In Salford's shadow: Div 4 2019/20

[Simon G]

I'm very concerned about Cheltenham at the moment - two points off the top with a game in hand over Crewe and two over Exeter. Unbeaten in 7 games, 17 League games at home, and not looking like losing anytime soon.

Just sat here waiting for it to all come crashing down. No doubt that will start at home to Ecotricity FC this week.

[Sporting]

I could very well be wrong, but Cheltenham strikes me as one of those places where the words "of", "football" and "hotbed" are rarely used in the same phrase.

[E10 Rifle]

Congrats. Exeter's win was particularly appreciated in our corner of east London, where a bit of a rivalry with Plymouth has built up over, first, the over-cooked ball-boy stramash in 2017 at Home Park, and then, last week, the ridiculous handball that was somehow allowed in the buiildup to Argyle's first goal against us last week. Not that that excuses the capitulation that followed.

[slackster]

My 1st visit of the season to see Orient yesterday, after we’d sacked Carl Fletcher just 29 days after bizarrely appointing him in the first place.

Scunny were no great shakes but worked hard for each other, were well organised at the basics, and ran out worthy 2-0 winners for their first away win in yonks. We looked toothless and ran out of steam after 45 minutes. If we don’t want to slip back into Little Leyton Orient mode where it’s all a bit too cosy for the current players, coaches and our now-superfluous Director of Football, we are going to have to shake things up. Fletcher wasn’t the right man, and it’s clearly difficult to replace Justin Edinburgh after his tragic & untimely death in the summer, but we can’t simply bumble along spouting sentimental nonsense about our “unique” #ourclub ethos.

[ingoldale]

What a job this was on Monday morning. The transcript, in full and it's liiiiiive! https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/s...ording-3549707

[ingoldale]

In addition to that, whilst it was wholly unprofessional and seemingly quite out of character for Jolley. There are a few things that have come out of this - the club clearly have no long term plan (other than to harp on about getting a new ground but get no closer to actually achieving it) or direction, it is doubtful we'll get someone in who will continue to introduce YT graduates to the first team squad (currently 5 in and around the first team), he has improved the squad on yet another stringent budget offered (if he is to be believed) and was sacked having taken us to the third round of the FA Cup, League Cup second v Chelsea and improving our league position.

Excluding Hurst and Slade both of whose tenures polarise support in terms of how successful they were, we haven't held on to a manager for more than 18 months since Buckley III. Meanwhile, Boston get a new ground, Lincoln get two promotions, Scunny hire Hurst and local radio are in full backs to the wall mode with us. A complete an utter fucking shambles.

In a 15 year tenure as chairman and non-chairman, 11 out of 13 managers have been sacked. Hurst left for Shrewsbury as Slade I did for Yeovil. Another issue highlighted - we can no longer compete with Shrewsbury and Yeovil in a budgetary sense. Fuck me.

[Sean of the Shed]

Orient manager Ross Embleton sent off for throwing his chewing gum in the direction of Mark Cooper. He claims Cooper made a derogatory comment that mentioned Justin Edinburgh, but this was not heard by any of the officials. Knowing Cooper as I do it wouldn't surprise me though.

[E10 Rifle]

I've heard a fair few corroborations of Cooper saying what he did, most from Orient fans admittedly (and not always trustworthy ones) but also, apparently, an acknowledgment of it by Forest Green's assistant coach. Cooper and their chairman have denied.

It's all a bit unpleasant yesterday - Forest Green were clearly better and more clinical than us, though we fought back gamely, though also niggly and theatrical. One-time O Eboue Adams was both their biggest culprit on the diving front and their best creative outlet.

We're in trouble though; we look confused and directionless in tactics and selection, and it's clear that the over-sanctification of last season (exacerbated mightily by the tragedy of losing Edinburgh) is doing us no favours. Some players haven't made the step up, which is natural in a promoted team, but they're not being moved aside for those that have or might, which is less so

[jwdd27]

(Rescuing the thread from page 5, for shame)

Scunthorpe's half hearted "play off push" receives a blow as loan keeper Jake Eastwood is recalled by Sheffield United, which leaves us with a somewhat dodgy Rory Watson as the only senior keeper.

Hurst claims he's not looking for short term options in the January window, but he may be forced to make an exception here.

Meanwhile loaned out striker Kyle Wootton has joined Notts Co permanently, having been a success there. As a youth team product, he's our longest serving player (not a high bar), so good luck to him. Certainly good enough for Div 4, never given much of a run, and when he was in the side the rest of team were shit.

[Simon G]

I didn't think much of Wootton when we had him on loan a couple of years ago, but no reason he can't have improved.

In Cheltenham news - our playoff push has also suffered a blow following Saturday's win over Oldham. Scott Flinders, our undoubted number 1 for the last two and half years, suffered a broken leg and is out for the rest of the season. We're now being linked with Portsmouth's number 3 keeper (who was their number one for the 17/18 season) on a half season loan. We definitely need someone as our number 2, Rhys Lovett is not ready to be number 1 yet - if ever.

[Greenlander]

How to solve a goalscoring problem wiith your regular forwards injured and your loan strikers recalled. Just pop down to Truro and get Luke Jephcott back and one week later four goals in two games.

[Gangster Octopus]

Were you one of the long distance travellers today?

[Greenlander]

No, I've done Carlisle and as the advert says it's a long old poke. Alongside taking out the whole of a day and most of the following to recover and that's not for me nowadays.

Just over 500 did make the trip, though I'd imagine a good proportion of them live closer to Brunton Park than Home Park.

[E10 Rifle]

Talking of impressive away support, Grimsby brought 1,200 to Brisbane Road yesterday as the Holloway bandwagon keeps rolling, which made for a decent atmosphere, though nothing special as a game. Grimsby weren't much cop and we didn't have enough up front to make it count, relying on an injury-time penalty to scramble a point.

[ingoldale]

Talking of impressive away support, Grimsby brought 1,200 to Brisbane Road yesterday as the Holloway bandwagon keeps rolling, which made for a decent atmosphere, though nothing special as a game. Grimsby weren't much cop and we didn't have enough up front to make it count, relying on an injury-time penalty to scramble a point.

Indeed it does. Although we have recently taken those types of numbers to Leyton Orient anyway, without the band wagon. Eendracht Aalst supporters coming over from Belgium boosts our numbers too. They seem to like that fixture and have been over to quite a few London area games we have played now. Shame we couldn't hold out as 3 wins on the bounce might have made for a bumper crowd at BP too in our next time but there will probably be only 4,500-5,000 now.

[Simon G]

Grimsby have always had fantastic support at Whaddon Road, especially since our non-league season of 15/16 when there became a bit of a rivalry thanks to their hatred of Harry Pell.

Another good win for us yesterday took us back into the automatic places, on goal difference. Alfie May has been a dream of a signing and we're starting to look a bit more like the team we were in August and September. Still, with 5 of us on 44 points, to say it's close is a bit of an understatement.

[RobW]

Dunno where to post, but Grimsby are hosting An Evening with Chris Sutton for £45 if anybody wants to spend a lot of money listening to his faux outrage and stories of league management at Lincoln. Sounds like An Afternoon with Alan Partridge with Special Guest star Sue Cook.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Carlisle have ensured their financial well being for a few months by selling 17 year old prospect Jarrad Branthwaite to Everton after only 12 appearances. Some of the transfer fee will be needed to strengthen the team to ensure League membership well being beyond the next few months though.

[HORN]

I don't know where this belongs. It's just so sad.

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news...d-dies-3745175

Paul Musselwhite was Port Vale goalie for a long, long time and he seemed, across that murky front separating players from fans, to be a good chap.

[Antepli Ejderha]

I remember the name HORN. Such sad and tragic news.

[Simon G]

He's currently the Scunthorpe goalkeeper coach I believe. As AP says, very sad news and thoughts go out to him

[jwdd27]

Dreadful news, he is a top bloke and one of those rare players who can claim "club legend" status at 2 different clubs (Scunny and Port Vale).

I did hear about it last week, around the same time that I heard a former colleague's son of the same age had also taken his own life. A lot of it about, it seems, or perhaps there's a bit more reporting about it. The media traditionally ignored suicide, but it seems now there's more of an interest in raising the subject of men's/young people's mental health than before.

[tee rex]

Exeter march on in Division Three South-West. Can't score, can't lose. 1970's, back passes, scarves on wrists, 1-0 wins, oh now you're gonna believe us ...

If we don't go up this season we never will.

[Greenlander]

I'd just like to thank our Devon rivals for giving us the obvious kick up the arse of that 4-0 gubbing. We're up into third with nine wins from the last eleven league games and second most in-form team in the top four English divisions.

[jwdd27]

There's a distinct whiff of [SUBS insert derogatory stereotypical West Country product] at the top with Swindon leading the Devon boys.

Not a great season for the North, only Bratford and Salford (just) in the top half, with the other seven Northerners in the bottom 12. It's been a mild winter.

(That's using my arbitary north/south dividing line, which appears to fall somewhere in the 20 miles between Macclesfield, who I regard as northern, and Crewe, who are southern.