|
General Information:
Ground: York Street
Manager: Steve Evans
Last Season: Champions (Football Conference)
Odds for Division Three title: 28/1
Southend United vs. Boston United:
Head-to-Head: no previous meetings
Last Season: no meetings
This Seasons Fixtures: Home - 14th December, Away - 21st April
|
In:
Matthew Hocking (York City) Free
Neil Redfearn (Halifax Town) Free
Tom Bennett (Walsall) Free
Out:
Mickey Brown (Chester City) Free
Preview:
Boston will begin the 2002/3 season four points adrift at the bottom of the table having been found guilty of financial irregularities in the past. Indeed, they can find themselves very fortunate that they have been allowed to retain their Third Division status, a position that they hold for the very first time. Manager Steve Evans was one of the men heavily fined for their part in the fiasco, and he will have the job of making sure that the club begin the season in exactly the opposite way to last season's Conference champions Rushden & Diamonds, who found it difficult to adjust to Nationwide League life early on. A similar start for the Lincolnshire club could prove costly, and the crisis that hit the club off the field could be replicated on it. The addition to the squad of former Barnsley playmaker Neil Redfearn could be vital, as he has experience of the relegation dogfight, struggling as he did to help Halifax in a losing cause last time around.
Bournemouth
|
General Information:
Ground: Dean Court (12,000)
Manager: Sean O'Driscoll
Last Season: 21st (Division Two)
Odds for Division Three title: 14/1
Southend United vs. Bournemouth:
Head-to-Head: Southend 32, Bournemouth 34, Draws 28
Last Season: no meetings
This Seasons Fixtures: Home - 23rd November, Away - 12th April
Transfers:
In:
Alan Connell (Ipswich Town) Free
Out:
Richard Hughes (Portsmouth) £100,000
Preview:
Bournemouth begin the season having been relegated from Division Two last season, finishing five points away from safety. Managed by Sean O'Driscoll, whose actions are overseen by experienced campaigner Mel Machin (recently awarded a testimonial against Manchester United), the South Coast side have long been a club viewed upon from the outside as a feeder to the more prominent Portsmouth and Southampton, as well as established links with West Ham through previous manager Harry Redknapp. In recent times players of the calibre of Rio Ferdinand and Jermaine Defoe were sent to Dean Court to gain first-team experience, and Redknapp recently raided his old team to acquire Richard Hughes for £100,000, a move that disappointed many Cherries fans desperate to gain instant promotion. Having survived for twelve years in the nations third division, 2002/3 will be a struggle.
Bristol Rovers
|
General Information:
Ground: The Memorial Ground (11,976)
Manager: Ray Gradon
Last Season: 23rd (Division Three)
Odds for Division Three title: 12/1
|
Head-to-Head: Southend 36, Rovers 30, Draws 17
Last Season: Home - 2-1 (Match Report), Away - 1-2 (Match Report)
This Seasons Fixtures: Home - 8th February, Away - 9th November
Transfers:
In:
Danny Boxall (Brentford) Free
Paul Tait (Crewe Alexandra) Free
Out:
Scott Jones (York City) Free
Preview:
Following what was perceived to be a very unfair sacking by Walsall last season, Ray Gradon has found himself at the Memorial Ground, trying to guide what was a very poor Rovers side to much better things than last season, where the Blues should really have done the double over them but failed in the away game when they had dominated for heavy periods. Gradon, a fine and experienced manager, should help them, but odds of 12/1 are very short for a side that finished only a place above a troubled (and relegated) Halifax side. The new signings should spice up competition for places, but getting close to the play-offs would constitute a decent season.
Bury
|
General Information:
Ground: Gigg Lane (11,669)
Manager: Andy Preece
Last Season: 22nd (Division Two)
Odds for Division Three title: 28/1
Southend United vs. Bury:
Head-to-Head: Southend 10, Bury 8, Draws 8
Last season: no meetings
This Seasons Fixtures: Home - 26th April, Away - 5th October
Transfers:
In:
Liam George (Stevenage Borough) Free
Pawel Abbott (Preston North End) Loan
Out:
Sam Collins (Port Vale) Free
Paul Reed (Swansea City) Free
Paddy Kenny (Sheffield United) Loan
Preview:
The troubled Gigg Lane club were another club to suffer relegation from Division 2 last season, and haven't met Southend for over a decade. However, most Shrimpers will remember the last meeting between the two sides in May 1991, where Southend achieved promotion to what became Division 1 a year later with a 1-0 victory. Since then Bury have struggled, despite reaching the Football League's top division themselves in 1996/7 and lasting there for two seasons. The season before last saw survival in 16th place, but the 2001/2 campaign ended with relegation, and the club have been forced to sell players in the close season to keep going. Odds of 28/1, behind perennial strugglers Carlisle, tell a story.
Cambridge United
|
General Information:
Ground: Abbey Stadium
Manager: John Taylor
Last Season: 24th (Division Two)
Odds for Division Three title: 20/1
Southend United vs. Cambridge United:
Head-to-Head: Southend 10, Cambridge 7, Draws 6
Last season: no meetings
This Seasons Fixtures: Home - 26th August, Away - 26th December
Transfers:
In: none
Out: none
Preview:
United had a torrid 2002/3 season, finishing nine points adrift of 23rd-placed Wrexham and fifteen away from safety. A traditional yo-yo team with a decent cup pedigree, Cambridge have not been consistent over a twenty-five year period, struggling in Division 1 when they were promoted as Champions from the old Division 3 in 1990/1 along with the Blues, and finding it difficult in the last two years in Division 2, before last seasons calamity. United will provide another derby for the Shrimpers, located as they are at the end of the M11 and Southend will take a fair few supporters up on Boxing Day for the match at the Abbey Stadium. No activity in the transfer market suggests problems, but the East Anglians could be dark horses for promotion.
Carlisle United
|
General Information:
Ground: Brunton Park (16,651)
Manager: Billy Barr
Last Season: 17th (Division Three)
Odds for Division Three title: 25/1
|
Head-to-Head: Southend 7, Carlisle 8, Draws 7
Last Season: Home - 3-2 (Match Report), Away - 0-0 (Match Report)
This Seasons Fixtures: Home - 13th August, Away - 4th January
Transfers:
In:
Brian Shelley (Bohemians) Free
Trevor Molloy (Bohemians) Free
Out:
Mark Winstanley (Southport) Free
Preview:
Carlisle have led a strange existence, beginning the eighties in the old Division 2 but slipping slowly but surely further down the leagues until, following two very brief periods in the new Second Division, they concluded the 1999/2000 and 2000/1 seasons in 23rd place, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference both times. All of this means that last season was quite a success, easily holding their own to finish 17th and finally getting rid of Michael Knighton, their unpopular chairman. A new regime under John Courtenay has begun, and the Cumbrians, England's most northerly League venue, are hopeful of renewed success, and a challenge for promotion. On last years performances against the Blues that is not very likely, but in Division Three anything is possible.
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com