* The unofficial "Official" Boro v Mansfield Town FA Cup 3rd Round Matchday Thread and Programme *

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Its that time again........



Its time to take some of that momentum from our league performances and inject it into a good FA Cup run.

The magic of the FA Cup is still there for all us excitable fans. Whilst rich owners of Premier League clubs and whinging Managers bemoan the strain on their expensive assets - we dig out the scarves, rosettes and rattles and get ready for a good day out.

This time its Mansfield - we havent played them often throughout our histories. But they have a habit of upping their games in cup competitions. Like most lower-league sides, they are physical and direct [That means long ball]. Nigel clough has done a good job stabilising the Stags since he arrived: they were heading for non-league [like Notts County] - with an unbalanced side of players from here, there and everywhere. They dont have a lot of money to spend - but like any sensible club these days - they find goos prospects from local league clubs and from other professional clubs, such as Forest, Sheffield United, Leicester City, Derby [oh yes] and elsewhere. So lets get on with it>>>>

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It may seem unkind, but not being too well known - Mansfield is in the English East Midlands - a landlocked region comprising the Cities of Derby, Nottingham, Lincoln and the towns of Buxton, Chesterfield, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Hinckley, Melton Mowbray, Loughborough, Skegness and Matlock.

The Boro Record:





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The Home of Mansfield Town - Field Mill

"The oldest professional football ground in the world"!

History - Mansfield Town

www.mansfieldtown.net

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Field Mill (now known as One Call Stadium)

Mansfield Town's Field Mill ground, now known as the One Call Stadium, is the oldest professional football ground in the world.
Field Mill has been used as a football ground since 1861 (and as a cricket ground for a few years before that).

The Sandygate Road ground in Sheffield, which was first used in 1860, is the oldest football ground in the world. It is currently used by Hallam FC. Bramall Lane, the current home of Sheffield United, was first used as a football ground in 1862 (though like Field Mill, was used as a cricket ground for a few years before that).

One Call Stadium is therefore the oldest football ground in the world that hosts professional football. It is also the oldest football ground in the Football League.

Field Mill staged the first competitive match to be played under artificial light in this country when the North Notts League Senior Cup final was played at Field Mill under floodlights in 1930.

National exposure for the stadium was gained in 1998, with the first match ever played with a new yellow fluorescent ball took place.

The first football team to be formed in Mansfield was the Greenhalgh's XI, founded in 1861 for the employees of Herbert Greenhalgh's cotton doubling business, which was based at Field Mill. The Field Mill itself was a five-storey building between Quarry Lane and Portland Street.

The building was badly damaged by fire in 1904 and lay derelict until demolished in 1925. The mill pond, sitings for the waterwheel (at 40 feet in diameter believed to be the biggest in Britain) and the mill manager's home (which became the Early Doors pub and then an Indian restaurant) still survive today.

On the opposite side of Quarry Lane to the mill was a field which, as part of the mill complex, was used for the works cricket team and, from 1861, was also used in the winter months for the newly formed football team. At this time, the field was known as Greenhalgh's Ground. Later, it was to be known as the Mill Field, and from around 1885 as Field Mill.

 

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Big Read: Simon Coleman discusses his early days at Mansfield Town and how he never felt good enough for Sheffield Wednesday

Walking through the door at Mansfield Town as a young teen, Simon Coleman knew his dreams had already come true.

www.chad.co.uk

Floodlights on:

Simon Coleman

Big Read: Simon Coleman discusses his early days at Mansfield Town and how he never felt good enough for Sheffield Wednesday​

Walking through the door at Mansfield Town as a young teen, Simon Coleman knew his dreams had already come true.​

By Stephen Thirkill
Thursday, 28th May 2020, 10:28 am
Updated Thursday, 28th May 2020, 2:25 pm

Coleman had grown up watching Stags and, like any boy, had always dreamed of following his heroes into the pro game.

But what the talented Worksop-born youngster could never have imagined was that he would one day make the leap from the playing fields all the way up to the big leagues.

“I just went to Mansfield as a kid and I signed a pro deal in 1984, it was happy times,” he said.

“It was something I always wanted to do and it was a local club, so it was perfect.

“I always wanted to be a pro. I didn’t go to many games, but I always remember going to watch the Mansfield game against Spurs as a kid.

“When I signed I thought how I had a chance to make it if I did things right.”

The no-nonsense centre-back began learning his trade under legendary manager Ian Greaves.

But it is one other Mansfield Town icon who Coleman credits for helping kick-start his career, which would eventually see him play 475 competitive games in the Football League and Premier League.

“Mansfield was a great grounding,” he added. “You think of how good a manager Ian Greaves was, you think of Billy Dearden, and playing alongside George Foster.

“I was speaking to Peter Reid three years ago and he was saying how Ian Greaves was the best manager he ever had.

“When you think he played under Bobby Robson for England and Howard Kendall, who won the top division, it makes you realise what a great manager he was.

“He was brilliant for me, but so was Billy Dearden. If it wasn’t for Billy I would probably have been released in 1987.

“Billy backed my corner. I remember at the end of that season, the club had got to Wembley and had a bit more money and Billy was saying to the manager to give me another year.

“Ian Greaves said it was half and half if he was gonna give me another year and if it wasn’t for Billy he would probably have released me.

“I got in the team for the first game of the 1987/88 season and never looked back. Billy backed me and it all turned around.

“I remember playing Boston in pre-season in 1987, everything clicked, I was winning tackles, headers and it just spiralled from that game.

“I only missed two games that season through injury.”

His breakthrough came a season too late for him feature in Mansfield’s historic 1987 Freight Rover Trophy final win.

But there were many more big games ahead for Coleman, with his commanding performances beginning to attract the attention of what would now be Championship sides.

“I was doing well and I knew people were watching and there were clubs interested,” said Coleman, who now works as a teacher at Forest Town’s Garibaldi School.

“I used to sneak into the office on a match day and ask the girl which scouts were going to be at the game.

“You hear the rumours and I had an idea. George pulled me in the office in June 1989 and offered me a new contract.

“He basically said if I didn’t sign I would probably move on anyway, I think they just wanted me to sign so they would get a bit more money.

“I never signed. I knew I had one year left and I moved on in September that season.”

After making 96 appearances for Mansfield, Coleman joined Second Division Middlesborough in 1989 under Bruce Rioch for £500,000 as a replacement for Gary Pallister.

In his first season at Ayresome Park, he was thrust straight into a relegation battle with Boro avoiding relegation by just two points.

The season also saw Coleman suffer Wembley heartache following a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the old Zenith Data Systems Cup final.

Reflecting on the move, Coleman said: “It was a lot of money when you think the transfer record fee in England at the time was £2.3m.

“At the time it was a good career move, they were a good team.

“You look back now and think we had a bit of success in getting to Wembley and we got to the play-offs before I moved on again.

“It was good, the cup got a lot of publicity back then. It was sold out at Wembley as it was a big thing.

“It was a pity we lost but it was a great experience.”

After 70 appearances over three seasons for Championship promotion hopefuls Derby County, Coleman made it to the big time with a fairytale move to Sheffield Wednesday.

But it was a move which Coleman admits came with career setbacks as he struggled to adjust to rubbing shoulders with a star-studded squad, featuring the likes of Chris Waddle, David Hirst, John Sheridan and Chris Woods.

“I joined in 1993/94 just after they had lost the cup finals,” he said. “They had a team full of internationals and it was unbelievable.

“To be honest I was in awe of them. I had gone from not being a regular at Derby to Sheffield Wednesday, who were at the top end of the Premier League when I signed for them.

“It was like ‘is this really happening? I did alright, it was more of a confidence thing, I just kept thinking ‘I shouldn’t be here.’

“After the initial couple of months I probably lost a bit of confidence. I was playing out of position and did a job, but that was it.

Coleman departed Hillsborough and headed to Championship side Bolton Wanderers under his former Boro boss Bruce Rioch for the 1994/95 season.
And it was a move which the former Chesterfield Academy coach believes helped him re-discover his best form.


“I went to Bolton as one of the main players and it totally changed my confidence,” he said.

“We had a good team and had a really good run in the first season.

“Wednesday are a massive club and it made a difference going back to the Championship.

“If I described myself as a player it would be as a top Championship player and someone who can hold my own in the Premier League.

“When I went to Boro, Bruce Rioch left and that had an impact. Bruce reminded me of Ian Greaves.

“You couldn’t do anything out of line, he knew the players' movements and I took my foot off the gas a little.

“Bruce re-signed me for Bolton and those games I played for Bolton were probably the best I have played in my career.

“Just having Bruce behind me gave me the confidence.”


After 100 games for Southend, and a brief stint at Rochdale, Coleman called time on his career in 2002.

And, while he ponders what he could maybe have done differently to have played for longer at the top level, it is a career which he massively enjoyed.
“I don’t regret anything in my career, I just wonder what I could have done better,” he said.

“You sit back and reflect. I fulfilled a dream but did not fulfill my potential and I look back and I would have done some things differently.

“The money you get now is stupid, but I enjoyed my time playing, I had a great experience with football and all that goes with it.”

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Match Preview

Courtesy Sportsmole: https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/footba...ough-prediction-team-news-lineups_474570.html

Preview: Mansfield Town vs. Middlesbrough - prediction, team news, lineups​

By Olly Allen | 1h

Mansfield Town and Middlesbrough will put on hold their respective playoff pushes when they meet in the FA Cup third round at Field Mill on Saturday.

Both sides are in excellent form, with the Stags currently ninth in League Two and Boro currently seventh in the Championship.

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Match preview​

© Reuters

Mansfield have not played since a 3-2 win over Hartlepool United on Boxing Day – their fifth consecutive victory.

Nigel Clough's side have won 10 of their last 11 matches in all competitions, a run which has seen them rise from League Two's relegation zone to three points behind the playoffs.

No team in the fourth tier have picked up more points on home turf this season and the Stags have won their last six games at Field Mill; not losing there since the start of October.

Mansfield have knocked out League One sides Sunderland and Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup so far this campaign, but have only progressed past the third round once in the last 34 years.

That occasion came in 2008 when they faced Middlesbrough in round four – the most recent meeting between the two sides – and Gareth Southgate's Boro team won 2-0 at Field Mill.

© Reuters

The Teessiders were a Premier League outfit back then and fans are dreaming of a return to the top flight under Chris Wilder, who has lost just once in eight games since succeeding Neil Warnock at the start of November.

Boro are only one point behind the Championship top six after winning five of their last six matches; only Blackburn Rovers have picked up more points in the second tier since Wilder's arrival at the Riverside.

A New Year's Day reunion with Sheffield United was postponed due to positive Covid-19 tests in the Boro squad, meaning the team's last outing was a 2-1 away victory at Blackpool on December 29 when Duncan Watmore struck a 93rd-minute winner.

However, Middlesbrough, who have been knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup in each of the last two years, have not won back-to-back away matches so far this season.

Mansfield Town FA Cup form:

• W v Sunderland
• W v Doncaster Rovers

Mansfield Town form (all competitions):

• L
• W
• W
• W
• W
• W

Middlesbrough form (all competitions):

• W
• W
• D
• W
• W
• W

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Team News

© Reuters

Two unnamed Mansfield players have been ruled out of the game after testing positive for Covid-19, but Nigel Clough has the majority of his squad available again after recent postponed matches.

Harry Charsley, George Lapslie and Stephen Quinn are all back in training following recent injuries; Charsley completed 90 minutes in a friendly against Derby County Under-23s on Tuesday.

Top scorer Danny Johnson, who has been absent since the end of October with a foot injury, also played in the game and will be assessed ahead of the cup tie.

Chris Wilder is expected to rotate for the trip to Field Mill and could hand rare opportunities to the likes of Grant Hall and Martin Payero.

Aaron Connolly will be eager to make his debut after signing on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, but James Lea Siliki is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon.

Youngsters such as Josh Coburn, who has just signed a new contract, as well as Sol Brynn and Nathan Wood, who have just returned from loan spells away, may be given the chance to impress.

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:
Bishop; Hewitt, Rawson, Hawkins, McLaughlin; Stirk, O-Toole, Maris; Charsley, Bowery, Oates

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Fry, Hall, Wood; Dijksteel, Malley, McNair, Payero, Kokolo; Coburn, Connolly

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Roofies prediction: 3-1 Boro

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FACT STAT:

 

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Mansfield Town FC
League History:

 

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Welcome to the Boro:

Aaron Connolly

Connolly wants to enjoy football again at Boro as he discusses loan move

Aaron Connolly discusses his loan move to Middlesbrough and what he hopes he can gain from it

www.gazettelive.co.uk

By Craig Johns.​

Aaron Connolly has joined Middlesbrough to enjoy football again, not to prove any personal points​

Aaron Connolly discusses his loan move to Middlesbrough and what he hopes he can gain from it

Aaron Connolly is desperate to get back to a place where he enjoys playing football again.

The 21-year-old Brighton striker has joined Middlesbrough on loan this month to do exactly that, after a frustrating year that saw his game-time limited and his appearances in newspaper articles more common.

While the new Boro signing admits that he could have handled situations differently, he warned not to believe everything you read as tabloids took a keen interest in his personal life off the pitch.

It's not exactly the career projection the young Irishman hoped for when he first burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2019. Netting twice on his first Premier League start against Tottenham, Connolly was immediately met with buzz and excitement about his future prospects.

But having struggled for regular game-time since, Connolly is now keen to get going at Boro and just get back to place where he can enjoy football and people talk about him for that reason again.

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“I think in every game you have a point to prove," he said of his reasons for making the move to Teesside.

“But I come to Middlesbrough to help the club, not to prove a personal point to anybody. I don’t think I need to prove anything.

“I just need to get back playing, doing what I love and scoring goals and helping the club.

“There has been stuff said in the media beforehand that is nothing to do with football.

“Most of it is false and you don’t have to believe everything you read.

“But it doesn’t put any more pressure on me. Every game you play your career could be at a crossroads - one minute you could be best player at the club and the next everyone will want you out.

“So it’s just one of them where I’ve got to get on with it. It’s the life of being a football player I guess.

“I’m not anything else. I’m a footballer first and trying to deal with stuff that is being said like not playing and not doing what you want by scoring the goals that I’ve wanted to, it’s tough.

“I’ve always said that I’m a footballer first and foremost and that’s the most important thing to me.”


For many the new year is a time to reflect on the previous 12 months and many make resolutions for the year ahead.

As Connolly reflects on a difficult 2021 which saw him play little and make headlines for the wrong reasons, he does concede that he could have handled situations differently.

“It’s been a tough period for me," he continued.

“It’s basically been told when you come into your job that you can’t do it on a Saturday. You work hard all week and then you don’t get the do the main part that you all enjoy on the Saturday.

“It’s been hard to deal with at times and maybe I have done the wrong things at times. Maybe I could have reacted differently to certain situations.

“But I guess, I am still learning different aspects of myself on and off the pitch so hopefully that will come and I can show that to Middlesbrough fans.”



That's an important thing to consider with Connolly.

There was so much hype after a brilliant start in the Premier League and a lot of attention and pressure was immediately put on such young shoulders.

He is still young, he is still learning and he appears hungry to do so.


“It’s all a learning curve. It’s not always going to be start every game, score every game and have a perfect career," he said matter of factly.

“There is going to be ups and downs and I feel I’ve had more downs than ups really in my Brighton career.

“So this does feel like a fresh start for me to come here and I want to get back playing and enjoying football.

“The Premier League is the toughest league in the world and I had an excellent start scoring those two goals.


“It didn’t go as planned for the rest of the season, the season after and obviously the first few months of this season.

“But that’s part and parcel of football. I’m still only 21, I’m still learning the game and I know I need to learn different aspects on and off the field.

“But scoring goals is definitely something I want to show people I can still do. I’ve done it for the under-23s which is the reason I got into the Brighton first team.

“It’s not to try and prove anyone wrong or anything like that, it’s just to show that I can score goals.”

While he says he isn't here to prove any personal points, Middlesbrough can certainly benefit from a player whose desire to impress appears huge.

Chris Wilder with new signing Aaron Connolly (Image: MFC)

He duly noted: “I just want to get back enjoying football again and help Middlesbrough as much as I can.

“Score goals, enjoy football and at the end of the season hopefully that could lead to maybe going up the division, challenging in the play-offs, automatic… who knows.

“For now, I want to help the club as much as I can. I wouldn’t say it’s about staying longer or using Middlesbrough to get into the Brighton team.

"I’m here as a Middlesbrough player now. I want to help Middlesbrough as much as I can. After that, who knows what’s going to happen so for now I’m just concentrating on helping Middlesbrough.

“They are on a good run, won a lot of games recently.

“The day before I came in, they got a last-minute winner against Blackpool so it’s a good feel about the place and I’m just looking forward to getting under way now.


“I’ve seen on social media all the fans they had at Blackpool. I think was it 3,500?

“It looked unreal to be a part of and I hope that I can be a part of moments like that throughout the season.

“I’m looking forward to getting started and getting playing for our fans."

Boro got the deal through quickly, just as manager Chris Wilder had hoped they would.

The Boro boss spoke to Connolly on Christmas Eve. Connolly says he didn't need much convincing on the move to what he describes as 'a massive club' but says he knew immediately after speaking to Wilder he wanted to get it done as soon as possible. After a year of not playing anywhere near as much as he would have liked, he noted: "There is no point in waiting around. I don’t want to miss any more games than I need to."

Connolly will be expected to make his debut for the club at Mansfield Town on Saturday in the FA Cup.

Boro's preparations for that game have been severely impacted by the recent Covid outbreak at the club, though it's expected that enough players will finish their period of isolation in time to get the game on.

The chaos of the outbreak has not made Connolly's arrival the easiest, but he says he's so far settling well and has been familiarising himself with the region along with his partner Lucinda Strafford, who has made the move to Teesside with him.


He said: “It has been a bit mad since coming in. Hopefully that is passing now though and we can get on with playing games.

“It’s obviously weird times, but I think we’ve all got used to Covid times in football so you have to expect these things can happen.

“But it’s been good so far, I’m enjoying it, enjoying training and really looking forward to meeting everybody because obviously I haven’t been able to meet everybody yet.

“I’m just really looking forward to getting under way and getting playing. I wanted to get in fast and hopefully I can hit the ground running.”


The last 12 months may not have been the easiest for the young Irish striker, but fundamentally herein lies a sublimely talented footballer. Maybe no point to prove, but a desire to impress and do well there most certainly is.

If Wilder can channel it all in the right way, Boro could have a gem on their hands in young Connolly.

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"Hes One of Our Own"

Josh Coburn has this week signed a new contract

Josh Coburn Signs New Boro Contract | Middlesbrough FC

Josh Coburn has been rewarded for his progress with a new long-term contract at the club.

www.mfc.co.uk

Josh Coburn has been rewarded for his progress with a new long-term contract at the club.​

The 19-year-old has signed a deal until 2025 that also includes a further year’s option.

The Bedale-born striker, who scored his first professional goal against Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season, has had a whirlwind start to his career and he has found the target a further three times in eight appearances this season.

“We’re delighted Josh has signed for the long-term," said head of football Keiran Scott.



"He has had an excellent start to his career, but he still has plenty to learn and will continue to develop as a player over the next few years.

“This club has a great history of producing and developing young players and Josh is another credit to our Academy.”

Boro boss Chris Wilder said: “He’s earned a new contract. His aim now has got to be keep improving and keep learning, and push on to make an impression.

“He’s had a good first part to his career and now he has to kick-on. This is reward for a good start to his professional career.”

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On The Road:

 

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GET IN!

The Northern Echo's 2021 North-East Team of the Year

Who were the best players at North-East clubs in 2021? Here, to settle the debate, is The Northern Echo's North-East Team of the Year...

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

The Northern Echo's 2021 North-East Team of the Year​

By Scott Wilson - Chief Sports Writer


Who were the best players at North-East clubs in 2021? Here, to settle the debate, is The Northern Echo's North-East Team of the Year...

GOALKEEPER
TOMMY TAYLOR (DARLINGTON)

It has not been a vintage year for North-East goalkeepers, but Taylor’s performances in National League North in the first half of this season have helped keep Quakers on the fringe of the play-off picture.

Signed from Buxton in the summer, the 28-year-old is an agile shot-stopper with an excellent command of his 18-yard box, who has quickly established himself as the leader of the Darlington defence.

He has produced some excellent saves, the best of which saw him tip a goal-bound effort over the crossbar in the dying seconds to help close out an impressive 1-0 win over AFC Fylde last month.

DEFENDERS

ISAIAH JONES (MIDDLESBROUGH)

This time last year, Jones was about to head to Queen of South on loan. It was a move that would transform the youngster’s career.

Having honed his skills in the Scottish Championship, Jones returned to Teesside and forced his way into Neil Warnock’s first-team plans in pre-season. He has not looked back since. The opening day of the season saw him deliver the assist that earned Middlesbrough a point at Fulham, and his performances since have seen him establish himself as one of the most exciting talents in the whole of the Football League.

December was an especially stellar month, with Chris Wilder’s decision to move him to right wing-back paying immediate dividends. Jones scored his first senior goal against Swansea and also set up both of the goals that secured a dramatic win at Blackpool.

CALLUM DOYLE (SUNDERLAND)

When Sunderland signed Doyle on loan from Manchester City in the summer, it was regarded as something of a risk. Could an untried 18-year-old centre-half really handle life in League One?

The answer arrived over the course of the last five months. Doyle hasn’t just coped with the demands of the third tier, he has shown himself to be one of the most talented young defenders in the country as he has started all bar two of the Black Cats’ league matches this season.

Tough and committed when he needs to be, but calm, poised and supremely-assured in possession, Doyle fits the template of the modern centre-half. Already an England Under-19 international, it would no surprise to see him starring in the Premier League and winning senior honours at some stage in the not-too-distant future.

PADDY McNAIR (MIDDLESBROUGH)

Middlesbrough supporters have known just how good McNair is for quite a while now – perhaps this has been the year when the rest of the footballing world has caught up.

Neil Warnock loved him, moving him from midfield to defence and making him the linchpin of the Boro backline, whether as part of a back five or a back four.

Chris Wilder is equally as effusive about McNair’s qualities, with the 26-year-old ideally suited to the way in which the current Boro boss wants his defenders to play. Powerful and imposing when asked to defend, McNair can be also be devastating when the ball is at his feet. His superb set-piece deliveries are another important string to his bow.

DAVID FERGUSON (HARTLEPOOL)

A youth-team product of both Darlington and Sunderland, and a player who has had non-league spells with the Quakers, Shildon and York City, Wearsider Ferguson appears to have found his natural home at Hartlepool.

Having moved to Victoria Park in the summer of 2020, Ferguson’s energetic, uncompromising displays at left-back were a key factor in Pools’ promotion from the National League last season.

He was named in the 2020-21 National League Team of the Year, having made 43 starts in all competitions as Pools won promotion via the play-offs, and has continued his fine form this season to help his side make a decent start to life back in the Football League.

MIDFIELDERS

DAN NEIL (SUNDERLAND)

What a year it has been for Dan Neil. Having made a couple of League One appearances from the bench in the second half of last season, the 20-year-old has taken his career to a completely different level this term, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in League One and earning a call-up to the England Under-20 side in the process.

A former Sunderland season-ticket holder, the South Shields-born youngster truly is ‘one of our own’, as highlighted by his euphoric reaction to his maiden Stadium of Light goal in September’s win over Accrington.

Calm and composed in possession, and with a forensic eye for a through ball, Neil has emerged as a key part of Sunderland’s promotion push. Holding on to him might be one of the Black Cats’ biggest challenges in the next couple of years.

MATT CROOKS (MIDDLESBROUGH)

Not all of Neil Warnock’s summer signings have quite gone to plan, but the purchase of Matt Crooks from Rotherham for around £1.1m increasingly looks like a steal. Whether bursting forward to support his centre-forwards or sitting back to break up play in front of the defence, Crooks can do anything that is asked of him in midfield.

He made a strong start to his Middlesbrough career, scoring in two of his opening three matches, and has added subsequent goals against Barnsley and Millwall, with his ability to break unmarked into the box making him a potent attacking weapon.

He is equally adept in a more deep-lying position, however, and his adaptability, along with his attacking threat, will make him a key asset as Boro push for promotion in the second half of the season.

JOELINTON (NEWCASTLE)

Once a player becomes a figure of fun amongst his own support, that is generally the end for him. Not so for Joelinton, who has transformed himself from a £40m attacking misfit into a fans’ favourite midfield general in the space of 12 months.

The Brazilian’s reinvention began under Steve Bruce, albeit from a low base, with the former Newcastle boss tending to use Joelinton as a wide attacker, a role he clearly preferred to the central-attacking berth he was asked to fill in the early days of his Newcastle career.

Eddie Howe has taken the transformation even further, stationing Joelinton at the heart of midfield and asking him to play as a classic box-to-box number eight. The result has been remarkable, with Joelinton easily Newcastle’s best player during Howe’s Tyneside tenure.

FORWARDS

ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN (NEWCASTLE)

Newcastle have a history of fielding mercurial French wingers, and for all that the likes of David Ginola, Laurent Robert and Hatem Ben Arfa will have their champions, Allan Saint-Maximin might well be the best of them.

At his best, the Magpies’ latest French flier is pretty much unplayable, with his dribbling dexterity, lightning-quick pace and attacking vision combining to produce a genuinely world-class talent.

His best display of last year came when he left the bench at Turf Moor in April to transform a game Newcastle were losing into a 2-1 win, and he has starred again this term, scoring four goals to suggest his best position might well be as a central striker rather than a winger.

CALLUM WILSON (NEWCASTLE)

Where would Newcastle be without their leading goalscorer? Worryingly, for the Magpies, a calf injury sustained against Manchester United last month means we might be about to find out.

Wilson scored ten goals during the calendar year of 2021, excelling despite Newcastle’s struggles in the bottom half of the table and his own persistent battles against injury. His stand-out display of the year came at the end of last January, when his brace secured a crucial 2-0 win at Everton.

Newcastle fans have been crying out for a natural number nine for a number of years now, and in Wilson, they have a goalscorer who has proven himself to be one of the most clinical in the top-flight. Give him a chance in and around the 18-yard box, and there is every chance he will put it away.

ROSS STEWART (SUNDERLAND)

Already boasting one of the best nicknames in football, the ‘Loch Ness Drogba’ has developed into one of the leading strikers in the whole of the Football League in the last 12 months.

Injury prevented him from making an immediate impact when he joined Sunderland from Ross County last January, but after showing signs of promise in the second half of last season, the Scot has exploded into life in the current campaign, ensuring the Black Cats have not missed summer departee Charlie Wyke.

Strong and effective in the air, but also composed and penetrative with the ball at his feet, Stewart is the complete centre-forward. His mobility in the 18-yard box is a key asset, and he boasts 15 goals from 24 league matches this season, culminating in the hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday that rounded off 2021.

Substitutes: Thorben Hoffman (Sunderland), Jamie Sterry (Hartlepool), Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Joe Willock (Newcastle), Alex Pritchard (Sunderland), Luke Charman (Darlington), Charlie Wyke (Sunderland).

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Preview: Stags v Middlesbrough

Mansfield Town are at home this weekend for the Stags’ first game of 2022. Middlesbrough visit the One Call Stadium for an Emirates FA Cup third round tie. Here’s all you need to know…

www.mansfieldtown.net

Preview: Stags v Middlesbrough​

Mansfield Town are at home this weekend for the Stags’ first game of 2022. Middlesbrough visit the One Call Stadium for an Emirates FA Cup third round tie. Here’s all you need to know…

Striker Danny Johnson played in a 3-2 victory against Derby County’s under-23s on Tuesday and will continue to be assessed.

Midfielder Harry Charsley completed 90 minutes in the game.

Full-back Kellan Gordon remains unavailable.

Goalkeeper George Shelvey has returned to Nottingham Forest being recalled by his parent club.

The Stags have enjoyed a superb run of recent form winning ten out of the last eleven matches in all competitions.

Mansfield remain 9th in Sky Bet League Two, just three points off the play-off places.

This weekend’s visitors Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their previous six matches.

The Boro sit 7th in the Championship, one point off the top six.

The two sides last faced each other in January 2008 in the FA Cup fourth round. Middlesbrough were 2-0 winners at One Call Stadium.

The referee for Saturday’s game is Keith Stroud. Mr. Stroud will be assisted Andrew Dallison and Michael George.

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[Zoophonic]

A famous football question once was

Which league football ground is furthest away from a mainline railway station.

Mansfield was the answer up until they reopened the towns station in 1995 having been closed since 1964.

Now it’s anybodys guess. Forest Green, Coventry?

 

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Going Underground:

Mansfield was once surrounded by coal mines - at the centre of the Nottinghamshire coalfield.
Coal was delivered down south and also to power stations along the Trent Valley.
Numerous sidings, pit head branches and marshalling yards connected coal to the main line.
The Miners strike of 1984 / 85 lead to bitter divisions between the strikers and those who kept working.
The wives and families were key to supporting the miners, including the later protests against the final pit closures.
Those pits are now either museums, country parks, redundant land, industrial estates and housing estates.

Mansfield has a proud mining history:

What's happened to all of Mansfield and Ashfield's former colliery sites?

It is not all that long ago that tens of thousands of men in Nottinghamshire worked down coal mines.

www.chad.co.uk

​

Mansfield and Ashfield's former colliery sites.​

When Tens of thousands of men in Nottinghamshire worked down the Pit :-​

By Andrew Topping
Wednesday, 4th September 2019, 10:43


One of our areas oldest collieries, Pleasley was sunk in the 1870s by a company owned by William Edward Nightingale, father of famous nurse Florence Nightingale. Now it is a museum around the historic headstocks, with a nature reserve.



The last of the Nottinghamshire mines to close, the final piece of coal was extracted in July 2015.There are now plans to build up to 800 homes and a large business park on the site. The development also includes a retirement village, school, facilities and 350-acre country park.

One of Mansfields largest industrial estates, the site of the former Mansfield (Crown Farm) colliery was once one of the towns most productive pits. The pit closed in 1988 and was demolished in 1989, before being converted into an industrial estate which boasts some of the towns best manufacturer


Now home to the much-loved Brierley Forest Park, Sutton Colliery was one of Ashfield's most productive mines. The site, which now hosts a visitor centre, paths and a local nature reserve, was closed in 1989.


Once a 600-yard deep site until its 1993 closure, Shirebrook Colliery was the life and soul of the village community - providing jobs, homes and shops for Shirebrook residents. Based at the headquarters for sportswear distribution company Sports Direct, the site had two shafts - both 18-feet in diameter.


Now a fledgling business park near Sherwood Pines, Bilsthorpe was a productive but deadly coal mine, until it closed in 1997. In its 70 years, a total of 77 people died in the pit, with the latest tragedy happening in 1993, when a roof collapsed killing three men.


Opening in 1954, Bevercotes is considered one of the first fully-automated mines in the country. After the pit closed in 1993, the colliery is now a much quieter place, having been reclaimed and turned into a nature reserve.


Opened in 1926, Blidworth Colliery gave birth to what is now recognised as the Blidworth and Blidworth Bottoms communities. However, it closed in February 1989 and the land at the site remains mostly untouched.


One of our areas oldest collieries, Pleasley was sunk in the 1870s by a company owned by William Edward Nightingale, father of famous nurse Florence Nightingale. Now it is a museum around the historic headstocks, with a nature reserve.

 

[r00fie1]

Both Sides:

Some of those players who have worn the shirts of Boro and the Stags:



Lindy Delapenha.


Mick Saxby


Charlie Bell


Simon Coleman


Stuart Boam - also Managed The Stags:



Alex Baptiste

​

 

[Cardiffdaffs]

A famous football question once was

Which league football ground is furthest away from a mainline railway station.

Mansfield was the answer up until they reopened the towns station in 1995 having been closed since 1964.

Now it’s anybodys guess. Forest Green, Coventry?

Forest Green is 5 miles from Stroud. Ricoh Arena is 4.3 miles from Coventry station.

 

[r00fie1]

Stags Boss:

In-form Mansfield Town happy to be underdogs as they target FA Cup shock against Middlesbrough

Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough said he relished being underdogs as Stags prepared to take on Championship high-fliers Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round at the One Call Stadium on Saturday (12.15pm).

www.chad.co.uk

Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough relishing being underdogs as Stags aim for FA Cup giantkilling against Middlesbrough​

Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough said he relished being underdogs as Stags prepared to take on Championship high-fliers Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round at the One Call Stadium on Saturday (12.15pm).​

Having already knocked out two League One sides away from home and won 10 of their last 11 games, Stags go into the tie in confident mood, though Clough knows how hard it will be against a side with Premier League ambitions under new boss Chris Wilder.

“We thrive on being the underdog and have done over the years - and we've caused some upsets,” said Clough.

“There's no greater feeling for a club, supporters and everybody, than causing an upset.

“We've already caused two in the earlier rounds and we will be looking to make it a third.

“On Boxing Day the atmosphere was brilliant with Hartlepool's big travelling support and when you come back from 2-0 down the place is rocking when you get that equaliser and third goal. We will try to create something similar to that.”



Boro are in hot form, but Clough insisted: “We think it's a good draw.

“I know Chris Wilder's priority will be the league and since he's gone in there he's had an immediate impact and they're in the play-off places.

“So they have a realistic chance of getting promoted. And I think the way the top two or three are faltering I don't think you would rule out automatic at this stage.

“Straight away, to get them into those play-off spots has lifted everyone around Middlesbrough. ”

For that reason and possible lingering Covid issues, Clough expects changes to the Boro side.

“I think they have had more Covid cases than us with staff and players last week, though some of them will be available again now,” he said.

“We will have access to all the video we need but the difficulty with the FA Cup is that you're never quite sure what team they are going to play.

“I know Middlesbrough had to call off the game last week because of injury and illness. So you never know what personnel will be out there.

“Chris has always played a certain formation. So we can look at that but whenever we play a team from a higher league it's almost impossible to guess which XI they're going to put out.”


Clough said he always relishes a cup run.

“Promotion is the priority but I always think you've got room for a cup run within that,” he said.

“Not having replays helps and we were knocked out of the first round of the League Cup and didn't progress in the EFL Trophy.

“So you have room for one good cup run and I hope it's now in the FA Cup.”

​

[http://www.nottinghamsport.com/index.php/2021/11/06/oates-so-simple-for-stags/]

Having seen off Sunderland, Clough now faces another one of dad Brian's former clubs.

​

“My mum and dad's family are all from up there,” he said.

“Unfortunately not too many of them are still around now but we still have some cousins and relatives up there.

“The FA Cup always seems to have little connections somewhere when you get draws.

“On a personal level, to get Sunderland two years running and then Middlesbrough in the third round is quite incredible.”

Clough remains a huge fan of the competition.

“We tell the players it is special and I think most of them understand how important the competition is – you could see that in our performances at Sunderland and Doncaster,” he said.

“To get into the third round in consecutive years for the first time in 40 years for the club show show much it means and how we went about our business in the two earlier rounds.

“We don't want to to be a team that dismisses any competition.

“The FA Cup is the biggest cup competition we play in.

“When you win a cup match it's slightly different as you don't know who you're going to get in the next round.

“But it will be tough enough just to get into the next round.”

​

 

[r00fie1]

Stag to look out for:

 

[r00fie1]

Up For It:

Midfielder: Stags excited for cup clash

Mansfield Town midfielder George Maris says he and his Stags teammates are ‘excited’ at the prospect of causing another FA Cup upset as they hope to overcome in-form Middlesbrough at One Call Stadium this Saturday.

www.mansfieldtown.net

Mansfield Town midfielder George Maris says he and his Stags teammates are ‘excited’ at the prospect of causing another FA Cup upset as they hope to overcome in-form Middlesbrough at One Call Stadium this Saturday.


The 25-year-old says that there is ‘an excited feeling around the dressing room’ because the Stags have already ‘shown that they can cause an upset’ in the competition.

The amber and blue have already pulled off two FA Cup scalps this season, out-muscling Sky Bet League One sides Sunderland and Doncaster Rovers.

But Maris admits this will be an even sterner test as Stags come up against a Middlesbrough side sitting in seventh position in the Championship table.

“We’ve shown that we can cause an upset already. We’ve beaten two League One teams and hopefully now we can go and beat a Championship side,” he said.

“We’re in a good run of form and [we’re] starting to get players back to full fitness. I think it’s healthy because we’ve got good competition for places now. We’ve had a few [Covid] cases but the majority of those are back now.

“We’re all confident and hopefully we can [make] another shock on Saturday.”


The 25-year-old spoke of the atmosphere in the dressing room ahead of the cup tie.

“[The feeling around the squad] is more of excitement rather than nerves,” said Maris.

“We’ve got nothing to lose. We’ll go out there and do our best, it’s worked in the last two rounds.

“There’s an excitement around the dressing room at the minute.

“We’re going out there [into matches] and we’re all together and happy and that shows on the pitch.

“[When we were] 2-0 down against Hartlepool we looked around and I think we all knew that we’d get back into the game. There’s a good togetherness at the minute and that’s obviously come from the results that we’ve had.”

To fuel yet another FA Cup shock, the former Cambridge man is hoping for a rallying atmosphere inside the One Call Stadium on matchday.

“[The atmosphere against Hartlepool was] unbelievable and it has been all season.

“The crowd have been without us regardless of the results [this season]. They’re always supportive of us and they’ve been loud. That’s probably why our home form is as good as it is at the minute.

“We know what the third round is and what it could do for this club. We’ll go out there and prepare like we do for all the league games.”

​

 

[r00fie1]

Red and White Shorts:

[4:20 secs]

 

[r00fie1]

Yannick Bolasie: Man jailed for online racist abuse of former Everton and Middlesbrough winger

Kirk Thompson was been handed a year-long prison term at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in Fife on Thursday by Sheriff Alastair Brown; Thompson, 22, sent racist abuse to former Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie and also was found to have child abuse on his phone

www.skysports.com

Kick It Out:

Yannick Bolasie: Man jailed for online racist abuse of former Everton and Middlesbrough winger ​

Kirk Thompson was been handed a year-long prison term at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in Fife on Thursday by Sheriff Alastair Brown; Thompson, 22, sent racist abuse to former Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie and also was found to have child abuse on his phone

By PA Media
Thursday 6 January 2022 14:04, UK

Image: Yannick Bolasie now plays in Turkey for Caykur Rizespor

A man who sent racist abuse to former Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie, and was then found to have images of child abuse on his phone, has been jailed.

Kirk Thompson was handed a year-long prison term at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in Fife on Thursday by Sheriff Alastair Brown, who said the 22-year-old poses a risk of significant harm.

Thompson, of Ravenscraig in Kirkcaldy, was exposed on social media by the 32-year-old DR Congo international, who shared a screenshot of the racial slur sent to him in a direct message in March last year.

Bolasie, who now plays in Turkey for Caykur Rizespor, branded his abuser a "keyboard warrior" and a rat.

Image: Bolasie was on loan at Middlesbrough at the time

Sheriff Brown told Thompson that his actions were deliberate and contributed to what he described as a trend of abuse being sent online and a toxic environment.

He said: "The court is aware that those in any sort of prominent position in public regularly receive abusive texts and are denigrated online by those whose only qualification to do so is they are able to switch on a mobile phone."

He said the words used seek to "diminish the individual", and told him: "Courts will always take abuse of that sort very seriously."
At the time, Bolasie was on loan to Middlesbrough from Everton.

When Bolasie saw the message, he shared it and, accompanied by a rat emoji, he wrote: "Something seriously wrong with people... keyboard warriors.
"Still yet to meet a person who had this energy when they saw me."

Image: Bolasie exposed the man who sent racial slurs

Thompson pleaded guilty to three charges: possession of indecent images of children, permitting to be taken or making indecent images of children, and sending a racist message.
During a police search of his phone last March, four indecent images and movies were discovered.

Two were rated category A, considered to be the most severe, and two were category B. One other image found with text added to it was reported as category C.
Sheriff Brown ruled the harm to be significant, despite the small number of images found in Thompson's possession.

Thompson was sentenced to a 12-month prison term for the first two charges, and to four months for sending the racist abuse. The sentences will run concurrently. He must also sign the sex offenders register

 

[r00fie1]

This Weekend`s FA Cup Fixtures:

​

Tonight [Friday 7th January 2022] Swindon Town take on Manchester City at 20:00 hrs [BST]

'Hopefully we can create a special night that will live long in the memory'

SWINDON Town head coach Ben Garner has asked every home fan inside the County Ground on Friday night to bring energy and passion as the Robins…

www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk

Ben Garner hoping to create ‘special night’ for Swindon Town against Man City ​

By Jonny Leighfield @JonnyLeighfield Sports reporter. 7 Jan 2021.

Swindon Town head coach Ben Garner has asked every home fan inside the County Ground on Friday night to bring energy and passion as the Robins search to create one of biggest FA Cup shocks in the competition’s history.

Last season’s Champions League finalists, Manchester City, will arrive at the County Ground as heavy favourites in the FA Cup third-round tie as they look to regain the trophy they last lifted in 2019.

Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City side will hope to take their first step in doing so against a team that has only ever reached the semi-finals twice – and the last time Swindon did that was 110 years ago.

Despite the 72-place gap between the teams, Town’s head coach is hopeful of providing life-long memories for families and friends to share and has asked for a cauldron of noise throughout.

Garner said: “If we can create a really big atmosphere at the County Ground on Friday night, it will certainly help.

“We want that energy, and we want that passion. Hopefully, together, we can create a special night that will live long in the memory.

“For the supporters, I just hope that they enjoy it, and let’s see if we can go and cause an upset.”

Garner was adamant during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference that no negative thoughts would enter either his players’ mind, nor his, ahead of the daunting task of taking on the current Premier League leaders.

Instead, the Town boss said he just wants both his squad and the fans to try and enjoy the experience as much as possible as anyone who has been involved with the club for at least a year deserves this treat.

Garner said: “Having the opportunity – as a League Two club – to take on the Premier League champions and, in my opinion, one of the top three teams in the world will be a fantastic occasion.

“It’s brilliant for everyone here. It’s a little bit different for those of us who have come in, but the staff and the supporters that were here before have endured a lot of difficulties and a lot of challenges.

“For those people that have gone through that and come out of the other side, I think this game is a great reward.

“I’m sure there will be a fantastic atmosphere here on Friday night, and hopefully everyone can enjoy the occasion.”

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