You’d think that, after being late with this last time out, we’d get our arses in gear for looking back over September 2024. Apparently not, it would seem. Now that Green Day are awake in a gag that we won’t ever tire of, Boro’ completed five more league outings last month. And onto the points tally came an extra 10 points at an average of two per game. Goals, however, aren’t making themselves any easier to come by; inching along at one per game in September.
So, where does September 2024 leave us in comparison with previous years. It ain’t the best, we can tell you that for free. Equally, it’s far from being the worse – as we’ll now find out…
League One comparison at this stage
Boro’ ended the month outpacing the successful 2011-2 season; one in which we would go on to make the League One playoffs. By contrast, we were still trundling on without the taste of defeat under Gary Smith one year later. Neither can, of course, match a rather – and relative – blistering start to life last year under Steve Evans. As for the fifth of our League One efforts 11 years ago? Our record after nine games there is our joint second-worst return at this stage.
FACT:
Still it remains that goals are our problem area. In 2011, we had 16 goals on the board from a reasonable opening nine fixtures. In 2012 and 2023, we were on 14. Indeed, our return in front of goal so far in this campaign is comparable with that in 2013. Now, let’s be absolutely clear and address the fact that, in 2013, our defence back then was hella more porous with a huge 17 in the A column. No other season in the third tier can match five conceded after nine.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2023-4 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 8 |
| 2012-3 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 5 |
| 2024-5 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
| 2011-2 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 5 |
| 2013-4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 5 | -10 |
Are there any notable lookalike seasons?
“Yes” is the short answer. We did think, however, we’d have more than one lookalike season this early in the season. And, yet, somehow the 2024-5 campaign falls down a rather slender gap in cahoots with the 2003-4 campaign. That ended up being a bit of a non-event in what was Graham Westley‘s first full term as boss. The difference, as you’d no doubt imagine, was the goal count. Four more scored, three more conceded. It’s the only tale to tell…
FACT:
When it comdaK.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2003-4 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 3 |
The best and the worst after nine games
For one match this season, we were on course to match our opening nine games of the 1985-6 Vauxhall Opel League Division Two North campaign. By the second, we had already fallen a good way short. It is now 39 years since we opened up our season with nine straight wins. It’s too early to tell you how long that winning run went on. The 1993-4 Diadora League Premier Division campaign was admirable in that we were undefeated after nine. But, oh, that draw…
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1985-6 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 27 | 18 |
| 1993-4 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 25 | 14 |
| 1991-2 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 10 | 24 | 13 |
| 1984-5 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 11 | 24 | 11 |
Now, what about those seasons to forget. Obviously, the 2019-20 League Two campaign takes the crown for being the outright worst. Fact is that we hadn’t yet won, which is the only term in which that’s been the case. And that’s out of 45 efforts. Add two points to the measly three recorded five years ago and it takes us to two seasons in which we had just five points to our name. One is already covered up above. The other, however, may be slightly surprising…
The arrival of Mark Stimson in summer 2006 came with a huge wave of optimism. But it took some time for us to adjust after the departure of GW. His first win came in our seventh game of the 2006-7 Conference National programme (6-0 vs Stafford Rangers, if you’re wondering). Even though we were struggling to put points on the board, goals were flowing; 17 in and 20 out. It wasn’t too much of an issue in the end. We go an FA Trophy crown out of that season.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2006-7 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 20 | 5 | -3 |
| 2019-20 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 3 | -8 |
Main photo: Jim Steele/Stevenage FC
