Fleetwood Town FC Season Preview 2012-13

Fleetwood Town Fc Season Preview 2012-13


This is a piece i have been asked to do for a season preview for the Guardian Newspaper, just thought i would share it with a few now, before it's published i believe on 8th August, Happy Reading.

Story of the summer- After the euphoria of last season it’s back to reality and back down to hard-work for the Manager, Players and Member’s of the Club’s board. Valuable team member’s of recent season’s in Gareth Seddon, Sean Clancy and the best ever non league player in Jamie Vardy has moved to Leicester for a seven figure sum, special mention to Richard Brodie who scored a few important goals for us as well, but some experienced and what will be hopefully great League 2 players in Damien Johnson, Jon Parkin ,Barry Nicholson & Steven Gillespie have made team’s in League 2 sit up and take note we are not here to make up the numbers.

What the fans want - tough one being are 1^st season ever in FL, some say top 10,some say play-off shake up, some want automatic and possible CHAMPIONS??, In my honest opinion with the squad and signings made, I will be very disappointed if were are not in top 7 come end of season.

What they’ll actually get – I believe the fans will get a top 7 finish and it will be a great debut season regardless of what other fans from Fleetwood or other teams may say, (I would actually love a trip to Wembley) as I know many of the younger fans who never experienced the FA Vase in 1985 would as well.

One to watch – we have had a few promising youngster who have come and gone without a whisper Adam Sumner, Joe Camozzi , Jack Duggan to mention a few, but going of what I hear from people within and around the club they have high hopes for are new 1^st year pro Jamie Allen. Jamie has great skill and ability and has made an impression within the 1^st team and on the squad already by all accounts, let’s hope he works hard and gets a chance to shine.

We’ll finish – in my own personal opinion I think we will finish between 3^rd and 5^th, I believe Rotherham are the team to beat, and teams like Us, Bradford, Chesterfield, Cheltenham, and are 1^st game opposition Torquay will be in the mix again, I think we have enough firepower and strength in depth to get us out or have a real good go at the league and with teams promoted from conference doing well (Stevenage, Crawley an teams like Carlisle, Doncaster before them)

Fleetwood Town Fc best and worst No 9's

I have been contacted and asked to do a piece on Fleetwood and the best and worst No9,s ever to wear the Fleetwood shirt, i am not as old as some so can't really remember the players of yesteryear so will give players who i feel and can remember.

I have done it on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK who are the official charity of the Football League for the 2012/13 season, in all fairness many of us hope we never ever have to see of go any were near them but they do a great and unsung job.

THE BEST

5. Keith Johnstone - Keith was a throw back to your old fashioned centre, a typical No9 who loved competing and battling against big centre half's and defenders would walk off the pitch knowing they had been in 1 hell of a battle, not the fastest or most skillfull  player but knew were the goal was and fans appreciated his efforts and work-rate.

4. Iain Cain - I know Iain really well but never actually seen him play for us but has been told he was one of the best strikers and if not one of the best players ever to play for Fleetwood, a striker who knew were the goal was and scored tap-ins as well as screamers from range, played at conference level for many years, would be higher on many people's but i put him at 4.

3. Lee Catlow - Lee certainly knew were the net was and scored many goals for Fleetwood including 40 in our title winning season in North West Counties, (i think he had a bet with a fan about getting 40 or more goals in that season if memory serves me right), would of gone on to play much higher with Fleetwood  but a serious leg break cut short his time with us and he never really recovered.

2. Andy Bell - from the moment Andy Bell came the fans took to him straight away, and him and Jamie Milligan formed a great partnership, Andy would run defender's ragged and was an integral part of us beating Witton to the Unibond Title, and who can forget his magnificent Hat-Trick v Nantwich Town on a quagmire of a pitch at Highbury, also put us 1-0 against Hartlepool and who can forget the ribbing Jeff Stelling got off Phil Thompson and co on Soccer Saturday. Andy is and will always be a legend in many fan's eyes.

1. Jamie Vardy - only had a season at Highbury and not many people knew of him or expected much off him in all honesty , (me included) but straight away you could see he was special his record of 31 goals in 36 league games plus the goals in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds of the FA CUP show what a talent he is and after helping us clinch promotion to the FOOTBALL LEAGUE, Leicester had a 7 (SEVEN) figure sum accepted (NON LEAGUE RECORD) and Jamie got the move he wanted and dreamed off and thoroughly deserved. He is and probably will be the greatest player many say they ever saw play for Fleetwood.

THE WORST

For me it's without a doubt Nick Carter, he was shocking and i mean shocking in a kind way, (my 8 year old daughter is better now) couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo, couldn't run tackle pass had a head like a ten bob bit, i know many other people will say Andy Moran and rightly so, he came with a reputation for scoring goals and came with a five figure price tag on his head as well which for Step 4 of Non-league was a hefty bit of money, but in all fairness to Andy if i remember rightly i think his dad got seriously or passed away not long after he came to us so don't think his head was in the right place, but anyway thats is my best and worst hope you enjoyed reading, and feel free to comment pass judgement yourself

 Many Thanks