Accrington Stanley v Southend United

v

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!

OPPOSITION

Stanley boss John Coleman could again be without defender Danny Coid after the summer signing has missed both opening games.

Centre-back Kevin Long, on loan from Burnley, should start, while teenage striker Nat Taylor came on for the last six minutes of the 2-0 Carling Cup defeat at home to Scunthorpe will probably return to the bench.

PREVIOUSLY

GROUND

Although the Crown Ground is on the smallish side, it is set in a picturesque area, with views over fields and hills behind the Coppice Terrace at one end of the ground.

On one side of the ground is the Main Stand, which at first glance looks like one stand, but in fact it is comprised of two small stands; the Main & Thwaites Stands. They sit on either side of the half way line, with an open gap between the two. Both are all seated covered stands and have a row of floodlights at the back of them.

To compensate for the fair slope of the pitch which runs up along the ground from the Coppice Terrace to the Sophia Khan End, the Thwaites Stand has less rows of seats than the Main Stand. Both these stands also have an usual array of tubular steelwork, running across the top of them.

Opposite is a very small covered seated area, called the Whinney Hill side. This former terrace had seating installed before the start of the 2009/10 season, in order that the Club could meet Football League stadium criteria of having a minimum of 2,000 seats (further seating was also into the Sophia Khan End). Behind this stand is a relatively new housing development, which overlooks the ground, meaning that some residents can see the game for nothing.

Both ends are fairly new looking affairs, of which the home end, the Sophia Khan Stand covered, whilst the Coppice Terrace opposite is open to the elements. The Sophia Khan Stand looks a little odd, with a terracing at the rear, but with seating at the front, especially when you consider that the stand is quite a small structure.

Another unusual aspect of the ground is that it has a total of eight floodlight pylons, with three on either side of the ground and another being located at one end.

Oh, and showers are forecast, should be fun!

(Thanks to www.footballgroundguide.comfor stadium information.)

TICKETS

It's pay on the day only for standing & sitting

Full details here: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk

WEATHER

Light rain showers after 2 days of heavy rain, you've been warned, hope the ref gets an earlier look this time, but a warm 17c's.

REF



The man in the middle is Jock Waugh from South Yorkshire

A full interview with him here: http://refworld.com/referee/2357/1

His assistants are Martin Coy and Kenneth Haycock; The fourth official is Robert Jones.

FIXTURES

League Two

Saturday, August 13th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Southend, Aldershot v Northampton, Barnet v Port Vale, Bristol Rovers v Torquay, Burton Albion v Shrewsbury, Cheltenham v Swindon, Crawley Town v Macclesfield, Crewe v Gillingham, Dag & Red v AFC Wimbledon, Hereford v Morecambe, Oxford Utd v Bradford, Plymouth v Rotherham.

BET

Accrington Stanley (to win) - 16/11, Draw - 12/5, Southend (to win) - 2.

For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/