# 2019–20 Stevenage F.C. season

The 2019–20 season was Stevenage's sixth consecutive season in League Two and their 44th year in existence. Along with competing in League Two, the club participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
Following a winless start to the season, manager Dino Maamria was sacked in September 2019. First-team coach Mark Sampson assumed control of the team in a Caretaker role, overseeing the club for 14 games. With the club in 23rd-position, Graham Westley returned as manager, his fourth spell at the club. Westley resigned in February 2020 and was replaced by player Alex Revell.
The club were in last place of League Two when the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. EFL clubs formally agreed to end the season during an EFL meeting on 9 June 2020, although "ongoing disciplinary matters" involving 23rd-placed Macclesfield Town, who had not paid their players on six separate occasions during the season, meant Stevenage might be reprieved. Stevenage were initially relegated from League Two after an independent disciplinary panel opted to deduct Macclesfield two points on 19 June, with a further four suspended, the maximum number they could deduct without relegating them, highlighting this as a key factor in the sanctions they had chosen to impose. The EFL stated it would appeal against the independent disciplinary panel's sanctions on Macclesfield, winning their appeal against the points deduction on 11 August. This meant that the four suspended points were activated immediately and applied to the 2019–20 season, meaning Stevenage finished in 23rd-place and consequently retained their League Two status.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.

## Pre-season

Stevenage confirmed their pre-season schedule in June 2019.

## Competitions
### League Two
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 17 | Leyton Orient | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 47 | 55 | −8 | 42 | 1.17 | |
| 18 | Carlisle United | 37 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 56 | −17 | 42 | 1.14 | |
| 19 | Oldham Athletic | 37 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 44 | 57 | −13 | 41 | 1.11 | |
| 20 | Scunthorpe United | 37 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 44 | 56 | −12 | 40 | 1.08 | |
| 21 | Mansfield Town | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 48 | 55 | −7 | 38 | 1.06 | |
| 22 | Morecambe | 37 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 35 | 60 | −25 | 32 | 0.86 | |
| 23 | Stevenage | 36 | 3 | 13 | 20 | 24 | 50 | −26 | 22 | 0.61 | Reprieved from relegation |
| 24 | Macclesfield Town (R) | 37 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 47 | −15 | 19 | 0.51 | Relegation to the National League |
* ↑ As a result of Bury's expulsion from League One, only one team is relegated to maintain League Two at 24 teams.
* 1 2 Macclesfield Town deducted four points for failing to both pay their players' wages and to fulfil a fixture, reduced from six points after appeal. A further seven-point deduction was given for failing to play December's match against Plymouth Argyle. A further two-point deduction was given for breaches of regulations over non-payment of wages. On 3 July the EFL appealed against the independent disciplinary panel's sanctions on Macclesfield. A further four points were deducted on 11 August 2020, resulting in Macclesfield Town being relegated. Stevenage reprieved

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 7 March 2020. Source: BBC Sport

#### Results by matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | | |
| Result | L | L | D | L | D | D | L | L | L | D | D | L | W | D | L | W | D | D | D | D | L | D | L | L | D | L | D | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | | |
| Position | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |

#### Matches

On Thursday, 20 June 2019, the EFL League Two fixtures were revealed.

### FA Cup

The first round draw was made on 21 October 2019.

### EFL Cup

The first round draw was made on 20 June.

### EFL Trophy

On 9 July 2019, the pre-determined group stage draw was announced with Invited clubs to be drawn on 12 July 2019. The draw for the second round was made on 16 November 2019 live on Sky Sports. The third round draw was confirmed on 5 December 2019.
| Pos | Div | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | L1 | Milton Keynes Dons | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Advance to Round 2 |
| 2 | L2 | Stevenage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 5 | Advance to Round 2 |
| 3 | ACA | Fulham U21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | L1 | Wycombe Wanderers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 2019 | FW | Jason Cowley | Bromsgrove Sporting | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2019 | CB | Jamie Fielding | Hastings United | Undisclosed |
| 2 July 2019 | AM | Charlie Carter | Chesterfield | Undisclosed |
| 2 July 2019 | DM | Paul Digby | Forest Green Rovers | Undisclosed |
| 2 July 2019 | LB | Chris Stokes | Bury | Free transfer |
| 11 July 2019 | LB | Tyler Denton | Leeds United | Undisclosed |
| 15 July 2019 | CM | Dean Parrett | Gillingham | Free transfer |
| 1 August 2019 | CM | Noor Husin | Notts County | Free transfer |
| 1 August 2019 | CF | Paul Taylor | Free agent | Free transfer |
| 2 August 2019 | GK | Sacha Bastien | Granville | Free transfer |
| 2 August 2019 | CM | Tom Soares | AFC Wimbledon | Free transfer |
| 5 August 2019 | RW | Joel Rollinson | Reading | Free transfer |
| 31 August 2019 | CF | Elliott List | Gillingham | Undisclosed |
| 6 September 2019 | CB | Adam El-Abd | Wycombe Wanderers | Free transfer |
| 20 September 2019 | CM | Michael Timlin | Free Agent | Free transfer |
| 14 January 2020 | CF | Jake Cassidy | Maidenhead United | Undisclosed |
| 17 January 2020 | DM | Diaguely Dabo | Free Agent | Free transfer |
| 20 January 2020 | CF | Simeon Jackson | Kilmarnock | Free transfer |
| 31 January 2020 | RB | Canice Carroll | Brentford | Undisclosed |
| 31 January 2020 | LB | Patrick Reading | Middlesbrough | Undisclosed |

### Loans in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Date until |
| 16 August 2019 | CB | Kelland Watts | Newcastle United | 10 January 2020 |
| 22 August 2019 | AM | Charlie Lakin | Birmingham City | 30 June 2020 |
| 2 September 2019 | CF | Craig Mackail-Smith | Wycombe Wanderers | 30 June 2020 |
| 26 October 2019 | GK | Sam French | Derby County | 2 November 2019 |
| 6 January 2020 | LM | Joe Leesley | Harrogate Town | 30 June 2020 |
| 28 January 2020 | CF | David Parkhouse | Sheffield United | 30 June 2020 |
| 31 January 2020 | CF | Ben Folami | Ipswich Town | 30 June 2020 |
| 31 January 2020 | RW | Dan Kemp | West Ham United | 30 June 2020 |

### Loans out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Date until |
| 16 July 2019 | CF | Joe White | Biggleswade Town | January 2020 |
| 23 July 2019 | CF | Harry Draper | Hitchin Town | 30 June 2020 |
| 31 August 2019 | CF | Alex Reid | Ebbsfleet United | 1 January 2020 |
| 19 September 2019 | CF | Andronicos Georgiou | St Albans City | November 2019 |
| 14 November 2019 | CF | Andronicos Georgiou | Hendon | 30 June 2020 |
| 15 November 2019 | CB | Jamie Fielding | St Albans City | 30 June 2020 |
| 13 January 2020 | CB | Jack Smith | Braintree Town | February 2020 |
| 13 January 2020 | CF | Liam Smyth | Braintree Town | February 2020 |
| 27 January 2020 | MF | Jamie Jellis | Wingate & Finchley | March 2020 |
| 24 February 2020 | DM | Arthur Iontton | Braintree Town | March 2020 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 July 2019 | GK | Will Appleyard | FC Halifax Town | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | GK | Oliver Byrne | Free agent | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | RW | Jamal Campbell-Ryce | Free agent | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | RB | Ronnie Henry | Billericay Town | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2019 | LB | Johnny Hunt | Hamilton Academical | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | RB | Donovan Makoma | Free agent | Mutual consent |
| 1 July 2019 | LB | Joe Martin | Northampton Town | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | CM | Mark McKee | Cliftonville | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | CM | Michael Timlin | Stevenage | Released |
| 1 July 2019 | CB | Luke Wilkinson | Yeovil Town | Released |
| 4 July 2019 | CF | Alex Revell | Retired | Retired |
| 14 July 2019 | MF | Marcus Gouldbourne | Ytterhogdals | Free transfer |
| 15 July 2019 | DM | James Ball | Ebbsfleet United | Undisclosed |
| 23 July 2019 | FW | Devonte Simms | Hitchin Town | Free transfer |
| 8 January 2020 | CF | Joe White | Hendon | Undisclosed |
| 21 January 2020 | CM | Michael Timlin | Free agent | Released |
| 31 January 2020 | CF | Kurtis Guthrie | Bradford City | Undisclosed |
| 31 January 2020 | LB | Chris Stokes | Forest Green Rovers | Free transfer |
| 22 February 2020 | CM | Noor Husin | Dartford | Free transfer |