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Thread | Gills to be left gasping as 2025 closes
at 14:31 28 Dec 2025
First and foremost, I hope you are all having a pleasant Christmas break relaxing with family and friends, and wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. This will be our final match of 2025, with a trip to Priestfield to face old adversary Gillingham, our second game against them this month and our third this season. This will be our 112th game in all competitions against the Gills, a relationship that started with a Ted Davis U’s side winning 2-0 at Layer Road on 27th August 1938. At the final whistle tomorrow we will also be at the halfway point of the season, so considering at the end of September we were 20th, plenty of optimism for the second half of the season.
As for the U’s and the travelling faithful of nearly 800 at Crawley, I had family over on Boxing Day, so I couldn’t really give the game my full attention. Crawley’s early goal on the balance of play at the time didn’t appear undeserved. It was well struck, might have got the faintest of deflections off Tucker, but Macey will still be disappointed that he let it slip under him so easily. However, the equaliser was equally deserved, an excellent run to the line and cutback from Samson, Read should have buried his chance but the keeper’s parry fell nicely to Lisbie who drilled in off the inside of the post. Thereafter, it seemed quite an even (though dare I say dull) game. We created chances in the second half, but in truth Crawley probably should have won it at the death, only foiled by the feet and then hands of Macey in a last-ditch double-save, with Loft then blazing the final rebound wide of the far post. On balance, a solid point, another game unbeaten away, but the gap to the play-offs is growing again.
Since our return to the football league, Priestfield has often been quite a happy hunting ground, with only five out of our 21 most recent visits ending in defeat for the U’s, the last one under Kevin Keen exactly ten years ago today (28th December). Gillingham are in a somewhat indifferent run of form at present, yes only three games lost in the last ten, but only one victory and the other six drawn – and that victory was at imploding Bristol Rovers back in early November. Their long-suffering home supporters haven’t seen a Priestfield win since beating Notts County 1-0 on 13th September - I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of those kinds of stats. That early run of form took the Gills to the top of the table, but they’ve floundered since then and currently sit one point and two places behind the U’s.
Incidentally, probably one of our most noteworthy, and certainly memorable games at the Priestfield Stadium wasn’t even against Gillingham – it was the 4-4 draw against exiled Brighton and Hove Albion on Boxing Day 1997. Goals from Isaiah Rankin (two) and Tony Adcock saw the U’s storm into a 3-0 lead at half-time. A second half 20 minute hat-trick from Paul Emblen wiped out that advantage, Scott Stamps rekindled hope that we might leave with the three points on 75 minutes, only for an 86th minute penalty from Jeff Minton to dash that hope entirely.
I’m not aware of any (new) injury worries following on from the Crawley game, so I’d expect the line-up at Gillingham to be broadly along the same lines. However, following two 30+ minute appearances from the bench, I have a feeling Jack Payne might be ready for his place back in the starting XI, with Bishop making way.
The weather in Kent tomorrow evening will be overcast with a gentle breeze blowing in from the Thames Estuary, making the chilly 6 degrees temperature feel like 4 degrees. Fortunately for the travelling faithful on the big open terrace, no rain is expected. Our initial allocation of tickets has sold out, with a new block now made available, so I would expect another sizeable following for the U’s to witness a 2-1 victory for the U's, with Anderson and then Tovide on the scoresheet.
Up the U’s [Post edited 28 Dec 14:37]
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Reply | Creepy Crawley Crushed By Cowley's Crew
at 16:19 23 Dec 2025
Nice one RS. I can't think of too many Col U connections at Crawley, other than I suppose Tshimanga, who I think we were interested in before he signed for then non-league Chesterfield a few years ago. There was also, of course, Matty Etherington and the Crawley Wagmi debacle.
I've been to Crawley quite a few times, but will have to pass on this one with the family over for dinner. This will be our 67th Boxing Day fixture, with 21 of the previous matches won, 17 drawn and 28 lost. Best win 4-0 (twice), worst defeat 1-6 (twice), with the most recent of those in 2011 at home to Stevenage. Not surprisingly, matches against local sides Gillingham (9), Southend (5), Peterborough (4) and Northampton (4) account for nearly a third of our Boxing Day fixtures.
We have played Crawley on Boxing Day once before, with John McGreal's U's winning 2-0 at Broadfield back in 2017. Incidentally, that match was also the lowest Boxing Day attendance (2,154) we've played in front of, the highest being 19,563 at Carrow Road in 1952 (we lost 3-0).
I agree, this will be a tougher encounter than it might appear, but if we show the same attitude as we did against Newport, no reason why we can't come home with the three points.
Crawley 0 U's 3, with Anderson to score the first. |
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Reply | Former U's
at 17:10 22 Dec 2025
Pleased for him. Love this quote - "You know what, it's very exciting, everyone says to me 'are you playing Salah?', 'are you playing Marmoush?'. At the end of the day I'm going over there to win a game and they'll be on the same pitch as me." |
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Reply | Agree and proceed
at 11:49 22 Dec 2025
I have the site bookmarked (Chrome) and have no problem accessing from any of my devices - sorry. |
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Reply | Club Statement
at 20:42 21 Dec 2025
I saw some of this interview as a video online, and like you say, nothing new, but reassuring he's sticking to his principles and not going for his previous 'least worse' option. Btw, he's rocking the Billy Bob Thornton 'Hobo Santa' look 
Btw, needed an edit for balance. [Post edited 22 Dec 1:08]
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Reply | Exiles to be sent back in exile on Saturday
at 20:08 21 Dec 2025
I would never underrate Bobby Gough, one of my childhood heroes following the U's. That list contains a lot of names, including Packer, Svarc, Walker, Cook, Leslie, Garwood, Froggatt, Dowman, Allinson, Dyer, Foley, Smith and Wignall to name but a few. |
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Reply | Exiles to be sent back in exile on Saturday
at 20:50 20 Dec 2025
Haha - what happened to goalkeepers code Gerry? I don't think Macey was unnecessarily out of position considering the context of where the ball in play was, just beaten by a sublime strike from nowhere. If it's any consolation, we might have just seen the goal of the season, never mind the month. |
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Reply | Exiles to be sent back in exile on Saturday
at 16:58 20 Dec 2025
That pace from Edwards, it was like the Newport defence were in treacle, and what a finish from Payne!
Complete control, not quite my 5-0 prediction, but pretty close! Newport look doomed right now, and if Leicester recall Bravebrook they certainly are.
Edit: my mistake, Braybrooke - I'm blaming the ambiguous commentary [Post edited 20 Dec 17:44]
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Reply | Exiles to be sent back in exile on Saturday
at 14:19 20 Dec 2025
I spoke too soon, Williams replaced by JK Gordon on the bench - failed a late fitness test, picked up something during warm-ups, or tactical? |
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Reply | Terriers
at 11:17 20 Dec 2025
This is terrible news, though ironically the state of their pitch appears to have been a factor. |
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Reply | Exiles to be sent back in exile on Saturday
at 19:14 19 Dec 2025
In all competitions, won 33, drawn 38 and lost 29. On a points per game metric, he's currently 24th in our list of all managerial stints (i.e. not adding together separate periods in charge). However, in terms of our more recent post-Conference history for managers who have reached 100 games, although he's got a bit of a way to go to catch up with Parky (12th), he's well ahead of Geraint Williams (35th) and Steve Whitton (36th), and already on a par with Wignall (22nd), McGreal (23rd) and Ward (25th). I haven't included Big Roy (13th) as his figures are heavily skewed by the last season in the Conference. [Post edited 19 Dec 19:16]
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Thread | Exiles to be sent back in exile on Saturday
at 16:23 19 Dec 2025
And so, Danny and Nicky enter their second century of games managing the U’s, at home to struggling Newport – let’s hope it starts a bit better than the first century finished. There won’t be many games we score three and lose, trouble is there’ll be even fewer where we concede four and win. That being said, I couldn’t fault the first hour of the Salford game, with the U’s in control of a game against good opposition, and on a typically heavy pitch. Then we kind of fell apart, certainly defensively, helped in no small part by a masterclass from ex-U’s Luke Garbutt (how is he only in League 2?). Credit must also go to 250+ of the faithful, a long trip starting at stupid o’clock – they deserved more than that for their support.
Now to the Exiles on Saturday. Newport were one of the earlier managerial merry-go-round entrants this season, sacking David Hughes back in mid-November with his side rooted at the bottom of the table with just three wins from 16 games. His replacement was somewhat of a surprise, former Leicester City (and Austria) defender Christian Fuchs. A very good footballer in his day, but other than assistant coaching at MLS side Charlotte FC, virtually no managerial experience to speak of. Results seem to bear out that concern as well, with still only three wins this season, but from 20 games now. Mind you, they do have a reputation for grinding out results away from home where needed (2-2 at Crewe on their last trip a good example), so I hope our defence has taken on board the learning from Moor Lane.
There are three League 2 games tonight, none of which involve teams that can overtake us in 12th place, although Grimsby (one of the 1230 kick-offs tomorrow) can leapfrog us temporarily if they win at the League 2 surprise package Bromley. A welcome return to a 3pm kick-off for us, and though we can’t quite reach the play-offs from this game, wouldn’t it be lovely sitting down for Christmas dinner knowing the U’s were within a point or two of doing so ahead of our Boxing Day visit to the Creepy Crawlies.
As to the line-up for Saturday, a tough one to call given Jack Payne was back in the matchday squad last Saturday, and assuming Lisbie has recovered from his shoulder injury. I also haven’t heard any news on Macey’s facial injury, but I would have thought that was something more superficial. I’m going to take a punt on Lisbie starting, Payne on the bench but coming on for the last 20-30 minutes, and why else recall him from loan, Frankie Terry on the bench. Hunt to keep his starting XI slot, KVY on the bench as well.
They’re all must-win games, not sure why people even say that, but after a hard-fought draw against a very physical Gillingham, and the disappointment of letting a two goal lead slip, this really is a must-win game if we want to cement our place as genuine play-off/ promotion challengers. Someone is going to have to suffer the backlash from Salford, and I reckon it’ll be the Exiles – 5-0 to the U’s, with a long overdue opener from Samson.
The weather forecast for tomorrow looks very fair, sunny intervals with a slim chance of a few scattered showers during the afternoon, and the temperature at about 8-9 degrees, though in a gentle breeze from the south east, it’ll feel a few degrees cooler.
And as this is the last game before festivities begin, Merry Christmas everyone!
Up the U’s! |
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