It seems like the Poppies have been on tour longer than the Rolling Stones this season. However, we are back on the road this time at the Zeeco Stadium where AFC Stamford entertain Kettering Town this Tuesday.
The Daniels’ last game at home against Sudbury game on Saturday was postponed, which resulted in them remaining anchored to the foot of the table in twenty-second place with only seven points from sixteen games thirteen points away from safety. Prior to Saturday, Stamford’s recent form has been poor with only two wins and eight losses in their last ten games. In the league, their past five games have seen the Daniel’s secure one win (1-3 away at Stourbridge) and suffer four losses (3-0 Leiston; 0-3 Worcester; 1-3 Real Bedford; 0-4 Barwell). Residing in nineteenth place in the form table, taking three points from a possible fifteen, The Daniels’ home form finds them in bottom place achieving three points from nine games. Stamford’s highest scorers this season are Tonge forward with four goals.
Our recent away form continues to be problematic having lost again at the Victoria Ground 0-3 against Bromsgrove Sporting. It will take more game time for the new look team to gel even with the the addition of two loan players from Notts County, striker Harrison Iwunze and defender Theo Robinson. Form wise, Kettering have dropped to seventeenth place, securing four points from a possible fifteen in their past five games. However, the Poppies away form is more encouraging where they have secured thirteen points from nine games. Lying in twelfth place in the league on twenty-four points, KTFC are now six points adrift of play off placed Halesowen Town in fifth having achieved one win (0-2 Quorn), three losses (3-0 away at Bromsgrove Sporting; 0-1 Needham Market; 0-2 Spalding Untied) and a draw (0-0 at home vs St Ives) in their last five league matches. Poppies drew 1-1 at home in the corresponding home fixture in our last game against the Daniel’s.
Of the league promotion hopefuls, leaders Harborough Town are in action at home to third placed Redditch United, Spalding United entertain Bury Town, Real Bedford travel to Banbury and Halesowen Town are away at Stratford.
On paper, given Stamford’s poor form, playing The Daniel’s at this point in the season could represent an opportunity for the Poppies to regain momentum with a resounding win. However, as we have witnessed with the last gasp goal at Latimer Park, there is always the prospect of a surprise when these teams meet. We have to get behind Liam McDonald as the team rebuilding continues. It’s not Christmas as yet however, a victory at Zeeco Stadium would represent an early gift for all Poppies fans.
Enjoy the game.
STAMFORD AFC
Season V Comp F-A Att: Poppies Scorers
1909-10 H NLD1 8-1
A NLD1 4-4
1913-14 A FACQ 1-3
1922-23 H FACPL 3-0 3400
1931-32 H NLD1 3-0 1264 Dunkley, West, Cullip
A NLD1 2-4 Neal, Linnell
A NLD1 1-3 West
A FAC2Q 3-2 1605 Brown.2, Starmer
1932-33 H NLD1 6-2 1126 Dunkley, Linnell.3, Richardson.2
A NLD1 2-0 500 Sparkes.2
1933-34 H EML 5-0 720 Linnell, Rogers.4
A EML 3-1 700 Linnell, Richardson, Loasby
A FAC3Q 5-3 1100 Loasby, Richardson, Waite.2,…….?
1934-35 H EML 5-1 Dunkley.3, Loasby, Richardson
A EML 4-1 Linnell, Starmer, Loasby.2
A FAC1Q 3-0 1378 Linnell, Goode, Orton
1935-36 H UCL 4-1 688 Goode, Linnell, Rice.2
A UCL 3-1 440 Starsmore, Goode, Rice
1936-37 H UCL 2-0 1145 Goode, Orton
A UCL 2-1 Orton, Cave
1937-38 H UCL 7-1 644 Jones, Carr.6
A UCL 5-3 Hart, Carr.2, Potter.2
H FAC1Q 3-1 2678 Carr.2, Potter
1938-39 H UCL 4-2 1332 Edwards, McCool, Robinson,…….?
A UCL 3-3 695 Edwards.2, Watson
1953-54 A FAC3Q 3-3 4200 Laxton.2, Middlemiss.2
H FAC3QR 12-0 2435 Middlemiss.5, Inwood.3, Laing.2, Lamie, Wyldes
1957-58 H FAC1Q 4-1 3279 Draper, Millar, Toseland.2
1960-61 H FAC2Q 3-0 3650 Walden, Shaw, McGill
2003-04 A FAC2Q 3-0 862 Fewings, Graham, Clarke
A FAT2Q 0-1 566
2023-24 H PISLPC 1-2 598 Andrade
A PISLPC 2-3 818 Bennett (p), Lewthwaite
2024-25 H PISPLC 2-0 986 Ranger.2 (1p)
A PISLP 1-1 1273 Powell A
2025-26 H PISLPC 1-1 994 Powell C
POPPIES WINS: 25 GOALS FOR: 123
DANIELS WINS: 6 GOALS AGAINST: 51
DRAWS 5
POPPIES STATS:
Highest home win: 12-0 1953-54 (FAC3QR)
Highest away win: 4-1 1934-35 (EML)
Highest home defeat: 1-2 2023-24 (PISLPC)
Highest away defeat: 1-3 1913-14 (FACQ), & 2-4, 1931-32 (NLD1)
Highest home attendance: 3,650 1960-61 (FAC2Q)
Lowest home attendance: 598 2023-24 (PISLPC)
Highest away attendance: 4,200 1953-54 (FAC3QR)
Lowest away attendance: 440 1935-36 (UCL)
Played for both clubs (62)
Managed both clubs (1)
Dominic Genovese
Manager (1)
Doug Keast
Most goals in a game for the Poppies v Stamford (6)
Maurice Carr (1937-38)
Most goals in career Poppies v Stamford (10)
Maurice Carr
League debuts (8)
Jamar Loza 29:03:25 (a)
Marvin Sordell 24:09:24 (h)
Billy Johnson 05:08:23 (a)
Owen Cochrane 05:08:23 (a)
Kelvin Langmead 05:08:23 (a)
Huw Dawson 05:08:23 (a)
James Carvell 05:08:23 (a)
Kai O’Keefe 05:08:23 (a)
Charley Barker 05:08:23 (a)
Kettering Town players sent off v Stamford (1)
Dan Jezeph (GK) 16:04:24 (h)
Stamford AFC players sent off v Kettering (1)
Thomas Jackson (GK) 23:09:25 (h)
Poppies players who have scored against Kettering Town (1)
Jon Challinor (2)
STAMFORD AFC
Manager Graham Drury
Ground Zeeco Stadium
Nickname The Daniels
Position in League 22nd – 7pts from 16 games
Top League scorer 3 – Kai Sanchez-Tonge (2 pens)
THE DANIELS SO FAR…
| Date | Comp | Opposition | R | F-A | Att | Goalscorers | |
| Aug | 9 | PISLPC | Alvechurch | D | 0-0 | 359 | |
| Aug | 11 | PISLPC | St Ives Town | L | 0-1 | ||
| Aug | 16 | PISLPC | Bishop’s Stortford | L | 0-1 | ||
| Aug | 23 | PISLPC | Halesowen Town | D | 1-1 | 454 | Duffy (p) |
| Aug | 25 | PISLPC | Spalding United | L | 0-3 | 642 | |
| Aug | 31 | FAC1Q | Coventry Sphinx | W | 1-0 | 292 | Cooke |
| Sep | 6 | PISLPC | Bury Town | L | 0-2 | 441 | |
| Sep | 9 | PISLPC | Redditch United | D | 1-1 | 243 | Rowley |
| Sep | 13 | FAC2Q | Shepshed Dynamo | W | 2-0 | Challinor, Tonge | |
| Sep | 20 | PISLPC | Needham Market | L | 1-4 | Tonge (p) | |
| Sep | 23 | PISLPC | Kettering Town | D | 1-1 | Cooke | |
| Sep | 27 | FAC3Q | Sutton Coldfield Town | W | 1-0 | Tonge (p) | |
| Oct | 4 | FAT3Q | Real Bedford | L | 1-3 | Toll | |
| Oct | 11 | FAC4Q | Macclesfield | L | 0-1 | ||
| Oct | 14 | PISLPC | Bromsgrove Sporting | L | 0-2 | ||
| Oct | 18 | PISLPC | Stratford Town | L | 1-2 | 340 | Cooke |
| Oct | 25 | PISLPC | Barwell | L | 0-4 | 261 | |
| Nov | 1 | PISLPC | Stourbridge | W | 3-1 | Varela, Toll, Tonge | |
| Nov | 8 | PISLPC | Real Bedford | L | 1-3 | 337 | Tonge (p) |
| Nov | 11 | PISLPC | Worcester City | L | 0-3 | 306 | |
| Nov | 15 | PISLPC | Leiston | L | 0-3 |
