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After back-to-back postponements Danny Cowley takes his well-rested squad down the M4 to face Bristol Rovers. Whilst we haven’t played since the stoppage time victory over MK on New Year’s Day, the Pirates also had their two league fixtures postponed but did return to action with a 4-3 defeat at home against League One Plymouth in the EFL Trophy.
With no recent first team action in a while it’s not easy to predict who will play tomorrow but, as far as I know, apart from long term absentees our only injury concern is Bishop so I’m expecting the U’s to line up as follows:
Macey
Vincent Young Tucker Araujo Iandolo
Bishop Read
Lisbie Edwards
Payne
Mbick
Subs
Smith Hunt Goodwin Tovide Terry Gape Williams
I think Bishop is likely to be in the squad it’s just whether he starts or not. If he doesn’t start I expect Hunt to take his place in the starting XI.
The Gas were relegated from League One last season and didn’t get off to a great start in League Two but a run of five wins in six matches helped them to 17 points and seventh by the end of September. An incredible 10 consecutive losses in the league would follow as they dropped into the bottom two resulting in Darrell Clarke getting the boot. The ever unpopular Steve Evans was given the task with saving their season and has managed one win, one draw and two defeats (both at home) in his four games in charge. Bristol Rovers reportedly have one of the biggest playing budgets in League Two so it’s a bit of a surprise to see them struggling, a bit like Carlisle last season, but I do expect them to be much improved in the second half of the season and I can see them finishing somewhere around mid-table. When they came to the Jobserve earlier on in the season they were on a four match winning run but we were the better team on the day and they were lucky to escape with a draw. According to the BBC, it’s just five wins against seven in our 16 meetings across all competitions but one of those wins was the incredible 5-4 victory at Layer Road on the 8th January 2000. If you have an hour or so to spare you can relive one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Colchester United.
MATCH REPLAY: Colchester United 5-4 Bristol Rovers 08/01/2000
I’m not sure there are any players in the current Bristol Rovers squad who have figured for the U’s. Even though he lost my respect with the way he forced a move out of the club, we can’t really talk about Col U and Bristol Rovers without mentioning Jamie Cureton and his time at Col U were arguably two of the greatest seasons in our history. Off the top of my head I can’t think of too many other players that have played for both the U’s and The Pirates but big Sam Walker did have a loan spell there before his time at Col U, Scott McGleish also spent time there towards the end of his career in the football league (it continued for a fair while outside of the football league). Please feel free to add any others.
The weather at the Memorial Stadium is set to be dry and sunny with a gentle breeze and a high of nine degrees. Pretty good footballing weather for January. I think Bristol Rovers are still a bit fragile and despite some rustiness from not playing I’m going for a 2-1 U’s win with Mbick and Payne grabbing the U’s goals.
I found this online - quite a list of notable players it would appear, including Wayne Andrews, Bring out the Branston, Peter Cawley, Adrian Coote, Scott McGleish, Trevor Morgan and Geraint Williams.
Gas Implosion In Bristol on 12:48 - Jan 16 by wessex_exile
Nice one, thanks RS.
I found this online - quite a list of notable players it would appear, including Wayne Andrews, Bring out the Branston, Peter Cawley, Adrian Coote, Scott McGleish, Trevor Morgan and Geraint Williams.
Speechless Noah? Excellent win away from home. Now we need to start performing better at home and we will give ourselves a very real chance of automatic promotion
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(No subject) (n/t) on 20:32 - Jan 17 with 508 views
Speechless Noah? Excellent win away from home. Now we need to start performing better at home and we will give ourselves a very real chance of automatic promotion
Probably fuming about the coaches being caught up in absolute gridlock outside the ground after the game, must have been nearly an hour before they got free. I wasn't too chuffed either, my Uber was stuck behind their coaches, but at least I only had a 25 minute train journey once I eventually got to BTM.
What a game though, dominated throughout against a very poor Bristol Rovers, who appear to have already run out of 'new manager' bounce. Cynical ugly football, helped by an atrocious referee, but quality eventually shone through with an absolute worldy from Edwards. And the mayhem that followed from the 600+ faithful, amazing. Hopefully Iandolo's injury isn't as bad as it looked, but credit to young Frankie Terry, who did really well filling in out of position.
Dunno what happened Wessex. Internet dropped out and so did my message.
Danny Cowley praised the referee, but Evans agreed with you. I agree with Danny as Althought he was a tad lenient with yellow cards, bI didn’t think his decisions wrong, except for the goal kick he gave when Gape blocked a shot which then hit the bar (Cowley confirmed).
As an ex resident of Bristol (well Portishead) I can confirm that horrific traffic is normal around the ground. But Coach A got away promptly thanks to the police intervening in a ruck just beyond the car park that gave us an exit as the carriageway obstructions parted, Sadly, following Coach B hadn’t reached Reading Services when we left it. We are now ten minutes from the JCS.
Good result. Not a great advert for League Two (except the goal). But onwards and upwards.
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Gas Implosion In Bristol on 14:37 - Jan 18 with 320 views
Gas Implosion In Bristol on 21:15 - Jan 17 by noah4x4
Dunno what happened Wessex. Internet dropped out and so did my message.
Danny Cowley praised the referee, but Evans agreed with you. I agree with Danny as Althought he was a tad lenient with yellow cards, bI didn’t think his decisions wrong, except for the goal kick he gave when Gape blocked a shot which then hit the bar (Cowley confirmed).
As an ex resident of Bristol (well Portishead) I can confirm that horrific traffic is normal around the ground. But Coach A got away promptly thanks to the police intervening in a ruck just beyond the car park that gave us an exit as the carriageway obstructions parted, Sadly, following Coach B hadn’t reached Reading Services when we left it. We are now ten minutes from the JCS.
Good result. Not a great advert for League Two (except the goal). But onwards and upwards.
I didn't know until today that Harry Anderson was in with the faithful yesterday afternoon. Hope he didn't exacerbate anything celebrating Edwards' winner.
Gas Implosion In Bristol on 16:37 - Jan 18 by wessex_exile
I didn't know until today that Harry Anderson was in with the faithful yesterday afternoon. Hope he didn't exacerbate anything celebrating Edwards' winner.
Harry Anderson was indeed in the away end, his knee supported by a brace complete with a complicated protractor style gauge and an adjusting ratchet that didn’t look too comfortable. Sadly, I doubt if he will be back on the grass any time soon.
I doubt if he saw the winner hit the net, as we didn’t……
There were dire view issues caused by youngsters persistently standing, notably in the aisles and on the staircases. We had already moved lower having seen nothing of the first five minutes, but elderly infirm supporters (include Harry in the latter) didn’t see much of the nearest goal mouth action in the second half due to this issue.
There were patently far more U’s supporters than seats in the middle block because we had been corralled into too small an area from which the standing kids then refused to move to the available seats on the flanks (where we had relocated). Where designated, stadiums are all-seater and stewards must enforce this. The Gas should have opened the standing terrace for those that wanted to stand, or otherwise better police this.
Soon we face a situation whereby Cambridge FC have already sold 100% of the available seats. Now many elderly and infirm U’s supporters have only the option of standing on a terrace. But one can bet that the away seated area will be blighted by standing youngsters.
Why are clubs getting this so wrong? Is there no liaison between clubs that a travelling 600+ U’s fan base is now likely? Bristol Rovers didn’t seem sufficiently organised. Why did Cambridge initially put only seats on sale and only later open the standing terraces? I know of a number of loyal U’s fans now not traveling to Cambridge because their various disabilities won’t allow them to stand for two hours. Yet I am sure if offered BOTH standing or seated options from the outset, the kids would select standing. Shambolic or what?
[Post edited 19 Jan 7:15]
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Gas Implosion In Bristol on 12:54 - Jan 19 with 122 views
Gas Implosion In Bristol on 07:14 - Jan 19 by noah4x4
Harry Anderson was indeed in the away end, his knee supported by a brace complete with a complicated protractor style gauge and an adjusting ratchet that didn’t look too comfortable. Sadly, I doubt if he will be back on the grass any time soon.
I doubt if he saw the winner hit the net, as we didn’t……
There were dire view issues caused by youngsters persistently standing, notably in the aisles and on the staircases. We had already moved lower having seen nothing of the first five minutes, but elderly infirm supporters (include Harry in the latter) didn’t see much of the nearest goal mouth action in the second half due to this issue.
There were patently far more U’s supporters than seats in the middle block because we had been corralled into too small an area from which the standing kids then refused to move to the available seats on the flanks (where we had relocated). Where designated, stadiums are all-seater and stewards must enforce this. The Gas should have opened the standing terrace for those that wanted to stand, or otherwise better police this.
Soon we face a situation whereby Cambridge FC have already sold 100% of the available seats. Now many elderly and infirm U’s supporters have only the option of standing on a terrace. But one can bet that the away seated area will be blighted by standing youngsters.
Why are clubs getting this so wrong? Is there no liaison between clubs that a travelling 600+ U’s fan base is now likely? Bristol Rovers didn’t seem sufficiently organised. Why did Cambridge initially put only seats on sale and only later open the standing terraces? I know of a number of loyal U’s fans now not traveling to Cambridge because their various disabilities won’t allow them to stand for two hours. Yet I am sure if offered BOTH standing or seated options from the outset, the kids would select standing. Shambolic or what?
[Post edited 19 Jan 7:15]
Why aren't U's fans in the seats behind the goal at Cambridge? Is that a home stand now?