11-04-2025, 15:24
(This post was last modified: 11-04-2025, 15:26 by theo_luddite.)
Now before we start, this is only the 2nd time we've played at their's, and I also bagged the thread last time. Didn't realise it was as far back as December 2016 though. How much beer has been filtered through the collective kidneys for recycling by the Water Treatment Companies since then to add to the decorative scenes on our river banks and beaches?
If you want a history lesson on beer, in Burton in particular - here's the link to that old thread https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=4823
Not all the pics and links have stood the test of time, I don't use Google images anymore for a start, but if you've 90 minutes to spare waiting for Town to score a goal on Saturday afternoon, there's probably worse thing's on t'interweb to read .....
Right, on with the current thread.
![[Image: M3vJwh5.png]](https://i.imgur.com/M3vJwh5.png)
Pirelli Stadium
You'll possibly get tyred walking to and from the station
Refreshments are available en-route
Next door to St. Georges Park, more or less
Where Burton train to keep the lights on
In between England turning up
Burton-on-Breweries
DE13 0AR
Kick-off 15:00 UK Time
Saturday 12/04/25
Town go down the M1 and A38 to Scandinavian owned (me neither) Burton on Saturday.
Long-serving Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson sold his majority stake in the club to the Nordic Football Group (NFG) in June 2024. NFG UK Ltd is owned by NFG Holding AB of which the ultimate beneficial owners are the individuals listed below. The Club can confirm the following person(s) have a ‘significant interest’ (as that term is defined within the EFL regulations) in the Club:
Johan Andersson
Caspar Callerström
Tom Davidson - Deputy Chairman
Hrafnhildur Eymundsdottir
Per Franzén
Bendik Hareide - Sporting Director now on leave due to family issues, they are looking for a replacement
Erik Karlsson - former NHL puck pusher
Kristian Männik
Carl Martinson
Anders Misund
Linda Olafsdottir
Jona Petursdottir
Bogi Siguroddsson
Kevin C. Skabo - Commercial Director
Olafur Pall Snorrasson
Ole Jakob Valla Strandhagen - Chairman
Ulfar Steindorsson
Mats Zuccarello - another former NHL puck pusher
According to that AI stuff that Google now coughs up, at the time of the takeover ...
Fleur Robinson: Ben Robinson's daughter, Fleur Robinson, was appointed as the new chief executive.
Ben Robinson Jr: Ben Robinson's son, Ben Robinson Jr, will remain an integral part of the club's operations.
Not a pair with significant interest, clearly, but the rest of them apparently aren't short of a Krona or two of whichever country you spend your Krona's in.
On the tellybox
On HTTV, plus dodgy interweb feeds everywhere.
Pies, pees 'n' beers
How to get there, where to sup and eat, where to avoid and all that.
https://footballgroundguide.com/leagues/...lbion.html
Latest news
Jacob Chapman has had the One Year extension activated on his contract.
On Friday 2 May at 7pm, the John Smith’s Stadium is hosting an MND event with Marcus Stewart, sponsored by Chadwick Lawrence and Marsh Design.
Tickets available from the Town website link - https://www.htafc.com/news/2025/april/10...s-stewart/
In other beer related news/rants.
Since, or even around the time before that previous beery thread, Wolverhampton Brewery (Bonksies, as it's known round here) were on the rampage, buying up usually small cask brewing breweries north, south, east and west. One of them being Marstons that were let's say, of a similar size and at least kept them out of the furrin hands that had been buying up some of Burton's other famous breweries. They decided to name the conglomerate Marstons as they had a "National Brand". Slowly but surely they shut down the family (or slightly larger) breweries from around the country that they'd accumulated and "rationalised" what they were brewing and selling and where it was brewed.
Then along came Carlsberg, makers of one of the most piss poor lagers in the world but don't tell them that, they probably won't believe you. That followed with an anouncement in the alast year or so that Marstons were more interested in the downstream side (pub/restaurants and hotels) than brewing, so handed everything to Carlsberg on a plate (give or take some more Danegeld). Now, given Marston had been selling off or shutting down large parts of it's estate, that came as a bit of a surprise annoument.
Since then, Carlsberg's bean counters have now decided they don't make enough money from certain cask beers, including the flagship Marstons IPA, amongst others, and they would prefer to brew inferior "bright beers" instead (translation - higher margins). They also announced they were closing Bonksies brewery. Noddy Holder was less than amused, as were folk that had worked their most of their working lives.
We seem to have been down this road before haven't we CAMRA and with Carlsberg in particular?
The claim they weren't making enough money from the stronger, more flavoursome cask beers came about mostly because they basically stopped or severly reduced the distribution of them to their pubs, despite these beers selling out as soon as they were put under a pump. Strange, but the micropub's a few hunderd yards from my three nearest Marstons pubs (all about a 30 minute stroll) sell real (cask) ales by the dray load despite having shorter opening hours and being shut 2 days per week. Further more none of them sell the bright piss that Carlsberg and others sell all over the country (including the fake er "Spanish" lager Madri, that was born and er, brewed? maybe, in Wolverhampton and never saw light of day in a Madrid brewery. That's marketing for you).
It's not like Carlsberg don't have form for this over the years. Try and kill a market you are in first, and then decide there isn't one. 'kin lager louts
Taking the extract
![[Image: 220px-Marmite.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Marmite.jpg/220px-Marmite.jpg)
.
Made from yeast extract in little factory nestled in amongst all the large brewery buildings. Most of the yeast comes from the nearby Bass Brewery (or did).
More than a few at Town right now who could easily be described as Marmite.
Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating
Whoever we play up front on their own is probably feeling like they are isolating. Could our lot even pass Covid to them given how far away they are when they lump the ball at them?
Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame
It sounds like Balker was rested on Tuesday and should be back in the squad on Saturday.
Last time out
Town lost again, this time to Wycombe. Another goalless outing has likely left most of us holding fire on looking up train times and tickets to London in late May. I'm certainly not traipsing over to Burton. I'm more likely to be having lunch with friends in pub in Staffordshire, a few minutes drive up the road for me. Failing that I'll be generating sawdust, pulling up weeds and planting seeds.
![[Image: s7c3eTM.png]](https://i.imgur.com/s7c3eTM.png)
Burton got bounced 3:0 at Wrexham. Last Saturday. Orient came away from Field Mill with a 3:2 win, to put them a point below Town.
![[Image: l9xeC5C.png]](https://i.imgur.com/l9xeC5C.png)
In the midweek fixtures, Brum cemented the inevitable promotion with a 1:2 win at Pish Posh and Reading won 1:3 at the Shrews.
![[Image: SXuyBgt.png]](https://i.imgur.com/SXuyBgt.png)
The Sack Race
Southampton's defeat at Spurs and subsequent confirmation of the earliest ever relegation from the Prima Dona League meant it was goodnight from Ivan Juric on Monday. They still need a point to equal Sheffield United's worst ever points total. As bad as we were in our 2nd season, we weren't this bad and hadn't spent anything like as much money either.
Tables, Form & Stats
Town's defeat left them in 8th place, 4 points adrift of Reading in 6th. Nothing but wins will do now for Town and even that might not be enough.
![[Image: MMhG9Wc.png]](https://i.imgur.com/MMhG9Wc.png)
![[Image: AYVii6T.png]](https://i.imgur.com/AYVii6T.png)
![[Image: IF6bwxc.png]](https://i.imgur.com/IF6bwxc.png)
![[Image: kPJMdkT.png]](https://i.imgur.com/kPJMdkT.png)
Burton only got 5 draws (and 8 defeats) from their first 13 fixtures. Thier first win was in November at home to The Shrews. 2 more defeats later they had their next one at Pish Posh. Their next 8 games brought 4 draws and 4 defeats before the final draw against Crawley sparked a run of 3 consecutive wins and two more draws. A defeat at Brizzle was followed by two more wins and a draw at home to Mansfield. You can see the rest of their results above. After being dead certs for relegation before the New Year, they are now in with a sniff of staying up, though they don't have an easy run in with Town, Exeter, Brum (could be on the beach by then), Cambridge, Wigan and finally Charlton to play.
![[Image: zJ3ud6N.png]](https://i.imgur.com/zJ3ud6N.png)
![[Image: lTADNcB.png]](https://i.imgur.com/lTADNcB.png)
Burton v Top 8 Town v Bottom 8
![[Image: tV85CqB.png]](https://i.imgur.com/tV85CqB.png)
![[Image: ciq29Nx.png]](https://i.imgur.com/ciq29Nx.png)
Innies and Outies
In the Summer Transfer window, Burton set a new British record for players signed in a single transfer window. A total of 10 midfielders, eight defenders, four forwards and one goalkeeper arrived.
Across the two transfer windows, Burton have brought in 30 new players in a vainglorious bastard attempt to stay in League One. That was working so well they sacked manager Mark Robinson in December and replaced him with Gary Bowyer. 31 have gone in the other direction including a chap with the intruiging name of Mustpha Carayol. He has since been signed and dumped by Exeter and he was signed last month by Wealdstone. Bowyer was responsible for about 8 in each direction. In the January Sales, he was responsible for this lot, amongst others.
![[Image: Janchag.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Janchag.png)
![[Image: SvCrz7b.png]](https://i.imgur.com/SvCrz7b.png)
He has at least dragged them kicking and screaming off the foot of the table, including a draw at ours.
Who's banging 'em in
Burton have scored 41 and conceded 59. Not surprisingly (and like Town) they've nobody that's scored double figures.
![[Image: Lr1bMdl.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Lr1bMdl.png)
They can't all win
In the weekend games, Brum can't win the League under their own steam as they are playing Pish Posh at Wemberlee on Sunday in the EFL Trophy Final. Wrexham (at Wigan) and Wycombe (at home to Stevenage) both take part in the early kick-off's. If Wrexham don't get 3 points, then even a draw would almost certainly hand the title to Brum, given the goal differences. A defeat and Brum are on the beach. Wycombe need to win to keep up the chase for 2nd.
Stockport are home to Rotherham, Charlton are at Cambridge in the battle for 4th and 5th. Reading are at Northampton who will be looking to hand out another bloody nose to a top 8 side. Bolton, like Town have become consistently inconsistent again and will be looking to win at Barnsley whilst Orient will be looking for more points from a trip to Crawley just in case Reading, Town and Bolton all decide to phone the rest of their results in. Blackpool's trip to Brum has been postponed for some reason. You mean, Brum can't field two sides in one weekend? With all their brass?
![[Image: S0EtcvV.png]](https://i.imgur.com/S0EtcvV.png)
Down amongst the deadmen, The Shrews will be relegated if they lose at Lincoln. Cambridge, Crawley and Burton already mentioned above, and all looking for Brizzle to continue their 5 game losing streak as they sit 3 points above Burton on the trap door. Northampton and Wigan are 7 points above Burton and are almost safe.
We've played 'em before
Only 3 times as alluded to above.
![[Image: WLGsAQ2.png]](https://i.imgur.com/WLGsAQ2.png)
Back in 2016 the Chumpionship Table looked like this going into the game at Burton.
![[Image: rY0d21H.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/rY0d21H.jpeg)
Wonder what happened to all those clubs then?
Wonder what happened to that website I used to use for nearly all my tables and stats?
Next up?
Good Friday we're home to Cambridge (3pm) followed by Stockport away on Easter Monday
Pressers
Josh Ruffels and Worthy answer the Radio Local (et al) questions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l3twxt
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l3txmf
The view from The Malthouse Windows
Gary Bowyer on the Burton website
https://www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/news/20...ield-town/
Given I won't be listening, so probably not posting either, certainly not before half-time anyway, feel free to dive in with team sheets, updates etc. as you normally do. There will likely be interweb in t'pub but no idea about a phone signal as it's up t'back end of beyond for Staffordshire even though it's only 15 minutes from where I live. When you're in good company and conversation, it's best to leave your phone in your pocket (unless they all disappear at the same time for a few minutes).
If you want a history lesson on beer, in Burton in particular - here's the link to that old thread https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=4823
Not all the pics and links have stood the test of time, I don't use Google images anymore for a start, but if you've 90 minutes to spare waiting for Town to score a goal on Saturday afternoon, there's probably worse thing's on t'interweb to read .....
Right, on with the current thread.
Pirelli Stadium
You'll possibly get tyred walking to and from the station
Refreshments are available en-route
Next door to St. Georges Park, more or less
Where Burton train to keep the lights on
In between England turning up
Burton-on-Breweries
DE13 0AR
Kick-off 15:00 UK Time
Saturday 12/04/25
Town go down the M1 and A38 to Scandinavian owned (me neither) Burton on Saturday.
Long-serving Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson sold his majority stake in the club to the Nordic Football Group (NFG) in June 2024. NFG UK Ltd is owned by NFG Holding AB of which the ultimate beneficial owners are the individuals listed below. The Club can confirm the following person(s) have a ‘significant interest’ (as that term is defined within the EFL regulations) in the Club:
Johan Andersson
Caspar Callerström
Tom Davidson - Deputy Chairman
Hrafnhildur Eymundsdottir
Per Franzén
Bendik Hareide - Sporting Director now on leave due to family issues, they are looking for a replacement
Erik Karlsson - former NHL puck pusher
Kristian Männik
Carl Martinson
Anders Misund
Linda Olafsdottir
Jona Petursdottir
Bogi Siguroddsson
Kevin C. Skabo - Commercial Director
Olafur Pall Snorrasson
Ole Jakob Valla Strandhagen - Chairman
Ulfar Steindorsson
Mats Zuccarello - another former NHL puck pusher
According to that AI stuff that Google now coughs up, at the time of the takeover ...
Fleur Robinson: Ben Robinson's daughter, Fleur Robinson, was appointed as the new chief executive.
Ben Robinson Jr: Ben Robinson's son, Ben Robinson Jr, will remain an integral part of the club's operations.
Not a pair with significant interest, clearly, but the rest of them apparently aren't short of a Krona or two of whichever country you spend your Krona's in.
On the tellybox
On HTTV, plus dodgy interweb feeds everywhere.
Pies, pees 'n' beers
How to get there, where to sup and eat, where to avoid and all that.
https://footballgroundguide.com/leagues/...lbion.html
Latest news
Jacob Chapman has had the One Year extension activated on his contract.
On Friday 2 May at 7pm, the John Smith’s Stadium is hosting an MND event with Marcus Stewart, sponsored by Chadwick Lawrence and Marsh Design.
Tickets available from the Town website link - https://www.htafc.com/news/2025/april/10...s-stewart/
In other beer related news/rants.
Since, or even around the time before that previous beery thread, Wolverhampton Brewery (Bonksies, as it's known round here) were on the rampage, buying up usually small cask brewing breweries north, south, east and west. One of them being Marstons that were let's say, of a similar size and at least kept them out of the furrin hands that had been buying up some of Burton's other famous breweries. They decided to name the conglomerate Marstons as they had a "National Brand". Slowly but surely they shut down the family (or slightly larger) breweries from around the country that they'd accumulated and "rationalised" what they were brewing and selling and where it was brewed.
Then along came Carlsberg, makers of one of the most piss poor lagers in the world but don't tell them that, they probably won't believe you. That followed with an anouncement in the alast year or so that Marstons were more interested in the downstream side (pub/restaurants and hotels) than brewing, so handed everything to Carlsberg on a plate (give or take some more Danegeld). Now, given Marston had been selling off or shutting down large parts of it's estate, that came as a bit of a surprise annoument.
Since then, Carlsberg's bean counters have now decided they don't make enough money from certain cask beers, including the flagship Marstons IPA, amongst others, and they would prefer to brew inferior "bright beers" instead (translation - higher margins). They also announced they were closing Bonksies brewery. Noddy Holder was less than amused, as were folk that had worked their most of their working lives.
We seem to have been down this road before haven't we CAMRA and with Carlsberg in particular?
The claim they weren't making enough money from the stronger, more flavoursome cask beers came about mostly because they basically stopped or severly reduced the distribution of them to their pubs, despite these beers selling out as soon as they were put under a pump. Strange, but the micropub's a few hunderd yards from my three nearest Marstons pubs (all about a 30 minute stroll) sell real (cask) ales by the dray load despite having shorter opening hours and being shut 2 days per week. Further more none of them sell the bright piss that Carlsberg and others sell all over the country (including the fake er "Spanish" lager Madri, that was born and er, brewed? maybe, in Wolverhampton and never saw light of day in a Madrid brewery. That's marketing for you).
It's not like Carlsberg don't have form for this over the years. Try and kill a market you are in first, and then decide there isn't one. 'kin lager louts
Taking the extract
.
Made from yeast extract in little factory nestled in amongst all the large brewery buildings. Most of the yeast comes from the nearby Bass Brewery (or did).
More than a few at Town right now who could easily be described as Marmite.
Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating
Whoever we play up front on their own is probably feeling like they are isolating. Could our lot even pass Covid to them given how far away they are when they lump the ball at them?
Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame
It sounds like Balker was rested on Tuesday and should be back in the squad on Saturday.
Last time out
Town lost again, this time to Wycombe. Another goalless outing has likely left most of us holding fire on looking up train times and tickets to London in late May. I'm certainly not traipsing over to Burton. I'm more likely to be having lunch with friends in pub in Staffordshire, a few minutes drive up the road for me. Failing that I'll be generating sawdust, pulling up weeds and planting seeds.
Burton got bounced 3:0 at Wrexham. Last Saturday. Orient came away from Field Mill with a 3:2 win, to put them a point below Town.
In the midweek fixtures, Brum cemented the inevitable promotion with a 1:2 win at Pish Posh and Reading won 1:3 at the Shrews.
The Sack Race
Southampton's defeat at Spurs and subsequent confirmation of the earliest ever relegation from the Prima Dona League meant it was goodnight from Ivan Juric on Monday. They still need a point to equal Sheffield United's worst ever points total. As bad as we were in our 2nd season, we weren't this bad and hadn't spent anything like as much money either.
Tables, Form & Stats
Town's defeat left them in 8th place, 4 points adrift of Reading in 6th. Nothing but wins will do now for Town and even that might not be enough.
Burton only got 5 draws (and 8 defeats) from their first 13 fixtures. Thier first win was in November at home to The Shrews. 2 more defeats later they had their next one at Pish Posh. Their next 8 games brought 4 draws and 4 defeats before the final draw against Crawley sparked a run of 3 consecutive wins and two more draws. A defeat at Brizzle was followed by two more wins and a draw at home to Mansfield. You can see the rest of their results above. After being dead certs for relegation before the New Year, they are now in with a sniff of staying up, though they don't have an easy run in with Town, Exeter, Brum (could be on the beach by then), Cambridge, Wigan and finally Charlton to play.
Burton v Top 8 Town v Bottom 8
Innies and Outies
In the Summer Transfer window, Burton set a new British record for players signed in a single transfer window. A total of 10 midfielders, eight defenders, four forwards and one goalkeeper arrived.
Across the two transfer windows, Burton have brought in 30 new players in a vainglorious bastard attempt to stay in League One. That was working so well they sacked manager Mark Robinson in December and replaced him with Gary Bowyer. 31 have gone in the other direction including a chap with the intruiging name of Mustpha Carayol. He has since been signed and dumped by Exeter and he was signed last month by Wealdstone. Bowyer was responsible for about 8 in each direction. In the January Sales, he was responsible for this lot, amongst others.
He has at least dragged them kicking and screaming off the foot of the table, including a draw at ours.
Who's banging 'em in
Burton have scored 41 and conceded 59. Not surprisingly (and like Town) they've nobody that's scored double figures.
They can't all win
In the weekend games, Brum can't win the League under their own steam as they are playing Pish Posh at Wemberlee on Sunday in the EFL Trophy Final. Wrexham (at Wigan) and Wycombe (at home to Stevenage) both take part in the early kick-off's. If Wrexham don't get 3 points, then even a draw would almost certainly hand the title to Brum, given the goal differences. A defeat and Brum are on the beach. Wycombe need to win to keep up the chase for 2nd.
Stockport are home to Rotherham, Charlton are at Cambridge in the battle for 4th and 5th. Reading are at Northampton who will be looking to hand out another bloody nose to a top 8 side. Bolton, like Town have become consistently inconsistent again and will be looking to win at Barnsley whilst Orient will be looking for more points from a trip to Crawley just in case Reading, Town and Bolton all decide to phone the rest of their results in. Blackpool's trip to Brum has been postponed for some reason. You mean, Brum can't field two sides in one weekend? With all their brass?
Down amongst the deadmen, The Shrews will be relegated if they lose at Lincoln. Cambridge, Crawley and Burton already mentioned above, and all looking for Brizzle to continue their 5 game losing streak as they sit 3 points above Burton on the trap door. Northampton and Wigan are 7 points above Burton and are almost safe.
We've played 'em before
Only 3 times as alluded to above.
Back in 2016 the Chumpionship Table looked like this going into the game at Burton.
Wonder what happened to all those clubs then?
Wonder what happened to that website I used to use for nearly all my tables and stats?
Next up?
Good Friday we're home to Cambridge (3pm) followed by Stockport away on Easter Monday
Pressers
Josh Ruffels and Worthy answer the Radio Local (et al) questions
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l3twxt
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0l3txmf
The view from The Malthouse Windows
Gary Bowyer on the Burton website
https://www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/news/20...ield-town/
Given I won't be listening, so probably not posting either, certainly not before half-time anyway, feel free to dive in with team sheets, updates etc. as you normally do. There will likely be interweb in t'pub but no idea about a phone signal as it's up t'back end of beyond for Staffordshire even though it's only 15 minutes from where I live. When you're in good company and conversation, it's best to leave your phone in your pocket (unless they all disappear at the same time for a few minutes).
A guide to cask ale.
![[Image: aO7W3pZ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/aO7W3pZ.png)
“In the best pubs, you can spend entire afternoons deep in refreshment without a care in the world.”
“In the best pubs, you can spend entire afternoons deep in refreshment without a care in the world.”
![[Image: 2ZJuVRk.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/2ZJuVRk.gif)
