2021/22 Prediction League Game 45; v Lincoln City (home)

Div3North · 22-04-2022, 17:20

Accrington Stanley

v

Lincoln City

2021/22 Prediction League Game 45; v Les Diablotins (home)

On April 19th, Aleksandar Mitrović - a Serbian striker who plays number 9 for Fulham, having previously been on the books of Partisan Belgrade, Anderlecht and Newcastle - scored his 39th and 40th League goals of a Modestly Productive Season for Fulham against PNE ................. which started me wondering when the last player in the EFL/PrawnSandwich League matched or bettered that total .............

I haven't had time to trawl the Lower Leagues (although I do recall Terry Bly of Posh scoring 54 in their first ever League season in 1960/61 ........... Easier to locate are the First Division scorers over the seasons, and there have been seven who hit 40+ over the seasons; most recent was Ted Drake (42 for the Gunners in 1934/35), and going backwards there were Dixie Dean (44 for Everton 1931/32) Tom Waring (49 for Villa the season before), 41 by Vic Watson for the 'Ammers in 1929/30, 43 by Dave Halliday in the season before for Sunderland, 60 in 1927/28 by Dixie Dean again, and 43 - the first time 40+ was achieved - in 1925/26 by Ted Harper ......... But - Starter for Ten - which team did Ted Harper play for?

I thought I'd heard all the lame, weird, wonderful and stupid reasons for a substitution during a game, but then I hadn't hear of M'Bala Nzola of Spezia in Serie A .............. This piece comes from the Daily Star so I suppose somebody may have seen it before, although people who read the Daily Star probably don't read the PL Tread Openers, mainly because I occasionally use words of more than two syllables and/or four letters (Joke!)

"Spezia striker M'Bala Nzola made one of the worst appearances in football history as he was subbed off 10 minutes after coming on due to a wardrobe malfunction.

Nzola was introduced in the second half of his side's Serie A clash with Inter Milan on Friday (April 15) evening. It was hoped he could find a leveller with the reigning Italian champions 1-0 to the good. However, shortly after the change the referee spotted the 25-year-old was wearing a large earring in his left ear and ordered him to leave the field of play. Sounds like a simple problem to solve, right?

It seemed not for Nzola, though, who fiddled with the item of jewellery for several minutes on the sideline without being able to remove it. Some of the Spezia coaching staff also had a go without any success. With his team temporarily down to 10 men and the clock ticking down, manager Thiago Motta was forced to make his fifth and final substitution to bring Nzola off.
Inter scored three minutes later to double their lead, eventually winning 3-1."

Bastardo Stupido!

So Crewe are down; Donnie aren't (quite) down yet - they could hit 40 points, and if the Gills lose both their games and Donnie can overturn a -17 GD (and others lose too) they COULD stay up - just like I COULD win the Euromillions Lottery, with odds about the same .......

The Wombles 36 points, two to play; Fleetwood 39 points, three to play; Gillingham 40 points, two to play; Morecambe 42 points, two to play; Lincoln in 18th, and everyone else, are safe, Lincoln having 49 points .............. Crewe and Donnie, probably the Wombles, and one from three ..... Floatwood's GD is -17, Morecambe's is -28, having conceded an eye-watering 85 goals (worst of everyone)

At the Pointy End of the table, it's theoretically possible that any three from the top seven (down to Slumberland) could go up Auto ...... likely, though that it will fall to be fought out by Wigan (88 from 43), Rotherham (83 from 43) and The Donuts (83 from 44) .... that said, Wigan have only won 8 points of the last possible 15, Rotherham have lost four times so only gained 3/15 points), and Los Donas (Spanish donuts!) have lost two and drawn one, so only picked up 7/15 ............ The Owls - 13 points from 15 - are actually the form team (79 points from 43)

The other Contenders are Plymouth (79/44 but on the slide), Wycombe (77 from 44) and Sunderland (also 77/43 - both f whom have picked up 11 points in their last five (undefeated) games, and Oxford (75/44); no one else can reach the playoffs ......... and I'll review for your for next Saturday's final round of games .......... PS Spoiler Alert; next Saturday's games all kick off at 12.30 .............

We'll be playing Derby next season, then ........... and Oldham, sadly, look like playing Eastleigh and Boreham Wood (not to mention Solihull Moors) because they're in the GreasyPole Waiting Room, four points shy of Stevenage and Barrow (both on 41 from 42) and their last three games are Salford MoneyBags (at Boundary Rope Park), Tranmere (away), and Crawley at home on 7th May

Lincoln Greens have been splashing the cash in the Transfer Window too - buying a GK and three forwards ...... two of the FWs are from the Bananarama, but John Marquis isn't, and Pompey gave him up for sale ... Not sure if his form has slipped, or whether - like us, according to Coley - he's getting picked on, but can I suggest we don't leave him one-on-one with Toby ......... goalscoring is a bit like sex, really; if you were ever any good at it you don't forget how, although you do fall over more often .... three Loans, two from Vetch Field, plus Brooke Norton-Cully from the Gunners totalling a RB, a RW and another forward

Their leading scorer is Anthony Scully with 15 (11 in the League), although he didn't make our Onion-Bag bulge when they played us earlier in the season (well, he didn't make mine bulge - I can't speak for the rest of you): 1-0 to us, courtesy of The Bishop of Wham .... Their away form is W7 D5 L10, and at home it's W6 D5 L11: overall, P44 W13 D10 L21 GF52 GA60 for 49 points and safety (see above) in 18th ............ two wins only in their last eight, and away wins at Wigan, Sunderland and Plymouth, and more recently Wimbledon and Charlton ........... last season they finished fifth, reached the Playoff Final by Doing Slumberland, and then lost 2-1 to Blackpool ..... Also, last year, we drew twice - a Goalless D at ours, and a Proper D at theirs (our goals from TheManWhoB*ggaredOffToBolton x 2)

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 23rd April (St George Shakespeare's Birthday, by the way) ..... and I understand why Chimer declined Monday's late entry (charity begins at home), and I'm sorry if my late posting of the thread meant no time to enter - although The Player In Question - and you know who you are - probably had the same season's Fixture List as I did .......... from last June!

And in 1925/26, Ted Harper played for Blackburn Rovers ........ and a fat lot of good it did him

Next week; Arbroath v Bon Accord Re-Visited (and you'll never trust reports of games ever again), and a small piece on the level of penalties decreed by King James I of Scotland in 1424 on those who played Footba' in defiance of his decree, including "How Many Bawbees in a Groat - A Game For All The Family" ........ well, those with short arms and deep pockets (ie anyone Scottish .... or from Yorkshire) ........... Or a Yorkshireman with a Scottish Wife!

Mwahahahahahah

And by the way, a Diablotin is a Gargoyle - but a French one!

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

COYR!