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Crewe home preview

Postby Sweden Stag » Thu Mar 21, 2019 8:18 am

After the 1-1 home draw against Lincoln last Monday watched by over 7000 at headquarters and loads of TV viewers including the previewer himself, the Stags once again are at home. This time, the opponents are Crewe Alexandra, which we beat convincingly at their place to a 3-0 scoreline in late October 2018, so far being Crewe’s heaviest defeat at home. And the Railwaymen have won just twice on the road, less than any other League Two side, but their latest one could be crucial for the promotion and playoff race as this was by the only goal of the game at MK Dons two months ago.

Last season’s fixture between the sides at Mansfield belongs to the one which should be as quickly forgotten as possible due to a defensive horrow show, especially during the first half-hour. Enough printed. This also applies to the game between the sides at current League One level on August 31, 2002.

Following relegation from League One in 2016, Crewe have had two indifferent campaigns ending up finishing below mid-table. And their 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Stags at One Call Stadium aka Field Mill on January 7 2017, proved costly for Steve Davis inasmuch as it was to be his final game as Crewe boss. The following day, he was sacked by the Railwaymen (later in 2017, Davis also had to leave the Leyton Orient hot seat). At Crewe; Davis was replaced by Dave Artell, a former Stags and Crewe player whose career spanned 45 games for the Stags a little more than a decade ago, later on a member of the Crewe squad which beat Cheltenham to a 2-0 scoreline in the League Two playoff final in 2012. One year later, he was red-carded as a Wrexham player during the Stags’ final Conference fixture on April 20, 2013 which sealed the Stags’ FL return.

When the Stags gained their first-ever promotion in 1962-63, Crewe were promoted together in third position. In the 1990-91 campaign, the clubs were relegated together to the basement as well. The Stags’first home fixture in the Division Three 1963-64 campaign in which they were unbeaten at home and scored in every game was a 2-1 victory against Crewe on August 24, 1963, the opening day of that season. And the final game of the 1990-91 season was a Stags 3-0 defeat at Crewe.

When it comes to managers, the Crewe hot seat has been stable during the last three decades. Enter Dario Gradi after succeeding ex-Stags boss Peter Morris during the 1983 close-season, in which Crewe had had to seek re-election for the seventh time in twelve seasons. Gradi steadily built up the Crewe foundations, building up a reputation for nurturing home-grown players, of those several did reach even higher without naming one. Gradi managed over 1000 consecutive Crewe games in all competions, from the bottom half of current League Two to five seasons in current Championship during the first of two Crewe spells there from 1997-98 to 2005-06 interrupted by a League One season in which Crewe beat the Stags on four occasions, two of those in cup competitions, the first being an FA Cup game which was the first one for Keith Curle as Stags boss. Steve Davis was in charge for five years, succeeding Dario Gradi after a total of over 1300 fixtures managed by Gradi.

A proof of Crewe’s home-grown reputation was shown in a League One home fixture against Walsall on April 27, 2013, when the entire Crewe starting eleven were home-grown players. On the other hand, the Walsall line-up including subs then featured three players later to feature for the Stags: James Baxendale, Malvind Benning and Ashley Hemmings while former Stag Craig Westcarr came on as sub for the Saddlers.

Quite a few players have appeared for both sides. One of those, Darren Rowbotham, scored for Crewe against the Stags in 1994 while Gary Roberts (who played for the Stags a few years ago) was one of TWO Gary Roberts playing for Crewe in the 2007-08 season. The other Gary Roberts was red-carded when playing for the Spireites against the Stags over five years ago.

This season, Crewe have featured in several low-scoring games. The exceptions: a 6-0 home rout of Morecambe on the opening day of this season, then a few weeks later, being thrashed by the same scoreline at Colchester and a 6-1 home rout of Crawley last Saturday.

After a 4-0 victory at Crewe on December 16, 1972, the Stags did not win an away League game until August 24, 1974, when Scunthorpe were beaten by the only goal of the game. And between 1972 and 1984, the Stags won six out of seven games at Crewe. The other one was drawn during the 1973-74 season in which the Stags failed to win away and lost their unbeaten home record due to a 1-2 home reverse against Crewe on February 10, 1974. A few weeks later, Danny Williams left the Stags hot seat for Swindon and was replaced by Dave Smith.

While Crewe sit comfortably in lower mid-table, the Stags need to win this to keep a couple of sides below them at bay.

This season, two ex-Stags have featured for Crewe: Michael Raynes (five games) and Nicky Hunt in about a dozen league fixtures, while Nicky Ajose represented the Railwaymen in 2014-15, being their then League One top-scorer with eight strikes. That same season, Scott Shearer kept the Crewe goal twice.

Played for both sides: Nicky Ajose, Dave Artell, Andrew Barrowman, Lee Bell, Eric Betts, Keith Briggs, Harry Broome, Junior Brown, Andy Carr, Peter Clark (1960’s). Chris Clements (one FA Cup game for Crewe), Digger Daley, Colin Daniel, Len Featherby, David Goodwin, Ivan Hollett, Nicky Hunt, Harold Kay, Stanley Keery, Adam King, Phil Kite, Colin Little, John Meehan, John Moore, Frederick Morris, Adie Moses, Stuart Naylor, Vadaine Oliver, Gary Roberts, Darren Rowbotham, Scott Shearer, Aman Verma, Stuart Watkiss, Frank Watson, Andy White, Steve Wilkinson, Billy Yates.

Managed both sides: Peter Morris

Home stats: P 37, W 21, D 8, L 8, GF 87, GA 52
Away stats: P 38 , W 9, D 9, L 20 , GF 47, GA 64

Season Home Date Away Date

1932-33 4-0 1932-09-24 0-7 1933-02-04 Div 3 (N)
1933-34 4-1 1933-12-09 1-2 1934-04-21 Div 3 (N)
1934-35 4-1 1934-10-20 1-1 1935-03-02 Div 3 (N)
1935-36 1-1 1935-12-21 1-1 1936-04-25 Div 3 (N)
1936-37 1-4 1936-12-25 1-2 1936-12-28 Div 3 (N)
1947-48 3-1 1947-09-01 0-0 1947-08-27 Div 3 (N)
1948-49 5-1 1948-10-16 1-3 1949-03-12 Div 3 (N)
1949-50 3-0 1949-09-24 1-1 1950-02-04 Div 3 (N)
1950-51 4-1 1951-02-24 0-2 1950-10-07 Div 3 (N)
1951-52 2-1 1952-04-12 0-1 1952-04-23 Div 3 (N)
1952-53 3-0 1952-11-01 0-1 1953-03-21 Div 3 (N)
1953-54 6-0 1953-12-25 0-0 1953-12-26 Div 3 (N)
1954-55 4-2 1954-08-30 1-2 1954-08-25 Div 3 (N)
1955-56 1-1 1955-08-27 1-2 1955-12-24 Div 3 (N)
1956-57 2-1 1957-04-20 4-6 1957-04-27 Div 3 (N)
1957-58 2-1 1957-12-28 0-1 1957-08-31 Div 3 (N)
1960-61 1-1 1960-10-22 2-1 1961-03-11 Div 4 (old)
1961-62 1-1 1962-04-23 2-3 1962-04-20 Div 4 (old)
1962-63 2-2 1962-09-15 0-3 1963-05-08 Div 4 (old)
1963-64 2-1 1963-08-24 2-3 1963-12-14 Div 3 (old)
1968-69 2-1 1968-12-21 1-2 1968-10-18 Div 3 (old)
1972-73 5-1 1973-02-24 4-0 1972-12-16 Div 4 (old)
1973-74 1-2 1974-02-10 1-1 1973-09-22 Div 4 (old)
1974-75 0-0 1974-09-14 2-0 1974-12-26 Div 4 (old)
1980-81 4-1 1981-01-17 2-1 1980-11-29 Div 4 (old)
1981-82 0-1 1981-10-24 2-0 1982-03-13 Div 4 (old)
1982-83 1-0 1983-03-28 2-1 1982-10-01 Div 4 (old)
1983-84 3-3 1983-12-31 3-1 1984-05-07 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 0-2 1984-09-15 1-1 1985-01-26 Div 4 (old)
1985-86 2-2 1985-09-11 1-2 1986-04-11 Div 4 (old)
1989-90 2-1 1990-04-28 1-2 1989-10-11 Div 3 (old)
1990-91 1-3 1990-11-03 0-3 1991-05-11 Div 3 (old)
1991-92 4-3 1992-03-31 2-1 1991-09-13 Div 4 (old)
1993-94 1-2 1994-02-26 1-2 1993-09-04 Div 3
2002-03 0-5 2002-08-31 0-2 2003-01-01 Div 2
2016-17 3-0 2017-01-07 1-1 2016-10-01 League Two
2017-18 3-4 2018-04-07 2-2 2017-08-05 League Two
2018-19 (at Crewe) 3-0 2018-10-30 League Two

FA Cup

1995-96 0-2 1995-12-02 2nd round at Gresty Road
2002-03 0-3 2002-12-07 2nd round at Gresty Road

JPT Trophy

1994-95 2-2 1994-11-08 Group stage
2002-03 0-4 2002-10-22 1st round Northern Section

Could be a few goals if previous games are something to go by. Come on Mansfield!
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
Sweden Stag
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