Brentford and Wigan Athletic will make trips to Wembley over the next few weeks for differing reasons. Brentford will be playing in the League One play-off final against Yeovil Town, whilst Wigan Athletic will feature in the first FA Cup Final of their history against Manchester City.
Despite these heady days for both clubs it's not the first time Brentford and Wigan have played at Wembley.
Having been elected into the Football League in 1978 and spending the next quarter of a century
in the bottom two divisions, finding inclusions for Wigan Athletics turn on our Match Of The Past
series hasn't necessarily been easy. However, we have managed to find six matches from the years
between 1982 and 1997 for you this evening, starting off with their last home match from the
1981/82 promotion season, when the cameras of Granada Television (and a young Martin Tyler) were
persuaded to Springfield Park for a match against Mansfield Town, and next up is a trip to Wembley
from 1985, as Wigan take on Brentford in front of a crowd of almost 40,000 people in the final of
the Football League Trophy.
The problem with an open-top bus parade is that it really does rely on people turning up to come and watch. Whilst that is never really a problem for clubs such as Chelsea and a Manchester City, for Blue Square Premier champions Mansfield Town endured a slightly more low-key affair. This image did the rounds [.
With just a handful of matches left at the end of this season, there is something of a bottleneck starting to form between the bottom of the Football League and what we call, increasingly euphemistically, the top end of the non-league game. At the foot of League Two, just four points separate bottom of the table at the time of writing Aldershot Town from Dagenham & Redbridge, while at the top of the Blue Square Bet Premier Wrexham's two-one win against Mansfield Town on Thursday evening meant that a little uncertainty was thrown back upon the expected outcome of the league title in that division, with Mansfield staying a point behind the league leaders, Kidderminster Harriers, in second place in the table, albeit with two games still in hand.
Mansfield Town fans would have been rather pleased with their side's 8-1 home win over Barrow, but one suspects that manager Paul Cox was the happiest man at the club after owner John Radford gave him an £85,000 Aston Martin. After Mansfield beat the same side 7-0 last season, the owner told Cox that if [.
Given Oldham Athletic's triumph over the mighty Liverpool FC this past weekend, this story needs to be told. A few weeks ago, I enjoyed the 3rd round of the FA Cup. The highlight of the weekend was watching Mansfield Town ... Continue reading...
Liverpool's attempt to reach the FA Cup Final two years in a row continues this weekend with a trip to League One side Oldham Athletic. The Lancashire club is relishing the opportunity to play the Reds, but who were humiliated in the third round of the competition last season 5-1 at Anfield. There were five different scorers for Liverpool that day – Craig Bellamy, Steven Gerrard, debut goals for Jonjo Shelvey and Stuart Downing, and Andy Carroll.
In my weekly column on SWOL, I take a look back at the weekend's English Premier League (and/or domestic cup) action and talking points, as well as any significant news related to English football. We welcome your thoughts in the comments section below.
Frank Lampard of Chelsea (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
FA Cup Third Round Review: Brighton's Upset, Robin's Equalizer, Suarez's Handball
We cannot talk about the FA Cup without mentioning the "magic" that it brings, right?
A very touching tribute to the 96 from Mansfield Town... Image: itv.com
Liverpool are through to the next round of the FA Cup after beating Mansifeld Town 2-1 on Sunday. Some controversy arose about the manner in which the Reds scored their second goal but Mansfield failed to make their chances late on in the game despite finding a consolation.
A wacky Mansfield Town fan made his way from the stands of Field Mill and (literally) into the arms of Luis Suarez during last night's FA Cup third round encounter. Whether you like the striker or absolutely hate him, you'd make an exception if the Uruguayan paid a visit to your 'hood, right?
MANSFIELD TOWN 1-2 LIVERPOOL Liverpool overcame a tricky test against in the FA Cup 3rd round at Mansfield on Sunday evening. Playing in front of a partisan home crowd of 7,540, Liverpool got off to the perfect start after barely 7 minutes when debutante Daniel Sturridge scored a well-taken goal following a nice through pass from Jonjoe Shelvey.
Life isn't fair and cheats often prosper. How unpalatable such statements are doesn't alter how true they are, and it may be especially galling for the supporters of Mansfield Town that the valiant efforts of their team this afternoon will be overshadowed by a predictable row over the handled goal that eventually won a tumultuous FA Cup Third Round match for Liverpool this afternoon.
Might as well get all the positives out of the way early. Liverpool actually won, despite all the complaining to come, advancing to the next round. Daniel Sturridge scored within seven minutes on his Liverpool debut.
Mansfield Town 1-2 Liverpool FA Cup 6th January 2013
The moment FA Cup mascot buddy attempted to shoot Mansfield boss Paul Cox. (Bet it was Suarez in the costume).
The pompous and the self-inflated of the footballing media world will be sharpening their (metaphorical) pencils today after their favourite baddie, Luis Suarez, blatantly handled the ball on the way to Scoring Liverpool's winner against non-league Mansfield Town.
New Liverpool sigining Daniel Sturridge (Photo via Getty Images)
Brendan Rodgers has a tricky job ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup clash with Mansfield Town on Sunday. One would think that the game, against a 5th tier side, would be a perfect time for the manager to rest the majority of his first team and give some of the reserves a chance to play.
To honor the 96 victims of the 1989 Hilllsborough disaster and show support for the growing campaign for justice, non-league side Mansfield Town have marked 96 seats that will be left empty at their Field Mill ground for their FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool. Cards bearing the names of each person who died at the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have been attached to the empty seats that willseparatethe home and away fans at the 7,574-capacity ground for a poignant show of respect and support.
The home for Sunday's clash... Image: merciatouristboard.org.uk
The Reds are off to the East Midlands on Sunday as they prepare to face their conference opposition; Mansfield Town in the FA Cup. After a run that saw them go all the way to the final last year, it's certainly a competition Liverpool want to stamp their mark on and they have a real chance to progress here at Field Mill.
Previous Meetings: 3-2 Liverpool (h; League Cup) 09.22.70 0-0 (a; League Cup) 09.08.70
Previous Rounds: Liverpool: n/a Mansfield Town: 2-1 Lincoln City (h); 3-3 Lincoln City (a); 1-1 Slough [4-1 pens] (a); 0-0 Slough (h); 2-1 Workington (a)
Last three matches: Liverpool: 3-0 Sunderland (h); 3-0 QPR (a); 1-3 Stoke (a) Mansfield Town: 3-0 Alfreton Town (a); 1-2 Alfreton Town (h); 2-1 Lincoln City (h)
Guess at a line-up: Jones Wisdom Skrtel Carragher Robinson Allen Åžahin Shelvey Suso Sturridge Downing
The third round of the FA Cup, just four days after Liverpool played five matches in two and a half weeks, means Rodgers seemingly has to rest some players, as said in yesterday's press conference.
Brendan Rodgers is expected to ring the changes for his Liverpool side's trip to Field Mill to face Mansfield Town in one of the standout glamour ties of the FA Cup third round. New signing Daniel Sturridge will be pushing for his first start for the club since his move from Chelsea, and the forward has seven goals in his last seven starts in the FA Cup.
The FA Cup has had a big impact on the personal life of Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox. The gaffer (who turns 41 on Sunday) agreed to marry his girlfriend if his non-league side beat Lincoln City in the second round of the tournament last month. Following the 2-1 win, Cox kept his word and the wedding was scheduled for Friday, January 4 -- two days before Mansfield's third-round tie against Liverpool.
With winter breaks now completed, La Liga, Serie A, and Liga MX have turned the calendar to 2013, with all leagues now returning to action.
The third round of the FA Cup has kicked off the year for the English clubs, as the weekend closes out with Swansea City taking on Arsenal, and Mansfield Town hosting Liverpool.
USA Women - China is on Fox Soccer at 8:30pm. FIFA Club World Cup on Fox Soccer: Ulsan - Sanfrecce at 2:30am and Al Ahly - Corinthians at 5:30am. FA Cup on Fox Soccer: Mansfield Town - Lincoln City at 2:30pm. English League Cup on beIN: Swansea - Middlesbrough at 6pm. Copa del Rey on beIN: Barcelona - Cordoba at 2pm and Celta Vigo - Real Madrid at 4pm.
FIFA Club World Cup on Fox Soccer: Ulsan - Sanfrecce at 2:30am and Al Ahly - Corinthians at 5:30am.
FA Cup on Fox Soccer: Mansfield Town - Lincoln City at 2:30pm. English League Cup on beIN: Swansea - Middlesbrough at 6pm. Copa del Rey on beIN: Barcelona - Cordoba at 2pm and Celta Vigo - Real Madrid at 4pm.
Mansfield Town goalkeeper Alan Marriott joined the illustrious 'goal-scoring goalies' club last
night, punting one over his opposite number Joslain Mayebi to score the Stags' second goal in
their 2-0 win over play-off rivals Wrexham in the Blue Square Premier.
Mansfield Town goalkeeper Alan Marriott joined the illustrious 'goal-scoring goalies' club last
night, punting one over his opposite number Joslain Mayebi to score the Stags' second goal in
their 2-0 win over play-off rivals Wrexham in the Blue Square Premier.
Hidden away among the doom and gloom spreading through football like a plague, borne on the
backs of greedy money-men, is a shimmering chink of light with the news that Mansfield Town have
finally secured ownership of their ground. The announcement that owner John Radford had purchased
the freehold to Field Mill was the final axe blow needed to sever Keith Haslam's link with the
club.
As you are probably already aware, the weather took an axe to this weekend's non-league fixture
list and only a handful of matches took place anywhere. The FA Trophy Third Round matches were
completely called off and will be played at a later date, so the draw for the quarter-finals, which
is to be made tomorrow, will have a somewhat odd look about it.
Although a lucky handful of clubs were still involved in the FA Cup this weekend, most
non-league clubs were back to the league this weekend, and we have the highlights from four matches
from yesterday for you tonight. First up are the Blue Square Premier matches between AFC Telford
United and Kettering Town, and Mansfield Town and Forest Green Rovers.
Over the last few years it has become one of English footballs most instantly recognisable
totems of the folly of ego, and now it seems as if The Reynolds Arena currently known as The
Northern Echo Arena which has been an albatross around the neck of the club since it moved into it
in 2003, may finally be play a significant role in the end of Darlington Football Club.
We have matches for you this evening, as our Non-League Videos Of The Week. Our first comes from
the Blue Square Premier, and is the match between Mansfield Town and Cambridge United. Our second
is from the Blue Square South, and is between Woking and Havant & Waterlooville. We then have two
matches from this weekend's FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round, with Bury Town playing Hythe Town,
and Hednesford Town playing Matlock Town.
We have six matches for you as non-league videos of the week, from three different competitions.
First of all, we have two matches from the Blue Square Premier, between AFC Telford United and
Gateshead, and Mansfield Town and Alfreton Town. Next up, we have three matches from the First
Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy, the matches between Bedworth United and Hednesford Town,
Dartford and Truro City, and Weymouth and AFC Totton.
The football clubs of the Premier League and the Championship had a break for another round of
international matches this weekend, but there were few such luxuries for the butchers, bakers and
candlestick makers of non-league football with a round of fixtures which included the Preliminary
Round of another competition which has suffered a little damage to its reputation in recent years,
the FA Trophy.
This weekend's non-league videos of the week come from the Blue Square Premier and the Second
Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. In the Blue Square Premier, AFC Telford United have reacted
positively to their promotion from the Blue Square North at the end of last season and sit in
mid-table in the division at present and they were at home against Hayes & Yeading United, who were
the beneficiaries of Kettering Town's generosity and subsequent implosion on Tuesday night.
Over the last few months, positive results on the pitch for Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox have brought about some pretty wonderful changes in his life. In a bet with Mansfield chief executive Carolyn Radford, Cox agreed to move up his wedding date if they beat fellow non-league side Lincoln City in the second round of the FA Cup last December, which they did.
It's a new year, but most everyone seems eager to keep the samevillainsin place for another term. On Saturday, John Terry was exposed for driving the three miles from his house to Chelsea's training ground without a tax disc on his new Ferrari. And on Sunday, Luis Suarez kept pace with his hate rival by playing a new version of one of his old hits.
There may not have been any league championships for Tottenham Hotspur since 1961, but the club
has had its fair share of excitement in both cup competitions and the league since then. This
evening, we have six matches from Europe, the FA Cup, the First Division and the Second Division.
First up, we're going back to 1972 and a semi-final of the UEFA Cup against Milan.
Last September, 29-year-old Carolyn Still became the youngest CEO in English football when she
took the helm at Conference side Mansfield Town. Two weeks after her appointment, she was engaged
to club chairman John Radford (this handsome devil), and it has emerged that she used to work as an
escort under the name 'Luella'.
Once a old Second Division side, English Conference National (currently called the Blue Square Bet
Premier) club Mansfield Town has unveiled its 2012/13 Errea home and away kits. According to...
As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a floodlight loved floodlights and that
strange, ethereal, almost 'lunar' quality that they tend to lend to football matches but enough
about my little fetishes, let's get on with it.
