One for all history fans here. Great documentary on the 1914 Christmas Truce, with a bit of VAR evidence that minimalises the actual football game.

Good watch though, if you've 50 minutes to spare in this busy period.

Hibs face a long journey up the A9 to Dingwall this weekend in the last away game for some time. After last week's dismal performance against St Johnstone, things must surely get better. Thankfully Joe Newell should be back from suspension and will bring back some cohesion and drive to the midfield area. We've lost the knack of scoring goals recently and I, for one, will be looking for much more in this department. For all his previous faults in distribution, David Marshall is having an excellent spell in goals and has kept us in games we could have been well out of otherwise.

The Staggies have benefitted from a bit of new manager bounce in the past few weeks, but have stuttered a bit in the last 2 games. I might have mentioned this before, but 2 ex-Hibees, Ross Laidlaw and Simon Murray, might hold the outcome of the game in their grasp.

Matchday 25

Fylde 2-0 Dag & Red
Barnet 1-0 Boreham Wood
Chesterfield 4-2 Aldershot
Eastleigh 2-1 Dorking
Halifax 2-3 Rochdale
Kidderminster 0-2 Southend
Oldham 2-3 Gateshead
Oxford City 1-3 Solihull Moors
Wealdstone 2-1 Hartlepool
Woking 1-1 Maidenhead United
York 2-1 Ebbsfleet
Bromley 1-2 Altrincham

Matchday 26 - Boxing Day

Aldershot 2-1 Woking
Altrincham 2-0 Halifax
Boreham Wood 2-0 Kidderminster
Dag & Red 2-3 Eastleigh
Dorking 2-1 Oxford City
Ebbsfleet 2-2 Bromley
Gateshead 3-2 York
Hartlepool 2-1 Oldham
Maidenhead United 1-1 Wealdstone
Rochdale 3-1 Fylde
Solihull Moors 1-2 Chesterfield
Southend 2-1 Barnet


League Table After Matchday 24

Spireitematt - 527
SaltergateBorn - 502
Amelia - 431
St Charles - 410
Dancing - 399
Lord Snoots - 382
Devon - 322

Gamball:
Liverpool - Arsenal

Others:
West Ham - Man Utd
Nottingham Forest - Bournemouth
Leeds - Ipswich
Blackburn - Watford
Middlesbrough - WBA
Plymouth - Birmingham
Sheff W - Cardiff
Stoke - Millwall
Wolves - Chelsea

Championship strugglers Stoke City have appointed Plymouth Argyle boss Steven Schumacher as their head coach.

The 39-year-old leaves the Pilgrims - who are three points above the Potters in the second tier - to replace Alex Neil on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Schumacher spent two years in charge at Argyle, leading them to the League One title with 101 points last season.

Stoke, without a win in eight, are three points above the drop zone and on to their sixth manager in six years.

Plymouth assistant manager Mark Hughes, first-team coach Peter Cavanagh and goalkeeping coach Darren Behcet have also left the club to join Schumacher.

Schumacher, who initially joined Argyle as assistant to Ryan Lowe and was promoted in December 2021 when Lowe left for Preston, said he was "attracted" to Stoke by "its history and everything it represents".

"The values that resonate with me for a Stoke City team are bravery and hard work, coupled with a desire to play attacking football and be a team our supporters can connect with," he told Stoke's website.

"We have the players to do that and, if we can get back to a point where the Bet365 Stadium is thought of as a tough venue to visit, we can really get it rocking again."

Neil was sacked on 10 December after 16 months in charge, having led the club to a 16th-placed finish in 2022-23.

Schumacher follows the same route as Tony Pulis, Stoke's most successful manager of the past 50 years, who left Home Park to return to the Potteries for a second spell in charge in 2006, culminating to the club's return to the top flight in 2008.

A reunion with the Pilgrims will come late in the season, with Stoke hosting the Devon side in late April.

Stoke chairman John Coates says the Potters feel they have "one of the most exciting young coaches in the country" in Schumacher, while Plymouth have said the promotion and title-winning boss "will go down as an Argyle great".

"We are naturally sorry to lose a manager of Steven's potential, but he has decided to take a new role that he sees as the next step in his career," Plymouth chairman Simon Hallett told the club website.

"I would like to thank Steven for his hard work, dedication, and success during his time with Argyle and I'm sorry that he won't be with us as we work to deliver our new mission."

Plymouth's director of football Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell have been placed in interim charge of the club as they search for Schumacher's replacement.

So it's Steven Schumacher next for what is turning out to be a red-hot manager's chair at Stoke City.

It will be Schumacher's second managerial job and, much like his close friend Ryan Lowe, he's decided the time is right to seek a new challenge with a club that has a bigger playing budget than Plymouth's.

It's Stoke's fifth new manager since the 10-year spell in the Premier League came to an end in 2018. And, in Schumacher, they have selected a man who has worked diligently to find himself at a club who have a real desire to get back into the top flight.

The expectation - and believe me there is an expectation from the Stoke supporters - will be a new experience for Schumacher.

One of the big questions will be how he handles adversity from a demanding fanbase, however from afar he strikes me as someone who will thrive under the spotlight - the natural charm and confidence of a streetwise Liverpudlian.

John and Peter Coates, the joint chairmen, and Ricky Martin, the technical director, might have just picked out a real gem, but as always in football, time will reveal all.

Losing Steven Schumacher is the news all Argyle fans dreaded, but at the same time expected.

In just two years at Home Park he has gone from managerial novice to a title-winning boss, who saw off sides with bigger budgets to set an extraordinary tally of 101 points last season.

That talent has made other Championship clubs eye the Liverpudlian as a possible boss, and Stoke have finally been the ones to prise him away from Devon.

Earlier this month he said he was "flattered" to be linked with the vacant role at Sunderland, but admitted that there would be a time when he would leave Home Park.

In his two years Schumacher has impressed with his tactical flexibility - the Pilgrims have had success with both three central defenders and a back four under him - while also being popular with the players.

He leaves Plymouth Argyle owner Simon Hallett's "project" to be a sustainable Championship club in a much better state than when he arrived.

But now we will see how he fares at a club who spent a decade in the Premier League, but who have had little success since then and who have gone through five permanent managers in as many years.

Forest Green Rovers have appointed ex-Watford captain Troy Deeney as head coach following the departure of David Horseman by mutual consent.

Deeney, 35, has been working in a player-coach capacity since joining the League Two club in the summer.

Horseman, 39, spent only five months in charge and has left following the team's FA Cup exit to Blackpool.

Rovers have won only four league matches this season and sit 23rd in the table, five points from safety.

Forest Green owner Dale Vince said he needed to "act decisively to improve our performances and league position".

"Troy came to us to begin his career in coaching and take the next step of his career - this is happening sooner than expected but he's built strong relationships already with our staff, squad and fans - and is well placed for the challenge," said Vince.

"We'll strengthen our squad in the coming transfer window as well, to give ourselves the best chance of first securing our place in League Two before looking upward once more, toward League One and beyond."

Deeney spent 11 years as a striker with Watford after moving to Vicarage Road from Walsall in 2010, and went on to score 140 goals in 419 appearances as he twice helped the Hornets win promotion to the Premier League and led them to the 2019 FA Cup final.

He joined Forest Green after leaving Championship side Birmingham City in the summer and has scored four goals in 18 appearances this season while also working on the coaching staff at The New Lawn.

He becomes the club's fourth boss in 19 months since the departure of Rob Edwards in May 2022, after Ian Burchnall, Duncan Ferguson and Horseman.

His first game in charge will be Friday's visit of Gillingham.

"One thing I can assure everyone is that we will work our very hardest to bring this wonderful club back to success," said Deeney.

"This is an exciting new role with many challenges that I'll embrace, and there's a lot of work for us to do, which has already started."



The former Southampton academy coach was brought in following the club's instant return to the fourth tier this summer, after one season in League One.

However, Rovers have continually languished near the bottom of the table - not helped by raft of injuries to key players - and are fighting to avoid a second successive relegation and a return to non-league football.

Their last League Two win came on 28 October against Crawley. Friday's home game against Gillingham is the first of four fixtures over the festive period.

After the 3-0 loss by Blackpool on Tuesday, Horseman said he believed he could turn the team's fortunes around and still had the support of Vince.

"We're ambitious in January because we could turn this around quite quickly," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

THE MATCH

SATURDAY 23RD DECEMBER KO 3:00PM

v

LAST MATCH



We got back to winning ways in dramatic style with 2 late goals. It was a drab first half punctuated by a goal for QPR, when Chair cut inside, took a shot only for Diaby to divert into his own net. Onto the 2nd half and we were brighter although chances were at a premium, Bannan forcing a save. Then as time dwindled, up steps Cads to guide in the equaliser. Just as it looked as we had rescued a point, we go and win the thing, Musaba turning it in after we had hit the post.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

THE MATCH



Next up and Cardiff make the trip north. The Bluebirds lie in 12th place at the moment, 6 points off the playoffs and 10 points above the relegation zone. I could see them staying around mid table, not good enough to reach the playoffs and not bad enough to go down They aren't in the best of form, losing 4 of there last 5 games. They are managed by Erol Bulut who has been in charge since the summer. There leading scorers are Etete with 5 and Ugbo with 4.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 28
CARD 28 
DRAWS 18 

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                                                                  

CARD               -                                                          

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

SAM BARROTT
Bhupinder Singh Gill and Mark Stevens
Fourth Official : David Webb

THE TEAM

Dawson
Palmer Ihiekwe Bernard Famewo
Windass Bannan Vaulks Byers Johnson
Cadamarteri

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

2-1 Cadamarteri

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

30

ATTENDANCE

25112

BML LEAGUE

Washington 10
Imre 7
Owlkev 7
Maddix 6
SCO 3

BMPL

Wereham 6
Stateside 3
Pei -9

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Liverpool v Arsenal
Middlesbrough v WBA
Reading v Wigan
Wrexham v Newport
Barnet v Boreham Wood

HDAHH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

Congratulations to Mary Earps, winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67764684