3 draw with Hayes at EP. He had overseen a mere 3 wins in 19 league games and we were 17th, just 2 points above the relegation zone and had also exited the FA Cup at Haig Avenue. His assistant, Willie McStay, presided over a defeat at Ebbsfleet, as the mist rolled over the ground from the Thames. Three days later, the clarion calls for the return of Jim Gannon were answered. Could he mirror his achievement of rescuing us from the basement in 2006?

..

SOCIAL LOAFERS ……

..

There was an immediate impact. Gannon took charge for a Saturday night game at Fleetwood, televised on Premier Sports. We had a glimpse of what could have been. Jamie Vardy, (who Simpson had disregarded, and with whom Evans had said a deal had been struck), scored that evening, and despite a large vociferous following we went down 2-1. The following Saturday, a supine display brought a home defeat at the hands of a 10 man Southport. It occasioned Gannon, in the post match press conference to say, “There are too many social loafers in the squad and I have to get rid of them.” Get rid of them he might have to do, but with a game at Blundell Park scheduled 72 hours later, the opportunity for that was less than limited in the short term. It occasioned one of the most embarrassing games I have ever witnessed. It almost looked like the players had gone on strike, such was the lack of fight; passion or indeed anything that might show they had pride as professional footballers. The display caused apoplexy in the Osmond Stand seats behind the goal. Much of it was directed at Mark Halstead, making his 4th and final appearance on loan from Blackpool, and his display that evening deserved it. But so did the rest of them. At the end, having gone down by seven, (the fourth time I had seen us concede that many – (Boothferry Park; Maine Road and implausibly the home game against Rochdale were the others) – all bar one of the players slinked off hoping to avoid further opprobrium. I’ll give Danny O’Donnell his due. he came down to the fans and apologised. It was thin consolation though.

If Gannon was intending to have a clear out before this debacle his mind was made up. The side that turned out on New Years Day against Barrow, (his first win), featured only 4 of the starting XI at Grimsby. He took a scythe to the squad that Hamman had assembled and the likes of Bounab; McCann; Routledge; Miles; Fraughan; Chadwick; Gritton; and Blackburn hardly featured again. It has long been a theme that Gannon likes to work with younger players that he can mould; who have the right attitude and willing to learn – not for him the seasoned old pro’s. What we saw him develop in the forthcoming months was a team fashioned in his own image. But it took a while

In the run to the end of the year, as he looked to rebuild, there were 5 league games, and but a single draw. After 26 games we had 20 points and were next to bottom. I also had my first experience of seeing us play at one of the non-league grounds which had always been part of my non-County football. This was at Bower Fold, Stalybridge, a ground, which after moving house in 2014, became a 200 yard walk for away games there!. We lost!.

The expectation that 2011/12 would be a season of retrenchment, and maybe a little success, had long disappeared. For the 4th time in less than a decade were were looking at relegation. From the heady heights of the Championship to regional football …. it was a sobering thought.

..

Back to 2010 Forward to 2012 Home Games Summary Page Away Games 2011

..

..

THE HOME GAMES I SAW THIS YEAR

..

Day	Date	Competition	Tier / Round	Opponents	Res	F	A	Crowd	Home Game
Mon	03/01/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Morecambe	L	0	2	3,890	882
Sat	08/01/11 (Highlights)	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Gillingham	L	1	5	3,573	883
Tue	11/01/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Rotherham United	D	3	3	3,612	884
Sat	22/01/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Lincoln City	L	3	4	4,348	885
Tue	01/02/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Chesterfield	D	1	1	4,092	886
Sat	12/02/11 (Highlights)	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Bury	W	2	1	4,903	887
Sat	19/02/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Macclesfield Town	L	1	4	5,470	888
Sat	05/03/11 (Highlights)	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Oxford United	W	2	1	4,119	889
Sat	12/03/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Burton Albion	D	0	0	4,278	890
Sat	26/03/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Southend United	W	2	1	3,335	891
Sat	09/04/11	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Stevenage	D	2	2	3,449	892
Mon	25/04/11 (Highlights)	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Northampton Town	D	2	2	4,807	893
Sat	07/05/11 (Highlights)	npower Football League – League 2	Tier 4	Cheltenham Town	D	1	1	5,027	894
Tue	16/08/11 (Highlights)	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Kettering Town	W	1	0	3,429	895
Sat	20/08/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Ebbsfleet United	D	1	1	3,674	896
Mon	29/08/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Mansfield Town	L	0	1	3,571	897
Fri	02/09/11 (Highlights)	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Luton Town	D	1	1	3,389	898
Sat	17/09/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Grimsby Town	W	2	0	3,943	899
Tue	27/09/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Fleetwood Town	L	2	4	3,023	900
Sat	01/10/11 (Highlights)	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	York City	L	1	2	3,753	901
Tue	11/10/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Darlington	L	3	4	2,671	902
Sat	22/10/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Forest Green Rovers	L	0	1	3,391	903
Sat	05/11/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Hayes & Yeading United	D	3	3	2,804	904
Sat	26/11/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Southport	L	0	1	4,540	905
Tue	06/12/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Gateshead	L	0	1	2,366	906
Sat	10/12/11	FA Trophy	Round 1	Stalybridge Celtic	D	2	2	1,690	907
Sat	17/12/11	Blue Square Bet Premier	Tier 5	Alfreton Town	D	0	0	2,802	908