Someone remarked to me during the Grantham game that Grantham Town have the initials GT and play in Lincolnshire. At home we drew 1-1 scoring first. Next Saturday we travel to Gainsborough Trinity, who have the initials GT, play in Lincolnshire and we drew the home game 1-1 scoring first. So, if you believe in coincidences then you should travel to next Saturdays away game.

We travel to Gainsborough in a league for the first time since 2010/11 when we drew 2-2. Having lost 2-0 to them in last seasons FA Trophy we aim to improve on that especially as hopes are high after the Grantham game. However, they have an imposing home record, with 7 wins against sides well down the league table, 2 draws with Witton and Nantwich and defeats to Buxton, Grantham and Scarborough. Their 6th place to our 19th sees a 20-point gap, so on paper it appears to be a banker home win. However, we travel hoping to cause an upset.

Gainsborough Trinity Football Club was formed in 1873 as Trinity Recreationists, set up by the vicar of the Holy Trinity Church for young parishioners. In 1889The club quickly became well known and won their first Midland League championship in 1890/91 and after finishing runners-up the following season they were elected to the Football League Second Division. Their first match was against Newton Heath, who later became Manchester United. On returning to the Midland League the club remained there until becoming founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1969. Gainsborough Trinity were one of the longest-serving members of the NPL, ending a 36-year stay after finishing tenth in the Premier Division to earn a place in the extended Conference Nationwide North for 2004/05. In the 145 years since they were first formed in 1873, other than through failing to be re-elected or reorganisation of leagues, they had never been promoted and never been relegated. That was until last season when they lost their place in the National League North to find themselves back in the Northern Premier League.

Gainsborough Trinity play their home matches at The Northolme, their home since 1884. In their history a few famous names have played or managed them, more recently managerial spells under Neil Warnock who began his managerial career at Gainsborough, and Brian Little.

There is a supporter’s mini bus running, but I believe this may be full, so car travellers you are looking at a 180-mile round trip with journey time of about 2 hours each way. Your satnav requirements for Northolme, now known as the Gainsborough Martin and Co Arena is DN21 2AW. There is limited street parking, but they have a car park across the roads from the ground with a charge of £2. Admission to the game appears still to be based on National League North prices as they charge £12 adult, £8 concessions and £4 under 16’s. For those wishing to travel by train, then I am afraid you can forget it, as you cannot get back till Sunday.

So, to all the brave souls travelling on Saturday, lets all get behind the team as see if we can spring a surprise and move away from that dreaded relegation zone.

Games played on January 26^th this century.

2002       Bath                       H             postponed, but won 2-1 when played on 2^nd Feb

2006       Tamworth            H             1-0          Staffs Senior Cup

2008       Salisbury              H             1-5          Conference

As the Whitby game was brought forward, we now have a blank Saturday on the 12th, so must wait a further week to our next game, away at Grantham on January 19th.

I am sure the extended break will give Andy and Alex time to work with the squad and devise a plan to get something out of that game at The South Kesteven Stadium. Like many Rangers fans, we do not enjoy our trips to that ground as you are too far from the pitch due to it also being an athletics stadium with the 400 metres running track making your view even harder.

However, that was very different to my first ever away game at Grantham, who then played on London Road right in the town centre. It was season 1983/4, and we were back in the Northern Premier League after a short stay in the Alliance League. We had already beaten Grantham 4-0 at home and the return fixture was played on Sunday 29th January 1984. The Football Archives website has this game played the previous day but as I was there, and I know it was a Sunday and our statistician Chris Elsley agrees. The game was memorable because an official was injured during the game and replaced by a portly Grantham Director. He was so far behind play he did not flag Chris Arnott offside (as he was well offside) but allowed him to run on and score the only goal of the game. The following season home game was also remarkable as following on from a 1-1 away draw the return fixture was 30/03/1985 and we won 6-2, remarkable in that all our six goals were headers.

Our first meetings in the mid-eighties, were in the Northern Premier League, but we have also played league games with Grantham in the Southern League and Southern League Midland. Since 1983/4 season we have played 10 away games at Grantham winning 4 drawing 2 and losing 4, with a goal’s ratio of 13 for and 12 against. There is one other away game which does not feature, and that is the 25/01/2014 games which was abandoned when the score was 0-0. Historically the games statistics show the potential for a close game, so we need to ensure that we try to get something from a mid-table Grantham side who appear to win as many as they lose, so a draw could be a good outcome

Other fixtures played on January 19^th this century

2002       Chelmsford        H             2-1          Southern League

2010       Telford                  H            2-0          Conference North

2016       Hednesford        A             1-4          Staffs Senior Cup