The Story Of The Blues - A Cumbrian Crusade

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CURLE REPLACED BY ROOKIE MANAGER AS CARLISLE LOOK TO IMPROVE

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Carlisle United have today decided to relieve manager Keith Curle of his duties at Brunton Park. The decision came as the club finished 20th in League Two in the 2014/15 season. Curle took over at Carlisle in September and managed to keep the Cumbrians in the league after a horrific start to the season under Graham Kavanagh. Despite this, Carlisle's board felt more improvement was needed and have made the decision to instigate change at the club.

Perhaps more surprisingly. Carlisle have immediately announced the appointment of unknown manager Craig Lucock to take charge at the helm of the Cumbrians. Lucock, whose experience in coaching is limited to Sunday League, has been afforded a superb opportunity going forward with the club he has supported his whole life.

Peter Smith caught up with Carlisle chairman Andrew Jenkins to talk about the decision.

PS: "What was your thinking behind the decision to sack Curle and appoint such an inexperienced manager?"

AJ: "First of all i'd like to extend my thanks to Keith for the work he has done here, he did a great job at keeping the club in the Football League but we at Carlisle felt change was needed to allow the club to move forward. Craig might be an unknown but we have had some great references from people involved with the club and the community and we are hoping that this will be an inspired choice. Craig has followed the club all his life, and has seen the highs and the lows, from relegation to the Conference, to nearly winning promotion to the Championship along with our two trips to Wembley in the JPT. He knows enough about the area to bring success to this football club."
Bryn Law was also on hand to catch a word with the new man in charge.

BL: "So, Craig, what are your immediate feelings after being appointed here at the club you hold so close to your heart?"

CL: "It genuinely is a dream come true, words can't really describe how i'm feeling right now. As you say, i've supported Carlisle all my life and it's been a rollercoaster few years for the club, i just want to steer the club in the right direction and i feel that i've got it in me to do it. It's a step up from managing Carlisle City on Sunday afternoons but i've been doing it long enough to know what i'm getting myself in to, the step up will take time to adapt to but given the time i feel that we can have a great journey together. We're aiming for a respectable finish this time around and then we'll move forward from there, this is a long term project, not an instant success story."

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THE SQUAD

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THE KEY PLAYERS

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Hello everyone. Welcome to my new story for FM16. I've opted to go with the team that i've supported for as long as i can remember, Carlisle United, i know a lot about the team and after long deliberation about which team to start off with i've decided to go for the one that i'm most familiar with. After my reasonably successful story in FM15 with Queen's Park, i've decided to go for something a little bit different and change the style of the story up a little bit too. I hope you'll all enjoy this, and that you'll stick along for what could be a wild ride!



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Good luck Craig! Just one of the 5 top stories, along with Jamie, Brendn, Pat and Lippo. ;)
 
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11th July 2015

THREE IN AND THREE OUT AS LUCOCK LOOKS TO MAKE HIS MARK

New Carlisle manager Craig Lucock has wasted little time in reshaping the squad at Brunton Park, bringing in three new faces and seeing three out of the door in his first week at the helm.

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Winger Harry Cornick has joined on a season long loan from Bournemouth. The 20 year old had spells on loan at Aldershot and Welling during the 2013/14 season before returning to Bournemouth.

"Harry has bags of potential and he possesses a great deal of pace" Lucock told BBC Radio Cumbria. "He's yet to play in the Football League but everyone has to start somewhere, he'll be a useful asset to the squad and has the ability to make an impact here"

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Carlisle's 2nd signing of the window is defender Netan Sansara, who has joined for a nominal fee from Norwegian First Division side Fredrikstad. Sansara started his career at Walsall before having spells at Dundee, Telford and Boston United among others.

"Netan is a great acquisition for us, he is physically gifted and he's been around quite a bit and has picked up knowledge of the game from a number of countries, he has a great attitude and a determination to succeed."

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The third signing at the club this week is 29 year old left back Scott Griffiths, who has signed for the Cumbrians for a fee of around £40k from Luton Town. Griffiths, who has played at all levels of the Football League, brings a good level of experience to the club.

"We are really happy to bring such a recognizable player to the club, Scott has been there and done that in the Football League and he knows what it takes to succeed. His attitude is fantastic, he's a hard worker and will likely prove to be a great asset to our backline"

On the departure front, youth players Joe Robson and Matty Douglas have joined Annan Athletic on season long loans, while Michael Raynes has joined Cheltenham on loan for the same period of time.

"Joe and Matty both have the potential to be great centre backs for this club, so the experience at Annan will do them a lot of good. Michael does not feature in my plans right now so it's not fair for him to be sitting around on the sidelines, his position will be re-evaluated upon his return"

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19 July 2015


TWO MORE IN AS PRE SEASON GETS UNDERWAY AT CARLISLE

Carlisle United have this week unveiled a further two signings as manager Craig Lucock looks to strengthen his back line.

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Centre-half Craig Sives has signed a 2 year deal at the club after moving from Livingston for a fee of around £9k. Sives spent the last 2 seasons playing for Livingston in the Scottish Championship following spells at Shamrock Rovers in Ireland and Hume City in Australia.

"Craig is a powerful defender who can really dominate the aerial battles for us this season. Last season proves that we need experience in our ranks and Craig will be a big help in that regard."

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Carlisle have also confirmed the signing of full back Joshua Webb on a season loan from Aston Villa. The 19 year old has yet to play a senior professional game in his career so will be looking to make a name for himself playing for the Cumbrians.

"Josh is a talented young lad with his head firmly screwed on his shoulders. He is desperate to succeed and if he shows that level of determination on the pitch week in, week out for us, we'll have a player on our hands here."

"It was clear after last season that we needed improvement in defence, only Accrington conceded more than we did last year so we're looking to make progress in that department."

Young midfielder Connor Hammell has become the 3rd Carlisle player to move on loan to Scottish club Annan Athletic as he looks to gain some first team experience.

Carlisle have started their pre season reasonably well, beating Chelsea's Under-21 side 4-1 thanks to a hat trick from Jabo Ibehre and a goal from Steven Rigg before drawing 0-0 with National League side Chester City.

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PRE SEASON PROMOTION ODDS

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Carlisle have been given odds of 33-1 to win the League 2 title this season and are predicted to finish 14th by popular bookmaker SkyBet. Carlisle finished 20th last year so will be hoping for a more successful campaign this time around.

CARLISLE TRIGGER NUMEROUS CONTRACT CLAUSES AND EXTEND THREE FURTHER DEALS.

Carlisle manager Craig Lucock has taken the perhaps cavalier step of triggering one year extensions on the contracts of an incredible 12 players. First team players Mark Gillespie, Jabo Ibehre, Kevin Osei, Bastien Hery, David Atkinson, Joe Thompson, Tom Miller and Alexander McQueen have all had their contracts extended until the end of the 2016/17 season, as have youth prospects Joe Robson, Connor Hammell, Matty Douglas and Mikey Quigley. Steven Rigg, Courtney Meppen-Walter and Patrick Brough have also penned new contracts until the end of next season.


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CARLISLE FINISH PRE SEASON STRONGLY


Carlisle have concluded their pre season in good fashion, winning 3-0 against Penrith after Steven Rigg bagged a hat trick against his old side. This was followed up by another 3-0 win over Workington, as Kevin Osei, Jabo Ibehre and Netan Sansara got on the scoresheet.

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CARLISLE SUFFER DEFEAT IN LUCOCK'S FIRST GAME IN CHARGE

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Mansfield Town inflicted defeat on Carlisle United in Craig Lucock's first competitive game in charge of the Cumbrians. After a dull first 35 minutes of football, Matt Green put Mansfield ahead after a long free kick up field from Chris Clements. Things got worse for Carlisle in the 68th minute when Green notched his second of the game, nodding in a Lee Collins cross from deep. Green could have netted a hat trick 20 minutes later, but Mark Gillespie denied him with a fine save. Carlisle netted a consolation goal late on when Bastien Hery volleyed home a Gary Dicker cross at the back post.

James Phillips (BBC Radio Cumbria Sport): "A hard loss to take in your first game in charge i'm sure, what are your thoughts after that game?"

Craig Lucock: "Erm, yea, i'm naturally quite disappointed. It's definitely a reality check for me, the step up to this new role will take time to get used to. I don't think we quite deserved to lose that game, i think we matched Mansfield quite well, but shakiness at the back cost us at the end of the day.

JP: "Any injuries coming out of that game?"

CL: "Unfortunately so, Harry (Cornick) strained his thigh during the match and he'll likely be out for a few weeks which will be a blow to us"

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CARLISLE UNITED SUFFER ANOTHER INJURY BLOW

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Carlisle have incurred another injury to their ranks, as recent signing Craig Sives tore his groin muscle during a training session on Monday. The indication is that he will miss 2-3 months of action.

"It's a great blow for us as a club and for Craig in particular, to get such a serious injury so early into his time here is a shame, but we're with him all the way and we're confident he'll come back better than ever"

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CHESTERFIELD EARN NARROW CAPITAL ONE CUP WIN

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Carlisle suffered a narrow defeat away to Chesterfield in the League Cup, the second defeat in a matter of days for the club.

Things got off to a bad start for Carlisle, as Patrick Brough was sent off after just 3 minutes after he scythed down Drew Talbot with two feet as the Chesterfield winger skipped past him. To rub salt in the wounds, the resulting free kick eventually made its way back to Talbot, who floated a cross to the back post and found Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, who nodded in to give Chesterfield a 1-0 lead. The two combined again just before half time, but Ebanks-Blake's effort was well saved by Gillespie.

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JP: "Craig, a narrow defeat out there, how do you feel about that result?"

CL: "Slightly disappointed, i feel we could have competed a bit more, but ultimately when you're against a team that's a division above you, you have to expect to struggle. We'll definitely be looking to bounce back when we play our first home game this Saturday."

JP: "A bit of a rush of blood to the head for Patrick Brough today by the looks of things, any thoughts on his red card?"

CL: "Yea, i've spoken to Pat about that, it wasn't smart at all, to go in from behind with two feet is stupid but to do it so early in the game is even worse. He understands where he went wrong, he's a young lad, and he'll get it out of his system and learn from his error."

JP: "Any more injury news coming out of the game? You haven't had a lot of luck recently"

CL: "Unfortunately for us, Jason (Kennedy) damaged his shoulder when challenging for a ball today, so sadly he'll miss a few weeks of football. We're not getting the rub of the green lately and that's frustrating, but we'll have to deal with it."

JP: "Any more plans to bring in new faces?"

CL: "There's something in the works, we're hoping to bring another wide man in if possible. With Harry out injured we're struggling a little in that department, we don't want to have to play Gary Dicker out wide, that's not his natural position, but our hand is being forced."​
 
15 August 2015

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CARLISLE BLITZ CAMBRIDGE TO EARN FIRST POINTS OF THE SEASON

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Steven Rigg, who bagged a brace for the Cumbrians today


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The first real chance of the game came in the 22nd minute when Rory Gaffney played a reverse ball and found a marauding Jeff Hughes, but the ex Fleetwood and Notts County man smashed his shot straight at Mark Gillespie in the Carlisle goal. Mere moments later the home side were ahead when Steven Rigg jinked past the challenge of Mark Roberts before beating Ian McLoughlin from just inside the area. The Cumbrians doubled their lead not too long after, as captain Danny Grainger volleyed home a free kick which was chipped in by Bastien Hery from the left flank. Just two minutes into the second half and Carlisle established a 3-0 lead, when loanee Joshua Webb drilled in an early cross which was missed by Leon Legge before falling to Rigg, who found the left hand side of the goal for his second of the day.

Carlisle were close to nabbing a fourth in the 77th minute when Webb was again given time and space to whip in a cross to the back post and find Gary Dicker, but Dicker's shot was blocked at the near post by McLoughlin.

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JP: "A great win out there for you today Craig, it must be great to get those points on the board?"

CL: "Absolutely, it's vital to get off the mark as soon as possible and taking 3 from 6 really isn't the end of the world. We really were great out there today, we started off a bit slowly but once we got going it was a joy to watch."

JP: "How far has Steven Rigg came along since joining from Penrith would you say"

CL: "Leaps and bounds, utter leaps and bounds, to make the step up like he has to league football is a great effort, he's got a real eye for a goal, he's a real johnny on the spot. He's always in the right place at the right time. Steven can't afford to get ahead of himself though, and neither can we as a team, there's a long way to go for sure, but this is a great platform to build on"

JP: "How have the new faces settled into the club so far?"

CL: "They've been great so far, Netan's put in a commanding performance at the back for us today and Josh has been really dangerous with his crossing. Scott's made his debut from the bench today as we don't want to rush him, but everyone will get their chance providing they put the effort in."


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18th August 2015

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CARLISLE SECURE COMFORTABLE WIN TO SEND PLYMOUTH BOTTOM


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Jabo Ibehre bagged his first goal for Carlisle

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Carlisle walked away from Home Park with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Steven Rigg and Jabo Ibehre

Carlisle snatched the lead just before the break, as Rigg latched onto a long ball over the top by Gary Dicker before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to bag his 3rd goal in 2 games. Lucock's side doubled their lead on the other side of the break when Ibehre broke away from Plymouth's defence to receive a long ball from substitute David Atkinson before dinking the ball over Luke McCormick. Plymouth had an opportunity to get a goal back in the 56th minute, but Mark Gillespie tipped a Tyler Harvey shot round the post after he had been set up by Hiram Boateng.

Carlisle could have made it three 15 minutes before time, but Ibehre's shot was blocked by Peter Hartley after a brilliant through ball by Joe Thompson.

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JP: "Craig, another 3 points for you today, what are your feelings?"

CL: "Joy, more than anything, i feel we're really starting to get on the right track here, after the disappointing result against Mansfield we have improved quite a bit. 2 wins from 3 is a great return i feel and we need to keep up this level of performance if possible"

JP: "Do you feel 2-0 was a fair scoreline today?"

CL: "Tough question, i think we probably deserved the win, at the end of the day, the team who wins the match deserves it, as they scored more goals, simple as that. Plymouth certainly weren't bad today and they created a few opportunities but all the more credit to our backline and to Mark (Gillespie) who really held firm today."​
 
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