We’re not hanging about in this new year of ours then; January 2026 rocketing along, with fixtures squeezed in all over the shop. We came into this first month of the year with what you might call a deficit in terms of games played – certainly in contrast to previous year. It now seems, however, as if we’ve made that up with a vengeance. The big question you had still to ask us yet: how does it all compare with Januarys of old.
Januaries?
Januarae?
Who knows.
Anyway, a poor run of form was halted to a certain degree. And that means it’s easily not a bad January in the grand scheme of things. Good opening months of years include 1989-90 – where Boro’ won four out of four. On the flip side is 2015-16, where we didn’t win any of the five fixtures in January 2016. We drew two and lost three and… well… it was to culminate in the end of Teddy Sheringham’s spell as gaffer; the ex-Spurs striker binned on 1 February.
League One comparison at this stage
A little lift in the back half of the month mean that our League One comparison is quite fair. It’s third in a list of seven for almost all metrics; Goals For being fourth as Gary Smith’s team of 2012-13 had, at least, found the net more often. On the flip side, we’re not hugely far from the pace that got us into the playoffs back in 2012.
FACT:
If we take that Points Per Game look – Smiffy’s side had 1.54 by the end of January, while the current crop have slumped to a nice round 1.50. Hope that’s not déjà vu we’re feeling and it’s more a case of a dodgy mutton vindaloo for lunch…
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2023-4 | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 41 | 27 | 49 | 14 |
| 2011-2 | 27 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 43 | 25 | 45 | 18 |
| 2025-6 | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 30 | 27 | 42 | 3 |
| 2012-3 | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 34 | 36 | 40 | -2 |
| 2024-5 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 24 | 37 | -1 |
| 2013-4 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 24 | 44 | 22 | -20 |
Are there any lookalike seasons?
In past years, there have been several seasons in which we’ve embarked on what February had to offer with 28 league fixtures under the belt. The leader of the pack is – quite clearly – our 2009-10 Blue Square Premier-winning campaign; 60 points on the board by month two then. It’s a big ol’ jump back from that. Next up is 1988-9, which is only just ahead of where we are this year. And then we fall back even further into rather so-so territory.
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2009-10 | 28 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 49 | 19 | 60 | 30 |
| 1988-9 | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 59 | 42 | 46 | 17 |
| 2006-7 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 51 | 44 | 42 | 7 |
| 2003-4 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 35 | 42 | 5 |
| 2014-5 | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 39 | 37 | 41 | 2 |
| 2016-7 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 45 | 45 | 38 | 0 |
| 2021-2 | 28 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 42 | 31 | -14 |
The best and the worst at the end of January
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1990-1 | 27 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 69 | 18 | 72 | 51 |
| 2007-8 | 27 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 58 | 26 | 56 | 32 |
| 2022-3 | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 39 | 21 | 54 | 18 |
It is quite possible there is no point ever again comparing ourselves against 1990-1, such is the dominance we enjoyed that term. To end January on 72 points and only failing to win a quartet of games is perverse. But it’s quite interesting to then see the class of 2007-8 in the rearview mirror there. Despite our FA Trophy embarrassment at Dorchester Town, the magic of Peter Taylor hadn’t yet wrecked our promotion push. It was coming, mind…
| Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 2020-1 | 24 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 26 | 25 | -7 |
| 1981-2 | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 24 | 24* | -3 |
| 2002-3 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 34 | 38 | 24 | -4 |
| 2019-20 | 30 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 21 | 36 | 22 | -15 |
It’s taken a while – but 2019-20 now firmly props up these debacles. What is maybe still a bit interesting is that our defensive record is far from shonky. We just couldn’t score or win. The end of January 2003, meanwhile, came just before the arrival of Graham Westley and a boost in fortunes that pulled us away from danger. You can disregard 1981-2‘s presence here, to be fair. PPG will do much greater justice to that particular campaign at the end of January 1982.
January 2026 vs. Averages
It’s a look at average numbers at the end of December over the years: games played, goals scored, points won. That kind of thing. Boro’s +/- for 2025-6 is seen in brackets and all values are rounded up/down.
Games Played: 28 (+2)
Games Won: 11 (–)
Goals Scored: 30 (-10)
Goals Against: 27 (-5)
Points Won: 42 (+2)
Main photo: X/Stevenage FC