Archived News from August 2004
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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One of the Football League come-back teams this season, Chester, is the one that have faced the Stags on most occasions in league fixtures. It's easy to understand why as the club who did unearth Ian Rush in the late seventies faced the Stags in all their division 3 (N) seasons.
The two teams have also experienced an unique treble – being promoted together twice and relegated together once! Here are the facts: In 1974-75 the Stags were runaway champs of the old Fourth division. Chester had during that season done the same thing as the Stags did twenty years later – dumping Leeds out of the League Cup! But in Chester's case, Leeds crashed 3-0 at Sealand Road. All that season Chester figured in the promotion contention due to a very good home record with only nine goals conceded. Chester's last game that season was a 1-0 at Crewe, but had to wait until a Lincoln away game at Southport a couple of days later to know their fate. Without playing, Chester were promoted as Lincoln lost 3-2 at Haig Avenue. Eleven seasons later, in 1985-86, the Stags and Chester were promoted together again. This time around, Chester finished in second position and the Stags one rang below. The relegation together took place in 1992-93 when Chester finished rock bottom with over 100 goals put against them – a feat last experienced by Stockport in 2001-02. The Stags finished two positons above Chester in 1992-93. On 42 occasions have Mansfield and Chester crossed their league swords and the teams' first-ever league fixture was also the Stags' first-ever in the old division 3 (N). That game was played at Field Mill on August 27, 1932 and ended with a Stags win due to a solitary Hoyland strike in front of 8009. This was to prove a pointer to Chester's visits to Stagsland, as up to the late eighties, Chester had won only once at Field Mill. At Chester, the stats have been more evenly balanced, even though the Stags' last visit was one to forget, crashing 5-0 on March 25, 2000 – the start of the worst-ever Stags goal famine – and that happened just a week after the famous 3-2-victory at Rotherham. Apart from that, the Stags have scored in every away game bar nearly a dozen at Chester no matter what ground they have played on - in the early nineties they played a couple of seasons at Macclesfield before their entry into the League – the game in 1990-91 didn't even attract 1000 spectators, a paltry 957 crowd. Compare that to 7706 on March 15, 1975 and 7775 on September 8, 1962! A curious fact is that one of the Stags' latest managers, Billy Dearden, played for Chester in the 1976-77 season and actually SCORED the Chester goal in the 1-1 draw at Field Mill on March 26, 1977 in front of 6976. And in the Stags' first promotion season, the 2-0 at Chester – goals Morris pen and Chapman R – was the last of the six-match winning streak from the start of that 1962-63-season – and the 4-0 stuffing on May 18, 1963 – one of the latest days ever for the Stags to have a final home game – was the Stags last home fixture then. A crowd of 7415 saw Wagstaff, Chapman R, Morris (pen) and Coates contribute to the rout. .... and Ian Rush appeared for Chester in both games against the Stags in 1979-80 before moving on to a great future at Liverpool. Memorable Stags wins at Chester: - The first. On Good Friday, 1948, goals by Banks and Oscroft secured a 2-1 in front of 11209. - The five-goal rout on March 8, 1952 with the help of three Evans strikes and two from Reeve - December 27, 1983 – the day after a home defeat against the Spireites. One goal apiece from Lowery, Barrowclough, Caldwell and Nicholson crushed the 1983-84 bottom club 4-0 watched by 1567. By that time, re-election was still in force... - The latest. Secured by the help of a Steve Whitehall penalty in front of 2055 on February 7, 1998. So far, none of the sides have done that well. Chester's only goal so far was a late penalty at Notts County, while the Stags have yet to score and gain a point. Come on Stags!!!!!!!!!!! Played for both sides: John Allen, John Bingham, Tony Brien, Roy Chapman, James Cooper, John Cottam, Alec Gray, John Gregson, Ian Helliwell, Stuart Hicks, Barry Jepson, David Kerr, Steve Kilcar, Allan Livingstone, Fred Morris, Kevin Noteman, Andy Porter, John Sainty, Gary Tallon, Chris Tate, Steve Whitehall, Ernie Whittam and Chris Withe. In addition former Stags managers Jock Basford and Billy Dearden also played for Chester. Home stats: P 42, W 28, D 8, L 6, GF 81, GA 37 Away stats: P 42, W 14, D 13, L 15, GF 61, GA 66 Season Home Date Away Date 1932-33 1-0 1932-08-27 2-5 1932-12-31 Div 3 (N) 1933-34 2-1 1933-10-28 1-1 1934-03-10 Div 3 (N) 1934-35 1-1 1934-11-17 2-3 1935-03-30 Div 3 (N) 1935-36 0-0 1935-10-26 0-4 1936-03-14 Div 3 (N) 1936-37 5-0 1937-03-26 1-5 1937-03-29 Div 3 (N) 1947-48 2-1 1948-03-29 2-1 1948-03-26 Div 3 (N) 1948-49 1-0 1948-10-02 1-1 1949-02-26 Div 3 (N) 1949-50 0-2 1950-02-11 3-6 1950-04-29 Div 3 (N) 1950-51 2-1 1951-04-21 1-0 1950-12-02 Div 3 (N) 1951-52 3-1 1951-10-20 5-1 1952-03-08 Div 3 (N) 1952-53 2-2 1952-11-15 2-2 1953-04-04 Div 3 (N) 1953-54 2-1 1954-01-09 2-0 1954-03-24 Div 3 (N) 1954-55 2-1 1954-10-16 0-1 1955-03-05 Div 3 (N) 1955-56 3-0 1956-03-25 3-4 1955-10-15 Div 3 (N) 1956-57 1-1 1957-01-05 2-6 1957-01-26 Div 3 (N) 1957-58 3-1 1958-02-22 2-1 1958-11-23 Div 3 (N) 1960-61 3-1 1961-03-04 3-3 1960-10-15 Div 4 (old) 1961-62 3-0 1962-03-30 1-0 1961-11-11 Div 4 (old) 1962-63 4-0 1963-05-18 2-0 1962-09-08 Div 4 (old) 1972-73 4-1 1972-10-21 2-2 1973-10-17 Div 4 (old) 1973-74 3-0 1973-09-17 1-1 1973-10-03 Div 4 (old) 1974-75 0-0 1974-09-27 0-0 1975-03-15 Div 4 (old) 1975-76 1-1 1975-08-30 1-1 1976-01-10 Div 3 (old) 1976-77 1-1 1977-03-26 0-1 1976-10-16 Div 3 (old) 1978-79 2-0 1979-05-05 1-1 1979-03-31 Div 3 (old) 1979-80 2-1 1980-03-29 0-1 1979-11-17 Div 3 (old) 1982-83 2-1 1983-02-26 3-1 1982-10-16 Div 4 (old) 1983-84 3-1 1984-04-24 4-0 1983-12-27 Div 4 (old) 1984-85 2-0 1984-11-07 3-0 1985-03-30 Div 4 (old) 1985-86 0-0 1986-03-04 0-1 1985-10-02 Div 4 (old) 1986-87 2-3 1987-03-14 1-1 1986-10-18 Div 3 (old) 1987-88 1-2 1988-03-26 2-0 1987-10-24 Div 3 (old) 1988-89 2-0 1989-02-28 0-0 1988-10-26 Div 3 (old) 1989-90 1-0 1990-01-20 2-0 1989-08-19 Div 3 (old) 1990-91 1-0 1990-12-15 0-1 1991-03-09 Div 3 (old) 1992-93 2-0 1993-01-09 2-1 1992-09-15 Div 2 1993-94 0-4 1993-10-23 1-1 1994-02-05 Div 3 1995-96 3-4 1995-11-18 1-2 1996-05-04 Div 3 1996-97 0-2 1997-02-04 0-1 1997-02-22 Div 3 1997-98 4-1 1997-09-20 1-0 1998-02-07 Div 3 1998-99 3-0 1999-01-30 1-1 1998-12-28 Div 3 1999-2000 2-1 1999-12-26 0-5 2000-03-25 Div 3 Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) Player details courtesy of Paul Taylor Details on goal-scorers and attendances courtesy of the centenary book, its update and various editions of Rothmans Football yearbook (especially on Billy Dearden and Ian Rush) |
Latest | August 2004