One of the perks of an international break used to be that Boro’ would still play. That wasn’t the case in March 2025, however. For all their cash and squad depth, Birmingham City simply couldn’t bear the thought of playing us without someone, another one, and whoever else on international duty. That said, we still managed to plough through another six fixtures across the month. So, let’s get a humdingledoing with our comparinalysis against previous seasons.
League One comparison at this stage
It’s a little odd to think that we didn’t end up in the end-of-season promotion shakedown if you look at how it all looked after 38 games. At this stage in 2024, we had three more points than we did in 2011-2 (when we did make the playoffs). Maybe it’s a classic case of “how you finish”. You then tumble down the numbers to find our current cohort; still yet to break that 50-point mark and level-pegging (but for a superior goal difference) with the class of 2013.
FACT:
We were still clinging on in there after 38 games of the 2013-4 campaign. Bottom, yes. But it was only three points to 19th position at that stage. The fact here, however, is that we had a goal tally averaging just over 1.00 per game… which we’d sell your nan for this season!
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2023-4 | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 49 | 38 | 61 | 11 |
| 2011-2 | 38 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 53 | 36 | 58 | 17 |
| 2024-5 | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 35 | 39 | 49 | -4 |
| 2012-3 | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 44 | 51 | 49 | -7 |
| 2013-4 | 38 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 39 | 59 | 37 | -20 |
Are there any notable lookalike seasons?
Well, whaddya know. One of the two seasons in which we were on 49 points after 38 league outings was… Revs’ only other full campaign at the helm (2020-1). Back then in League Two, incredibly, we’d scored fewer than this season. Mind you, we’d conceded fewer too. You can look at it whatever way you want, the bottom line is that goals were in short supply during that behind-closed-doors-because-of-Covid-campaign.
The other one was 2001-2 and Wayne Turner had us heading towards the FA Trophy Final (in no small part to some foundations laid by Paul Fairclough). League form? Uninspiring.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2020-1 | 38 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 33 | 33 | 49 | 0 |
| 2001-2 | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 50 | 51 | 49 | -1 |
The best and the worst after 38 games
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1990-1 | 38 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 112 | 27 | 100 | 85 |
| 1991-2 | 38 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 87 | 33 | 93 | 54 |
| 1993-4 | 38 | 27 | 4 | 7 | 78 | 36 | 85 | 42 |
The early 1990s were a goldmine of success for Boro’. Our best returns after 38 fixtures have all come in Diadora League seasons where we were promoted. Third is our Premier Division-winning campaign that delivered us to the Conference. Second is our Division One triumph, which leaves our epic Division Two North romp in first. Honestly, 100 points from a possible 114. That’s outrageous in any book. But not as esteemed as some, no doubt…
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2015-6 | 38 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 45 | 64 | 35 | -19 |
| 2021-2 | 38 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 34 | 60 | 34 | -26 |
At the other end of the spectrum, the 2013-4 League One relegation campaign ranks as our third-worst after 38 fixtures (37 points). That means we have two others where things were just rubbish. The 2015-6 League Two campaign had us on 35 points at this point; looking to undo the damage done by the unsuccessful Teddy Sheringham era. We were in 22nd – and had the combined ineptness of York and Dagenham to thank for not being in worse peril.
Just three years ago, we found ourselves in a similar amount of dog dirt; 22nd and starting out in the Steve Evans era. We were 10 points clear of bottom club Scunthorpe United, but just three ahead of Oldham Athletic. And it took us a while to erase that danger…
Main photo: Stevenage FC
