With Carlisle still in Tier 2 we are delighted to be able to once again welcome 2,000 fans to Brunton Park this weekend.
REMEMBER THAT FACE COVERINGS ARE MANDATORY AT ALL TIMES AT BRUNTON PARK!
Our home fixture against Salford was a huge success - please continue to adhere to the Covid Spectator Code of Conduct when you attend matches at our stadium.
Amazingly, all available online terracing tickets sold out within minutes of their release on Wednesday morning ... now we know how Ed Sheeran feels!!
Back to football matters, and Stevenage were rocked earlier in the week when assistant manager Joe Dunne left the club due to a family illness. Dunne, 47, was right hand man to Alex Revell and the club are now looking for a replacement.
League form has been indifferent, but the magic of the cup is still alive with a third round tie against Swansea City to welcome in the New Year. Former winners Hull City were dumped out in round two when a tense tie went to penalties, setting up another mouthwatering home tie.
With the transfer window shut Stevenage moved quickly at the beginning of November to snap up free agent Tom Petty until the end of the season. Petty bagged 22 goals in 159 appearances at Broadhall Way before making the switch to Lincoln City in 2018.
A better run of recent results brings this weekend's visitors north with a three-game unbeaten league run to protect, and that run includes a solid 2-1 home win over Port Vale.
Sitting in 22nd spot in the table, they'll be looking to take confidence and inspiration from their FA Cup exploits as they look to avoid the kind of nail gnawing battle against relegation they faced last season.
The attack minded Danny Newton can be a thorn in the side on his day, and we've gone for him as our one to watch this Saturday.
In a team struggling for goals, he's netted twice this season and, having been at the club for just over three years now, is bound to give everything as he looks to help to steer them away from this current predicament.
Aramide Oteh leads the scoring charts with three strikes, and between them they'll pose a threat if given the time and space.
Click HERE to purchase a match pass which will allow you to watch this game in full HD via our streaming iFollow service.
With match commentary also provided by BBC Radio Cumbria, this is a fantastic way to follow your team through these unprecedented behind closed doors fixtures.
Match passes are available for ALL EFL league games during this restricted attendance period. Click HERE to find out more about this season’s iFollow United service.
Our handy 'How To' guide for season ticket holders and match pass purchasers is HERE.
All season ticket holders who are unable to attend the game will, by now, have had their email addresses activated to allow free access to HOME GAMES ONLY [unless you chose not to do so]. This service is for eligible season ticket holders only.
The only meeting of the Covid hit 2019/20 season was in September, where a brace from Harry McKirdy and a goal from Nathan Thomas were enough to cancel out a double strike from Kurtis Guthrie.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
We were also down in Stevenage in April 2019, and it was one to forget for United as Iontton and a brace from Guthrie deflated the travelling crowd.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
The Boro picked up where they had left off the previous season when they came north in September 2018. Carlisle were made to pay for early missed chances when Ben Kennedy scored a beauty after the break, and there was more disappointment when an Adam Campbell header crashed against the post late in the day.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Our visit to the Lamex in January 2018 was a tight affair but it was United who created the better of the chances, with Danny Grainger and Jamie Devitt both going close from first half free kicks. Sam Cosgrove could have wrapped things up when he was played clean through but, in the end, neither side could find a way to break the deadlock.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
It was another tough one for the Blues almost exactly two years ago when early second half goals from Kennedy and Tom Pett put Boro in cruise control as they saw their way through to a comfortable three points.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Referee - Robert Lewis
Assistant Referee 1 - David Avent
Assistant Referee 2 - Matthew Parry
Fourth Official - Scott Oldham
The referee for this game is Mr Robert Lewis. Robert has taken charge of 13 games so far this season, showing 34 yellow cards and one red.
Mr Lewis was our referee for the January 2020 trip to Boundary Park where a goal from Byron Webster earned the Blues a 1-1 draw. Aaron Hayden was the only away name taken on the day.
He was the man in the middle here at Brunton Park in January 2019 when we beat Mansfield 3-2. Hallam Hope [2] and Jack Sowerby bagged our goals, with Matt Preston and Tyler Walker notching for the Stags. Neal Bishop was dismissed as he walked down the tunnel at half time in what was a feisty encounter.
We saw him prior to that when he was at Brunton Park for our 1-0 defeat at the hands of Lincoln towards the end of the 2017/18 season. Matt Green scored what turned out to be the winner just before the break, and Tom Parkes and Jamie Devitt had their names taken in what was a feisty encounter.
A busy day for the referee was capped off in time added on when he showed Mike Jones a red card for a second rash challenge.
He was also the man in the middle for our trip to Grimsby earlier that season. Clint Hill scored the winner with 20 minutes left to play and there were no cards shown at all on the day.
Match attendance information for the 2,000 supporters who will be with us for this game is HERE.
REMEMBER THAT FACE COVERINGS ARE MANDATORY AT ALL TIMES AT BRUNTON PARK!