Scunthorpe United v Torquay United - 30/11/13

[Glostergull]

The Gulls head to North Lincolnshire looking to build on the encouraging 1-1 draw with the green slime on Tuesday evening. Alan Knill returns to his former stomping ground and looks to make it 2 wins out of 2 against former clubs this season.

Scunny had a cracking 4-0 away win at the Dale on Tuesday night and are seated firmly in the play offs. They have had a few bizarre results this season but then again so have we all so I believe we can get a win here if we give 100% for the full 90 minutes.

I've been to Scunny a thousand times having been born and raised just a few miles south west in Doncaster, one night sticks in my mind when I went with a load of school mates over Christmas where we all wore Santa Hats with bells on and costumes and I wore a Donny Rovers shirt (then sponsored by the Free Press) which I had been given whilst a triallist at Rovers. Played with Colin Douglas, the Snodin brothers, Brian Deane, Mark Rankine et al. Great night and it was 0-0.

I took my driving theory test in Scunny and passed first time of course, I had a girlfriend from Scunny, least I think she was a girl.

They had a mascot (and may still do) called Scunny Bunny and being the Ace Ventura of UK wild and domestic animals, I once made up a song about the Scunny Bunny having myxomatosis and subsequently he was then known as Scunny 'Mixy' Bunny to the York fans who I was with. Oh great days. Although having seen plenty of poor lagomorphs suffer the horror of this disease I have to say that it is a chant I am not proud of. Listen rabbit owners, get the Myxi and VHD jabs from your vets, pay the exorbitant sum and then leave the surgery effing and blinding at what thieving gits Vets really are but console yourself that you have the peace of mind that your fluffy pal is covered. I'll make you upset again though when I tell you that the vets buy in the vaccines for pennies so when you pay £50 for a course of vaccinations you are actually paying for a vaccine that is bought in at cost price for about 90p. All they do is subcutaneously stick the needle in. I am veterinary trained to do this so if anyone has a dog, cat, rabbit or ferret they want vaccinating and they can buy the vaccine on the cheap then i'll do it for free and save you a load of cash.

Anyway, after the game me and a mate drove a battered old transit to the North York Moors as I was renting a house near Pickering and had gone to the match mid-move!

Glanford Park is a piece of p*ss to get to, off the M180 onto a short motorway called the M181 and dubbed the most pathetic motorway in the country due to it being as long as my willie. The M181 ends at a roundabout, go round it and Glanford Park is on your right. There is a large car park at the club for both home and away fans although I don't know the cost and there is a retail park over the road plus a chain pub thingy. There is a club bar at the ground but I'm fairly sure it used to be home fans only.

The ground is the usual standard identikit type of stadium but I've always got the feeling the seats are a little low down like at Vale Park. The view is not as good as Vale Park as I remember although I've not been for a few years.

I'll be going as it is 15 minutes from my mums house near the border of Yorks / Lincs and it is technically the 4th nearest game to my house other than Burton, Mansfield and Chesterfield. I'll be singing and encouraging but one thing is most definite - THE DRUM IS CONSIGNED TO THE ARCHIVES OF ANDY'S RIDICULOUS IDEAS. A file of stupid infantile well meaning ideas that ultimately failed miserably to the point of embarrassment like the drum playing incident at Accrington. I'm a bit odd therefore I can get away with it.


So, i'll leave it up to you guys. What do you think about this game?

That wasn't the bunny that had beans on toast mixed up with marmalade on toast. He died of Mixing his toasties

[Richinns]

Call me crazy but I have gone for a 2-1 win for us. I think this PR stunt of squirrel gate might take the emphasis away from the actual football and we will turn them over.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Complacency. We need to exploit this. They have no manager and spanked Rochdale 4-0 away on Tuesday. They will be looking at our form and league position and hopefully thinking they can get a relatively easy victory.

[Plymouth Gull]

Alternatively, they have a bloke in charge who has won at Portsmouth and Rochdale, and is throwing his hat into the ring for the job fulltime if he keeps that up..

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yes, that is another way of looking at it.

[AustrianAndyGull]

£21 to get in tomorrow and it is not a great view of the action. £3 for the car park apparently too.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Interesting that Scunny have beaten 4 teams at home, Mansfield, Hartlepool, Cheltenham and Plymouth all to nil and all teams we have labelled 'pub side' 'the worst side ever to have visited plainmoor' and Cheltenham who we beat 4-2. They were mullered 4-0 by Exeter and got a 1-1 with Newport. Last time out they were on the receiving end of a tactical masterclass by Accy boss James Beattie according to his programme notes for our game there. He basically said that hard work and endeavour stunted the home team and they were afforded more and more opportunities at goal, two of which were taken in a 2-0 victory.

Last time out Scunny won 4-0 at Dale but only sealed the game with a second goal, a penalty after the hosts had been reduced to 9 men. They then added a further two late goals for a flattering 4-0 win.

I reckon we can win this one you know and i'm changing my prediction league post from a 3-0 loss to a 2-1 win. They have scored just 8 goals at home but have only conceded 8 so it could be a 0-0 but sod it. I'm happy at a Knill revenge victory at 2-1. Stockley nailed on to net on debut and Chappell to get back on the scoresheet.

Iron caretaker boss Russ Wilcox will be looking for a good result to cement his credentials for the job full time and having played against him a few times during my YTS years at Hull City (at least I think it was him?! ). I know he is a tough nut to crack and will have them well drilled and battle hardened. We just need to match them for endeavour like Accrington did and then hopefully tae our chances when they come. I'm not expecting a pretty open game, i'm expecting a dour midfield battle and whoever takes the chances when they come wins. I could be wrong and either way i'm looking forward to it.

I can be home in under an hour! WHAAAHAY!!!!

Don't like Glanford Park, soulless tiny pokey ground with a rubbish view, a crappy retail park opposite and a chain pub called The Old Farmhouse next to it. Dull. In fact if you are a trainspotter then there is a line at the back of the ground where you could perhaps watch the locomotives go by.

COME ON LADS!! LET'S SMASH THESE AND REVIVE OUR SEASON!!! COYY!!!

[RussianGull]

21 quid? Bloody hell. Have to dig out my student card and hope they don't look at it too much.

I live the other side of Lincoln so will definitely be coming. Hoping for a win, settling for a draw. The Alan Knill squirrel story has been getting a lot of press round here so expect lots of squirrel costumes tomorrow.

COYY

[AustrianAndyGull]

Are you Wragby way Russian? I went to Uni in Lincoln and know the area well.

[RussianGull]

Nah, we're in Sleaford, some 25 minutes south of Lincoln. First time to Scunny mind.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Oh, well you'll probably drive up the A15 north of Lincoln to get to Scunny. I was based at Riseholme Agricultural Campus of Lincoln Uni which is just off that road. Just before you get to the Lincolnshire County Showground and RAF Scampton. If you get lucky you might see the Red Arrows! I used to see them nearly every day at Uni. Remarkable.

Hope you have good day anyway Russian and see a Gulls win!!

[RussianGull]

The Reds used to be based at Cranwell which is a stones throw from here so quite accustomed to the red arrows, quite a lot of people from round here go to Riseholme at some point, I escaped it and returned to Devon for 4 fantastic years but by all accounts Riseholme is top notch for agriculture stuff. Might bump into you lot, doubt there'll be many of us, mostly exiles I'd imagine... long trip from Devon. COYY

[AustrianAndyGull]

Also Scunny defender Andy Dawson is more or less ruled out of this game due to picking up and injury midweek prompting Russ Wilcox to draft in loanee pigs defender and Donny lad Marcus Williams who will probably play tomorrow and has not played a first team game since August. He's from Donny, he's got to be f*cking useless like me!

The city is ours!

WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS! WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS!!

WE'RE TORQUAY UNITED! WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS!!

[AustrianAndyGull]

The Reds used to be based at Cranwell which is a stones throw from here so quite accustomed to the red arrows, quite a lot of people from round here go to Riseholme at some point, I escaped it and returned to Devon for 4 fantastic years but by all accounts Riseholme is top notch for agriculture stuff. Might bump into you lot, doubt there'll be many of us, mostly exiles I'd imagine... long trip from Devon. COYY

Yeah, I knew a lass from Ruskington. Riseholme and Brayford are welcoming campuses for sure but if you want a decent education avoid them.

[chardie]

13 Rice
02 Tonge
21 Cruise
36 Mozika
29 O'Connor
04 Downes
20 Craig
07 Mansell
26 Benyon
16 Marquis
12 Chapell

Substitutes

01 Poke
05 Pearce
09 Hawley
10 Bodin
17 McCourt
19 Stockley
31 Sullivan