Starting out life in Tier 3 after a Promotion from Tier 4

[Dutch Uncle]

We have been promoted from Tier 4 to Tier 3 on 7 occasions since the regionalised Divisions 3 North and South were scrapped in 1958-59. In that time we have also been relegated into tier 3 from tier 2 on three occasions. I thought it might be interesting to look at how we started life in Tier 3 after a promotion on the other 6 occasions:

1966-67: Drew opening match away to Peterborough 3-3. After a decent start, our season was derailed firstly by losing John Nicholson in a car crash which also injured Alick Jeffrey for several months, And then we sold Laurie Sheffield. The defence collapsed (117 goals conceded) and we actually lost all of our last 18 away matches, many by large margins. Although our home form was OK we were comfortably relegated.

1969-70: Lost opening match 1-2 at Torquay but then went on a great run and were 2nd after 13 games. Form fell away badly, but a good last 5 games meant we finished 11th.  The lost momentum was carried forward and we were relegated the next season.

1981-82: Lost opening match at home to bogey team Reading, but again a brilliant run took us to 2nd place after 14 games. Very similar loss of form to 1969-70 and we finished 19th, and again the lost momentum meant relegation the following season, the one with the 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 4-4 run of home games.

1984-85: Lost opening match 0-2 at Preston, but a good solid season saw us finish 14th, with the highlight being the heroic 9-man Boxing Day win at eventual champions Bradford City in the season which ended with the tragic fire. We ended up having 4 seasons in Tier 3. 

2004-05: Dave Penney’s champions started with a 2-0 Home win over Blackpool, and had a very positive season finishing 10th, not too far behind the playoffs. This time a four season stay ended in promotion to the Championship with the famous Wembley win over Leeds.

2017-18: Ferguson’s title bottlers started with a 0-0 Home draw with Gillingham and struggled to make an impression, finishing 15th, and Fergie left to be replaced by Grant McCann.

Make of all that what you will, but the only time we won an opening match starting after a promotion was in 2004-05, and our Tier 3 stay ended in promotion.   


With thanks to that young whippersnapper Scawsby Steve for a correction 

[Chris Black come back]

Great stattery Dutch, very interesting to see.

[scawsby steve]

We have been promoted from Tier 4 to Tier 3 on 7 occasions since the regionalised Divisions 3 North and South were scrapped in 1958-59. In that time we have also been relegated into tier 3 from tier 2 on three occasions. I thought it might be interesting to look at how we started life in Tier 3 after a promotion on the other 6 occasions:

1966-67: Drew opening match away to Peterborough 3-3. After a decent start, our season was derailed firstly by losing John Nicholson in a car crash which also injured Alick Jeffrey for several months, And then we sold Laurie Sheffield. The defence collapsed (117 goals conceded) and we actually lost all of our last 20 away matches, many by large margins. Although our home form was OK we were comfortably relegated.

1969-70: Lost opening match 1-2 at Torquay but then went on a great run and were 2nd after 13 games. Form fell away badly, but a good last 5 games meant we finished 11th.  The lost momentum was carried forward and we were relegated the next season.

1981-82: Lost opening match at home to bogey team Reading, but again a brilliant run took us to 2nd place after 14 games. Very similar loss of form to 1969-70 and we finished 19th, and again the lost momentum meant relegation the following season, the one with the 6-1, 7-5. 4-6. 4-4 run of home games.

1984-85: Lost opening match 0-2 at Preston, but a good solid season saw us finish 14th, with the highlight being the heroic 9-man Boxing Day win at eventual champions Bradford City in the season which ended with the tragic fire. We ended up having 4 seasons in Tier 3. 

2004-05: Dave Penney’s champions started with a 2-0 Home win over Blackpool, and had a very positive season finishing 10th, not too far behind the playoffs. This time a four season stay ended in promotion to the Championship with the famous Wembley win over Leeds.

2017-18: Ferguson’s title bottlers started with a 0-0 Home draw with Gillingham and struggled to make an impression, finishing 15th, and Fergie left to be replaced by Grant McCann.

Make of all that what you will, but the only time we won an opening match starting after a promotion was in 2004-05, and our Tier 3 stay ended in promotion.   

I hate being pedantic after a post from my favourite statto in the whole world. In fact, I'll bet it's nothing more than a typo. In that crazy sequence in 81/82, we lost 3-6 to Wigan, not 4-6.

Once again, DU, apologies.

[Dutch Uncle]

Many thanks SS, indeed a typo - I knew it looked like a tennis match abandoned at 4-4 in the 4th set 

Reminds me of a newspaper that once advertised for new poof reader