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

We have signed experienced defender Matt Hill from Ashton United. He started his career with Bristol City where he made over 200 appearances. He also played for Preston, Wolves, Barnsley, Blackpool, Sheffield United, Tranme and Bradford Park Avenue. He can play at centre back or left back.

We would like to announce that Andy Fearn and Alex Meechan will continue running the team until the end of the season. 

Jake Charles has signed a contract until the end of the season. 

This coming Tuesday sees us venture up the A50 again on our way to the New Years Day fixture at Mickleover. We lie 17th after 23 games with 24 points, and after their vital 1-0 win over Marine on Saturday, Mickleover are 19th (one place off the relegation zone) with 22 points from their 24 games. This game certainly has the dreaded 6 pointer tag. With our own managerial change, it is important that as many fans travel to this fixture to be out 12th man, and to ensure that we can make 2019 the turning point in our season to climb the table.

Mickleover were formed in 1948 and spent 44 years in the Derby and District League, but steady ground improvement work saw then accepted into the Central Midlands League, and from 1999 into the Northern Counties East. They joined the Northern Premier League family and got promotion into step 3 football for the 2010/11 season where we met for our first ever competitive matches the following season with a 1-1 home draw and 1-0 away defeat. That season Mickleover suffered their first ever relegation and we did not meet again until our relegation into step 4 in 2014/15 when we won 3-1 at home and lost 0-2 away. That was the season Mickleover went back up and saw another season of missing other till of course we were promoted the following year. 2016/17 encounters saw us get a double in 5 days with 1-0 home win on a Tuesday night followed by a 3-1 win at Mickleover on the next Saturday. Last season we have a 1-1 home draw with a 2-0 away win. Could last season’s results be replicated as we drew this seasons August Bank Holiday Monday game at Marston Road
1-1. Only time will tell.

Games played on New Year’s Day this century

2004 Worcester City A 1-0 Southern League
2007 Burton Albion A 0-0 Conference
2008 Burton Albion A 1-2 Conference
2009 Telford A 1-3 Conference North
2011 Telford A 0-0 Conference North
2012 Hednesford H 0-1 Northern Premier League
2013 Ashton A 0-0 Northern Premier League
2014 Rushall Olympic H 2-5 Northern Premier League
2015 Leek H 1-0 Northern Prem Div. 1 South
2018 Hednesford A 1-2 Northern Premier League

Mickleover website for directions