In The Championship the bookies may well have given you quite good odds on Charlton, Southampton and Norwich going down. Addicks, Saints and Canary fans might be less surprised to have seen it happen. Each have gone through mangers like Andrews Salts and have frankly been on the downward spiral for somewhile. Nevertheless it is a tragedy for each club, despite it's well worn path - Leeds, Leicester, Forest, Sheffield Wednesday have all trodden it. I took some, well a weeny bit of comfort from our last 10 games. We beat both Norwich and Southampton in that time and drew with Reading, Preston and Birmingh
am. I still hope Phil Parkinson goes, I wonder if Wotte and Gunn will stay? But then again each one of these clubs needs some stability right now.At the top Wolves and Birmingham have been in the top 3 all season and both got promoted. I think Wolves deserved it, they scored a lot of goals. Birmingham never impressed me when I saw them despite a so called array of talent, even though one of them was a wanker called Marcus Bent. Reading really blew it and Sheffield United have come good at the right time. If Reading don't go up I see trouble for them next season. I like Preston's chances too. For Martin I want them to win the play-offs.
My early season tips outside the three relegated club (Derby finished 18th) were Cardiff, who must be kicking themselves to lose out by one goal - remember the 6-0 thrashing at Deepdale? And wait for it.... Norwich!
In League One, oh balls let's just call it Division 3 shall we Bazza's? Leicester stormed it, losing just 4 games and Matt Fryatt scoring 31 goals (I think he got 2 last season). Darren Ferguson's Peterborough joined them after their 2nd consecutive promotion. A fantastic achievement and Fergie Jnr has put together an exciting team at London Road. They may well struggle though at a level higher just like lesser-lights Colchester, Blackpool, Barnsley and Scunthorpe have all done recently.
In the play-offs go MK Dons, who still leave a nasty taste in my mouth after what
Pete Winkelman and others did to the people of Wimbledon, Scunthorpe, mighty Millwall and dirty Leeds. What a couple of nice evenings they will be in West Yorkshire and Bermondsey. I haven't forgotten the Millwall v Birmingham play-off game in 2002. MK Dons are the form side and this is a tough one. I'll plump for Millwall because they always have this habit of doing well in the massive games under an intense atmosphere (sorry Rob). If the Lions were playing one of the other two in the semi's I would say they'd go out.At the bottom Hereford have been shocking for the entire season. They won just 1 of their first 12 league games and they go back to whence they came with Peterborough last season. Cheltenham drop as well and poor Crewe, who continue to fight above their weight and try to play football. And then on the last day as Carlisle and Brighton stayed up by winning on the final day it was Northampton, the Cobblers who sunk.
In the 4th Division, congratulations to title winners Andy Scott (below) and his Brentford team. Scott has done a wonderful job at Griffin Park, the only ground in the country with a pub on each corner. Exeter City join the Bees, who only came up from the Conference last season via the play-off's. Fantastic
effort. Just think Charlton and Exeter were separated by 4 divisions two years ago and now they will meet next season. Gulp!Wycombe crawled over the finish line with Peter Taylor's team gaining promotion over Bury by 1 goal. In the play-offs go Bury then, Gillingham, Rochdale and Shrewsbury.
Rochdale are on the worst run of form but I'd love them to go up. They have spent the last 35 years in the lowest tier of English football. Not once promoted, not once relegated. They lost in last year's play-off final to Stockport County. 35 years, since 1975 - can you imagine that?
Gillingham would provide a Kent derby for Charlton but I don't care much for them. I'll go for a Shrewsbury v Rochdale final and more heartache for the Dale, Neil Cryer and Cyril Smith.
Bournemouth and Rotherham all survived their point deductions, in fact Rotherham, who play their games in Sheffield would have just missed out by 1 point on automatic promotion. Luton fared less better and it was both unjust and ridiculous that they had to start the season with a 30-point deduction. They were effectively relegated before a ball was kicked and they go out of the league for the first time in 89 years. The Hatters did however win the Paint Pot Cup.
Chester joined them, and they have long been a basket case under ex-Liverpool defender Mark Wright. They lost more games than anyone else in the league and let in more goals. The Conference is a tough league to get out off, although the Seals did come back up from their last relegation in 2004.
Bournemouth and Rotherham all survived their point deductions, in fact Rotherham, who play their games in Sheffield would have just missed out by 1 point on automatic promotion. Luton fared less better and it was both unjust and ridiculous that they had to start the season with a 30-point deduction. They were effectively relegated before a ball was kicked and they go out of the league for the first time in 89 years. The Hatters did however win the Paint Pot Cup.
Chester joined them, and they have long been a basket case under ex-Liverpool defender Mark Wright. They lost more games than anyone else in the league and let in more goals. The Conference is a tough league to get out off, although the Seals did come back up from their last relegation in 2004.
In the Conference after Nigel Clough left Burton, Roy McFarland guided the Brewers into the League.... just and Cambridge United will play Torquay in the play-off finals. My inherited boys Eastbourne Borough had a fantastic first season at this level finishing 13th. Arch rivals Lewes (sorry Mutley) finished bottom and went back down.
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