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So the end is nearly here, well it will be at Roots Hall until August, and there is a strange feeling of optimisim amongst some of the faithful, maybe even a majority, just in time for Uncle Ron's season card sales figures!
He talks a good game does Luggy, we'll have to see if it's backed up by the board.
For now 60 points is better than I thought we would get near at one stage of the season and a couple of wins will make those defeats at Lincoln and Stockport, as well as that early daft home record, rather annoying play-off wise, we could have been contenders!
Kane Ferdinand didn't start at Macclesfield but I see him returning for this one for Lee Sawyer, who did well enough though at Moss Rose, where a good performance should be enough to see the Shrimpers win the game 2-0, and I'm on a good run at the moment!
Possible Southend United: Morris, Clohessy, Mohsni, Barker, Prosser, Ferdinand, Grant, Easton, Hall, Crawford, Corr.
Subs: Evans, Coughlan, Comminges, Sawyer, Soares, Sturrock, Asante.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
Make your choice for the S24 Shrimpers Player of the Season here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/interactive/voting_polls.asp
OPPOSITION
Eight very important points from the last four games have probably done enough to see League football again at the Pirelli Stadium next season, though they would like a point at Roots Hall to reach that magic 50-point mark as Barnet refuse to lie down and, er, go down.
Burton may have former Derby midfielder Adam Bolder back in the squad after he returned to training following the aggravation of a shoulder injury he suffered last August in training, even so Brewers boss Paul Peschisolido is expected to name an unchanged side from the one that returned with a vital home point in the exciting 3-3 draw with Torquay United last time out (report below).
They were boosted in that game by the return of on-loan Wolves striker Sam Winnall from a suspension where he came on as a sub.
Nathan Stanton requires a groin operation and will miss the rest of the campaign, but long-term absentee and fellow defender Paul Boertien (groin) may be involved.
Player to watch:
Aaron Webster
Well, 13 goals lately playing at left-back isn't bad, half more than his nearest rival, though he usually scores from starting further up the firld and is their penalty taker which helps!
However, it's from set-pieces he can be at his most dangerous, having a go himself or whipping them in for team mates. Can ghost into scoring positions at corners.
Full player info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Webster_(footballer)
Last Time Out
Away; Aldershot Town 1 Burton Albion 2 (played on Saturday, April 23rd, 2011.) Report: www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10950~52447,00.htmlBeeb Highlights: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13182582.stm
Report: Home; Burton Albion 3 Torquay United 3 (played on Monday, April 25th, 2011.)
Report: www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10950~52483,00.htmlBeeb Highlights: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13112021.stm
Going Down?
| 19 | Burton Albion | 44 | -14 | 49 |
| 20 | Hereford | 44 | -16 | 48 |
| 21 | Lincoln City | 44 | -32 | 47 |
| 22 | Northampton | 44 | -11 | 46 |
| 23 | Barnet | 44 | -18 | 45 |
| 24 | Stockport | 44 | -46 | 40 |
PREVIOUSLY
| At Southend Utd. (0) | At Burton Albion (1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Burton Albion | 1 | 100.00 | |
| Burton Albion | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Burton Albion | 3 | 3.00 | |
| Burton Albion | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 1 | 1.00 | |
| On Neutral Ground (0) | Overall (1 matches) | |||||
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Burton Albion | 0 | 0.00 | Burton Albion | 1 | 100.00 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 1 | 1.00 | |
| Burton Albion | 0 | 0.00 | Burton Albion | 3 | 3.00 | |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 4 | Burton Albion | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | 2010/2011 |
| Highest Southend Utd. score: | 1 | Burton Albion | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | 2010/2011 |
| Highest Burton Albion score: | 3 | Burton Albion | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | 2010/2011 |
| Season | Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/2011 | Sat 11 Dec | Burton Albion | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Two |
REF
The man in the middle is Robert Madley from West Yorkshire.
And he gives an interview here: http://refworld.com/referee/2233/1/robert-madley
His assistants are Phillip Knight and Wade Norcott. The fourth official is Barry Holderness.
FIXTURES
League Two
Friday, April 29th: Torquay v Chesterfield, 19:45.
Saturday, April 30th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Barnet, Aldershot v Rotherham, Bury v Wycombe, Cheltenham v Shrewsbury, Crewe v Stockport, Gillingham v Macclesfield, Hereford v Bradford, Northampton v Stevenage, Oxford Utd v Lincoln City, Port Vale v Morecambe, Southend v Burton Albion.
BET
Southend (to win) - 13/10, Draw - 5/2, Stevenage (to win) - 23/10.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
HISTORY
The town of Burton has had a chequered history of football clubs, partly due to the area's main sport traditionally in the past being rugby union. Many former Burton teams have struggled financially. Albion can claim lineage from Burton Swifts, Burton Town, Burton United, and Burton Wanderers, who were all defunct football clubs in the town.
Burton Albion (nicknamed "the Brewers", given that brewing is one of Burton's principal industries) were formed in 1950, and joined the Birmingham & District League.
Albion began life at the Lloyds Foundry ground on Wellington Street, but high attendances meant that the club quickly searched for a more suitable home. Eton Park was built off Derby Road and officially opened on 20 September 1958, coinciding with their promotion to the Southern League. From then until its demolition in 2005, the Brewers played all of their home games at Eton Park.
They have also had spells in the Northern Premier League (NPL), due to their location in the central Midlands. They entered the Conference in 2002 upon winning the NPL title.
Eton Park was dismantled to make way for housing, as the club had just completed a new stadium, at a cost of £7.2 million. It is situated directly opposite Eton Park and was named the Pirelli Stadium, situated as it was a short distance from Pirelli's factory in Burton. The stadium has an increased capacity, firstly set at 6,200, but then later raised to 6,912. The first match played there was a friendly between Burton Albion and Chester City on Saturday 16 July 2005.
One notable result at the ground was a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup third round against Manchester United on 8 January 2006. The result of the Third Round replay, lucratively played at Old Trafford, was a 5-0 win for Manchester United in front of over 11,000 Brewers fans. This constituted a record number of away fans seen at Old Trafford. After that FA Cup success, Burton competed in the upper reaches of the Conference.
The Brewers attained their highest ever league position to date in 2007-08, finishing in the end of season play-off places for the first time in their history, before losing in their play-off to Cambridge United. As of April 2009, they were top of the Conference National, setting a league record for the most consecutive wins in a row. This is despite losing the services of manager, Nigel Clough, to Derby County with Roy McFarland installed as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
When the team was 19 points clear at the top of the table, Conference sponsors Blue Square declared Burton the winners of the 2008/09 title in a PR stunt in which they paid out all bets. After that announcement in February, however, the club saw their lead reduced week by week, though they still secured promotion to the Football League, despite losing 2-1 away at Torquay United in the final game of the season when Cambridge United could only manage a goalless draw to Altrincham.
At the end of the season, it was decided that Roy McFarland would not stay on as the Burton manager in a permanent position. After a lengthy search, the club announced that Paul Peschisolido would become the club's new manager with Gary Rowett his assistant. Burton's first win in the Football League was a 5-2 win over Morecambe at the Pirelli Stadium.
The Brewers finished a respectable 13th in their first campaign in the Football League.
(For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_Albion_F.C.)