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Archived News from March 2004

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
14th March 2004 20:56


Before the 1957-58 season, Bury had spent the whole of their league life in the top two divisions – and even twice been FA cup winners, 1900 and three years later without conceding a goal – best league position 5th in the old first division as far back as 1925-26, just five years before the Stags' election to the League.

But in 1957-58, the Shakers found themselves in the third level of the last season of the old 3rd division set-up. And the first-ever league meetings between the teams were won by the Stags, 2-0 away on November 9, 1957 and 6-4 at Field Mill on April 19, 1958, the latter game being the one with most goals scored (Stags goals Barrie Thomas 3, Dennis Uphill, Stanley Keery and Charlie Mitten, attendance 10354).

Both teams were to be founder members of the old third division at the end of 1957-58 with Bury finishing fourth and the Stags just two ranks below. Since 1957-58, the stats at Field Mill have been quite even with one third of the games being drawn and just equal number of Stags and Bury wins with the Shakers winning three of the last four Field Mill fixtures before this season, the latest 5-1 on October 28, 1995 when a certain Phil Stant, stags top scorer with 26 goals in the 1991-92 promotion season, hit a brace for Bury. But it was not the only Bury 5-1 win in Stagsland, the first being played on January 16, 1960 and this was Sam Weaver's last game as Stags manager
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The biggest Stags win was a 5-0 on October 2, 1976 in the division 3 Championship season. Two goals apiece from Kevin Randall and John Miller, one from Paul Matthews completed the rout in front of 6516. And that during a period of nearly 25 years when the teams faced each other very frequently in the old third and fourth divisions, being relegated together in 1979-80. And in two cases of Bury old division four promotions, the Stags have been promoted the following season. This happened in 1974-75 and 1985-86 for the Stags. Furthermore, in the Stags two last promotion seasons, Bury have been relegated!

The teams have also faced each other twice in the FA Cup – and both seasons the Stags reached the 5th round!
In 1969-70, the Stags won a 1st round replay 2-0 after the first game at Gigg Lane had been drawn 2-2, and in the 1974-75 Championship season, the Stags won a 4th round encounter at Bury 2-1 (attendance there, 16623!).

Three of the Stags' four wins at Gigg Lane have been achieved by the score of 2-0. Here they are:

* The first-ever league fixture on November 9, 1957 in the last-ever division 3 (N) campaign. Two goals by Chapman (S), suspended by the Stags in 1964 in the wake of the then match-fixing scandal, contributed to the victory in front of 11895.

* Before the game at Gigg Lane on February 23, 1980, the Stags had failed to win away all season (four draws and eleven defeats) and slipped into the relegation zone due to a twelve-game winless streak (half of them draws) after a 2-1 win against Carlisle – of all teams! – on November 6, 1979. When the game at Bury was over, the Stags had smashed the nil in the away wins column to pieces with a 2-0, scorers Pollard and Austin, attended by 3606. This being the first and only Stags double in 1979-80. At the end of that season, Bury were relegated as well but hadn't been that if the three-points ruling had been in force then.

* The up-to-date latest league fixture at Bury was played on April 6, 1996. The Shakers were fighting auto promo while the Stags were lower mid-table. The home fixture (see above) was lost heavily. So the Stags were seeking revenge. Simon Wood and Steve Harper silenced the Shakers faithful by securing the Stags' last 1995-96 away win in front of 3600.

Earlier this season, the teams played a goal feast at Field Mill. In the end, the Stags ran out 5-3 winners, the killer punch delivered by Liam Lawrence four minutes from the final whistle to end Bury's dream of a point(for more details see the Stagsnet match report of that game). While the Stags need to come back after the catastrophe at Lincoln, Bury have notched five consecutive league draws, among them a very creditable 1-1 at Oxford some weeks ago despite a player being redcarded – and the last a goal-less one at their near-neighbours Rochdale. Bury have had off-the-field problems as well and that was the reason for a managerial change just before Christmas. Andy Preece left for Carlisle due to financial problems – not due to the club's results on the pitch - and was replaced by Graham Barrow. Latter was sacked by Wigan after a 2-6 trouncing done by the Stags on October 7, 1995 and was also Rochdale manager before Steve Parkin's first Rochdale managerial spell.

Played for both sides: Luther Blissett, Alfred Edmonds (1934-35 vintage Stags!), Dave Goodwin, Mark Kearney, Keith Kennedy, John Ryan, Phil Stant, Chris Withe.

Played for Stags, later managing Bury: Sam Ellis (managed the Shakers between April 1, 1989 and December 11, 1990). And the Sunderland 1973 FA Cup winner's manager, the late Bob Stokoe, managed Bury in two spells. Ian Greaves, the longest-ever serving Stags manager, was later coach at Bury.

Home stats: P 26, W 9, D 8, L 9, GF 40, GA 42
Away stats: P 25, W 4, D 8, L 13, GF 22, GA 37

Season Home Date Away Date

1957-58 6-4 1958-04-19 2-0 1957-11-09 Div 3 (N)
1958-59 0-2 1958-12-13 2-2 1959-04-28 Div 3 (old)
1959-60 1-5 1960-01-16 1-4 1959-09-05 Div 3 (old)
1967-68 1-1 1967-09-30 1-3 1968-02-10 Div 3 (old)
1969-70 3-1 1970-02-23 0-1 1969-09-30 Div 3 (old)
1970-71 1-0 1971-02-13 0-0 1971-01-23 Div 3 (old)
1972-73 1-1 1972-09-09 0-1 1973-01-27 Div 4 (old)
1973-74 1-2 1974-04-01 0-2 1974-01-27 Div 4 (old)
1975-76 1-1 1976-02-23 1-2 1975-09-23 Div 3 (old)
1976-77 5-0 1976-10-02 0-2 1977-03-12 Div 3 (old)
1978-79 3-0 1979-04-21 0-0 1978-12-30 Div 3 (old)
1979-80 1-0 1979-10-13 2-0 1980-02-23 Div 3 (old)
1980-81 2-0 1981-02-07 1-4 1980-09-13 Div 4 (old)
1981-82 1-1 1981-09-19 2-3 1982-01-30 Div 4 (old)
1982-83 1-4 1982-10-09 0-1 1983-02-19 Div 4 (old)
1983-84 1-1 1984-03-17 2-2 1983-10-08 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 0-2 1984-11-24 0-0 1985-04-20 Div 4 (old)
1986-87 1-3 1987-02-07 1-1 1986-09-16 Div 3 (old)
1987-88 0-0 1988-04-23 0-1 1987-11-03 Div 3 (old)
1988-89 1-1 1989-04-22 1-0 1988-09-24 Div 3 (old)
1989-90 1-0 1990-10-02 0-3 1989-09-16 Div 3 (old)
1990-91 0-1 1991-02-05 0-1 1990-09-22 Div 3 (old)
1993-94 2-2 1994-03-26 2-2 1993-10-02 Div 3
1994-95 0-2 1994-09-03 2-2 1995-03-25 Div 3
1995-96 1-5 1995-10-28 2-0 1996-04-06 Div 3
2003-04 5-3 2003-09-16 (at Field Mill) Div 3

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

Statistical updates courtesy of the Centenary book and some editions of Rothman's Football Yearbook. Bury managerial details courtesy of http://www.soccerbase.com

 

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