{ the news }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC
Archived News from December 2006

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
31st December 2006 18:04


The last time Hartlepool visited Field Mill for a Football League fixture, it was on January 19, 2002, being the first Field Mill game under the reign of Stuart Watkiss. And that clash ended in a hard-fought 3-0 victory for the Stags, a score-line which then was harsh on Hartlepool as the northeasterners twice hit the post when the Stags only were 1-0 up. More on that game is featured in the match centre for our up to date latest promotion season.

And on September 23, 2000 under Billy Dearden's previous reign, Field Mill was centre-stage for one of the Stags' all-time greatest comebacks. The opponents were Hartlepool and with just about seven minutes remaining, the Stags found themselves 3-1 down after Chris Greenacre had put the Stags in front. Just before half-time, Sam Shilton (son of ex-England goalie Peter Shilton) equalized. In the second half, ex-Stag Tony Lormor (who often scored against the Stags) put Hartlepool in front, then Henderson increased the lead. Enter Michael Boulding, now in his second Stags spell. He clawed back the deficit, then Greenacre equalized. Just two minutes later, Corden hit the winner in front of 2135.

And if earlier League games between the Stags and Hartlepool (Hartlepools United up to and including the 1967-68 season) are anything to go by, there should be a couple of goals as only ONE of the previous 80 league and cup games between the sides have ended goalless, and that was late as on October 27, 1984, at Hartlepool's ground in front of 4349.

But Hartlepool fixed a new club record eight consecutive league wins thanks to a 90th minute strike at home to Peterborough on the last 2006 league Saturday. And a 90th minute goal, away at Accrington on November 18, 2006, also started the northeasterners' record sequence, in which Hartlepool had gone 682 minutes without conceding. And incidentally the latest player to score against Hartlepool in the league was Todd, the Accrington player who converted a penalty in the abandoned game against the Stags by the score of 1-1 at half-time last Saturday.

Under the name of Hartlepools United, the north-easterners were on several occasions victims of Stags hat-trick heroes. But the worst one-man goal-blitz was, not unexpectedly, the one from Ted Harston on January 23, 1937, when he hit seven of the Stags' goals in the 8-2 victory in front of just 2696 at Field Mill. Any currently living Stags fan remembering this one? And in the 7-1 mauling at the same venue on October 29, 1949, TWO players scored hat-tricks. One was the then player-manager Freddie Steele, the other was Oscroft with two from the spot. More recently, Dungworth scored all three in a 3-0 win on March 14, 1983, one win which in a Swedish boulevard newspaper wasn't included in the league table for the Stags for a month, but the defeat was included in Hartlepool's records! That particular newspaper was ordered to correct the records! On October 22, 1983, Caldwell scored four in a 5-0 rout.

The biggest Stags away win at Hartlepool was a 4-0 on November 3, 1982 in front of just 1325 with Caldwell, the late Billy Ayre (who actually started his league career at Hartlepool), Nicholson and Woodhead with a penalty hitting the net. And the last Stags away victory against Hartlepools United before their name change was also the full-pointer with most goals scored as the Stags won 4-3 on May 13, 1963 in front of 2735. Roy Chapman scored twice, Sammy Chapman and Ken Wagstaff scored one apiece.

The home game in the old third division on Boxing Day, 1968, was the one which was followed by the FA Cup Third round win over Sheffield United. One player, Nick Sharkey, who went on to score one of the goals in the famous victory over West Ham, played for Hartlepool a few seasons later and in the 1970-71 season was their top scorer with eight league goals. And the 2-0 on October 8, 1994 was the Stags' first league fixture after dumping then Premiership side Leeds out of the League Cup a few nights earlier. That 2-0 victory was also the last of six straight Stags Field Mill victories against the Pool without conceding a goal, scoreline 18-0.

The Stags have twice secured auto promo thanks to wins over Hartlepool at Field Mill. The first opportunity came on April 5, 1975, when Clark and the late Hodgson scored in the 2-0 victory in front of 8860. Eleven years later, Hartlepool at one time challenged strongly with the Stags for promotion. But at the time of the game on April 22, 1986, the north-easterners had faded out of the picture. But the Stags needed just a win to clinch it. And they did it in style thanks to a 4-0 mauling due to two goals from Cassells, one from Chamberlain and an own-goal in front of 5545 on a Tuesday night. The six-year wait for the third level was finally over.

And it's no wonder, then, that the teams have yet to play a goal-less league game in Stagsland. Fact is also, that the Stags have scored more than a century of Field Mill league goals against Hartlepool (and their north-east neighbours Darlington as well) over the years. On only four occasions, the latest being the biggest-ever home defeat, a 0-3 on December 23, 1995, have the Stags failed to score at Field Mill against the first 2007 Field Mill visitors. On the other hand, Hartlepool have failed to do on no fewer than 18 occasions at Field Mill. Earlier this season, the Stags lost the away game 2-0 after a poor display.

On three occasions (the first as Hartlepools United in 1967-68), Hartlepool have been promoted, and on all of those, the Stags finished in relegation position. But when Hartlepool, the side built by the late Brian Clough were promoted for the first time ever in 1967-68, the Stags were saved from relegation due to the demotion of Peterborough. But in 1990-91 and 2002-03, the Stags were relegated and Hartlepool promoted.

Played for both sides: Billy Ayre, Stuart Boam, Ian Bowling, Alexander Brown, Michael Carter, Darrell Clarke, Brian Cox, Jason Danskin, Fred Flanders, Gary Ford, John Gill, William Linacre, David Linighan, Tony Lormor, Carl Muggleton, Anthony Parry, Martin Pemberton, Chris Perkins, John Rowlands, Nick Sharkey, Alan Waddle.

Stats file:

Home stats: P 38, W 31, D 2, L 5, GF 102, GA 31
Away stats: P 39, W 8, D 12, L 19, GF 46, GA 73

Season Home Date Away Date

1932-33 7-1 1933-05-06 3-6 1932-12-24 Div 3 (N)
1933-34 1-1 1933-08-26 1-3 1933-12-30 Div 3 (N)
1934-35 2-1 1935-03-09 1-1 1934-10-27 Div 3 (N)
1935-36 4-0 1935-12-26 1-4 1935-12-24 Div 3 (N)
1936-37 8-2 1937-01-23 0-3 1936-09-19 Div 3 (N)
1947-48 3-2 1948-02-14 0-1 1947-09-27 Div 3 (N)
1948-49 1-0 1949-04-16 1-1 1948-11-20 Div 3 (N)
1949-50 7-1 1949-10-29 3-1 1950-03-18 Div 3 (N)
1950-51 1-0 1951-03-10 1-1 1950-10-21 Div 3 (N)
1951-52 0-1 1951-12-26 0-2 1951-12-25 Div 3 (N)
1952-53 2-0 1953-02-28 0-2 1952-10-11 Div 3 (N)
1953-54 1-0 1954-04-03 1-3 1953-11-14 Div 3 (N)
1954-55 0-2 1954-11-27 2-1 1955-04-16 Div 3 (N)
1955-56 5-1 1955-12-31 2-4 1955-09-03 Div 3 (N)
1956-57 4-1 1957-04-23 1-2 1957-04-19 Div 3 (N)
1957-58 5-1 1957-12-14 0-2 1958-04-26 Div 3 (N)
1960-61 2-1 1960-12-26 2-3 1960-12-27 Div 4 (old)
1961-62 3-1 1961-12-02 1-0 1962-04-21 Div 4 (old)
1962-63 3-1 1963-03-23 4-3 1963-05-13 Div 4 (old)
1968-69 2-0 1968-12-26 1-1 1968-10-04 Div 3 (old)
1972-73 2-0 1972-12-23 1-1 1973-04-20 Div 4 (old)
1973-74 2-0 1973-10-13 0-4 1974-02-17 Div 4 (old)
1974-75 2-0 1975-04-05 1-2 1974-10-26 Div 4 (old)
1980-81 0-1 1981-03-16 1-0 1980-10-21 Div 4 (old)
1981-82 3-2 1982-01-16 0-3 1982-05-03 Div 4 (old)
1982-83 3-0 1983-03-14 4-0 1982-11-03 Div 4 (old)
1983-84 5-0 1983-10-22 1-4 1984-02-25 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 2-0 1985-03-02 0-0 1984-10-27 Div 4 (old)
1985-86 4-0 1986-04-22 1-1 1985-11-02 Div 4 (old)
1992-93 2-0 1993-02-16 1-0 1993-03-27 Div 2
1994-95 2-0 1994-10-08 2-3 1995-05-06 Div 3
1995-96 0-3 1995-12-23 1-1 1996-03-09 Div 3
1996-97 1-0 1997-03-31 2-2 1996-08-27 Div 3
1997-98 2-2 1998-04-18 2-2 1997-12-20 Div 3
1998-99 2-0 1999-04-24 2-1 1998-10-11 Div 3
1999-2000 2-3 1999-10-16 0-1 2000-04-22 Div 3
2000-01 4-3 2000-09-23 1-1 2001-02-24 Div 3
2001-02 3-0 2002-01-19 1-1 2001-08-11 Div 3
2006-07 (at Victoria Ground) 0-2 2006-09-12 League Two

Cup games:

1935-36 2-3 1935-11-30 FA Cup 1st round at Field Mill
1953-54 1-1 1953-11-21 FA Cup 1st round at Victoria Ground
1953-54 0-3 1953-11-25 FA Cup 1st round replay at Field Mill

Games up to and including the 1962-63 season as Hartlepools United

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

Some details courtesy of the centenary book and the history CD

 

Latest | December 2006