# The English Lower League thread



## Stray Wasp

After Alan the Nottingham Forest fan pointed out that there was no thread for the Championship, ta-da!

Indeed, this thread also encompasses what used to be Divisions Three and Four but have since been "rebranded" by besuited, management-speak spewing pillocks who believe that a new name can suddenly make punters believe that Hereford versus Rochdale is the last word in glamour. 

Non-league football belongs here too; there may be reason to remember this.


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## Stray Wasp

In the Championship: the good news is that West Ham are doing well. The bad news is that Sam Allardyce is still manager. More good news: some West Ham fans hate him anyway on account of the boring football. More bad news: the London media isn't lining up hourly to slam those fans as deluded people with ideas above their station, which is somewhat inconsistent.

Southampton are second and after that nine teams are within six points of each other. Chris Hughton's Birmingham are closing on the leaders, whilst Leeds have changed manager again and are currently short of the playoffs. The third off bottom team is Doncaster-five points from safety. Forest and Coventry are even further back.

In the old Third Division, five decent football clubs and two stinking piles of effluent occupy the top seven places: namely the two Sheffield clubs, Huddersfield (Jordan Rhodes scoring at practically a goal a game), Carlisle, Milton Keynes and those pestilent toerags from Hertfordshire. Charlton have a handy lead at the top and numerous teams might get relegated.

In the old Fourth Division, thirteen out of the twenty-four teams are within six points of a playoff spot. Five points seperate the top six, including... Shrewsbury! In between moments of drooling stupidity, Paolo Di Canio has Swindon in fifth.

AFC Wimbledon I'm pleased to report are twelve points clear of the relegation zone. That's currently occupied by Plymouth (financially crippled) and Northampton (a club who many moons ago played in the top flight, no less). 

In the Conference, the presence of brown-nosing fool Dean Saunders as manager hasn't prevented Wrexham from being the only team keeping up with Fleetwood at the top. York and Gateshead are in the playoff mix up but Darlington were within hours of going out of business last month, barely saved by their small but devoted fanbase pouring their own money into the financial black hole that has all but destroyed the club.


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## Shrimper

Southend fan. Massive points dropped on Saturday.


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## Stray Wasp

It should be noted that Southend are challenging for automatic promotion though. They're second, ahead of Swindon, who I unaccountably docked two positions.


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## Chimaera

West Ham back. Should be interesting who comes up with them and who goes down. 

Brighton has certainly faded a bit. For all the money Leicester City has spent, they're still mediocre it seems.


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## Bluebirds Boyo

Hello folks.


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## Stray Wasp

Hello, Cardiff fan. This is the place where you can shout the odds about possibly getting promotion only to be cruelly denied for the umpteenth year in a row.

Come one, come all. The more the merrier. 

Very few people around here pay any attention to the lower leagues, therefore you can probably file utterly fictitious match reports or totally fabricated pieces of news without fear of reproach. 

If you want to claim that Cardiff beat Doncaster 13-1 before a crowd of 139,000 in a game that was interrupted by a plague of starfish, go right ahead and no one will bat an eyelid.


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## Shrimper

Stray Wasp said:


> It should be noted that Southend are challenging for automatic promotion though. They're second, ahead of Swindon, who I unaccountably docked two positions.




True but we won't make it. Other team around us have games in hand and we're struggling. Play-offs and failure for us.


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## Brodie

It must be so hard for Cardiff supporters to watch Swansea every week knowing that it could have been them at any point in like the last decade.

I haven't been following the Championship this year (to quote Blur, woo hoo), who looks good for the playoff spot?


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## Johnnywhite

Brodie said:


> It must be so hard for Cardiff supporters to watch Swansea every week knowing that it could have been them at any point in like the last decade.
> 
> I haven't been following the Championship this year (to quote Blur, woo hoo), who looks good for the playoff spot?




Maybe Birmingham...if they don't beat out Southampton for an automatic spot. Blackpool starting to look decent also.


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## Brodie

Birmingham, West Ham and Southampton? My, that's not exciting at all.


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## Live in the Now

Saints back in the top flight would be nice. As long as Middlesbrough doesn't make it, I'm happy with the other options.


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## Shameus

Who knew LITN had North East leanings? 


I actually started following Darlington a few seasons ago. Watching them get relegated from League 2 was heart breaking. I felt maybe things got turned around when they won the FA Trophy last season. Maybe, just maybe they will accomplish something similar to what the Chester City fans did. When the club folded the fan base started it back up with the supporters group as the ownership and board. They're still in conference play but they are on solid footing financially last I heard. Singh has just run Darlington into the ground. Darlington hasn't folded completely yet and the club would stay in the same conference it is and not 2-3 rungs down for folding and reforming if the supporters group can get this taken care of.


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## Bluebirds Boyo

Brodie said:


> It must be so hard for Cardiff supporters to watch Swansea every week knowing that it could have been them at any point in like the last decade.




Gee, rub it in, why don't you?


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## Brodie

Anything more come out on this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16316977

Depressing what happened with MyFC


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## Shrimper

People originally signed up to it as an interesting gimmick but I think people realised after a while that, actually, they don't have much say.


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## Bluebirds Boyo

It was a scam. You were giving Will Brooks the money to buy himself a football club (and probably a larger house on top) in exchange for him giving you control of it for a year at a time. There are plenty of clubs genuinely owned by fans like Exeter, Wrexham and company.


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## Brodie

I read where their chairman said he'd heard from a lot of former members that they expected to buy someone like Leeds United, which I don't doubt to be honest. I know people had other unrealistic expectations like being allowed free tickets or showing up to meet the club as the owner or being voted onto the board of the club. In the end it was exactly as you said, BB, a bunch of people paying Â£35 per year to play a management sim with a non-league club none of them had heard of.

I do feel bad for Ebbsfleet and their actual supporters, though, they never asked for this. I do sometimes wonder if they had managed to buy a Cambridge United, Bristol Rovers or some lower level club in London like Barnet if it might have worked out better... at least then there'd have been some name power to keep the money running.


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## Stray Wasp

Haris Vuckic loaned from Newcastle to Cardiff for a month. A very good chance for him to live up to the hype that has hitherto surrounded him.

He's cup-tied for the League Cup.


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## Shrimper

Southend 0-1 Rotherham.

Froze my arse off in -5 degree weather for an absolutely horrible performance.


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## Bluebirds Boyo

Stray Wasp said:


> Haris Vuckic loaned from Newcastle to Cardiff for a month. A very good chance for him to live up to the hype that has hitherto surrounded him.
> 
> He's cup-tied for the League Cup.




He says, directed at me, over a player that was substituted 46 minutes into his debut...


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## Stray Wasp

Bluebirds Boyo said:


> He says, directed at me, over a player that was substituted 46 minutes into his debut...




Substituted for injury or rank badness? 

He really is meant to be the club's best young prospect right now. Though perhaps it's faint praise.

Loans can be a strange business, mind. Andy Carroll was unproductive at Preston, then came back to Newcastle and scored goals. 

Nobody knows anything...


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## Live in the Now

Portsmouth is headed back into administration.


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## Shrimper

Southend v Gillingham on TV tonight. We'll either lose or draw.


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## Johnnywhite

Shrimper said:


> Southend v Gillingham on TV tonight. We'll either lose or draw.




Ha, road win...I enjoy the 'We are dooooooooomed' style of fan. I have empathy.


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## Shrimper

Didn't expect that at all but it just shows how much better we are away from home. Got to be something to do with the pressure of the fans who constantly barrack the players and then wonder when they move elsewhere and do better. Won't be top for a while as the teams around us have games in hand and play tomorrow.


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## Jersey Fresh

Disgusting officiating in Southampton/West Ham match. Not only did Probert not give two clear penalties, but the one he did give he managed to still send off Matty Taylor when Sharp acted like he was hit with an artillery round in the face. Could have gone four points clear.


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## Shameus

Huddersfield Town sacked Lee Clark and his entire staff today. Yes he has been linked with the Leeds job, but do you really sack a manager who only lost 3 of his last 55 games in charge? Including a 43 game unbeaten run. Something else has to be going on there.


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## GabeTravels

Live in the Now said:


> Portsmouth is headed back into administration.




Incredibly depressing and stressful past two years to be a Pompey fan. THANKFULLY, we have a new administrator now that will hopefully lead to a viable and stable owner.

The 10 point dock puts Pompey tied for 22nd in the table. At this point I don't know if it would be better for Pompey to stay up or get relegated to League 1. I think they can stay up, their form's been pretty good recently. 

I can't ever watch highlights, though I usually catch a radio broadcast online. Anyone know of a place to watch Championship highlights every week?


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## Shrimper

Huge game against Crewe today. Win and we can hope that Cheltenham and Swindon lose away from home to put a gap at the top for their games in hand.


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## Stray Wasp

Even though it's old news, I think it absolutely vital that we commemorate the appointment of Colin Wan...I mean Neil Warnock as manager of Leeds United.

Leeds, remember, are run by Ken Bates. Memories of the early nineties, when Warnock had guided Notts County into the top flight and Bates was rumoured to want him for Chelsea manager. The story was that Warnock wasn't keen on moving to London, so he spurned the offer.

Surely having these two monstrous egos at the same club will turn out to be an absolute car crash. Hurray!


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## Brodie

It's tough because I do like Neil, but it's Leeds. Yikes.


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## Johnnywhite

Colin will likely get them promoted within two seasons, but that is when it should end. Championship is his level.


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## AlanHUK

forest finally won a game. mcleary scored a pretty nice goal too


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## Stray Wasp

So now we know what was afoot at Huddersfield-they've appointed Simon Grayson to replace Lee Clark. On the one hand, Grayson got Leeds promoted, on the other hand, Clark wasn't exactly doing a bad job.

Meanwhile, Keith Curle gets the Notts County job. This comes only days after John Barnes indignantly pointed out that there are only 2 black managers out of 92 in the English professional leagues. Barnes' conclusion was that English football must therefore be institutionally racist.

So by that simplistic formula, we can officially say that English football has become less racist than it was last week. Hurray!


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## Chloraflora

Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.... Ah we're God awful this year.


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## kg458

Stray Wasp said:


> Meanwhile, Keith Curle gets the Notts County job. This comes only days after John Barnes indignantly pointed out that there are only 2 black managers out of 92 in the English professional leagues. Barnes' conclusion was that English football must therefore be institutionally racist.
> 
> So by that simplistic formula, we can officially say that English football has become less racist than it was last week. Hurray!




That stat is pretty remarkable. I'm kind of surprised you don't hear more about that (or maybe it's just you don't hear more about that in the states?).


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## Stray Wasp

damnit458 said:


> That stat is pretty remarkable. I'm kind of surprised you don't hear more about that (or maybe it's just you don't hear more about that in the states?).




I wasn't aware of it until Barnes brought it up.

A cynic might say that the erstwhile lack of light shed on this matter was obeying the first law of journalism: "follow the money". Accusing fans of racism is one thing, because fans are worthless commoners. The people who own and run football clubs, however, tend to be wealthy and powerful and can afford top lawyers to sue anyone who calls them racist without cast iron proof. Or make angry calls to newspaper editors suggesting that an offending journalist be moved on. 

John Barnes feels at liberty to talk about this because he has nothing to lose. He's a bad manager and as such no one will employ him again. Ironically, as far as I can recall Barnes himself employed white assistant managers at both Celtic (Terry McDermott and Eric Black) and Tranmere (Jason McAteer, a player whose dimwittedness was legend). Therefore, he either

a) didn't know anyone from an ethnic minority that he thought was good enough
b) couldn't find anyone good enough, available and affordable at that exact moment
c) discriminated against people from an ethnic minority 

What we do know is that when _someone else_ appoints a white guy to a job, John Barnes thinks it likely that the answer is c.


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## Kimi

damnit458 said:


> That stat is pretty remarkable. I'm kind of surprised you don't hear more about that (or maybe it's just you don't hear more about that in the states?).



I have to lol at this kinda thing. It's only about 2% of the population that are black in the first place (the rest is something like 93% white, 4% south-asian, 1% other/mixed), so if there was more than a few black managers they would be over represented based on population numbers. But as a white male with no disability, illness or religion I risk getting hung for saying something like this xD.


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## kg458

If you had to take a guess what would you say the percentage of black players is in the English professional leagues?

Does the FA have any requirements similar to what the NFL does (in requiring at least one minority coach be interviewed for each position)? I know those type of rules are often trivialized by teams simply going through the motions with minority candidates, but at least it actually acknowledges that there is a problem.

I was having a hard time trying to think of what the US equivalent would be in terms of a league with a large minority (or majority, i'm not sure) of players are black, and yet the management positions are almost entirely white.


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## kg458

Kimi said:


> I have to lol at this kinda thing. It's only about 2% of the population that are black in the first place (the rest is something like 93% white, 4% south-asian, 1% other/mixed), so if there was more than a few black managers they would be over represented based on population numbers. But as a white male with no disability, illness or religion I risk getting hung for saying something like this xD.




I think a more worthwhile stat would be to see what the percentage of black professional footballers is, and I would wager it's a lot more than 2 or 3 percent.

Edit: I'm assuming you were referring to England with those population numbers instead of English footballers.


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## Siamese Dream

Swindon top of League 2 now, Paulo Di Canio doing a great job in his first ever managerial position, has provided some good entertainment too by being sent off the pitch numerous times 

Joke from sickipedia:



> "Paolo Di Canio is confirmed as Swindon Manager"
> I expect we'll see most of their goals come from the right-wing next season...


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## Kimi

The numbers were for the UK; England it self is 88% white, 3% black, 6% south-asian, 3% other. Scotland is prob something like 99% white. Dunno about the other two.

I've never really paid attention to the ethnicities, nationality has always been the important bit. A black Englishman is as English as the white Englishman who's as English as the guy from Papua New Guinea, that grew up in Australia with Welsh parents. I think the EPL is something like 35~40% English players, but as you go down the pyramid you'll have a lot more Englishmen.

The number of black players currently playing isn't a good stat to use, number of black players playing 25+ years ago would be better to look at due being an old ex-footballer is normally a pre-requisit for a management job.

And the idea of needing a "must interview a minority" rule both hilarious and sad at the same time. But I've not really read up on the Rooney rule to see how well it went.


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## Stray Wasp

damnit458 said:


> If you had to take a guess what would you say the percentage of black players is in the English professional leagues?
> 
> Does the FA have any requirements similar to what the NFL does (in requiring at least one minority coach be interviewed for each position)? I know those type of rules are often trivialized by teams simply going through the motions with minority candidates, but at least it actually acknowledges that there is a problem.
> 
> I was having a hard time trying to think of what the US equivalent would be in terms of a league with a large minority (or majority, i'm not sure) of players are black, and yet the management positions are almost entirely white.




The FA doesn't have any rules for positive discrimination, indeed Barnes himself scoffed at the idea of having a Rooney rule.

The trouble with comparing the percentage of contemporary black players to the number of black manages is that it doesn't compare fairly-the generation of current black players represent a _future_ potential talent pool of black managers. Furthermore, you'd have to separate UK and Irish black players from the rest, since they are the ones most likely to pursue management careers in the Premier League...

...But Kimi beat me to the punch. 

Note too that Chris Hughton, one of the three black managers in the league, played for the Republic of Ireland, so in pure footballing terms he's a foreigner (although if memory serves he was born in London). On the other hand, John Barnes got his first management job as a "foreigner" too by working in Scotland.

I'd say that structural and sporting differences make comparisons between the experience of coaching in the NFL and coaching in the Premier League unfruitful.


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## Shrimper

Lost against Alder**** on Tuesday. 

Tough games against Morecambe and Burton coming up.


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## kg458

Yeah I won't sit here and argue that those types of rules are effective, because they pretty clearly are not. But my point was at least certain professional leagues have acknowledged that there is a problem with minority representation in managerial positions.

You both make a valid point in looking at footballing demographics from previous years, which I couldn't begin to speculate about. Anyway I was just curious. I guess I'm just used to seeing more of an outrage, rightly or wrongly, about that type of thing in the US.


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## Chloraflora

Let's just raise Keith Alexander from the grave, that'll make this argument go away. Right?


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## Stray Wasp

Denzil said:


> Let's just raise Keith Alexander from the grave, that'll make this argument go away. Right?




Alas, that would only provoke the National Association for the Advancement of Resurrected Caucasians to complain about the iniquities of affirmative action.


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## Stray Wasp

damnit458 said:


> Yeah I won't sit here and argue that those types of rules are effective, because they pretty clearly are not. But my point was at least certain professional leagues have acknowledged that there is a problem with minority representation in managerial positions.
> 
> You both make a valid point in looking at footballing demographics from previous years, which I couldn't begin to speculate about. Anyway I was just curious. I guess I'm just used to seeing more of an outrage, rightly or wrongly, about that type of thing in the US.




No doubt that the small number of managers from ethnic minority communities is startling. Still, we must be careful about drawing melodramatic conslusions. It'd be interesting to contrast the number of players qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland with the number of managers from that country working in England. Certainly at EPL level there are plenty of the former and none of the latter. 

Something to bear in mind about comparing English football and the NFL: the NFL is considered without rival as the foremost league in its sport. That isn't true of the EPL. An English football player or coach unable to get a break in their homeland could easily seek opportunities to prove their talent in a prestigious European league. In reality, this hardly ever happens. Meanwhile, plenty of non-English talent is able to flock to England and thrive. (The NFL doesn't have to fret about people from Abroadland taking the locals' jobs to the extent that the Professional Footballers' Association does in England). In European football there are so many avenues for talent to out, if that talent has perseverance. 

Once you get a reputation for having talent, you're in clover. So many clubs are terrified that one bad season will leave their finances crippled (another difference from North America). Conseqeuently, the real prejudice in European football is in favour of the "experienced" over the untested-on and off the field. 

The other matter to throw into the mix is what might be called the liberal-conservative divide in English football. This isn't predicated by race but by a person's stylistic beliefs about the game. There's a school of thought that English football tends to be unsophisticated, overly obsessed with athleticism over skill and tactical nous compared to many European rivals; that's a debate that has been going since the 1890s. Note that of the 19 current EPL managers (at the time of writing, Wolves are desperately running around the country leaving unsigned contracts on the doorstep of every practically unemployed manager that they can think of), only three are English anyway. It's possible that if a black manager suffers from prejudice, its a colourblind prejudice-that employers look upon him as just another dumb Englishman whose idea of coaching will be to yell "get stuck in" and utter the word "passion" a lot.

All of this creates a messy predicament for the League Managers' Association. On the one hand, they are trying to encourage clubs to show existing managers more patience (the typical manager gets fired far quicker than he used to), which means that they are bound to defend the 89-3 ethnic status quo up to a point; equally, the LMA want clubs to appoint less foreign coaches, which isn't legally possible given EU employment law (thanks to the quirks of English culture, the LMA forget that when it comes to football, Scots, Welshmen and anyone from the Ireland of Ireland are foreigners too); precisely how they can give special preference to coaches from ethnic minority backgrounds therefore remains to be seen.

Parenthetically, it's been a while since we had journalists wringing their hands about the lack of players from British Asian backgrounds in English football. So far, only one such fellow has ever scored in the EPL, namely Michael Chopra. He was born not in a city with a large British Asian population like Bradford; nor was he born in that sophisticated cosmopolitan paradise, London; Chopra scored his historic first EPL goal for Newcastle United and he was born in Newcastle upon Tyne-a city once described by a nitwit civil servant as being "hideously white". I'll let you take from that anecdote whatever you will about matters of race and social engineering in sport.


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## GarretJoseph*

Stray Wasp said:


> No doubt that the small number of managers from ethnic minority communities is startling. Still, we must be careful about drawing melodramatic conslusions. It'd be interesting to contrast the number of players qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland with the number of managers from that country working in England. Certainly at EPL level there are plenty of the former and none of the latter.
> 
> Something to bear in mind about comparing English football and the NFL: the NFL is considered without rival as the foremost league in its sport. That isn't true of the EPL. An English football player or coach unable to get a break in their homeland could easily seek opportunities to prove their talent in a prestigious European league. In reality, this hardly ever happens. Meanwhile, plenty of non-English talent is able to flock to England and thrive. (The NFL doesn't have to fret about people from Abroadland taking the locals' jobs to the extent that the Professional Footballers' Association does in England). In European football there are so many avenues for talent to out, if that talent has perseverance.
> 
> Once you get a reputation for having talent, you're in clover. So many clubs are terrified that one bad season will leave their finances crippled (another difference from North America). Conseqeuently, the real prejudice in European football is in favour of the "experienced" over the untested-on and off the field.
> 
> The other matter to throw into the mix is what might be called the liberal-conservative divide in English football. This isn't predicated by race but by a person's stylistic beliefs about the game. There's a school of thought that English football tends to be unsophisticated, overly obsessed with athleticism over skill and tactical nous compared to many European rivals; that's a debate that has been going since the 1890s. Note that of the 19 current EPL managers (at the time of writing, Wolves are desperately running around the country leaving unsigned contracts on the doorstep of every practically unemployed manager that they can think of), only three are English anyway. It's possible that if a black manager suffers from prejudice, its a colourblind prejudice-that employers look upon him as just another dumb Englishman whose idea of coaching will be to yell "get stuck in" and utter the word "passion" a lot.
> 
> All of this creates a messy predicament for the League Managers' Association. On the one hand, they are trying to encourage clubs to show existing managers more patience (the typical manager gets fired far quicker than he used to), which means that they are bound to defend the 89-3 ethnic status quo up to a point; equally, the LMA want clubs to appoint less foreign coaches, which isn't legally possible given EU employment law (thanks to the quirks of English culture, the LMA forget that when it comes to football, Scots, Welshmen and anyone from the Ireland of Ireland are foreigners too); precisely how they can give special preference to coaches from ethnic minority backgrounds therefore remains to be seen.
> 
> Parenthetically, it's been a while since we had journalists wringing their hands about the lack of players from British Asian backgrounds in English football. So far, only one such fellow has ever scored in the EPL, namely Michael Chopra. He was born not in a city with a large British Asian population like Bradford; nor was he born in that sophisticated cosmopolitan paradise, London; Chopra scored his historic first EPL goal for Newcastle United and he was born in Newcastle upon Tyne-a city once described by a nitwit civil servant as being "hideously white". I'll let you take from that anecdote whatever you will about matters of race and social engineering in sport.




Excellent post.


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## GabeTravels

Huseklepp goes on loan to Birmingham from Portsmouth for the rest of the season...

Pompey in an unfortunate position of needing to shed salary, but they also need to try and stay above the drop zone.


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## Live in the Now

Jonjo Shelvey's going to Middlesbrough on loan. That's going to be a big boost for them, before being called back from Blackpool he was playing very well in the Championship. Now in line with my earlier comments on the topic of Middlesbrough, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


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## The Lemonheads

Why do you hate Boro so much?


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## Live in the Now

I dunno, that's a good question. More of an irrational dislike.


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## Shrimper

Another loss for us today. Getting sick and tired of it now.


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## Chloraflora

Won at Burnley. Something of a surprise.


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## Shrimper

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/9561020.A_season_of_shame_for_Blues/

Sums our season up so far to be honest.


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## Stray Wasp

The bad news from the Championship: West Ham are unbeaten in seven games.

The good news: that run includes four straight home draws. Now the 'ammers are second, behind Southampton and level on points with Reading. Their next two games are Leeds away and Boro (4th) at home. Like Richard Gere at the Oscars, I entreat you all telepathically to send thoughts to David and David at West Ham; may your message be "panic sacking, panic sacking." Brighton and Cardiff fill out the other play-off spots. Birmingham, Blackpool, Hull and Leeds are not out of it yet.

At the bottom, Portsmouth are last, having had the stuffing knocked out of them by administration. The same event seems to have given the previously nosediving Forest the will to live; following a decent run they are now in the dizzy heights of 20th, above Bristol City, Coventry (who look set for huge financial trouble if relegated) and Doncaster. 

League One: 
Automatic promotion-Charlton (10 points clear), Sheffield United
Playoff spots-Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield (sacked Lee Clark for too many draws; on Saturday drew at home to bottom-placed Rochdale to lose ground. Ha!), Evil, Ugly, Stupid, Soapless MK Dons and Notts County 
Within six points of playoffs: Carlisle (hurray), Stevenage (boooh. Three games in hand, come on everyone they play against.).
Relegation mix-up: loads of teams and let's face it, few people care

League Two:
Automatic promotion-Swindon (goosestepped into an 8 point lead), Shrewsbury (hurray!), Southend
Playoff spots-Cheltenham (level with Southend, no doubt to the anguish of certain souls), Torquay, Crawley, Oxford
Within six points of playoffs: Gillingham, Crewe (hurray!), Rotherham
Relegation places: Dagenham & Redbridge, Plymouth. Changes of manager have given Northampton and Hereford a boost but they are only two and three points clear of the drop respectively. Macclesfield are three clear, Barnet five.

Fleetwood continue to canter a country mile ahead of everyone in the Conference. Wrexham now have my permission to earn promotion via they playoffs because Dean Saunders has left them to go to Doncaster.


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## Bluebirds Boyo

Stray Wasp said:


> Wrexham now have my permission to earn promotion via they playoffs because Dean Saunders has left them to go to Doncaster.



That was in September! And Fleetwood have hardly cantered away from them; they're five points behind with a game in hand. It is still in Wrexham's hands.


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## Stray Wasp

Bluebirds Boyo said:


> That was in September! And Fleetwood have hardly cantered away from them; they're five points behind with a game in hand. It is still in Wrexham's hands.




In the English lower league thread 2011/12, linear narrative is eschewed as an ideological act in order to challenge bourgeois, patriarchal, heterosexual, capitalist, monogamous oppression within a sporting context. 

My paper had Wrexham on 73 points, but they were leading me astray, the swines. Bless you for your assistance.

Anyway, have Cardiff turned Vuckic into a world-beater yet?


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## Bluebirds Boyo

The fact he didn't get off your bench tonight suggests probably not!


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## Stray Wasp

Bluebirds Boyo said:


> The fact he didn't get off your bench tonight suggests probably not!




Blimey, the last time I looked he was supposed to be having his loan period extended!

It appears that my powers of concentration have become somewhat so what about that Jari-Matti Latvala then, threw away a podium with that crash and I can't say I like the look of that new Sean Penn film, even if it has David Byrne in it.

Erm, where was I?


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## AlanHUK

so apparently forest can actually score. they just decided to wait a while to start doing it. 

7-3 win at leeds


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## GabeTravels

Portsmouth won a game! And won it handily too!

5 points clear of safety with 9 games to go. Not impossible.


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## AlanHUK

forest leeds highlights


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## Venkman

Some great goals there. Always good to see Leeds embarrassed. Forest looking like they'll stay up now.


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## Shrimper

Freddy Eastwood is back!!

DU DU DU FREDDY MOTHER ****ING EASTWOOD!


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## Siamese Dream

Swindon is deserted today because of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final  everyone is either at Wembley or in the pub/at home watching the game. Hardly anything on the roads, and Tesco's was almost empty


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## Shrimper

Chesterfield won in the end. 2-0. Glad for them.


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## Siamese Dream

Shrimper said:


> Chesterfield won in the end. 2-0. Glad for them.



Yup, bless all the poor armchair supporters, a 2nd disappointing wembley loss. Where are those 30,000 fans for regular home games? That's 1/4 of our population. I actually wanted them to lose so my facebook wouldn't be spammed with the fair weather fans pretending to care, I remember last time everyone saying they were going to take on the Milwall fans  I care very little for football anyway, and certainly not swindon, I've only been to 1 game in the 6 years I've lived here.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth won again at home, 2-0 against Hull. HUGE win.

3 points away from safety with 7 matches to go!

The schedule is fairly favorable though...

At home against 16th place Burnley.

Very, very tough match against the Scummers on the road.

Match at home against Millwall, currently in 19th.

Road match against last place Doncaster.

At home against Crystal Palace, currently 13th. 

At home against 12th place Derby. 

Close out the season on the road against 20th place Nottingham.


The home matches are all winnable. Need to take at least 7 of 12 points.

It'll be tough to get anything in Southampton. Should be able to take at least 1 at Doncaster, and the last match of the season will potentially be massive. How I'd love to send down Cotterill's Forest!


----------



## Stray Wasp

Apparently, West Ham took several thousand fans to Peterborough and although they won 2-0, when the game was scoreless the supporters serenaded Allardyce with choruses of "we're West Ham, we play on the floor."


----------



## Shrimper

99 Problems said:


> Yup, bless all the poor armchair supporters, a 2nd disappointing wembley loss. Where are those 30,000 fans for regular home games? That's 1/4 of our population. I actually wanted them to lose so my facebook wouldn't be spammed with the fair weather fans pretending to care, I remember last time everyone saying they were going to take on the Milwall fans  I care very little for football anyway, and certainly not swindon, I've only been to 1 game in the 6 years I've lived here.




I dislike Swindon purely for a few reasons:

A) Paulo Di Canio has turned them into a dirty team when things aren't going their way. Evident when they were 1-0 down against us in the JPT. Hacked, dived, tripped their way to a goal.

B) The number of players they've brought in. Some of the players that joined in August have left by January. Peter Clarke lasted a few games and was then loaned out. 

C) The fact that they're seem unable to lose in the league.

We play Cheltenham tomorrow. If we don't win I'm going to be suicidal as I wouldn't be surprised if we miss out on the play-offs, which would be gutting.


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Stray Wasp said:


> Apparently, West Ham took several thousand fans to Peterborough and although they won 2-0, when the game was scoreless the supporters serenaded Allardyce with choruses of "we're West Ham, we play on the floor."




If fat Sam doesn't take the three points, at home, against Reading on Saturday...ooof. Unhappy support would be an understatement.


----------



## AlanHUK

Stray Wasp said:


> Apparently, West Ham took several thousand fans to Peterborough and although they won 2-0, when the game was scoreless the supporters serenaded Allardyce with choruses of "we're West Ham, we play on the floor."




Sounds like Forest fans against Coventry back in February, made me laugh at the time. 

I love songs like that.


----------



## Stray Wasp

AlanHUK said:


> Sounds like Forest fans against Coventry back in February, made me laugh at the time.
> 
> I love songs like that.




When Allardyce was at Newcastle, he was treated to "we're **** and we're sick of it".

Little over a year later, Joke In Here got the same offering.


----------



## Shrimper

Southend 4-0 Cheltenham.


----------



## AlanHUK

this Reading vs Leeds game has reminded me just why I hate Leeds so much. 

They should have been down to 8 men in the first half, and Reading should have had 2 penalties so far in the second, dirty dirty team.


----------



## vsk92

shefki kuqi having a great season for oldham 

shame the team isn't doing too well in the league


----------



## Stray Wasp

The top two in the Championship play tonight, namely Southampton and Reading. Since they're both six points clear of West Ham, hopefully they'll do the civilised thing and play out a nice draw. At the bottom of the league, Doncaster and Portsmouth are all but relegated and Coventry are four points from safety after bungling a 1-0 lead in their relegation showdown with Bristol City. 

In League One, the two Sheffield clubs continue to dispute the second automatic spot behind Charlton. 

Fleetwood should achieve promotion to the Football League tomorrow, whilst two from Barnet, Hereford and Macclesfield are set to drop out of the league.

Meanwhile, Swindon might clinch the League Two title in front of a crowd of exactly zero fans, because their game against Gillingham next Saturday will have to be played behind closed doors following a row involving Kent Police.


----------



## nyranger61494

Congratulations to Reading on winning promotion. Southampton is THIS close to returning to the top flight as well, which pleases me.


----------



## IceDogsandLeafs

I think I should drop by and say hello since Wolves will be joining the Championship soon


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest are safe


----------



## vsk92

former man city and now sheffield united striker ched evans jailed for 5 years

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ty-******-19-year-old-woman-jailed-years.html


----------



## Alklha

vsk92 said:


> former man city and now sheffield united striker ched evans jailed for 5 years
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ty-******-19-year-old-woman-jailed-years.html




Evans named in the PFA League 1 team of the year tonight. Plus the girl has apparently been named, which means this story will probably linger. 

Impossible to read the details of the case and not seriously question the justice system on this one.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Evans' absence had huge ramifications on Saturday, since Sheffield United lost 1-0 at MK Should Never Have Been Allowed to Exist. United's lead over Wednesday is now one point with two games remaining. Meanwhile, thumbs down to Notts County for clownishly being thrashed at home by Bury to allow (hawk, spit) the Hertfordshire swine into a playoff spot. 

It's Boro v Cardiff for the final Championship playoff spot and Portsmouth went down this weekend. As too did Coventry, so often the top flight's Houdini club in the eighties and nineties. The Sky Blues' owners failed to file their most recent accounts on time, the implication being that they wanted to wait and see whether the club stayed in the Championship before they made any financial commitments to City's future.

Swindon clinched promotion from League Two and Crewe hold the final playoff spot. Meanwhile, there's a sharp contrast between the fortunes of Fleetwood and Macc. The former join the Football League next season, but the latter are 92nd of 92. Hereford gained a point on Barnet but remain second from bottom.

If West Ham do not win at Leicester tonight, Southampton return to the Premier League. More importantly, Sam Allardyce looks a bit more stupid.


----------



## Shrimper

Ched Evans should not be in jail if Cody McDonald isn't. How can one person be convicted of **** but not another? I hope he appeals.


----------



## themightyquinn

Championship - would be good to see the Saints come up. They had a long drop and a long time in the wilderness. Would be nice to see them in the top flight. As a Spurs supporter would like to see Birmingham come up in the playoffs just for Chris Hughton...a genuinely good guy who does well wherever he goes. Failing the Blues, would like Blackpool again just for more Holloway interviews.

League 1 - prefer Wednesday to come up vs. United. Only because I didn't like Sheff Utd. suing West Ham for staying up. Wendesday deserves a chance. Would also like to see Orient stay up. Thought they were safe but 0W, 4L, 1D in the past 5 put them in jeopardy. 

League 2- Glad to see Bradford not get relegated. 11 years ago this weekend they were in the Premiership playing Everton. Now they sit almost 80 places below them in the League Table!


----------



## Shrimper

I'd love to see Southampton end up in the play-offs purely because I know someone who is so adamant this season they'll get promoted.


----------



## 1865

AlanHUK said:


> Forest are safe




Took us long enough!

Financial Fair Play has been passed by the vast majority of the 72 football league clubs. FFP (or TBOTE, the beginning of the end) is going to be a disaster. I like the idea, but the notion of only spending to your income is brutal when you consider that relegated Premier League clubs are handed *Â£16m* a year, just for the act of getting relegated. 

Forest are the third highest grossing club in the league for ticket sales and our annual turnover was Â£15.6m. Therefore, relegated clubs will be given literally double the disposable income that the rest of the league are allowed. This is exactly what the Premier League want, the same 25/26 teams rotating by the years as the rest of us struggle to keep up, hamstrung by the new financial restraints. 

How long before w**kers like Phil Gartside suddenly re-suggest the break-away league? Would suddenly look less ridiculous if there's the same 25-odd teams in it every year...


----------



## kg458

1865 said:


> Took us long enough!
> 
> Financial Fair Play has been passed by the vast majority of the 72 football league clubs. FFP (or TBOTE, the beginning of the end) is going to be a disaster. I like the idea, but the notion of only spending to your income is brutal when you consider that relegated Premier League clubs are handed *Â£16m* a year, just for the act of getting relegated.




When Championship clubs get promoted, will that bonus count towards the year they're promoted or the next year?

If I understand correctly, clubs demoted to the Championship aren't subject to the Championship FFP rules. Also, clubs getting promoted to the PL are still subject to fines based upon the Championship FFP rules for their deficit for the previous year.


----------



## vsk92

congratulations to southampton promoted to the win premier league after beating coventry 4-0 today


----------



## Shrimper

Southend winning, need Hereford and Crewe to win to give us a chance of promotion.


----------



## nyranger61494

vsk92 said:


> congratulations to southampton promoted to the win premier league after beating coventry 4-0 today




Good for them! The Saints come marching up.

Hopefully, they get a chance to stick it to 'Arry next year although, he will probably have England post at that point.


----------



## Shrimper

Dear god. I can't wait for next week. Crawley lost and Torquay drew. If they both draw and we win, we're up. If either wins, then we can't do it. If they both lose and we draw, we're up.

Can't. Wait.


----------



## Simpo

vsk92 said:


> shefki kuqi having a great season for oldham
> 
> shame the team isn't doing too well in the league




He's been pretty bad the 2nd half of the season, unfortunately.

[Link]


----------



## AlanHUK

1865 said:


> Took us long enough!
> 
> Financial Fair Play has been passed by the vast majority of the 72 football league clubs. FFP (or TBOTE, the beginning of the end) is going to be a disaster. I like the idea, but the notion of only spending to your income is brutal when you consider that relegated Premier League clubs are handed *Â£16m* a year, just for the act of getting relegated.
> 
> Forest are the third highest grossing club in the league for ticket sales and our annual turnover was Â£15.6m. Therefore, relegated clubs will be given literally double the disposable income that the rest of the league are allowed. This is exactly what the Premier League want, the same 25/26 teams rotating by the years as the rest of us struggle to keep up, hamstrung by the new financial restraints.
> 
> How long before w**kers like Phil Gartside suddenly re-suggest the break-away league? Would suddenly look less ridiculous if there's the same 25-odd teams in it every year...




The thing is while they'll have twice as much due to the Â£16m in the first year after relegation, they'll also have a much higher wage bill. 

Then if they don't make it back up instantly they're shafted. Much like Leicester will be if they don't make it up next year while the rules aren't at their strictest.


----------



## Shrimper

Hopefully we get promoted tomorrow.


----------



## Brodie

oh, Cardiff.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Sheffield Wednesday return to the Championship at United's expense. The Blades will meet some team or other whose name escapes me in the play-offs, while I think Huddersfield face the McDonalds fast food chain, or something.

Wycombe, Chesterfield, Exeter and Rochdale were demoted to League Two. Coming up with Swindon are Crawley and (drum roll, Errol) Shrewsbury Town! The play-offs paired Southend with Crewe and Torquay with Cheltenham. Shrimper will be supplying us with up-to-the-minute nervous breakdowns.

Hereford were relegated to the Blue Square Conference. Having finished 17 points ahead of Luton, Wrexham were eliminated from the play-offs by the Hatters. York defeated Mansfield in the other tie. Good luck to the Minstermen, but I'd bet on Luton prevailing.

Meanwhile, progression to Wembley will no doubt have swollen Sam Allardyce's already grotesque head to even vaster proportions. Blackpool and Birmingham meet tonight for the right to defend civilisation at Wembley.


----------



## Stray Wasp

York City were promoted back to the Football League. A happy conclusion to the Conference play-offs in my book, because I might be able to twist Mr. Exile into going to see them play terribly again next year.

Hopefully, Sheffield United can punish Huddersfield for their treachery towards Lee Clark in the League One play-off final this weekend.


----------



## Brodie

kitkat crescent ftw


----------



## Stray Wasp

Brodie said:


> kitkat crescent ftw






It sounds like a slang phrase for anal sex rather than a football stadium.


----------



## BMann

Bootham Crescent it shall remain in my mind.

Quite pleased in a way with the result being a Watford fan although Luton were dealt with very harshly by the Football League.

Crewe take on Cheltenham Town in the League Two playoff and look set to lose another of their academy products Nick Powell to Manchester United.

In more disturbing news Luke McCormick who murdered two young boys through his own actions as a drunk driver is training with Swindon Town. 

I think the moral state of football is so low that if a footballer who murdered was a very good player and had served the terms of what are generally pathetically lenient sentences, they would sign him up.


----------



## Rizer

Stray Wasp said:


> After Alan the Nottingham Forest fan pointed out that there was no thread for the Championship, ta-da!
> 
> Indeed, this thread also encompasses what used to be Divisions Three and Four but have since been "rebranded" by besuited, management-speak spewing pillocks who believe that a new name can suddenly make punters believe that Hereford versus Rochdale is the last word in glamour.
> 
> Non-league football belongs here too; there may be reason to remember this.




I've always liked Yeovil Town FC. They are a very small, home grown team and I first learned of them years ago and followed them ever since. Not as a hardcore supporter or anything, but I always loved their crest, their motto (Achieve Through Unity) and the little town they are from is really nice. I've spent a good deal of time just going through it on Google Maps.

The fact that they are so low budget and only have about 13 active players really makes me root for them in many ways.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

this penalty shootout heh


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Huddersfield to the championship it is


----------



## vsk92

Have to feel for Steve Simonsen, had a great match and came down to him missing the penalty to lose


----------



## StatesideSensFan

will be rooting for crewe tomorrow


----------



## Stray Wasp

Crewe got promoted.

I automatically assume that this is a good thing, because of their tradition for playing constructive football. I don't know whether that still applies, although Takharov's post hints that they remain decent at developing young players. 

At the very least, they went up at the expense of a southern team.


----------



## AlanHUK

we're ****ing rich!

now I look forward to seeing how it's wasted and how quickly everyone decides to hate the new owners


----------



## Shrimper

Loving our new yellow kit.


----------



## LeftBackLegend

AlanHUK said:


> we're ****ing rich!
> 
> now I look forward to seeing how it's wasted and how quickly everyone decides to hate the new owners




Taking their time wasting the money though! Or the plan is to play Lascelles as the lone defender in a revolutionary 1-4-5 formation.


----------



## Basement Cat

Scouting report on Lloyd Sam?


----------



## vsk92

Championship starts tonight

Cardiff v Huddersfield hopefully The Terriers win since Bellamy plays for Cardiff now and I really do hate him


----------



## Shrimper

New season starts today. We've signed a few players which is unprecedented for us.


----------



## vsk92

Leeds 1:0 Wolves

Becchio

It's been a good game so far


----------



## AlanHUK

it's already ruining my first bet of the season


----------



## vsk92

Portsmouth winning 1:0 against Bournemouth


----------



## GabeTravels

vsk92 said:


> Portsmouth winning 1:0 against Bournemouth




Couldn't hold it unfortunately, but a draw and a point with this squad isn't bad at all!

PUP PPU!


----------



## vsk92

Portsmouth get another draw this time 2:2 v Colchester

Swindon Town win 3:0 v Crawley


----------



## Shrimper

Southend United.


----------



## vsk92

Owen Coyle will get the sack soon I think

Bolton losing 1:0 v Nottingham Forest


----------



## Shrimper

1-1 at the moment. 

I've got Bolton to go up.


----------



## vsk92

Shrimper said:


> 1-1 at the moment.
> 
> I've got Bolton to go up.




They have been pretty poor in the league but it is early


----------



## vsk92

This Wembley Fc cup run with lots of old pros is pretty cool but at the same time ridiculous


----------



## Shrimper

vsk92 said:


> This Wembley Fc cup run with lots of old pros is pretty cool but at the same time ridiculous




Don't see anything wrong with it myself. I think they're only using the pro players in the cup.


----------



## vsk92

Shrimper said:


> Don't see anything wrong with it myself. I think they're only using the pro players in the cup.




I was watching their match v Uxbridge which is on ESPN

It's cool to see Cannigia play again


----------



## vsk92

Paulo Di Canio is CRAZY


----------



## Live in the Now

The keeper apologized by the way. Di Canio is off his head but everything he's said about his managerial style, I like.


----------



## vsk92

Live in the Now said:


> The keeper apologized by the way. Di Canio is off his head but everything he's said about his managerial style, I like.




I think he is a great manager but sometimes he does lose it over little things 

Swindon for the Premier League


----------



## Shameus

LINK

Ol 'Arry is the new manager for League One side Bournemouth.


----------



## xavi4life

vsk92 said:


> Paulo Di Canio is CRAZY





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...o-Di-Canio-Doing-job-crazy-beautiful-too.html


----------



## xavi4life

Live in the Now said:


> The keeper apologized by the way. Di Canio is off his head but everything he's said about his managerial style, I like.




Agree completely.


----------



## vsk92

Great counter attacking goal by Middlesbrough 

Blackburn 0:1 Middlesbrough


----------



## Huge94

Shameus said:


> LINK
> 
> Ol 'Arry is the new manager for League One side Bournemouth.




Not really manager, no? I heard he was appointed in an advisory role or something.


----------



## Shrimper

He's a director of football or something.


----------



## vsk92

Brighton for the Premier League


----------



## vsk92

Blackburn manager Steve Kean has been "forced to resign" with immediate effect
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19766783


It's disgraceful the way he has been treated by the fans and management level,

I don't think he is a good manager but he didn't deserve all the abuse he got


----------



## Ceremony

"forced to resign" is a rather sinister phrase.


----------



## vsk92

Leeds fan has just run on the pitch and hit Sheff Weds keeper Chris Kirkland in the face. 

******* :


----------



## Knighthammer

vsk92 said:


> Leeds fan has just run on the pitch and hit Sheff Weds keeper Chris Kirkland in the face.
> 
> ******* :




Just saw that too, the moron was even smiling about it when he jumped back in the stand. He'll be banned for life.


----------



## Brad Tolliver

Knighthammer said:


> Just saw that too, the moron was even smiling about it when he jumped back in the stand. He'll be banned for life.



He already was.

Not surprisingly there are now accusations of racism, which no doubt will help the FA's campaign to stamp out racism with t-shirts.


----------



## vsk92

The guy is already banned from entering any stadium in the Uk before tonight's incident 

There has to be a investigation on how he got in and standards of stewarding/safety


----------



## Natey

Does anyone know if there is any way to watch the nPower Championship LEGALLY in Canada? I know I can watch streams, but I'd prefer HD feeds. 

I heard Sportsnet World losts the Championship rights, and from what I hear, beIN got the rights which doesn't distribute to Canada.

Are streams my only option to watch my Wolves?


----------



## RonTugnutt

HawkeyeCB said:


> Does anyone know if there is any way to watch the nPower Championship LEGALLY in Canada? I know I can watch streams, but I'd prefer HD feeds.
> 
> I heard Sportsnet World losts the Championship rights, and from what I hear, beIN got the rights which doesn't distribute to Canada.
> 
> Are streams my only option to watch my Wolves?




Seems like it... Quite a piss off as I like watching the lower leagues, the charm of lower league football draws me in alot of the time... Would like to see more League2 matches


----------



## vsk92

2 goals in 2 games for Lauri Dalla Valle for Crewe


----------



## AlanHUK

Has anyone here seen Nigel Pearson's interview on sky after the Forest game yesterday, been trying to find it to show some of the people at work who missed it.


----------



## vsk92

Wolves winger Adam Hammill has been spared a jail sentence by Liverpool Magistrates after pleading guilty to assaulting two female paramedics.

The 24-year-old, currently on loan at Huddersfield, was charged with two counts of assault relating to an incident in Liverpool city centre on October 7 and has been given a suspended 12-week prison sentence, 150 hours of community service and a fine.

if he wasn't a fotball player he would be going to jail :


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest win 4-2 and then sack the manager. 

They've been very inconsistent this season, but it's still weird.


----------



## LeftBackLegend

AlanHUK said:


> Forest win 4-2 and then sack the manager.
> 
> They've been very inconsistent this season, but it's still weird.




Absolute joke of a decision, just when I started thinking it might be coming together and everything would turn out all right. Pie in the sky, once again.


----------



## Oiffub

edit got my answer


----------



## IceDogsandLeafs

vsk92 said:


> Wolves winger Adam Hammill has been spared a jail sentence by Liverpool Magistrates after pleading guilty to assaulting two female paramedics.
> 
> The 24-year-old, currently on loan at Huddersfield, was charged with two counts of assault relating to an incident in Liverpool city centre on October 7 and has been given a suspended 12-week prison sentence, 150 hours of community service and a fine.
> 
> if he wasn't a fotball player he would be going to jail :




Correct and he along with the rest of the Wolves squad deserve to be locked away after this miserable season


----------



## Brodie

oh god the championship

sob


----------



## Shrimper

Lost to Crewe 2-0 at Wembley in the JPT. Disappointing but we expected to lose.


----------



## Shrimper

At the start of April Sheffield Wednesday were in the relegation zone. They're now just potentially 6 points off the play-offs. That's how close the Championship is.


----------



## AlanHUK

yeah the championship has been insane this year, I wish there were more games from it televised


----------



## Natey

any radio streams or anything for the championship?


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Wolverhampton in the relegation zone, Blackburn one point off? What happened there?


----------



## Stray Wasp

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> Wolverhampton in the relegation zone, Blackburn one point off? What happened there?




It's been a funny season in the Championship. Little separates a lot of the teams. 23 out of 24 are averaging more than one point per game. Blackburn provide a useful example of the narrow margins, for had they won two more games, they'd be tenth. 

It doesn't help that neither Blackburn nor Wolves scores enough goals. At the former club Jordan Rhodes is a one-man band, for the latter outfit, Kevin Doyle has had a surprisingly barren season. 

Rovers have used thirty-seven players and four managers, Wolves thirty-three players and two managers, which is symptomatic of the lack of continuity wrecking both clubs. Owners Venky's have turned Blackburn into a laughing stock, appointing Henning Berg as manager barely days after he'd declared that no one with credibility would take the job. Berg lasted 57 days. His replacement, Michael Appleton, hung around 67 days. Blackburn, who began the season managed by a coach out of his depth (Steve Keen), once more have a temporary boss drawn from the backroom staff, Gary Bowyer, formerly caretaker between Berg and Appleton.

Wolves, meanwhile haven't recovered from the botched replacement of Mick McCarthy last season. Terry Connor (no managerial experience when appointed) was replaced by a Norwegian who'd never managed in England before, followed by Dean Saunders.

McCarthy, meanwhile, has helped Ipswich escape the relegation zone. By no means a great manager, he's capable at that level. 

It's worthy of note that the man screwing up Wolves, Steve Morgan, once tried to take over Liverpool.


----------



## vsk92

Cardiff have reached the points total to be secure of promotion to the EPL next season.

Welsh derby next season in the EPL


----------



## HajdukSplit

Hull City will likely join them, Watford have been in poor form last few weeks while they were scoring for fun most of the season. Interesting to see a club like Brighton in the playoff spots

Teams like Blackburn and Wolves closer to the relegation zone than the playoffs


----------



## Stray Wasp

It's remarkable to think that South Wales has become a more successful footballing area than Yorkshire.

Last night also confirmed the relegation of Portsmouth to the fourth tier. The club is now owned by its fans, who will hopefully enure Pompey's future survival.


----------



## LOFIN

It's a shame that Cardiff City has become a playground for asian owners. Disgraceful that a traditional club like Cardiff is being ruined. 

The Welsh derby will surely be an interesting subject next year, looking forward to it.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

What a proud day for the Cardiff Reds.


----------



## vsk92

More fan trouble 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...yer-PUNCHED-Stockport-fan-pitch-invasion.html


----------



## jimmythescot

Brentford were playing Doncaster today (3rd v 2nd) and the winner would be promoted to the Championship at the other's expense (a draw and Doncaster gets promoted). Also, if Doncaster won they'd be champions.

Last minute penalty with the score 0-0 for Brentford. A loanee from Fulham stepped up to take it and blasted it off the crossbar. Doncaster got the ball and went up the other end an scored the winner in the dying moments of the match. Doncaster are champions and Brentford somehow have to pick themselves up to compete in the playoffs.

I wish I'd been there in the Doncaster end.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Championship
-Cardiff already promoted
- Hull City fail to earn automatic promotion after a 2:0 loss at Barnsley. Between them and Watford for 2nd, Hull have one point more. Hull host already promoted Cardiff while Watford host Leeds
- Brighton are in the playoffs; Crystal Palace, Bolton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City fight for two spots
- Wolves are in deep trouble, lost at home to Burnley and go to Brighton next week. Three points from safety

League 1
- As mentioned above Doncaster beat Brentford in a dramatic match and promote as League 1 champions along with Bournemouth
- Brentford, Yeovil, Sheffield United and Swindon in the playoffs
- Portsmouth, Hartlepool, Bury and Scunthorpe relegated

League 2
- Gillingham, Rotherham and Port Vale promoted to League 1
- Burton Albion, Cheltenham, Northampton and Bradford in the playoffs
- AFC Wimbledon survive on the final day of the season
- Barnet and Aldershot relegated out of the football league


----------



## vsk92

Coventry have begun looking for a new ground to play their home games next season after negotiations with owners of the Ricoh Arena broke down.

The League One club remain at loggerheads with ACL, the owners of the Ricoh Arena, over unpaid rent and are now making contingency plans.


----------



## vsk92

Terrible luck for Watford.

Almunia gets injured in the warm-up, and now the 2nd goalie has been knock-out and looks very bad after colliding with a team mate (there's a stretcher out for him)

3rd goalie is coming on, and Watford need a win to get promoted to EPL automatically instead of play-offs route.


----------



## Shrimper

Hull were winning. On course for promotion. 
Had a penalty. Missed. 
Cardiff got a penalty. Scored. 2-2. 
Watford was delayed and had they scored they'd go up instead.
Leeds score in the 90th minute. 
Hull go up and Watford go the play-offs.


----------



## Chloraflora

And the bottom was just as mental. 3 or 4 teams were going down at some point, ended up being Peterborough after giving up a last minute goal to lose 3-2 at Crystal Palace.


----------



## villevalo

**** that was an intense 90 for promotion, playoff places and relegation.

Probably for the best that Watford don't go up, their embargo doesn't get lifted until something like 1st September, and with all their loan guys they could start the Premier season with something like 14 squad players.

Hull: good for them but they'll come straight back down.

I'd vote for Brighton to win the playoffs but it really could be anyone at this point.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

The Palace-Brighton tie will be intense.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Hull and Cardiff will be boring sides, but Cardiff will spend some money, not sure about Hull. Brighton are probably the in-form team in the playoffs, both Watford and Palace have struggled a bit (but stayed in the top 6) while Leicester score a ton of goals but were inconsistent, but you can say that about most of the league.

Wolves suffer back-to-back relegations. Peterborough go down with a points total which in most seasons they would finish midtable


----------



## BMann

villevalo said:


> **** that was an intense 90 for promotion, playoff places and relegation.
> 
> Probably for the best that Watford don't go up, their embargo doesn't get lifted until something like 1st September, and with all their loan guys they could start the Premier season with something like 14 squad players.
> 
> Hull: good for them but they'll come straight back down.
> 
> I'd vote for Brighton to win the playoffs but it really could be anyone at this point.




I'm bored witless by these mistruths. The embargo doesn't mean we cannot sign players. We can. The paperwork just needs to be vetted by the FL.

And as for the loans. The Pozzo family own Udinese, Granada and us. If they want to send us a player like Jadson or Fabbrini or whomsoever it is next season they'll sell him to us at a knockdown price thereby circumventing any restrictions on loans.

And we are still developing our own Academy and players.

We played some super football this season and we have only ourselves to blame for not going up with silly errors throughout the season, losing leads and conceding some really sloppy goals as today.

Dreadfully unlucky with the injuries and we have been denied as today our rightful share of penalties. Dull City are a terrible team and I have no doubt will be relegated forthwith. Cardiff may fare better but also have enormous debts to contend with still despite the riches of the PL.

Even if we don't go up this season we'll be better placed next season with a full pre-season behind us and even more reinforcements and a manager in Zola with another seasons experience.

If Chalobah disappears then we'll probably bring in Ake along with Musonda and have our own talent like Mensah and Hoban.


----------



## AlanHUK

well forest failed on the last day. 

Amazing back and forth game though either team could have won, and it was nice to see some class from our fans applauding leicester off after the game.


----------



## HajdukSplit

looks like Brentford vs. Yeovil in the League 1 playoff, the winner goes to the Championship. Brentford absolutely outplaying Swindon at the moment, don't see there being any shock


----------



## vsk92

Swindon score in the last minute to force extra time


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brentford should not lose this


----------



## vsk92

HajdukSplit said:


> Brentford should not lose this




They won via penalty shoot-out


----------



## Shrimper

Brentford v Yeovil
Bradford v Northampton

Hope Yeovil and Bradford go up. Would be amazing for Yeovil's finances.


----------



## Chloraflora

Shrimper said:


> Brentford v Yeovil
> Bradford v Northampton
> 
> Hope Yeovil and Bradford go up. Would be amazing for Yeovil's finances.




And it wouldn't be for Brentford's?


----------



## Chloraflora

What a finish at Watford. Justice in the end.


----------



## Knighthammer

Denzil said:


> What a finish at Watford. Justice in the end.




First Brentford/Doncaster and now this. Incredible


----------



## Hesher

Knighthammer said:


> First Brentford/Doncaster and now this. Incredible




Absolutely amazing to see something like that happen twice within a month or so.


----------



## Chloraflora

For anyone who's not seen this... Watch it.


----------



## njdevsfn95

I'm glad I get to watch the Playoff Promotion Final without worrying about which of the two teams Newcastle will face in the Championship.

I love watching that game.


----------



## GKJ

That's absolutely insane


----------



## Theon

Wow. Almunia of all people coming up big. Good for Watford.


----------



## Laurent

MDZ said:


> Wow. Almunia of all people coming up big. Good for Watford.




Was telling myself the same thing. Since when is Almunia a clutch player


----------



## Chloraflora

What that video doesn't show is the outrageous dive of Knockaert's to win that penalty. If he'd been hacked down I'd have sympathy for him, but... none.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

Denzil said:


> What that video doesn't show is the outrageous dive of Knockaert's to win that penalty. If he'd been hacked down I'd have sympathy for him, but... none.




The character of the player is signified by the fact that when Watford celebrate he's still in Watford's penalty area without having moved a yard since his saved attempt off the rebound.

Not saying he could have stopped that attack tracking back, but you're a professional player and it's a key situation, at least make an effort.


----------



## DisgruntledHawkFan

That was INSANE.


----------



## Shrimper

Halifax FC who went bust ages ago were reformed and that team is now in the Conference National, one step below the Football League. At the same time Chester City are there as well. Could see two returning teams.


----------



## AlanHUK

that was beautiful.

karma at it's finest. 

I especially enjoyed it since Leicester fans were singing are you watching Nottingham during that game, and after they beat us in the last game of the season they were singing 'we're going to wembley'.


----------



## CanadianFlyer88

One of my best friends is a Leicester fan (his dad grew up there). This friend is in Japan at the moment, so I haven't been able to speak with him; I wonder if he's even seen the result... he'll be devastated.


----------



## vsk92

Zaha scores 2 to send Palace to the play-off final.

Wanted Brighton to win


----------



## HajdukSplit

cheering for Watford, don't know how much Palace can do in the EPL losing Zaha and probably not having that big of a spending budget


----------



## njdevsfn95

vsk92 said:


> Zaha scores 2 to send Palace to the play-off final.
> 
> Wanted Brighton to win




Don't worry, Brighton will get a chance to beat an EPL side in January when they get the home draw against vs Newcastle to complete the hattrick.

I'd take Poyet at Newcastle as he seems to know how to get the best out of his players.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Bcfc!


----------



## Shrimper

Bradford just took the lead. 

Not sure who I want to go up. Bradford bring a lot of fans when they visit but at the same time I want less Northern teams in the division.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

2-0 Bradford.

So glad to see this


----------



## Shrimper

2-0. Too easy.

Why do you like Bradford so much STBC?


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Sounds kinda dumb, I've only been following the sport for about 10 years or so. Ever since I saw the video of their stands burn down and they lost so many supporters.....I've wanted them to do well. Then with their deep run in the Capital One Cup to the finals and having to play so many games, thought it would be a pretty amazing feat to win the playoffs to make it to League 1.


----------



## Shrimper

3-0. Congrats Bradford on your promotion.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Wells makes it 3-0. 

Be interesting to see how well he does in League 1, he's so prolific in League 2


----------



## njdevsfn95

Yeovil wins the L1 playoff and enters the 2nd tier of English football for the first time in their history.


----------



## njdevsfn95

The League Championship Playoff Final is on today at 10am.

It features Watford and Crystal Palace. This will be one of the first times for many Manchester United fans on here to see Wilfried Zaha (Palace) play before he joins over the summer.

Although this game has been on FSC in the past, today it will be broadcast on BeIN Sport. Whether you will have the luck of an English broadcast depends on your cable/satellite provider (mine will probably be Spanish) in which case I'll use the internet to watch!


----------



## heutZe

Rooting for Palace today. Not because I necessarily like them more than Watford, but the majority of Palace players are atleast squad players. Eight of Watford's starting XI are loan signings, they also have a transfer embargo to deal with in the summer.

I fear they will be a trainwreck in the PL next season if they are promoted.


----------



## vsk92

Pretty boring first half really.

Zaha & Anya have made a couple of nice runs though.


----------



## heutZe

vsk92 said:


> Pretty boring first half really.
> 
> Zaha & Anya have made a couple of nice runs though.




Playoff-finals are usually very tight early on, few teams want to make a mistake with so much at stake.


----------



## vsk92

Almunia has made very important saves today.

Another 30 minutes + potential penalties to find the winner


----------



## LOFIN

Phillips scores on the penalty. 1-0 to Palace, end of the first half of extratime.


----------



## vsk92

Watford hit the post and get a shot cleared off the line in the last minute 

Crystal Palace will be in the Premier League next season.


----------



## Hesher

Holloway back in the PL


----------



## Brodie

we're either winning the league or we're relegated

I really don't see a middle ground with this club

christ


----------



## vsk92

Guy Poyet has been sacked as manager of Brighton but plans to appeal against the decision.

He was only told by BBC staff as he is a pundit for tonights match :


----------



## Brodie

We've named our summer touring team:

Green, Murphy, Hill, Traore, Ferdinand, Simpson, Onuoha, Bosingwa, Young, Suk-Young, Ephraim, Mbia, Faurlin, Derry, Granero, Hoilett, Park, Wright-Phillips, Taarabt, Mackie, Jenas, Remy, Zamora, Johnson, Sanus

obviously they're not all going to stay (praying that Bosingwa goes!) but that's a great side for the npC


----------



## Brodie

only one more day


----------



## Live in the Now

Coventry going to be liquidated over 590k. Meanwhile Gareth Bale will likely be earning that in 3 weeks next season. Some game this football.


----------



## gary69

Live in the Now said:


> Coventry going to be liquidated over 590k. Meanwhile Gareth Bale will likely be earning that in 3 weeks next season. Some game this football.




Spurs make a profit of that amount a week. What a disgusting club that is for not saving Coventry.

Premier league makes a profit of that amount a day, what a disgusting bunch of clubs that is for not saving Coventry.

British people make a profit of of that amount in a second, what a disgusting group of people they are for not saving Coventry.

That said, I'd rather have Coventry alive and kicking as the FA Cup final 1987 Spurs vs. Coventry (alas The Mabbutt show) is one of my all-time favourite games, but the blame for their demise lays mostly on Coventry themselves.

I understand it's a tough pill to swallow for some clubs, but they should have financially adapted sooner to their current level. I'm not familiar enough with the details, but whoever at the club were responsible for that mid-2000's stadium plan are largely to blame. So the club by and large brought it onto themselves.


----------



## Shrimper

The biggest problem is a lack of revenue sharing. All goes top with dregs going to the bottom lot.


----------



## Live in the Now

Well, it is disgusting that with all the money in football there is no fund for saving smaller clubs when they go into this kind of difficulty. And over rent for a ground Coventry moved into (did not build) and were sued by the management company to try to prevent them from moving out? Just doesn't sit right with me. The situation essentially is that they've been teetering on the brink because the company that manages their stadium has been asking for very high rent that they could not pay and that company refused to negotiate a new lease (essentially leaving the stadium empty). 

The Ricoh Arena was planned in anticipation of an England World Cup bid and built by the city, and is now joint owned by the city and a charity, managed by a company. As all England World Cup bids go, it never materialized. They lessened capacity, although evidently not enough and proceeded with their plans to build a stadium. So they charge a million or so in rent for a 32,000 seat stadium that is never full. The rent debt that Coventry owns the stadium management company is the reason for liquidation.

Coventry's mistake was in having moved from their first ground, but the city planned to build a stadium in advance of a World cup bid, then once it fell through built it anyway. Lot wrong about that.


----------



## Brodie

The truth of it is there's too much money for anybody else to even aspire to. But that's not what killed Coventry City, they were killed by having one of the worst stadium situations in the sport. In addition to what LitN mentioned, it's in a terrible location on the outskirts of Coventry. 

But the lack of revenue sharing doesn't help at all. The Prem should have to share revenue with the League, it's that simple. FIFA would force that if they had any sense


----------



## vsk92

Nuhiu makes it 1:0 for Wednesday against QPR.

Looks like a good player.


----------



## Brodie

outplaying them and yet still going down 1-0 early

yep, that's my QPR

great goal though


----------



## Brodie

grrrrrrrrr


----------



## Brodie

gorgeous goal Onuoha

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrs


----------



## Brodie

Johnson!

Ohhhh yes


----------



## Brodie

Great win and with none of our super high earners in the squad. Exciting season


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest got a good win to start the season too, really glad I've managed to pick up a new home shirt before the sponsor logo was added as well. They look much better without them.


----------



## MDR

Live in the Now said:


> Well, it is disgusting that with all the money in football there is no fund for saving smaller clubs when they go into this kind of difficulty. And over rent for a ground Coventry moved into (did not build) and were sued by the management company to try to prevent them from moving out? Just doesn't sit right with me. The situation essentially is that they've been teetering on the brink because the company that manages their stadium has been asking for very high rent that they could not pay and that company refused to negotiate a new lease (essentially leaving the stadium empty).
> 
> The Ricoh Arena was planned in anticipation of an England World Cup bid and built by the city, and is now joint owned by the city and a charity, managed by a company. As all England World Cup bids go, it never materialized. They lessened capacity, although evidently not enough and proceeded with their plans to build a stadium. So they charge a million or so in rent for a 32,000 seat stadium that is never full. The rent debt that Coventry owns the stadium management company is the reason for liquidation.
> 
> Coventry's mistake was in having moved from their first ground, but the city planned to build a stadium in advance of a World cup bid, then once it fell through built it anyway. Lot wrong about that.




In fairness there are a number of factors which have attributed to our demise stretching back a number of years. It was a huge mistake to move away from Highfield Road and now we are stuck with owners who are not interested in football and just want to own the Ricoh Arena to make money from the various events that it hosts. We are now in a situation where we are unlikely to survive the year (rumoured to have sold less than 300 season tickets) as the Football League have gone against one of their constitutions by approving to move to Northampton.

Thr owners are now trying to bankrupt the Arena owners so they can purchase this on the cheap (stupid considering the council own part of the Arena). There is a lot hate in the City for the owners right now.


----------



## Shrimper

Preston beat Blackpool tonight in the Capital One Cup 1st round. Pitch invasion after and a steward got trampled by a horse.


----------



## vsk92

Carlisle beat Blackburn in penalties in the league cup.


----------



## vsk92

Hull City owners are changing the club's name to Hull City Tigers for next season.

Wow


----------



## Plato

vsk92 said:


> Hull City owners are changing the club's name to Hull City Tigers for next season.
> 
> Wow




I just hope these won't be worn again...


----------



## tobo

I quite like that Hull jersey. It's different. A team in our domestic league went with this style a couple of years ago. Only too bad their sponsor didn't want to change their logo to black and white. Then it would've been perfect.


----------



## Live in the Now

vsk92 said:


> Hull City owners are changing the club's name to Hull City Tigers for next season.
> 
> Wow




They aren't in the lower leagues anymore 

It's dumb to change their name, but they were headed to administration before their current chairman stepped in.

What could they do? 

I find it far more offensive that they're managed by Steve Bruce.


----------



## Brodie

Are they owned by Americans?


----------



## Live in the Now

An Egyptian.


----------



## GB

An Egyptian who moved to the East Riding in the late 60's.

I guess the name change would annoy me if I was a Hull fan, (but being a Hull fan would mean I'd probably be from the greyest city in England and have bigger problems to worry about), but it doesn't seem to bad. At least The Tigers is a long standing nickname of the team and it's not like Hull City Association Football Club is particularly snappy.


----------



## Shrimper

Should point out that Hull aren't a lower league team. Not for this thread


----------



## GB

Shrimper said:


> Should point out that Hull aren't a lower league team. Not for this thread



It already was pointed out. Besides, they'll be back here next year


----------



## Brodie

I think Hull City Tigers is a lot better than what happened to Cardiff... I mean, it's just adding the nickname onto the club name. Odds are you'd call them "City" or "Tigers" anyway, so nothing at all changes.


----------



## Live in the Now

Brodie said:


> I think Hull City Tigers is a lot better than what happened to Cardiff... I mean, it's just adding the nickname onto the club name. Odds are you'd call them "City" or "Tigers" anyway, so nothing at all changes.




What happened to Cardiff was a crime, they do have a blue kit this year. I hope they wear it often.


----------



## Brodie

Cardiff was especially brutal because they could have done the same thing Swansea did and just wear a red and green alternate a bunch of times and sold a lot more merch than they will now.


----------



## AlanHUK

How often do the lower leagues have games shown in the US and/or Canada?


----------



## EvilCoop

AlanHUK said:


> How often do the lower leagues have games shown in the US and/or Canada?




Short Answer: Never

Long Answer: Uh, never; but there might be some $20 pay channel that no one has. You have to pretty much look online for televised lower division games.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Nahki Wells is a heck of a goalscorer. Wonder what is ceiling is. Was really curious how the jump from 2 to 1 would affect him, but 2 goals in 1 1/2 matches is a good start.


----------



## Shrimper

AlanHUK said:


> How often do the lower leagues have games shown in the US and/or Canada?




Not often but Sky show a game or two a week. Might be able to find online websites to watch them on.


----------



## Brodie

Concordski said:


> Short Answer: Never
> 
> Long Answer: Uh, never; but there might be some $20 pay channel that no one has. You have to pretty much look online for televised lower division games.




they're on beIN now, I believe. But it's not like we get more than they have on Sky as it is


----------



## AlanHUK

Shrimper said:


> Not often but Sky show a game or two a week. Might be able to find online websites to watch them on.




I have sky, just wondering if i'd be able to see any games when I'm over in September or if i'd be relying on streams.


----------



## vsk92

Watford will win the Championship this year I think.

Great result for them today.


----------



## AlanHUK

First game of the season was the first time Forest won at home on the opening day for over 9 years. 

Now it's only the 2nd win in 9 games away at Blackburn. 

Hopefully that's a good omen.


----------



## Plato

vsk92 said:


> Watford will win the Championship this year I think.
> 
> Great result for them today.




Hope so.
Zola is the man.


----------



## Shrimper

Another 1-0 Southend win.


----------



## EvilCoop

Brodie said:


> they're on beIN now, I believe. But it's not like we get more than they have on Sky as it is




yeah, I saw on the stupid club preview show that the promotion game was on beIN and I suddenly thought "oh crap, I lied." Expensive pay TV is the way to go in the UK, so I guess we aren't entirely different.


----------



## Brodie

yeah, you'll need wifi and a stream unless you're in the world's greatest hotel


----------



## StatesideSensFan

watching Leicester-Leeds and the most important thing gleaned from the first half is that Paul Konchesky can actually grow hair.


----------



## Brodie

Shocking result... Ipswich played a great game. Really stunning finish, can't wait to see it broken down in highlight form.


----------



## AlanHUK

another win for Forest 

Also if anyone on here is interested it seems all Forest's home games this year are going to be shown on al jazeera in Asia so there will be streams for them all


----------



## Chloraflora

I wonder if we'll have even scored by Christmas. Hopefully when we do go down, we at least break some records.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

SpinTheBlackCircle said:


> Nahki Wells is a heck of a goalscorer. Wonder what is ceiling is. Was really curious how the jump from 2 to 1 would affect him, but 2 goals in 1 1/2 matches is a good start.




Just scored again, 4 goals now


----------



## Shrimper

Charlton were losing 3-0 against Doncaster at home. Game was suspended after 30 minutes due to the torrential rain in the East and Center of England down south.


----------



## AlanHUK

just saw that on soccer saturday, feel bad for doncaster fans if that gets called off


----------



## Shrimper

They've started again but the pitch is completely sodden.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Aha apparently Millwall's kit man forgot their kit for today's match so they're wearing Sheffield Wednesday's away.


----------



## Brodie

QPR hadn't won at Bolton in 18 years!

U RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRs


----------



## Shrimper

Charlton game abandoned.


----------



## Shrimper

Gutted. We lost in the last minute.


----------



## AlanHUK

good game for the neutral today in Forest Watford. 

my only complaint from that game is how easily fabbrini goes to ground, as soon as someone gets near him he hits the deck.


----------



## Brodie

We're Queens Park Rangers, we're top of the league!!! (or were, stupid goal differential)


----------



## Shrimper

Wycombe 2-1 Southend. Deserved a draw.


----------



## Shrimper

JPT in progress tonight. Draw on Saturday.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

another for Wells


----------



## AlanHUK

for anyone interested there are 2 championship games on wiziwig at the moment


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Wells with ANOTHER 8 in 7. I want to see him on a bigger stage to see just how good he is.


----------



## AlanHUK

good win for forest with an entertaining game


----------



## Brodie

Knighthood for 'arry plz


----------



## AlanHUK

Derby


----------



## Hesher

Macheda scored again.


----------



## Morlesio14*

It's so frustrating being a Sheffield united supporter.


----------



## Brodie

I want McClaren back


----------



## Brodie




----------



## AlanHUK

solid second half from Forest so far, turned it around after being 1-0 down


----------



## Brodie

the Melbourne R's supporters group made this 







also

Derby

can we have McClaren back now


----------



## Shrimper

My team southend had a game tonight against Mansfield.

It ended up with three red cards (One for us), three goals and injuries. One of the goals was controversial on whether the ball crossed the line or not.


----------



## Brodie

oh my god this stadium

http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/121213-new-stadium-plans-1232327.aspx

supposed to be ready for 2018 per the Times


----------



## Laurent




----------



## Brodie

love that squirrel 

much cooler than Anfield cat


----------



## HajdukSplit

Interesting race developing in the Championship promotion chase. With Burnley and QPR struggling to get wins in the past few weeks Leicester City has taken advantage and now is on top of the table. Derby County though have made the biggest jump, going from midtable up to 4th and only two points off automatic promotion since the arrival of Steve McClaren.

The rest of the pack is probably unlikely to get automatic promotion unless they go on a tear but 5th to 11th is separated by only 5 points. 

Biggest disappointments are Wigan and Watford, but both recently changed managers and could improve in the 2nd half of the season


----------



## AlanHUK

and now it gets tighter, Forest beat QPR, not seen a replay of the second goal yet, but it seemed quite controversial


----------



## Chloraflora

Lomas gone, nobody was surprised.


----------



## HajdukSplit

was looking at the Championship in detail today (nothing better to do)...didn't realize until today Zola left Watford and they hired Sannino! Quite a strange hire and one who is completely opposite of Zola in terms of tactics, 0:0 master


----------



## HajdukSplit

QPR has hit some bad form and Redknapp is in danger of his job. The biggest laugh was Redknapp complaining about injuries, QPR has probably the deepest squad in the league and should have no trouble competing for the top two.

Leicester City can already start to plan for the Premier League next season, Burnley credit to them are still in the promotion hunt, they have been very consistent throughout the season.

Wigan have improved massively under Uwe Rosler and are back in the playoff picture


----------



## Stray Wasp

QPR's record against their promotion rivals is dismal. If memory serves, Derby are the only team in the top six they've beaten this season. Gradually, Rangers became utterly dependent on Charlie Austin's goals, and now he's out for the season they've fallen into disarray.

Meanwhile, down in League One Nigel Clough has survived a pretty uninspiring start to take Sheffield United from the relegation zone to the top half within a month. 

Crawley fired their groundsman because they've suffered so many postponements that at one point they had as many as seven games in hand on some of their rivals.

In League Two, Torquay and Northampton are in grave danger of being cut adrift in the relegation battle.


----------



## AlanHUK

forests entire midfield is injured, after a run of 16 games without losing looks like we're gonna hit a downward spiral hard.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Burnley won promotion to the Premier League today for the second time in the club's history. They join Leicester City who promoted a few weeks back. 

3 of the 4 playoff spots seem to be cemented as well. Derby County (3rd), QPR (4th) and Wigan (5th), it should finish in that order as well

Big fight for the final playoff spot which is currently held by Brighton but Reading have a game in hand which if they win they will jump ahead of them. Other teams still in contention for 6th are Ipswich, Blackburn, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Watford. 

At the bottom Yeovil Town are down unless they win both of their remaining matches and Barnsley look doomed as well. Five clubs hoping to avoid the final spot: Blackpool, Birmingham, Millwall, Doncaster and Charlton with Charlton and Birmingham having a game in hand

In League 1: Wolves make it back to the Championship after only one season in L1 and joining them is Brentford


----------



## AlanHUK

i'm amazed forest are still in with a shout. didn't expect that at all.

Forest - Brighton on the last day of the season could be an interesting one


----------



## Shrimper

I'm quite worried that if we don't get promoted from the League Two play-offs it'll be Carlisle and Gateshead we play against instead of Bristol City and Sheffield United.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby Count secure 3rd place
QPR secure 4th place

Reading jump into 5th for the moment but Wigan have two games to play (equal on points with Reading) while the rest of the league only have 1 so I assume Wigan will get 5th

Reading, Brighton and Blackburn still alive in the playoffs. Reading have 70 points, Brighton 69, Blackburn with 67 (outside shot, goal difference will hurt them). Blackburn is one of the inform teams at the moment but they left it too late it looks like

At the bottom; Yeovil and Barnsley officially relegated, Barnsley go down after playing with fire for the past few seasons where they survived on the last days. Trying to avoid the last spot is 5 clubs: Birmingham, Doncaster, Millwall, Charlton and Blackpool. Blackpool got a massive victory at Wigan or else they would have been in deeper trouble


----------



## Shrimper

Torquay relegated to the Conference.

One of Bristol Rovers, Wycombe or Northampton will follow.

Scunthorpe and Rochdale promoted. One more team to go up automatically.

We're in the play-offs, at the moment it's Fleetwood v Southend and Burton v York.


----------



## mightyquack

End of Conference was brutal. Chester looked set to stay up, but conceded in 86th minute then Hereford scored in the 88th minute to overtake Chester and relegate them.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Conference Premier season ended today; Luton Town promoted back to the football league after 4 seasons, they totally dominated the league, only 5 losses and scored 102 goals in 46. The team who finished bottom (Hyde), only won 1 match the whole season

Playoffs: Cambridge United vs. Halifax Town / Gateshead vs. Grimsby


----------



## Shrimper

mightyquack said:


> End of Conference was brutal. Chester looked set to stay up, but conceded in 86th minute then Hereford scored in the 88th minute to overtake Chester and relegate them.




Was incredible.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

i think everyone is rooting for Millwall to be relegated from the Championship, am i right?


----------



## Shrimper

Rooting for Birmingham myself.


----------



## Purple hippo

I wouldnt mind seeing Birmingham going down either. 

Need Wycombe to somehow make it out alive but I have a feeling they wont, favourable match-up though.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Yeovil, Barnsley, and Doncaster relegated from the Championship.

Birmingham survives with a late goal to tie Bolton and level on pts with Doncaster but ahead on GD


----------



## StatesideSensFan

more importantly at the other end, Brighton goes to the playoffs with their win over Boro while Reading drops out of the playoffs with their draw.

Derby-Brighton and QPR-Wigan. QPR is the only one I am not somewhat interested in being promoted.


----------



## Purple hippo

Hope its Derby who gain promotion.

Close call for Wycombe but they survive sending Torquay and Bristol down.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Gateshead v Cambridge for promotion INTO the Football League.


----------



## Shrimper

That game between Gateshead and Grimsby was a great one. Would like to see Gateshead go up myself but not bothered really either way as Cambridge is nearer and would be nice to play them again.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Wigan 0 QPR 0
Brighton 1 Derby 2

Away goals do NOT count.

Second leg is next week.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Preston North End striker Joe Garner drilling home an equalizer in the first leg of his team's League 1 semi-final against Rotherham United.


----------



## HajdukSplit

njdevsfn95 said:


> Wigan 0 QPR 0
> Brighton 1 Derby 2
> 
> Away goals do NOT count.
> 
> Second leg is next week.




Its amazing how much of a pass Redknapp gets in the English media, first he fails to get automatic promotion then after the draw at Wigan they were saying stuff like "Redknapp will be happy with this result" or some nonsense like that despite their budget and squad 

Derby in good position, they have been very good since McClaren took over


----------



## Shrimper

Let's go boys!


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby up 1:0 at halftime through Will Hughes

Brighton with a big uphill task, they haven't done much at all so far until the 45th minute when Lee Grant saved a point black shot


----------



## Purple hippo

What a hit from Thorne and Derby are complete in control, up 3 in the match, 4 on aggregate, to Wembley for sure now.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Gary Caldwell is an idiot


----------



## HajdukSplit

QPR deserved to win but I think Derby are the favorites in the final


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

A young QPR fan celebrated in style:










lol


----------



## Shrimper

Drew with Burton 2-2


----------



## Shrimper

Ryan Leonard's Golazo from earlier;

https://vine.co/v/MXEb65U7QnX


----------



## Chimaera

Not a red, tough ask now


----------



## Purple hippo

QPR down to 10 men, come on Derby


----------



## HajdukSplit

Not a great game but Derby have been the better team even before the red card


----------



## HajdukSplit

QPR score out of nothing, unbelievable. Derby have only themselves to blame


----------



## Purple hippo

Damn......congrats QPR.


----------



## mightyquack

Pure robbery


----------



## Chimaera

Smash and grab.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Ouch Derby.


----------



## HajdukSplit

I never understood why the winning team gets a trophy


----------



## UKFlyers

HajdukSplit said:


> I never understood why the winning team gets a trophy




The 2nd place team getting a trophy is even stranger. 





Steve McClaren must hate Wembley. This happened the last time he was there:


----------



## Shrimper

Derby were robbed


----------



## BMann

Sickening. I have no doubt the media will be on their knees once again worshipping the great charlatan.

Biggest wage bill in the Championship and scraped through to promotion.


----------



## Kurtosis

Congrats to QPR. I couldn't be happier that they got promoted.


----------



## BMann

Disliked by virtually the whole footballing fraternity here essentially because that man is their manager.

Hope they get relegated next season.


----------



## Brock Anton

This is amazingly accurate.



> Graham Ruthven ‏@grahamruthven
> Every player you wished would never play in the Premier League again plays for QPR.




Then add in the manager....


----------



## Kurtosis

Brock Anton said:


> This is amazingly accurate.
> 
> 
> 
> Then add in the manager....






BMann said:


> Disliked by virtually the whole footballing fraternity here essentially because that man is their manager.
> 
> Hope they get relegated next season.


----------



## Shrimper

They're likely getting a FFP fine so it'll be hard for them.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Why would they get FFP fine? Each seat at Loftus Road, if sold for about Â£10,000, would pay off the debt!


----------



## njdevsfn95

Rotherham come from 2 down to beat Leyton Orient in penalties for promotion to the Championship.

Also trailed in the shootout.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

njdevsfn95 said:


> Rotherham come from 2 down to beat Leyton Orient in penalties for promotion to the Championship.
> .


----------



## Knighthammer

What the hell? Rob Ford manages Rotherham United?!

Back to back promotions, very impressive!


----------



## Shrimper

Hope Fleetwood win today.


----------



## Brodie

BMann said:


> Disliked by virtually the whole footballing fraternity here essentially because that man is their manager.




We don't like him any more than you do. Quite a few wanted to sack him in order to keep McClaren and that was when we were solidly in first place. Hell, I'd still be quite happy if he were to retire and we could land Steve and I for one love being hated. And now that Fulham have been put in their place, we can assume their mantle as London's second most hated club.


----------



## vsk92

> Sky sources understand that Sami Hyypia is in talks with Championship side Brighton over their vacant managerial role.






http://www1.skysports.com/football/...n-in-talks-with-sami-hyypia-over-managers-job


----------



## AlanHUK

this is insanity

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-28524807

ground naming rights of 'at least half a billion' 

some people speculated that might be in kuwait's currency, but that would make it over Â£1b


----------



## Rocko604

AlanHUK said:


> this is insanity
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-28524807
> 
> ground naming rights of 'at least half a billion'
> 
> some people speculated that might be in kuwait's currency, but that would make it over Â£1b




"Welcome to today's match between Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest, live from the Kuwait City Ground Stadium, which we assure you is located in Nottingham, England."


----------



## nyrleetch

Derby will get promoted this time around.


----------



## Machinehead

nyrleetch said:


> Derby will get promoted this time around.




I hope so, they looked really good against QPR. I felt bad that they lost that game.


----------



## nyrleetch

Machinehead said:


> I hope so, they looked really good against QPR. I felt bad that they lost that game.




Certainly was a tough loss.


----------



## nyrleetch

Derby opens up the year with a 1-0 win!


----------



## vsk92

Joronen gets his debut for Fulham against Ipswich right now 

Hopefully he can make the starting goalie spot his own for this season.


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest started well, 2-0 win, completely eased off in the second half


----------



## Shrimper

1-0 win to start the season.


----------



## BritSabre

vsk92 said:


> Joronen gets his debut for Fulham against Ipswich right now
> 
> Hopefully he can make the starting goalie spot his own for this season.




His kicking needs some serious work based on todays evidence. He was a bag of nerves, but he kicked into touch under no pressure too much.


----------



## nyrleetch

Derby 0-0 HT


----------



## nyrleetch

1-0 Derby 63'


----------



## S E P H

How the **** did I miss this until today?


----------



## Chloraflora

So, three wins out of three and no goals conceded so far. Nice.


----------



## Laurent

S E P H said:


> How the **** did I miss this until today?





You need to find the Skysports feed of it (I believe it was) on Youtube.. Forestieri.. Hogg.. DEEENEYYYY


----------



## Chloraflora

LaurentHabs said:


> You need to find the Skysports feed of it (I believe it was) on Youtube.. Forestieri.. Hogg.. DEEENEYYYY




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUf8bBYGslw

I give up trying to embed this


----------



## Kimi

Denzil said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUf8bBYGslw
> 
> I give up trying to embed this









Code:


[noparse][MEDIA=youtube]XUf8bBYGslw[/MEDIA][/noparse]


EDIT: What's the point of code tags if they don't show the code? xD


----------



## magic school bus

S E P H said:


> How the **** did I miss this until today?





Ball don't lie


----------



## HajdukSplit

Fulham start the season losing three in a row, twice at home to teams like Millwall and Wolves. Its still early in the season but looks like it will be a massive struggle for them, very young squad and Magath is starting to wear thin on some of the players


----------



## Chloraflora

Teams like Millwall, hmph. Fulham are a nothing club and always have been.


----------



## Foppa

Fulham capitulating again. Magath has to go, it's not going to work with the team he has. Oooph, 5-1 Derby now.

Forest look brilliant so far this season, absolutely thrashing Reading 4-0 now. It is amazing up front what some cutting edge finishing will do for a team. The likes of Cox, Mackie and Henderson are out...replaced by some absolute finishers in Antonio, Assombolanga and Fryatt. That late summer swap-out of Cox and Mackie for Antonio and Assombolanga was brilliant. Both those guys look unstoppable right now plus Burke has added talent to the right side and a PL/Bundesliga defender added to the center of the defense in Mancienne.

A shame that Darlow and Lascelles will be lost after this season because there is some PL-upside in this side. You never know with Al-Hasawi but thus far the summer moves are paying off huge and with Psycho in charge and hopefully the dividends of this absurd stadium-naming deal paying off...I think it is actually safe, finally, to be quite bullish on the Reds' chances to get back where they belong - granted, very early on.


----------



## nyrleetch

Great result for Derby today!


----------



## Foppa

nyrleetch said:


> Great result for Derby today!




The East Midlands derby could be quite a barnburner this year!


----------



## AlanHUK

it's odd seeing Forest having strikers that actually score


----------



## Cin

Magath is football cancer.


----------



## Lewis

Portsmouth having a great start to the season. Andy Awford is the man.


----------



## BritSabre

Cin said:


> Magath is football cancer.




Shambles, absolute disgrace and embaressment. Manager, owner and CEO have no clue. Clearly came in with the ridiculous expectation to cake walk the division. Sold and disrespecting our experienced players. Urgh.

Full credit to Derby today. Result didn't flatter them at all. Good team.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

I wonder how many hipster Fulham fans are still with them now.


----------



## Chloraflora

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> I wonder how many hipster Fulham fans are still with them now.




90% of Fulham's fanbase consists of dozing old men, tourists, and coked-up city ******, so a fair chunk will go I'd say.


----------



## Foppa

Forest win again!


----------



## AlanHUK

top and unbeaten at the international break. not bad


----------



## AlanHUK

less than 20 hours to go before the first east midlands derby of the season


----------



## Shrimper

Magath has to be sacked soon.


----------



## Shrimper

Terrible stewarding by Forest. Just let a pitch invader wander around. Also some morons that ruin it by doing that, should ban them for life.


----------



## nyrleetch

Derby huge goal to tie right now.


----------



## nyrleetch

Eight minutes?!


----------



## nyrleetch

1-1 ft


----------



## AlanHUK

crazy game, hope those 3 idiots that got on the pitch get banned for life. Not exactly happy with how our stewards dealt with it either. 

Back in Clough's day the pitch invaders would have got a slap

losing Reid and Cohen was huge, second half with no experienced leaders in midfield really showed that


----------



## Plato

Forrest up 1-0 over Fulham already.
Magath has lost the plot and will likely be sacked with a loss.
If they lose, he counts 4 wins in 21 matches as Fulham boss.


----------



## Guy

2-0. Fulham real bad.


----------



## HajdukSplit

read that Solskjaer is on his way out at Cardiff too, poor start to the season for them. Incredible seeing some of the names in the lower half of the Championship, mostly former EPL clubs within the last 5 seasons  (Fulham, Blackpool, Bolton, Birmingham, Wigan, Cardiff)


----------



## Plato

So Fulham makes a great comeback scoring 3 in succession to go up 3-2.

Only to then concede at the 77', the '79 and the 89th minute to lose 5-3.


----------



## bluesfan94

Plato said:


> So Fulham makes a great comeback scoring 3 in succession to go up 3-2.
> 
> Only to then concede at the 77', the '79 and the 89th minute to lose 5-3.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Plato said:


> Forrest up 1-0 over Fulham already.
> Magath has lost the plot and will likely be sacked with a loss.
> If they lose, he counts 4 wins in 21 matches as Fulham boss.




Pardew has 5 wins in 23 and hasnt been fired...theres hope for Magath!


----------



## Plato

njdevsfn95 said:


> Pardew has 5 wins in 23 and hasnt been fired...theres hope for Magath!


----------



## AlanHUK

I still can't believe forest have an actual goal scorer again. 

And we got him from Peterboro, the last guy we got from Peterboro wasn't too bad for us either.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Solskjaer sacked by Cardiff, 4th manager to leave a Championship club already and its only mid-September.

Tony Pulis (a Welshman) seems to be the favorite but Paul Hartley (ex-Celtic, Scotland international) is also in the mix. He is coaching in the SPL


----------



## Ceremony

Hans Moleman has been sacked by Fulham: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29261059


----------



## HajdukSplit

how accurate is this Darko Milanic to Leeds story? Way out of left field this potential hiring. Milanic did a good job with Maribor, really started their revival which has continued this season as they qualified for the Champions League but he hasn't done such a great job at Graz. Has no association with English football as well, usually risky to hire these type of managers especially in the lower leagues (Magath, Solbakken come to mind)


----------



## Shrimper

3 wins a row


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

So, Casasola of Fulham not going to get any games?


----------



## nyrleetch

2-0 Derby over Bolton.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Fulham get their first victory of the season away to Birmingham who are struggling as well

Norwich top of the league after Forest failed to win their last two matches.


----------



## HajdukSplit

1-10 in the Championship is separated by only 4 points. All very tight with Forest hitting some negative form. Despite 1 win in 5 they are still second, but the key is none of these have been losses and the teams around them (Norwich for example) haven't really taken advantage of it. The big surprise is Ipswich and Charlton

The bottom 5 in the Championship meanwhile are all recent EPL teams, most surprising is Wigan


----------



## AlanHUK

HajdukSplit said:


> 1-10 in the Championship is separated by only 4 points. All very tight with Forest hitting some negative form. Despite 1 win in 5 they are still second, but the key is none of these have been losses and the teams around them (Norwich for example) haven't really taken advantage of it. The big surprise is *Ipswich* and Charlton
> 
> The bottom 5 in the Championship meanwhile are all recent EPL teams, most surprising is Wigan




If todays game was anything to go by Ipswich are quite possibly the dirtiest team in the championship. constant little kicks, cheap fouls, shirt pulling, holding. No idea how they got away without a booking from the game. 

Typical Mick McCarthy team


----------



## HajdukSplit

Still real tight in the Championship, nobody running away with it with a lot of inconsistent sides. Top 10 is separated only by 5 points. Derby, Watford and Wolves are joint leaders while Forest have hit some negative forum and dropped to 7th

Leeds fired Milanic after only 6 matches, he earned three points in those games. Not surprised looking at their owner, but Milanic was always a risky hire as he has never experience coaching in England and the interim before him was actually doing well

A little late but ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon was hired by Bolton. Bolton currently in the relegation zone but they won today

Birmingham conceded 8 goals at home, played with ten men for 83 minutes though 

In League 1: Bristol City running away with it but Preston have two games in hand and 5 points behind them. Yeovil in danger of suffering back to back relegations

League 2: Luton town the early leaders but still very tight, disappointing to see Portsmouth hit some bad form, down to 13th.


----------



## Stray Wasp

HajdukSplit said:


> Birmingham conceded 8 goals at home, played with ten men for 83 minutes though




This after Lee Clark was sacked. If memory serves, he'd been the Championship's longest serving manager, having been appointed in the summer of 2012.


----------



## nyrleetch

Derby gets Chelsea! 

Revenge Time!


----------



## AlanHUK

not surprisingly forest have dropped off, why they didn't try and bring in an experienced midfielder after reid and cohen got injured is beyond me.


----------



## mmk786

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30139723



> Wigan owner Dave Whelan has apologised for comments made in a controversial newspaper interview.
> 
> In defending new manager Malky Mackay, Whelan made comments about Jewish and Chinese people described as "offensive" by West Ham owner David Gold.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Middlesbrough beat Derby in a top of the table clash earlier today and they are now joint leaders with surprise package Bournemouth (Bournemouth currently top the table due to more goals scored)

1-7 is separated by only 6 points and some surprise teams up there (Bournemouth, Ipswich, Brentford)

At the bottom, Blackpool look doomed, 8 points from safety. Wigan and Brighton occupy the other two relegation spots and the teams ahead of them are starting to create some distance.


----------



## HajdukSplit

if they season ended today Bournemouth and Ipswich would be Premier League bound 

Still very tight in the top half of the table, 1-6 separated by 4 points now

At the bottom two teams starting to drift, Blackpool were doomed to start the season but Wigan are in a bit of trouble, Rotherham beat them at the DW, poor result


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest are still at 1-1 all 3 key decisions in this game so far have been gotten wrong by the officials. unbelievable.


----------



## Jussi

HyypiÃ¤ resigned from Brighton.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Heskey scores on his debut! All heil the king


----------



## Ceremony

Normality returns to Wales as Cardiff are to play in blue again: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30741073


----------



## nyrleetch

Derby up 1-0 on Nottingham at the half!


----------



## nyrleetch

Terrible loss for Derby. Can't drop games versus terrible teams. Especially at home.


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest aren't as bad as the league position suggests. 

I said it in the league cup thread bad luck has seen us drop points we shouldn't have. 

It looked like it was going to be more of the same today before they came out after half time and controlled the game against the best team in the league.


----------



## nyrleetch

AlanHUK said:


> Forest aren't as bad as the league position suggests.
> 
> I said it in the league cup thread bad luck has seen us drop points we shouldn't have.
> 
> It looked like it was going to be more of the same today before they came out after half time and controlled the game against the best team in the league.




I can't give a rival any credit.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bournemouth have cooled off a bit lately, two wins in five with back to back draws, today a disappointing one at home to Huddersfield. They still top the league but both Derby and Middlesbrough have a game in hand and will pass Bournemouth if they win it. 

Brentford fall out of the top 6, replaced by Norwich. Watford and Ipswich still within reach of automatic promotion.

At the bottom Blackpool and Wigan are doomed, the final relegation spot is probably down to Millwall, Brighton, Rotherham, Fulham, Charlton. Leeds with a big win today to go 8 points clear of relegation

In League 1: Bristol City look like strong contenders for promotion; Swindon, MK Dons and Preston fighting for the last automatic promotion spot


----------



## Cassano

And you guys thought Matic's reaction was bad.


----------



## Guy

solid little Sunday morning


----------



## HajdukSplit

Incredible the top of the Championship, the top four sides are all on 66 points with 5th place Norwich on 65. Derby threw away a two goal lead late while both Middlesbrough and Watford dropped points as well. Bournemouth despite their poor form lately beat Fulham and are back on top 

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/championship/table


----------



## AlanHUK

the championship is the most competitive league in the world


----------



## Purple hippo

Far from impressive performance from Derby and lucky to get a point but in the end, a point is a point and a point to the good. Really though, Norwich missed so many good chances and Grant made some fantastic stops to keep them from all three points. 

Happy to see Hanson get his first ever goal in his first appearance for Derby, nothing better than scoring a goal from the corner as the corner taker. Thanks for that Ruddy. How bad he must feel as the reason Derby gets a point.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bournemouth have it all in their own hands to win the Championship and gain promotion to the Premier League. They have three games left, all against teams outside the top 10. Norwich, Middlesbrough and Watford are the only teams with realistic chances of catching up to them or grabbing the 2nd automatic spot. 

Derby and Ipswich likely to get the final two playoff spots after both Brentford and Wolves slipped up today

Blackpool already down, Wigan about down, Millwall's massive win today keeps their hopes alive and Rotherham might have points deducted due to fielding an ineligible player

Elsewhere, Bristol City promote to the Championship with three games to spare. Yeovil suffer back to back relegations


----------



## Stray Wasp

As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the Valley Parade fire that killed 56 Bradford City fans, a new book claims City's then owner was in financial difficulties, and just happened to have a history of suffering fire damage to his businesses.

The book is being serialised in the Grauniad, and a link to part one is below.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/apr/15/bradford-fire-stafford-heginbotham-martin-fletcher


----------



## HajdukSplit

Watford go top of the Championship after Bournemouth conceded a 90th minute penalty to draw with Sheffield Wednesday. Bournemouth and Boro both have 84 points but Bournemouth's GD is far better. 

Wigan won today but their Championship status is all but over, they must win both their remaining games and hope for some major help


----------



## Shrimper

MASSIVE WIN Tonight.

Potentially 2 wins from promotion.

Incredibly moving that David Worrall scored the winner after the premature death of his son.

Win on Saturday on Luton now.


----------



## Jussi

Salford City FC, the club owned by the Neville brothers, Giggs and Scholes has won the Northern Premier League Division One North. The points gathered...92.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Tranmere look to be falling out of the league if the current results hold up.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Watford promoted


----------



## Shrimper

Looks like a trip to Morecambe is on the cards next week...


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Cheltenham and Tranmere are both out of the league.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> Watford promoted




If Bournemouth win on Monday night they are 99% promoted as well, due to their far superior GD on Middlesbrough and Norwich. Boro and Norwich both have the playoffs confirmed at least, Ipswich looks good while Derby need a win (though a draw will likely be enough) on the final matchday against Reading. Brentford and Wolves need big wins, talking like 7-8 goals at least 

Rotherham were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player so the relegation fight tightened up. Rotherham do have a game in hand though against Reading at home who have already secured safety. Wigan are in the toughest position, its completely out of their hands, even if they win its unlikely they stay up. Its pretty much down to Rotherham and Millwall, but if Rotherham win midweek then Millwall go down before their final game

Barnet promote back into the football league after a two year absence. Bristol Rovers, Grimsby Town, Eastleigh and Forest Green Rovers will compete in a playoff for the final promotion spot. Eastleigh have never competed in the football league and are still gunning for back to back promotions


----------



## Ceremony

Rotherham or Millwall can join Wigan and Blackpool in going down and I will be filled with glee, I'm not bothered


----------



## njdevsfn95

I need to pay more attention to the thread Im going yo be posting in next season.

Anywho, for some reason I want Bournemouth to go up. Think it was after I listened to a piece about them on TalkSport.


----------



## Foppa

Cool to see Watford back in the PL...have a soft spot for them since the late 90's/early 00's Championship Manager games. Gifton Noel-Williams was a beast at forward. The whole Pozzo-owned thing with Udinese and Granada is kinda weird but I guess par for the course as the club have had some interesting ups and downs over the past 20 years. Last time up I clearly remember they destroyed themselves in financially ruinous spending under Vialli...along with the likes of Bradford and Leeds (Leeds of course on such a grand, ambitious scale). 

I wonder with Granada probably dropping out of the top flight in Spain and Udinese sputtering along in a weak Serie A, if Pozzo will shift more talents Watford's way to try and make a splash in the PL...


----------



## HajdukSplit

My assumption is most of the focus will go to Watford, simply because of the Premier League's financial rewards. Udinese will still probably do a good job locating/scouting young players which you can't sign in England due to work permits so they should be find as well. Not sure how seriously they took Granada and they might get relegated anyway


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Patrick Bamford named Championship player of the year. Doesn't make team of the season.


----------



## Shrimper

Got my nice 6 hour trip to Morecambe on Saturday booked!


----------



## njdevsfn95

Bournemouth (my PL replacement team for Newcastle next season) up 2-0 late in first half.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bournemouth are pretty much up, unless they blow this lead (doubt it the way Bolton have showed up) or there is something like a 17-18 goal swing on the final day of the season


----------



## StatesideSensFan

bye bye Millwall and Wigan.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

sorry Shrimper

bournemouth win the championship. derby falls out of the playoffs and Brentford take advantage of it


----------



## HajdukSplit

Norwich City vs. Ipswich Town
Middlesbrough vs. Brentford

That's the Championship playoffs, a feisty East Anglian derby to open it up. Both Norwich and Middlesbrough won both their matches against their opponents in league play. 

My bet is on Norwich, Boro's form to close the season wasn't the best while Norwich have been consistent all season


----------



## Ceremony

StatesideSensFan said:


> sorry Shrimper




A 12 hour round bus journey in addition to that. Ouch. 

Best game in the Championship today was Blackpool/Huddersfield which had a pitch invasion. Like, a full one. That got the game abandoned.






Not visible is the guy in a mobility scooter that got on too


----------



## Shrimper

I feel sick after that.

Now for a play off defeat.


----------



## HajdukSplit

entertaining first leg between Brentford and Middlesbrough which Boro won 2:1, Amorebieta scoring a goal in the 94th minute after a corner kick. Brentford were the better side for most of the match but didn't finish their chances. Middlesbrough, who are strong at home, should feel confident about getting into the final at Wembley


----------



## Shrimper

All of you wonderful people get to watch Southend in 1 hr 35.


----------



## Kimi

The Swindon game was definitely something xD.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

The fighting Shrimpers are tied with Stevenage in their 2nd leg matchup.


----------



## Shrimper

My voice. Help.


----------



## Shrimper

To say I'm nervous about tomorrow is an understatement.

Supporting Southend I've learnt to go into games like this expecting the worst but hoping for the best.


----------



## Ceremony

Southend equalise with seconds left in extra time and win on penalties. Pleasing.


----------



## Shrimper

I'm in pieces.


----------



## Shrimper

scenes


----------



## HajdukSplit

Norwich all over Boro and deserve their 2:0 lead, Norwich's second goal was Barcelona-esque with the build up, the first goal was comical defending by Boro who stopped playing after wanting a foul on Ayala

Middlesbrough only had one shot so far but it was off the bar


----------



## HajdukSplit

Norwich lead 2:0 at halftime and are in full control of this match, Middlesbrough not a single shot on target. The tempo has died down after the fast start but hard to see Middlesbrough come back in this, though you never know at this level


----------



## Guy

Oh yeah!


----------



## HajdukSplit

Never in doubt, Norwich started off quick with good tempo and scored twice in the opening 20 minutes then had control of the game until the finish. Middlesbrough hit the post and had one weak shot on target in the second half, that's it. All very comfortable for Norwich


----------



## Ceremony

Another year of playoff joy for Alex Neil

I look forward to seeing him in the Premier League


----------



## HajdukSplit

Still early days in the football league season but here's an update on the three leagues after four rounds

CHAMPIONSHIP
Two teams at the top of the table with 10 points from 4; Ipswich Town who continue the good form they had from last season and a surprising Brighton. Hull, QPR and Burnley aren't exactly flying high since relegation. Hull and QPR are in the playoff area while Burnley is in midtable. Two of the newly promoted sides; MK Dons and Preston are in the top half of the table while the last promoted side Bristol City got their first win of the season at Middlesbrough. Teams like Bolton, Blackburn and Fulham still without a win

LEAGUE ONE
Gillingham and Walsall top the table with 10 points with Coventry losing their first match today. Newly promoted Burton with 3 wins in 4 looking for back to back promotions. Blackpool are bottom and seem to be a club in free fall with their financial woes

LEAGUE TWO
Leyton Orient are the lone perfect team in the league. Despite starting with two wins Portsmouth have since drawn their two games but look like a side who will fight for promotion.


----------



## HajdukSplit

CHAMPIONSHIP
Brighton still flying high and on top of the league as the only team unbeaten. They have a three point edge on 2nd place Middlesbrough but Burnley have a game in hand tomorrow against Derby and if they win they will join Middlesbrough at 2nd. Queens Park Rangers outside the playoff places for now, scoring a lot of goals but defensively suspect. Big log jam at the bottom half of the table, Rotherham picked up their first win but remain bottom on 5 points. Teams like Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves near the relegation zone as well

LEAGUE ONE
Newly promoted Burton Albion on top in the division, big surprise but this is a well run club who have rose through the ranks of English football fairly quickly. Walsall and Gillingham each a point behind while Coventry have slowed down but remain two points out. At the bottom is Blackpool who may suffer back to back relegations

LEAGUE TWO
Leyton Orient on top but good to see Portsmouth unbeaten and in 2nd place. First to twelfth is only separated by 5 points so all to play for in this division. Already dragged into the bottom is Newport County, still without a win. Down there is Yeovil Town who could suffer an unthinkable third consecutive relegation season


----------



## GabeTravels

Pompey still unbeaten, with a couple nice comebacks.

Hope they can keep it up. Been a long 5 years, would be nice to see them climb back up.


----------



## Chloraflora

We won our first Saturday home game since LAST OCTOBER yesterday. Crikey.


----------



## Stray Wasp

An eventful day in the Championship. 

Two managers depart: Marinus Dijkhuizen, who replaced the harshly dealt-treated Mark Warburton at Brentford because he supposedly suited their 'analytical' master-plan, managed eight points from eight games.

Steve 'count the spoons' Evans leaves Rotherham having won consecutive games to lift them out of the bottom three. In three and a bit years Evans won two promotions, but his personnel changes were manic, and he played an ineligible player last season, costing the club three valuable points in the middle of a relegation struggle.

Meanwhile, Steve Morgan puts Wolves up for sale, and Charlie Austin is out for a month injured.


----------



## Jussi




----------



## Stray Wasp

Pity fans of Swindon Town.

You may be aware that under Paolo di Canio they were promoted from League Two to League One in 2011/12, then were challenging for promotion to the Championship the season after. At which point it was revealed they'd made the careless mistake of strengthening their team with money they didn't have. Cue a the sale of star player Matt Ritchie to Bournemouth to stave off administration, followed apace by di Canio's departure. Under his replacement, Kevin Macdonald, a play-off semi-final was lost on penalties.

The summer of 2013 brought a playing exodus so drastic that Macdonald walked. His assistant, Mark Cooper became manager, and the Robins were tipped for relegation. In the event, they narrowly missed the playoffs. The secret had been their new chairman Lee Power's relationship with the then Spurs development coach Tim Sherwood. Swindon had packed their team with young rejects from Premier League or Championship clubs, and loanees, and produced a side committed to passing, attacking football. 

It was an achievement Power could take great pride in, particularly as he'd been operating on a budget half the size of what Swindon's previous board had given di Canio in 2012/13. Doubts expressed about Power's previous, unsuccessful involvements at a couple of other clubs seemed misplaced. He'd invested his own cash in Swindon, indeed. The only complaint was that he was a trifle thin-skinned regarding journalists, a shade too quick to issue reporter bans.

In 2014/15 Power carved another 20% or so from Swindon's budget. His line towards the media became still colder. Yet the good football endured, and the results improved on the year before. Automatic promotion seemed possible. The team fell away, however, and ended up in the playoffs. Their astonishing defeat of Sheffield United led them to Wembley, where Preston thumped them. 

Cue the swinging of the axe. Swindon had had arguably the best footballing midfield in the division. By September 1st, three of its five components had been sold. The team lost its identity, as older British players were introduced into the mix, as well as a handful of obscure Frenchmen. No one could ask Power awkward questions, because Swindon had announced they'd severed ties with all independent media.

One defeat in the first six games suggested Power had come up trumps again, but six defeats in seven have followed, and Swindon are in the relegation zone. Cooper paid the price, and Power appointed as caretaker...himself. Result: no points.

Now there are rumours the new manager will be John Carver. Yes, that one. The parallels between Power and Mike Ashley increase by the week.


----------



## Ceremony

Did you know that Steve Bruce is a published author? http://www.balls.ie/football/steve-bruce-novel/293169


----------



## GabeTravels

Pompey best in League 2 on GD, and 4th in the table. Really happy with the team this year.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brighton lose their first game of the season in convincing fashion as they lost to Boro 3:0 at home. Middlesbrough and Derby are now the top two while Brighton and Hull both lost today but are still within reach of automatic promotion. Burnley went 8 games without a win until today which dented their automatic promotion hopes but remain 5th. The fight for sixth will be intense, many clubs involved. At the bottom Bolton looked doomed with their results (1 win 22) plus their off the field financial problems, they might go the route of Portsmouth 

Despite losing Hasselbaink to QPR, Burton Albion are still flying in League 1 and look good for promotion. 

Interesting to see the status of Yeovil Town, currently 2nd from bottom in League 2, if they relegate this season they will have suffered three consecutive relegations; from the Championship to Conference in three seasons


----------



## HajdukSplit

After going 21 games unbeaten, Brighton have now lost 3 of 4 and could fall to 5th by the end of the weekend. While in this league you never know, it appears this is Middlesbrough's title to lose while likely the second automatic spot will come down to Derby or Hull, Derby the favorites at the moment, simply in better form than most of the league


----------



## HajdukSplit

Boro beat Derby to go 4 points clear at the top with a game in hand, probably the favorites for promotion now and even the English bookies have then evens to win the league

Burton go on top of League 1 but the top 4 are all within 4 points of each other.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Heading into the home stretch of the English lower leagues

*CHAMPIONSHIP:* Burnley are in decent shape to return to the top flight, losing only 5 of 38 games they are currently on top of the league, four points above Brighton, five points above Middlesbrough who have a game in hand. Middlesbrough struggling a bit last few weeks and even were close to losing Aitor Karanka who threatened to resign but they still control their own destiny for automatic promotion. Hull City are now the team in a rough patch and went from competing for first place to now likely out of automatic promotion contention following a stretch of no wins in four. Derby look a certain playoff team but controversially sacked Paul Clement, in the mean time they have brought in Harry Redknapp in an 'advisor' role. The fight for sixth place will be a tight one between Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Cardiff City and Birmingham City. At the bottom, Bolton and Charlton are doomed while the final relegation spot will be a fight between MK Dons, Fulham and Rotherham

*LEAGUE ONE:* Burton Albion and Wigan look certain for promotion, only question is who will win the league. However, third place Walsall have two games in hand and if they win both they can challenging those two. At the bottom Crewe and Colchester are as good as relegated while too many teams are still in the fight to avoid the last two relegation spots

*LEAGUE TWO:* Top three + playoff winner promote in this division. Northampton Town have a commanding 13 point lead on second place while more importantly a 16 point lead on the team in the top playoff spot. Oxford/Plymouth/Accrington Stanley/Bristol Rovers fighting for the two other promotion spots, maybe Portsmouth can get there but there are so many teams they have to jump ahead, playoffs look certain. Dagenham & Redbridge and York look certain to be relegated out of the football league


----------



## spintheblackcircle

What is the financial difference between the lower leagues? How much more does an L1 team get over an L2 team and how much more does a Championship side get over an L1 team?


----------



## HajdukSplit

Incredible finish upcoming in the Championship with two games to go; the top three are all on 87 points with nearly identical goal differences

1. Burnley 87 +33
2. Middlesbrough 87 +32
3. Brighton 82 +29

Burnley probably have the 'easier' of the fixtures, they host QPR which has nothing to play for and go to already relegated Charlton. Middlesbrough-Brighton play on the last day of the season  Before that Brighton host Derby who is still playing for seeding while Middlesbrough go to Birmingham

Hull and Derby have secured playoff spots and will likely play each other, only question is who hosts the second leg at home, if that even matters in the Championship where away goals don't count. The last playoff spot is between Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff, with Wednesday having a four point advantage with two games to go

At the bottom all is known: Bolton, Charlton and MK Dons go down

In League One; Wigan and Burton Albion both go up, for Wigan its a swift return while Burton continue their incredible rise, 10 years ago they were midtable in the Conference, now back to back promotions. 

edit: Burton not yet officially up but 99% certain 



spintheblackcircle said:


> What is the financial difference between the lower leagues? How much more does an L1 team get over an L2 team and how much more does a Championship side get over an L1 team?




Even sides in the Championship don't make much from TV revenue but they are becoming more 'attractive' to foreign ownership, buying a club for cheap and hoping to hit the promotion jackpot. According to a football economy site the average turnover is 15m pounds, but the clubs relegated into the Championship still get parachute payments. Not positive about L1/L2, League 1 has some clubs with decent budgets (mostly ex-EPL clubs such as Wigan, Sheffield United) but most clubs don't exceed 1-2m.


----------



## HajdukSplit

CHAMPIONSHIP
Middlesbrough drop points in Birmingham, quite controversially as they had a good goal disallowed which means both Brighton and Burnley can jump ahead of them on Monday with wins. Brighton host Derby who are still playing for 'seeding' while Burnley host QPR with little to play for. Sheffield Wednesday's win over Cardiff means they are in the playoffs. Hull/Derby/Sheffield are guaranteed playoff spots but they can still finish in differing positions

LEAGUE ONE
Now its official, Burton Albion are promoted, back to back promotions. Millwall, Walsall, Bradford City are in the playoffs with the last spot still to be determined. Crewe and Colchester are down, joining them is likely Doncaster and former Premier League side Blackpool

LEAGUE TWO
Still looking for the two teams to join Northampton next season in L1: Accrington Stanley, Oxford and Bristol Rovers are the three clubs fighting for the last two automatic promotion spots. Good to see Portsmouth in the playoffs in search to return higher in the English football leagues. York City and Dangenham & Redbridge are out of the football league

CONFERENCE
Cheltenham promote to L2, playoffs still to be determined


----------



## RonTugnutt

I heard a rumour that Sportsnet is going to be broadcasting some Championship matches next season.... Anyone else hear this? Would be great.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Burnley promote to the Premier League, kind of bored seeing them again but they are a well run club to their credit. Will be interesting to see if they spend a bit more than usual and if Andre Gray can replicate his success in the lower leagues to the EPL

Last spot will be determined between Middlesbrough-Brighton, Boro only need a draw, Brighton must win


----------



## Chloraflora

Not sure why you keep saying Burton are up... They aren't.


----------



## Michigan

pls delete


----------



## hatterson

Go Oxford! I led them to promotion in my Football Manager campaign, hoping they can pull it off in real life


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Wrigley said:


> There are some important games this weekend, but they aren't in the EPL. I can't wait to see who wins.




Pulling hard for Brighton. Should be a great game with them having to really go for it.


----------



## Ivan13

hatterson said:


> Go Oxford! *I led them to promotion in my Football Manager campaign*, hoping they can pull it off in real life




Dag & Red for life


----------



## NJDevs26

HajdukSplit said:


> Burnley promote to the Premier League, kind of bored seeing them again but they are a well run club to their credit. Will be interesting to see if they spend a bit more than usual and if Andre Gray can replicate his success in the lower leagues to the EPL
> 
> Last spot will be determined between Middlesbrough-Brighton, Boro only need a draw, Brighton must win




The game's on beIn now, whatever that channel is. 1-1 after 60 minutes

And the Brighton player who scored just got sent off now lol, now they've got to go +1 in the last half hour down a man.


----------



## Shrimper

Brighton blowing it


----------



## Michigan

pls delete


----------



## HajdukSplit

Championship playoffs:

Sheffield Wednesday vs. Brighton (Friday and Monday)
Derby County vs. Hull City (Saturday and Tuesday)

Brighton and Sheffield played two scoreless draws during the season while Derby beat Hull home and away, 6:0 season aggregate. There are no away goals during these matches and the final will be played on the same day as the CL final

Hull looking to promote after one season, Derby have had mixed fortunes in the playoffs and were last in the Premier League in 2008. Wednesday haven't been in the top flight since 2000 while Brighton are looking to get their for the first time in their 114 year history


----------



## Tryamkin

Abysmal season for Bolton as they finish bottom of the championship in 24th and get relegated down to League 1. Hard to imagine they were in the EPL just a few years ago.

My favourite lower team, Blackpool, is in a pinch in League 1. Sitting 2 points below relegation on the final game.

Grats to Wigan who's back up into the Championship. They were also in the EPL just a few years ago. (Okay, a bit longer than a few years )

Burton is basically up.. Not confirmed but they have one more game against Doncaster Rovers who are a relegated team. Also hold a +3 GD on Walsall

Good to see Bristol Rovers squeak their way into League 1 on GD.

Oxford Town and Northhampton Town also made it up.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle supporter getting his feet wet before jumping into this thread in a weeks time.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Or now...BHA v Derby final would be delicious.

Why?

Hughton was unceremoniously fired from Newcastle and Newcastle mystifyingly hired McClaren who was previously employed at Derby.....

Lee Charnley you arse


----------



## bluesfan94

hatterson said:


> Go Oxford! I led them to promotion in my Football Manager campaign, hoping they can pull it off in real life




I spent a summer in Oxford a few years ago and saw one of their test matches. Fun time. Glad they went up.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

HajdukSplit said:


> Championship playoffs:
> 
> Sheffield Wednesday vs. Brighton (Friday and Monday)
> Derby County vs. Hull City (Saturday and Tuesday)
> 
> Brighton and Sheffield played two scoreless draws during the season while Derby beat Hull home and away, 6:0 season aggregate. There are no away goals during these matches and the final will be played on the same day as the CL final
> 
> Hull looking to promote after one season, Derby have had mixed fortunes in the playoffs and were last in the Premier League in 2008. Wednesday haven't been in the top flight since 2000 while Brighton are looking to get their for the first time in their 114 year history




Brighton were in the First Division in the early 80s


----------



## Michigan

> *Villa will be joined by two from Norwich, Sunderland and Newcastle. If Sunderland beat Everton on Wednesday, that would relegate both their rivals. ...In the play-offs for the final promotion place, Brighton & Hove Albion will face Sheffield Wednesday, while Hull City will face Derby County. ...In the play-offs for the last promotion place, Walsall face Barnsley while Millwall take on Bradford City. ...In the play-offs for the final promotion spot, Accrington Stanley face AFC Wimbledon, while Plymouth Argyle take on Portsmouth. ...In the play-off final for the second promotion place, Forest Green Rovers will face Grimsby Town on Sunday 15 May.*



http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35904536

The teams I like are Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City, and Portsmouth.


----------



## Chloraflora

StatesideSensFan said:


> Brighton were in the First Division in the early 80s




Hush, everyone knows football didn't exist before the advent of the almighty Premier League.


----------



## Cucumber

Joe Weller will have a choice if Brighton makes it to the EPL. The almighty Chelsea or his local club Brighton.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

31 years ago today at Valley Parade. Hope Bradford City can gain promotion from League 1, always had a soft spot for them since i saw this for the first time. And the broadcaster did one of the best jobs in describing a disaster I've seen. "...he'd come to watch the football" kinda breaks your heart.


----------



## Michigan

Denzil said:


> Hush, everyone knows football didn't exist before the advent of the almighty Premier League.



I realize you're joking, but for those kids born after 89 it's true. I was 30 when it started.


----------



## hatterson

spintheblackcircle said:


> What is the financial difference between the lower leagues? How much more does an L1 team get over an L2 team and how much more does a Championship side get over an L1 team?




Didn't notice anyone provide actual figures on this.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/...ease-football-league-solidarity-payments.html

There's the full detail. As far as a tl;dr:

Clubs in the Championship receive 6% of a full revenue share that PL clubs receive.
League 1 clubs receive .9%
League 2 clubs receive .6%

For specific numbers, this is what they'll roughly what the new agreement would pay lower clubs under the current TV deal. That doesn't factor in the new, higher, TV deal that is kicking in next year and is ~60% higher than the current deal and it doesn't factor in any update in overseas rights as well. In a couple years, it's conceivable that numbers could be double listed below.

FL Championship clubs: Â£3million/season
FL League One clubs: Â£450,000/season
FL League Two clubs: Â£300,000/season


----------



## Plato

njdevsfn95 said:


> Newcastle supporter getting his feet wet before jumping into this thread in a weeks time.




Sure is cold down here...


----------



## Guy

...and I'm back


----------



## GabeTravels

Pompey against Plymouth tonight in the first leg of the League 2 Playoffs.

So excited to be in the promotion mix. Been a long 6 years...


----------



## Michigan

Newcastle is gonna have a huge target on their backs, because teams will want to beat their tradition. Teams such as Brighton, Derby, and Hull can beat them if Newcastle doesn't get serious.


----------



## Johnnywhite

Guy said:


> ...and I'm back




Sadness. My Dad was a huge Norwich fan, consequently I spent many an afternoon or evening at Carrow Rd.


----------



## Cin

I'll definintely be watching all of Newcastle's games next season. I've just always been drawn to the club even with all of their ********. I really, REALLY hope Benitez stays.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Wrigley said:


> Newcastle is gonna have a huge target on their backs, because teams will want to beat their tradition. Teams such as Brighton, Derby, and Hull can beat them if Newcastle doesn't get serious.




That only goes so far, though.

The players that stayed in 2009 certainly weren't "top drawer" but they had a bit of fight and pride.

The only thing relegation does is offer an excuse to ditch the players that haven't put it all on the field. Out of the new signings, I'd keep:

Mitrovic - more effective in less time than Cisse. Seems to bring an edge to his game that is needed.

Townsend - not saying he will stay but clearly one of the better performers under Benitez.

Mbemba - can't imagine how much worse the D would've been without him.

That's it, really, mostly because I don't see the others staying anyway.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth/Plymouth 2-2 after Leg 1. Pompey actually a better road squad this year than at home, so things are looking okay for Sunday.

I was so happy to find a SkySports2 stream...got to see my team play live for the first time in several years. Stinks there is hardly any lower league soccer on.


----------



## Michigan

MSPGabe said:


> Portsmouth/Plymouth 2-2 after Leg 1. Pompey actually a better road squad this year than at home, so things are looking okay for Sunday. I was so happy to find a SkySports2 stream...got to see my team play live for the first time in several years. Stinks there is hardly any lower league soccer on.









Congrats to Plymouth. I'm don't feel too bad as a Portsmouth fan, because I'm a Coventry fan and I can't root for both of them in League One.


----------



## Chloraflora

Terrific 3-1 win at Bradford for us, set up to hit on the counter at home as we like to do.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Shame about BCFC, was hoping they could escape league 1.

But there is a great match on BEIN now, Brighton & Hove v Sheffield Wednesday in a Championship semifinal. Wednesday up 2-0 after the first leg at home, but Brighton is DOMINATING the first 20 minutes and is up 1-0 so far.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

both center backs for Wednesday have yellows already with 60 minutes to go


----------



## spintheblackcircle

...awwww and against run of play Wednesday ties it up.

Going to be hard now


----------



## maclean

Do they count away goals in these?


----------



## dilbert719

Promotion is still a possibility for my lower-league club, AFC Wimbledon (adopted them because of the Nerdfighter community, and once I heard their club story), so I'm hoping for a great game Wednesday, then it'll be on to Plymouth.


----------



## maclean

Poor Brighton, having been so close to straight promotion position


----------



## CanadianFlyer88

Man, I was really pulling for Brighton. Too bad.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Hull will probably promote which is boring, sick of seeing Steve Bruce sides in the Premier League, would rather see some fresh faces like Wednesday at least


----------



## GabeTravels

Wrigley said:


> Congrats to Plymouth. I'm don't feel too bad as a Portsmouth fan, because I'm a Coventry fan and I can't root for both of them in League One.





I actually really like Argyle too...but damn that loss hurt. Could see it coming a mile away. Similar to all season. They must've lost 12 points on goals in the last 5 minutes.

Should be a good season next year right near the top of the table again.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby put up a good fight but they screwed it up at home losing 3:0. Derby dominated but it seemed they ran out of ideas in the final 10-15 minutes. They had so many set piece and free kick chances yet did nothing with them too

So Hull-Sheffield Wednesday in the final, will be played a few hours earlier from the CL final next Saturday. Prefer Wednesday, tired of seeing Hull and Steve Bruce's tactics in the Prem, though in honesty I don't know much about Wednesday other than they will be something of a fresh face to the league


----------



## Hesher

HajdukSplit said:


> Hull will probably promote which is boring, sick of seeing Steve Bruce sides in the Premier League, *would rather see some fresh faces like Wednesday *at least




I'm with you on that one. It gets boring watching the same few teams yo-yoing between the PL and the Championship.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Plymouth will face Wimbledon, after they won in ET.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Hesher said:


> I'm with you on that one. It gets boring watching the same few teams yo-yoing between the PL and the Championship.




For the last 3 seasons, two of the three promoted teams were returning from at least a few years absence:

Watford and Bournemouth
Leicester and Burnley 
Cardiff and Crystal Palace


----------



## njdevsfn95

Hull defeat Wednesday and bounce back up.

That would be 2 of the 3 the dropped coming straight back.

Good news for Villa, Norwich, and Newcastle should history repeat itself.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Getting bored of seeing Hull and Norwich yo-yo between the leagues. I would have said Villa out of those three would have the tougher time coming back up but they have a new owner who is promising big investment (feared they would be another Leeds before new owner came). Derby County just hired Pearson, good hire for them and a team with good ambition but have choked last few seasons. There is also usually one surprise package but they rarely go up (Brentford last season and Brighton this season)


----------



## Michigan

The BEIN Sport network shows Championship games and it's channel 392 on Dish Network.


----------



## njdevsfn95

i dont want to know how much that would add to my cable bill


----------



## HajdukSplit

Barnsley win the League 1 playoff fairly easily over Millwall, the join already promoted Wigan and Burton Albion

The League 2 playoff final is tomorrow between Wimbledon and Plymouth


----------



## Michigan

njdevsfn95 said:


> i dont want to know how much that would add to my cable bill



Agreed. I don't get any of the movie channels such as HBO and I pay $100 a month!


----------



## Ceremony

HajdukSplit said:


> Barnsley win the League 1 playoff fairly easily over Millwall, the join already promoted Wigan and Burton Albion
> 
> The League 2 playoff final is tomorrow between Wimbledon and Plymouth




I'm sure it'll be wonderful to see Derek Adams on a stage like this


----------



## njdevsfn95

Wrigley said:


> Agreed. I don't get any of the movie channels such as HBO and I pay $100 a month!




I pay more than that but have internet bundled...I can't switch to fios which is ******** and they know it so I can't call and say "lower my rates or I'll switch to a competitor."


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wimbledon promote to League 1 which also means they will face MK Dons next season too


----------



## spintheblackcircle

HajdukSplit said:


> Wimbledon promote to League 1 which also means they will face MK Dons next season too




The guy that scored the insurance goal is now out of a contract and asked for teams to "hit me up"



Forget the big clubs, this is the best stuff in the game here.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves set to be taken over by a wealthy Chinese owner and super agent Jorge Mendes who will get some of his clients into the club such as manager Julen Lopetegui (ex-Porto and Spain U21) and players such as Cavaliero, Talisca...


----------



## jacobhockey13

Newcastle set to begin the Championship tomorrow night on TV against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Nice late kickoff time too.

PSA: BEIN's internet viewer allows you a 24 hour free trial given that you cancel before it elapses.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Too bad its not 24 hours of usage cause that would get me 12 games 

The internet will hopefully treat me kindly this year.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

And we're underway, English football is officially back


----------



## njdevsfn95

And Newcastle are not awarded a clear penalty (roughly 20mins) and go down 1-0 late in the 1st half off a corner


----------



## jacobhockey13

Classic Newcastle. Bad set piece marking and unbelievable refereeing. The first one was bad but the second one was worse. Labeled for the back of the net and even though unintentional, the referee was actually in a good position and didn't award it. And then not playing the advantage at the end when Janmaat had space in the penalty area.


----------



## jacobhockey13

My other thoughts. Anita is a nice lad but he should never first choice. Not in the Championship and not in the Prem. His lack of quality on the the ball killed the Newcastle attack too many times. 

Dummet is not good enough either for the Championship and Gamez should have played. Matt Ritchie and Jaanmat were probably the only players who looked good for Newcastle. 

I'd also like for Hanley to be replaced by Mbemba as soon as he is fit enough. Hanley looked unsteady out there and Mbemba's better at delivering passes to wingers and midfielders.


----------



## jacobhockey13

I really hope next game Rafa goes with Aarons and Shelvey in midfield. Don't need the Colback and Anita pass-back-to-the-defender-again horror show. I also thought Hayden was very good. Showed really nice pace and put the other defensive-mids to shame with his distribution.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle fans have started a "Gallowgate Flags" which is to try and turn the Gallowgate End (behind the goal to the right when viewing on TV's main angle) into something akin to what Dortmund does. Certainly will take some time to get up to such a high standard but have to start somewhere!

Fan created, fan developed, and club supported. I hope it is a success and grows from today.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle doing their best to ensure back to back relegations. Concede late in 1st half stoppage time again...and again its captain Lascelles at fault...and down 1-0 to Huddersfield.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Gayle MISSES a penalty but SCORES on the rebound. 1-1


----------



## Shrimper

7 league defeats in a row, 8 in all competitions.

Ho-hum


----------



## Plato

Football is a stupid sport anyhow.


----------



## njdevsfn95

We need 1000 words by Stray Wasp ASAP.

Also, Gallowgate Flags pictures look great.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Shrimper said:


> 7 league defeats in a row, 8 in all competitions.
> 
> Ho-hum




Looking good for ya
*knocks on wood*


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle finally put points on the board with a 4-1 victory over Reading.

Thirds straight match they conceded in the final minute of the 1st half.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle win their first on the road in 8 months. Also do not conceded late in the 1st half.


----------



## Savant

Delete


----------



## njdevsfn95

By end of the next round, Newcastle will have played 3 of the current Top 5. Losses at Fulham and v Huddersfield with Brighton visiting.

If (FA Cup) history means anything, Brighton doesn't give a **** about Newcastle. Should be a good one. Mitrovic will be available, finally, having completed his ban yesterday.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Would love to see Huddersfield promoted. Been a Nahki Wells fan for a while and I think he can be a decent scorer in the EPL.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle up to 4th.


----------



## Plato

Where did this Gouffran come from?


----------



## Burner Account

Plato said:


> Where did this Gouffran come from?




Gouffrance.


----------



## gary69

With no other football on, for some reason I chose to watch Notts County vs. Grimsby, two midtable teams from League two.

It was a surprisingly good and entertaining match, especially liked two of the County forwards, Forte and Oliver.

Nice atmosphere from the crowd as well.


----------



## njdevsfn95

The big Derby game today isn't in Manchester its in Derby.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Huddersfield top of the Championship, unbeaten, 16 points from 4 matches...Barnsley of all teams in second as well as of now (if Newcastle win by two goals in Derby they move up to second)

Still early in the season but noticed Yeovil Town is in the relegation zone of League 2, this team was in the Championship only three seasons ago, then suffered back to back relegations


----------



## njdevsfn95

Plato said:


> Where did this Gouffran come from?




He has always been scoring off of volleys on Shelvey corners. I mean what Gouffran have you been watching?


----------



## gary69

HajdukSplit said:


> Huddersfield top of the Championship, unbeaten, *16 points from 4 matches*...Barnsley of all teams in second as well as of now (if Newcastle win by two goals in Derby they move up to second)
> 
> Still early in the season but noticed Yeovil Town is in the relegation zone of League 2, this team was in the Championship only three seasons ago, then suffered back to back relegations




So 4 points for a win or 5 pts a win 1 a draw...nobody can catch them for sure if they keep getting as much per match


----------



## njdevsfn95

Toon up to two.


----------



## Live in the Now

Ugly goal by Yedlin, but nice to see that.


----------



## Plato




----------



## HajdukSplit

Monk gets a much needed win for Leeds, he was on the hot seat already. Blackburn meanwhile only team without a win in the league. Huddersfield lose their first game of the season but remain on top. Newcastle and surprising Barnsley only a point behind

Wonder how soon Pearson is in the hot seat at Derby, if not already, they sacked Clement for less. Derby 1 win from 7 and only *1 goal* in 7 matches as well


----------



## njdevsfn95

The list of players Newcastle did not play tonight is absurd.

Poor Wolves. Lose 4-0 at home and play Newcastle who just won 6-0 on the road.

No wonder they canceled their day off heading into Saturday's match at SJP


----------



## HajdukSplit

Slow start for Villa, another home draw but this time to Brentford. Still early in the season but after the money they spent RDM might be under some pressure. Plenty of the 'bigger' teams which summer hype off to a slow start (Villa, Derby, Wolves, Cardiff)


----------



## njdevsfn95

First goal scored against Newcastle in a month is scored by Mbemba 

hope for a better 2nd half


----------



## njdevsfn95

Poocastle

Both goals were certainly our own fault but apparently offered very little going forward. 39 matches to go


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby continue to struggle, lost at home to lowly Blackburn, not the best start for Pearson and they are currently in the relegation zone. While the Championship is unpredictable and you can climb the table with a few results hard to see them recovering to the point of making the playoffs. 

Norwich climb to the top of the table after Huddersfield lost, Barnsley falling back down to earth a bit too

Also credit to Monk at Leeds, on the verge of getting sack he has now won 3 league games in a row and advanced in the league cup

Down in League 2, Portsmouth up to 2nd, hopefully to start their rise in English football pyramid, miss them from the Prem


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle - Norwich midweek.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Huddersfield jump back to the top of the table before Norwich visit Newcastle tomorrow in big early season clash. Still some surprise teams near the top of the table including Brentford and Bristol City. 

Derby finally pick up a win away to fellow strugglers Cardiff and score two goals in the process  Aston Villa with their 7th draw in 10 matches, RDM must be under some serious pressure although the Championship is a league where a hot streak can see you rise the table quickly, only 5 points back of a playoff spot


----------



## njdevsfn95

In the 94th minute, Newcastle was in 8th or 9th place.

By the 96th minute, they were in 3rd.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Nigel Pearson on the verge of getting the sack at Derby, he was suspended by he club. The rumor is he head butted a player in training but nothing official has been stated. Its clear however he lost the locker room


----------



## njdevsfn95

Didn't Derby win hours after he was suspended too? That doesn't help his case


----------



## Plato




----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle win on the road and so do Huddersfield, Norwich, and Brighton.

While Newcastle have not played any of the bottom 10 teams at home, that means they still have to face a lot of top teams (and those 3 above) on the road.


----------



## kabidjan18

njdevsfn95 said:


> Newcastle win on the road and so do Huddersfield, Norwich, and Brighton.
> 
> While Newcastle have not played any of the bottom 10 teams at home, that means they still have to face a lot of top teams (and those 3 above) on the road.



Atsuuu!!!


----------



## SJSharks72

njdevsfn95 said:


> Newcastle win on the road and so do Huddersfield, Norwich, and Brighton.
> 
> While Newcastle have not played any of the bottom 10 teams at home, that means they still have to face a lot of top teams (and those 3 above) on the road.




How's Yedlin doing at Newcastle?


----------



## njdevsfn95

Yedlin has done very well even contributing a few times but Benitez seems to favor Anita at the moment.

Be interesting to see how he does before the opening round of Hex matches In 6 weeks


----------



## Ceremony

Aston Villa 



HajdukSplit said:


> Nigel Pearson on the verge of getting the sack at Derby, he was suspended by he club. The rumor is he head butted a player in training but nothing official has been stated. Its clear however he lost the locker room




I heard he punched the chairman


----------



## HajdukSplit

Probably more fiction than reality but the latest in the Derby-Pearson saga is that Pearson was unhappy the club's chairman, Mel Morris (of Candy Crush fame) decided to use drones in training to spy on the work Pearson was doing...


----------



## njdevsfn95

The 8th highest gate of the weekend in Europe is St. James' Park.

The home team with a 1-0 lead on 10 minutes.

Make it 2-0.

Now 3-0.

Brentford makes it interesting: 3-1


----------



## HajdukSplit

Villa continue to draw matches, their 8th in 12 league matches and are still dangerously around the relegation zone. 

Norwich-Newcastle are 1-2 in the table but Huddersfield play tomorrow at home to Sheffield Wed and a win will put them back on top. Interesting week as many of the teams in the top half dropped points (the teams from 4th-8th didn't win their matches). Its very tight in the table with 5th place-15th place separated by 5 points. At the bottom Rotherham is starting to get cut adrift, they've conceded 28 goals in 12 matches and along with Villa only 1 win in 12


----------



## njdevsfn95

Huddersfield have lost today so the Top 2 remain Norwich and Newcastle.

Newcastle have played 12 matches and only 4 of those games have featured teams in the bottom HALF of the current table.

They are also 1pt better off than they were in 2009-10...but they probably were in 1st then and not trailing another relegated side by a point.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Norwich draw at Fulham after leading 2-0.

Newcastle defeat Barnsley away and took 6000 to a match with 19000 in attendance.

Huddersfield did not play so Newcastle flip flops with Norwich.


----------



## Chloraflora

We are so unbelievably crap this year. Without Morison and Gregory we'd be looking at relegation.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Saw on FB today that Leeds are offering 8000 tickets to Newcastle.

I must say listening on the radio, it was awesome as in the 1st half it was 0-0 and both sides were getting chances. If I lost track of who had possession, I had no idea which side was doing better. 

Also saw on Twitter that either the Football League or the Premier League (maybe both) are looking into putting away supporters behind the goal. Not like at SJP where they are behind, but about a mile above, the goal, but right behind it.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle lead within a minute at home to Ipswich. Perez 1-0


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle 3pts and 10 goals clear after a 3-0 win.

Play Preston in the EFL Cup then League next two matches.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves sacked Zenga a little less than three months into his tenure, strange hire in the first place


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle havent done much v Preston after banging in 6 in the EFL Cup match earlier midweek.

0-0 at HT


----------



## njdevsfn95

Some massive scorelines at the top of the Championship: About 15-20 minutes left in all matches

PNE 1 - Newcastle 2 (Mitro x 2)

Preston make it interesting scoring in the 90th and there are SIX added minutes. Preston denied a penalty shout and hit the post in the 99th minute.

Brighton 5 - Norwich 0
Fulham 5 - Huddersfield 0

Newcastle lead by 3pts and 6 goals at the top over Brighton. 6pts up on 3rd and probably 18-ish goals too


----------



## gary69

Just watched the Wolves - Derby match. Haven't seen massive amounts of his matches in the past few years, but this match again left me wondering why Tom Ince is still playing at the championship level.

He's very skillful with ball, has trickery and creativity and quite good end product as well. Entertaining to watch, so would be a crowd favourite almost eveywhere. He seems to have everything a team would want from an offensive midfielder/winger.

Maybe he has some problems tacticially, defensively or with consistency, which are harder to detect from only watching sporadic games on TV every now and then.


----------



## Ceremony

He's an arse.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle up 2-0 v Cardiff.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Norwich starting to falter a bit and there is speculation Alex Neil is on the hot seat, they lost a last minute match to Leeds at home today, and despite fan protests over ownership Leeds find themselves in the top 6 for now. 

Aston Villa and Derby starting to slowly surge up the table since the new managers have come in

Newcastle starting to run away with the league, Brighton can too if they win later today in Bristol. Meanwhile 6th place to 17th place is separated by 6 points. 

At the bottom, Rotherham are pretty much doomed already 8 points clear of safety, changing the manager didn't help Wigan who got thrashed at home by Reading. Teams like Wolves, Blackburn, Cardiff and Nottingham Forest also will be fighting to avoid the drop, probably a "big" side goes down


----------



## HajdukSplit

Newcastle win in Leeds and it doesn't look like anybody will stop them in their promotion run. Their lead over 2nd Brighton is now five points and more important the gap between them and third place Reading is now 9 points. Huddersfield's fall in beginning to start, they are still fourth but the league is so tight one more poor result will see them drop out of the playoff spots. At the bottom, Rotherham can start preparing for League 1 next season, 11 points from safety. Warnock has turned things around at Cardiff and they are out of the bottom three. 

In League 1, there were some rumors Steven Gerrard was set to become MK Dons manager but those has quickly died down, they are currently in the relegation zone, in danger of suffering back to back relegations


----------



## njdevsfn95

Everyone in the current Top 6 not named Newcastle won today.

Everyone in the current Top 6 named Newcastle lost today.

Huddersfield did not play.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Back to back defeats in the league for Newcastle, they were down to 9 men before halftime but actually took the lead despite this. However Forest took advantage in the 2nd half. Brighton could go top tomorrow however they need to win by five goals. Regardless the gap Newcastle formed with the rest of the league is closing


----------



## njdevsfn95

By all accounts (and not all Newcastle biased) the refereeing was awful.

Newcastle took the lead (scored twice but only one counted) when down to 10 men. With 9 they still played fairly well, all things considered.

Shelvey may miss 8 games due to the straight red and potential FA ban.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Brighton close the gap at the top to 1 point but Reading lose big which keeps sees them 5pts back of 2nd and 6pts back of Newcastle.

Also the GD of Newcastle and Brighton are far far superior than the # of points of their nearest competitors. This means Newcastle can lose their next two matches and maintain a spot in the Top 2. Brighton could probably get away with that too.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Villa lose their first game under Steve Bruce, but because they are drawing too much they are still in the bottom half of the table. Meanwhile, McClaren has righted the ship at Derby, five straight wins and they are now two points off a playoff spot. Huddersfield after their good start have now fallen out of the playoff picture


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle start the day in 2nd after Brighton's win yesterday over Leeds


----------



## HajdukSplit

If Newcastle win at Wigan tomorrow both them and Brighton will create a big gap with the rest of the pack after Reading have lost two of their last three. Huddersfield recover from their slight dip in form and move up to 4th


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle did win 2-0 at Wigan, a ground that hasn't been too favorable to them believe it or not.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle should learn the fate of Jonjo Shelvey this week. Could miss 5 games.

He would miss 4 league games and the FA Cup match v Birmingham if he gets that.

He would return against Brighton if I read the fixture list properly.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Newcastle lose at home to Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton could go top tomorrow. Watched a bit of the game, once Wednesday took the lead they defended deep and Newcastle couldn't break them down, they had a ton of corners though which resulted in little. Elsewhere, most of the top half won, Reading/Huddersfield/Leeds with outside chances of finishing in the top two. 

In League 1, the top three teams are separated by two points: Scunthorpe (48), Sheffield United (47), Bolton Wanderers (46). They have created a gap with the rest of the league but only the top two go up automatically. Same situation in League 2 with the top three running away with it: Doncaster (45), Plymouth (45), Carlisle (43). In this league however the top three go up automatically. Portsmouth are currently in 4th, would be nice to see them finally climb the leagues


----------



## Juliet Papa Golf

HajdukSplit said:


> Newcastle lose at home to Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton could go top tomorrow. Watched a bit of the game, once Wednesday took the lead they defended deep and Newcastle couldn't break them down, they had a ton of corners though which resulted in little. Elsewhere, most of the top half won, Reading/Huddersfield/Leeds with outside chances of finishing in the top two.




It's been our worst month this season by a country mile but even after all that the worst case scenario is we drop to 2nd place...not too shabby! I'm sure Brighton will experience a blip at some point in the next couple of months. 

Though we seriously looked lost without Shelvey in the midfield today which doesn't bode well for us in next couple of games. Need to acquire some more creativity in the centre of the park.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Whatever Rafa has planned I hope he can do quickly come Jan 1st. I'm not gonna get too upset about the FA Cup this year, especially if the next two results aren't great.

They really need their road form to continue in the 2nd half. If im not mistaken they have to go to Brighton, Reading, and Huddersfield. All are after Shelvey's return and, except for Brighton, after the transfer window closes (fairly sure).


----------



## HajdukSplit

Busy week of action, today Aston Villa rescued a point against Leeds, had Leeds won they would have jumped to 3rd but conceded a late penalty, boring game overall. Burton with a massive win over Rotherham which was a relegation six pointer. Burton atm 5 points clear and a decent GD while Rotherham are in deep trouble, 10 points from safety with an awful GD

Tomorrow both the top two are in action in games they should win at home against bottom half opposition. Reading are at home too against Fulham which could be tough. Pretty much all the playoff contenders have home games they should win but in this league you never know


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle with a point to prove...or revenge to exact...on Forest today. Also put in a request with Ghana to release Atsu after the match against Blackburn on the 2nd.

Newcastle didn't do poorly the first time around and only lost because they played with 9 men most of the second half.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Newcastle lose to relegation threatened Blackburn while Brighton came from behind to beat Fulham and Craven Cottage. Their nearest competitors also won, Reading came from 0:2 down at Bristol to win 3:2, Huddersfield won at Wigan and Leeds easily beat bottom of the table Rotherham. 

Things haven't been going swiftly for Zola at Birmingham, since he arrived they have yet to win and have fallen to 13th

In the bottom half; huge back to back wins for QPR in the holiday period to get them some breathing room above the relegation zone. Forest meanwhile could be in deep trouble, lost at home to Barnsley. Despite Blackburn's win over Newcastle they are still in the bottom three. Rotherham and Wigan are pretty much doomed


----------



## AlanHUK

well forest are ****ed.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Newcastle will be lucky to hold on 1-1 at Brentford.

Gayle went off injured a few minutes after scoring. Extent is unknown

Shelvey returns next match but the top 2 strikers may miss time.

Hayden off injured
Replaced by Anita
Anita off injured

Maybe 10minutes


----------



## njdevsfn95

My career in punditry is over: 2-1 Newcastle FT


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brighton return to the top of the table after they win their postponed game from earlier in the season over Cardiff. Newcastle in second have a 9 point lead over joint-third Reading and Huddersfield


----------



## jacobhockey13

Newcastle need to cough up and pay the money for Townsend.


----------



## GabeTravels

Flew to London and drove down to Portsmouth for the Pompey/Exeter clash today. My first game.

So excited!!


----------



## HajdukSplit

Top two both dropped points midweek, Brighton lost to Huddersfield while Newcastle drew 2:2 with QPR who scored in the 90th minute. So the gap is cut but both sides have a game in hand on the chasing pack

1. Brighton *60* (game in hand)
2. Newcastle *59* (game in hand)
-----------------------------------------------
3. Reading *55*
4. Leeds *54*
5. Huddersfield *52* (game in hand)

The teams below Huddersfield are way off pace for an automatic promotion spot, but the fight for 6th involves as many as 6-7 teams


----------



## HajdukSplit

The top two both dropped points today, Newcastle drew at Norwich while Brighton were held at home to Ipswich. That means Huddersfield cut their lead at the top to only four points. Reading is five points behind but has a game played more than the three teams above them

Time to panic at Villa? Six points above the relegation zone and have lost back to back home matches against midtable teams. No wins in 8 in the league


----------



## Shrimper

2-0 win over Oxford. Some good fixtures coming, 1 point outside the play offs. Only 2 losses in 20 games. Things are looking up.


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Shrimper said:


> 2-0 win over Oxford. Some good fixtures coming, 1 point outside the play offs. Only 2 losses in 20 games. Things are looking up.




Did you watch the game? Wondering how Toni Martinez looked (Oxford striker on loan from West Ham). Realize you probably/definitely weren't keying in on him, but figured I'd ask.


----------



## Shrimper

Jersey Fresh said:


> Did you watch the game? Wondering how Toni Martinez looked (Oxford striker on loan from West Ham). Realize you probably/definitely weren't keying in on him, but figured I'd ask.




Nah, we were away so I didn't go. Oxford played well apparently and his name came up a few times.


----------



## Shrimper

Beat Peterborough 4-1 away tonight, massive win with Millwall drawing against Chesterfield. Puts us 5th and firmly in the play offs.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Big win for Huddersfield yesterday in a top four clash with Reading. What that result, pretty much means its a three-way race for the top two spots (Newcastle, Brighton, Huddersfield). Reading are 8 points back of Brighton but they have also played a game more than the three teams above them. Not much drama of the teams into the playoffs; Reading, Leeds and Wednesday look certainties. Norwich is 7 points back of 6th, Fulham I guess can realistically get back into the picture as they have two games in hand and are 9 points back. Derby have really fallen off the pace, Birmingham have been a disaster since they sacked Rowett and Villa are closer to the relegation zone than playoffs. 

Big point for Burton last night to give them a five point cushion above the drop zone.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Big win by Newcastle, they were losing at Brighton with 10 minutes to go and managed to win, Ayoze Perez with the 89th minute winner. Brighton got a BS penalty in the first half but were better team until second half where Newcastle dominated

Newcastle back at the top of the table while Brighton's lead in 2nd place could be cut to three points if Huddersfield win their game in hand

In League 1, Sheffield United in good shape to return to the Championship, comfortable lead at the top


----------



## HajdukSplit

Huddersfield-Newcastle in a half hour...also will be played after Brighton lost their second in a row today, so a chance for Huddersfield to cut the distance to 3 points with a game in hand. If Newcastle win they go 5 points clear of Brighton

Not much drama in the playoff fight though; two of Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Fulham will make it. The likes of Norwich are too far back and Derby have completely collapsed. 

At the bottom, Blackburn are still unbeaten since sacking Coyle and have moved out the bottom three. Bristol failed to beat Burton at home and are now in the relegation zone. Rotherham were long doomed while Wigan are in serious trouble too


----------



## Chloraflora

Now 17 games unbeaten going into our quarter final at Tottenham, finally conceded for the first time in 10 games too but a win nonetheless. I'm thinking second place isn't totally out of reach yet...


----------



## Shrimper

Dropped two points today. Slowly slipping


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth has had two straight chances to climb into the Top 3 in League 2 and has pissed away 5 points.

They'll have yet another chance next week. Here's hoping.

EDIT: A huge 2-0 win puts them a point clear in the Automatic Promotion spots.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth with a 4-0 win, coupled with a Carlisle and Luton loss has Portsmouth 4 points clear in the Top 3.


----------



## Ar-too

Huge win for Fulham today at St. James'. 2 points off 6th with a game in hand. Would love to see them back up in the Premier League.


----------



## jacobhockey13

Ar-too said:


> Huge win for Fulham today at St. James'. 2 points off 6th with a game in hand. Would love to see them back up in the Premier League.




Agreed on them being in the Prem. I've only seen Craven Cottage from outside, but it seems like one of the coolest grounds around. Sounded like Newcastle were shambolic.


----------



## Shrimper

When you come from 2-0 to win 3-2 and stay in the play off race 

http://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...ions/league-one/10807183/southend-3-2-walsall

That last goal....


----------



## jacobhockey13

Newcastle look like they want to sleepwalk to promotion more than anything. The good thing is that it is a sparkling clear indicator that the squad needs to get a lot better if they don't want to fight a relegation battle in the prem. Lot of hard workers, but just not enough quality. Maybe Ashley should have payed the money for Lacazette one of the five past summers he's been linked.


----------



## jacobhockey13

Also, is anyone here annoyed by the fact that Rafa won't pick Chancel Mbemba? The best defender in the squad and he can't get a game.


----------



## jacobhockey13

Shrimper said:


> When you come from 2-0 to win 3-2 and stay in the play off race
> 
> http://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...ions/league-one/10807183/southend-3-2-walsall
> 
> That last goal....




Sky Sports is the ultimate troll of North American audiences...


----------



## GabeTravels

VERY interesting news out of Portsmouth today.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39333246

...They have a potential buyer. Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO.

He's apparently attended several games this year. Very interested in the passion of the fans.

I'm very intrigued...because as much as I love that the supporters own the club now, we likely can't get back into the Premier League with things as they currently sit.

This would go a long way, but the club's been burned before by shady owners. Not saying Eisner's that...by all accounts he's a good man.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Despite the international break, English lower leagues below the Championship still go on

League 1: Sheffield United and Bolton Wanderers look good for automatic promotion, with Fleetwood Town the only team within 9 points of Bolton with 6-7 matches to go. Coventry City continue their slow slide down the English league ladder as they are last in L1

League 2: Doncaster running away with the league with south coast sides Plymouth and Portsmouth currently holding the other two automatic promotion spots. Portsmouth have a comfortable points gap so far on the chasing pack which include Blackpool, Stevanage and Luton. Leyton Orient and Newport County favorites for the drop

Conference: FA Cup surprise package Lincoln seem to be heavy favorites for promotion, while their lead at the top is only on GD, they have 3 games in hand on Forest Green Rovers. York City in danger of suffering back to back relegations, which would mean league football to the 6th tier in two years


----------



## jacobhockey13

Newcastle go top of the Championship after a bizarre game against Burton Albion sees them win after the referee incorrectly overruled a converted penalty for encroachment.

The encroachment should have warranted a retake of the penalty; not a free-kick for Burton Albion. Newcastle later scored and thus the call did not seem to affect the game.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Newcastle lose which means Brighton hop above them to the top of the table, but with Huddersfield losing today its looking more likely the current top two go up easily. Reading absolutely hammered in Norwich, conceded six in the first half and lost 7:1. Derby keeping their outside playoff chances alive with a win in Birmingham

Wigan get a crucial win over Rotherham but unfortunately for them most of the teams above them picked up results. Massive wins for Forest and Bristol while Burton got a point against Villa. Blackburn Rovers are now four points from safety, Venky's taking that club to League One 

Two promotions confirmed today; Sheffield United will play in the Championship next season (Bolton likely to join them as well) while Doncaster Rovers secure promotion to League One next season


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest have beat the top 3 teams at home, with a different manager in each game.

such a badly run club =(


----------



## Shrimper

Lost to Charlton...


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brighton earn promotion to the Premier League following their win over Wigan and Huddersfield's draw against Derby. Its the first time they will play in the top flight in the Premier League era, they played in the top division in the early 80s I believe



Nervy moments for Newcastle who have hit a bad patch of form at the wrong time, they are still in a fairly comfortable position but if they continue these poor results they can fall into the playoff spots. Huddersfield and Reading look certain for the playoffs, Huddersfield with an outside chance of 2nd as they have a game in hand. Sheffield Wednesday, Fulham, Leeds will fight for the last two playoff spots; they are separated by 2 points atm

At the bottom; Rotherham were already relegated long ago, Wigan will soon join them as they are 5 points from safety with three matches to go. Some big clubs in danger of being that third club going down (Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City), Burton picked up a massive win at Birmingham and they are close to safety, good point for Bristol who should also be safe now

In League 2, Plymouth and Portsmouth earn promotion to League 1 next season (joining Doncaster). Good to see Portsmouth begin their hopeful climb back to the EPL. 

Lincoln one win away from earning promotion from the Conference to league football


----------



## spintheblackcircle

...the team rode the train back with fans.


----------



## GabeTravels

SO excited to see my club win Promotion today. Been a long 4 years at teh bottom...

With the potential takeover by Eisner this summer, things are looking up for Pompey. 

Also props to Notts County today allowing a pitch invasion at the end of the game. Very nice to see.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Crazy day in the Championship, especially in the bottom half of the table where nearly all the relegation candidates won against good teams too. First thing to note, Newcastle are one win away from promotion thanks to losses by both Reading and Huddersfield. They host Preston on Monday

Huddersfield fall to 5th temporarily (they have a game in hand) after they were hammered 4:1 at home to Fulham, Reading lost to relegation candidates Nottingham Forest but remain in third. Leeds hit bad form at the wrong time and their playoff hopes were dented after a loss to Burton

Massive wins for Bristol, Burton and Nottingham Forest today. Bristol and Burton are six points above the drop zone with two games to go, so not officially safe but in very good shape, fantastic achievement for tiny Burton. Despite their win Forest are still in danger, Blackburn and Wigan both drew and remain in the bottom three. For Wigan, they will be relegated if Birmingham pick up a point in tomorrow's Birmingham derby vs. Villa. That last relegation spot is probably down to Blackburn/Birmingham/Forest

In League 1, Bolton will wait another week to confirm promotion, need a win on the final day to secure that with Fleetwood Town only two points back. The four teams relegated are already known; Chesterfield, Coventry, Port Vale and Swindon

Congrats to Lincoln City who earn promotion from the Conference into the football league


----------



## Plato




----------



## bluesfan94

Plato said:


>




Excited to have you (and hopefully stray wasp, wherever he's gone) back in the premier league threads


----------



## njdevsfn95

Plato said:


>




In Rafa we trust. The question is will A$hÂ£eÂ¥?


----------



## spintheblackcircle

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/newcastle-chief-arrested-tax-probe-10296924

Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley has been arrested in a tax fraud probe with West Ham's London Stadium also raided by authorities.

The Toon chief is at the centre of an investigation into football with the Hammers also under scrutiny after 180 police officers were dispatched for the 'significant' investigation.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Just another day for Mike Ashley's Newcastle United


----------



## HajdukSplit

Second to last day in the Championship and League 2 today

CHAMPIONSHIP
*Title:* We know both Brighton and Newcastle are already up but the league title is still up for grabs after Brighton lost to Bristol. Bristol are one point ahead so a win on the final day at Aston Villa will secure the title. Newcastle must win at home to Barnsley and hope Brighton drop points

*Playoffs:* Reading, Sheffield Wednesday & Huddersfield secure their spot in the playoffs but their placement is not yet known. Reading control their own destiny for finishing in 3rd needing a win at Burton. The final playoff spot will likely go to Fulham (77pts) who travel to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day. Leeds (74pts) are three points back but have a 13 worse GD. So Leeds not only must win and hope Fulham lose but there needs to be a 13 goal swing, unlikely

*Relegation:* Wigan officially relegated following their loss to Reading, joining already relegated Rotherham. The final spot is down to three teams (Blackburn, Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City, more on that later). Burton, Bristol and QPR all picked up results today which saw them mathematically safe

Birmingham City *50* -20
Nottingham Forest *48* -13
--------------------------------------
Blackburn Rovers *48* -14

Birmingham go to already safe Bristol City and a win will be good enough for safety. A draw may not be enough, especially if both Forest/Blackburn win because of their poor GD. Forest have the most winnable match of the three, hosting Ipswich while Blackburn go to Brentford

LEAGUE 2
*Title:* Plymouth (86pts), Doncaster (85pts), Portsmouth (84pts) all secured promotion but all three can win the title on the final day. Plymouth visit midtable Grimsby, Doncaster visit Hartlepool fighting for their lives while Portsmouth host bottom half Cheltenham

*Playoffs:* Luton and Exeter secure playoff spots; *SIX* teams fighting for the last two spots; Carlisle (68pts), Blackpool (67pts), Stevanage (67pts), Cambridge (66pts), Wycombe Wanderers (66pts), Mansfield (65pts)

*Relegation:* Leyton Orient already down, the final spot will go down to Hartlepool (43pts) and Newport County (45pts). Hartlepool host Doncaster who are already up but still fighting for the top spot if it means anything while Newport host Notts County


----------



## Ceremony

I wondered where Plato had been.

Fun fact: Leyton Orient put in a bid to play in the Olympic Stadium, claiming giving it to West Ham would adversely affect their crowds because of its location. Titter.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

In England League 1, Sheffield United has already clinched the move up. Bolton basically needs a draw to advance. 

Fleetwood, Scunthorpe and Bradford City are 3 of the 4 clubs vying for the last spot. A Millwall win would make them team #4. If they slip up, Southend or Rochdale could pass them.

As far as the drop to League 2, down goes Swindon, Coventry City and Chesterfield. The 4th club currently would be Port Vale, but Bury and Gillingham are still in the danger zone.


----------



## HajdukSplit

spintheblackcircle said:


> In England League 1, Sheffield United has already clinched the move up. Bolton basically needs a draw to advance.
> 
> Fleetwood, Scunthorpe and Bradford City are 3 of the 4 clubs vying for the last spot. A Millwall win would make them team #4. If they slip up, Southend or Rochdale could pass them.
> 
> As far as the drop to League 2, down goes Swindon, Coventry City and Chesterfield. The 4th club currently would be Port Vale, but Bury and Gillingham are still in the danger zone.




Bolton won and finish 2nd in the league, gaining promotion after one season absence from the Championship

Playoff matchups are set: Millwall (6) vs. Scunthorpe (3) & Bradford City (5) vs. Fleetwood Town (4)...Millwall did win their match but it was nervy, blew a two goal lead and scored the winner late. Scunthorpe move up to third after Fleetwood failed to beat Port Vale

Port Vale go down, scoreless draw with Fleetwood was not enough, they needed to win despite the teams ahead of them failing to win as well


----------



## Chloraflora

We don't like doing things the easy way... sheesh. We'll lose to Scunthorpe in the playoffs anyway.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Bradford City beat Fleetwood at home 1-0 while Millwall drew 0-0 at home against Scunthorpe.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Lots of drama on the final day of the League 2 seasons at all ends of the table...

Portsmouth who started the day in third place win the division after both Plymouth and Doncaster dropped points (all three already promoted). Portsmouth and Plymouth had the same point but Pompey with a far superior GD

Luton, Exeter, Carlisle and Blackpool make the playoffs, they all won meant nobody jumped ahead of them

Hartlepool relegated to the Conference despite beating Doncaster and hence taking the League 2 title away from them. They were minutes away from safety but Newport County scored in the 89th minute to beat Notts County 2:1


----------



## GabeTravels

Such an incredible day...and extra special considering the last 7 or so years as a Portsmouth supporter.

Still can't believe how things went today.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Currently halftime in the final day of the Championship season; if results hold Newcastle will win the title over Brighton, Reading will finish third and play Fulham in the playoffs while the other matchup will be Sheffield Wed-Huddersfield 

Much drama in the bottom end; Birmingham, Blackburn and Forest all winning. Blackburn and Forest have the same number of points and same GD, but Forest have more goals scored. Blackburn, currently leading 2:0 in Brentford, will have to push for more. Or they can wait and see if Birmingham drop points in Bristol


----------



## HajdukSplit

Forest double their lead and Blackburn concede early in the 2nd half; atm Blackburn down...still pressure on Birmingham to hold on their lead in Bristol


----------



## HajdukSplit

And that's it in the Championship...

- Newcastle are the league title winners after they defeated Barnsley 3:0 and Brighton could not beat 10-man Aston Villa who scored their equalizer later in the match

- PLAYOFFS: Reading vs. Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday vs. Huddersfield Town

- Blackburn Rovers are relegated to League 1 despite winning 3:1 in Brentford; the result was no good enough as both Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest also won. Blackburn go down on GD (-12) compared to Forest's -10


----------



## njdevsfn95

What an ending. So long, Championship. We'll leave the trophy behind.


----------



## Ceremony

Blackburn doon. Sadly it was away from home so no chickens could be released onto the pitch.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

spintheblackcircle said:


> Bradford City beat Fleetwood at home 1-0 while Millwall drew 0-0 at home against Scunthorpe.




Bradford City played Fleetwood to a scoreless draw to advance to Wembley where they will play Millwall who beat Scunthorpe on the road 3-2. 

Both matches between the clubs finished 1-1 this year.


----------



## Chloraflora

spintheblackcircle said:


> Bradford City played Fleetwood to a scoreless draw to advance to Wembley where they will play Millwall who beat Scunthorpe on the road 3-2.
> 
> Both matches between the clubs finished 1-1 this year.




We also beat Bradford in last year's playoffs, so they'll want revenge for that. 

To our second home once again...


----------



## HajdukSplit

Tranmere Rovers vs. Forest Green Rovers in the conference playoff final to get into the football league. The final is May 14th. Forest Green Rovers have never played in the football league


----------



## HajdukSplit

Congrats to Forest Green Rovers who will enter the football league for the first time in their clubs' history after a 3:1 win over Tranmere in the Conference playoff final

Both of the Championship playoff first legs ended in a draw; Fulham-Reading (1:1) & Huddersfield-Wednesday (0:0). No away goals rule so all to play for


----------



## Chloraflora

Forest Green, yikes. Rushden & Diamonds MKII.


----------



## Ceremony

Fairytale stuff that for a 5th tier team with a budget in the millions


----------



## HajdukSplit

Reading score a penalty kick early in the 2nd half after a handball by Kalas, pretty clear call too. Game was pretty even up to that point, Fulham started brighter but Reading eventually settled in


----------



## HajdukSplit

Reading held on to win, Fulham were knocking on the door but didn't finish their chances. Overall I thought Fulham were more impressive in this tie but its the goals that count


----------



## Stray Wasp

bluesfan94 said:


> Excited to have you (and hopefully stray wasp, wherever he's gone) back in the premier league threads




Thanks. Keep watching the skies.


----------



## Ceremony

Stray Wasp sighting


----------



## Stray Wasp

jacobhockey13 said:


> Also, is anyone here annoyed by the fact that Rafa won't pick Chancel Mbemba? The best defender in the squad and he can't get a game.




I like Mbemba's pace and technique, however those qualities are less important in the Championship than savvy and strength, so I can understand Rafa having preferred Lascelles and Clark most of the season. 

I keep hearing Rafa doesn't feel Mbemba follows instructions as reliably as Lascelles, which is one reason he prefers the latter despite Lascelles having less talent. As for Clark, at that level he's steady and a capable organiser- as born out by the team's relative defensive struggles late in the season when he was out for several games. Over a forty-six game campaign, with little respite between games, its unsurprising a coach leans on someone that bit more experienced and vocal. 

Rumours suggest Hanley is likely to go. If one older, quality centre-back comes in, maybe Rafa will feel Mbemba can play alongside him.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Ceremony said:


> Stray Wasp sighting




I've been lurking in the short grass.


----------



## gary69

HajdukSplit said:


> Reading held on to win, Fulham were knocking on the door but didn't finish their chances. Overall I thought Fulham were more impressive in this tie but its the goals that count




Even with the great saves Al-Habsi made, it's still hard to believe Fulham couldn't score even once, given how profilic they were in the league.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Sheffield Wed and Huddersfield going to ET after a 1:1 draw in the 2nd leg, Huddersfield were all over Sheffield especially that second half, Huddersfield will be disappointed the full time whistle was blown


----------



## hatterson

HajdukSplit said:


> Sheffield Wed and Huddersfield going to ET after a 1:1 draw in the 2nd leg, Huddersfield were all over Sheffield especially that second half, Huddersfield will be disappointed the full time whistle was blown




Does away goals apply after ET or could we head to pens?


----------



## HajdukSplit

hatterson said:


> Does away goals apply after ET or could we head to pens?




no away goals in English playoff system


----------



## HajdukSplit

penalty kicks now, Sheffield Wed missed their first kick and Huddersfield scored both of their opening two


----------



## HajdukSplit

Huddersfield with the winning kick at their feet....and saved by Westwood!

Sheffield Wednesday must score now...


----------



## HajdukSplit

and they don't, Forrestieri looked nervous as hell and his penalty was easily saved. Huddersfield win 4:3 on penalty kicks

Reading vs. Huddersfield Town at Wembley, May 29th


----------



## spintheblackcircle

HajdukSplit said:


> and they don't, Forrestieri looked nervous as hell and his penalty was easily saved. Huddersfield win 4:3 on penalty kicks
> 
> Reading vs. Huddersfield Town at Wembley, May 29th




Go Huddersfield!!

I hate the shootout, but the drama is there in matches like this


----------



## Stray Wasp

HajdukSplit said:


> Sheffield Wed and Huddersfield going to ET after a 1:1 draw in the 2nd leg, Huddersfield were all over Sheffield especially that second half, Huddersfield will be disappointed the full time whistle was blown




A Sheffield Wednesday-supporting friend was in London, so I ended up accompanying him to a pub to watch the game. I must say, for all the possession and territory Huddersfield enjoyed, they fashioned little in the way of quality chances. Indeed, I thought their goal came rather out of the blue, because for five minutes or so beforehand the game had lulled into a period of midfield-situated caution.

To my mind, there was little between the two teams. Wednesday perhaps suffered a touch from The Weight of History syndrome, and they struck me as an outfit somewhat compromised by the irreconcilable styles of Forestieri and Fletcher. Huddersfield possessed greater speed and mobility down the flanks, and where their opponents used crosses they tended to employ pull-backs- a tactic that ever-so-marginally allowed them to match up better against Wednesday's weaknesses than the Owls matched up against theirs. From the first, Pudil at left back was targeted, and it was from that avenue the equaliser came. 

Fletcher's headed goal was brilliant (albeit a harsh referee might have ruled it out for a shove), but more often than not the service he received was rushed and over-hit. Still, Wednesday had done the hard part, and gained the lead against opponents inclined to counter. I couldn't hear the commentary, so why Fletcher was subbed I can't say, however I suspected at the time that, given the circumstances, bringing on Jordan Rhodes wasn't ideal.

That Rhodes can't run is an unfortunate drawback. Graver yet is the fact that outside the opposition penalty area he can't play football at all. (At one point, dipping his toe into the realm of tracking back by following in the wake of a Huddersfield player carrying the ball into the final third, he positively minced in his opponent's wake, as though venturing too near the fellow might lead to him picking up fleas). When he came on, any hope of Wednesday being able efficiently to see out the game went off. Not that they did a lot wrong, they merely lacked enough composure to prevent the ball coming back at them, time and again. Huddersfield began to find small spaces between the lines, more than once leaving the Owls trying to play offside without pressure on the man in possession. Town's goal was the usual corollary of such situations: the trap sprung, the defence turned, a pull-back, the ball bundled into the net. After that, one sensed only a mistake would prevent the game going to penalties, and mistakes were avoided. 

Huddersfield stumbled to the league season's end, and I'd say it's significant they progressed without winning either game of the tie. I expect Reading to beat them in the final. As for Sheffield Wednesday, it's absurd that their absence from the top flight is creeping close to twenty years.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Two 90th minute winners in the League 2 playoffs, goals galore too


----------



## HajdukSplit

*Exeter* â€“ Carlisle 3:2 (6:5 on agg)

After a 3:3 draw in the first leg these two teams once again provide a goalfest with some late drama to boot. Carlisle scored in the 91st minute which would have sent the game to ET but Exeter scored a 95th minute long range effort which sends them through!

Luton â€“ *Blackpool* 3:3 (5:6 on agg)

Another late goal, this one heartbreaking for Luton who conceded an own goal in the 94th minute


----------



## HajdukSplit

*Championship:* Reading (3) vs. Huddersfield Town (5) [May 29]
*League One: * Bradford City (5) vs. Millwall (6) [May 20]
*League Two:* Exeter City (5) vs. Blackpool (7) [May 28]


----------



## Chloraflora

No expectations for Saturday, we haven't been very good for most of the season so I can't say we deserve to go up. Team would need major surgery should it happen though.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Millwall scored with about 8 minutes to go, they win 1-0 and are up to the Championship now.


----------



## Chloraflora

Microcosm of our season, get mostly outplayed then nick one because if nothing else, we have dangerous forwards who'll take their chances.

Well, back to Division Two we go


----------



## GabeTravels

Yay! The PFC Shareholders and the Pompey Supporters Trust have today approved a sale of the club to Michael Eisner's group.

While I loved supporting a fan-owned club, there was limited room for growth. Eisner's the real deal who's very keen to build the club in a responsible way. Incredibly proud day to be a Portsmouth Supporter.



> Together with the PST’s 48.5%, this means 81.4% of the club’s equity holding is in agreement with the sale. The threshold to approve a sale, as laid down in the shareholders’ agreement, is 75%.
> Read more at http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/...rnante-group-3723005.aspx#M4JyH1VslXAMOJ67.99


----------



## Chloraflora

MSPGabe said:


> Yay! The PFC Shareholders and the Pompey Supporters Trust have today approved a sale of the club to Michael Eisner's group.
> 
> While I loved supporting a fan-owned club, there was limited room for growth. Eisner's the real deal who's very keen to build the club in a responsible way. Incredibly proud day to be a Portsmouth Supporter.




I foresee Portsmouth in administration (again) within 5-10 years, paying off pennies in the pound to creditors (again). They never learn.


----------



## GabeTravels

Denzil said:


> I foresee Portsmouth in administration (again) within 5-10 years, paying off pennies in the pound to creditors (again). They never learn.




What makes you say that? Eisner's a solid investor, far from the shady Russian and Middle Eastern owners that came in after the FA Cup win.

He's presented a very good 5 year plan for modest growth in the club, and refurbishing Fratton Park, which is in dire need of some serious TLC.


----------



## Chloraflora

MSPGabe said:


> What makes you say that? Eisner's a solid investor, far from the shady Russian and Middle Eastern owners that came in after the FA Cup win.
> 
> He's presented a very good 5 year plan for modest growth in the club, and refurbishing Fratton Park, which is in dire need of some serious TLC.




He's 75, so not likely to be there for the long-haul. Given the PST said they could "easily sustain Championship football" under their model, there's only one other kind of progress they're looking to make. I see lots of spending so he can see his new acquisition in the top flight ASAP, before an eventual relegation screws the finances again.

Portsmouth have always been boom and bust, both on and off the pitch.


----------



## GabeTravels

Denzil said:


> He's 75, so not likely to be there for the long-haul. Given the PST said they could "easily sustain Championship football" under their model, there's only one other kind of progress they're looking to make. I see lots of spending so he can see his new acquisition in the top flight ASAP, before an eventual relegation screws the finances again.
> 
> Portsmouth have always been boom and bust, both on and off the pitch.




True, but his investment group includes his son, and he's talked often about wanting this to be a family thing. It's definitely a concern, but so far he's definitely said all the right things.

I think a Championship Squad fan owned is possible, but the budget for next year had them in the bottom 25% of League 1 squads, as far as salary goes. The ground needs millions of pounds of work done, and even that may not save the park. As it is, they'll have to substantially reduce capacity for safety reasons next year, and likely tear down the Milton End and rebuild it from scratch. Reduced capacity certainly doesn't help finances.

He's committed to responsible spending, and not going out and spending tens of millions of pounds. He's made a commitment to the Academy, and in his presentation he said, "It offers a chance to develop stars of the future from within the organization...It is smarter to invest in new, young talent than to pay ridiculous, outrageous, over the top sums for the current reigning superstars." That doesn't sound like someone who wants to overpay in the short term to get into the top flight.

Hopefully he's true to his word, but he convinced the PST, who have been incredibly wary. That's good enough for me.


----------



## njdevsfn95

Huddersfield dominating the early goings here. Should be up 2-0


----------



## spintheblackcircle

I really can't see either of these teams doing anything next year other than finishing bottom three unless they make MASSIVE additions. Can't see them scoring enough.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Huddersfield Town wins 4-3 on penalties after scoreless 120 minutes.

I hate PK's, but the drama is awesome.

First time in the modern era for the Huddersfield.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wagner has done a fantastic job there, hard to see them stay up though but if Burnley and Bournemouth can do it maybe they can as well despite a limited budget


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## HajdukSplit

spintheblackcircle said:


>





What?! They didn't have to pay a $150 million expansion fee?

Also saw Huddersfield promoted despite a negative GD during the season and they drew all theee of their playoff matches


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

spintheblackcircle said:


>





Taking it kind of out of context, isn't it? Watford has 90,000 people and is in the PL, Norwich has 140,000 people. 

Huddersfield are 'underdogs' not because of the population but because they're simply historically a lower tier club playing second fiddle in their area to Leeds and the Manchester clubs.


----------



## bluesfan94

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> Taking it kind of out of context, isn't it? Watford has 90,000 people and is in the PL, Norwich has 140,000 people.
> 
> Huddersfield are 'underdogs' not because of the population but because they're simply historically a lower tier club playing second fiddle in their area to Leeds and the Manchester clubs.




Meh. Watford is part of London. I know it technically isn't, but it basically is. It has tube stops.

Norwich's metro is closer to 375,000.


----------



## Chloraflora

bluesfan94 said:


> Meh. Watford is part of London. I know it technically isn't, but it basically is. It has tube stops.
> 
> Norwich's metro is closer to 375,000.




"Metro" areas don't really have the same meaning in the UK. People are very loyal to their towns and care little for urban agglomerations. Where I grew up was assimilated by Greater London in the 1960s, but still has a Kent mailing address and most people who live there say they live in Kent rather than London. 

I guess if you don't like the Watford example you could have Barnsley.


----------



## Adonis Creed

Back down they'll go.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

bluesfan94 said:


> Meh. Watford is part of London. I know it technically isn't, but it basically is. It has tube stops.
> 
> Norwich's metro is closer to 375,000.




As Denzil mentions, 'metros' don't mean that much in a densely populated country like Britain with many polycentric regions and near continuous settlement. 

Football is largely a matter of identity for cities, towns, boroughs, districts and so forth rather than large 'metros'. Otherwise there would only be about 10 clubs as there aren't that many major metros. Yet there have been about 50 clubs in the Premier League to date - and some of the large metros such as Sheffield or Leeds aren't represented this year or haven't been represented in several years.

Watford might be very close to London but that doesn't benefit the club all that much. It helps in some ways because there's more money in outer suburban London than in formerly industrial Yorkshire or the West Midlands. But it also hurts the club because they have to compete with the bigger London clubs for fans. Their market really is only Watford and the surrounding areas of Hertfordshire. 

Huddersfield itself is just a few minutes' drive away from Halifax and Brighouse, two sizable towns. It's only about a 15 mile drive to both Bradford and Wakefield. And it's still an easy matchday drive from Manchester and Leeds. It's a pretty densely populated area. Yet it'd be wrong to say that all those areas are natural reservoirs for Huddersfield Town fans. Huddersfield Town as a historically fairly mediocre club has no appeal beyond its immediate surroundings.

And that's my point here. Huddersfield are about as classic a lower league club as one could find and that's what makes them utter underdogs in the PL. But the comparison to some similar-sized 'market' playing in a major league is misguided because the town size isn't what makes Huddersfield a special case. The PL isn't a league of franchises placed in major cities.

I may add that Kaiserslautern won two Bundesliga titles in the 90s and that town has just about 100,000 souls. Aside from the club and some major U.S. military installations there's not much there. What allowed them to compete at the top of the German game was a rich history and thus a large fanbase across an entire region.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

Good on you, Millwall!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...efiant-football-fan-shouted-terrorists-tried/


----------



## bluesfan94

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> Good on you, Millwall!
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...efiant-football-fan-shouted-terrorists-tried/




This is amazing.


----------



## LiveeviL

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> Good on you, Millwall!
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...efiant-football-fan-shouted-terrorists-tried/




Ha! I went here to see if it was mentioned and it was. So many good parts in this story. 

There is something about this story, about British culture and the worse parts of football hooliganism turned into something remarkable in the right situation. All over the web there are fans from rival teams giving Mr Larny credit for his action, an action very much part of what the fans of Millwall are known for. 


This one got some more content:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-bridge-terror-attack-fk-****-you-im-millwall-hero-roy-larner-football-fan-lion-of-london-a7775246.html



> They chanted "Islam, Islam" and "This is for Allah".
> 
> In return, Mr Larner shouted: "I'm f---ing Millwall!!"






> Phyllis Larner, 78, told The Sun: “He’s fearless, my son. He’ll give as good as he gets.
> 
> “He’s quite nippy and lippy and wouldn’t back down from a fight.
> “He wouldn’t care who it was or if they had a knife or gun.”






> Fans of the south London club have long prided themselves on their refusal to duck a fight, celebrating their intimidating reputation with the chant: “No-one likes us, we don’t care.”






> Good Morning Britain, presenter Piers Morgan, a fan of rival London club Arsenal, told viewers: “Millwall fans get a very bad rap, a lot of it very deserved, but there are times when you really want a lot of Millwall fans, and that was one of them.






> “I didn’t think of my safety at the time,” he added. “I’d had four or five pints — nothing major.






> As he recovers in hospital, Mr Larner’s friends have brought him a running magazine. The front cover headline reads: “Learn to run.”


----------



## Chloraflora

Invade the pitch at Wembley
Community Club of the Year (again)
Stop ISIS

Another bog standard year for us


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## HajdukSplit

Championship season starts tomorrow with the rest of the league football fixtures kicking off Saturday

Important note for US viewers, BeIN is no longer the rights holder to the Championship and League Cup, ESPN bought the rights but the Championship games (and only select ones) will be on their online WatchESPN. I would assume the league cup games with the big teams will be shown on something like ESPN2

Tomorrow's Sunderland vs. Derby is on ESPN3


----------



## gphr513

Anyone have good tips for buying tickets to lower league matches? I'm going to London in October with a few friends, and we absolutely want to go to at least one match while we're there. We're going to try to get to a PL match, but prices/availability might be an issue. 

Besides, I think it would be fun to check out a Championship match, or even a L1 match. We have been following AFC Wimbledon for the past few seasons, they're playing at Charlton while we're there, so we may try to hit that game!

Is it feasible for Championship/L1 games to just walk up to the stadium and get a ticket? Or do you have to buy ahead of time? It looks like they don't even start selling tickets until a few weeks before the match.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

Sunderland and Derby has been decent thus far.


----------



## GabeTravels

gphr513 said:


> Anyone have good tips for buying tickets to lower league matches? I'm going to London in October with a few friends, and we absolutely want to go to at least one match while we're there. We're going to try to get to a PL match, but prices/availability might be an issue.
> 
> Besides, I think it would be fun to check out a Championship match, or even a L1 match. We have been following AFC Wimbledon for the past few seasons, they're playing at Charlton while we're there, so we may try to hit that game!
> 
> Is it feasible for Championship/L1 games to just walk up to the stadium and get a ticket? Or do you have to buy ahead of time? It looks like they don't even start selling tickets until a few weeks before the match.




I think you'll be fine. Minus a few exceptions (Portsmouth, for example, has sold 15,000 Season Tickets), you should be able to get tickets day of. 

Speaking of Portsmouth, Eisner's group took over the club Thursday. Very excited for this new chapter.

For fans of Champ/L1/L2 squads, you can now stream the games via iFollow.

https://www.efl.com/iFollow/

$140 for the year isn't too shabby. I may buy one week to see how the quality is before pulling the trigger, but I'm excited I can finally keep tabs on my club.


----------



## StatesideSensFan

I wish you could buy by the league, like say 150 for the championship since half the teams aren't on IFollow.


----------



## Guy

Not a bad start.


----------



## Stray Wasp

gphr513 said:


> Anyone have good tips for buying tickets to lower league matches? I'm going to London in October with a few friends, and we absolutely want to go to at least one match while we're there. We're going to try to get to a PL match, but prices/availability might be an issue.
> 
> Besides, I think it would be fun to check out a Championship match, or even a L1 match. We have been following AFC Wimbledon for the past few seasons, they're playing at Charlton while we're there, so we may try to hit that game!
> 
> Is it feasible for Championship/L1 games to just walk up to the stadium and get a ticket? Or do you have to buy ahead of time? It looks like they don't even start selling tickets until a few weeks before the match.




Sold out lower league games are a rarity. A point you may wish to consider is that if you buy your tickets in advance it gives you more control on how you spend your pre-game time, to say nothing of the improved chances of finding a seat in an area that suits your preferences.


----------



## gphr513

Stray Wasp said:


> Sold out lower league games are a rarity. A point you may wish to consider is that if you buy your tickets in advance it gives you more control on how you spend your pre-game time, to say nothing of the improved chances of finding a seat in an area that suits your preferences.




Cool, thanks for the thoughts. Good to know if we want to go catch a match, spur of the moment.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Cardiff, Wolves and Ipswich remain perfect after three matches, Cardiff have yet to concede, Wolves won back to back away matches at Derby and Hull to show their intent after a lot of spending in the summer while Ipswich is the early surprise, won a 4:3 thriller at Millwall. 

Teams expected to fight for promotion off to poor starts: Fulham start with three consecutive draws while 2nd favorites (according to the betting sites, have no idea why ) Aston Villa are also winless in their first three but in fairness their fixtures to start the season is tough


----------



## Chloraflora

We'd been due to give someone a thumping, Norwich going home with a 4-0 loss. We've played better before this just without the finish.

Season under way!


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds looking like legit promotion candidates, they have only conceded twice so far this season and are scoring goals for fun (including the cup matches)

Something I expected this summer but not this poor is Sunderland struggling (poorly run club and probably will be the next Nottingham Forest type team who stay down in this division for a while). Only one win from 6...Aston Villa no better despite being the 2nd favorites for promotion in the bookies  Redknapp also just above the relegation zone with Birmingham

Bolton and Brentford still without a win


----------



## Albatros

Forest went down still one more tier pretty quickly, and now looks more likely to do that again than achieve promotion though. I would be disappointed to see Sunderland sink that deep.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Albatros said:


> Forest went down still one more tier pretty quickly, and now looks more likely to do that again than achieve promotion though. I would be disappointed to see Sunderland sink that deep.




Oh, you needn't worry about sunderland fans. They'd be thrilled to renew acquaintances with English football's third tier after all these years.

Misery suits them. They're the humblest people on earth, you see.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

My goodness, Birmingham City looks dreadful.


----------



## AlanHUK

Forest have been mismanaged for decades, this season is the first time there's been any kind of clear structure from top to bottom since Frank Clarke was in charge.

I'm expecting mid table for this season, with potential push to the bubble of playoffs next year, still need to get defence and a keeper who can play the way the manager wants


----------



## philip

My Chesterfield FC are in an absolute world of trouble.... could slip from professional football this year, only a couple of years after nearly getting to the Championship. Awful


----------



## HajdukSplit

CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield United move to the top of the table after both Wolves and Cardiff dropped points this weekend, Cardiff with a disappointing home draw to Millwall. Bristol City another early surprise package are up to 4th after beating struggling Sunderland. 5th-16th is separated by 6 points so its all tight. Some "big" clubs struggling this season, most notably Sunderland with 1 win in 14! Birmingham, Reading and Hull dangerously close to the drop zone too

LEAGUE ONE: Shrewsbury lost their first league fixture today but remain top with only Wigan Athletic so far keeping pace (one point back). Those two have a gap now with the rest of the league. Blackburn just outside the playoff places for now while Pompey are in the lower half of the table

LEAGUE TWO: Very tight at the top with the top four separated by 3 points (Notts County, Accrington Stanley, Luton Town, Exeter City). The league in general is very tight with only Chesterfield being cut adrift at the bottom. Forest Green Rovers after a poor start have won three in a row to move up to 20th (first time ever in the football leagues, bit of an eccentric club lets just say )


----------



## Stray Wasp

My typical attitude to the Birmingham derby is one of regret that both teams can't lose 10-0.

Today's edition ended in a draw. (Usefully extending the gap between City and plucky little underdogs sunderland by a point). What really matters is that Birmingham doled out cardboard clappers to their fans in order to create some atmosphere.

Proof- if there were any lingering doubt- that the 2011 League Cup win was the consequence of a Faustian pact.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Sensation on Wearside, where the match day experience was enlivened by a home fan dropping his pants and squeezing out a turd while sitting in the stand. Witnesses claimed the perpetrator's glassy eyes suggested he'd ingested something stronger than alcohol.

Reading (the football club, not the present particple) won 3-1. Which leaves sunderland one game shy of completing a year without a home league win.

If you visit the twitter account of Michael Martin, former editor of the Newcastle United fanzine True Faith, you'll see that nearby fans helpfully photographed the defecator in order to corroborate the story.

And they say there's no life outside the Premier League...


----------



## SSF

Haha wow, the pics just beggar belief. Although, the hair of the perpetrator may be more of an offense


----------



## Stray Wasp

SSF said:


> Haha wow, the pics just beggar belief. Although, the hair of the perpetrator may be more of an offense




Prior to reading this post, I'd only seen photos in which the top of the turdmonger's head was obscured.

Immediately afterward, I sought out pictures of the alleged haircut, and met with success.

Wow. The fans missed a trick by failing to turn the stand-fouler upside down and use his barnet to clear the mess, rather than leave the excrement lying around. It would have been a suitable punishment for both crimes against society.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves open a 10 point lead on third place, look in good shape to promote


----------



## John Pedro

Léo Bonatini is killing it in the Championship... was quite hyped when younger.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bristol beat 10-man Sheffield United (who have hit a rough patch of form last few weeks) and they take control of third place, one of the definite surprises this Championship season. If Cardiff don't win in Reading on Monday they can be within 3 points of automatic promotion


----------



## Scouter

HajdukSplit said:


> Bristol beat 10-man Sheffield United (who have hit a rough patch of form last few weeks) and they take control of third place, one of the definite surprises this Championship season. If Cardiff don't win in Reading on Monday they can be within 3 points of automatic promotion




A little bit surprising, but they always had the potential, unpredictable no doubt.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Sunderland looks to be on track to avoid back to back relegation.

Coleman looks like a great hiring for them.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Halfway through the Championship season and Wolves are starting to run away with this, full 10 points above the teams in the playoff spots and with Cardiff losing they gain ground on 2nd place as well. Derby hitting good form and are within striking distance of 2nd place. Despite getting a solid point at Villa, Sheffield United have gone from 2nd to 7th in this month

At the bottom, massive win by Burton away at Reading to get out of the relegation zone, Bolton also with an unexpected win against Cardiff. Sunderland-Birmingham ended in a draw today between two teams in the bottom 3

In the other leagues: Wigan leading League One with Shrewsbury and Blackburn being the realistic contenders for that last automatic spot. Portsmouth just outside the playoff spots for now. In League Two, Luton Town running away with the league with only Notts County keeping pace. However, its very tight at the bottom, 18th-24th separated by 5 points


----------



## Ceremony

SSF said:


> Haha wow, the pics just beggar belief. Although, the hair of the perpetrator may be more of an offense





Stray Wasp said:


> Prior to reading this post, I'd only seen photos in which the top of the turdmonger's head was obscured.
> 
> Immediately afterward, I sought out pictures of the alleged haircut, and met with success.
> 
> Wow. The fans missed a trick by failing to turn the stand-fouler upside down and use his barnet to clear the mess, rather than leave the excrement lying around. It would have been a suitable punishment for both crimes against society.



My apologies to being late to this, but I was going to add the boy's quotes but I found more than I had when this originally happened and I can't be picky: Poo-gate: I didn't poo in Stadium of Light - but I did drink a lot

_Callum, who has had a season ticket for three years, had drunk 12 bottles of Bud and six pints of Strongbow Dark Fruit before travelling to the match.

He said he had nothing to eat that day apart from two chocolates from his __Christmas advent calendar._

What I was going to share, with the addendum that he's 17. Maybe not the best thing for a 17 year old to be admitting, although it would excuse someone from consuming that much Strongbow dark fruit. Additionally:

_Callum said: “I was drinking at my house then I met up with mates at the pub and had a few there. I didn’t carry on drinking when I got there.

“But I had been out all night the night before at a party, that probably didn’t help. I got home at 8am and started drinking about 9am.”

Callum said spent around eight hours in police custody after being arrested for being drunk at a football ground.

Callum has now been suspended from his job and fears he could be sacked.

He said: “I have been suspended from work because of it. I think I’m going to get sacked to be honest.

“I’m slightly worried it will affect getting a job but it wouldn’t affect my work life, I’m not going to come to work drunk.

“I’m not usually like that. It’s just a one off, I’m not sure why it’s happened. I’m going to have to watch what I am drinking in the future.

“My mam and dad are going to support me through the whole thing. I think the club will ban me.

“I’m going to be upset if I’m not going to be able to go to the home matches anymore. But I can’t feel hard done by, it’s my fault, I have done it.”
_
By f*** son, you've got problems beyond the football if this is your reaction.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Alas, this mackem sounds as though he's only an extreme version of a type of hopeless teenager you hear about all too frequently these days.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves with a massive win at Bristol, they played from the 14th minute with 10 men but Bristol also had their goalkeeper sent off shortly after the hour mark and Wolves scored twice after that to take the three points, now 11 points above third place. Derby move into 2nd place after winning in Ipswich and both Bristol/Cardiff dropping points

Sheffield United's slide continues as they lose at home to relegation strugglers Bolton; Brentford one of the more inform sides move up to 10th and within striking distance of the playoffs now. Birmingham remain bottom but finally win after 7 games without a win in the league, despite this run they are still not totally cut adrift either


----------



## Chloraflora

What a roller coaster we had at Leeds today, holy hell. 2-0 up, Leeds down to ten men, we somehow contrive to go 3-2 down, tie it up with three minutes left and then won it in injury time. 

Football, good lord.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves lost at home to Forest but they still have a comfortable lead due to Derby-Bristol playing a draw, however Aston Villa are now within striking distance for 2nd place. Very tight as expected for the final playoff spots

In the bottom half, massive win for Sunderland against fellow strugglers Hull, they are tied on points with Hull having the better GD. Burton's GD took a beating with a 6:0 hammering to Fulham


----------



## HajdukSplit

Almost perfect day for Wolves, they beat Fulham and see both their close rivals (Cardiff and Derby) drop points, Villa can go to 2nd tomorrow if they beat city rivals Birmingham.

At the bottom half, Sunderland came from three goals down to tie Bristol but they are still in the relegation zone and the hiring of Coleman has not delivered the boost which was expected.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Goals and red cards galore in the Championship today, notably in the derby between Sunderland-Boro which had two red cards in the first half and Boro came from behind to win 3:2, rooting Sunderland to the bottom of the table and they are starting to get cut adrift with Coleman also criticizing Ellis Short in a press conference. You suspect Burton will join them too, worst offense in the league + nearly the worst defense too. Elsewhere at the bottom massive victory for Barnsley away at Birmingham which was a 6-pointer while Hull too get a needed victory.

At the top not much change, Wolves will win the league with one of Cardiff, Villa, Derby joining them automatically in the Prem next season. The fight for the final playoff spots as expected will be tense to the final weeks

In League 1 it appears Wigan's to lose, currently in 3rd but because of their FA Cup run they have three games in hand on both Blackburn and Shrewsbury ahead of them and are only 3 points behind leaders Blackburn. Rochdale who are also making a run in the FA Cup are 10 points adrift however with 4 games in hand, but they must win probably at least 3 of them


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Coleman leaving Wales for Sunderland was a huuuuuuuuge mistake.and this isn’t in hindsight thing either. We saw this coming.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Sunderland managed to score with literally the last kick of the game so they get a point, however still bottom


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Good thing for them the relegation race is still very much tight.


----------



## Stray Wasp

For one reason and another, 2017 was the first year since I was a small child that I didn't attend a single game of football live. Recently, the _urge _overtook me, and I tried to work out which London team I might find it least offensive to visit. Then I saw harmless old Fulham were on a tear, and wondered whether they had any interesting games pending. Then I saw they were playing Wolves at Craven Cottage, and I'd heard it suggested that Wolves were playing really good football- having been filled to the gills with heaps of dubiously-sourced money, in the best traditions of modern English football.

Mentioning traditions, when I was a child, it seemed like annually the BBC trooped down to Fulham to report that some evil capitalist was trying to buy Craven Cottage, so they could tear down the stadium and build houses on that juicy slice of real estate. The resistance would be lead by singer Ralph McTell, whose haunting lament about homelessness _The Streets of London _had apparently been mandated as part of every hapless youth's music lesson curriculum.

Craven Cottage is beautifully situated by the Thames, so I'm told. I hadn't time to find out. The District line was part-closed, so rather than alight at Putney Bridge and head west, I walked down shabby Hammersmith streets decorated with newsagents, offies, bookies and takeaways before finally reaching a leafy-suburbsish area. A right turn, and the street I was passing down boasted some floodlights beyond its far end.

I'd been told that Craven Cottage was a nice ground. Entering, I was stunned to discover that despite those dozen uninterrupted years of Premier League football, the Hammersmith End looked like an old temporary stand. Beneath were pretty bog-standard facilities for food and drink, to say nothing of narrow, basic toilets. Bradford looked better fitted to the higher echelons- and City had been a fourth-tier club back when I'd visited them.

I assumed my seat, high up behind one goal, would give me an excellent perspective (and save me shelling out £35 for a main stand ticket). On entering the seating area I nearly cried out loud, 'But where's the rest of it?' Hard to believe capacity is 25,000 or so. In comparison to SJP, Upton Park had seemed a touch on the small side. Craven Cottage seemed positively dinky.

When I'd bought a ticket for the game, I'd been surprised how many unsold seats remained. Now gaps abounded. Fortunately, these began to fill, but the place neither heaved nor throbbed with excitement as kickoff approached. The seats had attached to them contraptions that resembled fans, and with the start not far off the PA system launched into Seven Nation Army, at which the home supporters took up the fan things, which they used to thwack against the palm of their other hand in time to the music.

I reflected that the locals were probably too posh to risk damaging their delicate hands by clapping, but even so, the spectacle was skin-crawlingly plastic. The heart filled with dread.

But as the game kicked off, a miracle occurred. From behind me, singing broke out, and the noise grew. What proportion of the crowd participated, and how loud it would have sounded from further away I cannot say. Heard from close by, and in stark contrast to what had gone before, it gave one the sense of being at a proper football game. And the noise persisted throughout.

In between buying my ticket and the day itself, each team had undergone a significant change. Neves- Wolves' star midfielder- had earned himself a suspension. Meanwhile, Fulham had taken on loan The Thirteen Million Pound Lard Baby. Or Aleksandar Mitrovic, as he is more widely known. Talk about farce dogging your every step.

Neves' absence was felt from the start, and Nuno had compounded it by leaving Jota, his top scorer, on the bench. He'd spotted that Ryan Fredericks tended to bomb forwards from right back to give Fulham's 4-2-3-1 formation width down that side, and tried to exploit the resultant gap through counters. But without Neves, Wolves lacked the craft to make real incisions, and Costa's pace worried without creating end product.

Fulham benefitted from the discipline of their holding midfielder Kevin McDonald, who frequently operated so close to his back four as almost to be an additional centre back. When Fredericks was caught forward, McDonald indeed dropped into defence so that Kalas could cover out right. Tim Ream was reading the game well, and intervening usefully when his team looked on the brink of being opened up. Fredericks suffered from his winger, Ayite's defensive unreliability, but he himself was never slow to sprint back towards goal. All to the good, given their keeper's handling was more than once shaky. The visitors played 4-2-3-1 too, and apart from a few frantic minutes early on that resulted in a block by a Wolves defender and a save from John Ruddy I felt the teams cancelled each other out.

For the home team, Mitrovic was at times isolated. Occasionally he wandered unwisely in search of the ball, denying his team a focal point. His hold-up play was the usual mixture of deft touches and lumpenness. Johansen was busy, decent in his touch, lively in his thinking, but not always so hot in execution. Tom Cairney impressed with his two-footed distribution and positional discipline- keeping his team ticking over by the golden virtue of not trying to do too much for no reason.

Then there was Ryan Sessegnon, of whom I'd heard so much. His speed stands out, and his control is mightily impressive. On the evidence of this game his movement off the ball and passing is that of a second-tier English winger, alas. Nevertheless, when Wolves were caught trying to play offside as the ball returned towards their goal Mitrovic found himself played into the box alone. Ruddy saved the shot, but Sessegnon darted in to dispatch the rebound.

That happened seven minutes short of half time, yet the interval didn't engender a Wolves revival. Twenty minutes from the end, just to annoy me Mitrovic turned his marker with embarrassing ease in the inside left channel. His control served him perfectly to open up a shooting angle. From behind that goal it was evident even before Mitrovic struck the ball that despite being twenty yards or so out he was in a perfect position to place a shot low into the corner to the keeper's right. He realised the opportunity, and celebrated by doing the silly gun celebration he's so fond of. The fans lapped it up, which encouraged him to show off his bicep muscles as he bounded back to the centre-circle. Nothing changes- the same pea-brained grandstanding interspersed with transient suggestions of an actual footballer.

After that, Wolves lost heart. Yet with a few minutes left they enjoyed an unlikely burst of life that yielded a ghastly miss by Jota, who when faced with an empty net lamped the ball into the crowd. Another chance followed, but then the final whistle. On the tube, the mood of their fans was gloomy. They've dropped twelve points in their last eight games. Yet if they accrue 50% of the points from their final dozen matches, they'll finish the campaign with 91 points, which should be enough to earn automatic promotion.

As for Fulham, they proved last season they were capable at this level of beating anyone. They impressed more than a few Newcastle fans as the best pure footballing opposition in the 2016/17 edition of the second tier, and as they roared into the playoffs with eleven wins from their final seventeen games, I assumed they'd prove the team to beat. That events turned out differently leaves them in a tight spot. Unless memory misleads, this is the Cottagers' final year of parachute payments. Miss promotion this year, and Ralph McTell may again be propelled to the fore.


----------



## Chloraflora

I thought it was well known Fulham have the cringiest fan base in the capital. They have a neutral section for goodness sake.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Denzil said:


> I thought it was well known Fulham have the cringiest fan base in the capital. They have a neutral section for goodness sake.




A QPR fan of my acquaintance had murmured something disparaging about 'clappers' when I'd told him I was going, but the warning had sailed in one ear then out the other.

Even had I kept his words in mind, it's all very well to _know_ a fact, but you can never fully steel yourself for the full dismalness of _experiencing_ it first hand.


----------



## Chloraflora

Why do we keep winning? WHY?! I’m going to presume we’re getting payback for playing so well earlier this season with no reward. We literally haven’t won 5 straight away games in my lifetime until now.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

4-1 Villa. Bonkers.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves' lead at the top is starting to decrease after winning only 1 of 5, in fairness the fixtures have been tough for them with Villa, Fulham involved and in the next couple of weeks they still face Boro, Cardiff and Derby. If they can survive that stretch things get much easier


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Villa I think, is out of automatic promotion spot race after that dreadful performance against Bolton.

It's Fulham vs. Cardiff.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Cardiff could go 10 points clear of Fulham should they win tomorrow, however their fixture is tough (Derby away). Its looking more likely that Wolves and Cardiff will not only automatically promote, but do it rather easily with games to spare. However as usual, the final playoff spots will be hotly contested

Sunderland on the brink, 5 points from safety which is really theoretically 6 because of their awful GD


----------



## HajdukSplit

With the international break time to look at whats going on in League 1, 2 and the Conference which all played today and have roughly 8 games remaining

League 1
Three way fight for the two automatic promotion spots: Shrewsbury (78), Wigan (77), Blackburn (76) however it must be noted Wigan have two games in hand due to their FA Cup run and Blackburn have a game in hand. Behind these three the nearest competitor is Rotherham on 65 points with no game in hand. Playoffs are tight with 6th-11th separated by 6 points. In the bottom half interestingly both MK Dons and Wimbledon are in the relegation scrap 

League 2
Luton Town and Accrington Stanley on top of the league comfortable on 74 points however Accrington Stanley have two games in hand, nearest competitor is Wycombe on 70 with no games in hand. The playoff race is also not as tight as in League 1. Not much drama at the bottom either with Barnet and Chesterfield cut adrift but Chesterfield have three games in hand and are 6 points from safety

Conference
Sutton and Macclesfield have nearly similar record (Sutton better GD but Macclesfield game in hand) and those two are expected to compete for the lone automatic promotion spot. Sutton I guess are best known for playing on artificial turf which is creeping more and more into the European game


----------



## Cassano

HajdukSplit said:


> Cardiff could go 10 points clear of Fulham should they win tomorrow, however their fixture is tough (Derby away). Its looking more likely that Wolves and Cardiff will not only automatically promote, but do it rather easily with games to spare. However as usual, the final playoff spots will be hotly contested
> 
> Sunderland on the brink, 5 points from safety which is really theoretically 6 because of their awful GD



Nice. I always liked Cardiff. Hopefully they stick around in the Prem longer this time.


----------



## sabremike

That post reminded me just how much I wish Tim Ream was still playing for Metro.


----------



## Bure80

How good is Sane for City? He had a very bad game against Brazil. Tried to many 1 on 3 and played bad passes. Can you say similar things for the PL?


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Bure80 said:


> How good is Sane for City? He had a very bad game against Brazil. Tried to many 1 on 3 and played bad passes. Can you say similar things for the PL?




Sane has been one of the best players in the PL this year.


----------



## Chloraflora

We...keep...winning. One point out of the playoffs


----------



## HajdukSplit

Massive win for Wolves at Boro, they will still compete with Cardiff for the top spot but it appears those two will promote automatically. Fulham and Villa are the only ones with certain playoff positions barring a collapse with now as many as 6 teams fighting for those last two spots


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Race for the playoff spaces is crazy tight. 5 points separating Derby in 5th and Preston in 10th. Gunning for Sheffield to snag a playoff spot (they started the year crazy strong and have been consistently slipping).


----------



## Stray Wasp

Cardiff, trailing one-nil at home to Wolves, missed two stoppage-time penalties. As such, Wolves are five points away from promotion.

But far more importantly, the EFL has confirmed that Accrington Stanley ("Who are they?" cries a generation of kids reared on the milk adverts) won't have their bid for promotion from League Two derailed by a fast-food bonus controversy.

In case you think I'm making that last bit up, see this for further details:

Burger 'bonus': Accrington Stanley 'reminded of responsibilities' by EFL.


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

That was some game. Warnock is mad.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Apparently Warnock was furious that Nuno didn't shake hands with him after the final whistle, preferring to celebrate with his players.

Warnock judged this disrespectful. Because as the above footage demonstrates, Neil Warnock conducts himself with unimpeachable dignity at all times.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Fulham are basically the only team with a realistic shot at getting into the top two as they won today, however Cardiff have a game in hand and if they win they will be 5 points over them

Sunderland and Burton both pick up away draws but they are 7 points adrift, Barnsley with a big win earlier today to keep pace with Birmingham/Bolton and they have a game in hand as well. Clement with 2 wins in 3 for Reading giving them some breathing room

No rest for these clubs, another midweek set of fixtures; the big match is Aston Villa (4th) hosting Cardiff (2nd), game Villa really needs to win to keep their slim automatic promotion hopes alive


----------



## Ceremony

Big Kahuna said:


> That was some game. Warnock is mad.


----------



## Chloraflora

Still in with a playoff shout, it's in our hands!


----------



## Stray Wasp

I had an old-fashioned type of live update on the football scores today.

I happened to be in my bedroom with the window open and there came from the direction of South Bermondsey a mass roar that suggested something more exciting than a passing ice cream van. I checked the BBC website and, sure enough, Millwall were 2-0 up.

Alas, it sounded as though they played a goal song.


----------



## Chloraflora

Stray Wasp said:


> I had an old-fashioned type of live update on the football scores today.
> 
> I happened to be in my bedroom with the window open and there came from the direction of South Bermondsey a mass roar that suggested something more exciting than a passing ice cream van. I checked the BBC website and, sure enough, Millwall were 2-0 up.
> 
> Alas, it sounded as though they played a goal song.



Yeah they play a brief clip from the Let ‘em come song we come out of the tunnel to. I don’t like it either....


----------



## Stray Wasp

In the Championship, Villa beat Cardiff and Fulham win against Reading, leaving Fulham in the second automatic promotion place. Cardiff, however, has a game in hand.

Burton's 5-0 home defeat to Hull means they can be relegated this weekend depending on how results go.

sunderland compounded a penalty miss by allowing defender Ivo Pinto to score an 89th minute equaliser for Norwich, which prevents them fully capitalising on defeats for Barnsley and Bolton.

Five points separate fifth place Derby from eleventh place Preston. Two of those teams played each other tonight: Sheffield United beat Middlesbrough at home, dropping Boro out of a playoff place. Unlike every other team in the group, Derby have played 40 games rather than 42.

As for Millwall, I'm sure another contributor will have something to say about them...


----------



## jacobhockey13

Delete


----------



## Chloraflora

Stray Wasp said:


> In the Championship, Villa beat Cardiff and Fulham win against Reading, leaving Fulham in the second automatic promotion place. Cardiff, however, has a game in hand.
> 
> Burton's 5-0 home defeat to Hull means they can be relegated this weekend depending on how results go.
> 
> sunderland compounded a penalty miss by allowing defender Ivo Pinto to score an 89th minute equaliser for Norwich, which prevents them fully capitalising on defeats for Barnsley and Bolton.
> 
> Five points separate fifth place Derby from eleventh place Preston. Two of those teams played each other tonight: Sheffield United beat Middlesbrough at home, dropping Boro out of a playoff place. Unlike every other team in the group, Derby have played 40 games rather than 42.
> 
> *As for Millwall, I'm sure another contributor will have something to say about them...*



I'm lost for words at this point 

If we're going to do it, it'll be the hard way - we've Sheffield United and Middlesbrough away, and home games with Fulham and Aston Villa remaining.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves one win away from promotion and three of their next four are against the relegation candidates


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

What the f*** was that goal from Neves?


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## YNWA14

Harry Wilson tearing it up for Hull.


----------



## bluesfan94

spintheblackcircle said:


>




The goalie took so long to react


----------



## les Habs

bluesfan94 said:


> The goalie took so long to react




Maybe he didn't get a look right away and he probably wasn't expecting it to dip so much. Either way Neves has scored some spectacular goals this season. Forget the league he's in too because plenty are from set pieces or long distance shots.


----------



## Stray Wasp

les Habs said:


> Maybe he didn't get a look right away and he probably wasn't expecting it to dip so much. Either way Neves has scored some spectacular goals this season. Forget the league he's in too because plenty are from set pieces or long distance shots.




Looks to me like the keeper was simply deceived by the flight- as any keeper might have been, given the way it dipped. To be beaten that high and that close to the top corner strikes me as no disgrace. The keeper's starting position was central, so he can't be faulted on that score. Maybe a touch slow to spring, but not culpably so.

What intrigues me is the big bank of empty seats in the corner of the frame. Maybe it's the away fans. Given the acclaim from some quarters for Wolves' quality of football this season, in addition to the results, you'd expect a packed stadium every game.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wolves officially promote to the Premier League after Fulham drew at home to Brentford, Wolves will win the division with one more win. Cardiff the big winners today, two late goals away to Norwich and they jump ahead of Fulham with a game in hand. Villa secure a playoff spot while the last two spots are still very much up for grabs, Millwall move into 6th after Derby's shock loss to Burton

At the bottom, Sunderland are six points from safety with 3 matches to play, they likely need to win their remaining matches. Burton with a crucial win over Derby but they are still in trouble (five points from safety). Barnsley rescued a late minute point at home to Bolton, probably not the result they wanted but with their game in hand they can jump ahead of Bolton with only a draw

Elsewhere below the Championship: Bury are the first team relegated from the EFL, finishing bottom of League 1. Accrington Stanley were held to a home draw with delays their promotion until midweek when they will have another chance.


----------



## Ceremony

Stray Wasp said:


> Looks to me like the keeper was simply deceived by the flight- as any keeper might have been, given the way it dipped. To be beaten that high and that close to the top corner strikes me as no disgrace. The keeper's starting position was central, so he can't be faulted on that score. Maybe a touch slow to spring, but not culpably so.
> 
> What intrigues me is the big bank of empty seats in the corner of the frame. Maybe it's the away fans. Given the acclaim from some quarters for Wolves' quality of football this season, in addition to the results, you'd expect a packed stadium every game.



Isn't Molineux still being rebuilt?


----------



## Stray Wasp

Ceremony said:


> Isn't Molineux still being rebuilt?




I don't know. Before I posted yesterday, I checked the current capacity- which is around 30,000.

Given Wolves' historic standing, no doubt there's potential to expand even if they aren't presently so doing.

It'd certainly be a logical explanation for those blocks being uninhabited.


----------



## Ceremony

Stray Wasp said:


> I don't know. Before I posted yesterday, I checked the current capacity- which is around 30,000.
> 
> Given Wolves' historic standing, no doubt there's potential to expand even if they aren't presently so doing.
> 
> It'd certainly be a logical explanation for those blocks being uninhabited.



It has been over the past few years, though they started at the opposite end:






If I cared more about English football I'd know if the longer stand is being done now or soon but that was my first guess


----------



## SSF

The longer stand(Steve Bull Stand) is supposedly next on the re-build list. That new stand you posted even partially "wraps" around to where the new stand will join it.

Molineux | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | Football Ground Guide


----------



## HajdukSplit

Accrington Stanley promote to League 1

Macclesfield Town one win away from promotion to League 2


----------



## Ceremony

Joseph Barton to be the Fleetwood Town manager next year. Chortle.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Meanwhile on Wearside sunderland's plight prompted internet talk from certain Newcastle fans that they might turn up at the Stadium of Pink Seats to gloat over the old enemy's relegation. This first surfaced before sunderland played Norwich last week.

sunderland immediately jumped to the wise conclusion that the above must be true. You can understand their point- no investigation into the internet's content has unearthed a single instance of idle chat, fantasy, bravado or sheer lies ever.

A portion of the media, meanwhile, spotted a bandwagon- albeit a creaky, mossy bandwagon with square, wooden, broken-axled wheels- and yelled, 'A story! A story! This may elicit the attention of somebody somewhere! This may be our passport to relevance!' With one gulp, they swallowed the tale whole.

So now paranoia stalks the SR postcodes, and at present there's every possibility that when sunderland play Burton on Saturday the Durham Light Infantry will be reconstituted and mobilised in order to throw a ring of steel around the stadium to repel an army of disguised Geordies, whose strength is currently estimated at around 650,000, from infiltrating the home end, the away end, both dugouts and the pie stalls.

(I have an odd instinct sunderland will stay up. Bolton and Bimingham may only need two points to avoid the drop, but the former in particular are so awful- and their goal difference so close to the Mackems'- that I wouldn't be amazed if they were overhauled. But if I'm wrong, I doubt I'd laugh as much as this storm in a teacup has caused me to do).


----------



## Chloraflora

Murr. We had our chances in the first half, should probably have been ahead, second half though we were just outplayed. They're goooood and won't be out of place in the PL.


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

Loaning Mitrovic has to be one of the best transfers this season.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Big Kahuna said:


> Loaning Mitrovic has to be one of the best transfers this season.




It's one of those deals where everyone is a winner- Newcastle, Fulham and the player himself.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Macclesfield return to the football league after winning the Conference title


----------



## HajdukSplit

Well there it goes, Sunderland suffer back to back relegations after a 2:1 loss to Burton at home, even worse they had a goal disallowed in the 96th minute. They cannot finish above Burton/Bolton who play next week hence their official relegation. They got absolutely no bounce from Coleman’s hiring and more worrying for them is they are in poor financial state, so it could be a rough future for them but really a club of their size should get out of League 1 fairly quick, the problem is getting back to the Prem.

Two promotions as well; Wigan return to the Championship after one season (expect Blackburn to join them soon too as they both compete for the League One title). Luton Town promote from League 2 -> League 1

No relegations below the Championship however in League 2, Chesterfield are as good as down, 6 points from safety with two to play and their goal difference is -19 worse than the team in safety


----------



## Ceremony

Always hilarious seeing utter shite like Sunderland sink without trace. Bet Chris Coleman's enjoying life right now.


----------



## Stray Wasp

HajdukSplit said:


> Well there it goes, Sunderland suffer back to back relegations after a 2:1 loss to Burton at home, even worse they had a goal disallowed in the 96th minute.




I prefer to think about it being the other way around- relegation has suffered sunderland for the second successive season.

I wonder whether it's like the Jules Rimet trophy, and if it happens a third time relegation gets to keep sunderland permanently?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Ceremony said:


> Always hilarious seeing utter ****e like Sunderland sink without trace. Bet Chris Coleman's enjoying life right now.



Taking that job was the worst mistake made by any manager in the history of football.


----------



## Stray Wasp

And for anyone who isn't aware of the full details:

1) sunderland lead 1-0 with less than five minutes left.
2) Darren Bent, their former star striker who left acrimoniously, came on as a sub. sunderland fans understandably booed him. Bent scored the equaliser.
3) Even though a draw might have kept them alive, sunderland's arse duly dropped out.
4) Burton is managed by Nigel Clough. He was born in sunderland when his father was their star striker.
5) Brian Clough said he'd have crawled to sunderland on his hands and knees over broken glass for a chance to be their manager. sunderland never presented him the chance.


----------



## Stray Wasp

In my lifetime, I have seen Newcastle United reach two FA Cup finals.

I have seen Newcastle United play in two Champions League campaigns.

And I have seen sunderland- who until 1958 had never even been relegated from the top flight- suffer two drops into the third tier.


----------



## Stray Wasp

In 2012-13 sunderland had the Premier League's 13th highest wage bill. They finished 17th, and celebrated because they won on Tyneside.

In 2013-14 they had the Premier League's 8th highest wage bill. They finished 14th, and celebrated because they did the double over Newcastle.

In 2014-15 they had the Premier League's 11th highest wage bill. They finished 16th, and celebrated because they did the double over Newcastle.

In 2015-16 they had the Premier League's 10th highest wage bill. While Leicester- who had the league's 15th highest wage bill- finished as Champions, sunderland finished 17th, and celebrated because they beat Newcastle 3-0, and Newcastle finished the season 18th, and were relegated.

Quite how a club so committed to attaining the highest standards can have slumped so badly beats me.


----------



## Chloraflora

You’re enjoying this just a touch aren’t you?


----------



## Stray Wasp

A _tad_.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Cardiff lose their game in hand away at Derby, the remain 2nd but only one point ahead of Fulham while Villa are four points back. Derby jump into 6th

CARDIFF: Hull City (A), Reading (H)
FULHAM: Sunderland (H), Birmingham City (A)

Neither team has totally difficult fixtures, however for Fulham’s case, Birmingham may still need the result on the final day too

In League 1, Blackburn Rovers promote to the Championship while MK Dons are as good as relegated due to their poor GD

In League 2, Chesterfield officially relegated and out of the football leagues for the first time since 1921!


----------



## Stray Wasp

For those interested in the battle to avoid being relegated from the Championship along with relegated sunderland (who were relegated to League One following their 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion at the weekend), Barnsley lost 3-0 away to Nottingham Forest.

This leaves Barnsley third bottom, two points behind Bolton, and five back from Birmingham and Reading. But at least they aren't yet relegated. Unlike relegated sunderland, who were relegated to League One following their 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion at the weekend.


----------



## S E P H

I was going through the levels of English football to show my brother who doesn't really understand it and found something shocking. What in the bloody hell happened to Wigan Athletic? I know people want to make fun of Sunderland, but Wigan has had a brutal demise from top premier football.

I hope Fulham wins, the EPL is always way more interesting and fun when they're in the top flight. I would also love it if one or both of the Sheffield clubs ever found their way into the EPL.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Denzil said:


> You’re enjoying this just a touch aren’t you?



Is he a Newcastle fan?

Also I can’t imagine London police exactly rooting for Millwall promotion


----------



## sabremike

"I'm so sad MK Dons got relegated" said no one ever. f*** them.


----------



## sabremike

Stray Wasp said:


> In my lifetime, I have seen Newcastle United reach two FA Cup finals.
> 
> I have seen Newcastle United play in two Champions League campaigns.
> 
> And I have seen sunderland- who until 1958 had never even been relegated from the top flight- suffer two drops into the third tier.



I'm man enough to admit when I am wrong: the Mackems are a far bigger shit show than Newcastle has ever been. They are now a credible top flight outfit and if they weren't owned by Mike Ashley (a horrible human being just for selling the naming rights to St Jamses Park alone) I could see them fighting for European places in the upcoming years.


----------



## HoseEmDown

I would like to see Fulham and Villa go up. I just think they'll spend more and try to be more competitive than Cardiff. Derby was awful last time they were up so don't want to see them and Middlesbrough were just up, they need more time away. Would be cool to see Millwall go up just for the back to back promotion aspect but don't think they'd be competitive enough. 

As for the 3 going down, if it's Southampton I would like to see them bounce right back, the others could wait a few years.


----------



## Stray Wasp

S E P H said:


> I was going through the levels of English football to show my brother who doesn't really understand it and found something shocking. What in the bloody hell happened to Wigan Athletic? I know people want to make fun of Sunderland, but Wigan has had a brutal demise from top premier football.
> 
> I hope Fulham wins, the EPL is always way more interesting and fun when they're in the top flight. I would also love it if one or both of the Sheffield clubs ever found their way into the EPL.




To be brutally frank, what happened to Wigan is that they've retreated to nearer their natural level.

I was aware they joined the Football League in the seventies, and in checking the precise date (1978, for anyone who cares to know) I discovered they didn't even finish top of their league the season before. Boston United, who finished five points clear of them, hadn't the required facilities for league football. Wigan did, and up they came.

I posted in the thread about Wenger's retirement how timing played a part in his success. Likewise Dave Whelan at Wigan- he arrived in 1995 when few lower league clubs possessed sugar daddies. His presence proved vital to ensuring Wigan's health around 2001-2001, when the lower leagues were hit by a cataclysm.

ITV (the UK's biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster) had bid a nine-figure sum for TV rights to cover the Football League First Division (as the Championship was then called), as well as Divisions Two and Three. The deal was signed under an entity called ITV Digital.

Now let's play a guessing game. Did the clubs in those divisions:
A) Carefully plan for the future by variously improving their facilities, developing youth systems, paying off debts and generally stabilising their financial viability
or:
B) Pour every penny they had into inflated transfer fees and salaries for second rate players and therefore find themselves up the proverbial when ITV Digital collapsed?

If you haven't worked out the answer, I'll provide a clue: those who understood administration procedures thrived.

With every new TV deal, and every new sugar daddy's arrival on the scene, the advantage Wigan enjoyed through Whelan came closer to evaporating, and it became increasingly likely that one relegation would hamstring them. Coming from a small town- in which rugby league is the number one sport- they simply don't have the fanbase
to sustain even second tier football now that so many clubs capable of attracting 20-30,000 strong crowds also benefit from parachute payments and / or help from owners whose wealth exceeds Whelan's.

As an illustration: consider this table compiled for the excellent Swiss Ramble blog: The Swiss Ramble: Bournemouth - Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Compare Wigan's position in the _Revenue _and _Revenue excluding Parachute payments _respectively for a stark illustration of how strong their resources are.

Turning to Sheffield Wednesday, that's a club whose return to the EPL is longoverdue.


----------



## S E P H

Stray Wasp said:


> To be brutally frank, what happened to Wigan is that they've retreated to nearer their natural level.
> 
> I was aware they joined the Football League in the seventies, and in checking the precise date (1978, for anyone who cares to know) I discovered they didn't even finish top of their league the season before. Boston United, who finished five points clear of them, hadn't the required facilities for league football. Wigan did, and up they came.
> 
> I posted in the thread about Wenger's retirement how timing played a part in his success. Likewise Dave Whelan at Wigan- he arrived in 1995 when few lower league clubs possessed sugar daddies. His presence proved vital to ensuring Wigan's health around 2001-2001, when the lower leagues were hit by a cataclysm.
> 
> ITV (the UK's biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster) had bid a nine-figure sum for TV rights to cover the Football League First Division (as the Championship was then called), as well as Divisions Two and Three. The deal was signed under an entity called ITV Digital.
> 
> Now let's play a guessing game. Did the clubs in those divisions:
> A) Carefully plan for the future by variously improving their facilities, developing youth systems, paying off debts and generally stabilising their financial viability
> or:
> B) Pour every penny they had into inflated transfer fees and salaries for second rate players and therefore find themselves up the proverbial when ITV Digital collapsed?
> 
> If you haven't worked out the answer, I'll provide a clue: those who understood administration procedures thrived.
> 
> With every new TV deal, and every new sugar daddy's arrival on the scene, the advantage Wigan enjoyed through Whelan came closer to evaporating, and it became increasingly likely that one relegation would hamstring them. Coming from a small town- in which rugby league is the number one sport- they simply don't have the fanbase
> to sustain even second tier football now that so many clubs capable of attracting 20-30,000 strong crowds also benefit from parachute payments and / or help from owners whose wealth exceeds Whelan's.
> 
> As an illustration: consider this table compiled for the excellent Swiss Ramble blog: The Swiss Ramble: Bournemouth - Welcome To The Pleasuredome
> 
> Compare Wigan's position in the _Revenue _and _Revenue excluding Parachute payments _respectively for a stark illustration of how strong their resources are.
> 
> Turning to Sheffield Wednesday, that's a club whose return to the EPL is longoverdue.



I fully enjoyed that one SW. 

I will take "inflated transfer fees and salaries for second rate players and therefore find themesleves up the proverbial" for $2000 Alex.


----------



## Stray Wasp

My pleasure.

No cash prizes for your correct answer, alas.


----------



## S E P H

Stray Wasp said:


> My pleasure.
> 
> *No cash prizes for your correct answer, alas.*



Sort of like Sunderlund and Wigan? Except and ironically that their cash prizes came with the wrong answer...


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> I'm man enough to admit when I am wrong: the Mackems are a far bigger **** show than Newcastle has ever been. They are now a credible top flight outfit and if they weren't owned by Mike Ashley (a horrible human being just for selling the naming rights to St Jamses Park alone) I could see them fighting for European places in the upcoming years.




Well, one of the reasons I'm so enjoying relegated sunderland's present plight of relegation to League One (which occurred following their 2-1 home defeat to Burton Albion last weekend) is because Newcastle are only a couple of years away from something similar- the clock will begin ticking the second Benitez walks. And since Ashley has begun playing silly games about selling the club already, that lamentable day isn't far off.

Funnily enough in the light of my above post about Wigan, relegated sunderland (whose fate was sealed when they lost 2-1 at home to Burton Albion on Saturday 21 April 2018) are the flip side to the Latics. Around 2010/11 I suggested on this very site that the not relegated to League One as they are now sunderland had come into money too late for it to do them much real good- by then, too many other middling, better-run clubs boasted owners who were happy to pump money into them, which gave the yet to be relegated to League One mackems no real transfer market leverage. Months later, as if to prove my point, Darren Bent (who, lest we forget, returned to haunt then relegation-to-League-One-threatened sunderland by scoring the equaliser for Burton Albion in what escalated into the defeat that confirmed sunderland's relegation to League One) jumped ship to Villa at the first sniff of an £80,000 per week contract. (It appears Bent chose to celebrate this event by never pulling his weight in training ever again).

Relegated sunderland is a club of historic standing and potential (and I mean potential for _positive_ events, not slapstick relegations to League One as a consequence of losing 2-1 at home to Burton Albion on an April afternoon). But it appears they are genuinely incapable of employing anyone competent for more than five minutes, or putting together any coherent strategy regarding how to position themselves.

Placing less emphasis on besting Newcastle United would help. There are those who say relegated sunderland has never recovered from their 1958 relegation- they were once known as 'The Bank of England club'. For me, the crucial moment was the summer of 2001, in the days of the Phillips and Quinn strike partnership. For the second successive season they'd finished seventh in the EPL, beaten Newcastle 2-1 away and drawn at home. (Both seasons, NUFC finished 11th). Both seasons sunderland (for whom relegation to League One lay far in the future) faded from a European position in the season's second half.

Relegated sunderland (as they then weren't), were offered a place in the 2001 Intertoto Cup. If three two-legged ties could be negotiated, here was a possible passport to a first European qualification since 1973. The future League One titans declined. Instead they basked in their status as 'North East Top Dogs', egged on by the ever parochial, ever imbecile local media.

The Intertoto Cup place was next offered to someone else (Aston Villa, I think). Again, noses were turned up. Finally, the opportunity was grasped by...Newcastle United, a club that had enjoyed a fractious, disappointing 2000/2001 season, and had low expectations for the following season. Bobby Robson's first full season in charge had been a disappointment- he'd bought iffily, flirted with a return to managing England, and achieved the unwelcome historical first of losing both Tyne-Wear and Tyne-Tees derbies. Alan Shearer had undergone three knee operations in roughly a year, and seemed odds on for a sad end to his career.

The novelty of the Intertoto gave NUFC's fans a boost. A squad of mainly young players won four straight games- including one against 1860 in Munich's Olympic stadium. On the back of that result Laurent Robert- who'd been reluctant to join the club- signed on the dotted line. By the time Newcastle bungled their final tie against Troyes- losing 4-4 on away goals having taken a 1-0 lead about five minutes in- they'd begun the EPL season with a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. By a quirk of the fixture list, after Troyes they hosted sunderland- the looming derby vanished the risk of brooding. And a certain sheet metal worker's son from Gosforth declared himself fit enough for a place on the bench.

The mediocrities claimed Intertoto participation killed teams in the second half of a season. Newcastle finished fourth. The lot down the road finished 17th. Which was followed by a then record low points total the season after: the legend of relegated sunderland began to take shape.

All for the want of expanded horizons.


----------



## gary69

Stray Wasp said:


> - they'd begun the EPL season with a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.




I was at that game, Lampard's league debut for Chelsea. Although I mostly remember the game for a slight delay before the kick-off, when there was no electricity at the stadium and nobody was allowed to enter the stands. One of the staff made a joke that Ken Bates (the then owner) was still trying to collect enough coins to get the electricity back on for the day, but it should happen any minute now...and it did


----------



## les Habs

Stray Wasp said:


> I have seen Newcastle United play in two Champions League campaigns.




I still remember that hiding that Tino Asprilla gave us back in the day. The guy seemed to be able to hover in the air until the ball came for him to smash him a header. Quite an amazing performance that I wonder if it's lost to today's generation.


----------



## Ceremony

If you're really curious about Wigan's existence, type "wiganed" into urban dictionary.


----------



## Stray Wasp

les Habs said:


> I still remember that hiding that Tino Asprilla gave us back in the day. The guy seemed to be able to hover in the air until the ball came for him to smash him a header. Quite an amazing performance that I wonder if it's lost to today's generation.




I was a student based outside the north east by 1997, so I only watched that game on TV. But as long as I have a memory, I'll recall the sight of my late father- an undemonstrative man who'd lived through all three FA Cup triumphs during the early fifties, as well as the Fairs Cup win of of '69- springing from the sofa when Tino put NUFC 3-0 up.

Other memories from that night- the SJP crowd singing 'Toon, Toon, black and white army' at maximum volume when Van Gaal's team were probing.

Glenn Hoddle, then England manager, marvelling at half time, and wishing he could bottle the atmosphere and take it to Italy with him for England's decisive World Cup qualifier.

Reflecting upon the final whistle that hundreds of millions of people worldwide had watched the game, and seen Newcastle United at its very best.

Like the man said, all these memories will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.


----------



## Stray Wasp

The promotion aspirants met with the Kings of Slapstick at Craven Cottage this evening. Playing their first game since they were relegated following a 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion, relegated sunderland did what relegated teams so often do- they played with greater freedom than before the axe fell, and took a 1-0 lead. This must have come as a particular relief to the relegated club's fans, given Fulham boasted a red-hot Aleksander Mitrovic, a player currently on loan from Newcastle United, relegated sunderland's local rivals, who have never dropped out of England's top two divisions at the hand of anyone, let alone Burton Albion while playing at home.

Unfortunately, the relegated side were denied a penalty just before half time. Pretty much immediately, Fulham counter-attacked and scored.

No doubt this development brought back unhappy memories for relegated sunderland of the game when they lead Burton Albion only to concede twice, lose, and suffer relegation.

It came to pass. In the 75th minute, Fulham claimed the lead. And who should score the goal? Why, Aleksander Mitrovic. Fulham held on, leapfrogging Cardiff, over whom they now have a two point advantage- albeit the Bluebirds have a game in hand.

As for relegated sunderland- into whose fresh wounds from the 2-1 home defeat to Burton Albion that relegated them a few thousand tonnes of salt have been poured- they finish the season as the only north east club with a trophy.

Watch these pages for news as to when Wearside's ecstatic public hails the presentation of the Championship's wooden spoon.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Cardiff one win away from promotion after their victory in Hull, they host Reading on the final day who are still in danger of relegation. Fulham must hope Cardiff drop points as they go to Birmingham. Villa confirmed for 4th place. Still very tight at the bottom with Burton winning their crucial game against Bolton (however their GD is awful). Barnsley also with a massive win and remain outside the bottom three.

Reading 43 -22 (Cardiff away)
Birmingham 43 -32 (Fulham home)
Barnsley 41 -21 (Derby away)
-------------------------
Burton 41 -42 (Preston away)
Bolton 40 -36 (Forest home)

The team in biggest trouble (Bolton) have the easiest fixture on paper as Forest have absolutely nothing to play for, Bolton need to win. Burton and Barnsley are away to teams fighting for that last playoff spot while Reading and Birmingham are playing the promotion candidates with only Birmingham at home

In League 1: Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United confirmed playoff teams, Charlton one win away while the last spot is very much up for grabs. MK Dons relegated, Northampton Town as good as down due to their horrible GD. Rochdale, Oldham, Wimbledon and Walsall fighting to avoid the final spot (Wimbledon and Walsall have a game in hand)

League 2: Wycbombe Wanderers earn automatic promotion; Exeter and Notts County secure playoff spots while the last two spots are down to Coventry, Lincoln and Mansfield. Barnet with a vital win in Morecambe to give themselves some hope, but the aforementioned Morecambe are still two points ahead


----------



## Chloraflora

Ah well, we tried. I’m proud of them anyway!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

f*** Millwall. 

Also Sunderland has been finally sold. Things might be looking up again over there.


----------



## Chloraflora

BKIslandersFan said:


> **** Millwall.
> 
> Also Sunderland has been finally sold. Things might be looking up again over there.



Rude.


----------



## hatterson

Really hope AFC Wimbledon stay up. Them being higher than MK Dons is how the universe should be


----------



## Fro

sabremike said:


> "I'm so sad MK Dons got relegated" said no one ever. **** them.




I figured spurs were funneling them money to keep them afloat for selling us Dele for peanuts


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wimbledon officially safe after their draw in Doncaster

Scunthorpe secure a playoff spot in League 1; last playoff spot is down to Charlton and Plymouth, heavy advantage for Charlton with 3 points ahead and a six goal better GD


----------



## hatterson

HajdukSplit said:


> Wimbledon officially safe after their draw in Doncaster
> 
> Scunthorpe secure a playoff spot in League 1; last playoff spot is down to Charlton and Plymouth, heavy advantage for Charlton with 3 points ahead and a six goal better GD




Nice.

Northampton down unless they can pull of an incredible 9 goal away win against Oldham.

Between Oldham and Rochdale, due to goal difference, Oldham needs a better or equal result against Northampton compared to what Rochdale get against Charlton. If their result is worse (draw or a win, or loss to a draw) they’ll be down on either points or goal difference.


----------



## GB

Stray Wasp said:


> All for the want of expanded horizons.



Congratulations on Sunderland's relegation. The Schadenfreude certainly seems to be to your taste. As Sunderland's prospective new owner is suggesting he'll be sitting with the fans at our next game I suspect there we'll be providing you with plenty more opportunities to bask in the tepid glow of our incompetence.

I can't agree with your conclusions about the, disturbingly distant, 2001/02 season. Although European competition would have been pleasant, (although of course the InterToto could never match the heights of the Anglo-Italian), thinking that our failures that season would have been any affected by more ambition ignores the facts in favour of a more pleasing narrative. Broader horizons and more ambition would have only lead to more expensive transfer failures (and more money being put into brown envelopes. Allegedly)

I have to take issue with the idea that Rugby League is the number one sport in Wigan. It isn't. It's important and it could be argued that Wigan Warriors are a bigger club than Wigan Athletic but football is the bigger sport in Wigan. It doesn't take away from your wider point about the small fanbase for Wigan Athletic but it is an annoying tabloid myth that never fails to irk me.


----------



## Stray Wasp

GB said:


> Congratulations on Sunderland's relegation.




Thanks, but those who worked so hard to bring it about are the ones who deserve the credit.


----------



## Stray Wasp

GB said:


> The Schadenfreude certainly seems to be to your taste. As Sunderland's prospective new owner is suggesting he'll be sitting with the fans at our next game I suspect there we'll be providing you with plenty more opportunities to bask in the tepid glow of our incompetence.
> 
> I can't agree with your conclusions about the, disturbingly distant, 2001/02 season. Although European competition would have been pleasant, (although of course the InterToto could never match the heights of the Anglo-Italian), thinking that our failures that season would have been any affected by more ambition ignores the facts in favour of a more pleasing narrative. Broader horizons and more ambition would have only lead to more expensive transfer failures (and more money being put into brown envelopes. Allegedly)
> 
> I have to take issue with the idea that Rugby League is the number one sport in Wigan. It isn't. It's important and it could be argued that Wigan Warriors are a bigger club than Wigan Athletic but football is the bigger sport in Wigan. It doesn't take away from your wider point about the small fanbase for Wigan Athletic but it is an annoying tabloid myth that never fails to irk me.




If you read back a page or so, you'll note that even to the end I was sceptical relegation would happen. I still find it incredible. And since I'm counting down the days to:

a) Benitez leaving
b) The Inland Revenue case torpedoing NUFC
c) both of the above, interspersed with large helpings of Ashley's lazy dishonesty being fed into the usual media outlets

I'm taking my entertainment where I may find it.

An owner sitting with the fans? What can possibly go wrong?

As to 2001/02 - a terribly long time ago, indeed - from the outside looking in it seemed like Reid's team simply went stale. I genuinely think presenting a new challenge for the club would have helped- and it's hard to imagine the fans wouldn't have enjoyed a trip to Belgium, followed by in Munich. Who knows, but if Wayne Quinn could score against Sporting Lokeren, Nicolas Medina and Lilian Laslandes might have managed it too. (I never heard the rumours about brown envelopes, or if I did I'd forgotten. But now you mention it, I can easily imagine).

Whilst I'd argue that historically speaking there can be no question that Wigan Warriors (contrived Sky-era nicknames- eugh) is of greater significance than Athletic, I presume when you say that football is a bigger sport you're referring to the problem of large numbers of locals holding allegiances to one or other of the North-West giants. In which case, I take your point without a word of argument. In my defence, for the Latics' purposes, such people may as well not exist.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

GB said:


> Congratulations on Sunderland's relegation. The Schadenfreude certainly seems to be to your taste. As Sunderland's prospective new owner is suggesting he'll be sitting with the fans at our next game I suspect there we'll be providing you with plenty more opportunities to bask in the tepid glow of our incompetence.
> 
> I can't agree with your conclusions about the, disturbingly distant, 2001/02 season. Although European competition would have been pleasant, (although of course the InterToto could never match the heights of the Anglo-Italian), thinking that our failures that season would have been any affected by more ambition ignores the facts in favour of a more pleasing narrative. Broader horizons and more ambition would have only lead to more expensive transfer failures (and more money being put into brown envelopes. Allegedly)
> 
> I have to take issue with the idea that Rugby League is the number one sport in Wigan. It isn't. It's important and it could be argued that Wigan Warriors are a bigger club than Wigan Athletic but football is the bigger sport in Wigan. It doesn't take away from your wider point about the small fanbase for Wigan Athletic but it is an annoying tabloid myth that never fails to irk me.



Wigan Athletic has better attendance though. I never understood how Warriors are then a bigger club.


----------



## GB

Let's see if I can get multi-quote working.



Stray Wasp said:


> Thanks, but those who worked so hard to bring it about are the ones who deserve the credit.



Definitely; but without the joy their efforts bring to others it's ultimately worthless. You bring meaning to their existence.



Stray Wasp said:


> If you read back a page or so, you'll note that even to the end I was sceptical relegation would happen. I still find it incredible.



I've read it. In contrast I expected relegation very early on. September's thrashing at Ipswich was probably the point for me when I gave up hope. Of course a degree of fatalism has crept in over the years but I think relegation was unavoidable once Grabbon left in early January.



Stray Wasp said:


> I still find it incredible. And since I'm counting down the days to:
> 
> a) Benitez leaving
> b) The Inland Revenue case torpedoing NUFC
> c) both of the above, interspersed with large helpings of Ashley's lazy dishonesty being fed into the usual media outlets




Ordinarily I'd suggest HMRC wouldn't do anything to damage a top flight club but with how disliked Ashley is by so many people I'm sure there are plenty of people in every Governmental department itching to put the boot into him. Hopefully he's soon gone from the club and he'll get the metaphorical kicking he deserves without damaging the club any further.

I'm taking my entertainment where I may find it.



Stray Wasp said:


> An owner sitting with the fans? What can possibly go wrong?




Indeed. It's not as if there's a local example that can be learned from.



Stray Wasp said:


> As to 2001/02 - a terribly long time ago, indeed - from the outside looking in it seemed like Reid's team simply went stale. I genuinely think presenting a new challenge for the club would have helped- and it's hard to imagine the fans wouldn't have enjoyed a trip to Belgium, followed by in Munich. Who knows, but if Wayne Quinn could score against Sporting Lokeren, Nicolas Medina and Lilian Laslandes might have managed it too. (I never heard the rumours about brown envelopes, or if I did I'd forgotten. But now you mention it, I can easily imagine).




In hindsight everything after 2000/01 was just papering over the cracks and trying to recreate the magic of the 1999/2000 team. Laslandes may be the best example of this. Quinn's late career peak was obviously over and the only way to replace him was to sign another tall striker. Even when Laslandes was at the club and obviously not a target man he was still played that way. It's not so much a lack of ambition as an inability to change ingrained ideas about the way football could be played. There's a long parade of English managers affected by that curse of course.

Allow me to expand on this theme a little. Thomas Helmer was signed as a free agent from Bayern Munich. In pre-season training, so goes the legend, he questioned the utility of practising lumping the ball up to a target man. Allegedly called a f***ing minger he was dispatched to the reserves where he mostly warmed the bench before going on loan to Hertha. From Bayern's captain to Sunderland's reserve team substitute. No amount of ambition can change the mind of someone who reacts that way.

Reid brought success and some enjoyable football but just as surely he brought about the end of it.

Anyway, that's enough reminiscing. It's quite impolite to ramble on like this to a Newcastle fan as well, I do apologise.



Stray Wasp said:


> Whilst I'd argue that historically speaking there can be no question that Wigan Warriors (contrived Sky-era nicknames- eugh) is of greater significance than Athletic, I presume when you say that football is a bigger sport you're referring to the problem of large numbers of locals holding allegiances to one or other of the North-West giants. In which case, I take your point without a word of argument. In my defence, for the Latics' purposes, such people may as well not exist.




Warriors are doubtless culturally more important than the Latics. And in the past League was bigger than football. Since Sky though football really rules supreme. There are a lot of Scouse families who have relocated to Wigan since the 70's and they've mostly stayed as fans of Liverpool and Everton. There's a similar thing with Man Utd fans, although probably less. If the Latics had stayed in the Premiership then I think more of the kids from those families would have adopted the Latics. That's probably gone now, especially with Klopp's appointment at Liverpool.

Maybe if the Wasps had continued in Durham to the present day and Durham City AFC had somehow ended up in the Premiership for a few seasons that would be a similar situation.


----------



## GB

BKIslandersFan said:


> Wigan Athletic has better attendance though. I never understood how Warriors are then a bigger club.




What attendance figures are you using?


----------



## HajdukSplit

League 1 and 2 completed today

LEAGUE 1
*Promoted: *Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers
*Playoffs: *Shrewsbury Town (3) vs. Charlton Athletic (6); Rotherham United (4) vs. Scunthorpe United (5)
*Relegated:* Bury, MK Dons, Northampton Town, Oldham Athletic

LEAGUE 2
*Promoted:* Accrington Stanley, Luton Town, Wycombe Wanderers
*Playoffs:* Exeter City (3) vs. Lincoln City (6); Notts County (4) vs. Coventry City (5)
*Relegated: *Chesterfield, Barnet


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

Fulham decide to lose for the first time in 23 games against Birmingham, securing Cardiff's promotion.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Would be cool to see back to back promotion for Lincoln.


----------



## sabremike

Thinking of adopting a lower league club to adopt. Any suggestions? Have a soft spot for Oldham (Paul Scholes boyhood team), Bury (my late father had a near 40 year career in law enforcement), Scunthorpe (because their name always gets edited by filters) and AFC Wimbledon.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Thinking of adopting a lower league club to adopt. Any suggestions? Have a soft spot for Oldham (Paul Scholes boyhood team), Bury (my late father had a near 40 year career in law enforcement), Scunthorpe (because their name always gets edited by filters) and AFC Wimbledon.



To make it more fun, go with a non-league team. Hartlepool?


----------



## Chloraflora

Dulwich Hamlet!


----------



## hatterson

AFC Wimbledon is always a great choice.

I like Oxford United becuase I randomly selected them in fifa career mode years back and decided to stick with it in real life.


----------



## SSF

I have a soft spot for Scunthorpe because they were who you always had to start your management career with in 08 or 09.

1-1 at halftime in their first leg playoff semi. They have given up an away goal but responded immediately


----------



## sabremike

SSF said:


> I have a soft spot for Scunthorpe because they were who you always had to start your management career with in 08 or 09.
> 
> 1-1 at halftime in their first leg playoff semi. They have given up an away goal but responded immediately



I thought the away goal rule wasn't used in the playoffs? Was that changed?


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> I thought the away goal rule wasn't used in the playoffs? Was that changed?




You're correct. It had escaped my notice, but apparently the away goals rule was abandoned for league playoff games as far back as 1999.


----------



## gary69

21st century has been rough for Coventry, but their stadium is still a nice one and they had good crowd at least today against Notts County. And wow, I didn't realize Alan Smith is still playing. One of the most annoying players back in his heyday.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Fulham in the Championship promotion final having beaten Derby 2:0 (2:1 aggregate) after a completely dominating performance, they play some decent stuff. People on twitter moaning about their fans though, many showed up in their work clothes (suits) and they gave out clappers to everybody


----------



## Chloraflora

HajdukSplit said:


> Fulham in the Championship promotion final having beaten Derby 2:0 (2:1 aggregate) after a completely dominating performance, they play some decent stuff. People on twitter moaning about their fans though, many showed up in their work clothes (suits) and they gave out clappers to everybody



Fulham have always had the most lukewarm, happy-clappy support in London. It’s no shock. They’re still not as embarrassing as Crystal Palace fans though.


----------



## PansCyans

Villa vs Fulham for promotion then.


----------



## PanniniClaus

koyvoo said:


> Villa vs Fulham for promotion then.



I would be happy with either team going up. Proper premier league teams in my book, especially Villa.

Derby and Boro had chances in the past and did very little with them.


----------



## PansCyans

PanniniClaus said:


> I would be happy with either team going up. Proper premier league teams in my book, especially Villa.
> 
> Derby and Boro had chances in the past and did very little with them.




I couldn’t agree more.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby never seem to get over the line, either fall in the playoffs or choke a playoff spot late in the season. With respect to Boro, I didn't want to see a Pulis team in the EPL as a neutral. Prefer Fulham over Villa simply because of their style of play and Jokanovic deserves a shot at managing in the Premier League after what happened to him at Watford


----------



## Stray Wasp

Fulham passes the 'nearer my front door' test, which is always useful. I've mentioned earlier in this thread that failure to win promotion might have alarming consequences for them, what with their parachute payments ending this season. As such, I hope they win. Which probably dooms them.

Steve Bruce has had an awful year personally- both his parents died. The last time I saw a photo of him he looked worryingly tired and out of shape, which is little surprise given he regularly commuted between the West Midlands and north east to spend time with his mother during her final illness. Some burden for anyone, let alone a man of fifty-seven doing an already draining job.

So for once I find myself in the unusual position of wishing Steve Bruce well. Still, I draw the line at hoping Villa return to the top flight.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Shrewsbury Town vs. Rotherham United in the League 1 playoff final (May 27)

Shrewsbury Town last were in the 2nd tier in 1989 while Rotherham looking to return to the Championship after one season (would join Blackburn and Wigan doing the same feat)


----------



## PanniniClaus

HajdukSplit said:


> Shrewsbury Town vs. Rotherham United in the League 1 playoff final (May 27)
> 
> Shrewsbury Town last were in the 2nd tier in 1989 while Rotherham looking to return to the Championship after one season (would join Blackburn and Wigan doing the same feat)



Pretty exciting for Shrewsbury,,do they have a chance?


----------



## les Habs

HajdukSplit said:


> Shrewsbury Town vs. Rotherham United in the League 1 playoff final (May 27)
> 
> Shrewsbury Town last were in the 2nd tier in 1989 while Rotherham looking to return to the Championship after one season (would join Blackburn and Wigan doing the same feat)




I probably saw some video cassette from 1989 while I was touring Europe. Our coach driver lived in Shrewsbury and put that on a few times.


----------



## Chimaera

I would prefer Fulham to Villa, but it doesn't really matter. Either one would be a decent addition to the EPL.


----------



## Fulham

Fulham have much more riding on the Final than Villa. 

If we lose our entire squad will be dismantled. A loss means

Ryan Fredericks leaves on a free to the Prem
Instead of resigning

Ryan Sess goes for 50+ million

We lose Mitrovic. As he will sign for a prem team

Cairney and Johansen leave to Prem teams for 10+ million each 

And no more parachute payments


----------



## le_sean

Hope my Villans can make it, but that Fulham squad is good.

I want to see Dr. Tony Xia in the EPL. A great man.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Leeds United announce investment from American Football team San Francisco 49ers | Daily Mail Online


----------



## sabremike

Fulham said:


> Fulham have much more riding on the Final than Villa.
> 
> If we lose our entire squad will be dismantled. A loss means
> 
> Ryan Fredericks leaves on a free to the Prem
> Instead of resigning
> 
> Ryan Sess goes for 50+ million
> 
> We lose Mitrovic. As he will sign for a prem team
> 
> Cairney and Johansen leave to Prem teams for 10+ million each
> 
> And no more parachute payments



Want you guys to win just for Tim Ream who started his career with Metro.


----------



## Venkman

1-0 Fulham. Cairney scores after a nice pass by Sessegnon.


----------



## Havre

How is that not a red card?


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

Stupid.


----------



## davemess

Fulham it is, nice to see them back in the Premier League


----------



## HajdukSplit

Hopefully Jokanovic sticks around this time, when he took Watford up he immediately left due to a contract dispute


----------



## PansCyans

Well. At least John Terry gets his wish/demand of not having to face Chelsea next season.


----------



## Ceremony

koyvoo said:


> Well. At least John Terry gets his wish/demand of not having to face Chelsea next season.








That's a wee shame.


----------



## N o o d l e s

Wish we could have gotten Wolves, Villa and Fulham all in instead of Cardiff, especially with Swansea going down. Great derby.


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

As long as this doesn't mess up Spurs potential Sessegnon deal, I am happy.


----------



## robertmac43

Big Kahuna said:


> As long as this doesn't mess up Spurs potential Sessegnon deal, I am happy.




As long as this does mess up Spurs potential Sessegnon deal, I am happy...


----------



## Stray Wasp

A friend of a friend had a spare ticket going for the playoff final and didn’t even want payment for my taking it off his hands. With Fulham having impressed me as a decent team, and my fervently hoping they’d pay Newcastle a sixteen-figure sum for Mitrovic the second they were promoted, it made sense to go along and add moral support.

What I hadn’t expected was how much I’d drink during my Friday night post-work do, or how little I’d sleep afterwards. Worse, living in London has ruin my concept of what is a long journey- I now consider any trip by public transport above 20 minutes’ length tantamount to visiting the moon. The upshot was I reluctantly dragged my arse to the tube so late the game was about to kick off when I reached Wembley Park station. This problem was exacerbated when I failed to pay attention to the stadium map. Thus I gained my seat 10 minutes into the game having walked around roughly 75% of the stadium’s outside.

‘Iconic Wembley’ says an advertising board on the walk up to the ground- an embarrassing piece of self-regarding marketing pap in my opinion. From the outside, it’s imposing, but I find the interior devoid of grandeur. It’s just massive and functional. The PR announcer spouts corporate garbage, and it strikes me as risible that the self-styled ‘Home of football’ doesn’t trust fans to remember what the score is at the end of each half without the PA nitwit yapping it out. Mind, having previously visited for a couple of NFL games, it looks better when packed with football fans.

Both sets of supporters were in good voice early on, though Villa’s seemed louder. That was the Midland club’s only positive from the first half. They resembled a Championship team playing a Premier League team- or perhaps a team coached by a high-ranking member of the English hackocracy faced with someone whose influences are more recent than 2004. ‘Old and tired’, Jokanovic had taunted them before the game, and I’d have agreed with him if by ‘tired’ he meant overly dependent on either getting the ball out wide to ping in hopeful crosses or depending on a moment of individual magic. The likeliest to provide the latter was Jack Grealish, but he never really combined with anyone. Snodgrass had a couple of moments when he seemed to be expecting to find someone to pass to, only to look up and find no worthwhile options, perhaps because in central midfield there was merely sluggish industry. Lewis Grabban couldn’t get into the game. For John Terry, meanwhile, the game was less Nuremburg rally than Nuremburg trial- he didn’t seem able to run at all, and he produced at least four long passes that were witless in conception that didn’t land within ten yards of their intended target.

Early on, it seemed Bruce had got it into his head that the key to success was Snodgrass beating Matt Targett to headers near the opposition’s left touchline at a distance of no less than 35 yards to goal. Jokanovic had made a shrewder observation- Alan Hutton, now 33 years old, was a dry rot-infested peg clumsily pounded to fit into a very deep and probably stagnant left back hole. Maybe Villa gave Fulham too much space. Maybe Fulham earned that space by being too good for them. Though the Cottagers mainly passed with precision rather than zip, McDonald, Cairney and Johansen circulated possession in midfield. Cairney, again, was the star for me- if he has range to his passing in terms of distance, I haven’t seen it, but at this level his short pass-and-move game is splendid.

Ryan Sessegnon was struggling to make his mark, but on the right flank Kamara looked a stronger, faster, more direct threat than Floyd Ayite had seemed against Wolves. Ryan Fredericks overlapped less than on that evening, showed signs of vulnerability, and was lucky not to walk for wiping his studs on Grealish. Targett, however, was frequently a useful outlet. In the middle, Ream impressed me greatly again. Denis Odoi, who’d been mentioned pre-game as a possible weak spot, looked undersized yet abetted his team with some good passes and timely interceptions. Once more, both centre backs could count on Kevin McDonald’s capable covering on the occasions they pushed forwards.

Villa’s greatest threat seemed to come from set-pieces- the English hack’s last resort- or Fulham misplacing passes out of defence. Once such mishap led to Odoi picking up an ever so slightly ominous-looking yellow card. While Kamara hit what in real time appeared a spectacular volley over the bar, the concern for Jokanovic would have been a failure to create clear-cut chances. Happily for him, the first one that came Cairney finished it. Hearteningly, a key factor in the move was Sessegnon smartly creating space for himself and slipping a nice through ball. Another heartening factor was that while all this was happening, John Terry seemed to have been daydreaming about goose-stepping into Stamford Bridge for a reunion next season.

Still, demoralised as Villa seemed, they only went into the break a goal down. Bruce manifestly gave his men a half-time rocket. Left wing Albert Adomah was pinpointed as the man to lead the revival, and he proved to have the beating of Fredericks. Suddenly, while central midfield remained their weakness, crosses were fizzing into Fulham’s box- and the Whites were struggling to deal with them. Snodgrass missed the target. A cross flapped by Bettinelli onto Grealish’s head rebounded wide. Fulham were struggling to break out of their own half, and when Mitrovic failed to score with a header, I wondered if the forces of darkness were stirring. At times, Cairney seemed to move ahead of the ball too early, removing himself as an outlet option.

Villa’s response to the Mitrovic chance was nigh instant. Grabban hesitated when Grealish fashioned him a shooting chance. The latter was very prominent now, albeit still more an individual threat than a genuine string-puller. He slipped over when running with the ball on two or three occasions, and he received rough treatment from Jokanovic’s men too. On the hour he did something superb. Significantly, the incident began with Fulham cheaply coughing up possession rather than Villa outpassing them. Grealish latched on to the ball in the centre circle and tore upfield, bamboozling some opponents and simply scaring others. A gap opened in the penalty area, into which Grealish sped. Bettinelli, however, came off his line and saved. Two minutes later Grealish, seemingly frustrated, committed a ghastly sliding foul on Cairney that referee Anthony Taylor let off with a yellow. A couple of minutes after that, McDonald headed wide from a corner having blatantly been grabbed off his balance by the defender who’d lost him. Kamara, in the Villa penalty area, appeared to be fouled twice in the space of five seconds without a penalty award. By this stage, what sport Anthony Taylor believed he was overseeing was uncertain.

It was against this backdrop that Odoi was rightly booked again for what seemed a desperate rather than vindictive kick at Grealish amid some panic near the edge of the Cottagers’ eighteen yard box. Out came the red card, at which Villa fans who’d hitherto been undercover among Fulham supporters hit upon the brilliant idea of leaping from their seats in celebration. Cue a handful of demented Londoners throwing flags, swearing, threatening and spitting at them. And this, mark you, when their side _lead_.

If anything, a man advantage was a cruelty to Villa, because it gave their and Bruce’s lack of imagination nowhere to hide. From the far end of the stadium it seemed to me they had a pair of reasonable penalty shouts denied them, one for a handball, the other for a foul. Nevertheless, Bettinelli wasn’t exactly having to impersonate Gordon Banks. Kodija and Scott Hogan’s arrivals meant more blokes in need or service and fewer players to serve them, so ultimately they went to their doom in somewhat tame fashion.

Which means Steve Bruce suffers professional disappointment to add to personal tragedy. One hopes he thinks very carefully about his next move- he cuts a spent, alarmingly heavy figure, and while immersing himself in football for a distraction may appeal as a prospect, I feel he’d be best served by a restorative sabbatical from the game. After all, Villa’s parachute payments will decrease by more than half next season. Cuts and player sales will likely be the order of the day. Stress will be heaped on existing strains.

Like relegated sunderland (who I should mention in passing were relegated to League One after they lost 2-1 at home to Burton Albion having scored first), this is a club of historic standing and potential. But they’re like relegated sunderland in another way- they’ve dished it out to Newcastle United fans in the past (and without the local rivalry that made the then not-relegated mackems’ gloating basically understandable). Leaving the ground today, listening to some Villa fans talk about cheering on Real Madrid in the Champions League final, and others dismissing Fulham as ‘shit’, it’s hard not to think, ‘I hope you sink even further, you bunch of bedsheet wankers’.

As for Fulham, they promise to be an interesting addition to next season’s EPL. I’ll wish them no harm, on condition they play nicely and either bid £15 million plus for Mitrovic, or engage in a bidding war that helps drive his price north of £20 million.


----------



## sabremike

Liked for the kind words about Tim Ream.

"Metro Makes, The World Takes"


----------



## Havre

This was the first full game I have ever seen from Sessegnon so I´m not going to pass much of a judgement. C. Ronaldo was just crap in a CL final - it happens, but boy has Sessegnon a lot to learn. I guess he shows his talent before the goal - great awareness and a brilliantly weighted pass (few young players are capable of making that pass with such an ease). But he also showed a lack of understanding on how to get involved in the game. I don´t know how many times he just killed the space in front of him by timing his runs wrongly. He reminded me of Lennon - an absolute master in the art of destroying space for himself.

I am not a big fan of huge fees for teenagers. I remember when Spurs were chasing Wright-Phillips (even if he wasn´t a teenager). He was the player we needed at that time. We ended up with Lennon for 1/24 of the price - and we got the better player. Renato Sanches was the guy - I rather have Dele Alli (these examples are obviously heavily influenced by confirmation bias - point is that development is very very uncertain - you just don´t get good value for money on average with the most sought after talents). That doesn´t mean you can´t occasionally buy big, even older expensive players fail of course, but I can understand Levy being hesitant if we are talking 40m+. Of course RS might very well become world class - not going to say he couldn´t based on one full game.

And I am a "pragmatic". I would pay a lot for de Ligt.

Still pleased if we get him. And I don´t think Fulham getting promoted changes things too much. If he is bought he should probably be loaned back to them anyway (again - only one full match - so that is more a gut feeling than any proper analysis from my side).


----------



## Stray Wasp

Havre said:


> This was the first full game I have ever seen from Sessegnon so I´m not going to pass much of a judgement. C. Ronaldo was just crap in a CL final - it happens, but boy has Sessegnon a lot to learn. I guess he shows his talent before the goal - great awareness and a brilliantly weighted pass (few young players are capable of making that pass with such an ease). But he also showed a lack of understanding on how to get involved in the game. I don´t know how many times he just killed the space in front of him by timing his runs wrongly. He reminded me of Lennon - an absolute master in the art of destroying space for himself.




I've seen Sessegnon for one more full game than you have. So I, too, am restricted by a small sample size. Yet it strikes me that movement and awareness is something you don't have to see a lot of games to be able to form a judgement about- after all, while fluctuating form can effect execution, that doesn't effect a player's perception of space. For what it's worth, I concur with your comments regarding his contribution off the ball.

Much as I like his control at speed, his contribution to the goal was the only example I've seen of him playing like an all-round footballer as opposed to a mere winger. And if he's to live up to the hype, I'd suggest he needs to prove himself capable to being a wide forward rather than simply a running-fast-in-a-straight-line merchant.

Given his age, these are concerns rather than a definitive dismissal of his abilities. I'd endorse the view that he'd be best off remaining at Fulham next season, whether as the property of that club or a loanee from elsewhere.


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> Liked for the kind words about Tim Ream.
> 
> "Metro Makes, The World Takes"




Thanks. Based on what I've seen of him, his reading of the game and composure will be an asset against Premier League opponents.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Rotherham beat Shrewsbury in ET to win the League 1 playoff; meaning all three teams relegated from the Championship last season make a swift return


----------



## Shrimper

Potentially more people at the League Two play-off final than the Champions League one. Pretty incredible.


----------



## Fulham

Watch for Fulham to finish comfortably mid table next season, Ryan Sess will undoubtedly stay, and sign a new bumper contact, id imagine with a nice release clause, as he will outgrow Fulham quickly in the prem. His movement is a strength, most of his goals this season are due to timing, and positioning himself for a tap in. although he was over eager in the final with his runs. 

Our owner is looking at making a big splash(like his pending purchase of Wembley) so id expect for quite a big expenditure, to supplement retaining our key players and loanees. 

Tim Ream is easily POTY(with sess) and a prem Quality CB if paired with a more physical CB


----------



## HajdukSplit

Coventry City easily win the League 2 playoff final and they return to League 1 after one season. The Football League is all finished and here's who went up and down

PREMIER LEAGUE
- West Brom, Stoke City, Swansea City
+ Wolves, Cardiff City, Fulham

CHAMPIONSHIP
- Sunderland, Burton Albion, Barnsley
+ Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, Rotherham United

LEAGUE ONE
- Bury, MK Dons, Northampton Town, Oldham Athletic
+ Accrington Stanley, Luton Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Coventry City

LEAGUE TWO
- Chesterfield, Barnet
+ Macclesfield Town, Tranmere Rovers


----------



## Stray Wasp

Aston Villa seem to be feeling the full effects of their failure to achieve promotion: their chief executive has been suspended, amid claims HMRC is about to hit them with a winding-up order because of an unpaid £4 million tax bill.

Aston Villa miss £4m tax bill deadline as chief executive is suspended

In some ways, this is very funny and could scarcely have happened to more deserving people.

In some ways, it's dismal.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Stray Wasp said:


> Aston Villa seem to be feeling the full effects of their failure to achieve promotion: their chief executive has been suspended, amid claims HMRC is about to hit them with a winding-up order because of an unpaid £4 million tax bill.
> 
> Aston Villa miss £4m tax bill deadline as chief executive is suspended
> 
> In some ways, this is very funny and could scarcely have happened to more deserving people.
> 
> In some ways, it's dismal.



Why? Villa is a historic club and their fans don’t deserve this.


----------



## jacobhockey13

Can anybody here comment on Adama Traore? Thanks.


----------



## Stray Wasp

BKIslandersFan said:


> Why? Villa is a historic club and their fans don’t deserve this.




They danced on Newcastle's grave twice despite the clubs having had no recorded rivalry. 

If you dish it out, you can expect to take it when your time comes around.


----------



## robertmac43

Any opinions on Paddy Mcnair?


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth starts the year off 9/9. Good start.


----------



## JWK

Graham Potter vs. Marcelo Bielsa has delivered so far


----------



## HajdukSplit

Not a great start for McClaren at QPR, 4 straight losses and conceded 13 goals in those games. Stoke also with a poor start, still winless and were beaten badly at home to Wigan today


----------



## gary69

Middlesbrough must have one of the tallest back four (or five) this season, or ever even. In yesterday's game against Leeds: Flint, Ayala, Shotton, Fry all over 190 cm and full back Friend being the shortest at 188 cm.


----------



## GabeTravels

5 wins from 6, still unbeaten for Portsmouth.

Great start to the season...and a great transfer window too!


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## HajdukSplit

After a slow start back to back wins for QPR; Boro lose their first match of the season while Leeds stay unbeaten and top of the table with surprising Brentford in 2nd. Ipswich Town still without a win, fans were begging the club to move on from Mick McCarthy but despite the bad football might have been foolish to do, still early

Portsmouth top of League 1 and already have a 5 point gap on 3rd place Barnsley, though in these lower leagues that can change quickly but we might finally see the return of Pompey to at least the 2nd tier.


----------



## GabeTravels

Pompey had a really solid transfer window. The team looks determined and focused. 6 wins and 2 draws is a fantastic start to the season.

Would love to see them go up again!


----------



## N o o d l e s

HajdukSplit said:


> After a slow start back to back wins for QPR; Boro lose their first match of the season while Leeds stay unbeaten and top of the table with surprising Brentford in 2nd. Ipswich Town still without a win, fans were begging the club to move on from Mick McCarthy but despite the bad football might have been foolish to do, still early
> 
> Portsmouth top of League 1 and already have a 5 point gap on 3rd place Barnsley, though in these lower leagues that can change quickly but we might finally see the return of Pompey to at least the 2nd tier.




Big missed opportunity for Sheffield United. I know Bristol is a tough out at Ashton Gate, but all of the other results lined up perfectly for them to be tied a top the table with a gritty road win. Regardless, I’m still encouraged despite a so-so transfer window.


----------



## Savant

gary69 said:


> Middlesbrough must have one of the tallest back four (or five) this season, or ever even. In yesterday's game against Leeds: Flint, Ayala, Shotton, Fry all over 190 cm and full back Friend being the shortest at 188 cm.



Tony Pulis Things


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## jimmythescot

Better angle. He was already away celebrating when it left his boot. Unbelievable hit.


----------



## 1865

Forest. Twenty years outside the Premier League. Averaging 27,500 per game. Outstanding.


----------



## gary69

Watched the top two League One teams (Portsmouth and Barnsley) in action, both recording one goal wins. Good positive gameplans for both, more direct style than at higher levels, but quite good quality and some skill nevertheless. Especially going forward, defensive organisation seemed the biggest problem area. 

Barnsley forward Mamadou Thiam (former Dijon player and Senegal U-20 international) scored with a great strike into the top corner. 

From the losing sides, it was interesting to catch a glimpse of Kazenga LuaLua, former Newcastle youth star (now playing for Luton), to beat his marker with good turn of pace and deliver a fierce cross/shot into the post (Luton scored from the rebound).


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth with another win away, this time against AFC Wilmbeldon. 

Very impressed with the start to the season... Really hoping it continues.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Haringey Borough FA Cup money will be 'life-changing'

Friday’s FA Cup first-round against AFC Wimbledon will be “life-changing” for Haringey Borough, according to the club’s chairman, Aki Achillea.

Part-timers Boro, who play in English football’s seventh tier, stand to earn more than £100,000 from their first-ever match in the FA Cup proper. They have already landed £57,890 in FA prize money, including £25,000 for winning the last qualifying-round, while both clubs will receive £75,000 from the BBC for televising the fixture.

Achillea’s priority is to give back to the community. “I want to ensure we don’t only provide for the elite,” he said. “I’ve been speaking about putting on coaching sessions for various age groups, regardless of ability and gender. There will be an academy, but we’ll make sure it’s all inclusive. We’re an impoverished borough — one of the most impoverished in the country. Our kids will never pay to play at Haringey.”

The money will also be used to continue the club’s free season ticket, introduced three years ago, for a further season or two, and Achillea hopes the exposure will take him a step closer to the vision he had for the club when he took charge in 2004.

“My dream has always been to get the local youth to aspire to play for Haringey Borough,” he said. “We have Spurs down the road, but the majority of young kids are not going to make it there. That’s always been my focus, it’s what kept me going through those darker days. Now, with the national exposure from the BBC, everyone will have heard of us. I know the future is fantastic now because we’ve been set up financially.”


----------



## spintheblackcircle

they had it 0-0 and gave up a goal in the 90th minute....damn.


----------



## robertmac43

Saw a stat this morning that fifth division Chesterfield FC have gone on there worst run with out a win in 18 games which is their orst run ever, however with in this they have also drawn the last 8 games which is their record unbeaten run...Wild stuff


----------



## kg458

Going to watch the Leeds match at Elland Road this afternoon. Excited, but wish we had been here a few day earlier to see the two stoppage time goals to take the lead when they played Blackburn!

Catching Villa at Villa park in a few days as well, which should be entertaining.


----------



## Fred McCarthy

Scary point this morning for my Swans , we need a player or two for any chance at a playoff berth


----------



## HajdukSplit

Crazy game in Norwich who were winning 3:2 with 10 minutes to play but then the power went off in the stadium, when the game resumed, Derby scored two late goals to steal the win  Norwich failed to capitalize on Leeds' loss


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth with a gutsy come from behind win, though they were up a man.

Hoping they add a striker in the transfer window... But they're looking like a real possibility to move up.

Would love to see Southampton relegated to have a South Coast Derby next year! It's been far too long.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Sheffield gain ground on automatic promotion as both Leeds and Norwich drop points. Now only 4 points between first and third.


----------



## Fred McCarthy

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> Sheffield gain ground on automatic promotion as both Leeds and Norwich drop points. Now only 4 points between first and third.



I'd love to see Sheffield gain promotion ...doesn't seem right not having a Sheffield team in the top tier to me . Also got no probs seeing Leeds make it up ...they served their time being advantaged by owner s .. good luck


----------



## Stray Wasp

Hopefully you've all heard about non-league outfit Blyth Spartans striking a sponsorship deal with a group that advertises package holidays to North Korea.

Fans of the sixth tier Northumberland club have taken inspiration from their new comrades. The result can be found in the link below.

The brilliant way Blyth fans responded to North Korea sponsor criticism


----------



## Burner Account




----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## East Coast Bias

This isn’t gonna end well for Leeds.


----------



## Jersey Fresh

East Coast Bias said:


> This isn’t gonna end well for Leeds.




Lol smooth.


----------



## Ceremony

Bielsa dealing with this might actually be interesting, mainly because I can see him sat in a press conference saying "so f***?" whenever he's questioned on it.


----------



## Ceremony

Actually, the Leeds club statement itself has hilarity in abundance:



> Following comments made by Marcelo Bielsa yesterday the club will look to work with our head coach and his staff to remind them of the integrity and honesty which are the foundations that Leeds United is built on.
> Our owner Andrea Radrizzani has met with Derby County’s owner Mel Morris to formally apologise for Marcelo’s actions.
> We will make no further comment on this matter.




"integrity and honesty"

"Leeds United is built on"


----------



## Savant

Bielsa called a press conference. May be resigning due to spygate


----------



## Venkman

Pontus Jansson doesn't believe it


----------



## davemess

Savant said:


> Bielsa called a press conference. May be resigning due to spygate



Doesn't sound like he is resigning........ but he has admitted they spied on every club they have played this year.


----------



## Peen

Rofl Bielsa's press conference today

Legendary


----------



## Evilo

Biela is a genius.
Did I spy on one team? Nope, I spied on all of them.

Leeds back to exciting football. Character, offensive, everything you love as a football fan.


----------



## StevenF1919

The state of Frank Lampard right now lmao


----------



## Jersey Fresh

"We do all these hours of tactical preparation and rival insight (look at our powerpoint!)...but also we send a guy with a clipboard to watch every club train because of 'anxiety'". 

lol.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Bielsa should resign.

Forcing people to watch training sessions overseen by dinosaurs like Bruce, McClaren and Paul Lambert is an act of unspeakable abuse. 

And goodness knows what damage observing a Pulis team work out will do to a chap's neck muscles.

Then again, from a man-management point of view it's a stroke of genius, 'Don't obey my instructions and I'll sell you to these clowns, and listen to what they'll make you do every day.'


----------



## SSF

I think it says a lot about the state of the Championship that it took half the season being over before another team spotted some guy with a clipboard wearing lily white clothes with binoculars in the stands.


----------



## Ceremony

Ceremony said:


> Bielsa dealing with this might actually be interesting, mainly because I can see him sat in a press conference saying "so ****?" whenever he's questioned on it.



I'll be honest, even I didn't expect anything this delicious.


----------



## Savant

I'm making up a rumor. Harry Wilson to Liverpool, Ben Woodburn to Derby. 

Deal with it


----------



## Live in the Now

Bielsa is hilarious lol. The videos and explanations of every Derby game so that every team in the league will know how to play against them were icing on the cake.

I know he was trolling, but the thing that is setting Leeds apart from the other teams this season is a commitment to being prepared for every situation. The whole staff seems to have it figured out.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Bielsa kicks ass


----------



## HajdukSplit

Only reason why this is a story is because “golden boy” Lampard was the “victim” here


----------



## Evilo

Emery just called him the best coach in the world. 
Just sayin'.


----------



## les Habs

I've been waiting to catch up to this story and I couldn't wait when I heard about the press conference. Fantastic stuff! This reminds me of how I did something similar with my boss this year. 

Next season Bielsa will further swell the ranks of top level managers in the Premiership. Of course one can hope that he won't and replacing Valverde will be even easier.



Live in the Now said:


> The videos and explanations of every Derby game so that every team in the league will know how to play against them were icing on the cake.




Yep, and he should have added "we've beat them 6-1 on aggregate this season so it clearly works." 

Too bad they don't play Derby again this season. I'd send a "spy" fully kitted out in LUFC gear from the track suit all the way to one of those hats with a pom on top that has the name of the club knitted into it.


----------



## Stray Wasp

les Habs said:


> I've been waiting to catch up to this story and I couldn't wait when I heard about the press conference. Fantastic stuff! This reminds me of how I did something similar with my boss this year.
> 
> Next season Bielsa will further swell the ranks of top level managers in the Premiership. Of course one can hope that he won't and replacing Valverde will be even easier.
> 
> 
> 
> Yep, and he should have added "we've beat them 6-1 on aggregate this season so it clearly works."
> 
> Too bad they don't play Derby again this season. I'd send a "spy" fully kitted out in LUFC gear from the track suit all the way to one of those hats with a pom on top that has the name of the club knitted into it.




To complete the disguise, how about a Billy Bremner mask?


----------



## Venkman

Pitch invader at Charlton slips and kicks his own player in the balls


----------



## les Habs

That incident and Charlton really lend credence to this being the English "lower league" thread.


----------



## Ceremony

tbf I'd rather watch a 'lower' league team where fans celebrate like that than a Premier League team where half the crowd are tourists who react to goals by filming it on their phones


----------



## les Habs

Ceremony said:


> tbf I'd rather watch a 'lower' league team where fans celebrate like that than a Premier League team where half the crowd are tourists who react to goals by filming it on their phones




My post was tongue in cheek mate.


----------



## Ceremony

les Habs said:


> My post was tongue in cheek mate.



Good thing I was being fair in my response then


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Neil Lennon out at Hibs.


----------



## GabeTravels

Luton beats Portsmouth 3-2 to move 5 points clear at the top.

Pompey has lost 3 straight for the first time all season. Between the Checkatrade matches and the FA Cup (with a QPR replay), you have to wonder if the extra matches are taking a toll.


----------



## HajdukSplit

It seems like no matter who the manager is there is a late season collapse by Derby, while this time they have plenty of time to recover they lost to Millwall at home today and have fallen out of the top 6 and the teams ahead of them have a game in hand too


----------



## Chloraflora

HajdukSplit said:


> It seems like no matter who the manager is there is a late season collapse by Derby, while this time they have plenty of time to recover they lost to Millwall at home today and have fallen out of the top 6 and the teams ahead of them have a game in hand too



Big big win for us too, now a 5 point cushion to the bottom 3.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Damaging loss for WBA yesterday to Leeds, they are now 7 points back of the automatic promotion spots with 11 matches to play, Norwich remain on top with Leeds and Sheffield United looking the likeliest to be their main competition. 6th spot is up for grabs too now with Derby's poor form (hammered at Villa today). Bristol are currently 6th but the six clubs below them are within 6 points. Ipswich and Bolton doomed, final spot is down to Rotherham/Reading/Millwall/Wigan


----------



## SSF

Norwich/Leeds/ Sheff Utd promoted would be quite alright with me


----------



## GabeTravels

Checkertrade Trophy final set, PP Portsmouth v Sunderland.

Should be a good match!


----------



## davemess

Oh wow this is so bad 



> Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was attacked by a spectator who ran on to the pitch in the Championship match at rivals Birmingham City on Sunday.
> 
> It happened in the 10th minute when a man wearing a cap came on to the pitch from the home section before swinging his arm towards Grealish's face.



Jack Grealish attacked by spectator in Birmingham v Aston Villa game

It looked like Grealish took a punch to the side of his face when the fan attacked him from behind.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Luckily it caught mostly shoulder/neck area rather than the head and it didn’t connect well. What I found weird was they actually showed a replay of the incident, American TV tries to avoid giving attention to this stuff


----------



## Corto

Absolutely bonkers.

That's probably some serious jail time. I hope he enjoyed it because the trade off might be brutal. What a peaky blinder-wannabe knob.


----------



## hatterson

Corto said:


> Absolutely bonkers.
> 
> That's probably some serious jail time. I hope he enjoyed it because the trade off might be brutal. What a peaky blinder-wannabe knob.




Fan jailed for 14 weeks for Grealish assault

14 weeks in jail. That's about 23 years too few as far as I'm concerned, although still a pretty stiff punishment.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Massive win by Sheffield United at Leeds as they jump ahead of them into 2nd place, had they lost then 2nd place would look less likely. Norwich can also go 5 points clear of Leeds if they beat strugglers Rotherham later today


----------



## N o o d l e s

HajdukSplit said:


> Massive win by Sheffield United at Leeds as they jump ahead of them into 2nd place, had they lost then 2nd place would look less likely. Norwich can also go 5 points clear of Leeds if they beat strugglers Rotherham later today




It’s all there for United to hold onto that second spot or even jump top.

Last 8 fixtures:
Bristol City
Preston
Birmingham
Millwall
Forest
Hull
Ipswich
Stoke


----------



## HajdukSplit

Birmingham City deducted 9 points for breach of EFL financial fair play rules. They are the first EFL club to suffer this punishment since the new rules were put in place

Birmingham City deducted nine points for EFL profitability and sustainability rule breaches


----------



## Shrimper

Looks like we're on our way back to League 2..


----------



## GabeTravels

Spectacular Checkatrade Trophy final, with Portsmouth winning on penalties.

Portsmouth equalized late, went ahead in the 114th minute, only for Sunderland to claw back the tying goal with 90 seconds left.


----------



## Juve

I was cheering for Sunderland because the Netflix docuseries and because that series I apllied for the team in season 3 when they fired the manager on my unemployed save on Fm 19.


----------



## GabeTravels

Looking at the League 1 table...

Luton looks to be likely title winners, 8 points clear of Barnsley and Sunderland (though Sunderland has 2 games in hand).

Portsmouth is in 4th, 2 back of Barnsley and Sunderland. They play against Sunderland the 2nd to last week of the season, and that could quite possibly determine the 2nd automatic promotion spot.

Remarkably, just 6 points separate mid-table 13th from 23rd, second from the bottom. Going to be a tense, tense finish for a lot of teams.


----------



## hatterson

Oxford with a really nice string of results to put themselves at what should be safety.

AFC Wimbledon also a decent run of form in the second half of feb/march to give themselves a chance at staying up.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds back to 2nd after Sheffield Utd drop points at Birmingham. Norwich too drop points but still in good shape for promotion

Ipswich could be relegated by the weekend. Important results for Reading, Millwall as Rotherham lose, however the gap is only two points along with Wigan who lost


----------



## HajdukSplit

Sheffield United drop points at home to Millwall in a drama filled game. Sheffield had a player sent off when a defender blocked a goal bound shot with his hand but the penalty was missed. Millwall went on to equalize in the 95th minute. Leeds host their rivals Sheffield Wed in the late kickoff and a win will see them three points clear. 

At the bottom, Ipswich Town officially relegated after their 1:1 draw with Birmingham. Big win for Reading to go 4 points clear of third bottom while Rotherham, Millwall all picked up potentially vital away points.

Lincoln City (League 2) is the first team in the EFL to earn promotion this season with 4 games to spare


----------



## HoseEmDown

Was really hoping both Leeds and Sheffield United would get promoted. One of the two will but neiter are playing their best football right now so not sure how they'll do in the playoffs. Sucks Norwich is getting promoted. I only say this because Carrow road is already in Fifa so I wanted to see 3 new stadiums in the game next year. Hopefully we can still get Elland road or Bramell lane, don't want Villa or WBA getting promoted.


----------



## Albatros

The new Bramall Lane lacks any character whatsoever, used to be a really charming if weird ground but no more.


----------



## Ceremony

Ed - If you view the tweet on twitter you can see the video of them stopping his car as he tried to leave.


----------



## gary69

Fernando Forestieri scored a beautiful strike today. He really should have had a better top flight career in either Italy or England.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Despite four straight draws, Norwich still in good shape for promotion and they are pretty much 1 point away from confirming it (though with their superior GD it will take essentially two heavy defeats to miss out)

The big result today was in Brentford where Leeds fell for the second straight match (3rd in 5) and they fall three points behind Sheffield Utd, but with the GD involved its "really" 4. One win for United should be enough and they host an already relegated Ipswich this weekend. Leeds also play Ipswich on the final day but before they play the inform Villa

Villa and West Brom pretty much cemented to play each other, only question is who hosts the 2nd leg which in my opinion doesn't mean much without away goals being involved. Five teams still can get that final playoff spot: Derby (67), Boro (67), Bristol (66), Sheffield Wed (63), Swansea (62)...Derby, Bristol and Swansea all have three games remaining, one of them is actually Swansea vs. Derby on May 1st, Swansea are in a position where they must win out. Bristol's game in hand is away to Millwall. Bristol also face Derby next week so those two teams really control their own destiny somewhat. Middlesbrough with two games left only but they have the easiest fixtures on paper.

With Ipswich and Bolton already down only the last spot is to be determined, Rotherham lost a lead at home to Birmingham are in the most trouble. Millwall is probably the only other realistic candidate for the drop but they have a game in hand. Reading are six points clear but their GD is much better than Rotherham's. Rotherham's remaining fixtures are both again playoff contending teams (West Brom away, Boro home) while Millwall host Bristol, host Stoke then go to Wigan on the final day


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bolton Wanderers players will boycott the final two games of the season due to unpaid wages from March. Former Watford chairman Lawrence Bassini has taken over the club but it still needs EFL approval

This has been an issue all season, with payments coming late and the club staff has boycotted in the past due to missed payments


----------



## SSF

Bolton's game with Brentford tomorrow is officially off now


----------



## hatterson

SSF said:


> Bolton's game with Brentford tomorrow is officially off now




Does Brentford get an automatic 3-0 win?


----------



## SSF

hatterson said:


> Does Brentford get an automatic 3-0 win?




Yes they do


----------



## HajdukSplit

Well the latest news is that the EFL is "forcing" Bolton to play these last two matches so its been temporarily rescheduled for a midweek match. Of course they will still probably boycott. Likely scenario is both Brentford and Forest awarded 3:0 wins and Bolton get a points penalty next season

Today was the final matchday in the Conference, Leyton Orient win the league and return to league football after a two year absence. Teams in the playoffs: Solihull Moors, Salford City, Wrexham, Fylde, Harrogate Town & Eastleigh. Eastleigh made the playoffs with a negative GD. Very likely whoever gets promoted will be playing in the football leagues for the first time in their history, only Wrexham have played there previously. Salford is the club owned by mostly the "Class of 92" from Manchester United


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Lincoln City has been around since the 1880's and were playing Conference football 4 years ago are going to win League Two to earn promotion to League One for the first time ever.

And they have this bad ass crest


----------



## HajdukSplit

All the promotion candidates in the Championship have late kickoffs or play tomorrow but the big result in the top half was Derby beating Bristol away, they are firm favorites now for 6th place with two games to play while Boro only have 1 left. At the bottom Rotherham are relegated are losing at West Brom so the three sides going down are known before the final game of the season

League 1: Crazy league with very little decided with 1-2 games left (many teams have games in hand). Luton failed to secure promotion with a loss at Burton while Barnsley go joint top with 91 points. Sunderland-Portsmouth played a 1:1 draw today, not helping eithers automatic promotion chances, in fact it ended it for Sunderland who cannot finish in the top 2 even with a game in hand. Portsmouth need some result to go their way. Charlton and Doncaster secure playoff spot. At the bottom only Bradford is relegated. Five teams can still go down: Wimbledon (49), Southend (47), Plymouth (47), Walsall (46), Scunthorpe (46). Three of these will go down. Plymouth play Scunthorpe too

League 2: Lincoln already promoted but the final two spots still up for grabs. Bury are one win away as they have two games left and play midweek at Tranmere. Final spot is likely down to Mansfield/MK Dons, both on 76 points but Mansfield with the much better GD. Ironically they play each other on the final day in Milton Keynes. Essentially the winner will promote, Mansfield only need a point. Forest Green and Tranmere in the playoffs. Final playoff spot still down to 5 teams. At the bottom Yeovil Town officially relegated, their third relegation in 6 seasons, they were in the Championship in 2014. Last spot down to Macclesfield and Notts County


----------



## hatterson

AFC Wimbledon with a big win today that gives them a really solid shot at staying in league one another year. A draw will almost for sure see them stay up because of goal difference.

2 months ago it looked almost guaranteed they were going down but since then they’ve pulled 5 wins, 5 draws, and only 1 loss from their last 11.


----------



## Shrimper

So if we don't beat Sunderland, we're relegated back to League 2.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Norwich are back in the Premier League



Sheffield will join them should Leeds fail to win tomorrow at home to Villa


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## Evilo

Bielsa is the best. There's really no way around it.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Sheffield United back in the Premier League for the first time since 2007



Leeds, West Brom and Aston Villa confirmed playoff teams so far; Leeds and West Brom can finish 3rd/4th with WBA jumping to third if they win + Leeds lose to Ipswich. Villa locked into 5th place. Sixth place down to Derby, Boro and Bristol City with Derby/Bristol having a game in hand. Derby will finish 6th if they beat Swansea away midweek, barring a crazy GD swing on the final day


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Play to the whistle and all, but for f***s sake Leeds. Bielsa is fantastic. 

I'm absolutely stoked with Sheffield coming up. I've had a soft spot ever since a real good career mode I did with them when they were in League One (FIFA 12).


----------



## SSF

With late goals in the Sunderland and Pompey games, Barnsley will be promoted back to the Championship for next year


----------



## HajdukSplit

SSF said:


> With late goals in the Sunderland and Pompey games, Barnsley will be promoted back to the Championship for next year




Luton as well, back to back promotions too

Bristol kept their slim playoff hopes alive but if Derby win tomorrow at Swansea then it’s over.


----------



## les Habs

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> Play to the whistle and all, but for ****s sake Leeds. Bielsa is fantastic.
> 
> I'm absolutely stoked with Sheffield coming up. I've had a soft spot ever since a real good career mode I did with them when they were in League One (FIFA 12).




I'd like to see Leeds back in the Premiership.

Interesting. I associate Sheffield United with Warnock and I just didn't love them at that time. What's interesting is that a few years ago somebody floated the idea that they combine the clubs. Now Sheffield United are heading back to the Premiership and Sheffield Wednesday are in the top half of the Championship.


----------



## GabeTravels

SSF said:


> With late goals in the Sunderland and Pompey games, Barnsley will be promoted back to the Championship for next year




Killer loss for Pompey today...

They've played more games than any other club in Europe next year... Another 3 matches potentially could catch up with them.

Playoffs is an improvement on last season, but they let automatics slip away with their horrendous form after Christmas.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby held to a draw in Swansea so three teams can still finish in the final playoff spot

6. Derby *71 +13*
7. Middlesbrough *70 +7*
8. Bristol City *69 +6*

Derby host West Brom, who could still finish 3rd if they win but could possibly rest players prior to the playoffs; Boro go to already relegated Rotherham; Bristol are away to Hull.

Derby control their destiny, a win will be enough. If they drop points it opens the door for Middlesbrough who must win regardless. Bristol kept themselves alive but have to hope both Derby and Boro drop points while they beat Hull


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brentford awarded a 1:0 win for the match which Bolton boycotted. Bolton face further punishment (possibly points deduction) next season


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus




----------



## Evilo




----------



## SSF

Notts County and Yeovil have dropped out of the football league while everyone's least favorite team MK Dons gets the final League 2 auto promotion spot.


----------



## HajdukSplit

SSF said:


> Notts County and Yeovil have dropped out of the football league while everyone's least favorite team MK Dons gets the final League 2 auto promotion spot.




Some drama for that last playoff spot, Newport scored a late equalizer to go into 7th while Exeter and Colchester just miss out (Exeter failed to beat FGR which would have been enough and fall two spots on the final day)

League 2 Playoffs
Mansfield Town vs. Newport County
Forest Green Rovers vs. Tranmere Rovers


----------



## HajdukSplit

League One season is complete, the two sides up were already known but changes to the playoffs. Both Sunderland and Portsmouth lose meaning they will face each other in the 1st round, Charlton who won 4:0 move up to 3rd place on GD where they will play Doncaster

At the bottom; harsh for Plymouth who go down on GD despite beating also relegated Scunthorpe; Wimbledon stay up by the skin of their teeth with a draw at already relegated Bradford while the big winners were Southend who beat Sunderland to stay up. Going down: Bradford, Scunthorpe, Walsall, Plymouth Argyle


----------



## SSF

Congrats Shrimper


----------



## hatterson

HajdukSplit said:


> League One season is complete, the two sides up were already known but changes to the playoffs. Both Sunderland and Portsmouth lose meaning they will face each other in the 1st round, Charlton who won 4:0 move up to 3rd place on GD where they will play Doncaster
> 
> At the bottom; harsh for Plymouth who go down on GD despite beating also relegated Scunthorpe; Wimbledon stay up by the skin of their teeth with a draw at already relegated Bradford while the big winners were Southend who beat Sunderland to stay up. Going down: Bradford, Scunthorpe, Walsall, Plymouth Argyle




Excellent end of season form for Wimbledon. Thought they were going down for sure a couple months ago and they basically haven’t lost since then.


----------



## Shrimper

SSF said:


> Congrats Shrimper




Thanks!

88th minute.



I can't believe we did it.


----------



## GabeTravels

HajdukSplit said:


> League One season is complete, the two sides up were already known but changes to the playoffs. Both Sunderland and Portsmouth lose meaning they will face each other in the 1st round, Charlton who won 4:0 move up to 3rd place on GD where they will play Doncaster
> 
> At the bottom; harsh for Plymouth who go down on GD despite beating also relegated Scunthorpe; Wimbledon stay up by the skin of their teeth with a draw at already relegated Bradford while the big winners were Southend who beat Sunderland to stay up. Going down: Bradford, Scunthorpe, Walsall, Plymouth Argyle




Portsmouth drew but it didn't matter, going down to 4th on Goal Differential.

Sunderland has had bad luck against Pompey...we'll see if continues.


----------



## HoseEmDown

I'd like to see Forest Green, Portsmouth and Leeds as the teams to win the promotion playoffs. 

Don't want WBA or Charlton winning, they've been either in the premium league or championship pretty recently so want a new team promoted. Also all 4 teams in the league two playoffs would be cool to go up as I don't recall the last time any of them were in league one. Tranmere winning back to back promotions would be cool they just haven't been playing good football down the stretch. I just like FGR because they were a fun RTG in Fifa 18.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby beat West Brom 3:1 and secure 6th place and will face the out of form Leeds in the playoffs. Leeds lost to Ipswich today and haven't won their last four matches

Leeds United (3) vs. Derby County (6)
West Brom (4) vs. Aston Villa (5)


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Let's go Derby!


----------



## PanniniClaus

Hard to believe Notts County are heading to the National League. Awful


----------



## PanniniClaus

HajdukSplit said:


> Derby beat West Brom 3:1 and secure 6th place and will face the out of form Leeds in the playoffs. Leeds lost to Ipswich today and haven't won their last four matches
> 
> Leeds United (3) vs. Derby County (6)
> West Brom (4) vs. Aston Villa (5)



I actually like all these teams. I feel Aston Villa are a proper premier league team and should always be in it.
I've been to Elland Road during Leeds purple patch ...great place to be when the team is doing well. When they went down I thought they would be right back.

West Brom...Having gone to Birmingham to watch them play I have a soft spot for them too.

Derby County? meh, go Leeds.


----------



## SSF

PanniniClaus said:


> Hard to believe Notts County are heading to the National League. Awful




First time ever, wow


----------



## HajdukSplit

Salford City vs. AFC Fylde is the Conference National playoff final (to be played May 11). During the season both teams won the away game. Regardless who wins, it will be the first time for either side in the football league


----------



## SSF

Rooting for Fylde


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## sabremike

Just went looking for cheap jerseys for lower division teams on eBay. My first purchase:
 

Chesterfield Town.


----------



## Evilo

Surely it's not you on the picture, is it?


----------



## sabremike

Evilo said:


> Surely it's not you on the picture, is it?



No, it's the Earth 2 sabremike.


----------



## Evilo

Good


----------



## These Are The Days

It must be brutal to be a Leeds fan right now. They had the season in the palm of their hand almost the whole way and just crumbled down the stretch. Now it's no guarantee they'll even make it in.


----------



## DrMartinVanNostrand

HajdukSplit said:


> Derby beat West Brom 3:1 and secure 6th place and will face the out of form Leeds in the playoffs. Leeds lost to Ipswich today and haven't won their last four matches
> 
> Leeds United (3) vs. Derby County (6)
> West Brom (4) vs. Aston Villa (5)




I've never had the chance to see Leeds United in the Premier League, so that's what I'm hoping for the most. 

In order: Leeds > Derby > Aston Villa >>>>> West Brom. I hope Norwich isn't a joke this time because, otherwise, I yawned when I saw them get promoted again. Happy to see Sheffield United in the top flight. Hope Leeds follow suit, Bielsa in tow and everything.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bolton ave entered administration and will start next season in League One with a 12 point deduction. The Bassini takeover has fallen through


----------



## robertmac43

One fun thing to look out for next year is the South-Wales derby heating up again. It's been over 5 years since Swansea and Cardiff played each other. It was one of the reasons I was hoping Swansea would have stayed up last year.


----------



## sabremike

HajdukSplit said:


> Bolton ave entered administration and will start next season in League One with a 12 point deduction. The Bassini takeover has fallen through



Why are point deductions handed out to teams who enter administration? I mean if I see some guy down and out in the middle of the street I don't run over to him and start kicking the guy in his freaking head.


----------



## sabremike

HajdukSplit said:


> Salford City vs. AFC Fylde is the Conference National playoff final (to be played May 11). During the season both teams won the away game. Regardless who wins, it will be the first time for either side in the football league



Can this game be seen via a (legal) streaming service in North America?


----------



## Tuggy

. COYB!


----------



## robertmac43

That was brewing for a while for Villa.


----------



## SSF

Salford City is in the football league, they won 3-0.

The 2nd championship semi-final has been lacking in excitement and chances. Neither side wants to make a mistake.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Deserved win for Leeds and Derby was flat. However with no away goals rule tie is still open but I think Leeds owned Derby during the season


----------



## Evilo

I want to see Bielsa get promotion.


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> Why are point deductions handed out to teams who enter administration? I mean if I see some guy down and out in the middle of the street I don't run over to him and start kicking the guy in his freaking head.




Because in the past clubs abused the administration process in pretty gross ways, shafting both local businesses and government (and volunteer organisations such as St. John Ambulance) while allowing themselves to restructure and resume borrowing while scarcely breaking step.

Leicester City's administration in 2002 was a watershed moment that prompted the penalty to be introduced a year later.

David Conn: Leicester's tax deal indicates easier way out for crisis


----------



## sabremike

Stray Wasp said:


> Because in the past clubs abused the administration process in pretty gross ways, shafting both local businesses and government (and volunteer organisations such as St. John Ambulance) while allowing themselves to restructure and resume borrowing while scarcely breaking step.
> 
> Leicester City's administration in 2002 was a watershed moment that prompted the penalty to be introduced a year later.
> 
> David Conn: Leicester's tax deal indicates easier way out for crisis



But couldn't they come up with some way to prevent that without doing the type of damage to a club that leads to them becoming extinct? It just feels like punishing clubs like that is punishing the supporters who don't deserve that instead of the shady owners who do deserve it. My view on this is based on my personal experience of seeing a team I loved more than anything (the Hartford Whalers) die and it is something I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy.


----------



## HajdukSplit

SSF said:


> Salford City is in the football league, they won 3-0.




Saw this was their 4th promotion in 5 years, wonder if they can continue this, they have some money behind them with Peter Lim (billionaire). They are part owned by the “Class of 92” of Manchester United but have no idea how much they put into the club


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Derby got jobbed by the officials against Leeds.


----------



## PanniniClaus

2nd legs midweek or next weekend?


----------



## HajdukSplit

PanniniClaus said:


> 2nd legs midweek or next weekend?




WBA/Villa on Tuesday
Leeds/Derby on Wednesday

The final will be on a Monday (May 27)


----------



## PanniniClaus

HajdukSplit said:


> WBA/Villa on Tuesday
> Leeds/Derby on Wednesday
> 
> The final will be on a Monday (May 27)



Thank you.


----------



## sabremike

Bet @Stray Wasp was amused watching the broadcast of the Sunderland-Portsmouth match and the announcer pointing out all the Mackems refusing to fill the place for a playoff and then talking about how if things go pear shaped they make it incredibly difficult on their own team. Only way I'd defend them not showing up is if the club went and charged stupid prices, in which case I wouldn't blame them. Match itself was the drizzling shits, like watching two bad USL teams. The irony is that while this was such an awful match the goal that won it was one for the highlight reels.


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> But couldn't they come up with some way to prevent that without doing the type of damage to a club that leads to them becoming extinct? It just feels like punishing clubs like that is punishing the supporters who don't deserve that instead of the shady owners who do deserve it. My view on this is based on my personal experience of seeing a team I loved more than anything (the Hartford Whalers) die and it is something I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy.




You ask a reasonable question.

The problem stems from the ease with which people who have form for being failed business directors and bad debtors can acquire control of clubs. Whether there's a legally enforceable, tight regulatory system that could be implemented I don't know.

But the sad truth is that too many people in football bend over backwards for anyone who gives the illusion of flashing the cash. And that includes some fans.


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> Bet @Stray Wasp was amused watching the broadcast of the Sunderland-Portsmouth match and the announcer pointing out all the Mackems refusing to fill the place for a playoff and then talking about how if things go pear shaped they make it incredibly difficult on their own team. Only way I'd defend them not showing up is if the club went and charged stupid prices, in which case I wouldn't blame them. Match itself was the drizzling ****s, like watching two bad USL teams. The irony is that while this was such an awful match the goal that won it was one for the highlight reels.




Thank goodness I didn't watch - I enjoyed your summary enough as it is, without suffering 90 minutes of staring at bad football and empty seats against a soundtrack of intermittently howling mackems.

(It's ironic that for years sunderland fans cultivated the image of being The Humble Fans Who Knew Their Place Unlike Those Geordies With Their Unrealistic Expectations, when in fact - as borne out by both your description, and descriptions I've heard of the horror, sorry documentary series that was made about them during the season when they were relegated from the Championship after losing 2-1 at home to Burton having led 1-0, at the end of a campaign they'd begun shouting the odds about how they were going to walk the league unlike the Mags the year before because Simon Grayson was a better manager than Rafael Benitez (having before that said Benitez wouldn't cope with a Championship campaign at all) they are as bad for losing patience during games as NUFC supporters).


----------



## HajdukSplit

League Two playoff final will be between Tranmere Rovers and Newport County. Tranmere defeated Forest Green Rovers while Newport defeated Mansfield on penalty kicks. Final is on May 25


----------



## Live in the Now




----------



## sabremike

HajdukSplit said:


> League Two playoff final will be between Tranmere Rovers and Newport County. Tranmere defeated Forest Green Rovers while Newport defeated Mansfield on penalty kicks. Final is on May 25



Anyone know the last time in a EFL playoff a team had guys sent off in both legs like Forest Green did?


----------



## le_sean

UTV!


----------



## Pensionsraddare

Leeds being Leeds as usual. You just knew they were gonna bottle it in the playoffs when they weren't able to secure top 2. Losers. When im typing this they makes it 2-3 though and being back in business


----------



## hatterson

Pensionsraddare said:


> Leeds being Leeds as usual. You just knew they were gonna bottle it in the playoffs when they wasn't able to secure top 2. Losers. When im typing this they makes it 2-3 though and being back in business




via an offside goal lol


----------



## BKIslandersFan

What is happening in this match, holy cow.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

hatterson said:


> via an offside goal lol




Yeah, that looked suspicious indeed. Will there be VAR in the final? The penalty Derby got was the right call though. Very idiotic from the Leeds player and also typical Leeds in a game like this.

And now they see red. What a bunch of morons.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Would be a fitting end for Leeds if they get eliminated after how they threw away their advantage during the season


----------



## hatterson

Has Leeds keeper ever actual played before? I've only been watching for about 20 minutes and he's been absolutely atrocious in terms of when to challenge and when to stay in his goal.


----------



## SSF

I remember Leeds excitement at signing Casilla in the January window too; something tells me that honeymoon is over now.


----------



## Evilo

Sad day for football.


----------



## Michigan

Chris Wilder won LMA's Manager of the Year Award.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

I want Derby to go up so that a few of our young guys who aren't yet ready to come to Chelsea can keep developing under Lampard and Morris - I want Tomori back at Chelsea next year, but I think Mount needs a year of regular EPL minutes and continuing at Derby would be great for that


----------



## Stray Wasp

Evilo said:


> Sad day for football.




Look on the bright side - at least the playoff final sets John Terry and Frank Lampard on opposite sides. Hopefully this will usher in a bitter personal enmity between them that lasts for the rest of their lives. (Assuming they already don't secretly hate each other's guts).


----------



## HoseEmDown

Was hoping Leeds would win since it's been so long since they've been in the premium league. Derby sucked the last time they were up and a lot of their top players are on loan so I can't see them being good if they go up again. Villa has some decent talent and are more likely to spend so they would be a bit more competitive unless they go full Fulham and buy horribly.


----------



## sabremike

Stray Wasp said:


> Look on the bright side - at least the playoff final sets John Terry and Frank Lampard on opposite sides. Hopefully this will usher in a bitter personal enmity between them that lasts for the rest of their lives. (Assuming they already don't secretly hate each other's guts).




If the final goes to penalties Terry can step up to take one and end up sending it into row zed.


----------



## gary69

Stray Wasp said:


> Look on the bright side - at least the playoff final sets John Terry and Frank Lampard on opposite sides. Hopefully this will usher in a bitter personal enmity between them that lasts for the rest of their lives. (Assuming they already don't secretly hate each other's guts).




They both probably want to manage Chelsea at some point, so there's bound to be a bit of tension between them in the future.


----------



## PanniniClaus

oh Leeds....when will they get back? So many opportunities pissed away over the years, Fans must be gutted.

Sets up an interesting final but I am partial to Villa...


----------



## N o o d l e s

PanniniClaus said:


> oh Leeds....when will they get back? So many opportunities pissed away over the years, Fans must be gutted.
> 
> Sets up an interesting final but I am partial to Villa...




I want Villa up because I miss Villa Park in the Prem. Something really cool about Lampard vs Terry for the right to go, though


----------



## robertmac43

I selfishly want Villa because I may end up going to school i Birmingham and it would be cool to be able to go to some game in both the Prem and Championship


----------



## robertmac43

PanniniClaus said:


> oh Leeds....when will they get back? So many opportunities pissed away over the years, Fans must be gutted.




I would feel bad, but Leeds fans sand "you'll **** it up" at Brighton fans a couple years ago, so today gave me a good laugh


----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> I would feel bad, but Leeds fans sand "you'll **** it up" at Brighton fans a couple years ago, so today gave me a good laugh



A group that you would think would not have that kind of a sing song given what they have experienced.


----------



## ChiTownPhilly

Leeds Regular-Season Record in the Championship up to the "Yorkshire-Spygate" bust: 16W 6D 5L.

Record from post-bust to end of Regular-Season: 9W 2D 8L. 

Truth is- after mid-January, The (not Damned but) Cursed United has had the form of middle-of-the-pack'ers. 

Except for last weekend, the last time they won a f***Homophobic Slur game was over a month ago.


----------



## robertmac43

PanniniClaus said:


> A group that you would think would not have that kind of a sing song given what they have experienced.




That and going at Brighton is kind of hilarious because we are kind of irrelevant :p


----------



## Evilo

ChiTownPhilly said:


> Leeds Regular-Season Record in the Championship up to the "Yorkshire-Spygate" bust: 16W 6D 5L.
> 
> Record from post-bust to end of Regular-Season: 9W 2D 8L.
> 
> Truth is- after mid-January, The (not Damned but) Cursed United has had the form of middle-of-the-pack'ers.
> 
> Except for last weekend, the last time they won a ******* game was over a month ago.



It also has to do with Bielsa's demanding physical football.
Same thing happenned with Marseille who started like crazy before being on their last legs and missing Europe.
He needs more depth to use this kind of football.


----------



## Live in the Now

Yeah, the Championship isn't really made for that. It is too hard. Every second division team would have to play 46 league games and at least two cup games over the same amount of weeks as the Premier League that plays 38 games. It's ridiculous. Leeds also won one of those cup games and made the playoffs so they played 51 games while playing that style. As an example Manchester United played 53 games and didn't have to do it with second division level players.

That being said I think we can blame the keeper here. Over and over again.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Hopefully Sunderland can get back to Championship.


----------



## PanniniClaus

BKIslandersFan said:


> Hopefully Sunderland can get back to Championship.



Way too big a club to be hanging around league one.


----------



## SSF

Just turned on Charlton-Donny Rovers in time for old Andy Butler to level the tie.

Andy Butler was a part of my first Scunthorpe squad as manager on the FIFA series.


----------



## SSF

Promotion finals all set

May 25-League 2: Newport v Tranmere may
May 26-League 1: Charlton v Sunderland
May 27-Championship aka the billion dollar game: Villa v Derby


All kickoff times are 10am ET 
I assume all 3 will be on ESPN +


----------



## GabeTravels

Awful behavior by a Portsmouth fan yesterday, hitting a Sunderland player who went into the stands.

Disappointing end to the season for Pompey. January killed them.

Still, a bit of silverware isn't a failed season. Need to get out of League 1 next year though.


----------



## les Habs

Crazy some of the clubs that are in League 1 these days considering they're not that far removed from their Premiership days.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Tranmere win the League 2 playoff beating 10-man Newport with a 119th minute winner. It’s back to back promotions for them.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

From non-league to League One in two seasons.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## Stray Wasp

robertmac43 said:


> I selfishly want Villa because I may end up going to school i Birmingham and it would be cool to be able to go to some game in both the Prem and Championship




The Black Country isn't that far from Birmingham, so even if Villa don't go up, you could always dead to Molineux.

And while I haven't been to St. Andrews, the reputation of Birmingham fans isn't the best. Admittedly my last trip to the Hawthorns was 21 years ago, but West Brom fans have always been considered a more pleasant set. The quality of football is also likely to be better than the Bluenoses are able to produce.


----------



## Albatros

Stray Wasp said:


> The Black Country isn't that far from Birmingham, so even if Villa don't go up, you could always dead to Molineux.




Must be fun being a Wolverhampton supporter in Brum.


----------



## robertmac43

Stray Wasp said:


> The Black Country isn't that far from Birmingham, so even if Villa don't go up, you could always dead to Molineux.
> 
> And while I haven't been to St. Andrews, the reputation of Birmingham fans isn't the best. Admittedly my last trip to the Hawthorns was 21 years ago, but West Brom fans have always been considered a more pleasant set. The quality of football is also likely to be better than the Bluenoses are able to produce.




Oh I did not realize how geographically close all those teams were to the Uni. My goal is to go to as many stadiums as possible over the 2 years I'll be in England. Nice to have 4 close by to start with!


----------



## Albatros

robertmac43 said:


> Oh I did not realize how geographically close all those teams were to the Uni. My goal is to go to as many stadiums as possible over the 2 years I'll be in England. Nice to have 4 close by to start with!




Don't forget Kidderminster.


----------



## Stray Wasp

You have a good base from which to strike out. If memory serves, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham (reputedly the city with the best-looking women in the country) and Sheffield are all two hours or less away from the main train station, Birmingham New Street.


----------



## robertmac43

Stray Wasp said:


> You have a good base from which to strike out. If memory serves, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham (reputedly the city with the best-looking women in the country) and Sheffield are all two hours or less away from the main train station, Birmingham New Street.




Yeah it's an awesome spot for being central. My other main option is Sussex which is right beside the AMEX, hard to beat watching Brighton week in and week out :p


----------



## robertmac43

I want Griggs to score so the song rains down


----------



## robertmac43

Absolute scenes in the crowd! Another wild playoff finish


----------



## HajdukSplit

Crazy own goal to start the match too, good to see Charlton in the 2nd tier again but tough for a club like Sunderland to be stuck in League 1 again, aren’t they in financial problems too? They probably still have 3-4 managers to pay


----------



## SSF

Good to see Charlton back up in the 2nd tier; sadly that joy is tempered by the fact Lee Bowyer is the Addicks manager.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Well, now lovely Stewart Donald and his equally lovely minion will be able to show the world the full extent of their bottomless and totally sincere devotion to sunderland football club.


----------



## SSF

Sunderland Til I Die Part 2 will have an even sadder ending with the stoppage time goal from today


----------



## Stray Wasp

SSF said:


> Sunderland Til I Die Part 2 will have an even sadder ending with the stoppage time goal from today




Sadder or funnier, depending on your point of view.

Lee Bowyer can still f*** off, though.


----------



## robertmac43

I don't know if it has been mentioned bu Leyton Orient is coming back into the Football League after their troubles financially and ensuing relegations


----------



## HajdukSplit

Villa score right before the halftime whistle, header by El Ghazi.

Hopefully that will open the game up a bit, not much between the two sides before that, only one shot on target between the two teams. Lots of hard work and commitment as expected but no end product.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Very scrappy start to the 2nd half, literally a foul every 30 seconds and three bookings


----------



## HajdukSplit

2:0 Villa, weird goal, a shot from long range is deflected and looped into the six yard box but the Derby keeper wasn't strong off his line and headed in by McGinn. However in any country but England that play would have been called a foul on the keeper as the Derby keeper did have contact with the ball 

Probably deserved, don't think Derby have even gotten 30 yards from the Villa goal this 2nd half


----------



## HajdukSplit

Derby cut the lead with 10 minutes to go, Villa were all over the place and have simply stopped playing, momentum all on Derby's side now


----------



## Timeless Winter

Is this televised in the US?


----------



## kingsboy11

Timeless Winter said:


> Is this televised in the US?




only on ESPN+ which is stupid because this should be on regular ESPN


----------



## HajdukSplit

Villa promoted to the Premier League

Game was a dud for about 70 minutes and it looked like Villa would cruise to the finish but they parked the bus and Derby gained momentum, they pushed and pushed but weren't able to get the equalizer


----------



## le_sean

UTV!

Villa back where they belong. 

Especially sweeter by being the ones that knocked Leeds out.


----------



## robertmac43

Welcome back Villa! Villa Park is a stadium that deserves to be in the top flight


----------



## gary69

Prince Wlliam shown celebrating promotion alongsode John Carew, David Cameron as well. Didier Drogba was also amongst the crowd, didn't see if he celebrated, though (probably not). All things considered, Villa might be actually be best off amongst the promoted clubs.


----------



## These Are The Days

I am so f***ing stoked for Villa. They're back in the top flight where they have always belonged for 100 years now. Their absence from the EPL reminds me of that Arby's catchphrase of "A sandwich without meat isn't." And the EPL just isn't the EPL without the Lions. The only bigger mind f*** would be if we lost a team like Everton. 

Dean Smith is a gem. Do not let that man go.


----------



## These Are The Days

le_sean said:


> UTV!
> 
> Villa back where they belong.
> 
> Especially sweeter by being the ones that knocked Leeds out.




Leeds gonna Leeds. I've always felt bad for them because of how much things fell apart after such a good run of success. Sadly their crushing loss to Derby was/is right up their alley. The only more deserving fates more par for the course is how United and Liverpool's supremacy of the EPL and Europe come at the expense of one another as it always has been. It is no coincidence that Liverpool may be Champions of Europe Saturday while United are looking for answers and yet even 20 years ago United were kings of the world while Liverpool were looking for answers. Go back to 50 years Shankly passes by Manchester in a flash. Go back further and Liverpool are in Division 2 while the Busby Babes are the greatest team on the pitch.


----------



## Stray Wasp

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> I am so ****ing stoked for Villa. They're back in the top flight where they have always belonged for 100 years now.




Villa is one of the ten biggest clubs in the country, but they've been relegated six times in their history, one of which took them from the second tier into the third (and their return to the second tier took two seasons).


----------



## Stray Wasp

gary69 said:


> Prince Wlliam shown celebrating promotion alongsode John Carew, David Cameron as well. Didier Drogba was also amongst the crowd, didn't see if he celebrated, though (probably not). All things considered, Villa might be actually be best off amongst the promoted clubs.




Did Cameron break into a chorus of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'?


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

gary69 said:


> Prince Wlliam shown celebrating promotion alongsode John Carew, David Cameron as well. Didier Drogba was also amongst the crowd, didn't see if he celebrated, though (probably not). All things considered, Villa might be actually be best off amongst the promoted clubs.




I wonder if Drogba got happy drunk with Terry or sad drunk with Lampard afterwards


----------



## These Are The Days

Stray Wasp said:


> Villa is one of the ten biggest clubs in the country, but they've been relegated six times in their history, one of which took them from the second tier into the third (and their return to the second tier took two seasons).




When you look at the whole history, yeah they've been up and down. Just about every club has been but they've got about 130 seasons and probably 25 years at best have been spent out of the top flight. They have won little compared to wealthier rivals but their duration is at least comparable


----------



## Tuggy

Got their coach...


----------



## IceColdOx

What in the actual heck is going on with Bury?

English Football League Could Expel Bury - Last Word on Football


----------



## BKIslandersFan

IceColdOx said:


> What in the actual heck is going on with Bury?
> 
> English Football League Could Expel Bury - Last Word on Football



Bolton, Bury, Notts County all in major trouble.


----------



## The Lemonheads

What the hell happened to County? I know they dropped out but...

Bolton are f*cked. Will they even have any senior players to field? Last I heard they were looking for employment elsewhere. It's been going on way too long.


----------



## SSF

Bury has been in trouble for a while, it is just now things have finally gone past the tipping point.

With Bolton, Shaun Harvey and Ken Anderson should be in HMP Darkandgloomy or whatevs they call it.


----------



## robertmac43

Unfortunately a lot of the teams in the lower leagues have been in trouble, especially more Northern rural towns.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Notts County has now been sold to a Danish consortium.

Reedtz brothers confirm Notts County takeover is complete

You can read about their previous owner here: Alan Hardy the speedster leaves Notts County stuck in reverse | Daniel Taylor

They've been an incredibly unstable club for most of the last decade, beginning with the brief Sven-Goran Eriksson era. An article from David Conn gives a potted history to the period leading up to Alan Hardy's takeover that shows their present debt troubles and Inland Revenue winding-up orders are nothing new.

Another Notts County era begins with cautious optimism after £3.5m takeover 

In the last 10 years, Kevin Nolan was their longest serving manager - he lasted a smidgen over 18 months.


----------



## Stray Wasp

robertmac43 said:


> Unfortunately a lot of the teams in the lower leagues have been in trouble, especially more Northern rural towns.




Indeed. The story of Gateshead's expulsion from the Conference is mind-boggling.


----------



## IceColdOx

I got some reading to do. Wow. Sucks when teams go through this stuff.


----------



## robertmac43

IceColdOx said:


> I got some reading to do. Wow. Sucks when teams go through this stuff.




Really got to feel for the fans. Been through a ton, stood by the team the whole time, and then just like that they can cease to exist


----------



## GabeTravels

As a Portsmouth fan, it kills me seeing these teams go through this.

I remember waiting to hear if the club would fold a few years back... Thankfully the fans stepped up and bought the club. 

So happy we have responsible ownership now, building things the right way.


----------



## robertmac43

GabeTravels said:


> As a Portsmouth fan, it kills me seeing these teams go through this.
> 
> I remember waiting to hear if the club would fold a few years back... Thankfully the fans stepped up and bought the club.
> 
> So happy we have responsible ownership now, building things the right way.




I love stories like the Portsmouth one. Fans save their teams and then build. The club may never have the prestige as it once did, but there is a certain calm and security that come from a stable ownership. Fans can often deliver that much.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Luton Town and Boro get it kicked off tomorrow.


----------



## PanniniClaus

PanniniClaus said:


> Luton Town and Boro get it kicked off tomorrow.



which is today I guess! available on DAZN in Canada


----------



## robertmac43

Predictions for who is going up this year?


----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> Predictions for who is going up this year?



Super hard to call.

Fulham should go back up....Leeds should finally punch through....after that I really don't know.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Boro were airtight on D last year. 3 3 with Luton right now and the tying goal was calamitous. 

nearing stoppage time


----------



## Stray Wasp

If in doubt, look to the clubs still receiving the financial boost of parachute payments.

I'm sceptical Siewart will manage to turn around the negative momentum he accrued last season at Huddersfield. My instincts say that Scott Parker won't prove up to the job at Fulham, and that Slaven Bilic will have cause to regret West Brom losing more than 40 of the goals they scored last season thanks to Dwight Gayle's loan spell ending, and Rodriguez returning to Burnley. The loss of Graham Potter and McBurnie will surely stop Swansea carrying last season's strong finish into this campaign. Hull haven't especially strengthened, even if we assume Grant McCann tightens up their defence without reducing their goals for column.

Jonathan Woodgate is one of the last players have expected to become a manager (mind, I'd have said the same about his old clubbing buddy Lee Bowyer), but I have a funny feeling he might free Middlesbrough from the shackles Tony Pulis imposed on them without leaving their defence wide open, and lead them to promotion. (Perhaps he really did learn from Robson, Venables et al - when he joined Real Madrid, he surprised people by learning the language. Who knows, maybe it occurred to him that foreigns had something to teach him on the footballing front, too.) For the record, the Smoggies were drawing 2-2 at Kenilworth Road when I began typing this.

I think Stoke will go up despite losing Ryan Shawcross. Hard to believe that Ince, Afobe and Vokes between them won't produce the goals they lacked last year. Nathan Jones sounds just the sort of religious nut who's bound to end up spending a few months in the EPL being weird at every microphone he encounters.

It's hard to bet against Cardiff. Their squad is experienced without being old, and hasn't suffered too many key departures. Aden Flint is a good addition, and Robert Glatzel might prove a shrewd signing - the sort of big target man to create space for Bobby Reid, Josh Murphy, and Junior 'what do you mean, he isn't 109 years old?' Howlett. 

I've no clue what Lamouchi's stock as a coach is, but Forest have the makings of a real challenge for the top six this year. Brentford have a good chance to be the underdogs who make waves, but I can't see them winning promotion.

As for Leeds, I'll take them to lose in the playoffs again.


----------



## Venkman

Entertaining game last night. Two great goals by Bradley and Wing. Missed penalty by Assombalonga, Luton should have had a penalty and missed a last minute chance to win the game.

Leeds, Fulham and Cardiff are favourites for promotion. Might do a prediction when the transfer window closes.


----------



## HoseEmDown

My top 6 would be in alphabetical order Blackburn (think Bradley Dack will be the POY and carry them to a playoff spot), Brentford (they seem to lose players every year but add well like Jansson, they still have Maupay too), Fulham (not very good in the premium league but have a lot of guys who have done well in the championship before), Huddersfield (not sure why they aren't getting more love, they have probably the best CB duo in Schindler and Kongolo, Mooy is a stud at this level while Grant and Mounie are top strikers), Middleborough (have a very balanced team with experience, if the coaching is up to par no reason not to be a playoff team) and West Brom (they are always a competitive team and I see no reason this year shouldn't be any different).

For relegation I got Birmingham, Millwall and Reading. 

I don't see what everyone else does in Leeds this year. I think they'll be a top half team but they lost Jansson and probably lose Roofer too, that's two big pieces gone. Whichever team gets Gayle on loan should also be a playoff team, they guy just eats up championship defenses and is good for 20+ every year.


----------



## robertmac43

Looked strange seeing Knockaert in Fulham colours. In his short stint he looked really good, I think he will carry on in the championship as the star player he was when he gained promotion. 

On a Barnsley note, Wilks looked very solid.


----------



## The Lemonheads

First game of the season done and I'm already done.

This team has too much dead weight. It's gonna take 2 more windows to fix this mess.

Lose home opener against *QPR* tells me it's gonna be a loooooooooooong season.

If you can't manage to get up for that game and atleast get a point... a point! You're in the shits.

FFS Stoke.


----------



## Stray Wasp

As we know from having it remorselessly hammered down our throats, London is the UK's mainspring of cosmopolitan, educated enlightenment and sophistication. Whereas Barnsley is in The North, where knuckles are dragged and intolerance nurtured from the womb.

Guess what - when Barnsley met Fulham at Oakwell this afternoon, the sister of Fulham's Cyrus Christie was assaulted and racially abused. However, the story has a twist that you can read about here. Cyrus Christie: Fulham investigate incident after player says sister was hit and racially abused.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Stray Wasp said:


> As we know from having it remorselessly hammered down our throats, London is the UK's mainspring of cosmopolitan, educated enlightenment and sophistication. Whereas Barnsley is in The North, where knuckles are dragged and intolerance nurtured from the womb.
> 
> Guess what - when Barnsley met Fulham at Oakwell this afternoon, the sister of Fulham's Cyrus Christie was assaulted and racially abused. However, the story has a twist that you can read about here. Cyrus Christie: Fulham investigate incident after player says sister was hit and racially abused.



I just don't get it.....Barnsley have players that are not white....Hopefully they find him/her and ban them for life.


----------



## sabremike

PanniniClaus said:


> I just don't get it.....Barnsley have players that are not white....Hopefully they find him/her and ban them for life.



Don't think you read the story: it was a Fulham "fan" who committed the act.


----------



## PanniniClaus

sabremike said:


> Don't think you read the story: it was a Fulham "fan" who committed the act.



oh wow...I missed that. really sorry to any Barnsley folks.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Did i miss the memo where teams have to wear a road kit even if there is no clash? Brom wore a horrid green and yellow and now Leeds are wearing a pretty awful gray and pink when it seems a white would be fine against Bristol's red.


----------



## robertmac43

I also mirror the Leeds getting promoted sentiment. I think they win in through the playoffs this year. 

My automatic promotion predictions are West Brom and Cardiff.


----------



## Stray Wasp

PanniniClaus said:


> Did i miss the memo where teams have to wear a road kit even if there is no clash?




Alas, I think there probably was a memo - from the marketing departments of these clubs, hoping that the sooner their teams wore the change colours in games, the greater the likelihood of children whose parents hadn't already bought them the kit squealing to have it.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Stray Wasp said:


> Alas, I think there probably was a memo - from the marketing departments of these clubs, hoping that the sooner their teams wore the change colours in games, the greater the likelihood of children whose parents hadn't already bought them the kit squealing to have it.



Good point...although on the basis of this weekend it would seem to be a regrettable purchase. I did not see every kit mind you.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Away kits are rarely good.

I share your annoyance in teams using them unnecessarily. It's all the worse when the club in question has home colours for which they are famous - which is the case for both Leeds and West Brom.


----------



## robertmac43

What to expect from The Athletic UK

It was posted over in the Premier League thread. If you don't already have the Athletic it is well worth it and with UK writers in bound it is only going to get better.


----------



## Pyrophorus

OMG QPR won away...sloppy though


----------



## robertmac43

Stoke looked meh despite having a lot of the ball today. Leko looked for Charlton; I keep thinking this guys is going to break out one of these years, still only 20 so he has time.


----------



## Venkman

Bit late but I'll go for West Brom, Fulham and Leeds to get promoted. Forest, Derby and Brentford in the playoffs.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Fulham and West Brom automatic promotion 

Playoffs (in no order): Leeds, Derby, Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday


----------



## YNWA14




----------



## robertmac43

HajdukSplit said:


> Sheffield Wednesday




I would call this an out there/ interesting selection for playoffs. I just cannot see them getting any higher than mid-table.


----------



## The Lemonheads

robertmac43 said:


> Stoke looked meh despite having a lot of the ball today.




Meh is quite an improvement. Thanks!

At this rate, by December, we'll be FG Rovers.



YNWA14 said:


>





Can't deny, I'm glad MK Dons won.

The outrage they get is as if they murdered puppies countrywide.

I do understand it's different across the pond but it's getting old.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Jan Siewert already out at Huddersfield. Including the Premier League he had 1 win in 19 matches

According to the Telegraph he was supposed to be sacked after their loss to Lincoln in the league cup but because of the quick turnaround for the Fulham game he remained in charge but essentially knew he was getting sacked if they lost. Also seems like the players tuned him out

Interim manager will be Mark Hudson


----------



## PanniniClaus

HajdukSplit said:


> Jan Siewert already out at Huddersfield. Including the Premier League he had 1 win in 19 matches
> 
> According to the Telegraph he was supposed to be sacked after their loss to Lincoln in the league cup but because of the quick turnaround for the Fulham game he remained in charge but essentially knew he was getting sacked if they lost. Also seems like the players tuned him out
> 
> Interim manager will be Mark Hudson



Team is a complete mess.


----------



## robertmac43

I know its way too early to be saying things like this, but I think this is the year that Leeds finally get back up.


----------



## Shrimper

3 games, 3 losses. Everything going according to plan


----------



## robertmac43

Some decent match ups in the Championship today.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bolton have postponed their match today so face further points reduction (started the season at -12) as it wasn't approved by the EFL and Doncaster, in fact Doncaster only learned the game was cancelled on twitter. Also in the same league, Bury hasn't played a single match yet.


----------



## robertmac43

HajdukSplit said:


> Bolton have postponed their match today so face further points reduction (started the season at -12) as it wasn't approved by the EFL and Doncaster, in fact Doncaster only learned the game was cancelled on twitter. Also in the same league, Bury hasn't played a single match yet.




I wonder how they will manage come the point when they start playing. I feel for fans of the team.


----------



## IceColdOx

robertmac43 said:


> I wonder how they will manage come the point when they start playing. I feel for fans of the team.




Them and Bury are in dire. I do hope they manage to find their way. I love my Prem, but I've fallen in love with lower league football.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bolton have played before today but I guess they are using junior players? That was there excuse for cancelling the game: the health of their players playing 3 games in a week. How old are the players they are using?


----------



## HajdukSplit

Managed to find their team from Saturday, a lot of 16-17 year olds on the bench with mostly 18-19 year old starting sprinkled with some experienced players


----------



## robertmac43

IceColdOx said:


> Them and Bury are in dire. I do hope they manage to find their way. I love my Prem, but I've fallen in love with lower league football.




Would be nice for them to find their way for the stories but will be a huge blow for whom ever goes down in their place.

The Lower Leagues are so exciting, and there is so much on the line in each week/season for every club. In a weird way I miss Brighton being down just cause I followed it more....

Hmm miss may be the wrong word, the prem is pretty nice


----------



## robertmac43

Bristol v Derby has been a solid game thus far.


----------



## PanniniClaus

HajdukSplit said:


> Managed to find their team from Saturday, a lot of 16-17 year olds on the bench with mostly 18-19 year old starting sprinkled with some experienced players




This is such a shame...Bolton may not have been a fancied club but they had some really good players put the shirt on and had a long run in the Premier league. I don't know what will become of the Bolton's and Bury's. Maybe others yet...

No games on DAZN today which was too bad. Champions league took priority.


----------



## robertmac43

Another solid lineup of games today, looking forward to Leeds v Brentford.


----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> Another solid lineup of games today, looking forward to Leeds v Brentford.



where are you seeing these games?


----------



## robertmac43

PanniniClaus said:


> where are you seeing these games?




It really depends on the day and game. Sometimes DAZN, some times free streams if I can find a good one. The main though is my friends across the pond has Sky Go and I have gotten a rigged up VPN to use his account.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

Nketiah with a late winner for Leeds. Should be given a start in the weekend game now.


----------



## ghostnights

Huge win for Swansea.

3-1-0

Baston looks like the real deal


----------



## robertmac43

I got a feeling Leeds are going to keep being able to scrape up late points. They have a strong and deep squad for the championship, it just feels right for them this year.


----------



## Stray Wasp

PanniniClaus said:


> This is such a shame...Bolton may not have been a fancied club but they had some really good players put the shirt on and had a long run in the Premier league.




Bolton has a modest place in English football history, but a place nevertheless. They are one of the original teams from the 1888 Football League, and own the unenviable record of playing most seasons in the English top flight without ever being crowned champions. They have won four FA Cups, though, two of which are especially notable - the 1923 'white horse' cup final (nothing to do with narcotics in case anyone was getting their hopes up), and their 1958 win over a Manchester United team patched up following Munich. Their centre forward from that era, Nat Lofthouse, is considered among England's greatest in that position, and his goal in the final - when he shoulder charged Harry Gregg into the net while he held the ball, was famously contentious.

Bury are two-times FA Cup winners, back in the Edwardian era. Remarkable as it may sound now, in the twenties, they once finished as high as fourth in the top division.

But even if neither club had ever achieved a thing, it's the ruin to long-lasting, community groups that's the truly desperate matter here.


----------



## robertmac43

Stray Wasp said:


> But even if neither club had ever achieved a thing, it's the ruin to long-lasting, community groups that's the truly desperate matter here.




Sad stuff for sure. Hopefully they can turn this unfortunate time into a good come back story in the coming years.


----------



## Albatros

To be honest Bury doesn't have much left beyond that history anyway, one of the worst attended clubs wherever they played as long as I can remember, but Bolton would be a real shame.


----------



## robertmac43

Throw back to the days when winning on a rainy day in Stoke was a way to measure a player....Nowadays they cannot seem to win anywhere.


----------



## SSF

Parkinson and his assistant have resigned at Bolton so now they have more problems


----------



## IceColdOx

SSF said:


> Parkinson and his assistant have resigned at Bolton so now they have more problems




Saw that and that stinks. They been put through the wringer and I hope they and Bury find someone that can stabilize them.


----------



## robertmac43

Just started watching Sunderland Till I Die (finally). What a depressing city/club, hopefully they get bc up the Championship this year


----------



## These Are The Days

Leeds have been on the upswing for a few years now and I don't know how much longer a club that will likely sustain itself once it reaches the Premier League can spend in the Championship. They're out of the woods of their financial implosion, are probably gonna have 35,000 people a game at Elland Road the whole season and Bielsa is an underrated manager. They're looking a Premier League club at this point.

Other than Swansea, Fulham and maybe West Brom I just don't know who is left to truly oppose them and even that's because those are regular members of the Premier League. It's early but they were top of the league almost all of last year and are doing it again

God help Man United if Leeds DO come back. It's gonna be like a scene from a horror movie of a psychotic ex lover showing up like "it me agaaaiiiinnnn..... Oh you THOUGHT you were rid of me bitch?" I know Man United don't give them a second thought but I know Leeds still do


----------



## robertmac43

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> God help Man United if Leeds DO come back. It's gonna be like a scene from a horror movie of a psychotic ex lover showing up like "it me agaaaiiiinnnn..... Oh you THOUGHT you were rid of me *****?" I know Man United don't give them a second thought but I know Leeds still do




Should be a lot of fun having them back up just for this.


----------



## These Are The Days

robertmac43 said:


> Should be a lot of fun having them back up just for this.




If Leeds can make it back that first matchup is going to be must watch football. Not many rivalries were as intense as that one and I'm not sure if all those years apart are going to quell it. It's possible but feels unlikely since the EPL championship is likely going to be an unattainable goal for Leeds. Their matchups with Man United are probably going to be akin to the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn where if you don't win it all that year at least you beat your sworn rival

But otherwise I agree. I may have to start pulling for Leeds so I can see this happen


----------



## robertmac43

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> If Leeds can make it back that first matchup is going to be must watch football. *Not many rivalries were as intense as that one and I'm not sure if all those years apart are going to quell it*. It's possible but feels unlikely since the EPL championship is likely going to be an unattainable goal for Leeds. Their matchups with Man United are probably going to be akin to the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn where if you don't win it all that year at least you beat your sworn rival




Oh Leeds fans remember, they will be so loud for that game. My guess is it will remind Man U of the old days and the rivalry will spark as if nothing has changed


----------



## These Are The Days

robertmac43 said:


> Oh Leeds fans remember, they will be so loud for that game. My guess is it will remind Man U of the old days and the rivalry will spark as if nothing has changed




It's a crappy thing to do to a newly promoted team for a first game but IF Leeds are promoted this year they can always have their first game back in the EPL against Man United at Elland Road. As if it was not dramatic enough right? If that game actually happened and Leeds won it would be their biggest win in a dozen years and the response by the fans would be mass hysteria


----------



## Stray Wasp

robertmac43 said:


> Just started watching Sunderland Till I Die (finally). What a depressing city/club, hopefully they get bc up the Championship this year




It's being reported that they're about to receive an injection of funds from an American investment fund. So they may finally achieve the domination of the third tier their loudest-mouthed fans were so confident they'd enjoy last year.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

Bury saved.


----------



## These Are The Days

Pensionsraddare said:


> Bury saved.



All I'm seeing is that there's a potential buyer and they have been granted an extension.


----------



## These Are The Days

My God Stoke has fallen apart as a club. Sunderland fans need not feel like they've fallen from grace alone. Huddersfield too. It's possible both are going to be relegated with the way they're playing


----------



## HajdukSplit

Huddersfield punched way above their weight, not really a Premier League club and I suspected they were going to struggle regardless this season

Still early days (especially with Bielsa's teams) but Leeds look to be cruising with Charlton being the early surprise package

Bolton playing today but getting hammered at home by Ipswich


----------



## Shrimper

Sigh. I give up


----------



## ghostnights

Another huge 3 points for Swansea. Keep racking them up


----------



## The Lemonheads

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> My God Stoke has fallen apart as a club.



From top to botttom, no pun intended.

Still doubt we'll get relegated.


----------



## Cassano

Nketiah has 3 in 3 for Leeds this season. Wonder if he's this year's Tammy Abraham.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

Cassano said:


> Nketiah has 3 in 3 for Leeds this season. Wonder if he's this year's Tammy Abraham.




No, because Bielsa clearly refuses to play him in the league. If he’s only going to play in the league cup he could have just stayed with us.


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> No, because *Bielsa clearly refuses to play him in the league*. If he’s only going to play in the league cup he could have just stayed with us.




Bolded is simply not true. 

He is very clearly in the Leeds plans for the league. He has gotten time in 2 League games since being loaned out and has been impressive the whole time. He is still new and adjusting plus Leeds are a good team and have some depth.


----------



## N o o d l e s

Bury expelled.

No updates on Bolton for hours


----------



## DoyleG




----------



## robertmac43

Sad stuff for Bury. I'm absolutely devastated for their fans, they deserve better than this.


----------



## SSF

Steve Dale better have bodyguards especially after such a stupid post liquidation comment like that.


----------



## sabremike

SSF said:


> Steve Dale better have bodyguards especially after such a stupid post liquidation comment like that.



There's definitely a special place in hell for that guy.


----------



## These Are The Days

N o o d l e s said:


> Bury expelled.
> 
> No updates on Bolton for hours




God that's horrible. If a proper owner steps up I suppose you can always just re-start the club not so dissimilar to the Cleveland Browns. I'm not sure if that's how it works or not but I hope it can go that way


----------



## robertmac43

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> God that's horrible. If a proper owner steps up I suppose you can always just re-start the club not so dissimilar to the Cleveland Browns. I'm not sure if that's how it works or not but I hope it can go that way




I think they would have to restart and get promoted all the way up but I may be wrong.

Different circumstances but look into AFC Wimbledon. They went through a process of having to get promoted from Non-League all the way back up.


----------



## hatterson

You'd also have to get promoted all the way up without any of the players you used to have, no academy, no stadium, etc.

Granted a rabid base of support should let you cruise from non-league into league pretty quickly since you'd have resources other teams couldn't match (even a couple k season ticket holders would give you a massive financial advantage at low tiers)


----------



## robertmac43

hatterson said:


> Granted a rabid base of support should let you cruise from non-league into league pretty quickly since you'd have resources other teams couldn't match (even a couple k season ticket holders would give you a massive financial advantage at low tiers)




Oh yeah they would be fine in that regard. Plus the history of the city and team would be more of a pull to get the best players at each division.


----------



## Chloraflora

Bury aren't that big a club. Won promotion last season, and their average gates would only have placed fourth in the league below. It's more likely you see them struggle up the pyramid like Darlington.


----------



## These Are The Days

I guess Bolton has been saved at the last minute. Good for them and their fans


----------



## Albatros

robertmac43 said:


> I think they would have to restart and get promoted all the way up but I may be wrong.
> 
> Different circumstances but look into AFC Wimbledon. They went through a process of having to get promoted from Non-League all the way back up.




Probably the North West Counties League, even Bury is too big of a club to start any lower than that.


----------



## SSF

I think I heard they would goto the 9th tier


----------



## Albatros

Probably, lower than that it would be an unfair burden to their opponents with the traveling fans and all.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

robertmac43 said:


> Bolded is simply not true.
> 
> He is very clearly in the Leeds plans for the league. He has gotten time in 2 League games since being loaned out and has been impressive the whole time. He is still new and adjusting plus Leeds are a good team and have some depth.




Guess what? Nketiah didn't start today either. Would be surprised if he starts 10 games this season. What a waste. Should have send him to a midtable team.


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> Guess what? Nketiah didn't start today either. Would be surprised if he starts 10 games this season. What a waste. Should have send him to a midtable team.




He is still getting minutes and yes he will start more then 10 games, don't be ridiculous. He has not been at the club for a month yet, he was never going to come in and start right away. Be patient! 

Should not have sent him to a mid table side, Leeds plays good football. He is playing a style of football that is more similar to what he will find with Arsenal and when he is on he is going to get service. Great spot for him to go on loan.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

robertmac43 said:


> He is still getting minutes and yes he will start more then 10 games, don't be ridiculous. He has not been at the club for a month yet, he was never going to come in and start right away. Be patient!
> 
> Should not have sent him to a mid table side, Leeds plays good football. He is playing a style of football that is more similar to what he will find with Arsenal and when he is on he is going to get service. Great spot for him to go on loan.




I really hope you're right, but i am just not sure about it. It has been six games now and he's yet to start a game. If they truly believed in him they would have give him a start by now. 

There are other teams that plays good football in the Championship too. Swansea would have been a good side to send him.


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> There are other teams that plays good football in the Championship too. Swansea would have been a good side to send him.




Swansea is not mid-table level side. They will be battling for automatic promotion all year as well


----------



## ghostnights

Swansea with the huge 3 points . My boys are starting off strong


----------



## Pensionsraddare

robertmac43 said:


> Swansea is not mid-table level side. They will be battling for automatic promotion all year as well




Yeah i know, but they do not have the same quality on their strikers like Leeds. He would automatically be a starter there i think. Sure Baston looking good, but i think Nketiah has way more potential.

But if not Swansea there are other sides that plays good football. Championship isn't what it used to be. They play good technical football in that league nowadays.


----------



## HajdukSplit

robertmac43 said:


> Swansea is not mid-table level side. They will be battling for automatic promotion all year as well




Beat Leeds today at Elland Road in a last minute winner, looking good to start the season with a young manager who's experience prior to Swansea was coaching the Liverpool academy and winning the U17 World Cup with England

Stoke and Huddersfield continue their woeful starts, still without a win and Stoke conceded twice in the later stages of the second half to lose in Birmingham while Huddersfield lost to newly promoted Luton (think Huddersfield could be in deep trouble). Derby also off to a slow start under Cocu, only 6 points from 6 and conceding a ton of goals. Swansea, Charlton and WBA still unbeaten, Charlton the definite early surprise package

In League One, Bolton were saved but hammered by Gillingham


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> Yeah i know, but they do not have the same quality on their strikers like Leeds. He would automatically be a starter there i think.




Baston is quality . Plus they have a new manager and system so its an adjustment for everyone. Makes sense to send Eddie to Leeds which have established all they need to and are just gunning for promotion.


----------



## robertmac43

HajdukSplit said:


> Stoke and Huddersfield continue their woeful starts, still without a win and Stoke conceded twice in the later stages of the second half to lose in Birmingham while Huddersfield lost to newly promoted Luton (think Huddersfield could be in deep trouble). Derby also off to a slow start under Cocu, only 6 points from 6 and conceding a ton of goals. Swansea, Charlton and WBA still unbeaten, Charlton the definite early surprise package




It's honestly sad to see Stoke where they are at the moment. Obviously its still so early but 1 point through 6 is abysmal


----------



## Pensionsraddare

robertmac43 said:


> Baston is quality . Plus they have a new manager and system so its an adjustment for everyone. Makes sense to send Eddie to Leeds which have established all they need to and are just gunning for promotion.




Take a look at my update


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> Take a look at my update




which one?


----------



## Pensionsraddare

robertmac43 said:


> which one?




The last one.


----------



## The Lemonheads

God damnit, Stoke.


----------



## These Are The Days

RoryDelap said:


> God damnit, Stoke.




My heart goes out to the Potters. I know it's early but I think relegation is absolutely possible for them. I hope it doesn't happen but...


----------



## The Lemonheads

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> My heart goes out to the Potters. I know it's early but I think relegation is absolutely possible for them. I hope it doesn't happen but...




Bring back Pulis, I say.

Sadly won't happen. I miss him.

Seems ages ago. Only 2 years ago... and now.... ugh.


----------



## robertmac43

Stoke getting relegated would be such a strange development.. Totally in the cards though


----------



## HajdukSplit

Monk named the Sheffield Wednesday manager


----------



## SSF

Glad to see the Cowleys stayed at Lincoln, there was talk of them going to Sheff Wed


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

RoryDelap said:


> Seems ages ago. Only 2 years ago... and now.... ugh.





Maybe because it wasn't two years ago. Not too hard to figure out considering the lineups. It was over four.


----------



## SSF

Nevermind, the Cowley family went to Huddersfield and not Sheffield. 

Appointed a hour ago.


----------



## The Lemonheads

Creed Bratton said:


> Maybe because it wasn't two years ago. Not too hard to figure out considering the lineups. It was over four.




It is hard when you're drunk. I don't even remember posting that lol.

Well you'll have to excuse me. It's been a long 4 years and much alcohol consumed.

Although 5-0 at Wembley against Bolton seems like just yesterday.

Bristol City is a must win for Nathan. If he loses, just go away.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds go back to the top (on GD) after beating Barnsley with Swansea losing at home to Forest. West Brom the lone remaining unbeaten team but they have drawn 4 of their 7 fixtures and are 6th. At the bottom both Huddersfield and Stoke still without a win, Huddersfield hired Lincoln manager Danny Cowley, very successful manager in the lower leagues (two promotions with Lincoln and a 'EFL Cup' or whatever sponsor it is these days )


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bolton get their second point of the season so are now 'only' at -10, but they face further points penalties from the games not played last season


----------



## hatterson

HajdukSplit said:


> Bolton get their second point of the season so are now 'only' at -10, but they face further points penalties from the games not played last season




Seems unlikely they’ll actually clear 0 once the other penalties get tagged on.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

Surprise surprise, Nketiah on the bench yet again. Would have been so much better if he had just stayed with us. Than we wouldn't have been forced to go with Auba for 90 minutes against Frankfurt.


----------



## bluesfan94

Pensionsraddare said:


> Surprise surprise, Nketiah on the bench yet again. Would have been so much better if he had just stayed with us. Than we wouldn't have been forced to go with Auba for 90 minutes against Frankfurt.



It’s September.


----------



## Pensionsraddare

bluesfan94 said:


> It’s September.




Yeah, but eight games and zero starts in the league. That is pretty rough. If he had stayed he would have probably gain more starts at Arsenal.


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> Yeah, but eight games and zero starts in the league. That is pretty rough. If he had stayed he would have probably gain more starts at Arsenal.




Where is he starting in the league for Arsenal?


----------



## Pensionsraddare

robertmac43 said:


> Where is he starting in the league for Arsenal?




He wouldn’t start in the league for Arsenal either so it would be the same situation but at least he would get some European experience. Much better to stay.

You said he will start for Leeds eventually. When will it happen then?


----------



## bluesfan94

Pensionsraddare said:


> He wouldn’t start in the league for Arsenal either so it would be the same situation but at least he would get some European experience. Much better to stay.
> 
> You said he will start for Leeds eventually. When will it happen then?



It’s been 8 games. Relax.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom remain unbeaten, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes to beat Huddersfield who are still looking for their first win.

With both Swansea and Leeds dropping points yesterday the top of the table is extremely tight, the top 8 is separated by only three points. Go down to 13th and its only 5 points.

Still early days but as expected without wins both Stoke and Huddersfield are starting to get cut adrift

In League One Bolton actually are now on a two game unbeaten run, they drew with Sunderland. Ipswich will probably run away with the league, didn't notice until yesterday but Portsmouth are back towards the bottom of the table after a near promotion campaign last season


----------



## robertmac43

Pensionsraddare said:


> He wouldn’t start in the league for Arsenal either so it would be the same situation but at least he would get some European experience. Much better to stay.
> 
> You said he will start for Leeds eventually. When will it happen then?




He would stat sporadically in the group stage for Arsenal's Europe League, maybe a bit more in the early knock out rounds. If the EL looks like the way Arsenal can qualify for the CL than Auba and Laca will get all those minutes. 

It's coming and it's not like he is getting 0 minutes as is. He may not be starting but he gets into most games.


----------



## Pyrophorus

QPR in the playoffs


----------



## robertmac43

Pyrophorus said:


> QPR in the playoffs




4 wins in a row too, don't get your hopes up now!


----------



## GabeTravels

HajdukSplit said:


> West Brom remain unbeaten, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes to beat Huddersfield who are still looking for their first win.
> 
> With both Swansea and Leeds dropping points yesterday the top of the table is extremely tight, the top 8 is separated by only three points. Go down to 13th and its only 5 points.
> 
> Still early days but as expected without wins both Stoke and Huddersfield are starting to get cut adrift
> 
> In League One Bolton actually are now on a two game unbeaten run, they drew with Sunderland. Ipswich will probably run away with the league, didn't notice until yesterday but Portsmouth are back towards the bottom of the table after a near promotion campaign last season




Yeah Pompey's had a rough start...and the manager seems to have lost the dressing room, with changes to the captain and vice captain recently.

Ownership has given him a vote of confidence, but the fans want him gone.


----------



## maclean

Pensionsraddare said:


> Yeah, but eight games and zero starts in the league. That is pretty rough. If he had stayed he would have probably gain more starts at Arsenal.




You could also look at it from the perspective that if he can't crack the lineup for Leeds, how would he for Arsenal? Honestly you never know what's going on at teams but starting out on a team as a sub is pretty standard


----------



## HajdukSplit

Serious story out of Derby County, three players were involved in a bad car crash (Tom Lawrence, Mason Bennett and Richard Keogh) which left their Range Rover crumpled. All three were drunk but Keogh was in the back seat and was left unconscious by his two teammates who left the scene of the crash. Keogh suffered a knee injury which will probably end his career, he is the club captain. Further video shows how shit-faced drunk the players were with Bennett being filmed throwing up in the pub bathroom. Both Lawrence and Bennett have been charged and will go to court next month


----------



## YNWA14

HajdukSplit said:


> Serious story out of Derby County, three players were involved in a bad car crash (Tom Lawrence, Mason Bennett and Richard Keogh) which left their Range Rover crumpled. All three were drunk but Keogh was in the back seat and was left unconscious by his two teammates who left the scene of the crash. Keogh suffered a knee injury which will probably end his career, he is the club captain. Further video shows how ****-faced drunk the players were with Bennett being filmed throwing up in the pub bathroom. Both Lawrence and Bennett have been charged and will go to court next month



Absolute morons.


----------



## robertmac43

Idiots for sure, sounds like they are fortunate to be alive.


----------



## Live in the Now

Stoke getting relegated is going to be very sweet.


----------



## hatterson

Huddersfield looking like they're gonna get consecutive relegations as well.

Considering they had previously been fighting off relegation in the championship before a magical season to get promotion, it's not that surprising.


----------



## The Lemonheads

Live in the Now said:


> Stoke getting relegated is going to be very sweet.




We're doing it on purpose, by the looks of it. Nathan Jones takes job security to a whole new level.

Still not too late but everything is going wrong.

#HelpUsTony


----------



## gary69

Nathan Jones, you've been gone too long (Bananarama)


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom the new leaders of the Championship following their victory over QPR while both Leeds and Swansea dropped points, Leeds losing at Charlton while Swansea conceded a late goal at home to Reading for the draw. Despite all the problems midweek, Derby get their 2nd win of the season beating Birmingham in a back and forth match. Huddersfield and Stoke still without a win, both already six points adrift from safety

In League One, Ipswich appear to be cruising to promotion so far, unbeaten and have only conceded 5 goals in 10 matches. League Two is very tight at the top, the top eight are only separated by four points. Stevanage at the bottom are without a win but not totally cut adrift yet as the teams ahead of them only have one themselves.


----------



## robertmac43

Bolton still not paying its former players and staff despite new ownership:

Exclusive: Ex-Bolton players yet to be paid - more than a...


----------



## BKIslandersFan

HajdukSplit said:


> West Brom the new leaders of the Championship following their victory over QPR while both Leeds and Swansea dropped points, Leeds losing at Charlton while Swansea conceded a late goal at home to Reading for the draw. Despite all the problems midweek, Derby get their 2nd win of the season beating Birmingham in a back and forth match. Huddersfield and Stoke still without a win, both already six points adrift from safety
> 
> In League One, Ipswich appear to be cruising to promotion so far, unbeaten and have only conceded 5 goals in 10 matches. League Two is very tight at the top, the top eight are only separated by four points. Stevanage at the bottom are without a win but not totally cut adrift yet as the teams ahead of them only have one themselves.



Imagine Ipswich going right back up but Sunderland losing in the playoffs. Geez whiz.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Strange round, both Leeds and Swansea lose, Leeds were down to 10 men from practically the start of the match while Swansea lost to Stoke of all teams at home which is their first win of the season. This means West Brom and Forest are joint leaders going into the NT break, Preston in third ahead of both Swansea and Leeds. Top 10 separated by only 4 points.

At the bottom Stoke got their first win but Huddersfield with 7 points from their last 9 are out of the relegation zone which shows a short streak can move you up the table quick in this league. Same can be said about Derby despite their off field problems and slow start to the season, unbeaten in 4 and have moved up to 12th


----------



## Pyrophorus

After 20yrs, we've finally thrown the Blackburn monkey off our backs.
COYRS!!!


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Grady Diangana doing really well at West Brom. Great to see. Showed flashes of his talent last season, but seems to be developing some end product in the Championship.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Reading sack Gomes after 10 months in charge, despite spending fairly big in the summer they are towards the bottom of the table again. The early favorite is Mark Hughes while other candidates are your typical recycled British managers for now (Hughton, Rowett, Pardew, Parkinson). One interesting name I saw is John O'Shea who is part of the Reading coaching staff


----------



## BKIslandersFan

HajdukSplit said:


> Reading sack Gomes after 10 months in charge, despite spending fairly big in the summer they are towards the bottom of the table again. The early favorite is Mark Hughes while other candidates are your typical recycled British managers for now (Hughton, Rowett, Pardew, Parkinson). One interesting name I saw is John O'Shea who is part of the Reading coaching staff



I hate Mark Hughes but for a Championship side, he is probably a safe bet.


----------



## Venkman

FA Cup qualifying game between Haringey and Yeovil was abandoned after racial abuse. The Haringey manager took his team off the pitch supported by Yeovil's players and staff.


----------



## Pyrophorus

Back into the playoff picture, after 2 Eze PKs!!


----------



## Tuggy

COYB!


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom stay on top despite dropping points at home to manager-less Barnsley, they had to come back from two goals down as well. They were helped that the likes of Leeds, QPR and Swansea all failed to win. Swansea are on a three game winless streak and have fallen outside the top 6. If Forest beat Hull tomorrow they will go into 2nd place

In League One, Bolton finally get their first win and the last EFL club to do so, they did it away from home too. They are at -5 points now


----------



## Venkman

Pyrophorus said:


> Back into the playoff picture, after 2 Eze PKs!!




He was great against Hull from the highlights I saw. Do you get to watch QPR much? 

Watched QPR v Reading to get a better look and wasn't disappointed. A nutmeg assist for QPR's first goal. Can see him getting signed by a PL club.


----------



## Pyrophorus

Venkman said:


> He was great against Hull from the highlights I saw. Do you get to watch QPR much?
> 
> Watched QPR v Reading to get a better look and wasn't disappointed. A nutmeg assist for QPR's first goal. Can see him getting signed by a PL club.




I don't get a chance at all, I know there are viewing packages. I usually find stuff from YouTube or Twitter, Insta

I'm obviously hoping that PL club, would be us


----------



## HajdukSplit

Just some updates on the new managers in the Championship and below

- Gary Rowett is the new Millwall manager after Harris resigned earlier this month. For Rowett this is already his 4th Championship job since 2014, has had moderate success but his most recent stint at Stoke was a disaster
- Reading went with a surprise as their director of football (aka GM) will now be the manager, Mark Bowen. He's never managed outside some interim stints but he was part of Mark Hughes' coaching staff in his many different clubs
- Barnsley still looking for a new manager, interestingly they are being linked with two Americans however both longshots (Cherundolo and Olsen)
- Sol Campbell returns to management taking over Southend in League One, they are in desperate position, only 5 points so far


----------



## Bon Esprit

Steven Cherundolo? He used to play here for many years and was co-manager. He moved on to become co-manager at Stuttgart but was released in 2018. Good guy, wish him the best.


----------



## PansCyans

Stoke are a joke


----------



## robertmac43

Yeah time to say good bye to Stoke again. I still find it funny that it was once a badge of honour to be able to beat them "on a rainy day @ Stoke". Everyone is doing that now...


----------



## HajdukSplit

Warnock leaves Cardiff, did well to get them into the Prem but off to a slow start this season


----------



## HajdukSplit

Bolton into the positive points after beating MK Dons, still 12 points from safety but getting better results last few weeks


----------



## HajdukSplit

Barnsley going a bit outside the box with their next manager, close to hiring Austrian Gerhard Struber who is currently manager of Wolfsberger, former Red Bull Salzburg assistant and youth manager. He has done very well at Wolfsberger, got them to 3rd place in the Austria BL and into the Europa League this season


----------



## The Lemonheads

koyvoo said:


> Stoke are a joke




Hah what have they done to piss you off? Locally owned, locally run, even locally sponsored team in the Premier league for 10 years. Respect that. Will be back up in the next 5 years I reckon.

Oldest club in the Football League.

How about a little respect for that as well.



robertmac43 said:


> Yeah time to say good bye to Stoke again. I still find it funny that it was once a badge of honour to be able to beat them "on a rainy day @ Stoke". Everyone is doing that now...




It wasnt funny in the winter when the stadium had 3 open corners to the elements (It's on a hill in the middle of nowhere, windy AF) and deal with a squad who fit Tony Pulis to a T. It wasn't Stoke calling it a fortress. It was the other clubs and their away support.

As far as saying goodbye again? It's still possible.

2 wins on the trot Michael ONeill has them playing as a team again and looking to climb mid table and hold off. Only a 30% chance of getting relegated now by the bookies when it looked 99.9% certain a month ago with useless Nathan Jones at the helm.


----------



## AB13

RoryDelap said:


> Hah what have they done to piss you off? Locally owned, locally run, even locally sponsored team in the Premier league for 10 years. Respect that. Will be back up in the next 5 years I reckon.
> 
> Oldest club in the Football League.
> 
> How about a little respect for that as well.
> 
> 
> 
> It wasnt funny in the winter when the stadium had 3 open corners to the elements (It's on a hill in the middle of nowhere, windy AF) and deal with a squad who fit Tony Pulis to a T. It wasn't Stoke calling it a fortress. It was the other clubs and their away support.
> 
> As far as saying goodbye again? It's still possible.
> 
> 2 wins on the trot Michael ONeill has them playing as a team again and looking to climb mid table and hold off. Only a 30% chance of getting relegated now by the bookies when it looked 99.9% certain a month ago with useless Nathan Jones at the helm.




Stoke play like c*nts, have always played like c*nts, and boo players that have the audacity to get their leg broken by Ryan Shawcross. Stokes fanbase and brand of football are easy to hate, people obviously enjoy Stoke struggling, I know I am loving it. Ever since the Aaron Ramsey situation Stoke have been disliked for good reason.


----------



## Corto

I've been watching WBA mostly this season (because of Bilic), but what strikes me the most in the Championship is how physical it is.
And also, there are some absolute horror tackles almost every game out there.


----------



## The Lemonheads

AB13 said:


> Stoke play like c*nts, have always played like c*nts, and boo players that have the audacity to get their leg broken by Ryan Shawcross. Stokes fanbase and brand of football are easy to hate, people obviously enjoy Stoke struggling, I know I am loving it. Ever since the Aaron Ramsey situation Stoke have been disliked for good reason.




Figured as much. People are still banging on about that. They can't point to anything else. That defines us.

They didn't boo him because he got his leg broken. They didn't take glee in it, I sure didn't.

Shawcross made a mistake and literally cried all the way off the pitch.

He apologized profusely and Ramsey was having none of it. That's why they chose to boo him in the future.

Besides, Stoke was getting branded a rugby team by Arsene long before and after... because they had his number.



Did that Stoke squad play hard? Definitely. Were they  and thugs? According to the press but not in reality.

Not to mention the first years in the Premier League when people said Stoke were basically cheating with the long throw. It started long before Ramsey. 

People have been picking on little old Stoke for ages. Such anger. It's quite funny. Relegation? It happens. It was a blast and they'll be back.


----------



## Tuggy

COYB!!


----------



## HajdukSplit

WBA and Leeds starting to create a gap with the chasing pack, however Forest do have a game in hand which won't be played until late January


----------



## Tuggy

COYB!!


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth has improved their form recently, and are looking more like the team they were expected to be.


----------



## Corto

I watched WBA vs Bristol in midweek, and they were brilliant. 
Top Bilic football. Absolutely brilliant.

And yesterday was the other end of it - some really dire football vs Preston, especially in the second half.

Won on a dodgy penalty in the 90th minute, but I guess you take it and run - gotta win ugly as well as pretty.

Ref was horrible btw. Dodgy penalty aside (not a pen IMO), I don't understand how the Preston guys ended the game without a single yellow card.
The big center forward alone threw his elbow into people's faces three different times.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom hammered Swansea, Leeds won while Fulham lost. West Brom now 10 points above third place Fulham with Leeds having an 8 point lead. The middle of the table is still tight with teams as low as 15th place Millwall within reach of playoff places


----------



## Tuggy

COYB! 10 points clear of a playoff spot.


----------



## The Lemonheads

Baggies have done the opposite of what we've done. Only 1 loss to boot.

That and GF makes me assume they'll "yo-yo" back up. Leeds god only knows. The inevitable collapse?

78 points left but I'm already looking at other teams to drop points so we can faceplant into safety.

Tony Scholes is beyond incompetent and it's a very deep hole he's made, in regards to FFP.


----------



## These Are The Days

West Brom pull a win out of the fire after being down 2-1. Good for them


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds blew a three goal lead at home to Cardiff with the tying goal coming moments after Cardiff went down to 10

Fulham lose again to Brentford who move up to 4th. Wonder if they are serious about keeping Scott Parker around for much longer


----------



## Tuggy




----------



## IceColdOx

Anyone a fan of the the TiFo YouTube channel? Here's a great piece they did on the Crash of ITV Digital.


----------



## Albatros

Sheffield Wednesday's sponsors are essentially fictional:

Three Sheffield Wednesday sponsors linked to owner are not commercially active

Apparently still not considered to be against FFP rules because of low value.


----------



## hatterson

Albatros said:


> Sheffield Wednesday's sponsors are essentially fictional:
> 
> Three Sheffield Wednesday sponsors linked to owner are not commercially active
> 
> Apparently still not considered to be against FFP rules because of low value.




Not due to low value per se, but due to the fact that’s they’re not excessive compared to fair market rate for a company not connected to him.

Either way it sounds like his bigger issues are selling the stadium from the club to the owner 11 months after the fiscal period ended and then including the revenue in the old fiscal period to avoid a massive loss which would incur FPP penalties.


----------



## alexsandro22

Unfortunately some of enflish lower league teams left FA Cup few days ago. I was watching Oxford vs Man City and Oxford played really good. Hope they will show the same game class in their league. Unfortunately I have no oppornity to watch more their games because of TV casts but I often check all their results in the league and also live tennis scores at xscores.com/tennis to know as much as possible. Waiting for Oxf in the Championship soon.


----------



## These Are The Days

I wonder if this is when Leeds start sleepwalking the rest of the season like they did last year?


----------



## HajdukSplit

Much needed result for Fulham beating Leeds, WBA didn’t take full advantage though only getting a draw against Brentford


----------



## robertmac43

I got a strange wanting for Preston to come out of the playoffs this year. I don't why, i just want them to come up...


----------



## IceColdOx

robertmac43 said:


> I got a strange wanting for Preston to come out of the playoffs this year. I don't why, i just want them to come up...




I love seeing new teams in the Prem. I also wouldn't mind seeing Forest return.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds back on top after a crazy game at Birmingham where they lost three leads. West Brom winless in three now. Leeds go to West Brom on New Year's Day in a massive fixture. Its pretty tight everywhere in the table, down to 13th place (Blackburn) is only three points out while in the bottom half the bottom four are only separated by one point


----------



## ChiTownPhilly

WBAs Semi Ajayi with both the goals.

[One of them was OWN]

Leeds & West Brom split the points at The Hawthorns- Leeds stay top on goal-differential.


----------



## hatterson

Love seeing Oxford in a place to challenge for promotion or playoffs into the Championship


----------



## Chimaera

Dang Charlie Adam looks like the years have been rough.


----------



## The Lemonheads

Chimaera said:


> Dang Charlie Adam looks like the years have been rough.




I think that started when he was 5 years old.


----------



## Chimaera

Hahaha you’re not kidding.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Marc Guehi makes his way to Swansea on loan. Great move for all parties, Guehi is a great prospect and should do well there.


----------



## Savant

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> Marc Guehi makes his way to Swansea on loan. Great move for all parties, Guehi is a great prospect and should do well there.



Guehi or Ampadu


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Savant said:


> Guehi or Ampadu




Who do I prefer? It's hard to say no to a 19 year old who already has double digit caps for a decent national team. I really rate Guehi from the little I've seen of him, but this'll be his first experience of senior football and so we'll figure out from there. I've been frustrated by the lack of playing time Ampadu has gotten in Leipzig (I think it was probably over-optimistic of the club to think he'd get good minutes there), but as of right now I think I prefer him. Have to watch them both play more senior football though.


----------



## robertmac43

Lively game between Charlton and WBA. 2-2 tie, dropped points for West Brom.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Swansea gearing up for their promotion push. In addition to Guehi and Brewster, they've now brought in Conor Gallagher as well, who was absolutely class in the first half of the season for Charlton.


----------



## Corto

Seems WBA might be after Mislav Orsic, Dinamo Zagreb winger. Boy's a late bloomer, 27 now, but played himself into the 23-man national team squad, he's been that good (4 goals in the Champions League group stage too).

He'd be among the Championship's best players and they probably want insurance if Diangana is injured or gets recalled by West Ham.


----------



## GabeTravels

League 1 is tiiight, with 6 points separating the Top 7 and only 10 separating the Top 12.


----------



## robertmac43

GabeTravels said:


> League 1 is tiiight, with 6 points separating the Top 7 and only 10 separating the Top 12.



I would love to see Sunderland scrape out a promotion, feels wrong having them so low in the English football world.


----------



## GabeTravels

robertmac43 said:


> I would love to see Sunderland scrape out a promotion, feels wrong having them so low in the English football world.




As a Portsmouth supporter, they wouldn't be my first choice, .

But both Portsmouth and Sunderland are too big for League 1... Championship at least would feel better.


----------



## The Lemonheads

Nothing fancy but I'll take it. 4 points clear of disaster now.

Michael O'Neill's Mighty Potters. What a breathe of fresh air.... f*ck.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth one win away from a second straight trip to Wembley for the EFL Trophy. No team has successfully held the trophy so it'll be interesting to see if they can do it.


----------



## Shrimper

271 days since we last won at home.
Selling anyone worth money.
Youth for the rest of the way
Manager not being spoken to by the Chairman.
No new stadium
No money
Relegated by Christmas

Looking forward to seeing us concede our 100th goal. We're going to break the record for most conceded at home.

Sigh


----------



## Scouter

Leeds' lead is slipping away.

Time for Bristol to make a push, they have what it takes.


----------



## GabeTravels

Massive match at Fratton Park today, Portsmouth v Sunderland.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom back on top after they finally won a league game while Leeds lose at home to Wigan. 

In League One Bolton get to double digits, in fact without the points penalty they would be above the relegation zone


----------



## These Are The Days

Shrimper said:


> 271 days since we last won at home.
> Selling anyone worth money.
> Youth for the rest of the way
> Manager not being spoken to by the Chairman.
> No new stadium
> No money
> Relegated by Christmas
> 
> Looking forward to seeing us concede our 100th goal. We're going to break the record for most conceded at home.
> 
> Sigh




Jesus which team is that?


----------



## These Are The Days

Scouter said:


> Leeds' lead is slipping away.
> 
> Time for Bristol to make a push, they have what it takes.




Death, taxes, Leeds gonna Leeds


----------



## Shrimper

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Jesus which team is that?




Southend. We finally won at home yesterday


----------



## HoseEmDown

Shrimper said:


> Southend. We finally won at home yesterday




Why did they sell Yearwood already and did they get a good price? I can't see how they couldn't have worked out a deal to get him back on loan for the year?


----------



## Shrimper

HoseEmDown said:


> Why did they sell Yearwood already and did they get a good price? I can't see how they couldn't have worked out a deal to get him back on loan for the year?




Think we got £500k. Brentford will develop him better


----------



## HoseEmDown

Shrimper said:


> Think we got £500k. Brentford will develop him better




Seems a bit low for a 19 year old showing some promise, not sure what his contract situation was like so that may play a part. I think they should've pushed to try to get him back on loan for half a season at least. Doesn't look like they even used his money to strengthen the squad. Brentford does a really good job with kids so it will be very beneficial for him.


----------



## SSF

Everyone knows about Southend's difficulty so that would have lowered their leverage. Also, even Luke Matheson only went for 1 million pounds so the Shrimpers could have maybe got a bit more, but not too much. Plus, the kid knows Brentford's reputation so he likely "encouraged" Southend to accept the deal.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom with back to back away wins go 6 points clear as their competitors have been dropping points, mainly Leeds while Fulham dropped points at Millwall. West Brom also have a decent GD advantage as of now. Barnsley and Luton getting cut adrift, almost certain to go down at this point

League One has the most exciting of the promotion races but because of Bury’s expulsion some teams have as many as 2-3 games in hand. Regardless, 1-9 are less than 10 points apart, based on games in hand Rotherham and Coventry look to be in best position


----------



## Savant




----------



## HajdukSplit

Interesting day in the Championship, Forest scores in injury time to get a point against WBA, Leeds finally win and close the gap but Fulham weren’t able to do so losing 3:0 at home to bottom of the table Barnsley

In fact all the teams in the bottom three picked up points away from home today with Luton beating Boro and Wigan getting a draw at Cardiff. However Barnsley still very much cut adrift from the rest of the pack


----------



## AlanHUK

Keith Stroud should never be allowed to referee a football match again


----------



## GabeTravels

HajdukSplit said:


> West Brom with back to back away wins go 6 points clear as their competitors have been dropping points, mainly Leeds while Fulham dropped points at Millwall. West Brom also have a decent GD advantage as of now. Barnsley and Luton getting cut adrift, almost certain to go down at this point
> 
> League One has the most exciting of the promotion races but because of Bury’s expulsion some teams have as many as 2-3 games in hand. Regardless, 1-9 are less than 10 points apart, based on games in hand Rotherham and Coventry look to be in best position




League 1 is indeed insane. Going to be a crazy finish.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth beats Exeter in the EFL Trophy Semifinals, earning a trip to Wembley for the 2nd straight year.

INSANE game, with all 5 goals coming in the last 11 minutes (plus stoppage time).


----------



## HajdukSplit

Both Fulham and Brentford have already dropped points this round, chance for Leeds and WBA to gain on them though West Brom have a tricky game at Bristol who are in the thick of the playoff chase


----------



## HajdukSplit

Both West Brom and Leeds won, West Brom now have a 9 point lead on third place Fulham while for Leeds it’s 5 points. Still a long way to go, West Brom lost a double digit lead in the table quickly few months ago


----------



## Tuggy

COYB!


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Leeds GK gets 8-game ban for racist abuse


----------



## robertmac43

West Brom with a slip and Fulham with a big 3 points at the Cottage.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Leeds with a 2 game lead for promotion and won 4 straight. Losing their keeper for most of the regular season can't help though. Leeds/Fulham in a few weeks will be massive.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth moves up to 3rd in League 1.

Only loss this year at home was in the Carabao Cup to Premier League Southampton.


----------



## SSF

Leeds losing Casilla may not necessarily be a bad thing.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds go back to the top of the table after beating Huddersfield while WBA played a scoreless draw at Swansea. Overall however not the worst result for WBA as Fulham and Forest both dropped points (Forest losing big at home to Millwall) with only Brentford getting a win, despite their good GD are still 10 points behind West Brom. Fulham-Brentford face each other next week and while there is still plenty of matches to go you feel the loser of that game will see their automatic promotion chances greatly diminish. At the bottom half, massive win for Boro at Charlton who are now in the bottom three. Luton have been playing better, 10 points from their last 15 but shows how poorly they started the season when they are still six points from safety despite this uptick in form

Coventry starting to run away with things in League 1 while in League 2 there is essentially a 5-team race for the top three promotion spots (Crewe, Swindon, Plymouth, Exeter, Cheltenham)


----------



## These Are The Days

Oxford United have managed to win 5 in a row too to get to 3rd place too. Good for them. Disappointed Sunderland dropped a heartbreaker giving up the tying goal in the 96th minute though. They could've been as high as 3rd in their own right. Crazy to think a team that big has dropped to the 3rd division.


Edit: And perhaps the most amazing thing of all.... Leeds might..... MIGHT not f*** this up. I would love to see them promoted solely just to see them clash with Man U. Not that it's gonna be any contest but I cannot help but wonder if there's any ferocity left in a once great rivalry


----------



## Stray Wasp

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> And perhaps the most amazing thing of all.... Leeds might..... MIGHT not f*** this up. I would love to see them promoted solely just to see them clash with Man U. Not that it's gonna be any contest but I cannot help but wonder if there's any ferocity left in a once great rivalry




I think you're being hard on Manchester United - mediocre as they are these days, let's not simply assume Leeds would beat them.


----------



## These Are The Days

Stray Wasp said:


> I think you're being hard on Manchester United - mediocre as they are these days, let's not simply assume Leeds would beat them.




That's exactly how I meant it. I think I probably just did a bad job saying it. Leeds have an absolute hell of a time just winning the average Championship match on many weeks. Winning vs United will be no easy task for them next year even if they secure promotion.

They need years to build a club that could consistently match up vs Man U in their current capacity nevermind times when Man U are the best club in the world


----------



## robertmac43

RIP


----------



## IceColdOx

Looks like all leagues short of the National League are shut down with records to be expunged.

Coronavirus: All football below National League to end


----------



## robertmac43

Anyone watching Sunderland Till I Die season 2? Just watching episode 4 and it's been good, I like it more than season 1 thus far.


----------



## robertmac43




----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> Anyone watching Sunderland Till I Die season 2? Just watching episode 4 and it's been good, I like it more than season 1 thus far.



Just watched episode 1...it was good. I liked season 1.


----------



## GabeTravels

robertmac43 said:


> Anyone watching Sunderland Till I Die season 2? Just watching episode 4 and it's been good, I like it more than season 1 thus far.




As a Pompey fan I love that episode.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## robertmac43

PanniniClaus said:


> Just watched episode 1...it was good. I liked season 1.




Season 3 of Sunderland till I die is going to be awesome too, especially with the season ending with the virus!


----------



## sabremike

robertmac43 said:


>




Presuming that this is possible now because of Brexit (EU law would've seen a salary cap struck down)?


----------



## GabeTravels

spintheblackcircle said:


>





Unweighted is interesting... Thought they would've gone to weighted PPG.


----------



## Cassano

Sounds like a step down TBH.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

Cassano said:


> Sounds like a step down TBH.




Yes, because a chance at the EPL is better than a chance at European footy.


----------



## Cassano

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> Yes, because a chance at the EPL is better than a chance at European footy.



Agreed


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

Cassano said:


> Agreed



Well youre wrong


----------



## Cassano

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> Well youre wrong



neither Hellas Verona or Fiorentina are in European spots anyways. Any Serie A team is a downgrade from his Leeds project besides top 4 teams.


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

Cassano said:


> neither Hellas Verona or Fiorentina are in European spots anyways. Any Serie A team is a downgrade from his Leeds project besides top 4 teams.



Verona is 4 points back with an extra game to play from european footy.

Fio have made Europe on numerous occasions this decade. How in the world is a championship team even close to them?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Presuming that this is possible now because of Brexit (EU law would've seen a salary cap struck down)?



League of Ireland has wage cap, so I presume being in EU wasn't an obstacle to begin with.


----------



## Cassano

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> Verona is 4 points back with an extra game to play from european footy.
> 
> Fio have made Europe on numerous occasions this decade. How in the world is a championship team even close to them?



leeds will be similar to wolves when they come up.


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

Cassano said:


> leeds will be similar to wolves when they come up.



How many 6th place teams will there be in the EPL.


----------



## SJSharks72

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> How many 6th place teams will there be in the EPL.



Pretty much every team that is currently ranked 3-10 has an equal chance of being 6th. Except Arsenal. They’re lucky to be 9th.


----------



## Cassano

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> How many 6th place teams will there be in the EPL.



6th is the new 4th


----------



## spintheblackcircle

hoos-we-vehemently-oppose-scheduled-return-date


----------



## GabeTravels

Official:

League One & League Two clubs vote to end seasons early - League One & League Two clubs vote to end seasons early


*Promoted: *Coventry City (champions), Rotherham United
*Play-offs: *Wycombe Wanderers v Fleetwood Town, Portsmouth v Oxford United (dates tbc)
*Relegated: *Tranmere Rovers, Southend United, Bolton Wanderers

*Promoted: *Swindon Town (champions), Crewe Alexandra, Plymouth Argyle
*Play-offs: *Cheltenham Town v Northampton Town, Exeter City v Colchester United
*Relegated: *Stevenage
The situation at the bottom has been complicated by the Macclesfield charge, however, which relates to late payment of wages in March and for "failing to act with utmost good faith in respect of matters with the EFL and for breaching an order, requirement, direction or instruction of the league".
In a statement, the EFL said "due to ongoing disciplinary matters, the final placings cannot yet be confirmed".

I have mixed feelings as a Portsmouth fan. Our form before the stoppage was great, and I think had the season been played in full we could've gotten up to 2nd.

That being said, we caught a break because had they used weighted PPG we would've been out of the playoffs.

So I'll take it. Though we've never won a playoff game...


----------



## les Habs

Cassano said:


> Sounds like a step down TBH.





Yeah, moving from Leeds to Florence and the Championship to Serie A. Step down written all over it.


----------



## robertmac43

GabeTravels said:


> So I'll take it. Though we've never won a playoff game...




Maybe this will be the start of the comeback. No fans in the stands may take pressure of the Portsmouth boys!


----------



## gary69

So Sunderland is now "permanently" a lower league team.


----------



## robertmac43

gary69 said:


> So Sunderland is now "permanently" a lower league team.




Next season of Sunderland until I die is going to be amazing!!


----------



## GabeTravels

robertmac43 said:


> Maybe this will be the start of the comeback. No fans in the stands may take pressure of the Portsmouth boys!




One can hope. I'd love to see Pompey back up in the Championship...


----------



## Stray Wasp

gary69 said:


> So Sunderland is now "permanently" a lower league team.




The above is now my new favourite post ever in the history of this site.

Their chief executive assures that their budget next season will be 'very competitive'. What a relief.

And on the same day as Stevenage is relegated from the Football League.

It's like a low-rent repeat of the last day of 1996-97, when sunderland and Middlesbrough were relegated while NUFC beat Nottingham Forest 5-0 to reach the Champions League qualifying round (without the Newcastle United being good part, obviously). Arguably more schadenfreude than is healthy for one man.


----------



## sabremike

Stray Wasp said:


> The above is now my new favourite post ever in the history of this site.
> 
> Their chief executive assures that their budget next season will be 'very competitive'. What a relief.
> 
> And on the same day as Stevenage is relegated from the Football League.
> 
> It's like a low-rent repeat of the last day of 1996-97, when sunderland and Middlesbrough were relegated while NUFC beat Nottingham Forest 5-0 to reach the Champions League qualifying round (without the Newcastle United being good part, obviously). Arguably more schadenfreude than is healthy for one man.



You know 5 years from now Sunderland will be bought by the Chinese government, acquire half of the top 20 players in the world (skirting FFP with well placed sacks of money placed on the doorsteps of the relevant authorities) and win the Premier League as a dystopian version of Leicester City right (Or get relegated to non league. Yeah, that could happen too)?


----------



## robertmac43

Stray Wasp said:


> And on the same day as Stevenage is relegated from the Football League.




I have always really liked their logo, I guess that has made me sad to see them go down.


----------



## SSF

Stevenage relegation may be delayed given Macclesfield' 17th EFL disciplinary hearing of the 19-20 season so who knows.


----------



## Cassano

les Habs said:


> Yeah, moving from Leeds to Florence and the Championship to Serie A. Step down written all over it.



No doubt, Championship Leeds to Serie A Fiorentina is an upgrade, but *PL Leeds* to Serie A Fiorentina is a downgrade. In 2020 at least.


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Did anyone actually think Bielsa would stick with Leeds that long anyway? The guy is a wanderer and no one gives a shit about Leeds.

I'll take any backwoods Italian town over living in Leeds too.


----------



## Cassano

Jersey Fresh said:


> Did anyone actually think Bielsa would stick with Leeds that long anyway? The guy is a wanderer and no one gives a shit about Leeds.
> 
> I'll take any backwoods Italian town over living in Leeds too.



Absolutely. I doubt he will leave after they've been promoted to the PL. He stuck out for 2 years in Championship and the team has his fingerprints all over it.


----------



## Stray Wasp

sabremike said:


> You know 5 years from now Sunderland will be bought by the Chinese government, acquire half of the top 20 players in the world (skirting FFP with well placed sacks of money placed on the doorsteps of the relevant authorities) and win the Premier League as a dystopian version of Leicester City right (Or get relegated to non league. Yeah, that could happen too)?




You assume that by 2025 humanity won't have finally destroyed itself.


----------



## robertmac43

Stray Wasp said:


> You assume that by 2025 humanity won't have finally destroyed itself.



We have a pretty good start on it at the moment!


----------



## sabremike

Stray Wasp said:


> You assume that by 2025 humanity won't have finally destroyed itself.



"Alas on the eve of Sunderland's improbable Premier League title the world ends".


----------



## Evilo

Bielsa has the full authority to do what he wants at Leeds. And to be honest, few teams play better football right now, at any level.
The EPL will be MUCH more interesting with his team putting on a show every weekend.


----------



## robertmac43

Evilo said:


> The EPL will be MUCH more interesting with his team putting on a show every weekend.



Don't forget the show the fans will put on as well!


----------



## robertmac43

Colchester go 1-0 up on some League 2 level goalkeeping.


----------



## SSF

So Macclesfield only get a 2 point deduction and a 20k fine so Stevenage are officially non-league. 

Suspicious that it was only 2 points as that keeps Macc in the league.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Not many wins for the top six today, Leeds play tomorrow and could go top with any result against Cardiff. In the early game 3rd place Fulham lost to fellow promotion candidates Brentford at home, WBA, Forest and Preston all drew. Would say pretty much anybody from 13th place up is in the playoff hunt

At the bottom half big win for Barnsley who are now 4 points from safety, Luton rescue a point while both Boro and Hull lost


----------



## SSF

Hull is really plummeting down the table, they are as good as gone.

Edit:looked it up, 2 points in 10 games.


----------



## robertmac43

Nice tribute from the Canadian:


----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> Nice tribute from the Canadian:




Love it. Junny pushing Cardiff towards the playoffs.


----------



## robertmac43

EFL Playoffs never disappoint! Another great game going on at the moment between Exeter and Colchester!


----------



## robertmac43

Northampton tying things up at 2 a piece. Another great semi-final game!


----------



## SSF

Exeter and Northampton in the League 2 playoff final.


----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> EFL Playoffs never disappoint! Another great game going on at the moment between Exeter and Colchester!



Turned it on to pretty much catch the winner in extra time. Great goal.


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

Evilo said:


> Bielsa has the full authority to do what he wants at Leeds. And to be honest, few teams play better football right now, at any level.
> The EPL will be MUCH more interesting with his team putting on a show every weekend.



He tends to warm out his welcome quick.


----------



## Evilo

Only when he feels he isn't listenned to.

Bielsa is the most creative coach. His values are top notch but he doesn't suffer any contradiction towards these values. If he feels the club (and pro football is filled with lack of ethics) doesn't respect his values and ethics, he leaves.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Woodgate out at Boro. Neil Warnock once again to a team's rescue.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

PanniniClaus said:


> Woodgate out at Boro. Neil Warnock once again to a team's rescue.



I worry he might be too old to be working in this pandemic.


----------



## GabeTravels

Portsmouth extended all their players with expiring contacts through the playoff.

Was concerned in particular about Burgess, as he's moving to a Belgian club and wasn't sure he'd be able to play.

Full strength for the playoff... Let's see if Pompey can win a game for the first time in their history.


----------



## Stray Wasp

BKIslandersFan said:


> I worry he might be too old to be working in this pandemic.




Based on his other political statements, I wouldn't bet against him denying the virus even exists.


----------



## SSF

Brentford beat the Baggies to inch closer to the automatic promotion spots, I think it may be too little too late though.


----------



## robertmac43

SSF said:


> Brentford beat the Baggies to inch closer to the automatic promotion spots, I think it may be too little too late though.



I'm hoping West Brom loses out on their automatic spot. I have nothing against them I just want the teams coming up that have either been gone from the top flight for a while, or in the case of Brentford, would be making their debut in the Premier League.


----------



## SSF

Leeds, Brentford and Preston would be great imo


----------



## Halladay

Leeds beat Fulham, a step closer to promotion with 7 games to go.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Halladay said:


> Leeds beat Fulham, a step closer to promotion with 7 games to go.




Classic Mitrovic - failed to take his chances to score, seized his chance to elbow an opponent and land a potential three-game suspension.


----------



## Cassano

SSF said:


> Brentford beat the Baggies to inch closer to the automatic promotion spots, I think it may be too little too late though.



Need them to stay down because I want Benhrama at Arsenal next season. @Power Man


----------



## robertmac43

Northampton are on their way up with a 4-0 win today.


----------



## Savant

Brewster with another one.


----------



## SSF

Brentford and Fulham have both won today, Leeds is currently scoreless

Leeds draw with the worst team in the league. 
4 point lead on West Brom but have played one more game. 6 point lead on Brentford with no games difference


----------



## SSF

Wigan go into administration, and will have a battle to stay in the Championship. Basically have to be 13 points ahead of the bottom 3, currently they are only 9 I think.


----------



## GabeTravels

SSF said:


> Wigan go into administration, and will have a battle to stay in the Championship. Basically have to be 13 points ahead of the bottom 3, currently they are only 9 I think.




As a Portsmouth supporter, I feel for them. It's not fun worrying about whether your club will still exist. Hope they come though it okay.

I'm incredibly grateful Pompey were bought by the Eisners, and that they're running the club conservatively and responsibly.

League 1 playoffs start on Friday! Really looking forward to watching my team again.


----------



## Savant

Uh oh


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Maybe Sheffield Wednesday should change tgeir name to Sheffield Thursday.


----------



## Stray Wasp

BKIslandersFan said:


> Maybe Sheffield Wednesday should change tgeir name to Sheffield Thursday.




Apparently some of their players haven't been paid in full this month, and the EFL has laid a misconduct charge against them regarding the sale of their stadium to their owner - allegedly this raises issues under 'sustainability and fairness' rules. The worst case scenario if the charge sticks is a points deduction.

In that event, a more appropriate name might be Sheffield Doomsday.


----------



## SSF

Hull beats Boro and now Stoke are in 22nd.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

SSF said:


> Hull beats Boro and now Stoke are in 22nd.



Would be hilarious if Luton survives but Stoke goes down.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

SSF said:


> Wigan go into administration, and will have a battle to stay in the Championship. Basically have to be 13 points ahead of the bottom 3, currently they are only 9 I think.


----------



## SSF

Yea, the timing never made sense. 2 weeks after buying Wigan and then you turn the taps off, money-wise? Nevermind, that they were almost assured of not being relegated given they have a 7 point cushion currently.


----------



## GabeTravels

1-1 after the first leg between Pompey and Oxford.


----------



## SSF

Fleetwood got smoked by Wycombe 4-1 and finished with 9 men.


----------



## PanniniClaus

SSF said:


> Fleetwood got smoked by Wycombe 4-1 and finished with 9 men.



Just watched the highlights. Woeful goalkeeping from Cairns...He saved a penalty but he had an opportunity on all 4 goals...the 4th he dropped ...the other three ...you would expect him to stop at least 2. Fleetwood will need some amazing things to happen to get back in the tie.


----------



## GabeTravels

PanniniClaus said:


> Just watched the highlights. Woeful goalkeeping from Cairns...He saved a penalty but he had an opportunity on all 4 goals...the 4th he dropped ...the other three ...you would expect him to stop at least 2. Fleetwood will need some amazing things to happen to get back in the tie.




The keeping on that cross was horrific. 

If Portsmouth can get through Oxford, I feel pretty good about the final. Fleetwood's a good side, so maybe Pompey caught a break here.


----------



## HajdukSplit

With Forest dropping points today it probably ends their realistic shot at automatic promotion, Fulham scored a 95th min winner to keep hopes alive while Brentford keep the pressure on the top 2 and have a far superior GD should it come to that

edit: Forest and Fulham play midweek, probably a must win for either side to keep auto promotion chances in reach


----------



## SSF

HajdukSplit said:


> With Forest dropping points today it probably ends their realistic shot at automatic promotion, Fulham scored a 95th min winner to keep hopes alive while Brentford keep the pressure on the top 2 and have a far superior GD should it come to that
> 
> edit: Forest and Fulham play midweek, probably a must win for either side to keep auto promotion chances in reach




Definitely rooting for a draw in that Forest and Fulham match. Baggies play Hull tomorrow so that should be three points


----------



## robertmac43

Long thread but well worth reading through:


----------



## Blender

robertmac43 said:


> Long thread but well worth reading through:




That's insane if true. Either way, I hope someone steps in to save the club.


----------



## GabeTravels

Pompey and Oxford in Extra Time, 2-2 on aggregate.

So stressed.


----------



## robertmac43

GabeTravels said:


> Pompey and Oxford in Extra Time, 2-2 on aggregate.
> 
> So stressed.



You hanging in there?


----------



## SSF

Sorry Gabe


----------



## robertmac43

Jeeze that is heart wrenching for Potsmouth...


----------



## PansCyans

Oxford goes through on penalties


----------



## PanniniClaus

Boy that was tight...Wycombe and Oxford as long as the self destruct button does not get pushed here.


----------



## SSF

It is weird to see Glenn Whelan still playing.


----------



## GabeTravels

SSF said:


> Sorry Gabe




It's all good... Just stinks.


----------



## These Are The Days

HajdukSplit said:


> With Forest dropping points today it probably ends their realistic shot at automatic promotion, Fulham scored a 95th min winner to keep hopes alive while Brentford keep the pressure on the top 2 and have a far superior GD should it come to that
> 
> edit: Forest and Fulham play midweek, probably a must win for either side to keep auto promotion chances in reach




I swear to God Forest have lost a lead or lost a game in stoppage time no less than 4 times this year. If it weren't for last minute antics they'd be in a firm 3rd place and challenging West Brom for 2nd


----------



## These Are The Days

Took a look at Derby's remaining schedule and YIKES! They've got West Brom, Leeds, Cardiff AND Brentford. The top 3 teams, another fighting to get into the playoff and Birmingham for good measure. Absolutely brutal man...

*grabs popcorn to see if Leeds does the most Leeds thing ever and blows 1st place with a handful of games left*


----------



## These Are The Days

Middlesbrough might've just saved their season with their win over Millwall today.


----------



## Savant

Rhian Brewster scoring for fun


----------



## Tuggy

West Brom on their way to another 3 points against Derby. Big win to keep Brentford and Fulham away.

Hopefully Leeds will drop points tomorrow.

People will learn the name Matheus Pereira. Hopefully they can keep him long term...

COYB!


----------



## Evilo

Tuggy said:


> Hopefully Leeds will drop points tomorrow.



If you're a football fan, you can't wish that.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brentford go to Derby this weekend but after that their fixtures are very manageable, but if they lose there then I think its over, West Brom don't have too difficult of a fixture list either with exception of away to Fulham


----------



## robertmac43

What teams do people want to go down from the Championship?


----------



## gary69

Brentford, Preston and Barnsley, but obviously only the last one could be relegated.


----------



## Stray Wasp

gary69 said:


> Brentford, Preston and Barnsley, but obviously only the last one could be relegated.




You've piqued my curiosity - why those three?


----------



## Evilo

Leeds


----------



## gary69

Stray Wasp said:


> You've piqued my curiosity - why those three?




Just no personal history with any of them when I was growing up, I'd just like to see the clubs which were on the top divisions back then do well again. For example I'd like e.g. Coventry and Ipswich make it back into higher divisions. Like the first one will be next season.


----------



## Stray Wasp

It'd be good to see Ipswich back in the second tier - and after all Coventry has been through, I'm also glad to see them recover (particularly when it treats us all to the possibility of sunderland tripping over themselves in a division they have the resources to walk again). 

Funnily enough, for me the question 'who do I want relegated from the Championship' is especially difficult right now.

Normally, 'Stoke City' would be an obvious answer, but I have a soft spot for Michael O'Neill from his playing days with NUFC, and I admired the job he did with Northern Ireland.

I wish many things more negative than mere sporting demotion upon Lee Bowyer, but I have a soft spot for Charlton.

Neil Warnock deserves relegation, however to bear Middlesbrough ill will would be too much effort.

Luton is a club I'm not overly fond of; then again, they achieved promotion playing good football, so I'm told. They earn additional brownie points for their part in Helping sunderland Stay Ridiculous (2018-19 edition).

Barnsley and Hull's fate I'm indifferent to. At least the former can also lay claim to a HsSR merit award for 2018-19.

Birmingham City are four points clear of relegation with four games remaining. While their fans have suffered horribly from awful ownership, that's a club I'd shed no tears for, were they to suffer the drop again.


----------



## SSF

Really wanting a draw this game and Luton just wont give up.


----------



## Cassano




----------



## Evilo

No football fan can deny they're with Atalanta the most exciting team in Europe.


----------



## These Are The Days

Cassano said:


>





What a fantastic breakout. But I must say I got flashbacks of this for about that first minute or so


----------



## These Are The Days

And as pertains to Leeds, they better go through with that massive renovation to Elland Road they were talking about (in return to the EPL) if they actually expect to compete like that consistently at the highest level and keep the budget for it. They look as ready for the EPL as it gets but you can say that about any team that gets promoted.

Bielsa has gotten that team to play over its head for a while now


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Tuggy said:


> West Brom on their way to another 3 points against Derby. Big win to keep Brentford and Fulham away.
> 
> Hopefully Leeds will drop points tomorrow.
> 
> People will learn the name Matheus Pereira. Hopefully they can keep him long term...
> 
> COYB!



Know Diangana has been injured a bit, but how would you rate his play this season? He's looked like he's taken a step up from what I've seen.


----------



## SSF

Brentford win again, within 3 points of the top having played one game more than Leeds and the Baggies. They are really trying to play Premier League football in their new stadium.


----------



## Savant

Swansea X Leeds is a very interesting game tomorrow


----------



## Evilo

It's crazy to think Leeds plays this way with a somewhat limited lineup, on a second tier league, while most teams in top leagues, with much more spending power and much more technical level can't do half of it.
Coaching IS underrated. Because few coaches can change the way teams play. Bielsa, Klopp, Guardiola, Simeone, Blanc, off the top of my head.
When you see their teams play you know who their coach is.


----------



## PanniniClaus

I expected to find Fulham and Cardiff on DAZN yesterday and certainly a game per day over the weekend. Nothing...did they drop the Championship from their offerings?


----------



## ghostnights

Brewster and Ayew offer a lot in attack for Swans . Will be a good match . Hoping we can secure the 6spot for the playoff.


----------



## These Are The Days

Evilo said:


> It's crazy to think Leeds plays this way with a somewhat limited lineup, on a second tier league, while most teams in top leagues, with much more spending power and much more technical level can't do half of it.
> Coaching IS underrated. Because few coaches can change the way teams play. Bielsa, Klopp, Guardiola, Simeone, Blanc, off the top of my head.
> When you see their teams play you know who their coach is.




Somewhat limited? Man that's generous lol. Anyone who can make a team with the likes of Patrick Bamford and Gianni Alioski supplying its offense look like Liverpool in that 2 minute video is nothing short of a magician. They're not a BAD team but they are a pretty damn good example of what great coaching will do for anyone. If Leeds get promoted they need to load up in a hurry. If you made no changes at all to that roster, pulling off a 1-0 win is gonna have to be their recipe to EPL success almost indefinitely. And it's hard to say just how many times they'd be able to do it.

That match against Swansea is gonna tell us a whole lot about how ready Leeds is to play in the EPL again


----------



## Cassano

I have no issue saying I’d prefer Biesla over all PL managers except Pep, Klopp and maybe Hasenhüttl.


----------



## SJSharks72

And OGS


----------



## Evilo

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Somewhat limited? Man that's generous lol. Anyone who can make a team with the likes of Patrick Bamford and Gianni Alioski supplying its offense look like Liverpool in that 2 minute video is nothing short of a magician. They're not a BAD team but they are a pretty damn good example of what great coaching will do for anyone. If Leeds get promoted they need to load up in a hurry. If you made no changes at all to that roster, pulling off a 1-0 win is gonna have to be their recipe to EPL success almost indefinitely. And it's hard to say just how many times they'd be able to do it.
> 
> That match against Swansea is gonna tell us a whole lot about how ready Leeds is to play in the EPL again



Somewhat because Bielsa is making those guys progress. Just like great coaches do.


----------



## These Are The Days

Evilo said:


> Somewhat because Bielsa is making those guys progress. Just like great coaches do.




Fair enough. When you consider they've got only one non-loan player (Bamford) who manages to average a goal in less than every 300 minutes at that level of competition, I love the way you said it even more now lol.


----------



## hatterson

Holy crap, I hadn't followed the lower league for the last half of the season. I can't believe Oxford are in a final to get promoted to the Championship.


----------



## These Are The Days

hatterson said:


> Holy crap, I hadn't followed the lower league for the last half of the season. I can't believe Oxford are in a final to get promoted to the Championship.




You think that's nuts? Look at the run Brentford has been on lately. Leeds and West Brom better win out because I'm fairly certain Brentford is going to at this rate and end their season winning 10 in a row.


----------



## These Are The Days

Leeds score in the absolute dying seconds of the game to take the score 1-0 over Swansea almost no sooner than I mention that Brentford is liable to run the table. Yup.... Bielsa is a God for getting that club to play with that kind of composure





Look out Man United... That psychotic ex girlfriend you haven't thought about in 15 years is ready to come back and has been plotting revenge this whole time


----------



## Evilo

Best thing in the video is Bielsa's reaction : none.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds as good as up, need 4 points from their final three (Barnsley H, Derby A, Charlton H)

Getting tight for that second sport with Brentford getting within three points of WBA and have the ‘easier’ fixtures on paper. WBA control their own destiny needing 7 points
WBA: Fulham H, Huddersfield A, QPR H
Brentford: Preston H, Stoke A, Barnsley H

Fulham and Forest seem destined to play each other in the playoffs while 6th place is separated by 4 points between 7 teams

The bottom half is tight too, bottom 7 separated by 6 points but looking at the fixtures Barnsley have a brutal finish playing nothing but the top 5 sides to finish the season


----------



## These Are The Days

HajdukSplit said:


> Leeds as good as up, need 4 points from their final three (Barnsley H, Derby A, Charlton H)
> 
> Getting tight for that second sport with Brentford getting within three points of WBA and have the ‘easier’ fixtures on paper. WBA control their own destiny needing 7 points
> WBA: Fulham H, Huddersfield A, QPR H
> Brentford: Preston H, Stoke A, Barnsley H
> 
> Fulham and Forest seem destined to play each other in the playoffs while 6th place is separated by 4 points between 7 teams
> 
> The bottom half is tight too, bottom 7 separated by 6 points but looking at the fixtures Barnsley have a brutal finish playing nothing but the top 5 sides to finish the season




Forest are so hard to figure out. I've lost count of how many times they've been outdone late in games the way Swansea was today and conceded a draw accordingly. Like 93rd-minute stuff. That gray area between bad luck and bad composure might as well be the size of the field they play on. At this point, they are my darkhorse for promotion because it's happened enough times to where they'd probably be in a tie for 3rd place if history played out differently. It feels like if you get them in the playoffs and anything can happen.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Really good game...an open field bodycheck from Eastwood gave Wycombe a late penalty...Oxford roared back with quality chances looking for the equalizer. Wycombe are in the championship...wow.


----------



## Stray Wasp

Gareth Ainsworth, Wycombe's manager, is apparently the Football League's longest-tenured manager.

I don't think I'd laid eyes on him since he scored the goal that pushed Ruud Gullit to the brink as Newcastle United manager. A surprise to see that he now looks like someone who was briefly lead singer of a heavy metal band after their famous frontman walked out.

I recall Martin O'Neill leading Wycombe into the League for the first time in 93. Their debut season finished with promotion to the third tier. Ironic that in Ainsworth's first part-season with the club he suffered relegation, while in his first full campaign only goal difference prevented Wycombe dropping back into the Conference (by a margin of three goals at that).

Until this February, the club had been owned by the Supporters Trust, but they sold a 75% stake to a chap from Americaland who has twice run for Congress and twice run for Mayor of New Orleans; always without success, always on the Republican ticket. Who says romance in football is dead?


----------



## GabeTravels

I'm happy for Wycombe, even though I'm sad Pompey isn't going up.

Fun fact... Portsmouth has never won a playoff game. But every team that has beaten them has failed to win promotion.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

I always thought Wycombe was oronounced WHY-comb, not WEE-com.


----------



## GabeTravels

BKIslandersFan said:


> I always thought Wycombe was oronounced WHY-comb, not WEE-com.




Heh I always pronounced it WICK-um.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Stray Wasp said:


> Gareth Ainsworth, Wycombe's manager, is apparently the Football League's longest-tenured manager.




I only know of him because he was briefly in that QPR documentary “Four Year Plan” and the owner of the club kind of forced him to make a sub mid-match from the stands which of course in England is somewhat taboo, but the guy who was subbed in scored the winner


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Stray Wasp said:


> Until this February, the club had been owned by the Supporters Trust, but they sold a 75% stake to a chap from Americaland who has twice run for Congress and twice run for Mayor of New Orleans; always without success, always on the Republican ticket. Who says romance in football is dead?



Wonder what the end game is for American owners of lower league clubs. I can't imagine its sentimental.

Eisner bought Portsmouth but thats a club with a pretty big fan base.


----------



## GabeTravels

BKIslandersFan said:


> Wonder what the end game is for American owners of lower league clubs. I can't imagine its sentimental.
> 
> Eisner bought Portsmouth but thats a club with a pretty big fan base.




Yeah he's always said his goal is to get Pompey back to the Premier League, in a sustainable manner. That's frustrated a lot of fans who want him to throw money at the team, but they've managed things well in my opinion.


----------



## SSF

This West Brom-Fulham game has really sucked. 0-0 and Baggies are now 4 points ahead of Brentford having played one game more


----------



## HajdukSplit

WBA-Fulham play a scoreless draw, neither team deserved the win, first half was a snoozefest, both teams had *some* chances in the 2nd half, Fulham hit the post. Fulham practically lost all chances at top 2, WBA still control their own destiny, two wins and they will be promoted, however they will know more tomorrow after Brentford play, based on Brentford's form, WBA will probably need to win both games

Meanwhile Wigan scored 7 in one half against Hull  They could still face a 12-point deduction but even with that they could be safe with the way they have been playing last few weeks


----------



## SSF

Holy crap, last I had checked on that wigan game it was 1-0. 

No one was sent off for Hull either, as of now, Wigan could lose 12 points this season and not be relegated.


----------



## Stray Wasp

I have no fondness for Wigan , but when a team scores seven before half time you always hope they'll reach double figures.

I can remember Manchester City 10, Huddersfield 1, either 87-88 or the season after (if memory serves three players scored hat-tricks). Can't think of a more recent example without searching.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

GabeTravels said:


> Yeah he's always said his goal is to get Pompey back to the Premier League, in a sustainable manner. That's frustrated a lot of fans who want him to throw money at the team, but they've managed things well in my opinion.



It wasn't too long ago that they were in administration. They really should be cautious.


----------



## sabremike

Stray Wasp said:


> I have no fondness for Wigan , but when a team scores seven before half time you always hope they'll reach double figures.
> 
> I can remember Manchester City 10, Huddersfield 1, either 87-88 or the season after (if memory serves three players scored hat-tricks). Can't think of a more recent example without searching.



Has never happened in a PL match, closest was the 9-0 defenestration of Ipswich at Old Trafford in 1995.


----------



## SSF

Brentford is 1 point back of West Brom with 2 games left!!!


----------



## PanniniClaus

Some really good teams in the Championship. Preston are not making the playoffs now.


----------



## robertmac43

Please give me Millwall in the playoffs!


----------



## HajdukSplit

Leeds one point away from promotion and the Championship title as they beat Barnsley. For Barnsley they are practically down, they will need to win their last two matches just to have a hope for safety


----------



## kg458

Leeds now one point away from promotion. Only way they don't auto-promote would be to lose their last two matches, and have West Brom and Brentford win both of their last two matches.

Next year should be fun.


----------



## Evilo

EPL will finally be interesting next year.


----------



## GabeTravels

I can't believe the EFL is still gonna push through their Salary Cap, but it sounds like they're gonna.

Salary cap: EFL proposes League One and League Two cap on wages

I get it...to a point. As a Portsmouth fan though, it upsets me. We're massive for a League 1 side. We get 18-20K for every home game. If we're bringing in more money, we should be able to use it for players.

And the fact that relegated teams aren't subject to the cap means they're at a massive advantage.


----------



## Tuggy

Must win today for WBA...

COYB!!


----------



## These Are The Days

kg458 said:


> Leeds now one point away from promotion. Only way they don't auto-promote would be to lose their last two matches, and have West Brom and Brentford win both of their last two matches.
> 
> Next year should be fun.




It really should be. Leeds never weren't a big deal team with a big deal following. They're a team that likely would've still been in the EPL to this very day. But their financial management in the 2000's was like the Titanic knowing there was an iceberg and saying "I'm going to hit it anyway" to prove it couldn't be sunk. Next thing you know Leeds are tumbling down the pyramid faster than they can sell your players and enter administration. LOL! What a f***ing mess that was. But lucky for Leeds fans they won't have to wait any longer. Now it's just a matter of seeing if their team is serious about using their financial windfall responsibly and if they're actually going to renovate Elland Road into a 50,000 seat colossus like they said they would. With that team as it is right now, not getting relegated needs to be their goal. Just make a few responsible signings so you don't.

Oh yeah, and let Bielsa have a 5 year plan like Klopp did. But this ain't the 1970's.... you're playing against oil money and Glazer money now. Your goal in 5 years needs to be more like "UEFA Cup" and "Beat Manchester United" not "Win the League" or "Champions of Europe" your odds of that are about as good as Leicester City's was


----------



## SSF

Baggies down inside the first 5 minutes


----------



## Stray Wasp

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Leeds never weren't a big deal team with a big deal following.




Apart from 1919-1964, when they won zero major trophies, were relegated from the top flight four times, and only broke 30,000 average crowds for the season twice.

That said, a Bielsa team and a full, noisy Elland Road will be major assets to the EPL.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom get an important equalizer before HT, though they have not been playing well


----------



## These Are The Days

Stray Wasp said:


> Apart from 1919-1964, when they won zero major trophies, were relegated from the top flight four times, and only broke 30,000 average crowds for the season twice.
> 
> That said, a Bielsa team and a full, noisy Elland Road will be major assets to the EPL.




Oh God yes. They were absolutely horrible. Like something out of the Pittsburgh Steelers book where it's as if their history started in the 1960's (70's in the Steelers case) I suppose my comment ought to have reflected that. I guess it really just boils down to that Leeds is in the same boat as Aston Villa. They're the big team in *huge* cities. So that means they'll have enough budget to sustain their indefinite residence in the EPL -even if it is a mediocre one. In perspective that IS a big deal when you consider all the average English team has to say is "We finished in 12th place in Division 1 once in 1987. Go League 2 team!" Leeds at least have a little bit of silverware and can say they were actually successful at a major level in their spells of success. 

I don't know what is worse. That they shot themselves in the head and then picked up the gun and did it again when they got bitch slapped down the pyramid and as far as 100 million in debt or that they've been so grossly incompetent since then that it's taken 16 years to get back.


----------



## JWK

Bielsa managing in the top division is a win for all of us.


----------



## These Are The Days

Uh ohhh. Sorry Tuggy


----------



## SSF

Huddersfield guarantees their safety while Leeds will return to the Prem. Brentford now only need 4 points out of 6 to confirm their spot in the Premiership


----------



## robertmac43




----------



## robertmac43

Please don't take Ben White from Brighton! Please and thank you!


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Very, very, very excited to have Leeds up next year. 

Everything lined up now for Brentford to join them.


----------



## robertmac43




----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

One of the most important parts of Leeds coming up is that it means they'll be able to keep Kalvin Phillips.


----------



## Cassano

robertmac43 said:


>




But he's off to Florentine.


----------



## These Are The Days

robertmac43 said:


> Please don't take Ben White from Brighton! Please and thank you!




I think they'd prioritize keeping Jack Harrison over him. But I could be wrong because surely Citeh be like: "Our bench is only good enough to win 16 EPL games on its own and we're not sure how often we're even gonna use him.... We'll give him to you for 19.5 million instead of 20 million like last time because we're feeling generous"

If they could get their loans for Harrison and Nketiah to become permanent contracts, it would go at least some way into making sure they don't get relegated again.


----------



## These Are The Days

I must've missed it. It looks Leeds signed Helder Costa to a 4 year deal about 10 days ago. Bielsa truly is a goddamn genius.


----------



## SSF

Nketiah already left Leeds because he wasn't getting game time, he isnt going back to Elland Road.


----------



## SSF

The Costa deal was always going to become permanent this summer, that was one of the loan stipulations with Wolves.


----------



## Tuggy

Devastating loss for West Brom. Can't believe they bottled automatic promotion...

Need massive help from Stoke tomorrow. Ugh...


----------



## Venkman

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> I think they'd prioritize keeping Jack Harrison over him. But I could be wrong because surely Citeh be like: "Our bench is only good enough to win 16 EPL games on its own and we're not sure how often we're even gonna use him.... We'll give him to you for 19.5 million instead of 20 million like last time because we're feeling generous"
> 
> If they could get their loans for Harrison and Nketiah to become permanent contracts, it would go at least some way into making sure they don't get relegated again.




They'd prioritise keeping White, he has potential to play for England while Harrison probably doesn't. Brighton will want to keep and play White though.

Phillips will probably get called up for England soon, not much depth at DM. It'll be fun having Leeds back, missed the United/Leeds games. Brentford are good to watch too. Think they're moving into a new stadium next season.


----------



## Evilo

Bielsa effect. 
In the 5 years before he came they were mostly between 13th and 15th.
Almost promoted last year and promoted this year.


----------



## gary69

Brentford lose as well, and are still behind WBA.


----------



## Burner Account

West Brom benefiting from a rainy night in Stoke


----------



## HajdukSplit

Wow, Brentford fail to capitalize on West Brom's loss yesterday and themselves lose to Stoke, who are now mathematically safe; WBA play QPR at home Wednesday while Brentford will play probably relegated Barnsley at home, West Brom need a win or match Brentford's result, Brentford can only go up if WBA drop points

In the other early game massive late goal for Charlton to earn a point against Wigan, Charlton three points clear of Hull and Luton but their GD is vastly superior to both. Wigan at this point continue to rack up points, at the moment the potential -12 point deduction won't affect their safety

The big match later today is Luton-Hull, loser is all but relegated, draw is not good for either


----------



## HajdukSplit

kyle evs48 said:


> West Brom benefiting from a rainy night in Stoke




As much as I like Bilic, he unfortunately has had history of not winning games when it counts with the exception of that playoff against Turkey in Euro 2012. Might be harsh to say but following his career its still no given for WBA


----------



## Tuggy

Wow, Brentford may have just let West Brom off the hook.

Thanks Stoke


----------



## PanniniClaus

Dear baby jesus...Brom and the Bees stub their toes at a key time..


----------



## These Are The Days

Wait a second.... Does this mean Leeds just won their league? Lmao


----------



## These Are The Days

Tuggy said:


> Wow, Brentford may have just let West Brom off the hook.
> 
> Thanks Stoke




I almost tagged you in a " It's not a bottle job for the Baggies YET. Rainy day in Stoke ya know?" Good thing I didn't. I might've jinxed it lol


It just occurred to me there is the most microscopic of chances that Fulham get automatically promoted. If they win their last game but both the Bees and Baggies don't -both teams will have to go through the playoff while Fulham gets an automatic promotion.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Brentford has never beaten Stoke away apparently.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Fulham keep their promotion chances alive, they must win on the final day and hope Brentford don't win + WBA lose
- West Brom: QPR (H)
- Brentford: Barnsley (H)
- Fulham: Wigan (A)

Three teams are fighting for two of the last playoff spots, Forest do have a game in hand however tomorrow against Barnsley. The two Welsh clubs also involved with Cardiff having a three point edge over Swansea, Cardiff only need a point, Swansea must win + hope Cardiff lose. Forest only need one point to clinch a playoff spot, a win will likely secure 5th place
- Forest: Barnsley (H), Stoke (H)
- Cardiff: Hull (H)
- Swansea: Reading (A)

Relegation fight is a mess, massive win for Luton in Hull which puts the Tigers in massive problems, Charlton, Birmingham and Boro all still with possibilities of going down, despite their win yesterday, Huddersfield not yet 100% safe but in the best position. Barnsley will go down if they fail to beat Forest tomorrow

18. Huddersfield *51 -15*
19. Middlesbrough *50 -14*
20. Birmingham *50 -19*
21. Charlton *48 -11*
22. Luton *48 -29*
23. Hull *45 -27*
24. Barnsley *43 -22
*
Huddersfield go to Millwall and really even if they lose they should be ok, would take something incredible crazy for them to go down (basically everybody below them winning if they lose); Boro go to Wednesday, Birmingham host Derby, win will be enough for both, due to GD even a point will be good enough likely; Charlton go to Leeds, win will secure safety, anything less depends on teams below them; Luton host Blackburn, due to their GD they pretty much have to win and hope one of Charlton, Birmingham, Boro lose; Hull are doomed, go to Cardiff still fighting for a playoff spot, must win with a 16 goal swing with Charlton; Barnsley must win both their matches and hope both Luton and Charlton lose. On paper Barnsley and Hull are down, with Luton having the 'easier' fixture than Charlton

edit: Only real lifeline for Hull is the potential 12 point deduction for Wigan


----------



## These Are The Days

HajdukSplit said:


> Fulham keep their promotion chances alive, they must win on the final day and hope Brentford don't win + WBA lose
> - West Brom: QPR (H)
> - Brentford: Barnsley (H)
> - Fulham: Wigan (A)
> 
> Three teams are fighting for two of the last playoff spots, Forest do have a game in hand however tomorrow against Barnsley. The two Welsh clubs also involved with Cardiff having a three point edge over Swansea, Cardiff only need a point, Swansea must win + hope Cardiff lose. Forest only need one point to clinch a playoff spot, a win will likely secure 5th place
> - Forest: Barnsley (H), Stoke (H)
> - Cardiff: Hull (H)
> - Swansea: Reading (A)
> 
> Relegation fight is a mess, massive win for Luton in Hull which puts the Tigers in massive problems, Charlton, Birmingham and Boro all still with possibilities of going down, despite their win yesterday, Huddersfield not yet 100% safe but in the best position. Barnsley will go down if they fail to beat Forest tomorrow
> 
> 18. Huddersfield *51 -15*
> 19. Middlesbrough *50 -14*
> 20. Birmingham *50 -19*
> 21. Charlton *48 -11*
> 22. Luton *48 -29*
> 23. Hull *45 -27*
> 24. Barnsley *43 -22
> *
> Huddersfield go to Millwall and really even if they lose they should be ok, would take something incredible crazy for them to go down (basically everybody below them winning if they lose); Boro go to Wednesday, Birmingham host Derby, win will be enough for both, due to GD even a point will be good enough likely; Charlton go to Leeds, win will secure safety, anything less depends on teams below them; Luton host Blackburn, due to their GD they pretty much have to win and hope one of Charlton, Birmingham, Boro lose; Hull are doomed, go to Cardiff still fighting for a playoff spot, must win with a 16 goal swing with Charlton; Barnsley must win both their matches and hope both Luton and Charlton lose. On paper Barnsley and Hull are down, with Luton having the 'easier' fixture than Charlton
> 
> edit: Only real lifeline for Hull is the potential 12 point deduction for Wigan




It would be amazing for Luton to escape relegation with their season having been on life support most of the season


----------



## HajdukSplit

Barnsley with an important final minute win over Forest to keep their survival hopes alive but they must win at Leeds and hope either Luton or Charlton lose

For Forest their GD will almost certainly secure a playoff spot but they could miss out if they lost and both Swansea and Cardiff win


----------



## SSF

Cowley brothers fired at Huddersfield, I am very confused by that one.

Barnsley stays alive by beating Notts Forest in stoppage time.


----------



## Stray Wasp

SSF said:


> Cowley brothers fired at Huddersfield, I am very confused by that one.




Me too. They had one point from their first six games when the Cowleys walked through the door, after Siewert failed to cope with the inevitable large turnover that occurred following relegation. 

By contrast, they are presently on a run of one defeat in six, with five clean sheets.

However, there are rumours that Karlan Grant is set to be sold for £15 million to another Championship club, so maybe a fallout has occurred over the club's future direction - failure to achieve immediate promotion leads to a cut in parachute payment funds for next season, and as a result of the relatively recent rule change, they only receive two parachute payments rather than three because they yo-yo'd. 

Perhaps Huddersfield feel they _must _achieve promotion next season, and expect that a new manager, given the Grant fee to spend, is their best route to promotion. The strategy seems to me risky rather than wise.


----------



## SSF

Yea, I saw the teams statement also said there would be no external interviews so that leads me to believe their sporting director already has his next manager.


----------



## SSF

Also, mr in over his head Stewart Donald has resigned as Sunderland chairman. Be interesting to see what happens with this perennial joke.


----------



## Tuggy

Big day today...

COYB!


----------



## robertmac43

Last Match-day in the championship is always interesting. Both the top of the table and relegation battle will be intense to follow today. 

I don't miss these days with Brighton.


----------



## ghostnights

Hoping for a Swans win and a Cardiff loss .


----------



## PansCyans

Leeds having no sympathy for a fighting to stay up Charlton


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom and Fulham losing, Brentford going up at the moment on GD, West Brom have looked poor but in fairness QPR goal came from nothing


----------



## SSF

As of now, Wigan stays up but they want Leeds and Brentford to score quite a few more.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Are QPR fans rooting for or against their team today?


----------



## These Are The Days

SSF said:


> As of now, Wigan stays up but they want Leeds and Brentford to score quite a few more.




If Brentford would score at all


----------



## SSF

Ugh, Barnsley scores


----------



## These Are The Days

@Tuggy you alright brother?


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom score right before HT, nice build up

Had goal disallowed moments later, right call but West Brom all over QPR now


----------



## These Are The Days

HajdukSplit said:


> West Brom score right before HT, nice build up




f*** yeah. Always liked the Baggies. Hope they pull it off


----------



## HajdukSplit

So at halftime none of WBA, Brentford or Fulham are winning, as it stands West Brom will go up but they were very nervy until they scored than they created 2-3 decent chances in injury time of the first half. In the playoff race, Cardiff look certain, Forest holding onto 6th despite losing as Swansea conceded a late first half goal against Reading. Swansea need to win and by probably 3-4 goals

At the bottom hard to see anything from Hull or Charlton in the 2nd half and they are going down, Luton winning against Blackburn means they will be safe, Barnsley are going down despite winning, their hope is Wigan (which according to Sky Sports the decision will be made today) get their -12 point penalty, however as long as Wigan win, their points penalty won't affect their safety


----------



## These Are The Days

Jesus... The Rovers are gonna get Luton Town saved. 2 own goals already


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom take the lead, don’t think QPR got out of their half in the 2nd half


----------



## Chimaera

Brewster too good for the Championship, maybe not ready for Liverpool. 

I would kinda like to see him get matches next year. Maybe he fits with 5 subs


----------



## Tuggy

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> @Tuggy you alright brother?




Better for now...


----------



## robertmac43

Luton and Barnsley are both winning right now. Relegation going down to the wire.


----------



## robertmac43

Chimaera said:


> Brewster too good for the Championship, maybe not ready for Liverpool.
> 
> I would kinda like to see him get matches next year. Maybe he fits with 5 subs



Loan him out to Brighton!


----------



## These Are The Days

Brentford doing their best Tampa Bay Lightning impression. Scoring juggernaut can't buy a goal in the last 2 games that count the most


----------



## HajdukSplit

QPR score out of nothing again, but nice finish by Eze. WBA will be kicking themselves because they missed a one on one earlier


----------



## These Are The Days

Tuggy said:


> Better for now...




Be safe and start drinking anyway


----------



## Chimaera

robertmac43 said:


> Loan him out to Brighton!



If Brighton agree to play him 20-25 times, I would be fine with that. The thing is, I think he might get 15-20 for a Liverpool side next year


----------



## BKIslandersFan

f***ing Brentford. Useless.


----------



## SSF

There is one, now need one more there and at Wigan for Wigan and no more at the Hawthorns.


----------



## These Are The Days

I think Luton is gonna survive


----------



## These Are The Days

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Be safe and start drinking anyway




I really hope he took my advice


----------



## Tuggy

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> I really hope he took my advice




Yeah...gonna be a very stressful ten minutes.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Forest could throw away 6th place


----------



## SSF

Oh yea, a QPR goal would work too. Still want a wigan goal though


----------



## robertmac43

The end of this Barnsley v Brentford game is going to be wild. Both have a reason to go for it.


----------



## robertmac43

Barnsley score at the death!


----------



## Tuggy

Barnsley scores!!


----------



## PansCyans

Wow


----------



## HajdukSplit

Swansea jump above Forest on GD, what a choke by Nottingham


----------



## These Are The Days

Aaahhhhhh hahahahahahahahahaha


----------



## robertmac43

Great team goal too from Barnsley


----------



## HajdukSplit

Brentford and WBA playing out who is more useless, West Brom now trying kill the game off


----------



## Tuggy

West Brom stumbles their way into the top 2. Ugly down the stretch but just enough for promotion.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom game over...Bilic nearly ran on the field defending the last QPR action


----------



## These Are The Days

Lol 7 minutes added


----------



## These Are The Days

Oh God.... Poor Forest. I had such hopes for them


----------



## robertmac43

Tuggy said:


> West Brom stumbles their way into the top 2. Ugly down the stretch but just enough for promotion.



Welcome back to the Prem!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

I hope Brentford gets liquidated.


----------



## HajdukSplit

West Brom promote despite failing to win their last four games, Brentford got poor results when it mattered most

Cardiff with an easy win and move up to 5th and will play Fulham, the big news is Swansea jumping over Forest who fell two spots on the final day (Swansea better GD), Swansea play Brentford, Forest were hammered at home by Stoke and really fell apart last few weeks

At the bottom, Hull and Charlton go down meekly, Barnsley did the unthinkable and won their final two matches against Forest and Brentford, the question is that final spot which should be decided later today, if the -12 point deduction is confirmed Wigan go down, if the appeal is successful then Barnsley's good work is for nothing, credit to Luton for their late surge to stay up


----------



## These Are The Days

BKIslandersFan said:


> I hope Brentford gets liquidated.




Not before Forest though


----------



## robertmac43

As a neutral all I want is to have a Welsh derby for the playoff finals!


----------



## HajdukSplit

Playoff fixtures already out

7/26: Swansea vs. Brentford
7/29: Brentford vs. Swansea

7/27: Cardiff vs. Fulham
7/30: Fulham vs. Cardiff

Final on August 4


----------



## Prntscrn

wrong thread


----------



## Stray Wasp

BKIslandersFan said:


> I hope Brentford gets liquidated.




Do you dislike them?

If you do, I would propose a far crueller fate - an eternity of alternating between seasons where they are relegated, followed by seasons where they suffer the fate they did today.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Stray Wasp said:


> Do you dislike them?
> 
> If you do, I would propose a far crueller fate - an eternity of alternating between seasons where they are relegated, followed by seasons where they suffer the fate they did today.



I am furious. They could have gone up automatically but they HAD to lose to f***ing Charlton. They can go eat shit.


----------



## Tuggy

Rooting for Hoilett and Cardiff in the playoff.


----------



## ghostnights

Go Swansea . Brewster and Ayew will carry them into the premier league.


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Grady Diangana is going to look good at West Ham next season.


----------



## PanniniClaus

I got home late and watched the highlight packs on DAZN. Just an incredible final day in the championship...it is truly the most competitive league in the world..

I am happy for Leeds and Brom...Brom backed in and were fortunate but Brentford....oh my are they going to have a tough week trying to pick themselves up off the deck. Now having to face a rolling Swansea who are playing with house money after Forest completely capitulated. 

Should be some super tense semi finals.

Bowyer "led" Charlton into the gutter and Barnsley came from nowhere with some great leadership. Unfortunately they must wait to see the appeal which is really crappy. crappy for all involved as Wigan do not deserve a 12 point deduction. 

What a league..


----------



## SSF

Carlos Corberan replaces Cowley brothers at Huddersfield


----------



## sabremike

Is the league going to dock itself 12 points for allowing con artists to buy Wigan in the first place? I mean Christ: At least the Rigas crooks didn't buy the Sabres with the sole intent of destroying us like what happened with Wigan.


----------



## YNWA14




----------



## robertmac43

In response to Birmingham retiring Bellingham's #22...


----------



## Power Man




----------



## SSF

Barnsley just chucking grenades

Club Statement


----------



## gary69

SSF said:


> Barnsley just chucking grenades
> 
> Club Statement




We'll see how it ends up, but as the saying goes..."nice guys finish last".


----------



## HajdukSplit

Scoreless first half between Swansea and Brentford, something of a snoozefest considering the teams involved but Swansea had two good chances with Brewster, once hitting the post. Mick McCarthy on the Sky commentary is your typical negative commentator, absolutely hated Frank using a tactics board during the drink break


----------



## ghostnights

Brewster can really wallop the ball.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Ayew...ugh


----------



## PanniniClaus

double ugh..great save


----------



## PanniniClaus

and a straight red for Henry


----------



## ghostnights

What a crazy 5 minutes . Ayew needed to be better


----------



## Jersey Fresh

What a couple minutes. Ayew penalty saved and an outrageous straight red to Brentford. 

Don't really want Brentford to go up so there's a free run at Benrahma, but that sucks.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Great finish by Ayew, deserved lead for Swansea, red card was harsh for Brentford earlier but since that they have done nothing


----------



## PanniniClaus

Great run to open space and a great goal.


----------



## ghostnights

Ayew could have 3 goals


----------



## Shrimper

Referee completely bottled that red card decision. Not even a foul and has put Brentford on the back foot.


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Not the worst result all things considered for Brentford.


----------



## SSF

Onomah gives Fulham an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd half


----------



## These Are The Days

My money's on Fulham to gain promotion. We'll see if it holds up. Should be an exciting several days


----------



## PansCyans

They’ve been pretty comfortably in control all throughout this one.


----------



## These Are The Days

koyvoo said:


> They’ve been pretty comfortably in control all throughout this one.




And that was without Mitrovic too. Barring a huge collapse in the next game I think we can pencil in Fulham. I think facing Brentford would be a more interesting matchup given how potent the offenses are but I'm left wondering if Brentford is even gonna get there. I'm telling ya. It's like watching Tampa with a 3-2 series lead. The offense can't score in a brothel with a 2 grand in their pocket.


Nottingham Forest fans can feel vindicated in a Swansea advance and watching the Bee's pull an all time bottle job. At least Forest lost on GD. This is 3 games now Brentford have soiled themselves


----------



## Stray Wasp

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> And that was without Mitrovic too.




Fulham's record without Mitrovic in league and playoff games this season is now: played seven, won six, drawn one.

Oddly, their defensive record improves notably when he doesn't play - a mere two goals conceded in those seven games.


----------



## PanniniClaus

Stray Wasp said:


> Fulham's record without Mitrovic in league and playoff games this season is now: played seven, won six, drawn one.
> 
> Oddly, their defensive record improves notably when he doesn't play - a mere two goals conceded in those seven games.



Interesting


----------



## These Are The Days

Stray Wasp said:


> Fulham's record without Mitrovic in league and playoff games this season is now: played seven, won six, drawn one.
> 
> Oddly, their defensive record improves notably when he doesn't play - a mere two goals conceded in those seven games.




Wow! I honestly had no idea. Given how much offense Mitrovic supplies Fulham at such a disproportionate rate to the rest of the club, it makes sense to me that they would concede only 2 goals en route to winning that many games. You basically win 1-0 or nothing in his absence because you're not so likely to get that 2nd goal. So theoretically, you're not gonna see many goals given up and 2 definitely sounds right given 6 wins and a draw. But that's still really damn impressive to win that much without a player who is that important. Given the aggregate and their success without him, Fulham could still conceivably give him the next game off.


Talk about putting yourself in the best possible position


----------



## Stray Wasp

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Wow! I honestly had no idea. Given how much offense Mitrovic supplies Fulham at such a disproportionate rate to the rest of the club, it makes sense to me that they would concede only 2 goals en route to winning that many games. You basically win 1-0 or nothing in his absence because you're not so likely to get that 2nd goal. So theoretically, you're not gonna see many goals given up and 2 definitely sounds right given 6 wins and a draw. But that's still really damn impressive to win that much without a player who is that important. Given the aggregate and their success without him, Fulham could still conceivably give him the next game off.
> 
> 
> Talk about putting yourself in the best possible position




It's a stat I came across by pure accident. 

In the 40 league games where Mitrovic did feature, they conceded 46 goals and kept 13 clean sheets , so the improvement is notable. (Brentford, Leeds and West Brom all averaged under 1 goal against per game across the full season).

Naturally, the small sample size limits how much should be read into the numbers. Several teams scored more goals than Fulham despite Mitrovic finishing as the division's top scorer, so without him, likely the club would have missed the playoffs altogether.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Karanka new manager of Birmingham City, did a good job at Boro, so-so at Forest


----------



## PansCyans

Brentford came out to play


----------



## SSF

Brentford lead 3-0 50 minutes in


----------



## Blender

SSF said:


> Brentford lead 3-0 50 minutes in



Would be nice to see Brentford get promoted, they haven't been in the top division since the 1930s.


----------



## PansCyans

Swans get one back through Brewster


----------



## PansCyans

That was truly some championship level defending from Jansson


----------



## SSF

Brentford holds on for dear life at the end and wins 3-1, 3-2 on aggregate


----------



## PanniniClaus

Well - could be a titanic tilt if Fulham do the job.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

I hope Rhian Brewster gets another year out on loan rather than going and sitting on the bench at Anfield, because he really is quality.


----------



## N o o d l e s

Cool for Brentford. I’d like to see them up because maybe they’ll finally BUY players


----------



## These Are The Days

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> I hope Rhian Brewster gets another year out on loan rather than going and sitting on the bench at Anfield, because he really is quality.




Me too. It's not like Swansea is some bad place to be either. They're gonna have as good a chance to get promoted next year as anyone else


----------



## Live in the Now

He won't be loaned


----------



## IceColdOx

I really thought Griffin Park was getting torn down for a bottling plant, but nevermind after today.


----------



## These Are The Days

IceColdOx said:


> I really thought Griffin Park was getting torn down for a bottling plant, but nevermind after today.




It almost was. Brentford are lucky they didn't finish the job. That would've been one of the more illustrious disasters we've seen in some time. It still could've been worse had they messed the whole thing up but still


----------



## PansCyans

Perfect start for Cardiff


----------



## PansCyans

koyvoo said:


> Perfect start for Cardiff



Then Fulham immediately get it back less than 30 seconds later.


----------



## HajdukSplit

You never know in the Championship but that quick response leads me to believe there won’t be a comeback


----------



## These Are The Days

This match quantifies as abuse right now. Fulham is just absolutely dominating


----------



## robertmac43

Cardiff needs a major spark. Cannot see them getting 2 goals back with the way Fulham is controlling everything


----------



## robertmac43

Hoillet's night is done with Cardiff. Not his best showing.


----------



## These Are The Days

robertmac43 said:


> Cardiff needs a major spark. Cannot see them getting 2 goals back with the way Fulham is controlling everything




Looks like they just got it. Early goal gets it to 3-2


----------



## PansCyans

Should be a great finish


----------



## robertmac43

Yeah this should go down to the wire. Tomlin with instant impact!


----------



## These Are The Days

So close holy shit


----------



## IceColdOx

Fulham still aren't All Elite.


----------



## These Are The Days

Cardiff with amazing pushback this half. They've got the goal in them


----------



## These Are The Days

Fulham hang on and win. Cardiff seemed completely out of gas and ideas at about 75 minutes


----------



## HajdukSplit

Cardiff had a decent chance in the 94th minute but really for about the final 10-15 mins they lacked any ideas

West London derby promotion final, Wembley, August 4. Interestingly the teams are only about 5 miles apart


----------



## These Are The Days

HajdukSplit said:


> Cardiff had a decent chance in the 94th minute but really for about the final 10-15 mins they lacked any ideas
> 
> West London derby promotion final, Wembley, August 4. Interestingly the teams are only about 5 miles apart



They did have one more good chance and the ball just wouldn't go in but yeah that 94th minute was it. I would've loved to see this game go on longer but I think Fulham's pace would've eventually won the whole thing over before it even got to penalties. 


My money was on Fulham but deep down wanted Swansea. We'll see if it holds up. This is gonna be a good final


----------



## robertmac43

Hoping for Brentford > Fulham. Want something new in the Prem.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Sheffield Wednesday deducted 12 points for next season

Sheffield Wednesday deducted 12 points for 2020-21 season

However I'm sure there will be several arguments as they were charged during this current season, only the decision was finally made today, however it seems to be over some dodgy financial reporting over their stadium sale rather than the case with Wigan going into administration


----------



## HajdukSplit

Harrogate Town promoted to the football league beating Notts County in the Conference final, first time ever at that level. Saw their squad and Jon Stead is still playing for them, he had some moderate success in the EPL like 15 years ago


----------



## BKIslandersFan

HajdukSplit said:


> Harrogate Town promoted to the football league beating Notts County in the Conference final, first time ever at that level. Saw their squad and Jon Stead is still playing for them, he had some moderate success in the EPL like 15 years ago



The manager is apparently the son of club's chairman.


----------



## PanniniClaus

HajdukSplit said:


> Harrogate Town promoted to the football league beating Notts County in the Conference final, first time ever at that level. Saw their squad and Jon Stead is still playing for them, he had some moderate success in the EPL like 15 years ago



ha - had no idea Jon Stead was still at it. Remember him with Blackburn.

I can assure you I've never heard of Harrogate Town


----------



## Stray Wasp

PanniniClaus said:


> I can assure you I've never heard of Harrogate Town




And with good reason - they had never even played as high as the Conference until 2018.

It bears mention that Harrogate is that rare thing, a northern spa town - a place where, a couple of hundred years ago, the wealthier classes would visit for a spell of repose. Later, it became a place where elderly folk who'd done well retired to and that less prosperous pensioners would visit by coach for day trips. It's an area that apparently commands some of the highest property prices in the country. 

In other words, Harrogate is markedly different from the former industrial towns and cities of Yorkshire where football initially flourished. Whether this club will be able to sustain themselves at league level with success comparable to their counterparts from the larger southern spa town of Cheltenham will be intriguing to see.


----------



## SSF

so you are saying that they will have a bunch of hooligans?

tonight is the billion dollar game between Fulham and Brentford. cant wait


----------



## Savant

Looking forward to seeing Benrahma today.


----------



## Stray Wasp

SSF said:


> so you are saying that they will have a bunch of hooligans?




Harrogate barely has any fans of any description - less than 2,000 per game on average even last season.

Clearly, league football will be difficult to sustain on those numbers. The question is whether the promise of joining The 72 lures more supporters and maybe improved sponsorship from businesses in the local community.


----------



## Stray Wasp

robertmac43 said:


> Hoping for Brentford > Fulham. Want something new in the Prem.




Agreed. Newcastle managers saying they can't compete for players with Fulham is old hat.

'We can't compete with Brentford', by contrast, is something no NUFC manager has had the opportunity to say in over 70 years. And it's the variations on the theme that provide the rare moments of interest.


----------



## SSF

Stray Wasp said:


> Harrogate barely has any fans of any description - less than 2,000 per game on average even last season.
> 
> Clearly, league football will be difficult to sustain on those numbers. The question is whether the promise of joining The 72 lures more supporters and maybe improved sponsorship from businesses in the local community.




I would be interested to see what Kieran McGuire would peg the increase in revenues can be expected to be for Harrogate.


----------



## Michigan

SSF said:


> ...tonight is the billion dollar game between Fulham and Brentford. cant wait



I'll be watching on ESPN+ in half an hour. Who wins and who are you rooting for? I want Fulham.


----------



## SSF

Brentford and it is weird seeing them playing in blue. Also, Michael Hector has stupid hair so that is another thing to root against.

Paul Konchesky is just as terrible as commentary as I expected


----------



## SSF

Well that certainly was a half of football

Onomah should have shot but he passed and that was in the first 10 minutes


----------



## gary69

Yikes, 2nd half wasn't any better. 

Brentford will need to find a Brentferrari gear for the extra time. As for Emptyham, they don't look like scoring, but maybe Mitrovic can bully a goal from a setpiece or something.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

woooooooooaaaaaahhhhhhh...nothing like your goalie costing you a spot in the PL


----------



## Blender

What a goal.


----------



## Michigan

Great kick!


----------



## Jersey Fresh

My god, what a goal to potentially win it in ET.


----------



## King Makar19

Clown Keeping....he look dodgy and he his. Fulham deserved it.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

King Makar19 said:


> Clown Keeping....he look dodgy and he his. Fulham deserved it.




not just that, him coming out to play that header (not sure he had to) led to the free kick. Maybe he had to, I didn't see a good replay


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

That's an awesome awesome goal, and Scott Parker's reaction to it was great to watch


----------



## Jersey Fresh

spintheblackcircle said:


> not just that, him coming out to play that header (not sure he had to) led to the free kick. Maybe he had to, I didn't see a good replay



It wasn't the worst move if he didn't put on a pitiful header once he got there.


----------



## Blender

I think the way that ball was played in with the power and that it dipped and bounced hard right in the box really threw the keeper off. Was a great goal.


----------



## Blender

Fullback getting 2 goals to win promotion...


----------



## gary69

Bryan hero of the day.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Joe Bryan will never pay for a drink again,


----------



## Michigan

It's ovah!


----------



## Jersey Fresh

West Ham legend Scott Parker with the masterclass.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Jersey Fresh said:


> West Ham legend Scott Parker with the masterclass.




He wasn't at Spurs long, but I really liked him. Only 39, he has a chance to be a really good manager.


----------



## These Are The Days

Brentford finishes the bottle job. All you had to do was beat Stoke. Welcome back FFC


----------



## PansCyans

Sounds like I missed an absorbing match


----------



## Blender

Like 10 seconds to try and get another one.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Mitrovic of all people to show great sportsmanship after the match, that was nice.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Scummy from the Fulham keeper, if I were a Brentford player I woulda struggled not to sock him.

Incredible extra time period, really fantastic stuff. Both goals from Bryan were absolute f***ing quality


----------



## Michigan

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Brentford finishes the bottle job. All you had to do was beat Stoke. Welcome back FFC



They're 0-9 all time in these. Never been promoted to the PL.


----------



## Blender

I was hoping for Brentford, but congrats Fulham.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

spintheblackcircle said:


> Mitrovic of all people to show great sportsmanship after the match, that was nice.




...then whatever he said to Parker got him to cry......heh, Mitrovic.


----------



## These Are The Days

Mitrovic > Pukki


----------



## BKIslandersFan

What a complete waste of time that was. Fulham should be banned from Football league for being complete waste of time.


----------



## robertmac43

So true:


----------



## HoseEmDown

AlwaysSunnyInTampa said:


> Brentford finishes the bottle job. All you had to do was beat Stoke. Welcome back FFC




How was it a bottle job though? West Brom was 12 points up with 10 games to go and Brentford made a run on them. Sure they had a chance for automatic promotion at the end but they lost the last two. WBA were the ones bottling it but were lucky enough to escape.


----------



## HoseEmDown

robertmac43 said:


> So true:





I don't believe it's that true. They have sold good players before and have bounced back. This season it was Konsa and Maupay, before that they sold Mepham, Egan and Jota. Obviously it's not a recipe you like repeating but they do well in recruitment, they have a good academy and now with a new stadium should be able to compete with the bigger Championship clubs to get promoted soon.


----------



## robertmac43

HoseEmDown said:


> I don't believe it's that true. They have sold good players before and have bounced back. This season it was Konsa and Maupay, before that they sold Mepham, Egan and Jota. Obviously it's not a recipe you like repeating but they do well in recruitment, they have a good academy and now with a new stadium should be able to compete with the bigger Championship clubs to get promoted soon.



They have sold good players, however those players never got them one game away from promotion. The guys they lose this year are going to be hard to replace and with how competitive the Championship was this season and is in general, there are no guarantees they are back here in a years.

Losing in the playoff finals is also just going to exasperate things that much more.


----------



## Fulham

HoseEmDown said:


> I don't believe it's that true. They have sold good players before and have bounced back. This season it was Konsa and Maupay, before that they sold Mepham, Egan and Jota. Obviously it's not a recipe you like repeating but they do well in recruitment, they have a good academy and now with a new stadium should be able to compete with the bigger Championship clubs to get promoted soon.




They actually closed their academy a few years back. Huge win for Fulham. This year is more vital than most. As the Championship is still largely a gate driven league. 

Will be interesting too see what recruitment looks like. As fulham has serious ambition(aka $$$$) and has a manager who I feel like will be able to attract talent.


----------



## S E P H

Fulham is the original elevator club, I would've much rather seen Brentford even though Craven Cottage is a magical place.


----------



## Venkman

Venkman said:


> Bit late but I'll go for West Brom, Fulham and Leeds to get promoted. Forest, Derby and Brentford in the playoffs.




3/3 for promotion. 4 out of the top 6, would have been 5/6 but Forest choked.


----------



## PanniniClaus

robertmac43 said:


> So true:




The Bees can't sell any more than 2... No need to gut the team. Sell 5 and your first season in the new stadium could be ugly.


----------



## robertmac43

PanniniClaus said:


> The Bees can't sell any more than 2... No need to gut the team. Sell 5 and your first season in the new stadium could be ugly.



I don't know what choices they will be left with. Pandemic has already hurt clubs and paying for a new stadium on top of that cannot be a great recipe for success!


----------



## Chimaera

Salary cap in League 1 and 2. I’m a bit unsure what I think about it. On the one hand, cap sports can bring more even playing fields and a better opportunity to see some parity. But it also artificially helps depress salaries in exchange for increasing profits for owners.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Chimaera said:


> Salary cap in League 1 and 2. I’m a bit unsure what I think about it. On the one hand, cap sports can bring more even playing fields and a better opportunity to see some parity. But it also artificially helps depress salaries in exchange for increasing profits for owners.




Salary caps are fully about the latter, and owners use 'parity' and 'greedy players' to manufacture fan buy-in. The PFA is pissed as hell and taking this to arbitration, and they are correct to do so.


----------



## Chimaera

The trouble is, if I’m a player in those leagues, I’m gonna go elsewhere. But with the sport probably contracting after Covid, it might not be as easy.


----------



## GabeTravels

The salary cap really annoys me. I'm all for policies that lead to sustainable football clubs.

But why should Sunderland (average attendance 30,000) be constrained to spend as much money as Fleetwood Town (average attendance 3000)? As long as they're not outspending their incomes, there shouldn't be anything wrong with it.

This will widen the gap between the Championship and League 1. 

This will over time effectively turn the lower clubs into farm teams in the Premier League.

Not only that, it could easily lead to smaller clubs not bringing in gate revenue from big away fan bases. Why would fans of Portsmouth and Sunderland travel to Fleetwood or Northampton and give those clubs money when they've voted for this?


----------



## Jersey Fresh

Is the cap supposed to be for this Covid transition year or will this be moving forward?


----------



## GabeTravels

Jersey Fresh said:


> Is the cap supposed to be for this Covid transition year or will this be moving forward?




Moving forward.


----------



## Chimaera

To be fair, Sunderland haven’t exactly spent wisely either, bigger budget or not. So this might be a way of having them avoid some of the stupid moves, just because they won’t have cap space to do it.

I understand it’s completely against the players, but for what it’s worth, there’s a number of clubs who are going to struggle to exist without tickets being sold. Maybe this is a way to avoid some of that damage, and keep a number of the smaller clubs alive. Sure, in the long run players will lose out, but maybe more clubs will stay alive to pay wages and keep guys employed. But Sunderland can’t play six or seven other teams, and all of them need other places developing players and bringing in talent.


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## HajdukSplit

Paunovic is the new Reading manager, won the U20 World Cup with Serbia and recently managed Chicago Fire They plan on being ambitious with signings this summer


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## robertmac43

Wigan crowd funding page if you want to support the club. Would suck to see them financially destroyed from being used as a gambling pawn. 

Save Wigan Athletic


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## BKIslandersFan

HajdukSplit said:


> Paunovic is the new Reading manager, won the U20 World Cup with Serbia and recently managed Chicago Fire They plan on being ambitious with signings this summer



Weird hiring. Not like he won anything in MLS.


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## HajdukSplit

What’s going on with Derby, not even 20 minutes in and down three goals to Blackburn, only Wycombe so far is worse than them


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## Stray Wasp

BKIslandersFan said:


> Weird hiring. Not like he won anything in MLS.




The choice who preceded Paunovic was weird too. Reading hired Mark Bowen as director of football in August 2019. Two months later, when the owners decided to sack their manager, they naturally asked Bowen to draw up a shortlist of potential successors.

Bowen, then 56 and never a full-time manager before in his life, put his own name at the top of the shortlist. The club - perhaps admiring his front - agreed to his modest proposal. 

Bowen rejected a new role at the club following Paunovic's appointment.


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## BKIslandersFan

Stray Wasp said:


> The choice who preceded Paunovic was weird too. Reading hired Mark Bowen as director of football in August 2019. Two months later, when the owners decided to sack their manager, they naturally asked Bowen to draw up a shortlist of potential successors.
> 
> Bowen, then 56 and never a full-time manager before in his life, put his own name at the top of the shortlist. The club - perhaps admiring his front - agreed to his modest proposal.
> 
> Bowen rejected a new role at the club following Paunovic's appointment.



But Reading is off to a good start so maybe it will work out.


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## sabremike




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## HajdukSplit

Bristol and Reading remain perfect, Luton picking up where they left off last season on good from with three wins from their first four. Derby finally pick up a win, Rooney scoring a late winner at Norwich. Forest meanwhile probably haven’t recovered from their collapse last season, four straight losses. Wycombe not good enough for the league (lucky to be promoted in the first place) while Wednesday now up to -5 points


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## GabeTravels

Portsmouth finally get into the win column.

The fans really want Kenny Jackett gone, but it'll cost 400K to terminate his contract. He isn't going anywhere, especially during Covid.

I fear a lot of teams going bust. Portsmouth is losing £700,000 a month. That's just not sustainable.


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