League Two strugglers Colchester United have appointed Danny Cowley as their head coach.

The former Lincoln, Huddersfield and Portsmouth boss, 45, will be assisted by his brother Nicky Cowley, who has worked with him in his previous jobs.

It is a return to his native Essex for Cowley, who began his managerial career with non-league Concord Rangers and Braintree Town.

He succeeds Matthew Etherington, who was sacked on New Year's Day.

Ex-Stoke and West Ham winger Etherington only took the job on a permanent basis in November, but a run of eight defeats in nine games has left the U's 22nd - five points above the relegation places.

Colchester have not finished in the top half of the table since the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 season.

Cowley took training for the first time on Thursday, and will take charge of his first match on Saturday at Swindon.

The Cowleys in management
Cowley returns to football a year on from his last job at Pompey, although he was offered the vacancy at Bradford City before Christmas.

He and his brother Nicky are still best remembered for their time with Lincoln City but they started working together when Cowley was still a part-time manager, fitted in around his day job as a PE teacher.

After three promotions in four years at Concord, they took Braintree to the National League play-offs as a part-time club with a bottom-four budget.

After leaving Braintree for Lincoln in May 2016, they then led the Imps from the National League to League One in their three years in charge.

Danny Cowley (left) and his brother Nicky
Danny Cowley and brother Nicky have always been a managerial double act
They then left in September 2019, for almost a full season in charge of Huddersfield Town.

Having arrived when the Terriers had earned just one point from their first six Championship games, it was early October when they won their first game but the Cowleys steered them to safety and an 18th-placed finish.

He and his brother were sacked in July 2020 before returning to football with Portsmouth in March 2021.

But Pompey finished that season two points shy of the League One play-offs, and came 10th in 2021-22 - and they were sacked in January 2023 after a run of nine league games without a victory.

Colchester owner Robbie Cowling has acted quickly and decisively to once again try to get the club away from trouble.

This appointment will go down well with the supporters.

The Cowley brothers started their successful coaching careers here in Essex - with Concord Rangers and Braintree Town. And they have been eternally linked with jobs at either Colchester or their county neighbours Southend.

Make no bones about it, this is a rescue job. Eight defeats in nine games has once again dropped Colchester into a relegation battle and the brothers will be coming into the club with their eyes wide open.

A change in playing style can be expected. The players will have to adjust quickly but, for now, substance will have to come before style and that means winning games - and quickly.

I wonder what attracted 16 year old Luke (The Nuke) Littler's 21 year old girlfriend to him?

Answers to Mrs Merton?

THE MATCH

SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY KO 5:30PM

v

LAST MATCH



We started the new year with a deserved 3-1 win against the Tigers. We started the game on the front foot and had several chances, Ihiekwe going the closest when heading just wide. Then Hull were down to 10, Morton shown a straight red for a foul on Gassama. Hull got to HT level but it didn't take long for us to take the lead in the 2nd, Johnson hammering one in rom an angle. It was quickly 2 when Gassama cut in from the left and curled one into the corner from 20 yards. Windass wrapped up the point with a drive from the edge of the area. Hull pulled one back from the spot but we saw the game out to reduce the gap to 3points

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

THE MATCH



Next up and a break from the league as we take on Cardiff in the Cup at Hillsborough. Cardiff did beat us a few weeks ago in the lead, even though it was a game we really should have won. Will be interesting to see what teams the 2 managers put out, hopefully DR will give the 2nd string and a few of the youngsters a game as the priority is obviously the league and our fight for survival

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 28
CARD 29 
DRAWS 18  

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                                                               

CARD               -                                                                

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

Referee: Thomas Kirk
Assistant referees: Nigel Lugg & Matthew McGrath
Fourth official: John Busby

THE TEAM

Vasquez
Palmer Ihiekwe Bernard James
Phuthi M Diaby Vaulks Byers Johnson
Smith

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

1-2 Smith

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

30

ATTENDANCE

15564

BML LEAGUE

Imre 14
Washington 13
Owlkev 11
Maddix 8
SCO 3

BMPL

Wereham 7
Stateside 6
Pei -2

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Gillingham v Sheffield Utd
Stoke v Brighton
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa
Peterborough v Leeds
Arsenal v Liverpool

AAAAA

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

The search for a 20 goals a season striker...........

Alex Matos, a 19 year old kid from Chelsea is on his way, apparently. He's a winger.

2 points for correct result
4 points for correct score
2 points for each correct scorer
Correct joker doubles your score   (correct score on a joker would give you 8 points)
Wrong joker result gives you minus 2
Correct Random Badger gives you 2 points

The random badger is used for any random prediction used once in each matchday sequence. For instance, a scorer at a particular match, the number of red cards in the matches or yellow cards or own goals or owt you want really within reason, I do need to be able to check whether it's correct or not. Please don't put stuff like....."Commentator says...."  
The joker   is played for one match in each sequence and if correct you get double points. So if you've predicted 1-0 and it finishes 2-0, you get 4 pts, but if you've predicted 2-0, that's 8 pts. But if you get it wrong, it's minus 2.
Jokers and badgers are optional. You don't have to play one if you don't want.

The prize for winning the league is one rep point.

Cup games: In the event of a draw, it's half the points if you've predicted a draw when it gets to 90 mins and the full points if it's still a draw after extra time. Half the points will be awarded for correctly predicting the winner of the match if it goes to penalties. Similarly with the badger, if your random prediction is affected by this, it'll be half the points.

Random score generator: I will be using the random score generator again for those who miss predicting, so we shouldn't get some people too far behind that after missing a couple of weeks they lose all interest, because I know it's not easy getting on here every week.
To be fair to everybody, this is going to be like, say if three people in one week miss their predictions, the first one in the table will be given all 0-0, the second one down the line will get 1-0 and the third will get 0-1 and so on, like if there's four missing the 4th will get 1-1, then 5th 2-1, 6th 1-2. and if there are so many missing, might as well pack in.
And if you miss two weeks on the trot, I'll stop until you come back on again. Not doing it for half a season like I did t'other year.  

End of season Play Offs: The one who finishes top of the league will still be champion, but after the season finishes there will be Play Offs between the top 4, with 1st v 4th and 2nd v 3rd. This will take in stuff like the EFL Play Offs, FA Cup Final, final day of Prima Donna League, European Finals etc. It will be one matchday for the semis and one for the Final. It will be the individual scores for each matchday against the allotted opponent, with some kind of tie breaker for a drawn match.

The prize for winning will be enormous. Another rep point.

1. St Charles Owl = 380 pts
   
2. Baggiebob(BBB) = 366 pts
   
3. jjamez = 334 pts
   
4. themaclad = 313 pts
   
5. theo_luddite = 310 pts
   
6. neonfoxinthebox = 297 pts
   

1. St Charles Owl = 0 pts
   
2. Baggiebob(BBB) = 0 pts
   
3. jjamez = 0 pts
   
4. themaclad = 0 pts
   
5. Lord Snooty = 0 pts
   
6. ritchiebaby = 0 pts
   

FA Cup 3rd round:
Thursday 4th January:
Crystal Palace v Everton

Friday 5th January:
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Saturday 6th January:
Maidstone United v Stevenage (12:30)
Millwall v Leicester City (12:30)
Sunderland v Newcastle United (12:45)
Hull City v Birmingham City
Newport County v Eastleigh
Norwich City v Bristol Rovers
Plymouth Argyle v Sutton United
Watford v Chesterfield
Chelsea v Preston North End (17:30)
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa (17:30)
Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff City (17:30)

Sunday 7th January:
Man City v Town (14:00)
Town scorers:
City scorers:

Peterborough United v Leeds United (14:00)
Shrewsbury Town v Wrexham (14:00)
West Bromwich Albion v Aldershot Town (14:00)

Carabooboo Cup semi finals 1st leg:
Wednesday January 10th:
Liverpool v Fulham

Bonus match:
Saturday:
League One
Fleetwood Town v Derby County (12:30)


*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***

1. Lord Snooty = 349 pts
   
2. ritchiebaby = 313 pts
   
3. WakeyTerrier = 313 pts
   
4. Devongone = 298 pts
   
5. Amelia Chaffinch = 280 pts
   
6. SHEP_HTAFC = 270 pts
   

1. theo_luddite = 0 pts
   
2. neonfoxinthebox = 0 pts
   
3. WakeyTerrier = 0 pts
   
4. Devongone = 0 pts
   
5. Amelia Chaffinch = 0 pts
   
6. SHEP_HTAFC = 0 pts
   

FA Cup 3rd round:
Friday 5th January:
Fulham v Rotherham United
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley

Saturday 6th January:
AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town (12:30)
Coventry City v Oxford United (12:30)
Blackburn Rovers v Cambridge United
Gillingham v Sheffield United
Southampton v Walsall
Stoke City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth
Swansea City v Morecambe (17:30)

Sunday 7th January:
Man City v Town (14:00)
Town scorers:
City scorers:

Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers (14:00)
Nottingham Forest v Blackpool (14:00)
West Ham United v Bristol City (14:00)
Arsenal v Liverpool (16:30)

Monday 8th January:
Wigan Athletic v Manchester United (20:15)

Carabooboo Cup semi finals 1st leg:
Tuesday 9th January:
Middlesbrough v Chelsea

Bonus matches:
Saturday:
League Two:
Harrogate Town v Doncaster Rovers (13:00)

Wednesday:
National League:
Chesterfield v Gateshead


*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***

Day one of transfer window and bad news already. JS been recalled by Brighton! Interested to know what you all think? Personally this couldn’t have come at a worse time imo! He’s a creative player and has a classy strike for goal. As long as he’s  kept fit a real asset we will miss surely?

Good wishes to all fellow posters

LEFT FIELD APPOINTMENT

Fleetwood have appointed former Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam as their new head coach.

The 38-year-old replaces Lee Johnson who was sacked on Saturday after a run of nine games without a win.

Adam retired in 2022 after playing for clubs including Rangers, Liverpool, Blackpool and Stoke City and is taking on his first managerial role.

He becomes the third boss at the League One club this season following Johnson and Scott Brown.

Adam has been working as a coach with Premier League side Burnley as their loan manager, and also with their under-21 players.

Maurice Ross will also join as assistant coach and former Fleetwood player Ross Wallace becomes first-team coach with their first game in charge at Shrewsbury on Monday.