Archived News from December 2006
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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Swindon were the first team to play the Stags in a league fixture and also the first one to be beaten by them. This happened in the Stags' inaugural league fixture in the old division 3 (S) on August 29, 1931, when 12232 saw the Stags win 3-2 with Joe Readman netting the Stags' historic first League goal and Harry Broome the other two.
The Stags' line up then, courtesy of the centenary book, was as follows: Wilson, Clifford, England, Wake, Davis, Blackburn, Gilhespy, Readman, Johnson, Broome, Baxter, whule the Swindon team included a former Stag named Fred Laycock. The sides did not meet again until the 1937-38 season when the Stags were transferred back into the Southern section after a couple of seasons up north due to the relegation of Bradford City and the Stags' most recent FA Cup opponent, Doncaster Rovers. Again, the Stags won at Field Mill, this time around to the tune of 2-0 on October 23, 1937, when Crawshaw scored one of his 25 league goals that season, Sams netting his first of only two league goals in his short Stags career. Thence, the Stags had to wait 31 years and the 1968-69 FA Cup season for the next home win against Swindon, then flying high in the old Third Division, a few months later winning the League Cup as well as promotion. But on November 23, 1968, Dudley Roberts and Bob Ledger scored in a 2-0 victory in front of 5477, thus ending a miserable run with one point from five previous league games. Typically enough, the Stags also beat other promotion hopefuls as Watford, Luton and early pace-setters Bournemouth at Field Mill in the League that term. The 2-0 victory also ended a dreadful decade against Swindon at home as three consecutive home games were lost until a 2-2 draw on November 4, 1967, ending a run of six consecutive Stags league defeats. In the 1970's, the sides also clashed. In the 1975-76 season, the Stags won both games, and in 1976-77, a 1-0 win at Swindon, scorer Colin Foster on April 30, 1977, all but secured Stags promotion. One Swindon player then, Dave Syrett, went on to be the Stags' then record signing a few months later on the eve of the Second Division season. Swindon's latest victory at Field Mill was a 1-0 on November 11, 1978, scorer Bates. But half of the 20 previous league fixtures at Mansfield have been drawn. One of them, a fourth division fixture on April 19, 1986, ending 1-1, saw Swindon secure promotion. The Stags had to wait a few more days and a 4-0 Field Mill mauling of Hartlepool, featured in the Vintage Stags section, for their turn to be promoted. The sides last met in the 2002-03 season when both sides won their home game to a 2-1 scoreline. More details on these games are featured in the Match Centre. And more on some other games between the sides, including the Stags' inauguaral league games, are featured in the Vintage Stags sections. The clubs have never faced each other in any cup competition over the years. Played for both sides: Shayne Bradley, Frank Burrows, Colin Calderwood, Dave Caldwell, Michael Carter, Ray Clarke, Ted Dransfield, Fred Fisher, Jimmy Gauld, Michael Graham, Arthur Hetherington, Harry Keeling, Brian Kilcline, Fred Laycock, Martin Ling, Kenneth Mellor, Eddie Munnings, Iffy Onoura (later Swindon manager), Lee Peacock, Dave Syrett, Adam Willis. Managed both sides: Danny Williams (had two spells at Swindon, left the Stags for his second spell at Swindon in 1974), Andy King (managed Swindon until early on in the 2005-06 season but was in charge of the Stags when Leeds were KO'ed in the league cup in 1994-95). Home stats: P 20, W 6, D 10, L 4, GF 25, GA 24 Away stats: P 20, W 3, D 3, L 14, GF 21, GA 46. 1931-32 3-2 1931-08-29 2-5 1932-01-02 Div 3 (S) 1937-38 2-0 1937-10-23 3-3 1938-03-05 Div 3 (S) 1938-39 1-1 1939-02-25 2-1 1938-10-22 Div 3 (S) 1946-47 1-1 1946-10-26 1-6 1947-03-01 Div 3 (S) 1958-59 0-0 1959-04-13 1-2 1959-04-22 Div 3 (old) 1959-60 1-2 1960-03-28 1-2 1960-04-23 Div 3 (old) 1965-66 1-5 1966-04-16 2-6 1965-11-20 Div 3 (old) 1966-67 1-3 1967-04-24 1-3 1967-04-11 Div 3 (old) 1967-68 2-2 1967-11-04 1-1 1968-03-30 Div 3 (old) 1968-69 2-0 1968-11-23 0-1 1969-04-22 Div 3 (old) 1975-76 3-1 1975-12-06 2-0 1976-03-27 Div 3 (old) 1976-77 1-1 1976-11-27 1-0 1977-04-30 Div 3 (old) 1978-79 0-1 1978-11-11 0-1 1978-09-02 Div 3 (old) 1979-80 1-1 1979-11-10 1-2 1980-03-22 Div 3 (old) 1982-83 1-0 1983-03-05 0-4 1982-10-23 Div 4 (old) 1983-84 2-2 1983-11-26 1-1 1984-04-29 Div 4 (old) 1984-85 0-0 1984-09-29 0-1 1985-02-02 Div 4 (old) 1985-86 1-1 1986-04-19 1-2 1985-11-23 Div 4 (old) 1986-87 0-0 1986-11-08 0-3 1987-04-03 Div 3 (old) 2002-03 2-1 2003-03-15 1-2 2002-10-26 Div 2 Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) Some updates compared to the 2002-03 previews are courtesy of the centenary book and various editions of Rothmans Football Yearbook |
Latest | December 2006