Cheltenham Town started the 2019/20 season with a trip to newly promoted Leyton Orient. The home side ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a 68th minute goal from Josh Wright. It was an emotional day for the Orient who had lost their manager Justin Edinburgh over the summer and were mourning his loss. Cheltenham and Leyton Orient came together with the presentation of a ‘he made you dream again’ flag before the match, courtesy of the 1887 Red Army.
GK: SCOTT FLINDERS – CHELTENHAM
Cheltenham’s at the time undisputed number one entered his third season at the club which finished in a way no one could have predicted. Flinders’ season was cut short by a horrific leg break in a 3-0 home win over Oldham Athletic. The season as a whole was cut short by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Owen Evans came in to replace the robins number one in January, performing admirably between the sticks during the league and Play Off campaign. Flinders now plays second fiddle to loanee Josh Griffiths, on loan from West Brom, although it’s widely requested that Flinders plays over the WBA youngster.
LWB: JOSH DEBAYO – WEALDSTONE
The former Leicester City youngster started ahead of Chris Hussey for the first game of Michael Duff’s first full season in charge. It was one of only sixteen games for Cheltenham, spread out over two seasons with a loan spell to Dover Athletic in there as well. Debayo now plays his football at Wealdstone, currently sitting fifteenth in the National League, whom he joined on December 21st 2020. He took the number three shirt, owned at Cheltenham by the iconic Chris Hussey.
CB: WILL BOYLE - CHELTENHAM
An almost ever present in the robins back line, one of the club’s longest serving players and one of the clubs all time EFL scorers. Boyle was displaced in the starting XI by Hull loanee Jacob Greaves who was massively impressive during his time in Gloucestershire. Since Greaves’ departure, Boyle regained his starting berth for the 2020/21 season and has added to his goal tally, notably against Mansfield Town in the FA Cup and Forest Green Rovers in League Two.
CB: BEN TOZER - CHELTENHAM
Captain. Leader. Legend. Converted from a centre defensive midfielder to one of the league’s best centre backs, Tozer led Cheltenham to the best defence in the professional English game. Tozer became known across England for his outstanding goal line clearance in the FA Cup against Manchester City and had previously been at Newcastle United whilst club legend Alan Shearer was manager. His long throws are a real weapon going forward and his leadership and solidity is an asset at the back. The captain will be looking to lead his club to League One after falling in the Play Off semi-final last season.
CB: CHARLIE RAGLAN – CHELTENHAM
Completing the back three and completing all centre backs still being at Cheltenham and still playing, Charlie Raglan has become a stalwart in the robins defence and a fan favourite at the club. Originally joining on loan from Oxford United, the Englishman joined permanently in May 2019 after being replaced in Oxfordshire by former loanee Rob Dickie and not being able to get the game time he deserves. Raglan has made over fifty appearances for the robins and also scored in the Play Off Semi Final first leg at Northampton.
RWB: SEAN LONG – CHELTENHAM
Long has struggled with injury for much of his Cheltenham career, and missed most of the start of the 2020/21 season because of this. When fit the former Lincoln City man is one of the league’s best fullbacks and his attacking threat and defensive strength, paired with Chris Hussey, makes him a formidable player in the squad. This season he’s had to watch from the side as Matty Blair, a summer signing from Doncaster, bombs down the robin’s right wing as Duff’s men push for promotion. Long returned against Manchester City and it will be interesting to see who wins out in the battle for right wing back.
CM: MAX SHEAF – TORQUAY UNITED
One of two very talented players to be sent to the Jonny Rocks Stadium by Hull manager Grant McCann, Sheaf spent the season battling Ryan Broom to play in behind the two main strikers and played a huge part in Cheltenham’s promotion push. Able to play in centre midfield as well as an attacking midfielder, Sheaf contributed two goals in nineteen league games and has, like many former Cheltenham players, joined Gary Johnson at National League Torquay in January 2021. He is set to stay at the non-league leaders on loan until the end of the season.
CM: ROHAN INCE – MAIDENHEAD UNITED
As far as debuts go, this was one to forget. A signing that garnered a lot of excitement from the robins faithful, the former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder was sent of for apparently throwing a water bottle at the fourth official on the 72nd minute, despite not looking at or actually hitting the official. The ex-Chelsea youngster was subsequently banned for five matches and only went on to play fifteen games in all competitions in Gloucestershire. Ince joined National League Maidenhead in November 2020, having been released at the end of the 2019/20 season.
CM: RYAN BROOM – PETERBOROUGH UNITED
The sponsors, Norwegian Robins’, and players’ player of the season, Ryan Broom was a stand out in the Cheltenham midfield and earnt himself a move to League One promotion challengers Peterborough ahead of the 2020/21 season. His first competitive match was and EFL Cup defeat to Cheltenham Town. Broom made eighty-six appearances in two seasons at Whaddon Road, scoring twelve goals, eight of which came in the 19/20 season. At the time of writing, Broom has played fourteen league games for Posh, scoring once.
ST: LUKE VARNEY – BURTON ALBION
An integral part of Cheltenham’s promotion push and became synonymous with Michael Duff’s Cheltenham Town. Despite scoring seven goals in twenty three games in 2019/20, injuries meant that Varney was released after the robins’ Play Off campaign but later joined League One Burton Albion as a player/ fitness coach, he has played three times this season. Varney was the second player to get sent of vs Leyton Orient, receiving a second yellow just two minutes before Ince’s straight red.
ST: TAHVON CAMPBELL – HALIFAX TOWN
Signed from Gloucestershire rivals Forest Green in the summer of 2019, Campbell has played fifteen times in his two seasons and is yet to score. The goals came for Campbell when he was sent out to National League South leaders Gloucester City, where an FA Trophy hattrick set him on his way to five goals in seven games. He was recalled during a goalscoring crisis at Cheltenham, with three goals in seven league games, but ‘Tahv’ was apparently not the answer and has since been sent out on loan to Halifax Town of the National League.
THE BENCH
Chris Hussey – Cheltenham Town – On his way to becoming a Cheltenham legend, Hussey won his place at left wing back and remains there to this day.
Conor Thomas – Cheltenham Town – Idolised by the youth players for his calm nerves and technical ability, Thomas has fought for his place in the starting XI and has benefitted from the loss of Doyle-Hayes, Sheaf, Broom and Ince to do so.
Chris Clements – Cheltenham Town – Partnering brilliantly with Thomas, the loss of the midfield duo came with a drop of form and many dropped points, Town will look to push on with the pair back to fitness.
Alex Addai – Cheltenham Town – Now in his third season at the club, Addai had been sent on loan to Maidenhead at the start of the 2020/21 season but has since returned to try rekindle Cheltenham’s goal scoring form.
Gavin Reilly – Livingston – On loan from Bristol Rovers, his goal scoring form and change in management meant he was recalled to Bristol but he was unable to cement a place in the team. He joined Carlisle United at the start of the 2020/21 season but scored none in sixteen league games. He’s since gone back to Scotland, joining Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.
Jake Doyle-Hayes – St Mirren - A loan star from Aston Villa, Doyle-Hayes played thirty six times for Cheltenham, scoring once. Upon his release from Villa, he joined Scottish Premiership side St Mirren.
Rhys Lovett – Gloucester City – Lovett came off the bench against Oldham after Scott Flinders broke his leg but was unable to make the number one shirt his own, being replaced by Wigan loanee Owen Evans. Lovett joined Gloucester City and currently sits top of the National League South.
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