How the Alfie May transfer saga left record-breaking Robins goalless in 11

Making national headlines for all the wrong reasons, Cheltenham Town have extended their goalless run to 11 games on Tuesday night at home to Fleetwood.

The unfortunate barren run equals the Football League record which has stood since Hartlepool United’s run in the 1992/93 season. 

So where has it all gone wrong for the Gloucestershire side and how can new manager Darrell Clarke turn the tide? 

On Friday, July 7, Charlton Athletic confirmed, their capture of Cheltenham’s record-EFL goalscorer, Alfie May for an undisclosed fee.

May, 30, was hot property and had been courted by a number of League One and Two clubs, but the Kent-born striker opted to take his services to Charlton Athletic, a club close to home. 

For Cheltenham, they received a fee that could rise into the region of £300,000, with 20% of the initial fee going to May’s former club, Doncaster Rovers. 

Robins fans felt short-changed after only receiving a fee which many thought could at least have been doubled by the club. 

The fee was seen as even more of a bargain for Charlton after Peterborough United’s star talisman, Jonson Clarke-Harris was on the verge of a deadline day move to Bristol Rovers for a fee in the region of £800,000 plus potential add-ons. 

Clarke-Harris, 29, had one more goal from open play than May across the 2022/23 League One campaign and being only one year, Clarke-Harris’ senior, many Robins fans were confused at the gulf in transfer fees that have been reported.

With both fees, at their bare bones, Cheltenham would have taken home only £200,000 whereas Peterborough would have been £600,000 better off with a fee of £800,000. 

Back in the present day, Cheltenham are on the verge of breaking a 31-year-old record and look to be on the doorstep of 1,000 Football League minutes without a goal. 

With criticism being aimed at the manager, players and board alike, Cheltenham are in their worst hole since their dismal relegation season out of the Football League in 2014/15.

Much of the criticism has been aimed at new head of recruitment, Russell Milton for his signings brought in across the summer transfer window. 

Milton was brought in to replace former director of football, Micky Moore, who left for League One rivals Shrewsbury, leaving Cheltenham on the backfoot in such a crucial summer for the club. 

Milton didn’t have the resources to properly reinvest in the squad after only receiving £200,000 in the May deal and the quality brought into the squad hasn’t made the club a competitive League One outfit. 

New manager Darrell Clarke will hope he is given some licence to bring some quality players into his squad in January or Cheltenham Town could be looking to beat Southport’s record-low points of 25 in 2009/10.