Mansfield 10

1 It's older than you think and Romans settled in the area. They quickly raised a first eleven to play locals in nearby Sherwood Forest.
2 A certain John Cockle entertained Henry 2nd there after the king was lost in surrounding woods. He served a giant pasty that later became a recipe for pies at Field Mill.
3 Robert Dodsley was born in Mansfield and became a printing magnate in London during the 18th century. If he'd been around 100 years later, he could have been founder, owner and original chairman of Town and put 'em in the book.
4 Mill owners and sporting types the Greenhalgh family, put a team together in 1861. Although playing at Field Mill, they didn't call themselves Mansfield until merging with Town in 1894. But why ever green-giant ego, ho-ho-ho not?
5 Then their turn of the 20th century history went pear shaped, as the initial team left Field Mill. However another outfit derived from Boys Brigade sides got to play there in local leagues and eventually became a second Town. Or was it 3rd, or 4th, or...
6 After WW1 Stags played in the Midlands League and wanted to join Football League. They applied and applied again and again and were staggered at refusal - oh, deer!
7 In 1931 Mansfield were actually accepted into Third Division South. This in days before Watford Gap marked regional divides on the M1.
8 In 1951 Stags were runners-up in div3 north. Just going to show, they could almost win something like successful rivals Chesterfield.
9 Town had a great time in the 70s, rising from div4 to div2 in three glorious years. But it couldn't last and by early 80s were... yeah, you guessed!
10 Div4, div3, League2, League1, BSP - it's all the same to Stags fans, stuck beneath the real northern big boys.