[theo_luddite]

Lamex Stadium
Stevenage


Attribution:
Nick C, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kick-off 12:30 UK Time
Saturday 14/02/26

The St Valentine's Day Mascara this season takes place just a few miles north of London and just a few miles east of Luton.

Hard to believe it's almost 40 years since I was in a big green field at Knebworth House, just the other side of the A1 watching the final Queen concert featuring Freddy Mercury.

So down the A1 we head in the quest for more points to at least stay in the play-offs. We've discovered we're suddenly shi!t at penalties again, so wins in 90 mins or extra time if they happen again at the end of the season are the way to go.

This is also FA Cup R4 weekend, so not a full fixture list this weekend.

On the tellybox

Saving me a trip through The Smoke to get there, we are on Sky Sports+ over here, HTTV and dodgy sticks (allegedly) elsewhere.
So far we are also on in these furrin lands, so good luck with you and your VPN for these.
https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/steve...yz#5307139

Latest news

Liam Manning was nominated for Manager of the Monthafter winning the 3 matches he was in charge of in January, however Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala has been named the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for January with 14 points from six unbeaten matches.

Edit - Town are supporting the Jordan Sinnott Trust by donating £5 for every replica shirt with Sinnott 25 on it they sell.
https://www.htafc.com/news/2026/february...gh-retail/

Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating
This next bit is borrowed from Mr. Chickens email with edits by me.

Alfie May still has another two games left on his red card suspension and will miss the Stevenage and Doncaster games before being free to return against Barnsley a week on Saturday.
The Stevenage and Doncaster games will come too soon for Ryan Hardie to be involved, according to Liam Manning. The centre-forward is expected back in training with the rest of his teammates at the back end of next week.
Joe Low and Bojan Radulovic are both out until around the end of March with calf and hamstring injuries respectively.


Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame

Jack Whatmough is closing in on a return, while Sean Roughan and Antony Evans both came back from injury against Doncaster on Tuesday.

Last time out

You may have noticed we lost on penalties to Doncaster on Tuesday. Well, that's one less trip to Wembley this season.

We also snatched a draw in the League last Saturday as we went off the boil again in the first half against Blackpool

Stevenage were on the wrong end of a 3:1 defeat at Northampton as the wheels continue to fall off their wagon.

In the other League games last weekend, Cardiff stayed top as they won at Rotherham, likewise Lincoln hit Plymouth for 4 to keep a 6 point gap between them and the chasing pack. Bolton beat Bolton and Stockport had an unexpected 0:0 draw at home to Orient. Unexpected as both sides have the top scorers in the division in their squads. Town finally moved above Sadfud again on goal difference after they lost at Luton. Pish Posh moved up to 8th after battering Wigan 6:1 and another win on Tuesday.

Down amongst the deadmen, Port Vale are still bottom after drawing at home with Burton, who are still on the wrong side of the trap door. They did stay above Rotherham and Wigan who, as mentioned above, both lost. Doncaster were also hit for 4 at Wycombe and remain on the trap door on the same points as Blackpool, Orient and Northampton.

In addition to the EFL Trophy matches on Tuesday, which had wins for Northampton and Stockport, making it a miserable night for home teams, there were 3 League One fixtures, but only two took place.

Pish Posh's win pushed them up to 8th, Wigan's defeat left them in the bottom 4, Reading remained in mid-table mediocrity.

Stevenage's game was called off due to a waterlogged pitch only an hour before kick-off. That caused more than a bit of disconchantlement amongst the Barnsley fans that had made the journey on Tuesday. It's not really stopped raining much since. We could still get postponed on Saturday, hoever they've been protecting the pitch with a big tent, so hopefully it will also survive the frost too.

The Sack Race

It's all kicked off again this week.

Ryan Lowe got his Valentine's Day P45 a week early after the 6:1 hammering for Wigan at Pish Posh on Saturday. He has got Joe Taylor scoring again but Wigan have only beaten Burton (twice) since the start of December.
Mid-week madness took over as Paul Gallagher was pushed out by League 2 trap door dwellers Barrow, after just 40 days in charge. He's been replaced by Dino Maamria, who was most recently in charge at Burton over 2 years ago.

Up in the Prima Donna League, Spurs went all Spursy again and sacked Thomas Frank after the crowd decided he isn't the man that's going to turn Spurs into a Brentford after all. He lasted 8 months. Maybe Spurs should look at how Brentford recruit players rather than only how they recruit coaches.

Edit: Tottenham have reached an agreement for Igor Tudor to become their interim manager until the end of the season, leaving the door open for Mauricio Pochettino to return this summer.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/202...pochettino

On Thursday, Forest finally got fed up of Dyche ball even faster than they were expecting, as they continued to sit on the Trap Door. He lasted about 4 months.

Watford appointed Will Still's brother Edward Still as the next rabbit in their headlights on Monday. Will he make it to the end of the season? Watford are 12th but only 3 points behind 6th place Wrexham.

Blackburn appointed Michael O'Neill as their next manager/coach on Friday. He will continue to coach Norn Iron at the same time as they try to qualify for the World Cup.

Who's banging 'em in

Centre forward Jamie Reid with 9 is their main danger by a distance.

They can't all win

The top two see Cardiff at home to Luton (7th) and Lincoln at home to Bolton (3rd), so they definitely can't all win. Stockport should go to Burton but as Burton are playing West Ham in the FA Cup, that won't happen for a couple of weeks. Bradford (6th) are home to Pish Posh (8th) so they won't both win either.

Down amongst the deadmen, Port Vale (24th) are also in the Cup, at home to Brizzle City, their game v Donny (20th) is yet to be rearranged. If there was going to be a winner between Wigan (22nd) and Rotherham (23rd), the winner would have jumped out of the bottom 4, but Wigan are at Arsenal on Sunday in a Cup Match that potentially could get an ugly scoreline.

That game now won't happen until April. That all means Northampton at Exeter, and Blackpool (17th) at home to Plymouth (16th) all have chances to put points and distance on the board above those below them. Orient can only watch on as Mansfield are at Burnley in the Cup.

We've played 'em before

But not very often. Town have won all but one of the 5 games and that was a draw, but each win has only been by a 1 goal margin.

Next up?

Full set of fixtures on Tuesday/Wednesday as Town go to Doncaster for the first of two Yorksha League derbies. The 2nd one is home to Barsley next Saturday.

Pressers

There's this version of Liam Manning and Marcus McGuane on Radio Local/We Are Terriers

or there's the "official" version from Town's website/YouTube channel - Liam Manning and Marcus McGuane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtBtxOvXCQE


The views from Knebworth House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KP9fKFFpVg

Slimmed down version this week due to me not paying attention. Normal service will resume on my next match thread.