In the game of football, several factors can heavily affect the outcome of a match, or more importantly, the standings of an entire season. One of the most important factors that’s rarely discussed in football is the power of luck. In the 2019/20 season, an error with the Premier League’s goal-line technology meant Sheffield United were disallowed a goal against Aston Villa. If this goal stood, the Blades would’ve gone on to beat Aston Villa 2–1; the ensuing tie meant Villa went on to survive relegation by 1 point, saving them millions of pounds and a place in England’s top flight in the process. Similarly, Liverpool were just millimetres away from scoring against Manchester City in 2019, with John Stones clearing the ball away and preventing a vital goal. Hypothetically, if the ball had crossed the line, Liverpool would’ve gone on to win the League title, completing the season undefeated. These are both tremendous displays of luck, and in the case of the latter, a severe lack of luck. But it’s safe to say that nobody has been given the amount of luck that Stevenage FC received at the climax of the 2019/20 season, saving them their place in professional football, or even from extinction. Because of this, Stevenage have been able to survive in the EFL, now potentially knocking on the doors of England’s 2nd tier.
Going into the 2019/20 season, the Boro were looking to capitalise off of their impressive finish the season prior, finding themselves just a single point off of the League Two playoffs. Dino Maamria’s side were hoping to break the top six and find themselves battling for a potential promotion to League One, but found themselves battling on the opposite side of the table. Maamria received his marching orders early into the season after seven games without a single win. Mark Sampson took charge as caretaker, with a minimal change to their league form. Something that certainly didn’t help was the transfer of their top scorer, Kurtis Guthrie to Bradford City, which left them without a truly talented striker. By the time their third manager of the season, Graham Westley, resigned from the post in February, they found themselves rock bottom of League Two. They were 8 points adrift of survival and hadn’t mustered a single point in over a month, looking destined for life in the National League. For many, relegation from League Two is considered a death sentence. Staff and players are paid considerably less, attendances fall substantially, leaving them financially damaged in a league that is notoriously hard to escape. It’s the absolute lowest a team can find themselves, and the Boro found themselves staring down the barrel of non-league football.
But then, English football faced a crisis they had never prepared for, let alone had to face. The COVID-19 pandemic led to English football being suspended indefinitely, with no proper solution or outcome in place for the remaining third of the season. The remainder of the season was suspended, and the final standings were decided on a points-per-game basis. With this in place, Stevenage’s relegation to the National League was confirmed, with a depressing 0.61 points per game. Their 70-point finish nine months prior felt like ancient history to Stevenage fans by now. This, however, is where their first stroke of luck came, and it came in the name of Macclesfield Town. The Cheshire-based outfit had faced many financial problems since their promotion to the fourth tier two years prior, which had reached a point so dire that players and non-playing staff were no longer receiving their wages. The EFL had issued several point deductions throughout the season due to this, as many players boycotted and forced the side to postpone their league games. As of July 2020, these deductions left Macclesfield just 1 point above the Boro, still leaving them in the sole relegation place. But the EFL wasn’t finished. They had lodged an appeal to the disciplinary board, pushing for further points to be docked from the Silkmen. On the 11th of August, the EFL received their wish; 4 points were deducted from the side, leaving them with 0.51 points per game, sealing their fate in non-league football and saving Stevenage in the process.
It’s also worth mentioning their second tremendous stroke of luck in this process, which is to explain why League Two only decided to relegate one side in this unusual and unprecedented season in comparison to the usual two sides that were relegated to the 5th tier. A year prior, Bury had been dealing with similar financial issues in League One. After owner Steve Dale failed to pay his staff, a winding-up order was received from HMRC, which swiftly led to the EFL expelling Bury from the Football League, the first time this had happened since Maidstone in 1992. To ensure there were 92 teams within the Football League, they amended the promotion/relegation system for the remainder of the 2020 season so that one less side faced relegation in both League One and League Two. Due to Bury’s tragic fate, Stevenage managed to survive when, in any other season, finishing second from bottom would lead to certain relegation to the National League.
It’s worth remembering that while Stevenage had been given an unbelievable lifeline, it had come at the expense of the tragic expulsion and extinction of two English sides who had had storied tenures in English football over the last century. Many were quick to point out how the incompetency and inefficiency of the EFL allowed these unscrupulous owners to take charge of these historical sides and how they further allowed them to run these clubs into the ground with zero regard for their hardworking staff, the fans, and most importantly, the local communities that relied upon and followed their local football team every Saturday afternoon. Even in the present day, we have the likes of Bolton, Southend, and Scunthorpe United who have suffered similar fates, all narrowly avoiding extinction. Many fans felt it was important that Stevenage fans understood the opportunity they’d been given, knowing it was one that no team would likely ever receive again. They needed to make the most of it, which they certainly did.
Alex Revell had taken charge of the side only a few weeks before the pandemic had suspended League football, choosing to lead the side into the 2020/21 season. He led the side for a full season before being sacked in late 2021 after a poor start to the season. They hadn’t truly found their way until Steve Evans arrived. He was appointed as manager with just nine games to go and sitting below Oldham in the relegation places. With four wins in their last seven, Evans had led them to survival. But this was just the beginning. The 2022/23 season saw the incomings of vital Boro players such as Jordan Roberts and Carl Piergianni, who helped lead Steve Evans’ men to their first promotion from League Two since 2011. At the time of writing, they’ve just defeated Wigan Athletic and are solidly in the top six of League One, which could lead to an opportunity for championship football for the Boro, an unprecedented achievement in their club’s history.
It’s safe to say that after a rocky journey, Steve Evans’ men have made the absolute most of their second life in the Football League and more. Attendances at their Lamex stadium are at an all-time high. The combined attacking forces of Jamie Reid and Jordan Roberts are spearheading the league, and it looks like Steve Evans is very much here to stay. The question now is whether he can lead the side to their first promotion to the Championship in club history, surely forever cementing his name into the books of Boro folklore.