A Barrow-load of laughs - Division 4 2020/21

[elguapo4]

Fuckin Stags still awful. Looking like Forest will be the only league club in Nottingham next year.

[Gangster Octopus]

And Barrow finally do it.

[jwdd27]

Scunthorpe continue to manfully stick to the EFL rules.
They now have 6 players out with the virus (3 positive tests, 3 associates self isolating), plus the manager, assistant manager and now U23 coach Russ Wilcox who was awaiting a test.
This meant that we went to Exeter with just 16 players, and goalkeeping coach Paul Musselwhite as acting manager.
The line up would have got us kicked out of the Freight Rover Trophy for fielding a weakened team, but they actually played remarkably well, rallying from conceding twice early on and only conceding again in the last minute.
If they do end up getting relegated and are a couple of points behind Grimsby or Leyton Orient for example, they will have every right to feel aggrieved.
I doubt it will come to that, I'm not sure there will be any relegation, just promotion to replace teams that sadly go bust.

[Baptiste]

Cheltenham released a club update yesterday with their general position on what's been going on in the World of football over recent weeks. This was what they said on postponements:

NON FULFILMENT OF FIXTURES
There has been some confusion in recent weeks around which matches have to be called off in the event of positive tests. The EFL have now clarified that any player testing positive must self-isolate for 10 days and any other player to have had close contact with them (defined as within two metres for longer than 15 minutes, such as sharing a car journey for example) will have to self isolate for 14 days. The difference is due to the incubation period of the virus. Clubs will be expected to field a team even if they have to select youth team players and any failure to fulfil a fixture will be investigated with a potential for a misconduct charge.
.

This echoes what we were told and what has played out for us. But I imagine the clubs who have postponed multiple matches to just get a slap on the wrist, which makes a bit of a mockery of it all.

Surprised by how poor Tranmere appear to look this season. Orient were deserved winners in an unremarkable game at Prenton Park last night, even though we'd been rubbish for a month going into this match.

I only saw the last half hour, but yes, we were very poor. The natives are restless already. Mitigating factors are half a team out with covid and new signings not fully integrated, but I’m not too confident we have the right man in charge. But hard to get too worked up when you can’t attend.

[Satchmo Distel]

So the EFL will continue even if half the clubs are fielding their kids?

[Simon G]

Cheltenham released a club update yesterday with their general position on what's been going on in the World of football over recent weeks. This was what they said on postponements:

NON FULFILMENT OF FIXTURES
There has been some confusion in recent weeks around which matches have to be called off in the event of positive tests. The EFL have now clarified that any player testing positive must self-isolate for 10 days and any other player to have had close contact with them (defined as within two metres for longer than 15 minutes, such as sharing a car journey for example) will have to self isolate for 14 days. The difference is due to the incubation period of the virus. Clubs will be expected to field a team even if they have to select youth team players and any failure to fulfil a fixture will be investigated with a potential for a misconduct charge.
All clubs in the League including Cheltenham Town are continuing to follow strict protocols in order to try and keep the risk of infection to a minimum. The Sports Grounds Safety Authority will be carrying out audits to make sure there is a high level of compliance.

[jwdd27]

A 1-0 defeat away at Cheltenham represents progress for Scunthorpe after consecutive 1-4 and 0-5 home defeats.

Manager Neil Cox and assistant Mark Lillis were absent after the latter tested positive for Covid, with the former isolating as a close contact.
Another player has tested positive too, with one of his team-mates also hooked for self-isolation as a close contact. Their identities are not being disclosed and you can't really tell with the amount of team changes every game.

I'm sure other clubs, like Grimsby, have postponed games for positive tests but we seem to just want to plough on, it's the second time we've had two players out in these circumstances.

[E10 Rifle]

Surprised by how poor Tranmere appear to look this season. Orient were deserved winners in an unremarkable game at Prenton Park last night, even though we'd been rubbish for a month going into this match.

[Third rate Leszno]

No real update, but no one seems too worried. Seems like the administration will be a pre-pack that allows Philip Day to buy back the profitable elements and get rid of the rest - bad news for landlords and staff at the outlets that close but it means it's less likely that our loan facility will come under pressure from the administrator. Fingers crossed for now.

[ingoldale]

Roy Keane in League 2 would be highly entertaining.

Meanwhile in Cumbria, slight nervousness over the impending Administration of shirt sponsors Edinburgh Woollen Mills. A couple of years ago they offered us a credit facility in the form of a loan secured on Brunton Park and surrounding land (also personally guaranteed by a couple of our directors).

We're now balls deep in the loan facility to the tune of 2.1 million quid, and I'm sure the Administrator will be making enquiries into whether we might wish to pay some or all of it back. At the very least it seems that any further funding from EWM will be cut short, hopefully it doesn't also mean that incoming monies from transfers and add-ons are swallowed up to pay for losses incurred elsewhere in Philip Day's flaky business empire.

Any update on this? Are you looking likely to survive this situation?

[Tony C]

We're not even at those dizzy heights but we have the same sentiment at this point in the CUFC triangle, having beaten the third one 3-2 today. Bit of a roller coaster - coasting at 2-0 and wasting chances and good positions before dumb defending handed Colchester an easy goal and a penalty, then we piled on the pressure until Colchester eventually cracked. Before and after the winner we wasted far better chances than the ones we actually took.

I watched it on ifollow, the first time I've used it so only the second time I've seen us play this season, the other being the 'test event' against Southend. That day after a poor start to the season we rolled over a very poor side, and showed some promise going forward while still exposing concerns at the back - today both of those were writ even larger but we seem to be getting away with it for now. I certainly didn't expect 5th at this stage.

Lots of kids at the school where I teach are huge Foxes fans and were full of it this morning. It was great to listen to - teenagers talking excitedly about football without mentioning the PL once.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I didn't mind the ifollow experience, though working in its favour for me is the fact that the camera position is quite close to where we sit, so it's a familiar view.

Going back to something mentioned on here (or perhaps another thread) - I heard on a podcast that Barrow have got a new training base, moving from Rochdale to..... Knutsford. Handy for the motorway I suppose.

[slackster]

Streamed my first O’s match of the season yesterday. OK, we were poor - but it’s a pretty empty experience at Div 4 level, isn’t it? Found myself wandering off for much of the match.

Think I’ll have to downwardly revise my expectations for Orient this season on that “effort”.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

What the fuck is going on there? Long may it continue

We're not even at those dizzy heights but we have the same sentiment at this point in the CUFC triangle, having beaten the third one 3-2 today. Bit of a roller coaster - coasting at 2-0 and wasting chances and good positions before dumb defending handed Colchester an easy goal and a penalty, then we piled on the pressure until Colchester eventually cracked. Before and after the winner we wasted far better chances than the ones we actually took.

I watched it on ifollow, the first time I've used it so only the second time I've seen us play this season, the other being the 'test event' against Southend. That day after a poor start to the season we rolled over a very poor side, and showed some promise going forward while still exposing concerns at the back - today both of those were writ even larger but we seem to be getting away with it for now. I certainly didn't expect 5th at this stage.

[ad hoc]

Deep into nose-bleed territory! Second 5-0 away win and GD of 12 after only 6 games.

I know. What the fuck is going on there? Long may it continue

[Reality Checkpoint]

Deep into nose-bleed territory! Second 5-0 away win and GD of 12 after only 6 games.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

He's been charged with assaulting a police officer at a Taco Bell drive through in Doncaster (!) while apparently drunk and disorderly

That will go on his wrap (sic) sheet.

(Needs work admittedly.)

[jwdd27]

Scunthorpe have sacked winger Ryan Colclough, who was occasionally very good but more frequently injured.

He's been charged with assaulting a police officer at a Taco Bell drive through in Doncaster (!) while apparently drunk and disorderly.

It happened in June and charges were brought at the end of September, but it seems to have slipped Ryan's mind to inform the club, and the club also failed to spot the information when it became public domain, he even captained the side against Man City's kids in the EFL Trophy.

It seems I'm no longer "in the know" about the club, as judging from Facebook comments (I know) his refuelling and behavioural problems have been common knowledge among fans for a while.

Good luck to him.

[jwdd27]

They lost their 2nd game 0-5 at home to Cambridge, and as you can no doubt deduce, they've won 4 times by a single goal.
It's very strange to see them up there, I don't think it will last, although their squad does have a few names who are recognisable as half decent at this level (including Yann Songo'o, who I'd forgotten Scunny had binned), and Derek Adams tends to know what he's doing.

[ad hoc]

I've just noticed that Morecambe are top of the table having won 4 and lost one... And have a goal difference of - 1.

[Simon G]

Anything that derails their season (even a little bit) is a good thing. Wonder who is lined up to take over, hopefully not Paul Cook or anyone competent.

Alexander being in charge was the one thing I thought was holding them back. The concern now is that they get someone in who's competent.

[Third rate Leszno]

Roy Keane in League 2 would be highly entertaining.

Meanwhile in Cumbria, slight nervousness over the impending Administration of shirt sponsors Edinburgh Woollen Mills. A couple of years ago they offered us a credit facility in the form of a loan secured on Brunton Park and surrounding land (also personally guaranteed by a couple of our directors).

We're now balls deep in the loan facility to the tune of 2.1 million quid, and I'm sure the Administrator will be making enquiries into whether we might wish to pay some or all of it back. At the very least it seems that any further funding from EWM will be cut short, hopefully it doesn't also mean that incoming monies from transfers and add-ons are swallowed up to pay for losses incurred elsewhere in Philip Day's flaky business empire.

[Capybara]

Anything that derails their season (even a little bit) is a good thing. Wonder who is lined up to take over, hopefully not Paul Cook or anyone competent.

Well, Roy Keane was at their game on Saturday ...

[Third rate Leszno]

Anything that derails their season (even a little bit) is a good thing. Wonder who is lined up to take over, hopefully not Paul Cook or anyone competent.

[Ray de Galles]

Graham Alexander: Salford City sack boss & put Paul Scholes in charge

Further evidence of what a farcical tribute act excuse for a club they've become.