Harrogate vs Swindon Town build up & matchday thread

[Nemo]

Right, 48 hours exactly until the start of the 2022/23 season with Town heading to Harrogate. I'm going to take the risk of starting the season on matchday thread duty and we'll see if I last even one game before being begged to stop. Swindon have one of the best records on the opening day of any of the 92, and Harrogate are amongst the favourites to go down at the bookies, so the stage is firmly set for a home win.

The Venue

In a division full of ludicrously named stadia, the EnviroVent Stadium is a particular highlight, sounding rather like a greenwashed rebrand of a fart. The stadium holds 5000 people, although only 1000 of those are seated, with 600 away fans. Town's last visit to the EnviroVent was a 4-1 win in April with braces from Louis Barry and Josh Davison.

The Opposition
Simon Weaver has been the manager of Harrogate since 2009, the kind of long term manager that you don't see much of these days. Their big name summer signing is Joe Mattock, who played with Angus MacDonald at Rotherham last season and has vast experience in the Championship but is now 32. They have plenty of experience with Rory McArdle (35), Warren Burrell (32), Mark Oxley (31) and Josh Falkingham (31) at the back, and an average age of 27 across the squad - Swindon have only four players older than the Harrogate squad average (Baudry, Gladwin, Williams and MacDonald), so this is a real clash of squad building styles. Let's hope that the men v boys cliche doesn't get rolled out tomorrow - or if it does, it's in the context of the boys showing the old men how it's done.

The Odds (Implied probability in brackets)
Harrogate win 12/5 (29%)
Draw 11/4 (25%)
Swindon win 23/20 (46%)

So then...

• What's the scoreline?
• What's your starting XI?
• Is it too soon to start panicking/celebrating?
• Will anyone be reading back before posting this season?

[donkey]

Haven't read back, but I think their squad is somewhat older than ours.

[stfctownenda]

1-3 to Swindon (McKirdy, Adeloye and Khan scorers)

Starting 11 - GK Ward, RWB Shade, LWB Hutton, RCB Brennan, CB MacDonald, LCB Clayton, DM Reed, CM Williams, CM Khan, FWD McKirdy, FWD Adeloye

Little too early to start celebrating but a promising start to the season and good away win which should hopefully give us good momentum ahead of the Salford clash at home the week after.

Right, 48 hours exactly until the start of the 2022/23 season with Town heading to Harrogate. I'm going to take the risk of starting the season on matchday thread duty and we'll see if I last even one game before being begged to stop. Swindon have one of the best records on the opening day of any of the 92, and Harrogate are amongst the favourites to go down at the bookies, so the stage is firmly set for a home win.

The Venue

In a division full of ludicrously named stadia, the EnviroVent Stadium is a particular highlight, sounding rather like a greenwashed rebrand of a fart. The stadium holds 5000 people, although only 1000 of those are seated, with 600 away fans. Town's last visit to the EnviroVent was a 4-1 win in April with braces from Louis Barry and Josh Davison.

The Opposition
Simon Weaver has been the manager of Harrogate since 2009, the kind of long term manager that you don't see much of these days. Their big name summer signing is Joe Mattock, who played with Angus MacDonald at Rotherham last season and has vast experience in the Championship but is now 32. They have plenty of experience with Rory McArdle (35), Warren Burrell (32), Mark Oxley (31) and Josh Falkingham (31) at the back, and an average age of 27 across the squad - Swindon have only four players older than the Harrogate squad average (Baudry, Gladwin, Williams and MacDonald), so this is a real clash of squad building styles. Let's hope that the men v boys cliche doesn't get rolled out tomorrow - or if it does, it's in the context of the boys showing the old men how it's done.

The Odds (Implied probability in brackets)
Harrogate win 12/5 (29%)
Draw 11/4 (25%)
Swindon 23/20 (46%)

So then...

• What's the scoreline?
• What's your starting XI?
• Is it too soon to start panicking/celebrating?
• Will anyone be reading back before posting this season?

[4D]

Harrogate 3-1 Swindon att: 3,168 (600 of us)

[MCRRed]

Right, 48 hours exactly until the start of the 2022/23 season with Town heading to Harrogate. I'm going to take the risk of starting the season on matchday thread duty and we'll see if I last even one game before being begged to stop. Swindon have one of the best records on the opening day of any of the 92, and Harrogate are amongst the favourites to go down at the bookies, so the stage is firmly set for a home win.

The Venue

In a division full of ludicrously named stadia, the EnviroVent Stadium is a particular highlight, sounding rather like a greenwashed rebrand of a fart. The stadium holds 5000 people, although only 1000 of those are seated, with 600 away fans. Town's last visit to the EnviroVent was a 4-1 win in April with braces from Louis Barry and Josh Davison.

The Opposition
Simon Weaver has been the manager of Harrogate since 2009, the kind of long term manager that you don't see much of these days. Their big name summer signing is Joe Mattock, who played with Angus MacDonald at Rotherham last season and has vast experience in the Championship but is now 32. They have plenty of experience with Rory McArdle (35), Warren Burrell (32), Mark Oxley (31) and Josh Falkingham (31) at the back, and an average age of 27 across the squad - Swindon have only four players older than the Harrogate squad average (Baudry, Gladwin, Williams and MacDonald), so this is a real clash of squad building styles. Let's hope that the men v boys cliche doesn't get rolled out tomorrow - or if it does, it's in the context of the boys showing the old men how it's done.

The Odds (Implied probability in brackets)
Harrogate win 12/5 (29%)
Draw 11/4 (25%)
Swindon 23/20 (46%)

So then...

• What's the scoreline?
• What's your starting XI?
• Is it too soon to start panicking/celebrating?
• Will anyone be reading back before posting this season?

1-2 to Swindon (McKirdy + Khan) (att: 3,454 - 589 Swindon)

Starting 11 - GK Brynn, RWB Shade, LWB Hutton, RCB Brennan, CB MacDonald, LCB Clayton, DM Reed, CM Williams, CM Khan, ST McKirdy, ST Adeloye

We go 1-0 down early on but grind them into submission with 80% possession and a winning goal from Khan midway into the second half. Jekyll & Hyde performance leaving us no closer to predicting the season

[Jimmy Quinn]

Harrogate 1 Swindon 1 (Att 2,390 590 Town fans)

[Audrey]

Piece of piss. 1-4

[theakston2k]

On the evidence of our preseason and looking at the their preseason where they’ve played 4 league 1 and Championship teams I fear they will be sharper than us so anything will be a bonus on Saturday.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Harrogate 1 Swindon 1 (Att 2,390 590 Town fans)

Currently out on the North Sea and not getting back to Southampton the early hours of Saturday morning. Touch and go but will be doing everything to get to the game.

Incredible my lad was in a bar the other night talking to a group of scousers, got introduced to one of them who “played for Liverpool” no other than Jan Molby.
Never knew Kingy was trying to bring him in to become Manager and Kingy was moving to DOF.

Spoke to him this Morning, a real gentleman and was loving the Swindon stories

[Audrey]

From today’s presser

Key bits from Lindsey:
- no injuries, everyone in training
- need to improve attacking and defending set pieces
- feels the squad is one striker light
- Harrogate are strong defending compact and on the counter
- team were too open against Cardiff, worked on it in training

Key points from Angus MacDonald:
- proud to be captain and thinks he can help to get more out of talented squad
- was happy to get 75 minutes against Cardiff
- confident ahead of Harrogate is game plan followed
- players looking to get promoted

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

Just very nervous about this squad and the short time it’s been put together.
We have lost some quality and can only hope the new additions are decent and hit the ground running.

2-1 Swindon.

[Jimmy Quinn]

Currently out on the North Sea and not getting back to Southampton the early hours of Saturday morning. Touch and go but will be doing everything to get to the game.

Incredible my lad was in a bar the other night talking to a group of scousers, got introduced to one of them who “played for Liverpool” no other than Jan Molby.
Never knew Kingy was trying to bring him in to become Manager and Kingy was moving to DOF.

Spoke to him this Morning, a real gentleman and was loving the Swindon stories

Great story Duke and the story of Kingy trying to lure Molby here never got leaked into the media. If the cruise ship is sailing down the East coast maybe jump over board near Scarborough and hitch a lift to Harrogate😀

[Super Hans]

Harrogate 1-3 Swindon.

Hope over expectation!

[Audrey]

Just very nervous about this squad and the short time it’s been put together.
We have lost some quality and can only hope the new additions are decent and hit the ground running.

2-1 Swindon.

Looking at JJ’s list of incomings, most clubs are in the same boat with multiple signings. That’s no excuse.

[JBZ]

1 - 1 (MacDonald - 73rd minute)

Att: 2,489

2 flares