Cheltenham Town started the 2018/19 season with the visit of Crawley Town. The visitors ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a 63rd minute Ollie Palmer strike, which proved to be the first of nineteen defeats and a sixteenth placed finish that season, which famously saw the end of Gary Johnson’s tenure and the arrival of club legend Michael Duff in the dugout.
GK: SCOTT FLINDERS – CHELTENHAM
Going into his first full season at the club, Flinders made the number one shirt his own and proved to be an integral part of the squad. The goalkeeper made forty-three appearances in the 2018/9 season and is one of four survivors from the starting XI to remain at the club. Flinders has to battle it out with Josh Griffiths for a starting spot in the modern day, with the on loan West Brom youngster unpopular among fans but popular enough among the backroom staff to keep his spot.
LB: JOSH DEBAYO – WEALDSTONE
A summer free transfer from Leicester City, Josh Debayo joined Cheltenham at the same time as Chris Hussey and benefitted from his counterparts injury troubled start to make seven appearances before the return of the defensive talisman Hussey. Debeyo seemingly impressed Johnson enough during Cheltenham’s 6-1 Checkatrade win over Leicester U21s to earn Debayo a move to Whaddon Road. These days he plies his trade at National League Wealdstone who enjoyed promotion from the National League South in the 2019/2o season.
CB: JONNY MULLINS – RETIRED
Cheltenham’s new defensive addition and new club captain, Mullins joined from Luton who had won promotion from League Two the previous season. His time at the club was troubled by injury and poor form as a result but he gave his all for the shirt as often as possible. The thirty-nine year old played nineteen times during his one season in Gloucestershire, totting up his career total to 486. Despite having one year left on his deal, he left at the end of the season by mutual consent and made the decision to retire.
CB: WILL BOYLE – CHELTENHAM
The only member of the matches’ back four to remain at Cheltenham, Will Boyle has seen it shift from a back five, to a back four, to the current back three with wingbacks that has brought so much success. Will Boyle is the club’s current top goal scorer (of players currently at the club) and has been a weapon when combined with Ben Tozer’s long throws.
RB: ADEN BALDWIN – BRISTOL CITY
Baldwin started his career with Forest Green Rovers before joining Bristol City in 2016. He was loaned to Weston-Super-Mare twice between 2016 and 2017, playing thirty-six times. In 2018, Baldwin joined Cheltenham on loan as part of the Johnson and Johnson partnership which saw so many players make the same move. He only played five times. For the 2019/20 season he joined Eastleigh on loan, playing four times. Baldwin has struggled with injury and remains at Bristol City.
LM: JACOB MADDOX – VITORIA DE GUIMARAES
A flash and skillful player but often struggling for an end product, Maddox joined on loan from Chelsea and played forty-four games, scoring for goals in all competitions. Maddox later joined Tranmere Rovers in 2019 and played twice in the EFL Trophy, later joining Southampton on loan in February 2020. In August 2020, the 22 year old signed a four deal deal with Primeira Liga side Vitoria De Guimereas in Portugal.
CM: NIGEL ATANGANA – EXETER CITY
He is a midfielder, a French midfielder, his name’s Atangana. Or so the chant goes. The Frenchman has represented nine clubs since 2008, starting out at Avranches in the third tier of French football, for whom he made ten appearances. Dives, Riudellots, and Gravelines followed before he made to move to England with Havant and Waterlooville in 2013. He finished the season with five goals and as their player of the year, earning a move to then League Two Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee. He joined Leyton Orient in 2016 and then Cheltenham Town in 2017. At the end of the 2018/19 season, Atangana joined League Two rivals Exeter City, playing twenty times with a 4-0 Play Off final defeat to his name.
CM: BEN TOZER – CHELTENHAM TOWN
A summer addition from Newport County, defensive midfielder Tozer was brought in by Johnson so sure up the middle of the pitch. A tumultuous season saw him brought on up front before a switch of manager saw him made captain and turned into one of League Two’s best centre backs. Tozer lead Cheltenham to the best defence in England’s professional game, conceding only twenty seven league goals. Cheltenham finished fourth and lost out on promotion with the 2020/21 season now having the aim of reaching League One. Tozer pulled off an outstanding goal line clearance in the FA Cup fourth round which garnered national attention.
ST: MANNY DUKU - RAITH ROVERS
The Dutchman has represented five different clubs since his original loan departure from Cheltenham Town. After eleven games and one goal in Gloucestershire, Duku went out on loan to National League Barnet. He scored three in six games for the bees before heading to Halifax, scoring another three goals in twelve matches. The Amsterdam born striker left Whaddon Road permanently in 2019, becoming one of many former Cheltenham players to make the switch to Torquay United. He played sixteen times but failed to score for Gary Johnson’s side. Duku rejoined Hayes and Yeading, who Cheltenham signed the attacker from, in 2020, bagging four in seven games before heading to Scotland to play for Raith Rovers in the Scottish Championship. Duku has played for fifteen clubs since starting out Legmeervogels in 2010.
ST: LIAM MCALINDEN – MORECAMBE
Like Duku, McAlinden was also sent out on loan twice before leaving permanently and signing for a further three clubs. The striker was signed from Exeter City on a two year deal at the start of the 2018/19 campaign but failed to impress in Gloucestershire. After eight games he was shipped out to Brackley, where he scored one in five games, and then to Kidderminster Harriers where he failed to find the net in thirteen games. A permanent move to Halifax followed where the former Wolves man started to find form, scoring ten in twenty seven matches. He then moved to Stockport County before getting his way back to the Football League with League Two highfliers Morecambe. McAlinden is yet to score for The Shrimps but has been a key member of the squad.
THE BENCH
Conor Thomas – Cheltenham – A new signing from Indian side Atletico De Kolkata, Thomas started the first game on the bench but has since established himself as a key member of the Cheltenham midfield.
Kevin Dawson – Gloucester City – Dawson left Cheltenham for local rivals FGR at the end of the 18/19 but his ambition was misplaced, leaving for National League South side Gloucester City in 2020.
Ryan Broom – Peterborough United – Broom started slowly, having joined from Bristol Rovers over the summer and being used as a right wing back. Broom’s form came at attacking midfield, where he excelled in the 2019/20 season, earning a move to League One Peterborough.
Tom Smith – Bath City – Smith has enjoyed four separate loan spells at Bath City, three of which came in his time at Swindon, then again while at Cheltenham. He joined the Romans permanently in 2019, where he remains to this day.
Rhys Lovett – Gloucester City – The second member of the robins’ bench to move across the county, Lovett has established himself as the club’s number one during the 2020/21 season as they look to win promotion from the sixth tier.
Jordon Forster – Dundee FC – Forster joined Cheltenham from Hibernian looking for more regular first team football, making thirty appearances, scoring once. He returned to Scotland in 2019, joining Dundee.
Kalvin Lumbombo Kalala – Torquay – Is he at Torquay? Is he unattached? It depends who you ask. Kalala is currently in a legal battle with the National League club, accusing them of forgery and fraud over a contract extension. He has filed a criminal complaint in France.
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