The opponent: Carlisle United
It would seem another 5-0 home thrashing has left most of us in good spirits, although it seems Sir William Patey’s comments have burst a few bubbles, depending on how you take what he said. I think the BBC and The Adver have pretty much filled up a week of media picking bits from 1 interview and giving each bit a different headline. Yawn. Personally I think its time Morshead recruited the TEF’s own man in the know, Tans. A once a week column named ‘Tans Scans’, where he reports on all of the latest transfer rumours and gossip relating to everything STFC, with a large chunk of bollocks thrown in for good measure would be a winner for me. My money would be on Tans uncovering an exclusive before Sam. Carlisle away this season was a truly dreadful experience. We managed to get as far as the Morecambe Bay turn off on the M6 and its 2.55pm. Heard via Mrs Rosso that there was to be no delay to the kick off, so we drove most of the way back to SN5 with my phone on loudspeaker and my daughters mobile next to the kitchen radio tuned in to BBC Wilts back at home. The sound quality was appalling, but just about listenable, thank god for 200 free minutes! Thankfully we were going to pay on the day, so the losses were minimised, although the Burger King on the M6 must have had at least the cost of 1 ticket out of us.
With a population of around 75’000, ‘The Border City’ lies just 10 miles south of the Scottish border. By the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Carlisle was part of Scotland and was not recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. This changed in 1092, when William the Conqueror’s son William Rufus invaded the region, kicked some arse, and incorporated Cumberland and with it Carlisle into England. Cheers Bill Jnr. The history of Cumbria and the changing of hands between us and the Scots are quite incredible and well worth a read if you get a chance! In recent times, back in January 2005, the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril burst their banks due to as much as 180 mm rainfall up stream that day. 1,700 homes were flooded and three people died. The city's police and fire stations were flooded along with Brunton Park football stadium, which many of us may remember the images of the pitch literally submerged in water up to the cross bar. The police, fire service and Carlisle United were relocated, the latter as far as Morecambe. At the time of the flood emergency services had to respond to cases of arson and looting in the city. What a lovely bunch!
Formed in 1904, Carlisle is the smallest location, by population, to have had a resident top flight English football club since 1906. Carlisle United have produced some real footballing gems down the years, including Steve Harkness, Peter Beardsley, Matt Janson, and freak throw himself, Rory Delap. One of my favourite football quotes has to be from the Carlisle chairman Michael Knighton who once said, “I believe in a Methuselah, Frankenstein, alien beings, flying saucers and the hand of God. But, most of all, I believe in on-loan goalkeepers from Swindon who score goals in the dying seconds”. Brilliant. A few famous faces hail from the area, including Blue Peter’s Helen Skelton, Norwich Striker Grant Holt, Ex Emmerdale blart Roxanne Pallet, and haulage king, Eddie Stobart.
What are they saying about us? –
“Swindon scored 5 in last two games so I'll gan for a 2-1 victory for Blues.
Miller & Berrett to score.
228 Sheepshaggers in attendance”
“.Tomorrow will be similar to Peterborough away a few seasons ago.
Swindon 6 Carlisle 0
They will have about 47 shots.”
http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=121&fid=18&sty=2&act=1&mid=2113507366SHEEPSHAGGERS 
Carlisle United Last 6 – LLLWWL (Currently 17th in League 1 on 29 points)
The Threat – Ex Watford striker Joe Garner currently leads the way for Carlisle with 8 goals in 21 games, could be a bit feisty (or clumsy) having picked up 4 yellows so far this season.
A Warm Welcome Too – John Paul McGovern. I remember JP for a few reasons. Firstly the goal against Franchise which started his one decent season with us, but oddly I seem to remember his mum constantly popping up on BBC Wilts (breakfast, drive show, sports bulletins, news) before the 2010 Play Off Final v Millwall telling us she had never seen her son lose a game, or something to that effect. So she made her way down with the rest of the McGovern Clan to Wembley, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The irrelevant stats – So far this season, Carlisle have played 12 games away from home and have conceded on 15 occasions. Encouragingly, they have failed to keep a clean sheet away from home this season. One thing I did notice is their home form, they have let in 29 goals at home in just 13 games!
Head to Head – Out of the 39 times we have met each other the outcome has been Swindon 11 Wins, Draws 19 and Carlisle 9 wins
The Odds – Swindon 8/15 Draw 3/1 Carlisle 5/1 (Bet365) First goalscorer odds look very similar and somewhat predictable. If you fancy James Collins to continue his goalscoring exploits with the first goal, best price is just 4/1. If you fancy the returning McGovern to score 1st then shop around as BetFred will only give you 12/1 whereas Bet365 will give you 22/1.
The Son Says – See what I did there? He seems to be taking his new found responsibility of secondary scoreline predictor very seriously. After much (and I mean much) umming and arring, he has gone for consistency and plumped for another 5-0 slaying. I hope and pray he is right as I have cash riding on it (55/1 at Coral).
The Prediction – I am plumping for a 3-1 home victory, with goals from Ritchie, Collins and Martin in front of 8’881 with 133 from Carlisle.
And Finally – Her Majesty’s Theatre in Carlisle was the first Theatre ever to be lit by Electricity in 1880. The theatre finally closed down in 1963, and to this day the people of Carlisle still have no main theatre to go to. Can we not give them the Wyvern?
