[Div3North]

AFC Wimbledon

V

Accrington Stanley

2024/25 Prediction League Game 8 v The Real Wombles (away)

It was another fine day in Gotham City

“Holy Corner Flags, Batman”, said Robin the Boy Wonder, "it says in my comic book that that famous British Soccer Team called Stanley Accy-Ringtone have won four, drawn two and lost just one of their last seven League games, and that if you count the First Round of the FACup, they’ve won five of their last eight ….."

"What’s a Far Cup, Robin?"

“Oh”, said Robin, “that’s a Cup Competition for the Big Boys that they let some of the small boys play in ………….. it’s called a Far Cup because it’s far out of the reach of the Plucky British Minnows”

“Alfred”, said Batman, “will you take Robin the Boy Wonder to bed, and give him a warm milky drink with three knock-out pills?"

“What’s a knock-out pill, Batman?” asked Robin

“Oh just shut up and drink your Ovaltine”

I have some good news and some bad news ……….. since 28th September when this game was postponed because the Wombles’ Pitch had sprung a leak, the local Council – Merton, if memory serves – have repaired the sink hole in the pitch ………… sadly, they thought it was a pot-hole, so they filled it in with aggregate and rolled some tarmac across the top of it ……. I suggest we give the Inside Right channel a miss this week ………….

You all know the Plastic Wombles Hijack story, so I won’t repeat it …….. The Wombles’ record to date this season is P13 W7 D1 L5 GF21 GA11 for 22 points and 10th place, but with three (or, in the case of Walsall, one, and Gillingham (two)) games in hand, they’re in the automatic promotion spots if they win them all …………………………. We’re on 17 points for 18th place, having P15 W4 D5 L6 GF20 GA24 ………… and the Plastic Wombles are the form team, having won their last five

Starter for Ten, then: which Northwest team used to play at The Hole I’th Wall ground, and for what event are they most famous?

They sold three players in the close-season (two strikers and a LB) and released another 12, four of whom (Irish LW Ronan Curtis – once of Boyzone - who went to Port Vale, CMF Armani Little (who joined Gillingham), CF Zach Robinson (now with Motherwell), and Kiwi GK Nic Tzanev, who went to the Cobblers (but his shoes weren’t quite ready ……….. Six came in (including Miles Hippolyte from Stockport, Jon-Joe O’Toole from Mansfield, striker Matty Stevens from Vegan Greenpeace, and Riley Harbottle, who they bought from Hibs; four loan signing, best known being Joe Pigott from the Orient. Manager is John Alec “Johnnie” Jackson, and Referee is Ben Atkinson (does he hate us?) I also note one of the liners is Daniel D’Urso – probably related to Andy ……………..

And Riley Harbottle sounds like the leading actor in a very poor Agatha Christie play

Starter for Ten; CB James McPake joined Hibernian on loan from Coventry in 2011/12 and was immediately made captain……………. He made his debut against Rangers, but what happened next?

Head-to-head – discounting the May 2016 Playoffs semis (D1 L1) - favour us by 12 wins to 4, with four drawn – and we’ve won the last three

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on 19th November (and my car’s already covered in snow!) ………. And the famous tenants of The Hole I’th Wall ground were Blackburn Olympic who – in 1883 – beat the Old Etonians in the FA Cup Final to – as the piece says – “effectively open up football to the masses and launch the game as a sport for all” (they also had Jack Hunter - England’s first Working-Class Captain!) ….. and James McPake turned out for his debut with his brand-new armband, and promptly got sent off for two yellow cards ………. The article I read suggested that it might have been a tribute to Graham Souness , who was famously sent off on his debut as Rangers player-manager when he “nobbled the wrong Hibs mullet”, a piece of imagery which I’ll leave you to muse on ………………….

Good luck to everyone! ………. Keep the Faith! ………….. And thanks for playing!