Stevenage: 2008-9 Season Details
The 2008-9 campaign ushered in the second coming of Graham Westley as Boro’ manager; not that it was a universally popular call at the time. Our opening games did little to help that either. That said, our fortunes picked up and (unsurprisingly) so did the mood. It’s amazing what climbing the table can do, isn’t it?
Not only did we win 10 games on the spin in January and February, we went a record 24 matches unbeaten between December and April. At the business end of the campaign, it was looking good for Boro’.
A last day defeat at Mansfield Town didn’t stop Boro’ making the playoffs. After the first leg of our semi-final against Cambridge, things were looking good. A horror show of a second leg, however, and the promotion dream was over for another season.
In the FA Trophy, meanwhile, some solace; Graham Westley doing what Mark Stimson had done two years before and ensuring we didn’t finish the campaign empty-handed. It also proved to be Steve Morison‘s last game in Boro’s red and white.
Full 2008-9 Details:
Most Appearances: Scott Laird - 54
Top Goalscorer: Steve Morison – 32
2008-9 Boro' Rollcall
| Name | Pld | Gls | YC | RC | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Albrighton | 31 (7) | 1 | 9 | 0 | 10 |
| Jerome Anderson | 0 (9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jon Ashton | 12 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Harry Atkins | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ashley Bayes | 8 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
| Tommy Black | 4 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Michael Bostwick | 52 (0) | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Lee Boylan | 35 (7) | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Bradshaw | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| David Bridges | 20 (1) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| George Brinkman | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Elliot Buchanan | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zak Burke | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrone Cazaubon | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iyseden Christie | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mitchell Cole | 42 (8) | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Chris Day | 52 (0) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Andy Drury | 36 (2) | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jorden Gibson | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ronnie Henry | 48 (1) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Michael Jordan | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Dayo Junaid | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Scott Laird | 53 (1) | 3 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Dino Maamria | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| John Martin | 13 (0) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Liam McDevitt | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Daryl McMahon | 14 (2) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Mendes | 4 (4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gary Mills | 26 (12) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Steve Morison | 52 (1) | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Darren Murphy | 17 (3) | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Chris Nurse | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eddie Odhiambo | 12 (9) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Luke Oliver | 21 (5) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Jordan Parkes | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mark Roberts | 34 (0) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Steve Smith | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kieron St Aimie | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Theo Swaine | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Anthony Thomas | 8 (7) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Ed Upson | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Peter Vincenti | 14 (20) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Calum Willock | 14 (23) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| Lawrie Wilson | 32 (15) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Key:
- Apps = Appearances (Substitute Appearances)
- Gls = Goals Scored
- YC = Yellow Cards
- RC = Red Cards
- US = Unused Subs
2008-9 Blue Square Premier Table
| Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burton Albion | 46 | 27 | 7 | 12 | 81 | 52 | 29 | 88 |
| 2 | Cambridge United | 46 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 65 | 39 | 26 | 86 |
| 3 | Histon | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 78 | 48 | 30 | 83 |
| 4 | Torquay United | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 72 | 47 | 25 | 83 |
| 5 | Stevenage Borough | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 73 | 54 | 19 | 81 |
| 6 | Kidderminster Harriers | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 69 | 48 | 21 | 79 |
| 7 | Oxford United | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 72 | 51 | 21 | 77 * |
| 8 | Kettering Town | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 50 | 37 | 13 | 76 |
| 9 | Crawley Town | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 77 | 55 | 22 | 70 ^ |
| 10 | Wrexham | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 64 | 48 | 16 | 66 |
| 11 | Rushden & Diamonds | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 61 | 50 | 11 | 63 |
| 12 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 57 | 55 | 2 | 62 • |
| 13 | Eastbourne Borough | 46 | 18 | 6 | 22 | 58 | 70 | -12 | 60 |
| 14 | Ebbsfleet United | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 52 | 60 | -8 | 58 |
| 15 | Altrincham | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 49 | 66 | -17 | 56 |
| 16 | Salisbury City | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 64 | -10 | 55 |
| 17 | York City | 46 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 47 | 51 | -4 | 52 |
| 18 | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 70 | 76 | -6 | 52 |
| 19 | Grays Athletic | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 44 | 64 | -20 | 52 |
| 20 | Barrow | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 51 | 65 | -14 | 51 |
| 21 | Woking | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 37 | 60 | -23 | 44 |
| 22 | Northwich Victoria | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 56 | 75 | -19 | 43 |
| 23 | Weymouth | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 45 | 86 | -41 | 43 |
| 24 | Lewes | 46 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 28 | 89 | -61 | 24 |
* Oxford United deducted five points
^ Crawley Town deducted one point