It’s the end of December – and it’s the end of calendar year 2024. As Boro’ fans, truth be told, we’re not too sad to see the back of it. The ascent from the bog end of League Two to the top part of League One was quite a ride. Consolidating it amid a change in manager? Not so easy, it turns out. In fact, building on those foundations has felt – at times – like trying to master a Caribbean Stud Poker strategy: promising, but not without its complexities.
Now, the year wasn’t a total write-off. The trouble is we started 2024 in the playoff mix. We’re ending it blundering around mid-table with little conceivable idea of how to score goals on a regular basis. As we come to the end of December, we have clocked up 21 League One fixtures and we remain disturbingly below one goal per game. Our points tally is holding up as things stand – and, as we’ll find out now, is hardly the stuff of nightmares as a new year dawns.
League One comparison at this stage
Last time we did our monthly comparison, Gary Smith’s 2012-3 cohort led the way in terms of our previous League One efforts. That has now shifted; the downturn in form that Smiffy was unable to put his finger on moving up a gear as we passed the 20-match milestone that term. Now, our most recent campaign – 2023-4 – tops the bill; 39 points after 21 fixtures last season putting us a solid 10 clear of what we currently have (not to mention the 13 extra goals for).
FACT:
Yes, it’s only our fifth season in League One. But it’s now only the second time we’ve failed to be over the 30-point hurdle after 21 fixtures. The good news is that we’re clear enough of the comparison with our troubled 2013-4 campaign. Even if we had scored more goals… *ahem*.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2023-4 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 31 | 20 | 39 | 11 |
| 2012-3 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 29 | 27 | 37 | 2 |
| 2011-2 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 26 | 19 | 32 | 7 |
| 2024-5 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 20 | 29 | -2 |
| 2013-4 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 34 | 19 | -13 |
Are there any notable lookalike seasons?
At the moment, there’s just one lookalike season – and it’s our first Diadora League Premier Division campaign (1992-3). There’s nothing really more we can add… except to say that we’d scored more goals, but conceded more too. If it’s any sort of barometer, it may be worth you noting how we went onto finish seventh that year. We’d certainly take it this season.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1992-3 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 32 | 33 | 29 | -1 |
The best and the worst after 21 games
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1990-1 | 21 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 63 | 15 | 54 | 48 |
| 1993-4 | 21 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 49 | 27 | 47 | 22 |
| 1991-2 | 21 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 42 | 22 | 47 | 20 |
For anyone that paid attention, you’ll know the early 1990s were a boom time for Boro’. The ascent from the depths of the Isthmian League to the Conference in the space of four years. It stands to reason, then, that our best records after 21 matches came in those years. And, in particular, the record-breaking 1990-1 campaign leads the way; Boro’ clocking up an amazing 17 wins out of 21 and losing just once. We also averaged THREE goals per game.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1981-2* | 21 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 21 | 25 | 18 | -4 |
| 2002-3 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 31 | 17 | -8 |
| 2019-20 | 21 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 16 | -13 |
Unsurprisingly, our worst return after 21 games came during the 2019-20 campaign. At that point, we only had two wins to our name. But we did have more draws than defeats, which isn’t something we really appreciated. Despite that, 16 points from a possible 63 is rubbish. And we weren’t doing much better in 2002-3 either. We have 1981-2 on the list up there on a points basis, but that probably doesn’t count as it was two points for a win back then.
Main photo: Jim Steele/Stevenage FC
