Scunthorpe United v Torquay United - 30/11/13

[AustrianAndyGull]

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?

[Gullscorer]

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

Half a mo', Andy. I'm still only one third the way through trying to read your post..!! :~D

[AustrianAndyGull]

It's the abridged version Mick. It could have been a lot worse believe me but as I explained on another thread this week, I've lost my ying and yang for doing them of late so now they are just really token gestures if that.

[Gullscorer]

Well OK Andy, but you'll just have to be careful with those gestures... :na:

[Robiberto22]

Don't lose the hope guys - it'll get worse before it gets better!

Praying for a 0-0 or a 1-1 or anything that means we take a point back for Southend away!

Keep the faith peeps

[ferrarilover]

Southend at home?

Matt.

[Robiberto22]

Och Aye well spotted matt,

Lets bring a point back for the game VS Southend and try to build something ... like a knowledge of the fixture list lol

[bengull]

Having panicked myself into a frenzy in recent weeks, the point (and more importantly the performance) against Argyle was the encouragement I needed to know that all is not lost. Having asked for clarity on the situation from the board, I am grateful to have received it from Thea, and whilst it may not be the statement we were all hoping for, it is clear that we have to get behind our manager, and the players he chooses each week.

As has been stated throughout the week, this season's league is of such a poor quality that we are neither bottom, nor marooned in the bottom two by an insurmountable tally of points, therefore we have to hope that Knill can instil some consistency in our performances now, playing the same XI as against Plymouth will be a good start, I will be disappointed if this is not the case.

As I said in the aftermath of Tuesday, the manner of the performance was much better than the end result, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't start picking up points before Christmas. I am not saying lets go up country and batter Scunthorpe, but we can't afford to let the Argyle match be an anomaly in a prolonged period of struggle and discontent. We have to show some signs of building on Tuesday's point on Saturday.

It is a new ground for me so am looking forward to the day out. Horror stories of previous visits don't feel me with optimism, but records are made to be broken. We played extremely well on Tuesday and if we play with that same sort of intent, fluidity and purpose we have every chance of getting a result. Lose, and its not the end of the world though.

[Gullscorer]

I suppose a point here would be regarded as a creditable result, but I think we can win this. Tactics was discussed on another thread as to whether we should sometimes play for draws in matches. Of course tactics may change from game to game depending on the nature of the opposition and even during the course of a game, but games would be pointless (pun not intended) unless teams always play to win. And this game is certainly winnable. We have players who are as capable as those in most squads in the division, and they have recently shown that they are capable of playing as an effective team and can compete confidently with other teams. If we now demonstrate those capabilities consistently, we will surely begin to move up the table.

[brucie]

Basically we will only move up the table if we start winning - something we have failed miserably to do all season.
We need a point minimum at Scunthorpe preferably three. Crap sides like Exeter and Accrington have won there and we have to do the same. Lose again and things will be looking even bleaker.
Some how up till now we have managed to keep out the bottom two but thats changed. We simply cannot afford for results to carry on as they are - we have to start getting some wins.

[wodger of awabia]

Having panicked myself into a frenzy in recent weeks, the point (and more importantly the performance) against Argyle was the encouragement I needed to know that all is not lost. Having asked for clarity on the situation from the board, I am grateful to have received it from Thea, and whilst it may not be the statement we were all hoping for, it is clear that we have to get behind our manager, and the players he chooses each week.

As has been stated throughout the week, this season's league is of such a poor quality that we are neither bottom, nor marooned in the bottom two by an insurmountable tally of points, therefore we have to hope that Knill can instil some consistency in our performances now, playing the same XI as against Plymouth will be a good start, I will be disappointed if this is not the case.

As I said in the aftermath of Tuesday, the manner of the performance was much better than the end result, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't start picking up points before Christmas. I am not saying lets go up country and batter scunthorpe, but we can't afford to let the Argyle match be an anomaly in a prolonged period of struggle and discontent. We have to show some signs of building on Tuesday's point on Saturday.

It is a new ground for me so am looking forward to the day out. Horror stories of previous visits don't feel me with optimism, but records are made to be broken. We played extremely well on Tuesday and if we play with that same sort of intent, fluidity and purpose we have every chance of getting a result. Lose, and its not the end of the world though.

Looking forward to the Southend game & the new "spot the loan " raffle tickets that will be on sale,

[wodger of awabia]

Basically we will only move up the table if we start winning - something we have failed miserably to do all season.
We need a point minimum at scunthorpe preferably three. Crap sides like Exeter and Accrington have won there and we have to do the same. Lose again and things will be looking even bleaker.
Some how up till now we have managed to keep out the bottom two but thats changed. We simply cannot afford for results to carry on as they are - we have to start getting some wins.

Yes, with 28 more games to play & 35 points to get ( to reach 50 points, which is normally enough to stay up ) it works out at 1.25 points per game, we need to win one game in every two,or win one & draw one every three games to better this, two draws in a row are not good enough. Of course things will improve dramatically if we can win two or three on the trot.

[Gullscorer]

We will win all our December games and Alan Knill will be named Manager of the Month.

[Rjc70]

On 30th October it was reported that we had extended O'Connor's loan for a further month. Is he still with us for Saturday?

[oxgull]

I would hope that after Tuesday's improved performance we can get something up there but it won't be easy. All we have is hope COYYSSSSS