Thetownend.com

The return of Knoyle who left because of Cambridge’s ‘ambition’ or more likely because Wellens said he’d struggle to get in the team. When you look at Caddis, Hunt and Donohue you realise he was actually bang average and poor at best when attacking.

As for the game, I’d be happy with more of the same at home with a 1-0 or 2-0 win.

My daughter's 16th birthday - that's 15 Boxing Day games that I've missed so far. I've offered her a shopping trip to Bluewater on the 27th but no luck so far.

3-0 to the Town.

I'm ‘entertaining’ Boxing Day so I’m going to try and avoid the score and watch the game when it’s put up on the website.

I was going to watch as per normal but was told it was unsocial. I’m doing a traditional Boxing Day chilli!

Marlborough last week,  Blue Water threatened,   you must be a glutton for punishment !!.

Please help me and notify human rights organisation

Sorry mate, would love to help but ......     Worked out well for me this year - for a change - staying at families in Melksham over Xmas,  so perfect excuse, you go shopping love,  I'll take the boys to football !!,  Daughter is here over the weekend, wasn't going to PV anyway,  but tell her indoors I was but I'll stay home because of the family,  so, she's given me a pass for Plymouth !!,  happy days !!.

The only predictable thing about us is that you can rely on us not to get turned over. I think that'll always give us a chance.

hopefully we absolutely crush this cowardly flushed turd of a football club. Probably more than any other club in this league we owe them a proper bruising

We will get stuffed (sorry) 4-0.

What do you base that on?
We’ve not been stuffed in a game this season if you exclude Swansea.
I personally don’t see us winning but I think 2-0 at worse!!

I base it on us being useless at set piece defending, no fire power, and Swindon being top.

I feel like our problem is that we struggle to dictate the tempo of the game against sides that look to do to us what we'll want to do to Swindon (absorb pressure, make the most of your counter attacks by getting the ball forward quickly). We did a fairly good job of taking the game to Orient in the second half

Sorry this could possibly be the game we get thumped ,certainly won’t be in my accumulator for a away win

Two things come to mind.  Both from a while ago.

First (& this is a bit weak), we came up against them several times in the early 1990s.  Both clubs doing well and challenging for promotion to the Premier League.  Polar opposites in terms of playing style, though.  The press favoured our free-flowing game (under Hoddle) massively over Cambridge's route 1, lump it forward game (under John Beck).  I imagine that it got under their noses a bit.

Then I think there was a game (FA Cup ?) maybe 10 years later that we called off during the fuel protests.  Cambridge were flying high at the time, and they didn't like it.  Am I remembering this correctly?

Not many tickets left in the Nationwide Stand from what i've heard.

Hi folks

Can anyone help ?

It seems that there are no trains from Bristol that day,
despite the fact that engineering works are not happening anywhere near either town (!)

There also seem to be no coaches either !

Anyone have any suggestions for how to get there
(witticisms aside)

Thanks

Didn’t they have a player sent off in their last game? He’ll be banned Thursday if so.

A few views from their forum about the upcoming game.

1st return fixture of the season after we beat them fairly comfortably 1-0 at their place back in September with a poachers goal from Yates. We were far from our best in that game but still won. I remember Cambs had 3 of the slowest CB's I have ever seen, even Doyle was beating them for pace!

They seem to have reverted back to a 2 CB line up and getting some decent results.

They have won away games at Crewe, Colchester and Mansfield (4-0) and beaten Exeter at home 4-0, but have also been beaten by Walsall, Orient and Oldham.

Only Northampton have beaten them by a 2 goal margin in the league and only Orient have managed to score 3 goals against them, although Swansea put 6 past them in the LC.

Their leading scorer this season so far is famous singer/songwriter Sam Smith on loan to them from Capitol Records, they have scored 5 league goals so far plus 3 in the cups and will be the danger person up front for them with Ex Town player Marc Richards coming off the bench recently a few times but not starting very often. And other ex Town player Knoyle has been injured for the past few weeks.

Trains don't run on Boxing Day.  Maybe find a friendly Bristol-based Town fan with a car?

Sing what you like during the game tomorrow but give Calderwood the hero’s welcome he deserves when he comes out.

Definition of legend.

This from Cambridge Utd official website. Lost for words.

https://www.cu-fc.com/news/2019/december/orient-up-next/

Sorry mate, would love to help but ......     Worked out well for me this year - for a change - staying at families in Melksham over Xmas,  so perfect excuse, you go shopping love,  I'll take the boys to football !!,  Daughter is here over the weekend, wasn't going to PV anyway,  but tell her indoors I was but I'll stay home because of the family,  so, she's given me a pass for Plymouth !!,  happy days !!.

I'm not going now! :)

Happy Christmas to you all.

3-1 to the Town in front of a 10,000 + crowd.

The roar could be heard in Poxford and Brizzell

Swindon are back !

Do Cambridge have a fans forum, link please?

I hope it`s a good attendance today sorry i won`t be there....COYR  :pint:

You know what usually happens when we get a bumper crowd  :( Hopefully that's a thing of the past.  :)

Today is a great chance for Town to get a few extra bums on seats and for us to turn in a great passing flowing performance with a few goals and a win that will keep those extra punters coming for the rest of the season.

The only thing that could work against us is the weather, which will affect a few floating fans, otherwise get them in and show them the best of Swindon under Wellens.

You know what usually happens when we get a bumper crowd  :( Hopefully that's a thing of the past.  :)

I wonder why the club didn't open the far end of the Arkell's for today's game, with only singles left in the stand?

Yeah I have noticed its not been open all season, is there a problem with the toilets/catering/other or something that is stopping us opening it?

I assumed the club were saving money by closing parts of the stand but perhaps there's issues with the seats/structure/facilities.

Judging by online tickets sales, it should be a 9k crowd, which on the one hand is excellent, but will mean that some of the "get it forward" brigade are back in attendance. Cambridge will no doubt set out to hold what they have so an early goal will be useful to bring them out more and then we could go on to score 3 or 4.  Struggle to break them down and/or concede first and it could be a struggle particularly for the less regular fans to keep the positivity going. Therefore hoping for a 3-0, dreading a 1-1.

3-2 win on the back of the fact that yesterday the count of paper hats in our family was 3 red and 2 amber

Science!

Sounds more like astrology to me!

Zakuani and Iandolo come in for Hunt and Fryers.

That'll be the rotation Wellens was talking about.

Both not fully fit according to Power, Fryers has the slightly worse of the injuries but neither are too bad.

I wonder why the club didn't open the far end of the Arkell's for today's game, with only singles left in the stand?

I haven't been able to go to many games recently, is there some sort of speed-dating area??

Is iFollow available today?

It says I have purchased the game but there is no link to watch it.

Had to find it through the iFollow drop down and next match, the sound has just disappeared though

Had to find it through the iFollow drop down and next match, the sound has just disappeared though

Pleased to help.

Don’t really know why the keeper couldn’t get close.

The ball swerved at the end heavily.

At the game in the Swindon end. Completely unfair score line on the balance of play - we’ve not been bad until the last 5 mins or so. Would like to see the penalty award again, my Swindon supporting friend thinks it was just shoulder to shoulder contact and shouldn’t have been given. 3rd goal moved a crazy amount in the air, was headed to the keeper’s top left corner and ended up to the right of Mitov.

We’ve attacked down the right well for most of the match and really should have scored 1 or 2 by now ourselves. Our finishing has been the problem more than the defence.

We’ve been alright, but funnily enough the team who are top of the table have been better.

Oh we’ve certainly been worse than Swindon for more than 5 minutes, but I think most of that time it’s been Swindon being good more than us being bad. If we’d taken a chance and kept our heads we might be going in something like 2-1 down, which wouldn’t be a bad reflection of the half imo.

A deserved hattrick, Woolery was coming back from offside but what a cross from Doyle to set that up.

It was actually Anderson coming back from offside and he still made it in the box for the finish

Time to get Isgrove and Lyden on to get some game time..  now is the time to rotate

Benda gets away with a missed kick with Zakuani covering.

Losing away from home to a team who are clearly the best side in the division is not a disgrace.

Rolling over and having your tummy tickled is not acceptable though.

I am guessing the next Sub will be DJ for Anderson, give him a chance to get an ovation..

Sounds like Zakuani's been very solid...

Hes been excellent, I would play him alongside Fryers if hes fit as Waffle suggests.

Baudry’s been very good again though.

8211 att

Att: 8,211

3 points clear at the top
9 points clear from 4th
11 points clear from 8th

and without any half time ska time too.

Three giant CB's might be ok to combat an aerial & physical threat, except that we don't really have one.
They looked threatening early on, but in the end were flushed away easily & thanks for the 6 points and two clean sheets.

Zakuani filled in very well and Iandolo did ok.

So 11 consecutive league games for Doyle.
Is that the club record, or one more needed?

I'm going today.

My last three games were 4-0, 3-1 and 3-0 victories.

I'm not taking all the credit though.

I'm going today.

My last three games were 4-0, 3-1 and 3-0 victories.

I'm not taking all the credit though.

Great result.  And pretty good results elsewhere.

Possibly being unrealistic here but I was a bit disappointed with the attendance.

Anything mentioned re signings pre or post game?

Anything mentioned re signings pre or post game?

Caddis was great today. will be sad if he goes back. but he's got to do what's right for him, and he's put right the way it ended under Di Canio

Caddis was great today. will be sad if he goes back. but he's got to do what's right for him, and he's put right the way it ended under Di Canio

Nothing for him to "put right", the fault wasn't with him

Caddis was great today. will be sad if he goes back. but he's got to do what's right for him, and he's put right the way it ended under Di Canio

He’s got nowhere to go back to. It’s our offer or whatever else comes his way.

Nothing for him to "put right", the fault wasn't with him

put right as in a proper sendoff. it was never right the way he was bombed out by PDC.

Good afternoon out, thanks Flash, Jibber, Al and the Jutster   :pint: Flash's guts were active again  :cry:

On an aside, back to the Ginger Assassin.

He is now on 11 consecutive match scoring run, equalling the 89 year old record by Harry Morris.

If he scores in one more match he will obviously become the Swindon consecutive record holder but he will also be equal 2nd in the English and Bristish record books equal with Jimmy Dunne of Sheff Utd who managed 12 but still a few games behind the great Stan Mortensen who holds the English and British record of 15 consucutive scoring runs way back in 1951.

Messi hold the world record of 21 matches but Doyle is obviously never going to be able to get anywhere near that.

Congratulations Eoin, thats some record already.

I certainly never thought I'd see anyone get near Harry's record

I appreciate you’re setting the record straight, but there weren’t many who called out Dux at the time.

If he does notch against Vale and Plymouth, will the run end ahainst Bradford as he's ineligible?

Also penny for Kyle Knoyles thoughts. Step up indeed!

I appreciate you’re setting the record straight, but there weren’t many who called out Dux at the time.

Certainly enjoyed that more than last time we were at home on Boxing Day!

Also penny for Kyle Knoyles thoughts. Step up indeed!

Did what Grant did to get expelled from Shrewsbury ever come to light? Not that it matters I suppose

I assume knoyle is crocked, hence the no show yesterday

I'd missed that the club has requested it Reg. What was the rationale behind that?

From my dodgy memory I’m not sure about that. 

Pretty sure most people weren’t happy and could see who was in the wrong at the time. Problem was he bombed a player every week or 2 so it become the norm in a way.

I make yesterday our first home Boxing Day win since 06.  We haven't played too many games mind, due to the club requesting away fixtures, leading to 9 years in a row on the road.  That situation was one of the more bizarre matters STFC of recent years, as the fans assumed it was the usual FL treating the club like shit until it emerged we'd requested it.

One assumes that the cost of putting on a festive fixture outweigh the increased gate, which in this day and age isn't the bumper numbers of old, when the working man was desperate to get out of the house, or the missus's apron strings.  Now shopping seems to be the thing....

On the Shrews forum they hinted at him stealing from the club.

I agree.  Whole lot of people straight away saying how dumb that was.  

I recall the comparison being drawn was the way the club let Downsborough go.

I’m just grumpy because I can’t watch the Town today.

Was yesterday the first game this season we beat a team which started the day in the top half??

On the Shrews forum they hinted at him stealing from the club.

Nothing official has come out though and I doubt ever will.

Twas a great day indeed.

I thought it was for stealing a watch from another player, can't remember where I read that though

Great result.  And pretty good results elsewhere.

Possibly being unrealistic here but I was a bit disappointed with the attendance.

A little disappointing but still the highest attendance in league 2, even higher than 5 games in league 1.    Not sure if it's correct but according to the paper Numb only had a gate of 1,222,  even Macclesfield had a gate of 1,991 for the 'high flying' Grimsby - so could be much worse.

That was Tommy Miller talking about having his watch stolen by another player. Nowt to do with Grant

From my dodgy memory I’m not sure about that. 

Pretty sure most people weren’t happy and could see who was in the wrong at the time. Problem was he bombed a player every week or 2 so it become the norm in a way.

A little disappointing but still the highest attendance in league 2, even higher than 5 games in league 1.    Not sure if it's correct but according to the paper Numb only had a gate of 1,222,  even Macclesfield had a gate of 1,991 for the 'high flying' Grimsby - so could be much worse.
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Unless no Cheltenham fans turned up it's definitely not true as Plymouth would have had 1200+ there alone

From their OS:

ATTENDANCE: 5,192 (1,222 from Plymouth)

In all my 40 years of watch ‘U’s at Swindon, I’ve never seen them turned over with such ease. Sure Cambridge are a big athletic side, but realistically offer nothing. Maybe I’m being unfair as Swindon will turn over much better sides than Cambridge United.
One point I want to make is why Kyle Knoyle would want to leave Swindon for that shower! He could easily be playing for Swindon on their way to winning Div 1!

Swindon are decent enough, but we made that far too easy for them. They are no World beaters, but in a league of mediocrity they do stand out.

Every season, bar none, has people saying the league this year is piss poor. We have, obviously, improved leaps and bounds, but are we really only turning over a bunch of duds?.

This is our 3rd season in L2 and they all seem much of a muchness to me. Luton were a good side but didn’t even win the league. Lincoln bulldozered there way out of here. Exeter always try and play some decent stuff but ultimately run out of steam. The relegated teams from L1 are doing a passable impression of us in our first season. FGR and Numb just aren’t good enough.

Colchester are the ones to look out for.

I recon Plymouth too and Bradford with a decent run.

I'd only be slightly worried about Col U. they've got our number so far.

He is, out for a few games and with a few more still to go.

I'd only be slightly worried about Col U. they've got our number so far.

Beat us quite comprehensively at the County Ground,  the best team I have seen this season,  other than us of course.

They did, fair and square. They beat us with some sublime shithousery if my memory serves me right.

I'm hoping we'd have wised up to it a tad since.

I'm not going now! :)

which is why, as a club, we need to get promoted to pick up the larger away support.

Be interesting to see what an average season in L1 would do to our attendances next year.

In some cases the working man has been priced out of football - even at L2 level. £20 or £25 a ticket is bloody expensive.

Do a Bradford. STs work out at£6 per game. Never happen, though.

Now that would be good,   fill the ground every week,  ain't gonna happen though.  (Unfortunately).

In some cases the working man has been priced out of football - even at L2 level. £20 or £25 a ticket is bloody expensive.

Do a Bradford. STs work out at£6 per game. Never happen, though.

I noticed Reading V QPR was 12000 which isn't very good for a local championship game so 8200 really isn't bad considering there were very few Cambridge fans and not much of an attraction. Imagine if we had played Plymouth on Boxing Day the crowd would have been nearer to 12k or possibly more

You see i don't think this mythical 'we'll come if it's cheaper' crowd exists within the town

Agreed. Fitton tried bringing the ST prices right down a decade ago, and unfortunately the fans didn’t flock in to take up the offer.

It was a strange deal if I remember rightly though, we only got the discount once 6000 people purchased season tickets, the 6000 never happened though so neither did the full discount.
I imagine if we did what Bradford do and offered guaranteed £150 season tickets then we probably would end up with a decent uptake especially if the pay monthly option was still available. But to make it worthwhile and not make a loss we’d have to more than double the number of current season ticket holders which isn’t going to happen so the club are right with their approach.

which is why, as a club, we need to get promoted to pick up the larger away support.

Be interesting to see what an average season in L1 would do to our attendances next year.

alright stattonati, what's the most consecutive games scored in in the EFL?

I can find top flight easily enough (12, or 15 if you count the run excluding games not available due to injury)

Bring back the football special, that would boost away support.

Can’t remember my last Football Special. Wrexham, Carlisle maybe.

Was there one for that Mansfield game - the battle with Maggie’s boys n blue?

Can’t remember my last Football Special. Wrexham, Carlisle maybe.

Was there one for that Mansfield game - the battle with Maggie’s boys n blue?

The Wrexham one . . mm the less said the better.
Can remember going to Burnley, Pompey. The Stoke special was cancelled due to a train drivers strike but still an eventful trip.

There was one to Everton for an FA Cup replay - absolute bastards those scousers that night.

The Wrexham one . . mm the less said the better.
Can remember going to Burnley, Pompey. The Stoke special was cancelled due to a train drivers strike but still an eventful trip. Last one I went on was to Brizzzle city and stopped at Parsons Green.

The Wrexham one . . mm the less said the better.
Can remember going to Burnley, Pompey. The Stoke special was cancelled due to a train drivers strike but still an eventful trip.

Really makes you wonder why they ;) stopped the service doesn't it?

Imagine what stories Millwall fans who used specials would have!

Individual player consecutive scoring run in the EFL you mean? 10 by Eoin Doyle, nobody else has got close to that.

Really makes you wonder why they ;) stopped the service doesn't it?

In some cases the working man has been priced out of football - even at L2 level. £20 or £25 a ticket is bloody expensive.

Do a Bradford. STs work out at£6 per game. Never happen, though.

Individual player consecutive scoring run in the EFL you mean? 10 by Eoin Doyle, nobody else has got close to that.

all time record?

He is now on 11 consecutive match scoring run, equalling the 89 year old record by Harry Morris.

If he scores in one more match he will obviously become the Swindon consecutive record holder but he will also be equal 2nd in the English and Bristish record books equal with Jimmy Dunne of Sheff Utd who managed 12 but still a few games behind the great Stan Mortensen who holds the English and British record of 15 consucutive scoring runs way back in 1951.

Messi hold the world record of 21 matches but Doyle is obviously never going to be able to get anywhere near that.

Strange you mention that. British Transport Police are championing a return. Seems the more ‘energetic’ fans are annoying the regular passengers.

Or the ICF

How do think the ICF got their name ?

By specifically not using the specials?

Indeed, West Ham were banned from Football Specials in the mid 70s by the BTP hence they got on standard Inter City trains...which explains their nickname.

Pretty sure Man Utd was too, the most famous though of course are the ICF and the 657 crew, named after the train from Fratton at 6.57pm after home games.

6.57am was the train they caught for away games I think.

Indeed, West Ham were banned from Football Specials in the mid 70s by the BTP hence they got on standard Inter City trains...which explains their nickname.

not absolute tosh surely.

from what I've read that actively avoided football specials, and wore casual clothes to try and stay under the radar.

but they were named after the inter city train service.

The Inter City Firm that follows West Ham United, was named after the InterCity trains they travelled on. Named after the regular services they travelled on due to them being less heavily policed than football specials.

not absolute tosh surely.

from what I've read that actively avoided football specials, and wore casual clothes to try and stay under the radar.

but they were named after the inter city train service.
[/quote

Spot on the 6.57 firm were well known in the 80's onwards and many clips on YouTube to back it up

not absolute tosh surely.

from what I've read that actively avoided football specials, and wore casual clothes to try and stay under the radar.

but they were named after the inter city train service.