Win the next half Unity shone through as Duff’s boys made history with title success
RAGS...RAGS! A Yorkshire accent booms out from the main stand at the Jonny-rocks Stadium – even louder still for a third attempt: “RAGS!”
Cheltenham Town defender Charlie Raglan glances up from his position near the edge of the penalty area at the Whaddon Road end of the near-empty ground.
His team-mate Will Boyle hobbles as close as he can, injured knee supported in a brace and shouts with great verve as he claps enthusiastically: “Great position, Rags!”
Boyle cannot contribute on the pitch, but he is doing all he can off it to help his team over the promotion line.
Cheltenham were leading Leyton Orient thanks to Conor Thomas’ penalty and they are on their way to another clean sheet and the top of the table with six to play.
Boyle has acted as kit man, ball boy, Tozer towel distributor and coach during his spell on the sidelines, having made a brief return with two goals over the Easter weekend.
Ten months earlier, a disconsolate Boyle had been in the same position at the front of the old stand vowing that they would use their play-off agony against Northampton Town as “fuel” for the 2020/21 season. They did not disappoint.
He fronted up after his error allowed Northampton to progress to the final with a 3-2 aggregate win, but his spirit epitomises why they roared back to win the title.
Luke Varney and Ryan Broom were among those to move on after that crushing defeat, along with influential loanees Jacob Greaves and Jake Doylehayes.
In came Liam Sercombe, Andy Williams and then Matty Blair as Michael Duff added experienced professionals with multiple promotions on their CVS, while his old Burnley colleague Wade Elliott was added to the coaching staff.
Sercombe capped an impressive debut with the winner at Peterborough in the Carabao Cup first round – with £150,000 Broom on the losing side.
Duff named five new signings in that XI, including West Brom loan goalkeeper Josh Griffiths on his 19th birthday and ex-peterborough youngster Lewis Freestone.
The players showered in a temporarily installed block in the car park, setting the tone for a unique and often absurd season, but one that was to make history for a club with a bottomhalf budget.
Three days later they visited Newport County in the EFL Trophy, with Reuben Reid’s header securing a 1-0 win and £8,000 in prize money, which began to mount up when it was needed the most.
Hull midfielder Elliot Bonds and Blair both made their debuts, while first year pros Grant Horton and Tom Chamberlain gave positive accounts.
Blair’s arrival was welcome, with Sean Long ruled out for a lengthy period following hip surgery.
After two clean sheets in the cups to start, Cheltenham were undone by Liam Mcalinden in their first League
Two match. They led 1-0 at half-time thanks to Alfie May’s 28th-minute strike, but Mcalinden went on for the Shrimps at half-time and swung the game in their favour against his old club.
Adam Phillips levelled from the spot and an inspired Mcalinden teed up Carlos Mendes Gomes for the winner in the second minute of time added on, prompting Duff to blast: “My back three looked like they hadn’t played together before.”
Cheltenham’s interest in the Carabao Cup was ended by Millwall, who ran out 3-1 winners at The Den despite the first goal of Finn Azaz’s professional career.
The first League Two win of the season came with a dominant display at Tranmere Rovers, all the goals coming in the first half, from Raglan, Williams and an own goal from Paul Lewis.
Two first-half goals secured Cheltenham a 2-0 victory at Leyton Orient as George Lloyd appeared to force the ball over the line from close range but it was later taken away from him and recorded as a Sam Ling own goal.
Azaz headed in the second, then Reid netted both goals as Cheltenham defeated Plymouth Argyle to book their place in round two of the EFL Trophy.
A third successive League Two win and clean sheet came against Crawley Town with the minimum of fuss with an own goal by Tony Craig and another goal for Williams.
Cheltenham had the chance to go top of the table at home to Grimsby Town, Duff’s 100th game at the helm.
But Ian Holloway’s Mariners denied them with a 3-1 win, condemning Cheltenham to their second home defeat of the campaign.
In what was to become a feature of the season, Cheltenham responded to the Grimsby setback in positive fashion, with a comfortable 2-0 victory at
Southend United. Sercombe put them in front from the penalty spot before Lloyd headed in the second.
Reid’s early penalty earned a 1-0 home win over Scunthorpe United, a fifth win in seven for Cheltenham, but it came at a cost as they lost Bonds to a serious knee injury, while Lloyd suffered a concussion.
A first draw of the season followed, 0-0 at home to Mansfield, then a first away defeat at Port Vale as they conceded their first goals on the road.
But again they rallied – ending their 22-year wait for a win over Forest Green Rovers with a 2-1 victory at the Jonny-rocks Stadium on Halloween.
Boyle headed in the opener from Ben Tozer’s long throw in the 11th minute and Williams made it 2-0. Aaron Collins restored hope for Rovers from the penalty spot but the result lifted them above their rivals and back into the automatic promotion places.
November started with a second away defeat in succession as Oldham Athletic hit back from a goal down to win 2-1 at Boundary Park.
Cheltenham progressed to the second round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 home win over spirited South Shields.
May scored twice along with one from Sercombe to knock out the Northern Premier League side as recent signing Ellis Chapman made his full debut for Cheltenham and had a hand in all three of goals.
After sitting out five games due to his concussion against Scunthorpe, Lloyd scored the only goal as Cheltenham defeated Norwich City Under-21s 1-0 to win their Papa John’s Trophy group, guaranteeing them a home tie in the last 32 and taking prize money past £40,000.
Back in the league, first-half goals from Boyle and Thomas were enough to earn a 2-1 win at Carlisle United as Scott Flinders returned for his first
League Two start in 10 months and pulled off a superb save in the second half to deny ex-robins loanee Gavin Reilly as Cheltenham forced their way back into the top three.
An own goal followed by a superb finish from Blair and a late strike from Tozer earned Cheltenham a 3-0 home win over Walsall before Paul Mullin struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to rescue a 1-1 draw for Cambridge United in the top-of-the-table clash on November 24. Tozer’s goal late in the first period looked to have been enough to seal a narrow victory, but Cheltenham had to settle for a point.
Lloyd’s extra-time goal took them through to the third round of the FA Cup at the expense of League One Crewe – netting them another £25,500 in prize money.
Azaz put the Robins in front after two minutes, but Chris Porter’s deflected shot levelled and an extra 30 minutes was needed to separate the sides.
Clements’ first goal since Boxing Day 2018 sealed a 2-1 victory at Bradford City as they had to hit back from a goal down, closing the gap on leaders Newport to a point.
Fans were allowed back inside the stadium for the first time as Exeter City visited on December 5 and they were able to enjoy one of the most entertaining matches for many a year.
Sercombe scored twice against his old club, along with goals from May, Williams and Boyle before Cheltenham were well beaten by Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy second round.
Cheltenham were then held to a goalless draw by Salford as they failed to score away from home for the first time. May and Lloyd both hit the bar and the Robins dominated long spells at Moor Lane.
More home frustration followed as they were beaten 1-0 by a Bolton Wanderers’ injury time winner.
As Covid-19 cases soared around the country, the Bolton game was to be the final appearance of supporters at the Jonny-rocks Stadium.
Cheltenham’s worst performance of the season followed in a 3-0 loss to newly-promoted Barrow at Holker Street.
Cheltenham were then held to a 1-1 Boxing Day draw by struggling Stevenage, despite a stunning strike from Sercombe in the 28th minute and they finished 2020 with a 0-0 draw at Colchester United, leaving them fourth in the table.
It meant they had scored once in six matches in all competitions since putting five past Exeter and they also lost Sercombe to injury in Essex.
Mansfield visited in the FA Cup and Boyle nodded in a long throw from Tozer during the second period of extra-time to take Cheltenham into the fourth round for only the third time.
That earned the Robins another invaluable £61,500 in prize money, plus £20,000 as it was streamed online and, most importantly, the highest profile match in the club’s history.
The first fourth round tie drawn out by Peter Crouch paired them with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, giving Duff the perfect 43rd birthday present.
There were two league fixtures to negotiate before City came to town and they both ended 1-1, starting with their first visit to Bolton.
May’s seventh goal of the season put the Robins in front after 54 minutes, but Eoin Doyle levelled four minutes from the end, then Blair’s goal in firsthalf stoppage time earned Cheltenham a point against Newport.
Newport took the lead in bizarre circumstances as goalkeeper Tom King’s wind-assisted goal kick sailed into the net in the 12th minute – later confirmed as being from a world record distance of 96.01m.
Cheltenham went into the City tie without a win in seven league matches and missing key men Hussey and Sercombe.
But they led the since re-crowned Premier League champions for 22 second-half minutes after May’s magical moment after a throw-in from Tozer.
The outstanding Tozer had earlier made an astonishing clearance off the line to deny Benjamin Mendy.
Duff ’s side gave some of the best players on the planet an almighty scare before late goals from Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres took the Champions League finalists into the last 16 with a 3-1 win.
It proved to be a significant turning point in their title challenge, as well as generating enough income to allay their fears of a financial disaster, with more than £500,000 added to the coffers in total.
After all the hype of the City experience died down, Williams and May scored in the second half as Cheltenham defeated Oldham 2-0 to end a seven-game winless run in League Two.
They then drew for the fifth time in six league games as 10-man Forest Green Rovers shut them out at the New Lawn in a drab derby clash.
January loan signings Sam Smith and Indiana Vassilev both made their debuts from the bench, but the club were forced to postpone their next two matches due to an outbreak of Covid in the squad.
They returned to action with a 1-0 win at Harrogate Town thanks to Boyle’s header two minutes before halftime.
He was set up by Long, who went on from the bench, following an injury to Clements, which ended his season.
Smith and Callum Wright then scored on their full debuts as Cheltenham hit back from a goal down to win 2-1 at Walsall, extending their unbeaten run to eight.
That streak was brought to an end by in-form Bradford, with Andy Cook on target in each half.
They went to leaders Cambridge United without Boyle and also Raglan – ruled out due to a back problem while putting on his socks that morning.
Long’s second-half header sealed a crucial 1-0 win as he was recalled in place of Raglan for his first start since the play-offs against Northampton Town.
First-half goals from Smith and Wright earned Cheltenham a 2-0 win at Scunthorpe – a fourth away win in a row and three days later they moved top of the table with a 1-0 home win over Southend.
Thomas scored the only goal from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute after Wright was tripped by Shaun Hobson.
It became four wins in a row as Cheltenham withstood a late comeback from Port Vale to stay top.
They led 2-0 at half-time thanks to May’s strike and an own goal from exrobins goalkeeper Scott Brown.
Sercombe extended the home side’s lead after going on from the bench, but Vale pulled two back through Will Swan and Alex Hurst to set up a nervy finish.
But the winning run was brought to an end with a 3-1 defeat at Mansfield, despite an early opener from Smith.
Cheltenham remained on top ahead of their trip to Exeter, where substitute Williams scored in time added on after a Tozer throw to earn a priceless three points.
Barrow became the first team to record a win double over Cheltenham with a 2-0 win, thanks to James Jones’ second-minute strike and Long’s own goal.
But again the response was emphatic as first-half goals from Long and Sercombe earned Cheltenham a 2-0 home triumph over Salford.
Mcalinden then haunted his old club again as he netted the only goal past Flinders as Morecambe completed a double over the Robins.
The result saw Duff’s side slip to second behind Cambridge ahead of the Easter weekend.
They reacted by cruising to an emphatic 4-0 home victory over promotion rivals Tranmere on Good Friday, in what was probably their best allround league display.
They were three up at half-time, with Thomas and Boyle converting from close range after long throw-ins from Tozer caused havoc.
May added his 12th of the campaign in all competitions then Wright scored the goal of the game (and the season), volleying into the top left corner from 22 yards.
Boyle’s second goal of the weekend earned Cheltenham a point at a windswept Grimsby, then the cool Thomas’ first-half spot kick was enough to sink Orient to take Cheltenham back to the summit on April 10.
Jordan Maguire-drew’s 77th-minute goal condemned Cheltenham to a 1-0 defeat at Crawley, before Lloyd scored on his return to the starting line-up to secure a vital 1-0 victory at Stevenage the following Tuesday.
It proved to be one of the most important goals of the campaign, keeping them in pole position with four games remaining.
Thomas’ 82nd-minute goal earned them a 1-0 home win over Colchester and put them on the verge of automatic promotion as Cheltenham knew two wins from their final three matches would secure the title, while one more point would make promotion a mathematical certainty.
They made sure with a 1-1 draw at home to Carlisle, thanks to Hussey’s stunning free-kick in the 56th minute which cancelled out Joshua Kayode’s first-half opener.
The point was enough to secure the Robins’ place in League One next term after a 12-year absence and confirm their first automatic promotion as a Football League club.
A group of supporters had gathered in Whaddon Rec just over the road from the Jonny-rocks Stadium and they made themselves heard as the whistle blew and Cheltenham’s sixth promotion party in 24 years began in earnest.
The players sprinted out of the ground towards the car park fence and players, staff and supporters enjoyed the moment together in pure ecstasy, with Duff performing his unique dance.
Fireworks could be seen on Cleeve Hill and the party in the boardroom went on well past midnight, but there was still one job left to do: secure the title.
They had two chances but the first ended in a 1-0 defeat at Newport thanks to ex-robins loanee Joss Labadie’s 20-yard strike in the fourth minute, with Duff explaining that his players were “emotionally exhausted”.
But they picked themselves up for one final effort against Harrogate on the final day of an historic season.
They went a goal down, but strikes from Sercombe, Smith, May and Wright fired them to a 4-1 victory, leaving them two points clear of runners-up Cambridge.
It was Cheltenham’s 24th win of the season, a club Football League record and they added another three points to their best total, ending on 82.
Player of the Year Tozer played every minute of all 46 games and he was able to lift the trophy – presented by chairman Andy Wilcox – as Cheltenham were crowned champions for the first time as a Football League club.
It is only the fifth time they have won any league since turning semi-professional in 1932 and it was achieved through absolute unity from top to bottom.
More car park celebratory scenes ensued and Duff gave his players licence to drink as much as they liked after 10 months of relentless discipline helped them pull off undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements in the club’s history.
The challenge now is to surpass the club’s 17th-placed finish of 2006/07, achieved under Duff’s League Managers Association mentor John Ward.
After what the League Two Manager of the Year has already achieved both on and off the pitch at Cheltenham, you wouldn’t bet against him.
All your dreams are made... just win the next half.
It is only the fifth time they have won any league since turning semiprofessional in 1932 and it was achieved through absolute unity from top to bottom