The Unbroken Deadlock - A look back at every game that ruined my season

Last year, I attended one of the worst games ever in Jihlava, as Vysočina Jihlava laboured to a 0-0 at home to Chrudim one particularly chilly Friday night. The temperatures really can drop come nightfall up in the Czech highlands it would be fair to say. Though it wasn’t my first goalless draw of last season, it’s always a bit of a disappointment when you make the effort and don’t actually see any goals. 

In fact, last season had four goalless draws for me in total - Peterborough Sports v Stevenage, Slovacko v Sigma Olomouc, the aforementioned Jihlava game, and Zbrojovka 0-0 Zlin - a game result that sent the hosts down to the second tier.

The weekend’s game of choice saw a close shave with goallessness between Líšeň and Žižkov, in which the away side left it to the very last kick (or header) of the match to win in stoppage time. It was a much needed win for the Prague side, in danger of falling away and dropping back into the third tier after an impressive promotion. As for Líšeň, they may be looking over their shoulder a little more.

In any case, the game was far from eventful bar that final moment, which means writing a blog on it would be pointless. I had considered writing a belated blog on Viktoria Žižkov, having gone back in October during my recent blogless period, but again, a revisit would perhaps warrant that.

What came to mind whilst writing this lengthy introduction, however, and indeed during the game, was one question. Just how many goalless draws have ruined my season? Have I actually experienced a season without a goalless draw? Is it even possible if you attend a minimum of 30-40 games a season?

As it stands, I am on track (spoiler alert for the 2023-24 season), but have I managed it before? Technically I could say that I have done in the 2008-09 season, although I don't think it counts if it's just a solitary game - the 2-0 FA Trophy triumph over York City. In any case, let's take a trip down memory lane. Equally I'd love to hear from you if you've managed a season of goalless-lessness.

2009/10:

Stevenage 0-0 Wrexham; Tuesday 20th October 2009

This was only my 4th ever game of football (not counting Spurs Reserves games from the mid-2000s, which I haven’t kept track of), and you may be surprised to hear I can’t really remember a thing. Something must have kept me coming back. Probably us being half-decent.

2010/11:

Stevenage 0-0 Torquay United; Saturday 18th September 2010

I seem to recall this game being the first game I’d attended solo, and it would be fair to say my friends didn’t miss too much. I seem to recall Darius Charles standing out with a fairly solid display. We'd also have a somewhat more noteworthy encounter with the away side later on that season.

2011/12: 

Stevenage 0-0 Exeter City; Saturday 6th August 2011

Our first ever League One game. Ah… 

This season also ended with a 0-0 against Sheffield United at home in the play-offs, with my not having attended the late defeat in the away leg - damn you Chris Porter.

2012/13:

Portsmouth 0-0 Stevenage; Saturday 6th April 2013

It was going so well. Perhaps not for Stevenage, who’d fallen off a cliff midway through the season under Gary Smith, but Graham Westley steered us to safety without too much difficulty. Miguel Comminges, we hardly knew ye.

2013/14:

Tranmere Rovers 0-0 Stevenage; Saturday 7th September 2013

It was better than the previous result I’d seen there - a 3-0 loss. That said, I distinctly remember a couple of people falling asleep in the crowd. One of our worst seasons, with this slog summing up how things would go nicely, at least in an attacking (or lack thereof) sense.

2014/15:

Stevenage 0-0 Reading; Tuesday 29th July 2014

Who doesn’t love a goalless pre-season game? Not only is the game pointless, but it’s also pointless and goalless. Now a bogey league fixture as of 2023-24, despite a few decent results against Reading in the cup over the years.

2015/16:

Stevenage 0-0 Yeovil Town; Tuesday 5th April

I hadn’t attended many games in this particular season, so this feels slightly unfair. Now I’m getting flashbacks to one of the worst games I’ve ever witnessed during the post-Teddy Sheringham experiment era. It was so dreadful that I had to check who was actually in the dugout. It transpires it was none other than Darren Sarrl, who’d have a pretty turbulent spell with the away side some years later. He’d still get one over on us in the FA Cup though in a game I'd certainly put on the list of 'worst games I've attended'. That'll be a depressing blog for another time.

2016/17:

Boreham Wood 0-0 Stevenage; Tuesday 26th July

St Neots Town 0-0 Stevenage; Wednesday 27th July

The football Gods were trolling me with this little doozy. 180 minutes of pre-season football without a single goal in the space of 48 hours. See the Reading conundrum from before, but double it. At least I didn't travel too far in either case.

2017/18:

Stevenage 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers; Saturday 9th December

Okay, I genuinely can’t remember it. So did it really happen? No, right? One of many second-season Sarllian gems I’m sure.

2018/19:

Kilmarnock 0-0 Motherwell; Saturday 2nd March 2019

The first non-Boro game to feature, and it was pretty drab and disappointing, despite the tickets being just a fiver. But having attended a Scottish game pretty much every week during this season, this perhaps quashes a misguided stereotype about Scottish football being dull and generally without goals.

2019/20:

Scunthorpe United 0-0 Stevenage; Saturday 2nd November 2019

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still have nightmares about that Kelland Watt miss with the goal at his mercy. I know he’s a defender but the net was gaping. I don’t use the word literally often, but this goal was literally gaping. It wasn't worth coming down from Glasgow for...

2020/21:

NO GOALLESS DRAWS!

Okay, so Covid definitely played a huge part here. Although the only game that allowed fans for Stevenage was an inevitable 0-0 draw with Southend United. Thankfully I didn’t attend that one. I did attend plenty of non-league games before the season was halted for fans in December.

2021/22:

Harrogate Town 0-0 Stevenage; Saturday 25th September

A pleasant trip to Yorkshire, and a first to the EnviroVent Stadium for Boro (in front of fans at least) resulted in a second goalless draw in as many seasons. We still haven’t mustered up any more than a point there since either. 

2022/23: 

Peterborough Sports 0-0 Stevenage; Saturday 23rd July 2022

Yep, another goalless friendly. It was mostly youth prospects, and I’d be lying if I said I remember anything, apart from maybe seeing Steve Evans in the stands. At least he didn’t have to travel too far. As mentioned above, this particular season was guilty of four goalless draws, all of which were pretty uneventful.

2023/24:

No goalless draws (yet…)

So far so good, but the next goalless draw is surely just around the corner, so I won’t be too complacent. I came alarmingly close at the weekend, but I live to fight another day. Given how many tedious and narrow 1-0 wins I’ve seen this season, I won’t be counting my chickens before they’ve hatched. Here's to the constant flurry of goals, however they may arrive.