Included in this latest Blog are statistics for the Reserve team for last season along with updates on several accumulated statistical records for the Club.
Those who follow the Club's fortunes closely enough will know that the Reserve Team's fixture schedule became somewhat unbalanced with only four league matches having been completed by the end of February. Despite this the side managed to complete it's fixtures and it was only sterling work by Club Secretary Alan Brown that saw the final fourteen matches squeezed into March, April and a final game in May.
I trust that the Club will realise next season that if you are going to run a Reserve team, which is not and inexpensive venture, then a balanced fixture list is of paramount importance if value for money for the Club is to be realised.
Listed below is the full list of appearances and goalscorers for last season.
Congratulations to Joe Mayer who ended the season as top goalscorer with six goals and to skipper Ryan Batchford who missed just one game during the season.
GLENN PENNYFATHER – How Does He Rate?
So Glenn Pennyfather's first season in charge of the Club came to a disappointing end with defeat in the Play Offs. However I have to say that after a moderate start to the season it was to Glenn's credit that he managed to turn things around and get the Club into the Play Offs with a realistic chance of getting into the Football Conference National for the first time ever.
So after one season where does Glenn rank amongst his predecessors? Obviously it was a fairly successful season so it will come as no surprise to learn that only seven of City's former Managers have a better record in league games than Glenn, one, of course, being Jeff King. Also I must mention that top of the pile is Aidan Boxall, who had just two games in charge. Of those who managed for a substantial number of games Gary Bellamy ranks first, if you discount his period as joint Manager with Colin Norman, with Jeff King next in line.
on 2 points for a win.
F/GM - Average number of goal scored per game.
A/GM - Average number of goals conceded per game.
G/GM - Average number of goals, in total, per game.
John Perry, a City supporter since 1962, has e-mailed me with a question relating to Saturday home games. "Can you tell me in which season we've played the fewest number of competitive Saturday home matches? This query is prompted by our experience last season when we were eliminated from the FA Cup and FA Trophy in our opening matches, both of which were away from home, and we also played a number of home league games on a Monday evening or a bank holiday. I think we were left with something like 13 home games on a Saturday, which seems very low in a season that covers a minimum of 21 home matches.
If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet then please e-mail at the address at the end of this Blog.
John was also able to correct the days on which a couple of games were played in the 1971-1972 season having read a piece I did about Sunday games. Many thanks John for pointing this out to me. It just emphasises the fact that there is a lot of checking to be done with regards to the Club's history.
Does not include the game v Braintree Town in 2005-2006 which was abandoned and not replayed.
Interesting to note that with the exception of the Essex Professional Cup and the FA Trophy the Club have a success rate of over 50% in competitions where they have played a reasonable number of games. Whilst with the exception of the Non League Championship match and the Inter Zone Competition they have a losing record in competitions where only a nominal number of games have been played, including, and I'm sorry to keep harping on about this, the Play Offs!
In response to my earlier piece on City's tune Kevin McCarthy has been undertaking some research, particularly focusing on my statement that it was released on the album 'Presenting Frank Chacksfield' in 1951. Kevin has unearthed the fact that the tune was written by one Ray Martin but it would appear that Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra first released the tune in 1953, although this would seem to be a cover version of the original Ray Martin and his Orchestra release, which again was in 1953.
Kevin's research has indicated that the album 'Presenting Frank Chacksfield' was released by the London Label, number LL1041, in 1953 and that the 7" single (for those of us old enough to remember these vinyl releases), backed with 'Ebb Tide', was also released in 1953, catalogue number 45-1538.
I think that we can safely assume therefore that the 1951 release date that I quoted was wrong and that 1953 is the correct date. Accordingly we can also say that 1953-1954 was the first season that it was used by City. It would be interesting to know who selected the tune and why. If I was to guess I would say that someone had it in their collection and brought it down to play and it went from there.
Of course this all leads to another question. When did City first use a PA system, and how were team changes and the like communicated to the crowd before they had one? Anyone got any answers to that one?
Whilst working on my Club records recently I came across City's 1972-1973 FA Cup run and in particular Roy Woolcott's contribution. In that season City started off in the Fourth Qualifying round beating Crawley Town 2-0 away. This earned them a First Round Proper tie with Hillingdon Borough, which City again won 2-0, the game being played at New Writtle Street. City were again drawn at home in the Second Round sailing through courtesy of a 5-0 win over Telford United. As luck would have it not only did City get another home tie in the Third round but they were drawn against First Division Ipswich Town, managed at the time by Bobby Robson. City went down 3-1 in front of 15,557 fans with Woolcott scoring City's goal.
Originally with Tottenham Hotspur Woolcott had a superb season with City scoring 39 goals although injury brought a rapid end to his City career and he was to make just 18 appearances the following season before the curtain came down on his time at New Writtle Street.
He made his mark in the 1972-1973 season's FA Cup though because not only did he score City's consolation against Ipswich Town but he scored twice at Crawley, twice in the home win over Hillingdon and a hat trick against Telford United. That brought his season's total to 8 goals in just 4 appearances, scoring in every game, remembering of course that City did not play any 'minnows' in the early Qualifying Rounds.
Those 8 goals equalled the efforts of Tony Butcher in 1967-1968 and Roy Stroud in 1957-1958 but fell short of Jack Palethorpe's Club record of 12 FA Cup goals set in 1938-1939.
Whilst I touched on this last time here are the average League attendances for every season going back to 1957-1958.