This is the third successive season that I have seen Mansfield’s opening game, First at Crewe, then at Barnsley. Mansfield are always well supported away from home, and a crowd of 5170 which may prove to be Burton’s highest home gate at the end of the season showed up to watch them win 2-1 courtesy of two excellent long range efforts.

A warm summers day, a well contested match and an enthusiastic crowd- a good day out

Oldham v Colchester

A mad 200 mile round trip for a a groundhop. This was Oldham’s frost home game in the EFL since promotion from the National League the previous season. The second highest ground in england after the hawthorns it is knows as Ice Station Zebra for its froideur.It once held 50,000,in the days of mass industrialisation and the Avro lancaster/ Vulcan factories close by providing a walk up, now around 13500.

Northampton V Mansfield

A new ground, number 66, and a feminder of wehy i had not been before even though it is comparatively close to Both Bedford and Birmingham where I lived for extended periods. A soul less, lego, matchbox style stadium which reminded me of Colchester united’s new home, or Chesterfields’ but smaller. i shall not be back. And you have to walk up a hill to the car park