One Game at a Time
Lincoln City (H) Easter Monday April 10th
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. So paraphrased Churchill in 1948 drawing on the earlier work of philosopher George Santayamar.
I would imagine this thought also flashed through the minds of a thousand plus hardy souls who had travelled the best part of the length of Britain ( and in a couple of cases the best part of half the globe to watch their favourite team, and in one specific couples case, their son) when. as at Wembley last weekend, they watched a swift and decisive counter attack by Morecambe to put their team in the lead in the third minute, and perhaps more worryingly, as other games went to form, Argyle into the play off places for the first time in months.
Luckily this is no longer a club that leaves things to chance. In a strange twist of fate the players had been able to share the flight plan of the previously hostile Bolton as they travelled by air for the second leg of a Devon double in Exeter. No battle of the cones for the squad this season. One wonders if the destination reached at the end of the season is indeed the Championship, what far flung beach resort the EFL will have in mind for next Easter. Middlesbrough? Sunderland? Maybe a cross country epic to Norwich? We can but dream.
The other marked difference from last season was the strength of the Argyle bench. Into the second period and with the ability to bring on game changers like Danny Mayor, Callum Wright and Jay Matete times have indeed changed. Plus the fresh legs of Ben Waine , playing in front of his family including his parents all the way from New Zealand.
First to contribute was Mayor. Just as last season he supplied the Argyle equaliser. Unlike last season’s tap in, this was the full Ressurection Shuffle from Danny, gliding across the pitch before cutting in across two defenders and curling the ball exquisitely into the far corner of the goal. In the bedlam that followed no-one noticed that he then took the time (according to the later recording shown on the ITV highlights from the Kassam) to nip down and slam home the Oxford equaliser from the penalty spot.
Next up was Callum Wright, twisting and turning until taken down by a desperate lunge from a Morecambe defender. No penalty given, but no matter as seconds later Matete won the ball and squared for Waine to apply some Kiwi polish and net his first league goal for the Pilgrims.
Added time and it was Argyle’s turn to turn defence to attack. This time Wright laid a superb cross field ball perfectly into the path of Matete, who coolly slid the third past Connor Ripley.
And that, barring a dreadful late foul on Bali Mumba that looks to have ended his spectacular season, was that.
Results elsewhere meant that after one of their worst weekends, Argyle returned to the summit of the most competitive division in football. Whilst Ipswich maintained their incredible run, winning their eighth straight game without conceding, against an injury hit but unusually compliant Why Come, it speaks volumes for the form of Argyle that a run of 24 points is still insufficient to overtake the Greens.
The other main chasers, South Yorkshire rivals Wednesday and Barnsley, both dropped points, in the main due to contrasting penalty decisions, both of which were simply bizarre.
Barnsley were denied the lead and a nailed on red card for defender Brayford, whose “save” on the line was adjudged to be with his chest and not, as was clearly the case, his arm. That decision by referee Adam Herczeg meant that football and the EFLs officiating loss was thoracic surgeries gain. From there Burton ran out 2-1 winners, all but ending the automatic hopes of Barnsley. Herczeg, in his first full season on the EFL list, was previously in charge of the famous 5-4 win by Grimsby over Wrexham Hollywood in the National league play off semi-final last season where Phil Parkinson was especially unhappy with his level of observation skills. He scores 22 in Scrabble though.
Wednesday travelled to out of form Oxford, slowly plunging into the relegation fight from what had looked mid table safety. New coach Liam Manning seems to have imposed a measure of discipline and structure, but a Bannon strike that rivalled Mayors for goal of the day gave the fragile Owls the lead. Missing the newly injured Smith, however meant the Wendies were unable to put the game to bed and were reliant on the reflexes of David Stockdale to hold onto their lead. The crucial decision, by normally excellent referee, Rebecca Welch, to award a penalty after an Oxford striker stumbled over prone defender Famewo was perhaps her way of making amends for a previous non award when Wilkes clearly held back Findley in the box.
Either way, Brannagan (not Danny, ITV) smashed home the resultant kick, and Wednesday limped home unbeaten but unhappy without seriously threatening the Oxford goal to extend their winless run to six, and finish the day outside of the automatic places, as well has having played a game more than their rivals for the position.
At Easter, however the chance for redemption is reassuringly swift, the games coming, like Clinton Morrison, thick and fast, with another full fixture list on the Monday. This tradition of football at Easter stems back many years, with whole villages taking part in matches which resemble pitch battles rather than free flowing soccer. So like Wycombe Wanderers away really. Perhaps the most famous, and certainly the only one with Royal assent takes place in Ashbourne in Derbyshire, between two teams, the Up’ards and the Down’ards, and which in 2023 was a narrow 1-0 win for the Up’ards. The game was played once by the future Edward VIII and was again granted Royal approval when the now King Charles III started the match in 2003. The game itself resembles a huge rolling maul from Rugby, but there are claims for the event to be the source of the term local derby in football.
Most supporters will content themselves with the consumption of Easter Eggs, normally of the chocolate variety, but given the vast amount of frequently contradictory management expertise given on various message boards, no doubt some of the players of the renowned Football Manager simulation will be aware of the games Easter eggs.
For instance, last season the Ted Lasso “Believe” poster made its way into the cut scenes of dressing rooms in the game. There is also a Frank Lampard easter egg whereby you can mimic his standard interview technique where he divides serious comments on the game with a lighthearted quip.
Less well known were the inclusion of the legendary Harchester United, the team from the Footballers Dream Team Sky TV series. Over the years the various members of the Football Manager staff have found their way into the game, although they are universally not very good.It may surprise some people to know that the COO of Wigan Athletic is a former marketing supremo at FM publisher Sports Interactive. Or perhaps not given the mess they are in.
Aficionados playing the game on April the 1st, on the actual April Fool’s Day will be offered an option to receive a huge transfer bonus of some £500 million (or as Todd Boehly at Chelsea calls it, petty cash), although the player is then taunted if they select the option that it isn’t that easy…as Todd Boehly is proving.
Players over the age of 34 can also receive a random Easter Egg where a player is added to the youth team as their son.
Perhaps the strangest Easter Egg was in CM 2000/1 when after a comment by a fan that the female physiotherapist, 20 year old Laura Gilogly would play better than many of the players of Scottish 3rd division side East Stirling, the programmers included her in the squad as a pickable player. She was only included for a brief period, as the directors of the club campaigned hard to have her removed, even complaining to the National Press about the inclusion, and she was deleted from the game in that Januarys game update.
Argyle of course had a brief spell with one of the most famous sons of Football Manager, Cherno Samba, on their books, but at this time of year only one player leaps out of the Greens on Screen player database.
Yes, we have had suitably named players…enough to make a religiously themed team… even without old testament (Timmy) Abraham and Moses (Russell). Tony (the good) Book, Simon Church of course and Frank Lord. With two Kings available, I would pick Adam as our King of Kings. Perhaps John Devine at left back. In goal, who else but Super Luke, with a midfield of Matthews, Marker, Luke (Summerfield) and (Earl) Jean. Managed of course by “My Lord” Steve McCall.
Sneaking in at right back, because you couldn’t have Easter without one, is young Ryan Cross, and finally of course Jermaine Easter himself. Only briefly at Argyle, he was perhaps best known for his somewhat non-religious embracing of the Cardiff City Ayatollah celebration at Swansea when playing for Whycome, which he did for his Cardiff supporting mates, as despite being born there, he is not a Bluebirds fan.
Easter though was later to find his name was used amusingly against him when Bristol Rovers fans chanted at him “You’re not as good as Christmas! “
Argyle head into the game against impish Lincoln with the best home record in Europe, although City have the reputation for obduracy and have drawn almost half their league games so far this season. That they have yet to lose to any of the top four sides this season, including a narrow win at Portman Road, means they are not to be taken lightly.
They have lost centre half Lewis Montsma to injury for the rest of the season, but still have Ben House “on fire” with eleven goals so far this season including a brace against Cheltenham on Good Friday. Argyle will be keen to avoid the sucker punch of last seasons home defeat in added on time which was another result that proved costly by the end of the season.
The Greens will at least be grateful that former City loanee Brennan Johnson has long returned to Forest and will not be visiting the home city of his spiritual mentor Tom Daly, especially after the 20/21 award winning spin with tuck and pike that won Lincoln the first of two penalties, albeit in a four three triumph for Argyle, thanks to Joe 90s injury time winner.
With the Devon Derby approaching, Ipswich at Cheltenham, Piggott at Pompey coming up late on the play off rails and Wednesday doing the best impression of Devon Loch ever seen outside of a racecourse, we are heading into the final straight now.
A win in the Lincoln would sway the odds further in our favour.
COYG!!!!
Lincoln City (H) Easter Monday April 10th
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. So paraphrased Churchill in 1948 drawing on the earlier work of philosopher George Santayamar.
I would imagine this thought also flashed through the minds of a thousand plus hardy souls who had travelled the best part of the length of Britain ( and in a couple of cases the best part of half the globe to watch their favourite team, and in one specific couples case, their son) when. as at Wembley last weekend, they watched a swift and decisive counter attack by Morecambe to put their team in the lead in the third minute, and perhaps more worryingly, as other games went to form, Argyle into the play off places for the first time in months.
Luckily this is no longer a club that leaves things to chance. In a strange twist of fate the players had been able to share the flight plan of the previously hostile Bolton as they travelled by air for the second leg of a Devon double in Exeter. No battle of the cones for the squad this season. One wonders if the destination reached at the end of the season is indeed the Championship, what far flung beach resort the EFL will have in mind for next Easter. Middlesbrough? Sunderland? Maybe a cross country epic to Norwich? We can but dream.
The other marked difference from last season was the strength of the Argyle bench. Into the second period and with the ability to bring on game changers like Danny Mayor, Callum Wright and Jay Matete times have indeed changed. Plus the fresh legs of Ben Waine , playing in front of his family including his parents all the way from New Zealand.
First to contribute was Mayor. Just as last season he supplied the Argyle equaliser. Unlike last season’s tap in, this was the full Ressurection Shuffle from Danny, gliding across the pitch before cutting in across two defenders and curling the ball exquisitely into the far corner of the goal. In the bedlam that followed no-one noticed that he then took the time (according to the later recording shown on the ITV highlights from the Kassam) to nip down and slam home the Oxford equaliser from the penalty spot.
Next up was Callum Wright, twisting and turning until taken down by a desperate lunge from a Morecambe defender. No penalty given, but no matter as seconds later Matete won the ball and squared for Waine to apply some Kiwi polish and net his first league goal for the Pilgrims.
Added time and it was Argyle’s turn to turn defence to attack. This time Wright laid a superb cross field ball perfectly into the path of Matete, who coolly slid the third past Connor Ripley.
And that, barring a dreadful late foul on Bali Mumba that looks to have ended his spectacular season, was that.
Results elsewhere meant that after one of their worst weekends, Argyle returned to the summit of the most competitive division in football. Whilst Ipswich maintained their incredible run, winning their eighth straight game without conceding, against an injury hit but unusually compliant Why Come, it speaks volumes for the form of Argyle that a run of 24 points is still insufficient to overtake the Greens.
The other main chasers, South Yorkshire rivals Wednesday and Barnsley, both dropped points, in the main due to contrasting penalty decisions, both of which were simply bizarre.
Barnsley were denied the lead and a nailed on red card for defender Brayford, whose “save” on the line was adjudged to be with his chest and not, as was clearly the case, his arm. That decision by referee Adam Herczeg meant that football and the EFLs officiating loss was thoracic surgeries gain. From there Burton ran out 2-1 winners, all but ending the automatic hopes of Barnsley. Herczeg, in his first full season on the EFL list, was previously in charge of the famous 5-4 win by Grimsby over Wrexham Hollywood in the National league play off semi-final last season where Phil Parkinson was especially unhappy with his level of observation skills. He scores 22 in Scrabble though.
Wednesday travelled to out of form Oxford, slowly plunging into the relegation fight from what had looked mid table safety. New coach Liam Manning seems to have imposed a measure of discipline and structure, but a Bannon strike that rivalled Mayors for goal of the day gave the fragile Owls the lead. Missing the newly injured Smith, however meant the Wendies were unable to put the game to bed and were reliant on the reflexes of David Stockdale to hold onto their lead. The crucial decision, by normally excellent referee, Rebecca Welch, to award a penalty after an Oxford striker stumbled over prone defender Famewo was perhaps her way of making amends for a previous non award when Wilkes clearly held back Findley in the box.
Either way, Brannagan (not Danny, ITV) smashed home the resultant kick, and Wednesday limped home unbeaten but unhappy without seriously threatening the Oxford goal to extend their winless run to six, and finish the day outside of the automatic places, as well has having played a game more than their rivals for the position.
At Easter, however the chance for redemption is reassuringly swift, the games coming, like Clinton Morrison, thick and fast, with another full fixture list on the Monday. This tradition of football at Easter stems back many years, with whole villages taking part in matches which resemble pitch battles rather than free flowing soccer. So like Wycombe Wanderers away really. Perhaps the most famous, and certainly the only one with Royal assent takes place in Ashbourne in Derbyshire, between two teams, the Up’ards and the Down’ards, and which in 2023 was a narrow 1-0 win for the Up’ards. The game was played once by the future Edward VIII and was again granted Royal approval when the now King Charles III started the match in 2003. The game itself resembles a huge rolling maul from Rugby, but there are claims for the event to be the source of the term local derby in football.
Most supporters will content themselves with the consumption of Easter Eggs, normally of the chocolate variety, but given the vast amount of frequently contradictory management expertise given on various message boards, no doubt some of the players of the renowned Football Manager simulation will be aware of the games Easter eggs.
For instance, last season the Ted Lasso “Believe” poster made its way into the cut scenes of dressing rooms in the game. There is also a Frank Lampard easter egg whereby you can mimic his standard interview technique where he divides serious comments on the game with a lighthearted quip.
Less well known were the inclusion of the legendary Harchester United, the team from the Footballers Dream Team Sky TV series. Over the years the various members of the Football Manager staff have found their way into the game, although they are universally not very good.It may surprise some people to know that the COO of Wigan Athletic is a former marketing supremo at FM publisher Sports Interactive. Or perhaps not given the mess they are in.
Aficionados playing the game on April the 1st, on the actual April Fool’s Day will be offered an option to receive a huge transfer bonus of some £500 million (or as Todd Boehly at Chelsea calls it, petty cash), although the player is then taunted if they select the option that it isn’t that easy…as Todd Boehly is proving.
Players over the age of 34 can also receive a random Easter Egg where a player is added to the youth team as their son.
Perhaps the strangest Easter Egg was in CM 2000/1 when after a comment by a fan that the female physiotherapist, 20 year old Laura Gilogly would play better than many of the players of Scottish 3rd division side East Stirling, the programmers included her in the squad as a pickable player. She was only included for a brief period, as the directors of the club campaigned hard to have her removed, even complaining to the National Press about the inclusion, and she was deleted from the game in that Januarys game update.
Argyle of course had a brief spell with one of the most famous sons of Football Manager, Cherno Samba, on their books, but at this time of year only one player leaps out of the Greens on Screen player database.
Yes, we have had suitably named players…enough to make a religiously themed team… even without old testament (Timmy) Abraham and Moses (Russell). Tony (the good) Book, Simon Church of course and Frank Lord. With two Kings available, I would pick Adam as our King of Kings. Perhaps John Devine at left back. In goal, who else but Super Luke, with a midfield of Matthews, Marker, Luke (Summerfield) and (Earl) Jean. Managed of course by “My Lord” Steve McCall.
Sneaking in at right back, because you couldn’t have Easter without one, is young Ryan Cross, and finally of course Jermaine Easter himself. Only briefly at Argyle, he was perhaps best known for his somewhat non-religious embracing of the Cardiff City Ayatollah celebration at Swansea when playing for Whycome, which he did for his Cardiff supporting mates, as despite being born there, he is not a Bluebirds fan.
Easter though was later to find his name was used amusingly against him when Bristol Rovers fans chanted at him “You’re not as good as Christmas! “
Argyle head into the game against impish Lincoln with the best home record in Europe, although City have the reputation for obduracy and have drawn almost half their league games so far this season. That they have yet to lose to any of the top four sides this season, including a narrow win at Portman Road, means they are not to be taken lightly.
They have lost centre half Lewis Montsma to injury for the rest of the season, but still have Ben House “on fire” with eleven goals so far this season including a brace against Cheltenham on Good Friday. Argyle will be keen to avoid the sucker punch of last seasons home defeat in added on time which was another result that proved costly by the end of the season.
The Greens will at least be grateful that former City loanee Brennan Johnson has long returned to Forest and will not be visiting the home city of his spiritual mentor Tom Daly, especially after the 20/21 award winning spin with tuck and pike that won Lincoln the first of two penalties, albeit in a four three triumph for Argyle, thanks to Joe 90s injury time winner.
With the Devon Derby approaching, Ipswich at Cheltenham, Piggott at Pompey coming up late on the play off rails and Wednesday doing the best impression of Devon Loch ever seen outside of a racecourse, we are heading into the final straight now.
A win in the Lincoln would sway the odds further in our favour.
COYG!!!!
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