2012–13 Mansfield Town F.C. season

Mansfield Town

2012–13 season
Chairman	John Radford
Manager	Paul Cox
Conference National	1st (Promoted)
FA Cup	3rd Round (lost to Liverpool)
FA Trophy	1st Round Replay (lost to Matlock Town)
Top goalscorer	League: Matt Green, 25 All: Matt Green, 27
Highest home attendance	7574 (vs. Liverpool, 6 Jan 2013)
Lowest home attendance	1615 (vs. Matlock, 24 Nov 2012)
Average home league attendance	2758 (league games only)
Home colours Away colours
← 2011–12 2013–14 →

The 2012–2013 Season of Mansfield Town F.C. was its fifth in the Blue Square Bet Premier, following relegation from the Football League at the end of the 2007–08 season. The club also took part in the FA Cup and the FA Trophy. The club played its home games at Field Mill, renamed the One Call Stadium for sponsorship reasons, following chairman John Radford's purchase of the ground from previous landlord Keith Haslam the season before. The Stags' youth team again participated in the Football Conference Youth Alliance under-19 league and cup, along with the Midland Youth Cup. Mansfield's reserve team reformed officially for the 2012–13 season, competing in the Central League.

After the disappointment of play-off defeat the previous season, and an indifferent start to the season which had seen some fans calling for him to be sacked, Paul Cox led his side to Conference glory. A club record 95 points saw the Stags crowned champions on the final day of the season after a tense battle to the title with Kidderminster Harriers. The title was sealed with a 1–0 victory over Wrexham on 20 April 2013.^[1]

As well as winning the league, Mansfield enjoyed an excellent FA Cup run. A 2–1 win over Lincoln City^[2] set up a third round tie with Premier League side Liverpool. A controversial Luis Suarez goal helped the Reds to a 2–1 victory,^[3] although Mansfield enjoyed considerable media praise for the brave display from their players and the reaction to the game from Cox.

Pre-Season

The Stags warmed up for the season with 10 friendlies, 3 at home and 7 away. A planned friendly against Shepshed was cancelled because of a waterlogged pitch. A second friendly planned for the evening of 31 July, against Stourbridge was cancelled because of an illness spreading through the team. The friendly the following day, at Rainworth Miners Welfare, was contested by the youth team.

† indicates a trialist.

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
14 July 2012	Leamington	A	1-0[4]	M Green 82'	400
17 July 2012	Hednesford	A	2-0	Stevenson 19', Tolley 50'
19 July 2012	Shepshed Dynamo	A	P-P
20 July 2012	Gainsborough Trinity	A	0-0
23 July 2012	Hucknall Town	A	3-0	Howell 45', McGorrigan† 46', 89'	385
25 July 2012	Derby County	H	2-1[5]	M Green 52', Meikle 59'	2596 (1030)
28 July 2012	Nottingham Forest	H	2-1[6]	Howell 49', Wright 63'	Behind closed doors
31 July 2012	Eastwood Town	A	3-0[7]	Stevenson 32', Fearon (OG) 43', Wright 88'
31 July 2012	Stourbridge	A	P-P
3 August 2012	Boston United	A	2-1	Wright 24', Speight 26'	352
4 August 2012	Rotherham United	H	2-3	Stevenson 47', M Green 71'	1300 (253)
7 August 2012	Sheffield	A	5-4[8]	Todd 3', Speight 11', 41', Clements 30', Hutchinson 43'	165

Conference National

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Mansfield Town (C) (P)	46	30	5	11	92	52	+40	95	Promotion to 2013–14 League Two
2	Kidderminster Harriers	46	28	9	9	82	40	+42	93	Qualification to Conference National play-offs
3	Newport County (P)	46	25	10	11	85	60	+25	85
4	Grimsby Town	46	23	14	9	70	38	+32	83
5	Wrexham	46	22	14	10	74	45	+29	80

Updated to games played on 20 April 2013.
Source: Football Conference
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opposition	H/A	Result F-A	Scorers	Attendance
20 October 2012	Fourth Qualifying Round	Workington	A	2-1	Speight 32', 67'	701 (75)
3 November 2012	First Round	Slough Town	H	0-0		1686 (250)
13 November 2012	First Round Replay	Slough Town	A	1-1†	Woozley O.G. 45+2'	1597 (100)
1 December 2012	Second Round	Lincoln City	A	3-3	M Green 20', Briscoe 53', Rhead 90+3'	4127 (1176)
12 December 2012	Second Round Replay	Lincoln City	H	2-1	Farman O.G. 14', Briscoe 76'	5304 (1360)
6 January 2013	Third Round	Liverpool	H	1-2	M Green 79'	7,574 (1433)

† Won on penalties.

FA Trophy

Date	Round	Opposition	H/A	Result F-A	Scorers	Attendance
	First Round	Matlock Town	H	1-1		1615
	First Round Replay	Matlock Town	A	1-2		758

Youth Team

Like the season before, the Stags' youth team competed in the Football Conference Youth Alliance North Division, Football Conference Youth Alliance League Cup and Midland Youth Cup. They also competed in the FA Youth Cup.

League

• 11 Teams

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Gateshead	20	17	1	2	69	21	+48	52
2	Mansfield Town	20	14	3	3	60	29	+31	45
3	FC Halifax Town	20	11	5	4	44	28	+16	38
4	Ilkeston	20	10	7	3	40	20	+20	37

Updated to games played on 20 May 2013.
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

League Cup

Date	Round	Opposition	H/A	Result F-A	Scorers	Attendance
19 November 2012	1st Round	MMU	A	2-2†	Jones, Thomas

† Lost on penalties

FA Youth Cup

Date	Round	Opposition	H/A	Result F-A	Scorers	Attendance
5 September 2012	Preliminary Round	Glossop North End	A	3-0	Chambers(2), Robinson,	95
21 September 2012	First Qualifying Round	Gresley	H	8-0	Thomas 15', Flint 46', 76', Robinson 56', Chambers 78', 90', 90+2' Pusrglove 86'	163
2 October 2012	Second Qualifying Round	Lincoln City	A	1-8	Flint 74'	412

References

1. "Mansfield 1-0 Wrexham". Mansfield Town Official Website.
2. "Mansfield 2-1 Lincoln City". Mansfield Town Official Website.
3. "Mansfield 1-2 Liverpool". Mansfield Town Official Website.
4. "Leamington 0-1 Stags". Mansfield Town Official Website. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
5. "Stags 2-1 Derby". Mansfield Town Official Website. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
6. "Stags 2-1 Forest". Mansfield Town Official Website. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
7. "Stags sweep aside Eastwood". Mansfield Town Official Website. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
8. "Stags win in goal glut". Mansfield Town Official Website. Retrieved 18 May 2013.