Where are they now? – Looking back on Carlisle United’s last team sheet in League One

Almost seven years on from their devastating relegation, Carlisle United are pushing to regain their place in League One.

Chris Beech’s men are in an excellent position to strive for promotion, but United’s last calamitous campaign in the Third Tier remains fresh in the memory of the Cumbrians.

United couldn’t have got off to a worse start to their final league campaign in the 2013/14 season. Carlisle started the first three games with an aggregate of 13 against, and only one goal scored.

The Cumbrians had only gained two points in the league by the time manager, Greg Abbott, was sacked. Abbott had shared many good times with the Carlisle faithful, including winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2011, but the disastrous spell wasn’t good enough for the United board, and he was dismissed on the 9th September 2013.

Former player and assistant manager Graham Kavanagh took over temporarily. The club had an upturn in form, going unbeaten in four games, including beating Sheffield United at Brunton Park.

United’s resurgence saw Kavanagh given the job permanently on the 30th of September, with a two-year contract as a reward for the team’s good form.

However, that good run of form was the high point of the season for United, with wins sparse across the season.

United’s League One safety came down to the last game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium. Wolves were on their way to a record-breaking League One campaign, eventually reaching 103 points, which started their rise to the Premier League.

Carlisle United needed a win away at Wolves while hoping for Crewe Alexandra to lose at home to Preston North End.

The teams were as follows:

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme, Ricketts, Batth, Stearman, Golbourne, Evans, McDonald, Jacobs, Edwards (Henry 65′), Sako (Clarke 81′), Dicko (Price 88′)

Carlisle United: Pickford, Symington, O’Hanlon, Brown, Robson, Berrett, Potts, Noble (Dempsey 68′), Amoo (Chimbonda 45′), Miller, Redmond (Byrne 45′)

Unfortunately for the Cumbrians, the great escape was never on. United had played as if relegation was already a foregone conclusion.

Wolves were in the lead within five minutes. Captain Sam Ricketts showed nice feet to cut in from the right and strike a rasping shot past Jordan Pickford in the United goal.

Scott Goulbourne’s deflected cross then bizarrely outfoxed the United defence, looping over both Reece Brown and Matty Robson. Michael Jacobs took advantage, sending a cushioned header past Pickford.

Nouha Dicko compounded United’s misery on the 57th minute. Some nice interplay between Golbourne and McDonald saw Golbourne get a shot away, which was parried by Pickford, but Dicko finished convincingly on the rebound.

The two teams couldn’t have had more contrasting success since then, with Wolves challenging in the European places in the Premier League, whereas United have been close to losing their Football League status.

The Cumbrians finished the season with only one win 15 games, despite the return of former talisman Gary Madine, who could not play in the final fixture due to a curfew.

Carlisle started the next season with early optimism, but this soon faded away, and Kavanagh was dismissed 1st of September.

Where are they now?

Carlisle United used 48 players in the 2013/2014 season. Here are the final squad of 18 that travelled to Wolverhampton Wanderers, as United dropped out of League One:

Jordan Pickford: Pickford has had the most high-profile career since his loan spell ended. He had two more loan spells before breaking into the Sunderland first team, where he impressed the watchful eyes of Everton, who signed him for a fee of £25 million. The Washington born keeper has since impressed in the 2018 World Cup.

David Symington: The Workington born utility man must have been one of the best ball strikers seen at Brunton Park. His most notable goal was a stunning free-kick against Scunthorpe United, which was awarded the goal of the season. He has since represented Barrow and Workington, where he currently resides.

Sean O’Hanlon: The centre-back was the most experienced player in the squad and was unlucky to be in such a poor team. O’Hanlon struggled with the constant centre back partnership changes, which occurred over the season. O’Hanlon joined Stockport County after his release, where he finished his career.

Reece Brown: Brother of Manchester United defender Wes Brown, the versatile defender was at Watford when he appeared on loan for the Cumbrians. He went on to play for Barnsley, Bury twice, Sheffield United and Rochdale since leaving Watford. Brown hasn’t played professional football since being released by Dale in 2018.

Matty Robson: Robson was coming to the end of his Carlisle career at the time of relegation to League Two. He struggled with back problems and was released by the Cumbrians in 2015, after a loan spell with Gateshead. Robson now plays for Shildon in the Northern League Division One.

James Berrett: The midfielder captained the side on that fateful day in 2014. He left the club that summer and has since represented Yeovil Town, York City, Grimsby Town, Halifax Town and most recently, Grantham Town.

Brad Potts: Potts’ ability was questioned when he broke into the first-team squad, but the athletic midfielder was pivotal to Carlisle retaining their Football League status under Keith Curle.

He left Carlisle when his contract expired, signing for Blackpool, and enraged Carlisle fans when he celebrated provocatively after his goal for Blackpool in 2017. The Hexham born midfielder has since played for Barnsley and Preston North End, where he broke the Lilywhites’ transfer record for a fee of £1.5 million in 2019.

Liam Noble: The tenacious midfielder was released by Carlisle at the end of the season. He has since turned out for Forest Green Rovers in between two spells with Notts County, before returning to his native North-East to play for Hartlepool United and Morpeth Town.

David Amoo: Amoo was one of United’s stand out players in the relegation season, scoring eight goals in League One. The electric winger was released in 2015 and went on to play for Partick Thistle, Cambridge United and Port Vale, where he has made 16 appearances this season.

Lee Miller: Miller was an excellent goal scorer for United, but a lack of service and personal problems saw the Scotsman have a poor season. He was released in May 2014. Miller moved back to Scotland to represent teams such as Kilmarnock, Livingston and Falkirk, where he is now the joint manager with David McCracken.

Danny Redmond: Redmond was an elegant midfielder and surprisingly rejected a new contract from Wigan Athletic at the end of that season. He has had a diverse career since, playing for Hamilton Academical and The New Saints in Wales, where he still plays.

Substitutes:

Mark Gillespie: Gillespie became an asset to United after breaking into the first team the following season. He was key in United’s playoff run in the 2016/17 season but rejected a contract offer to sign for Walsall in 2017. The keeper signed for Motherwell in 2018 before earning a surprising move to Newcastle United at the start of this season.

Sam Byrne: Byrne was on loan from Manchester United at the time and was released by the Red Devils after his loan with Carlisle expired. He was picked up by Everton, where he stayed until 2018. Byrne returned to his native Ireland after his spell at the Toffees. He has since played for Dundalk, Glentoran, Bohemians and University College Dublin.

Patrick Brough: The locally-born left-back had loan spells Lincoln City and Salford City, before being released in 2017. He’s played for Morecambe, Falkirk and now represents fellow Cumbrian rivals, Barrow.

Lewis Guy: Guy was released by United after relegation in 2014. He’s since turned out for Gateshead, Barrow, Chorley, before finishing his career at Annan Athletic.

Courtney Meppen-Walter: The former Manchester City academy product had just been let out of jail when he signed for United. The defender has since played for a host of Non-League sides such as Ashton United, Chorley twice, Stockport County, Glossop North End and currently plays for AFC Telford United.

Kyle Dempsey: Dempsey was one of the brightest talents to emerge from United’s academy in recent years. He impressed the season after, winning the clubs player of the year. Dempsey signed for Huddersfield for an undisclosed fee in 2015. He’s since been a regular in League One for teams such as Fleetwood Town, Peterborough United and Gillingham.

Pascal Chimbonda: The French and Guadeloupe international was a bizarre signing for United, but he was Kavanagh’s teammate at Sunderland. Chimbonda went on to play for AC Arles-Avignon in France before retiring in 2015. The right-back did some work with United’s academy recently before turning out for some non-League teams such as Ashton Town in 2019.

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