Accrington Web - 2014 Prediction League; Game 19 v Exeter City (home)

Accrington Stanley

Exeter City

2014/15 Prediction League – Game 19; v Exeter (home)

Exeter City – an amalgamation, it seems, of Exeter United FC and St Sidwell’s United - was formed in 1904. In that guise they played their first match in September of that year, resulting in a 2-1 win over 110th Battery (Royal Artillery :D ) in the East Devon League. In 1908, having gone full-time professional, they were elected to the Southern League (replacing Spurs), in honour of which they apparently erected a wooden grandstand :confused: ….that same year they beat Weymouth 14-0 in the FA Cup (a better result than this year’s humiliating 1-0 loss at Warrington Town! :D). In those days, and for two more years, they played in green and white, but in 1910 they adopted the red and white striped shirts which they still wear (although they have been washed in between :eek::eek::o:o), seemingly to rid themselves of the ill-luck which came with green and white (they’d only won two of 11 games that season – although if that were the benchmark for changing your team colours we’d none of us know who wears what …… ;))

They toured Argentina and Brazil in 1914, playing the first ever (so it’s claimed) game against the Brazilian National team (and losing 2-0 – or perhaps drawing 3-3, depending which version you buy!). In 1920, when the Football League expanded – the Third Division being formed by the subtle ruse of the FL ‘taking over’ the Southern League Division One – they were founder members (one of the few occasions when being in the relegation spots – which they had been in the SL at the end of the previous season - got someone “promoted” :p:p). They finished 19th of 22, so didn’t need to apply for re-election; they got 35 points from 42 games, with an away record which read “W1 D8 L12 F12 A39”; they managed 4-0 home wins twice, and suffered a 7-1 thumping away at those footballing giants :cool: Merthyr Town, who departed the scene in 1930.

They remained in the Football League from 1920 until 2003, although they never got higher than the third tier during that time :o:o; in 2003 they finished 23rd, and thus became the first side who hadn’t come bottom of Division Three to be relegated automatically to the Conference :mad::mad:. They cleared all their debts courtesy of massive hard work and of being drawn against Man U at Old Trafford in the FA Cup :D:D (which got them £650,000 and a replay – which they lost 2-0); in 2006/7 they made the playoffs, beating Oxford on penalties in the Semis before going down 2-1 to Plucky Morecambe; the next season they got to Wembley again, having seen off Torquay in the Semis, and this time they beat Cambridge by the odd goal in one to recover their League status; in 2007/8 – their first season back - they came 2nd to Brentford in League Two and went straight up to League One, staying there until 2011/2, when a dreadful away record (2 wins in 23) contributed to a return to the basement. :rolleyes:

They didn’t do a lot in the summer transfer market; 5 were released, including Sam Parkin (see “arrivals” in last year’s match-thread), 32 year-old MF/striker Alan Gow (still a free agent), and forward John O’Flynn (32) has gone back home to Cork City, where he played between 2002 and 2008, scoring 68 in 138, having also played for Barnet (70 games) as well as 122 for the Grecians; GK Artur Krysiak (6’4”) will be with us next week, having joined Yeovil; Gibraltar-born winger Jake Gosling (21) went to Brizzle Rovers ……….In came ex Cobh Ramblers, Waterford Utd and Cork City striker Graham Cummins (31, released by PNE), Northampton’s Alex Nicholls (but only on a one month contract), and ex Scunthorpe and Bristol City defender Christian Ribeiro (24) – he’s actually Welsh! – signed on as well. Most recently they re-signed former MF player Ryan Harley (29) from Swindon, whom he joined from Swansea back in 2011; it’s a loan, but it will be a propersigning come the New Year ……….He’s unlikely to feature, having only played 50-odd games in over 4 years and – being charitable – not yet being match-fit; or so they say.

Manager Paul Tisdale is, as no doubt you know, the second longest serving manager in the League behind Arsenal Winger; the third longest-serving isn’t, any more ……………. Mark Yates paid the price for Cheltenham’s slide down the table, to be replaced by Paul Buckle …… and Yates was the 7th League Two Manager to fall on his sword or be stabbed in the arras since the season started! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

After 6 games, Exeter were rock bottom – shades of last year’s disastrous plummet, which almost cost them their League place again; this time, though, they’ve turned it round, and of their last 12 games they’ve won 7, drawn 4 and lost just once – at home to Hartlepool, would you believe, 2-1; five of their recent seven wins have been by the same score ….. Taking the crap start to the season into account, their current record is P18 W7 D6 L5 F24 A23 for 27 points and 9th place; if we beat them on Friday, we’ll be in 9th place :). And they won’t! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

They lost their first three away without scoring a goal (3-0 at Plymouth, and 1-0 at Burton and Northampton); they haven’t lost any of the last 6 on the road (W4 D2, scoring 2 goals in five of those games and one in the sixth) ………… would that their Cup form was as good; apart from The Humiliation in Warrington :o:o they also lost in the FLT (3-1 at Coventry) and the Capital Cup 2-0 at home to Bournemouth …………..21 games, 25 goals …………..Alex Nicholls got 6 of those, and Graham Cummins got 5; the rest they spread around a bit.

Head to head? Last year we won at St James’s Park 1-0 and they won at Fortress Crown 3-2; in 2012/13 they did us twice, 2-0 at home and 3-0 chez nous; in 2008/9 – on their way through – each team won their home game 2-1; and in 1960/61 – the last time we met in the League before those games – it was 1-0 to them at ours, and 4-2 to us at theirs ………Room for improvement, I hear you thinking ………….. Yup! :confused::confused::confused:

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which this week – for no reason anybody appears to know about – is 7.00pm on Friday 28th November; that’s probably buggered up my chances of getting to the game by the way :rolleyes::o:(, since I’m working in Lancaster, and will need to battle the traffic to Preston, and then get to the ground; flying pigs! Why do people mess about with k.o. to that extent; Friday night, yes; Friday teatime, no chance! :p

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

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