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| SPLIT THE CARABAO TO DRAW THE CROWDS? |
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Posted by: Devongone - 16-08-2024, 16:31 - Forum: League Cup
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The idea behind splitting the Carabao in its first two rounds holds obvious appeal, unfortunately it doesn't go far enough to grab the attention of the crowds or the clubs. Far too many clubs discard it completely from their thinking and field an almost complete reserve side, because their season has hardly started and they decide their is little chance of achieving anything worthwhile.
My solution is go the whole hog with the idea and split the whole competition in two. Give the two sections names - maybe Helvellyn and Jurassic or something and make the draw simpler to understand.
46 clubs geographically divided in each section. The lowest ranked 28 from the previous season's league positions go into the first round draw. 18 "top" clubs get byes.
2nd Round, now 32 clubs. The 14 first round winners to be guaranteed HOME ties in Round Two. So lower clubs get 14 chances of playing a much bigger club at home. Only two games feature big clubs only. That way ALL the smaller clubs will give Round One a real go.
Then carry on with normal draws for a Round 3 of 16 clubs and so on regionally UNTIL you have a Northern and a Southern Final with a trophy for each.
Then towards the season's close, North vs South in a big Kings of Carabou Final. The sponsors would love it I'm sure. Fans would like guaranteeing playing their own area only until the big play off. No small club like Chesterfield would fight its way through to Round 3 only to find that of all the glamour clubs left they'd got Ipswich miles away on a Tuesday night. A draw home or away against Liverpool or even Newcastle would bring a song to the heart even with a hiding in prospect.
And maybe start the competition when all 92 clubs have actually got going
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| WBA vs Leeds - Match Thread |
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Posted by: Ska'dForLife-WBA - 16-08-2024, 06:55 - Forum: West Bromwich Albion
- Replies (5)
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Mixed returns from the season's first week, as a surprise Josh Maja hat-trick last Saturday brought home the points from West London before a typically hapless League Cup showing from the kids at Fleetwood sent us crashing out of that competition with serious cause for concern about our strength in depth. All in all, it might not be the ideal time to open our account at home against promotion rivals Leeds, but Baggies can't be choosers.
Last season we acquitted ourselves pretty well against United, beating them at Christmas and holding them to an early-season draw at Elland Road, making us one of just four teams Leeds failed to beat in that campaign. They've won only one of their last five at the Hawthorns (though that was a 5-0 thrashing in December 2020), and have been somewhat out of sorts as they get stuck into the new season, barely scraping a draw against newly-promoted Pompey and then exiting the cup courtesy of Middlesbrough. They'll also be without 22-year-old forward Georginio Rutter, whose £40m release clause has been triggered by Brighton this week, sowing further uncertainty in an already chaotic camp.
But for all that, they remain a potent force in the division who like to dominate the early stages of games and try to get on the front foot with a goal or two before the opposition can hit back. That they've shipped six goals in two matches so far suggests that sides who can hit back are liable to wreak havoc against a shaky defence, so Maja might just be able to get himself on a roll. Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana will hopefully be fit enough to make the bench for Albion, but in the absence of any enforced changes there's really no great need for Corberan to tinker with the line-up that took QPR apart. That win also gave the Baggies a bit of early breathing space, so a draw on Saturday wouldn't be the end of the world, but Leeds have enough problems right now that we should absolutely be hunting for victory in this one.
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| Stevenage at home |
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Posted by: Lord Snooty - 15-08-2024, 20:08 - Forum: Huddersfield Town
- Replies (14)
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Huddersfield Town v Stevenage
The Sky Bet Championship
Saturday August 17th - 15:00 ko
at Kirklees Stadium
![[Image: on4cS0a.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/on4cS0a.jpeg)
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN welcome STEVENAGE to the Kevin Nagle Arena on Saturday afternoon for an exciting, enthralling, exhilarating hour and a half of League One football.
Michael Duff and his merry men stand proud at the top of the table, with a place in the 2nd round of the EFL Cup secured after beating Morecambe on Tuesday night. The good ship Piss The League has set sail. Destination Championship.
Stevenage gave a Championship side a few scares on Tuesday down at Carrow Road, narrowly losing 4-3 to Norwich, with our ex Tractor Tyreece Simpson coming off the bench to no effect. He signed full time for them in the summer, not on loan and so will be available to score his first goal at the John Smith's Stadium. 
It was Elliott List who scored thir goal last Saturday as they got off to a winning start at home to Shrewsbury. So this fixture is a top of the table, six pointer and what's more, for the first time in ages, I'm actually looking forward to going to this.
A brief history of Stevenage FC: formed in 1976 as Stevenage Borough, they joined the United Counties League and just kept on climbing the non league pyramid, reaching the Conference (now National League) by 1994. They would've gone up into the Fotball League in 1996, but after winning the Conference, they were denied because their ground didn't pass FL standards.
The Boro started playing their home games at King George V playing fields in the town, but this was only after plans tomove into Broadhall Way were scuppered. The club had been formed after Broadhall Way's previous occupants had gone bust and so instead of supporting a new football club, the local council sold the land to a local businessman, who dug a massive trench across the pitch to stop any games taking place.
They did eventually move in in 1980, but as just stated, it wasn't up to scratch. But by 2010, it was. And so by winning the Conference again that season, they were promoted to League Two. This was under the management of Graham Westley and following a rebranding, where they dropped the Borough to become known as just Stevenage FC, they went up again, via the Play Offs.
They'd finished 6th in League One and after beating Accrington Stanley 3-0 on aggregate, they then beat Torquay United 1-0 at Wembley with John Mousinho writing his name in Stevenage legend.
They almost went up in the next season, making it to the Play Offs again. They played Sheffiled Utd in the 2011 semis, unluckily losing 1-0 on aggregate, to a very late goal at Brammal Lane.
Stevenage didn't kick on from there though and suffered a relegation, sending them back down the snakes n ladders board all the way back to League Two. They did make the Play Offs again in League Two, but got beaten in the semis by Southend Utd.
They had a brief spell in the media headlights when they took on a celebrity manager, Teddy Sheringham, but that didn't last long, with Westley coming and going in between others and was by 2020, in his 4th spell as boss.
It was Steve Evans though who eventually got them back into League One, finishing as runners up to Leyton Orient at the end of the 2022/23 season. That season saw them have their most famous victory as well, winning at Villa Park against the might of the Premier League's Aston Villa. After being a goal down for most of the match, they equalised in the 88th minute through a Jamie Reid penalty, then won it in the 90th with Dean Campbell grabbing the winner.
![[Image: 2QH6Z0B.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/2QH6Z0B.jpeg)
Head to Head
![[Image: LsFdjT2.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/LsFdjT2.jpeg)
Town lead the head to head with 1 win to Stevenage's 0, with 1 draw.
Only two games to report on then, which is one more than Morecambe the other night. 
Danny Ward played in them both. He was a young man back then in the 2011/12 season. The first of them was played at our place in October and we won it 2-1. Gary Roberts scored just before half time, before Scott Laird equalised in the 67th minute. Not to worry though, nine minutes later, super Lee Novak scored the winner to give Lee Clark and his players the three points.
That's not the end of it though. Stevenage were awarded and missed a penalty in added on time and the two bosses, Clark and Graham Westley, who had been sniping at each other throughout the game, confronted each other at the final whistle. Mind the handbags, gentlemen. 
There was a crowd of 12,890 in the Galpharm Stadium on a Saturday afternoon for this one, which was game number 37 in our famous unbeaten run. 
A smaller crowd of 3,059 were at the Lamex Stadium on a Tuesday night for the return match, which was the second game for our new Head Coach, Simon Grayson. There was a new name in the home dugout as well. Gary Smith had taken over a month earlier. This game was played midweek because the Boro had an FA Cup game on the original date. They played Tottenham Hotspur at home in the fifth round and drew 0-0, before losing the replay 3-1, a week after they played us.
Our game was goal less at half time, but then ten minutes after the break we were two up through Wardy and Novak. However, Michael Bostwick and Robin Shroot scored goals late on to give us yet another draw. The unbeaten run had gone by this stage though.
Both clubs went on to reach the Play Offs that season. Stevenage finished 6th and we finished 4th. We played MK Dons and beat them 3-2 on aggregate. They played Sheffield United and lost out 1-0 on aggregate to a late goal in the 2nd leg at Bramall Lane.
![[Image: KvqNvPV.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/KvqNvPV.jpeg)
So what's going on down Broadhall Way? Managed nowadays by Alex Revell, a much travelled striker in his playing days, now in his second spell as Boro boss.
His first spell started after Graham Westley (yes him again) resigned with the club 7 points adrift at the foot of League Two in February 2020. He lost his first two games, but then the season was ended prematurely due to the Covid outbreak. They were initially relegated, but got lucky at the demise of Macclesfield Town, whose points deductions meant the Boro received a reprieve.
They were still bottom of the table after 18 games of the next season, but Revell rallied them and they finished comfortably in 14th. The Board thanked him for this by sacking him early in the next season.
He wasn't unemployed for long though. Paul Tisdale got the job and brought him back to coach the youth team. When Steve Evans replaced Tisdale, he became his number two. He'd played under Evans earlier in his career at Rotherham.
Evans returned to Rotherham two matches before the end of last season and Revell took over once more, drawing 1-1 at Oxford and winning 2-1 at home to Cheltenham in those two last games.
At the end of the season, he was appointed in the full time role.
![[Image: HscgrID.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/HscgrID.jpeg)
Stevenage in popular culture: The most exciting thing ever to happen to Stevenage was in the Swinging Sixties when the cult comedy film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, starring Barry Evans and Judy Geeson, was filmed there. Here's a clip from that film.....
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| RUSH GOALIES CONFIRMED |
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Posted by: Devongone - 15-08-2024, 17:47 - Forum: Chesterfield
- Replies (6)
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We have signed Blackburn winger Dilan Markanday and Fulham defender Harvey Araujo on a season-long loan deals.
Markanday, 22, scored three goals in 27 appearances for Rovers last season.
Araujo, 19, is yet to make his senior debut for the Premier League side but played four times for their under-21s in the EFL Trophy last season.
He is the second Fulham youngster to join us on loan for the campaign after fellow defender Devan Tanton made the same move.
Both players could apparently feature in Saturday's League Two trip to Crewe.
AND STILL NO SECOND GOALIE.
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| Swansea City Swansea.com Stadium 17/8/2024 |
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Posted by: themaclad - 15-08-2024, 14:01 - Forum: Preston North End
- Replies (4)
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Swansea City
Swansea.com Stadium 17/8/2024 15.00 hrs
MACS VIEW
Never usually get anything when we play here , once remember taking a point at the Old Vetch Field in a 2 all draw 14/9/1991, the postponed game in 1993 still makes me laugh manically, 15 minutes before kick off. Last time I remember going to the first away game of the season at this venue lost 4-0 under Ferguson, got relegated that season.
Anybodies guess who Marsh will pick.
Finally the last time we arrived was just before Christmas lost 2-1 the steward on the coach that day was Janet McDonald, sadly Janet died this week RIP
https://www.swanseacity.com/
MANAGER
![[Image: Screenshot-2024-08-15-123737.png]](https://i.ibb.co/PcdpPGB/Screenshot-2024-08-15-123737.png)
Luke Williams (born 1 May 1981) is an English professional football manager who is the head coach of Championship club Swansea City.
Born in London, Williams played youth football but suffered an injury at age 19, which stopped him from playing professionally. He began his coaching career at Leyton Orient and West Ham United. He spent several years coaching Brighton & Hove Albion's under-21s and made his first-team managerial debut with Swindon Town in 2015. After coaching Bristol City's under-23s, Williams became the assistant coach to Russell Martin at Milton Keynes Dons in 2019 and Swansea City in 2021.
Williams was appointed head coach of Notts County in 2022, leading them to Football League promotion in his first season and breaking several club records, including the most wins and points in a season.[2] In 2024, he returned to Swansea City as head coach.
IN AND OUT
![[Image: Screenshot-2024-08-15-123718.png]](https://i.ibb.co/Q6FQSRM/Screenshot-2024-08-15-123718.png)
LAST TIME OUT
![[Image: Screenshot-2024-08-15-123926.png]](https://i.ibb.co/Lz1T8Vr/Screenshot-2024-08-15-123926.png)
LOST 1-0 at MIDDLESBROUGH
OTHER FIXTURES
![[Image: Screenshot-2024-08-15-124043.png]](https://i.ibb.co/qW5SkWP/Screenshot-2024-08-15-124043.png)
PREVIOUS
![[Image: Screenshot-2024-08-15-125544.png]](https://i.ibb.co/Xy0FD1d/Screenshot-2024-08-15-125544.png)
OFFICIALS
Stephen Martin will have the whistle when Swansea City host Preston North End at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
Staffordshire-born Martin - whose father and grandfather officiated in the Football League - first took up refereeing in 2002 and had made it to step five of the football pyramid within six years.
He joined the National List of Referees ahead of the 2012-13 season and took charge of his first Championship match in January of that campaign. In 2015, he was included in the list of Select Group 2 officials.
This will be the 15th time he has taken charge of a Swans games. 12 of the previous contests were league matches and the most recent of these was the Swans victory at Blackburn last season.
On Saturday he will be assisted by Mark Dwyer and Carl Fitch-Jackson. Tom Reeves will be the fourth official.
Things to do
Usually wander around the ground and neighbouring retail park for the sheer hell of it
Still cannot believe the first time I went to this particular venue I missed this
The Landore viaduct is a railway viaduct over the Swansea valley and the River Tawe at Landore in south Wales. It provides a link between Swansea city center and the West Wales Line to the South Wales Main Line. The valley crossing provides a panoramic view of Landore, Kilvey Hill, the Liberty Stadium and the Swansea Enterprise Park.
The Landore viaduct was constructed as a key element of the West Wales Line during the late 1840s. The structure, which has a length of 536-metre (1,759 ft), was originally designed by the famed engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and incorporated a diverse range of structural design elements and was primarily constructed out of timber. It was officially opened to traffic in 1850. The structure was first updated in 1889, using wrought-iron for the central span. Between 1978 and 1979, the majority of the viaduct was re-decked using steel beams. The structure remains in use to the current day.
![[Image: The_bridge_and_adjoining_Landore_Viaduct...aggery.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/The_bridge_and_adjoining_Landore_Viaduct_-_geograph-3844322-by-Jaggery.jpg)
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| Chesterfield Prediction League 2024/25 Match day 2 |
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Posted by: spireitematt - 14-08-2024, 22:58 - Forum: Chesterfield
- Replies (8)
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Bromley 1-2 AFC Wimbledon
Carlisle United 1-2 Barrow
Accrington Stanley 1-2 Harrogate Town
Bradford City 2-0 Salford City
Colchester United 1-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Crewe Alexandra 1-2 Chesterfield
Grimsby Town 0-1 Cheltenham Town
Morecambe 0-3 Gillingham
Newport County 0-2 Doncaster Rovers
Port Vale 1-1 Tranmere Rovers
Swindon Town 0-2 Walsall
Sunday
Notts County 4-2 Fleetwood Town
League Table After Match day 1
Lord Snoots - 37
Devon - 26
SaltergateBorn - 26
Dancing - 20
St Charles - 15
Spireitematt - 11
Maclad - 9
Amelia - 6
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| Prediction League Week 1 Fixtures |
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Posted by: Zinman - 13-08-2024, 18:40 - Forum: West Bromwich Albion
- Replies (17)
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A bit late due to yesterday’s issues but here they are. We’ll see how many enter to decide whether we run one or two divisions.
Gamball:
WBA - Leeds
Others:
Everton - Brighton
Forest - Bournemouth
West Ham - Villa
Derby - Middlesbrough
Portsmouth- Luton
Plymouth- Hull
Watford - Stoke
Brentford - Crystal Palace
Sunderland - Sheff Wednesday
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| League Cup 2024 |
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Posted by: Ska'dForLife-WBA - 13-08-2024, 17:49 - Forum: West Bromwich Albion
- Replies (6)
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Albion commence (though hopefully won't conclude) this season's League Cup campaign tonight at Highbury, where we've either travelled through time to face 1990s Arsenal or are up against Fleetwood. First competitive encounter between the sides: Fleetwood are 9th in League Two having opened the season with a win over Grimsby, and ostensibly none the worse for losing Peter Green and Christine McVie. Kick-off at 19:45.
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![[Image: R.c6f6bc0155cfa85c52baa1e956f83fb8?rik=1...1&sresct=1]](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.c6f6bc0155cfa85c52baa1e956f83fb8?rik=1MaCyd0YXq0pjA&riu=http%3a%2f%2fimg.mylot.com%2f1714943.jpg&ehk=VGgvsbBu4EjD5hWyyugvY%2bDmrQ%2bTQHc5QpYjjurtHAo%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&sres=1&sresct=1)
v ![[Image: c8f0e1f02feea03b72811b4b50c0f4c0--britis...nesday.jpg]](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c8/f0/e1/c8f0e1f02feea03b72811b4b50c0f4c0--british-football-sheffield-wednesday.jpg)
![[Image: tenor.gif?itemid=7264048]](https://media1.tenor.com/images/3abb4487946c076e9d085c45ae6b955c/tenor.gif?itemid=7264048)
![[Image: accountants-accounts-accountants-account...22_low.jpg]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/accountants-accounts-accountants-accounting_errors-losses-mistakes-mfln922_low.jpg)
![[Image: iypski5vqnrtadp4tw17.jpg]](http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/c_limit,w_680/fl_lossy,pg_1,q_auto/iypski5vqnrtadp4tw17.jpg)
![[Image: Kate1.jpg]](http://twistity.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Kate1.jpg)
![[Image: rs_600x600-170411105514-634-kate-beckins...quality=90]](https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2017311/rs_600x600-170411105514-634-kate-beckinsale-bikini-1.jpg?fit=around|700:700&crop=700:700;center,top&output-quality=90)
![[Image: OIG1.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/m4pndL0/OIG1.jpg)
![[Image: 62kUv7r.png]](https://i.imgur.com/62kUv7r.png)
![[Image: RDcHyMo.png]](https://i.imgur.com/RDcHyMo.png)
