OK, so, after 18 games played in the league, our excellent record reads like this:
1st P19 W13 D2 L3 F36 A17 GD+19 PTS41
Whilst our promotion seasons in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 ended superbly, I was pretty sure that they didn't start this well. I was right. After the 18 game mark in both of these seasons, our respective records looked like this:
2004/2005 - League 2
7th P18 W8 D3 L7 F28 A27 GD+1 PTS27
2005/2006 - League 1
3rd P18 W10 D3 L5 F32 A21 GD+11 PTS33
So certainly unprecedented in recent times. What about if we go back further and look at other previous promotion seasons?
1971/1972 - Division 4
P18 W10 D4 L4 F31 A19 GD+12 PTS34 (using 3 points for a win)
1977/1978 - Division 4
P18 W9 D5 L4 F19 A11 GD+8 PTS32 (using 3 points for a win)
1980/1981 - Division 4
P18 W13 D2 L3 F35 A12 GD+23 PTS41 (using 3 points for a win)
1986/1987 - Division 4
P18 W10 D4 L4 F31 A17 GD+14 PTS34
1989/1990 - Division 4
1st P18 W10 D5 L3 F28 A15 GD+13 PTS35
1990/1991 - Division 3
1st P18 W14 D2 L2 F36 A23 GD+13 PTS44
So in 80/81 we were doing similarly well by this stage (albeit with a better goal difference then) and in 90/91 we were doing ever so slightly better. Either way, this sort of start to a season is very, very rare for us and at the end of the other two seasons in which we have made starts as good as this season's one, we have been promoted. This bodes rather well!
1st P19 W13 D2 L3 F36 A17 GD+19 PTS41
Whilst our promotion seasons in 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 ended superbly, I was pretty sure that they didn't start this well. I was right. After the 18 game mark in both of these seasons, our respective records looked like this:
2004/2005 - League 2
7th P18 W8 D3 L7 F28 A27 GD+1 PTS27
2005/2006 - League 1
3rd P18 W10 D3 L5 F32 A21 GD+11 PTS33
So certainly unprecedented in recent times. What about if we go back further and look at other previous promotion seasons?
1971/1972 - Division 4
P18 W10 D4 L4 F31 A19 GD+12 PTS34 (using 3 points for a win)
1977/1978 - Division 4
P18 W9 D5 L4 F19 A11 GD+8 PTS32 (using 3 points for a win)
1980/1981 - Division 4
P18 W13 D2 L3 F35 A12 GD+23 PTS41 (using 3 points for a win)
1986/1987 - Division 4
P18 W10 D4 L4 F31 A17 GD+14 PTS34
1989/1990 - Division 4
1st P18 W10 D5 L3 F28 A15 GD+13 PTS35
1990/1991 - Division 3
1st P18 W14 D2 L2 F36 A23 GD+13 PTS44
So in 80/81 we were doing similarly well by this stage (albeit with a better goal difference then) and in 90/91 we were doing ever so slightly better. Either way, this sort of start to a season is very, very rare for us and at the end of the other two seasons in which we have made starts as good as this season's one, we have been promoted. This bodes rather well!