And now for the answers provided by Adam!
How long have you supported Mansfield Town?
For around 20 years. I first went with my Grandad when we knocked Leeds out of the League Cup around 1994 it finished 0-0 having won 1-0 at Elland Road, I didn’t really know what was going on but was hooked with the atmosphere. Regularly I started in about 1998, my first Season Ticket year we started the season with 6 players and 1 stand, why go for the Premiership teams when you can have that?
Where did you finish last season?
8th, after going on a spectacularly poor run after Evans left and Flitcroft came in.
What do you think of your Manager?
Until recently, Flitcroft divided Mansfield fans like Brexit has the UK population, split down the middle and strong feelings on both sides. I was firmly in the get rid side, and until recently I felt strongly the same. He’s recently changed things around a little and players have picked up also. He’s got us back to a similar position to where we were when he started the job so he’s worth giving the time to.
What are your hopes and expectations for this season?
We should certainly be looking at the playoffs at least, with the budget provided and the players we’ve got this should be the minimum requirement of the team. We’re hard to beat and moving in the right direction. League Two isn’t like other divisions though, any side can beat anyone and as Accrington proved last season, money doesn’t always get you everything.
One(s) to watch?
Mal Benning in defence – strong, powerful, capable of good runs, scores a few goals – notably a cracking goal in the 1-0 win at Chesterfield last season.
Jacob Mellis in midfield – strong, capable of playing sublime defence-splitting balls, is probably on his best run of form since joining a year and a half ago, had put in some outstanding performances – ironically might be injured for Saturday.
CJ Hamilton – winger/forward – all you have to do is see his goal against port vale, a bit like a League Two Raheem Sterling – best when he does things instinctively and doesn’t have time to over think. Still inconsistent – but less so than before, and has improved well this season.
Who do you think will finish in the top 7?
Milton Keynes Dons, Lincoln City and Mansfield Town.
Who do you think will finish in the bottom 2?
Macclesfield – think it’s been a tough reintroduction to League Two for them, given the manager left and they won a weak Conference.
Either Cheltenham or Notts County – Cheltenham look poor and don’t seem to have much about them at all, team spirit could be their saviour. Notts County should pull clear, but Hardy seems intent on always being the centre of attention and turning County into a circus – not a happy breeding ground for successful football.
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
It only seemed a minute ago that Lincoln were getting 1,400 home fans on a Tuesday night and struggling with the Coop Bank wanting to call in the overdraft. Think they had a remarkable stroke of fortune that the Cup run came about when it did and they’ve not looked back, there’s money in the club and fans are backing them – building success isn’t about getting lucky with the hand you’re dealt, it’s about what you do with the hand you’re dealt, and Lincoln have really harnessed the fruits of that run.
From a Mansfield perspective, we were genuinely all pleased to see them back up, given their squad appeared to be largely Mansfield cast-offs there was a sense of pride they did well from us. We’re always curious as they seem to take us a little more seriously than we do them.
What do you think the score will be?
1-1.
What will your likely default formation and style of play be for this season?
We’ve toyed a little with 3-4-1-2 but the standard is 3-5-2. We play pacey attacking football, especially down the wings, quick to get forward. Dreadfully wasteful. Some of the better football seen at Mansfield in some time.
Random fact about your Club?
We have got a few:
1. Oldest League ground in the World.
2. The first ground to host a game in artificial light in 1930.
3. That we got our old grandstand from a race-course.
4. First match with the winter fluorescent ball.
If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?
Akinde. He wouldn’t necessarily fit into our style of play but would certainly be an improvement on the indifferent Craig Davies.
What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Mansfield Town Supporter?
Proudest – sharing a table in the 1862 Suite with John Radford, basically a savour for the club.
Embarrassing – FA Cup 4th round vs Middlesbrough. Going to throw the ball to Robert Huth while on TV and half tripping over myself!
Who would you say is your most underrated player?
For me, Jordan Graham. A young forward at the club who’s got good strength, ability and a finish on him, managed correctly he could go onto big things – one of the first shining lights of our academy coming through.
Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?
We’ve several supporters club, but the biggest – the stags supporters association (SSA) are a really integral part of the club. Set up in the dark days of Kieth Haslam, they were there to be a voice for the fans and continue to do so. To sponsoring youth players to running supporters coaches to donating things to the club they’re massively important to the fans. They have got a place on the board through Paul Taylor who I know decently well and bring fresh and new ideas to the table.
Which was your favourite match involving Mansfield Town?
I’d say going toe to toe with Liverpool in the FA Cup and only losing 2-1 (when Louis Suarez handled the ball in). It gave the team belief and we won 21 out of 25 games in the Conference after that to win promotion on the last day. Hereford on the last Tuesday night winning 2-1 in the last minute will be remembered for a long time.
Which was your least favourite match involving Mansfield Town?
I think to lose 2-0 to Dagenham and Redbridge on the last game of League Two in 07/08. We were already relegated and took 1200 fans there wearing largely black, put it a totally insipid performance and lost 2-0. The fans made a good go of it and had a cracking weekend in London though.
Will Field Mill ever return to being a four-sided ground?
Apparently, there are plans for it, but given the current capacity of 9,500 or so is plenty there’s no real rush. Would be useful to accommodate more away fans though. The main improvements on the ground are focused around the new hotel.
If Steve Evans had stayed would you have achieved more last season? And this?
I think we’d have gone up, we were on a great run and the players were his players. They didn’t play for Flitcroft which he was – in hindsight – limited on what he could do. Leaving us when he did left a really bad taste in the mouth. Obviously this season no idea.
Do you think your crowds are sustainable for a League One club?
Certainly, if Rochdale can do it then it gives hope to all. Though we’ve not been in League One since 02/03 we averaged 5,500 back then and averaging 4,400 this season – there’s no reason we couldn’t be breaking 6,000 next season if we went up with the added away fans.
Tyler Walker is he worth the rumoured £5k a week?
Supposedly so. Looks like he’s bags of potential and does have a great finish, already on 12 goals this season. Apparently, we paid something similar to Kane hemmings last season and Walker is a class above there.
Your worst and best David Holdsworth signing?
Best – no stranger to Lincoln. A certain Alan Marriott. Played over 200 times for us and one of the better goalkeepers we’ve ever had.
Worst – where to begin? There were so many it was unreal.
"Something makes me anxious about him being our manager.":https://t.co/iJ6Cpj2Z4l#ImpsAsOne #Stags #Mansfield
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) November 24, 2018
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/1945783108791258
