Mansfield Town - Review of the season 2004/2005
(Links to earlier seasons at the bottom of this page)
2004/2005
was a turbulent season as the Stags finished right in the middle of the table, and the
mediocrity of it was summed up by a zero goal difference. But the main drama of the season
was off the field where manager Keith Curle was suspended by chairman Keith Haslam for
allegedly bullying a youth team player. Curle was eventually sacked as a result, though
vowed to clear his name. Meanwhile Haslam asked his friend Carlton Palmer to help out as
caretaker manager while Curle was suspended, and then once Curle was sacked, Palmer was
appointed as the new manager.
Before the
start of the season, the Stags brought in exciting striker Derek Asamoah from Northampton,
full back Scott McNiven from Oxford, and Alex Neil from Barnsley, while strikers Chris
Tait and Joe O’Neill joined on a short term contract and 3 month loan respectively.
Meanwhile the return of one of the heroes of the 2001/2002 promotion campaign, Adam
Murray, was the most eagerly awaited signing. Liam Lawrence had left for Sunderland, where
he was to gain promotion to the Premiership in a fine season, while Craig Disley, Bobby
Hassell, Junior Mendes, amongst others, had all left for pastures new to the
disappointment of the Field Mill faithful.
The
Stags had a confidence boosting pre-season friendly 2-0 win over Leeds with memorable
goals from Corden and Larkin, while Wolves edged a 2-1 win at Field Mill.
The
league season started with a very flat display at home to Bristol Rovers, who ran out 2-0
winners thanks to a fine display from Junior Agogo. Four days later, the Stags were beaten
again, this time 1-0 at Oxford, despite playing with a man advantage for half an hour,
which would have been longer but for a stupid sending off of Lee Williamson, which angered
manager Curle, and probably contributed to the midfielder’s later departure.
The
season burst into life with a 3-0 win at Chester, with Asamoah scoring the club’s
first goal of the season, Jake Buxton scoring the second, and an amazing long range strike
by Colin Larkin after a fine run. This would turn out to be the goal of the season for the
Stags. Things got even better as a double from Larkin overcame the shock of a first minute
goal by then-leaders Kidderminster at Field Mill. After a 2-0 loss at Grimsby, the Stags
hit the peak of form with successive 4-1 wins over Yeovil and Northampton, two of the
better sides in the division. Against Yeovil, an amazing spell of 3 goals in four minutes
midway through the second half sealed an impressive win. Asamoah and Larkin were on target
again, with the other goals from Artell and Corden. A week later sensational performances
from Corden, Asamoah and Larkin (all of whom scored) saw the Stags thump Northampton at
Field Mill. The Stags of course had beaten the Cobblers in the Play-Off semi-finals a few
months earlier, and the Cobblers had Paul Rachubka in goal, the keeper who had broken the
Stags’ hearts at Cardiff playing for Huddersfield. The Stags soared into fifth place.
Meanwhile Lee Williamson was a surprise departure, signing for the Cobblers, a few days
after they had been stuffed at Field Mill.
After
the Stags twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Cambridge, Colin Larkin scored an 85th
minute winner to defeat Rochdale 1-0 at Field Mill. The goal put him joint top scorer in
the division scoring charts. A 4-0 mauling by Preston brought the team back down to earth
in a delayed Carling Cup tie. But then the Stags produced a terrific display to draw 1-1
at leaders Scunthorpe. Dave Artell scored the Stags goal after an early goal from former
Stag Ian Baraclough had given the Iron the lead. The Stags were very unlucky not to win
the game. Three days later, Scott McNiven was the hero as Mansfield beat Darlington on
penalties in the first round of the LDV Vans Trophy. McNiven scored the winning penalty
after a 0-0 draw following extra-time.
October
started with a great comeback at home to Lincoln. The Imps had led 2-0, but goals from
Adam Murray and Alex John-Baptiste earned a point. The goal for Baptiste came as a relief
to the youngster, as it was his first ever. Six days later, on a depressing Friday night
in Wales, the Stags lost to a last minute goal by Swansea, which sent the home side to the
top of the table. But that was all forgotten 8 days later when Notts County came to Field
Mill for an eagerly awaited local derby. It was Keith Curle’s 100th game
in charge of the Stags and what a performance he saw from his side as Notts County were
absolutely mauled and so lucky to come away with only a 3-1 defeat. It really should have
been 8, but the Stags had to settle for goals from Rhys Day, a screamer from on-loan left
back Craig Woodman, and Larkin, while Asamoah missed a penalty and Notts scored a 90th
minute undeserved consolation. Mansfield could have gone top with a midweek win at
Cheltenham, but put in a poor display to lose 2-0.
Successive
draws away to Wycombe and at home to Bury followed, with the Stags perhaps unfortunate not
to win both of them, though Colin Larkin’s missed penalty against Bury was a very
costly error. But the Stags crashed to a 4-0 defeat at Macclesfield in the second round of
the LDV Vans Trophy, after making 8 changes from the Bury game. Curle made a huge blunder
by proclaiming that he had better players than Macclesfield and that it would be a
different result four days later in the league at Field Mill. But Macclesfield won the
league encounter too and Curle was made to look stupid, having handed Brian Horton, the
Macclesfield manager, an easy pre-match team talk. There was dreadful news off the field
as it was announced that Scott McNiven had testicular cancer.
The
club hit the national headlines in mid November when manager Keith Curle was suspended,
amid huge confusion, “following a complaint against him”, pending an internal
investigation. Former Stockport manager and England player Carlton Palmer was brought in
as caretaker manager by chairman Keith Haslam. At this stage of the season, Mansfield were
12th with 6 wins, 5 draws and 6 defeats. Palmer’s first action was to
bring in Fraser McLachlan from Stockport, initially on loan. The local press were
intrigued at how quickly Palmer was able to move in the transfer market. His second action
was install Alex John-Baptiste as the new captain – the youngest captain in the Stags
history, at 18 days and 287 days. Palmer’s first game in charge was at home to
Colchester in the first round of the FA Cup. Both Palmer and Haslam were booed by sections
of the home fans, particularly when fans’ favourites Corden and Larkin were
substituted. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Baptiste scoring a screamer for Mansfield
and Derek Asamoah being sent off. The Stags went on to lose a depressing replay 4-1, with
fewer than 100 Mansfield fans making the trip to Essex – the lowest away following
since routine recording of away followings began 4 years ago.
Carlton
Palmer’s first league game was away to Boston, and though the Stags put in a
creditable performance, they could only manage a 0-0 draw, despite the home side being
reduced to 10 men in the first half, in a bizarre incident that actually saw Boston earn a
penalty, which Pilkington saved! With the
club in turmoil, as the Keith Curle saga rolled on, and was to roll on for a long time
(longer than The Mousetrap, according to the CHAD), Palmer told Alex Neil and Luke Dimech
that there was no place for them at Field Mill, though in the event neither of them left
at that time. Neil MacKenzie was shipped out to Macclesfield, initially on loan. Meanwhile
Palmer brought in striker Richie Barker, from Rotherham, a move which was to prove his
most popular signing of the season, along with Paul Warne, on loan, also from Rotherham.
The pair made their debut at home to Leyton Orient, who were flying high at the time, and
the Stags were beaten by a wonder goal from Andy Scott.
Barker
scored his first goal in his second game, away to Darlington at the beginning of December,
which put the Stags in front, but they were beaten by two second half goals. Four days
later, Mansfield put in a terrific performance against lowly Rushden at Field Mill, and
were desperately unlucky to be held 0-0. Palmer stated in numerous post match interviews
over the coming months that his side had battered Rushden, and he was right. But it was
the Stags’ eleventh game without a win.
Around
this time, TEAM Mansfield (the Stags Supporters Trust) had made a formal offer to buy the
club, to enable a community ownership model. But this was rejected by Keith Haslam. TM
joint chairman Jeff Barnes told Radio Nottingham: “We can't think of a
better time for Mr Haslam to move on. It's gone from bad to worse, we've gone 11 games
without a win.”. But Haslam said: “At this moment in time the club needs
stability for staff and supporters. With details of their bid in the public domain, I
think potential prolonged negotiations to purchase the football club would not be in the
best interests of anyone concerned." Some weeks later, Stags sponsor Andy Perry told
the CHAD he was heading a three-man consortium bidding to buy the club. But he said it was
only a counter-bid to the one from TEAM Mansfield. He said: "If it wasn't for the
TEAM Mansfield bid we wouldn't be looking into it. I feel a football club should be run
from the head as well as the heart and supporters would just run it from the heart. I
think the supporters route is the wrong one. But Keith Haslam has told us there are issues
that make it the wrong time for the club to change hands and we will just carry on
talking."
The
Rushden game, albeit a goalless draw, started a run of 11 games with only 2 defeats, and 5
wins to propel the Stags up the table and into play-off contention. Either side of
Christmas, Mansfield won back-to-back games, for the first time since August, as
Shrewsbury and Southend were beaten away from home. Both were hugely enjoyable and a real
relief. Asamoah and Murray scored in a 2-0 win at Gay Meadow, and then Warne scored a late
winner at high flying Southend. The Southend win was made even more sweet as the home side
had a perfectly good goal disallowed in injury time. It may or may not have been a
coincidence that the win over Shrewsbury, Palmer’s first, came just 24 hours after
Curle was sacked by Haslam.
On New
Years Day, the Stags travelled to Northampton for a lunchtime kick off, and in highly
controversial circumstances Derek Asamoah was sent off for diving twice in the first half,
against his former club. Even the home players admitted afterwards that the referee got it
wrong. But against the odds, the Stags took the lead just before half time, only to be
undone by two Cobblers goals in the second half. But two days later, Mansfield continued
their good form with an impressive win over top of the table Scunthorpe, thanks to an Adam
Murray shot from outside the box. But there was disappointment as the influential Paul
Warne was recalled by Rotherham.
Three
draws followed in mid January, firstly at home to bottom of the table Cambridge, then away
to Rochdale, with Richie Barker scoring a spectacular overhead kick to rescue a 1-1 draw,
and then at home to Southend. There was shock news that defender Dave Artell had nearly
died after being rushed to hospital with DVT. Meanwhile, Palmer told the media that he now
wanted the manger’s job full-time. However he couldn’t be appointed at this time
because Curle had appealed over his sacking, and so the saga rolled on. The Stags ended
January with defeat at Lincoln as Luke Dimech was sent off for a professional foul.
But the
best four days of the season followed as the Stags beat Notts County and Swansea, both
1-0, to be just four points behind the play-offs. Firstly the Stags took 3600 fans to
Meadow Lane, for the club’s 3000th league game, and saw Richie Barker head
the only goal of the game, as the Stags won at their local rivals for the first time since
1958. Then Barker scored again in another 1-0 win, at home to Swansea; this time crashing
in a magnificent effort off the underside of the bar from 18 yards. This firmly
established the striker as a real fans’ favourite. But a chance to push on was missed
as Cheltenham came to Field Mill and won 2-1 with a last minute cracker. Popular winger
Wayne Corden was shipped out by Palmer to join Scunthorpe. The Stags returned to winning
ways with a 2-0 success at out-of-form Bury, with goals from Adam Rundle and a magical
volley from Adam Murray. Rundle was proving to be one of Palmer’s more popular new
signings, having set up both goals for Barker earlier in the month (against Notts County
and Swansea). The Bury game was only the second time since mid October that the Stags had
registered two goals in a game; a fact not lost on some fans who were disgruntled with the
Stags caretaker manager. Nevertheless with 13 games to go, Mansfield were now just three
points behind Northampton who were in seventh place.
Failure
to win any of the next 6 matches put an end to any play-off hopes. A 4-1 loss at home to
Wycombe was a huge shock, especially as Barker had given the Stags a deserved lead and the
Stags were cruelly robbed of a 2-0 lead as Fraser McLachlan’s perfectly good goal was
disallowed. It was tough on McLachlan, who had failed to win over many of the home fans,
after being Palmer’s first signing. Failure to beat either Rushden away or Shrewsbury
at home was bitterly disappointing. After the Rushden game, a furious Carlton Palmer
explained that Derek Asamoah would no longer be playing for the club following a breach of
discipline. He was to join Lincoln City. Many Stags fans despaired that Palmer was
shipping out all the flair players, like MacKenzie, Corden and Asamoah. An independent
inquiry into the sacking of Curle, led by local MP and chairman Keith Haslam’s friend
Alan Meale, upheld the decision to sack the former manager. But the saga was to roll on as
Curle vowed to take the club to the High Court for wrongful dismissal. Nevertheless, it
opened the way for Palmer to be appointed as full time manager.
Alex
Neil scored in the 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury and was a rich reward for the player who was
having a great season playing at right back, or sometimes in midfield. The Shrewsbury game
saw plenty of booing, mostly aimed at Carlton Palmer. After the game, the caretaker
manager explained that he would be considering whether he wanted to take the job as full
time manager, in the light of treatment from some of the fans. However he did take the job
that was offered to him just a few days later. This had been truly a traumatic and
dramatic time for Stags fans.
Palmer’s
first game as manager was against Oxford at Field Mill in mid March. The visitors ran out
3-1 winners in one of the worst performances that many fans could ever remember, and
Carlton Palmer was again roundly booed by a number of fans. This time, he apologized for
the performance after the game. Pride was restored a week later after a sizzling display
at Bristol Rovers, in front of a select band of fewer than 200 Stags fans. But still the
Stags couldn’t win as two disgraceful refereeing decisions saw Rovers handed two
penalties to gift them a draw. The Stags goals came from Barker (2), Larkin, and youngster
Callum Lloyd. Another youngster, Giles Coke, made an impressive debut, having signed from
Kingstonian. Yet another draw followed as Chester came to Field Mill and left with a
scoreless draw.
With
play-off hopes now a distant memory, the Stags travelled to Kidderminster for a reunion
with former boss Stuart Watkiss, who had been brought in in mid-season to try to keep the
West Midlands club in the Football League. Watkiss’s side put in a typically cavalier
performance and after taking the lead, should have gone 2-0 ahead but missed a crucial
penalty, in an incident where Mansfield were very lucky not to have keeper Pilkington sent
off. Kidderminster were to pay for that as woeful defending let them down, and the Stags
roared back with two goals from Barker, and one from nippy winger Simon Brown who had
previously failed to live up to considerable promise after signing for £50,000 from West
Brom.
Brown
was on the mark again a week later, at the start of April, as Grimsby were dispatched 2-0
at Field Mill, Rundle getting the other goal. It ended a dreadful run of 5 games at Field
Mill without a win. Then in a bizarre game, Mansfield played rather well at high flying
Yeovil and somehow lost the game 5-2. The Stags missed a penalty in that game, and missed
another a week later in a 1-1 draw at home to Darlington, as Rhys Day missed from the spot
but he was villain turned hero as he rescued a point with a late header. The end of season
feel continued as Mansfield lost 3-1 at play-off contenders Macclesfield, before seeing
off Boston 3-2 at Field Mill in the final home game of the season. The Boston game was a
good performance which summed up a topsy-turvy season, as the Stags bobbed back into the
top half of the table, yet before the final game at Leyton Orient they could have finished
as low as 18th place. The Stags were terrible at Orient for 75 minutes, to
trail 2-0, then an excellent late rally saw one goal retrieved, and could have seen a
draw. A draw would have seen a top half of the table finish, but as it was, the final
position was 13th, and the season was so average that the final goal difference
was zero, with 15 wins, 15 draws, and 16 defeats. The main talking point at Orient was the
final performance in a Stags shirt of Scott McNiven, who many felt had been poorly treated
following his recovery from cancer, and Luke Dimech. As it turned out, Tom Curtis was also
playing his last game for the Stags, and incredibly all three were to join Chester City,
with Keith Curle their new manager.
So a mid-table finish, and a season many Stags
fans couldn’t wait to see the back of. Alex Neil picked up Player of the Season
awards from Follow The Yellow Brick Road, the SSA and the
CHAD, while my own choice for player of the season was Richie Barker. However Alex Neil
was to be released by Palmer after the season had ended, and joined Scottish side
Hamilton. Colin Larkin was also shown the door after failing to rediscover his early
season form following injury. Larkin remained the club’s
leading scorer with 11 league and cup goals, from 38 appearances, despite only scoring 4
goals after September. Richie Barker, nearly caught Larkin up, scoring 10 goals from 28
appearances. Such was the turbulence of the season that only 3
players started more than 30 league games: Neil, goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington, and Alex
John-Baptiste. The Stags used 40 players in league and cup games
during the season, equalling the club record set two seasons
earlier. This contrasted with only 26 players used in the Play-Off Final season.
It was a season for spectacular
goals, with my own selection of favourites being:
1. Colin Larkin, run and long
range shot at Chester.
2. Adam Murray, volley at Bury.
3. Craig Woodman, screamer at home
to Notts County.
4. Richie Barker, overhead kick at
Rochdale.
5. Adam Rundle, run
and shot at home to Grimsby.
Other
Statistics Snippets of 2004/2005 Season
The
average home league attendance for the season was 4,075. This was a drop of 22% in average home
league crowds from the previous season’s average of
5,207,
the second biggest drop in the division after Rushden.
The
average home attendance before Christmas was 4,637, and the average home attendance after
Christmas was 3,560.
The
average away following at Field Mill was 512. (The
previous season it was 726).
The
highest home attendance was 7,682 against Notts County. The lowest was 2,497 against
Wycombe on a snowy Tuesday night.
Five teams
brought more than a thousand to Field Mill: Notts County (1787), Bristol Rovers (1325),
Northampton (1063), Scunthorpe (1053), Lincoln (1024). The lowest away following at Field
Mill was Wycombe (91).
Away from
Field Mill, the Stags average away following was 662. This was a drop of 25% from the
previous season (which was 888).
The
highest Stags away following was at Notts County (3600); while the lowest Stags away
following was at Swansea (112).
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Links to earlier seasons:
Stagsnet review of the season: Season 2003/04
Stagsnet review of the season: Season 2002/03
Stagsnet review of the season: Season 2001/02
Stagsnet review of the season: Season 2000/01
Stagsnet review of the season: Season 1999/2000
Stagsnet review of the season: Season 1998/99