For the second time in three seasons, Salop will travel to Whaddon Road to take on Cheltenham on Boxing Day.

Town will look to bounce back from the weekend’s loss to Chesterfield, while the hosts will hope to put some more breathing room between themselves and the bottom two.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of kick-off.  

Key Players 

Luton Town loanee Ethon Archer has proven to be a deadly threat in front of goal for Cheltenham in recent weeks. The striker has scored three in his last four games, with two of those goals coming off the bench. The 23-year-old will be hoping he has done enough to earn a spot in the Robins’ starting eleven.  

He will face stiff competition, though, with Hakeeb Adeklakun hoping to build on his first goal for the club in last week’s match with Barrow.  

Former Walsall and Bristol Rovers man Isaac Hutchinson is also proving to be a handful for Cheltenham, with the 24-year-old grabbing four goals in 13 appearances so far this campaign.

The Manager 

Former Salop gaffer Steve Cotterill is the man on the touchline for Cheltenham. Cotterill rejoined the Robins 23 years after leaving them for Stoke City. Cotterill earned his status at the club during his first spell, guiding them from the National League to League One.  

He returned to Whaddon Road after an 18-month spell at their local rivals Forest Green Rovers, where he took the team to last season’s National League play-offs.  

Form  

Despite a tough start to the season, Cheltenham’s fortune has turned since they changed managers. The Robins have won three of their last five matches heading into Boxing Day. They secured a 2-1 win away at Barrow in their last match, and now sit 18th in the table, seven clear of the drop zone.  

Head-to-Head Record  

We have faced Cheltenham 27 times since our first encounter in 1999. The Robins have won nine, five have ended in a draw, and we have won 13. Interestingly, this is the fourth time we have travelled to Cheltenham on Boxing Day, with previous festive clashes taking place in 2001, 2011, and 2023.