August sees the new football season begin for our three local league teams: Mansfield Town, Notts County and Nottingham Forest. Following a summer of World Cup action it’s back to the day-to-day and hopefully hydration breaks, interference from Donald Trump and middle of the night kick-offs will all be a thing of the past. Our regular fan columnists Josh, Julian and Gareth are all on the case to let you know what you can expect from their teams…
How did last season go?
It was the best season I’ve had in thirty-five years of watching The Stags. A finish of tenth in League One is the highest I’ve seen and reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup, before narrowly losing to Arsenal is our best cup run in fifty years. We had great away-days and played three Premier League clubs! Attendances were brilliant, progress was made off the pitch and the feeling around the club is palpably positive.
What games are you looking forward to this season?
Like most fans, I’m looking forward to some more big away days – at Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County. I’m hoping for more good draws in the cup competitions. The league is very Midlands/Yorkshire-heavy, which means lots of big crowds. There’s nothing better than being in the middle of several thousand fellow Mansfield fans and making an absolute racket.
Tell us about the gaffer..
Nigel Clough is a genuine club legend. He’s the second longest-reigning manager in English football, after Mikel Arteta and there is next to zero chance he will leave or be sacked during the season. However, the question hanging over us is what happens when the season is done. Cloughie has talked about retirement at some point soon and his contract will end in a year’s time. Everyone’s hoping he will extend, but we know it won’t last forever.
Who are your best three players?
Liam Roberts is the best keeper I’ve seen in a Stags shirt. Tyler Roberts, when injury free, brings Premier League class up top and an awareness and ball control that sets him apart. Rhys Oates is wonderful to watch, his trickery and finishing bring a wow-factor that inspires and excites fans.
Tell us about your new signings…
We’ve signed midfielder Jon Russell from Barnsley after a great loan spell with us last season. His goals were crucial to us finishing where we did. Joining him is his former Barnsley team-mate, David McGoldrick, who netted eighteen goals last season. His signature is a real statement of intent and caused a meltdown among fans of his former club, Notts County. He will line up in attack alongside another vastly experienced target-man, Michael Smith. The front line feels stacked with quality now to match what was the third-best defence in the division last season.
Field Mill is home. Mansfield is family. What else is there?
What big boots are there to fill?
Strikers Dom Dwyer and Victor Adeboyejo left, but McGoldrick and Smith would seem to be considerable improvements. The only player we still need to replace is defensive midfielder Aaron Lewis, who both played and looked like a midfielder from the 1980s, sporting a mullet and moustache combo and getting stuck in all over the pitch.
What’s the mood of your fans?
Optimistic, but with the shadow of Clough’s retirement hanging over us. We’re having a ball for now, but when the carriage turns back into a pumpkin, we need to be ready.
What’s the best chant on the terraces?
It hasn’t been done yet, but I’m quite looking forward to a packed away end singing “Where's ya Didzy gone!” in the direction of Meadow Lane’s Kop stand.
Where do you think you’ll finish?
We’ve improved every season under the gaffer, from promotion, to stabilisation, to aspirations of another promotion. This season, the playoffs are a realistic target. An improvement on tenth is a minimum expectation, but I think we’ll sneak in and get sixth. Failure would be a relegation battle, but I just can't see that happening. Even if it did, Clough’s job would be safe.
What’s special about your club?
Where do I start? The working-class, no-nonsense roots of the club, the togetherness from the owners down to the young kids at the start of their MTFC journey, the humour of the fanbase, the acceptance I feel there, this squad, this gaffer, the moments they give us. Field Mill is home. Mansfield is family. What else is there?
If your team was a film, what would it be?
Robin Hood (take your pick which film). Inspired by their leader, a courageous band venture out from Sherwood Forest, showing Nottingham and the world what mid-Notts folk are made of!
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