WE'RE ON DIS TING NO HYPE LOL: Championship, League One, League Two, Blue Square, and lower thread, 2008/09

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/03_03/RupertLoweG_468x589.jpg

HE'S READY

http://homedir-c.libsyn.com/podcasts/a345f2e215d29cd3ee66ff2edf268836/489828bd/soccergossip/images/DrunkDelia.jpg

SHE'S READY

Didn't they try and get rid of her recently?

Nah, the dude who's meant to be buying the Canaries over is meant to be keen on keeping her on as a figurehead.

http://img.skysports.com/07/08/218x298/ridsdale_555858.jpg

HE'S READY

http://www.ntfc.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/11/98/0,,10425~3643409,00.jpg

HE'S READY

http://img.skysports.com/07/10/218x298/IainDowie_587553.jpg

YOU'RE MY #1 GUUUUYY

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icchester/apr2005/0/1/000E9A98-458E-1256-81FF80BFB6FA0000.jpg

HE MAY OR MAY NOT BE READY, I CAN'T REMEMBER

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42148000/jpg/_42148426_campo_getty.jpg

ONE OF THESE MEN IS READY (IT IS THE ONE WITH THE PERM)

http://www.propertyweek.com/Pictures/316xAny/b/r/q/CMYK_76_Darragh_MacAnthony.jpg

HE'S GOT "DARRAGH MAC" IN HIS NAME, AND HE IS READY

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/03_03/ChrisColemanES0404_468x613.jpg

THEY ARE READY
THEY ARE READY FOR COV
YES THEY ARE
OH YES

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/20080109/15/3009062536-soccer-barclays-premier-league-derby-county-press-conference-moor-farm.jpg

"HEY ROB, I'M READY TO BE HEARTBROKEN"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/images/2007/10/30/glenn_roeder_450_05_450x300.jpg

"Obviously, Glenn Roeder is ready. Glenn Roeder is always ready. Statistically, Glenn Roeder thinks you will find that in terms of readiness there are no other managers in the division today that are comparable to Glenn Roeder's track record of being ready. There is nothing you can teach Glenn Roeder about being ready. Even if Gary Doherty is out till November."

So the News of the World has us BOTTOM in its predictions, Swygart. BOTTOM. Below DONCASTER!

We're not that bad, surely. SURELY!

This is c&p'd from a Palace fansite, as I can't find the original onlince. I'm guessing clowns are Charlton.

Reading
Birmingham
Derby
QPR
Palace/Blackpool
Wolves
Ipswich
Clowns
Cardiff
Sheff Utd
Coventry
Preston
Notts Forrest
Norwich
Bristol City
Swansea
Watford
Sheff Wed
Doncaster
Burnley
Barnsley
Plymouth
Southampton

That must be a joke. Blackpool are in the playoffs, ffs. That's the same Blackpool that have lost Wes Hoolahan and Kaspars Gorkss and replaced them with Zesh Rehman, Danny Nardiello and Steve Kabba.

I'm cautiously predicting us for mid-table. I think this bunch of young lads look to be bonding well, the new signings look to be meshing in nicely, MICHAEL SVENSSON IS READY - trouble is we look to be relying on Jan Poortvliet's abilities as a Leader of Men, of which I am not yet convinced, and Mark Wotte... well...

Oh, and we've no full-backs and Kelvin Davis is still our first-choice keeper (has Tommy Forecast played yet? I can't remember). We'll score goals, though, and with any luck that'll be enough to see us right. We ain't ready for play-offs, though, not by a long shot.

I did get a worryingly long way through doing some kind of season preview thing before I realised just how long and boring and not-that-well-informed it was. I'd say it'll be Doncaster, Blackpool and Watford to go down, though.

Key points:

- Reading have had another summer of not signing anyone apart from Stephen Hunt's brother. Coppell has said he expects Shorey to leave. Their defence is quite resolutely not getting any younger, and at least one or two of their players have been making noises about their dislike of his management.

- Everyone seems to be tipping Forest to do better than Swansea. Why? Swansea basically obliterated League One last season, and they did it with no little style. Admittedly, Scunny did similar the season before, but they managed to lose their key player in the off-season; Roberto Martinez, however, hung onto his and did so in the face of major pressure from a much bigger club. The fact that Wiki shows the Swans as having just the one keeper is a bit of a worry, tho.

- Watford. Watford, Watford, Watford. A disastrous run at the end of last season; a strikeforce of Tamas Priskin, Will Hoskins and, er, that's it; and their only summer signing is Jon Harley. Boothroyd's worked wonders before, but how on earth does he get out of this?

- Coventry. Freddy Eastwood has yet to have a consistently good season in the Championship. Chris Coleman is looking to bolster his strikeforce with Mr Consistency himself, Clinton Morrison. They actually finished below us last season. You gotta figure they're in trouble.

- This is Plymouth's squad. Luggy Sturrock has repeatedly expressed his frustration that they can't seem to afford anyone. The amount of time they've survived, and even thrived, at this level is quite amazing. Can they do it again?

- Then there's Bristol City. No-one is expecting them to be challenging for automatic promotion again, but, with the exception of Nick Carle and Darren Byfield, they look to have kept their squad together. What's more, they've added Nicky Maynard, meaning their top scorer this season might actually get more than eight goals. Gary Johnson is talking of going straight up, and he's shown he's not afraid to turn away people that don't fit his plans. One wonders if he might just be onto something...

Seriously you should work for football365 or the BBC or something, top stuff. I'm a big Gary Johnson admirer and I too think they'll have another good season. Watford for the drop is a little far-fetched, however, much as I'd love it to happen. You're right that calling Blackpool for a marginal play-off spot is bonkers. Also not as convinced by Sheff Utd's signings as some are, although there are a couple of potentially decent acquisitions in there.

Coventry should have gone down last season; they were dreck. If they finish above Plymouth I will be surprised and disappointed.

Also, Palace dude completely fkn out of his mind putting Burnley fourth from bottom. They'll be top-half, no problems.

Reading, Birmingham and QPR to complete three of the top four (in any order), the other team not to be Derby but someone like Brizzle C/lol Swansea/Wolves

Derby to finish about 9th or 10th, next to Burnley

Charlton to finish 7th and thus heap pain on all who fell for the following ad:

http://www.cafc.co.uk/uploads/Charlton8968splash.jpg

As for the A45's finest sons, a lot of Cobblers fans seem to be really, really optimistic this season, partly last year's post-Christmas form run plus the fact we've signed, ummm, Leon Constantine and Luke Gutteridge. Remember him? GLAMOUR. Anyway, we've been in the same division for, what, three seasons now we must surely being getting relegated this season, so my predictions are a strong start followed by a 13-game losing streak and relegation after a 2-1 loss to Peterborough, who field 11 Manchester United loanees.

Also, Palace dude completely fkn out of his mind putting Burnley fourth from bottom.

Just to clarify, that list is from the News of the World, reposted from Palace site.

I know we're probably going to sell at least one of them, but we do have TWO 20-goal a season strikers (in that Stern John and Rasiak actually scored 20 goals in the last two seasons, respectively). I don't know why everyone is so down on us.

I've never seen that Matejovsky guy that you go on about Louis, but I can't see Reading doing anything at all. They were dreadful last year, and they're going to be much worse this. Coppell "I have no idea of my best team" wasn't really on inspiring form last term either. I basically think their two seasons of success were ALL down to cheating those quick throw-ins.

check this jamie

Blah
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Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
Blah
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Burnley
Barnsley
Plymouth
Southampton

Much as I have no problem with Southampton, I would happily accept that as collateral damage for the Gargoyle being relegated this time. Sorry Saints d00dz.

As we were walking back to Torquay railway station, having just seen one of the most enjoyable twenty minutes I've ever had in a football ground, I confidently predicted that we* would be playing Argyle in a league fixture within five years. I still think that's true.

*Er that's Exeter City, assuming you're not one of the three peopel on this thread who know who the hell I am.

Oh and it occurs to me that Oxford United will have a good season, one of these years. Just by the law of averages.

Argyle get the ball rolling. Very, very slowly.

lol mediocre thug who played badly for our reserves

I am backing Sheffield United for a top 6 finish. This will change around half time on Saturday.

I think Blades are currently the side with the most pieces in place. They have a squad which might not pull up trees in the Premier, but is full of players who have performed well at this level or higher in the past; most of their side have been at the club for at least two or three seasons now, and know each other pretty well; but most importantly, they've got a manager who has good form at the club and with the squad. Birmingham and Derby could perhaps be said to have the first two, but they've definitely not got the third. McLeish and Jewell have a lot more to prove than Kevin Blackwell at this stage - in fact, more than most of the managers in the division.

Also, if I've not hexed the ILX massive enough - is it just me, or does Wolves' squad look really good this season? Admittedly, it's not hugely different from their squad last season, but still...

Starting as we mean to continue:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/queensparkrangers/2510281/Iain-Dowie-faces-the-sack-at-QPR-after-dispute-with-Flavio-Briatore.html

Haha, time to bump the Stefan Postma thread?

I like how, in casting about for managers the QPR board would find easier to work with, they've gone for Mike Newell.

SUB-PREM NEWS TODAY: Watford's clock keeps ticking as Danny Shittu goes to Bolton; Blackpool have loaned Mo Camara; Derby have denied that Leicester are in for Robbie Savage; Don Hutchison is a lovely man; Yeovil have signed Canadian keeper Josh Wagenaar; Accrington have got former Liverpool yoot Jimmy Ryan; it's trialists a-go-go at Woking, Oxford and Kidderminster; and Lincolon have signed a lad from Grantham Town.

But we are saving the best til last.

See that there thread title? Well...

Carlisle United have released Tyrone Cameron and Ashley-Paul Robinson following trials with the club.

Former Fulham trainee Cameron, 18, made three first-team pre-season appearances while former Crystal Palace winger Robinson, 19, managed just 45 minutes.

"We said Ashley wasn't fit and wasn't right and I think that was massively apparent," Ward told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"He's got some ability but he didn't seem to have the right approach in my view so we have let him go."

never forget ;_;

He's never going to get on dis ting now.

Two big bits of news tonight: Birmingham have signed Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, who you might remember from his time at Arsenal, where apparently he was very good at running fast; and Rotherham are set to start the season on -17 points. That's still 13 ahead of Luton, though.

dion dublin was on sky sports the other day with his list of the best talents in the champ that could make the step up to the premiership. would you like to know who those chosen few were?

1 brian howard
2 bradley wright-phillips
3 richard stearman
4 jon otsemobor

yep.

So all the papers had their Championship previews last weekend, right?

I can't find any of them online. Anyone have any links?

And Five live have their League 1 preview up to listen again, but not the Championship one - will that be tonight or tomorrow, or did I miss it?

I'M NOT READY

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/aug/03/championship

In summary - everyone thinks we're going down.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article4454042.ece

In summary - we're finishing 20th.

Thanks. They're either ill-informed, or I am a hopeless optimist.

http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/2008/08/video-benny-feilhaber-is-having-trouble.html

derby county american international reserve midfielder in novel plea for gametime

Looking at the team that lost the play-offs season before last, and we are not substantially weaker. Overall, I'd say the squad was better, but Bale is a big loss.

Bialkowski still at club
Ostlund - was no good, this James guy sounds better
Baird - Svenson much better
Pele - a disaster Davies or Perry better
Bale - true quality, no-one in the current squad compares
Belmadi - OKish, but Schniderlin sounds better
Viafara - much maligned, but I think we'll miss him. Don't know what Gillet is like
Guthrie, showed flashes but not much cop, Dyer is better
Surman still at club
Jones quality, but we have John, Rasiak and McGoldrick, so overall not a great loss
Saganowski still at club

I'm not ashamed to admit that a tear has formed in the corner of my eye

And it's 17 off for Bournemouth, too. This might well be the most disspiriting relegation battle of all time.

Also, interesting tidbit picked up - Cheltenham Town right-back Jerry Gill owns the franchise for Cheltenham Town's club shop.

ins and outs: Swindon have got FM08 lower-league stalwart Yinka Casal, Brett Johnson's gone to Brentford, Clinton Morrison is off to transform Coventry's season, Derby have signed one of our old youth players, Rob Edwards has moved to Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday are on the verge of a takeover deal, and Campo's off to Ipswich subject to a medical.

Other than that, all the stories today are just a load of chest-puffing in the run-up to Saturday. Except that the Football League have launched a new intiative to encourage more family-friendly behaviour at matches. Here's Northampton Town heartily endorsing this event or product:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44901000/jpg/_44901307_cobblers226.jpg

Chronicle and Echo says that the Cobblers drew 2-2 with new ILX hype team QPR behind closed doors the other day, with Akinfenwa scoring and promising that "he will be at 100% at some point this season".

I think Wolves' squad looks thin, fwiw, especially in central defence. But I kinda live for the pessimism, really. Still it's not good for a season to hinge on 2 or 3 players staying relatively uninjured, and Mick still strikes me as a thoroughly whimsical manager.

I'm feeling optimistic, which is quite an admission for a Blades fan. We seem to have a strong squad, a good manager who's well matched to the club and the supporters, and our late form last season was great. I can't tell you how uncomfortable all this optimism makes me feel.

OTM.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44901000/jpg/_44901307_cobblers226.jpg

I like how Abdul Osman gets to be in this photo despite not yet having played a first team game for the Cobblers, mainly because he might be our only player capable of smiling.

THEM IS FIGHTING WORDS

Also: Paul Dickov has joined Leicester; Brentford have loaned three players including Alan Bennett, who we had on loan last season and who... wasn't great; Chesterfield have snapped up Alan Goodall from Luton; and we've sent Saganowski on loan to Aalborg. Whether that means he's eligible to take on Kaunas in the Champions League for them I am not sure.

Also, we've released Jhon Viafara. The BBC still seem a bit unsure on that one, but we have.

I'll be letting you know tomorrow evening whether mediocrity has been a factor in our imagination-capturing date with Swansea City.

Chronicle and Echo says that the Cobblers drew 2-2 with new ILX hype team QPR behind closed doors the other day

rly? we already gave you lot a 1-0 seeing-to at sixfields a couple of weeks ago.

Yeah, I know that, but apparently we turned up for second helpings.

I'm assuming your team consisted of your under-16s plus any random Spaniards who happened to be walking past.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/1803532.stm

good times.

i saw spiderman 2 in the 6fields cineworld btw. and the kfc. not so good times.

Wooooahhhh Asamoah, Asamoah. Watch out boys, he'll score a goal....

Currently playing in Nice.

Roy Hunter? Has he been playing for NTFC since 1972 or something? Or am I getting him mixed up with someone else called Hunter? Or Hunt? Or both?

haha maybe I shoudl actually try reading stuff, sometimes.

Hunter played for us from 95 to 2002.

Apparently he's currently at Blue Square North impact players Harrogate Town

Ending of It's A Wonderful Life re-enacted at Luton Town. Sort of.

And the season is underway with a massive result for Barrow - a 3-0 home win over favourites Oxford United puts them top of the Conference. For a few hours.

I have agreed to play cricket tomorrow rather than watch Charlton. :(

"THAT IS OBSCENE! HOW HAS HE SCORED FROM THERE? THAT'S NOT EVEN RIGHT!"

- Radio Cumbria react to Barrow's first goal, a 45-yard free-kick from Mark Boyd

http://i4.tinypic.com/10sbqqa.jpg

HE'S READY

God, this game is rubbish

And by this game I think I mean football, not Birmingham - Sheffield United

REAL FOOTBALL

That said, Leeds are about to get off to a winning start - 2-1 up away to Scunthorpe with about 5 minutes to go.

fucking hellfire

kevin philips. what a cunt.

rofl @ philips

IT'S ALL CHANGE FOR THE NEW SEASON

dowie out

dowie in - can't believe he's playing two defensive midfielders at home though

ROFL @ Jeff Stelling and his James Brown doll

ROFL @ Jeff Stelling and his James Brown doll

Cosign

Jewell out

Well, my cricket match was rained off so I saw Charlton after all.

Thoughts:

-Our first-choice defence looks the business, worrying lack of cover. Hudson and Youga solid as rocks all game.
-Therry Racon gave as good as he got in the middle of the park, he'll do well.
-Jonjo Shelvey was a little off the pace today, as were our wide men and strikers, although Gray proved himself a finisher at the death. Varney put in a lot of effort for very little reward.

-Swansea were a good passing team and until they (deservedly) went down to 10 men they played most of the possession football. A lack of penetration meant that they were limited to shots from around the edge of the box, most of which were blocked.
-They need to learn how to defend set-pieces or they'll struggle this season.
-Also they need to get their crosses in more quickly. Pretty stuff around the wings ain't worth squat unless you get a final ball in.

-When you bring on a left-midfielder (Basey) in about the 75th minute, and subsequently bring on another left-midfielder (Bouazza) in the 83rd minute, make one of them play on the right. For a whole minute we had nobody accompanying Semedo on that side of the pitch, and he's only a makeshift right-back as it is. During that minute, Swansea very nearly scored. Through an attack down their left.

McCarthy out.

Managed to miss more or less everything that happened on opening weekend due to being asleep/attempting to purchase waistcoat/failing to purchase waistcoat.

But what appears to have happened: Wednesday top the Championship after smithereening Burnley. Akpo Sodje scores two, goes off injured after 21 minutes, looks to be crocked for a reasonable while yet, indicating this season might be a bit plus-ca-change for the Owls; Doncaster's 1-0 thrashing of Derby seems to be fairly obviously the upset of the weekend; Jan Poortvliet's Monsters Of Total Football lost 2-1 away to Cardiff thanks to a last-minute Roger Johnson header. Still, that's six points for me in Fantasy Football, which is infuriatingly refusing to list David McGoldrick rzzrt fzzrt grrrmph; Watford seemed pleased to hold Palace 0-0 at Selhurst; Filthy moneyed bastards beat Barnsley 2-1, spent most of match mocking Tykes' inability to pronounce "perpendicular" properly; Rob Earnshaw goal drought continues as Forest and Reading endure stalemate; Cookie norrappy after Coventry hoof their way to 2-0 win over Glenn Roeder ft. Glenn Roeder's Norwich City; Bristol City's Steve Brooker does for Blackpool in injury-time; Plymouth split four goals with Wolves, Sam Vokes equalising on his debut; and, perhaps most impressively, Preston took one look at Ipswich's impressive home record from last season and knocked it over 2-1.

IN FURTHER CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:

JOHNSON: "GRR"
GOWER: "GRR"
WEDNESDAY: "GRR"
JEWELL: "You can afford to almost drop 40 points in this league and still get promoted but I'm aware that we need results"

LEAGUE ONE = SUPER-GOAL CARNIVAL OF SCORING WITH THE BALL IN THE BACK OF THE NET LIKE: N'ampton, Hartlepools and Oldham all banged in four at the weekend, Oldham's bundle being all the more notable for them being 3-1 down at home to Millwall... until Paul Robinson got himself sent off in the 73rd minute, the resultant penalty triggering a three-goal eruption in football's pants; the promoted teams' weekends could all be summarised as 'crap', with all of them losing except Stockport, who drew with Huddersfield; the relegated sides didn't fare that much better, though, Leicester beating AFC Vortex but Colchester finding themselves on the wrong end of Hartlepool's drubbing and Scunny losing at home to Leeds; Celtic fans will obviously be delighted with Adam Virgo scoring the winner for Brighton at Crewe; and Carlisle had to come from behind to get the better of a five-goal thriller at Bristol Rovers.

At least one goal in every game in League One, btw.

Encore des thrashings en League Two - Daggers smack six past Chester, Shrews thwack Macc for four, and Vale and Chesterfield get 3-1 away wins at Crisis Club Luton Town and Barnet respectively. Aldershot won their battle of the reincarnated 1-0 away at Stanley, while Exeter marked their return to league football with a draw away at Darlo. One goal snaffles for Bury and Bradford over Brentford and Notts County, draws for Grimsby&Rochdale&Wycombe&Morecambe&Bournemouth&Gillingham. Your current Logan's Run standings: Rotherham beat Lincoln 1-0 to move two clear of Bournemouth and 16 clear of Luton Town. They're also 14 points behind Chester.

Wrexham celebrated their Conference bow by discombobulating the shit out of Stevenage to the tune of 5-0. Barrow's 3-0 steamroll of Oxford puts them second, ahead of Weymuff, Altringum, Burton, Cambridge, Research & Development and Atletico KitKat.

And just as I was typing, a few more bits of nooz: Palace have signed John Oster and ex-Saints running man Leandre Griffit; Plymouth have signed QPR's Chris Barker; Leeds have named Frazer Richardson as captain for this season two days after playing their first League fixture. But apart from that, it's mainly managers backing their strikers, managers berating their back four, managers being all "marathon not sprint", and chairmen being all "Hey, stop picking on our manager, there".

So it turns out that Kris Commons is Scottish

Precious few upsets in the first round of the Carling Cup, except for Charlton losing 1-0 at home to Yeovil, Luton and Macc scoring 2-0 victories over Plymouth and Blackpool, and Notts County bringing Donny back to earth with a 1-0 home win. Tranmere were the only League One side to get taken out by lower-league opposition, losing 2-0 away at Grimsby.

Dowie out

McCarthy in

Pardew shake it all about

(oh wait)

xpost

Srsly dude just sign another centre half we look in reasonable shape other than that, especially when lumping the ball up to big Chris Iwelumo.

................................................................................^^^^signing of the season

oops

..................................................................................................................................^^^signing of the season xpost

you know what i mean

Not really.

Fuck Franchise, just wanted to reiterate this.

Like to offer my heart-felt condolences to Leeds United supporters tonite.

Dom being allegedly homophobic as usual.

I'm actually rooting for Leeds this season, because them and Leicester doing well is probably the only chance we have of the top two spots being taken by Franchise and Peterboro (Frychise?)

kinda don't mind today. dowie appeased the fans, played our most attacking kiddy line-up away at one of the best sides in the div = we got worked championship style. hopefully he'll learn a thing while our 3 best players get themselves fit again.

Our Joel went with my Dad to Molineux today, I might have to consider sending him on the 240-odd mile round trip for the other 22 matches now.

as for us, sounds like crap game, crap result, good idea to stay at home

Kevin Phillips. Somehow I don't mind when he does it to other teams, but... grr.

http://i34.tinypic.com/30w7f2x.jpg

cautiously pessimistic

Ah... bollocks.

His brother is a finer sportsman.

Watched that thurr The Championship last night, we were the featured game - I'm really worried about our defence now, especially since we've lost Andrew Davies. We lacked organisation at the back, though it was fairly obvious that James McFadden is a cut above at Championship level. We have a fair few decent ball-players, but we couldn't match the runs that him and Quincy O.A. were making for Brum. Their attacking options will probably take them up; our defensive ones might leave us in trouble. Svensson's clearly short of practice.

McAllister out

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44703000/jpg/_44703073_poortvilet512.jpg

The sun is up
The sky is blue
It's beautiful
And so are you

So I was playing cricket today, anything happen?

Bristol Rovers looked handy. Other than that, no.

Another battling point from the Lions, I see. Good times for SE London football.

Good times for the morally acceptable face of SW London football as well, AFC Wimbledon maintaining their 100% record to pull clear at the top of the BSS. A fine day, slightly spoiled by another win for hideous rapist Pete Winkleman and his band of cunts.

I just came to post the Conference South league table, as it happens.

A thing of beauty. I was sure we'd get a beating from Bromley but ANOTHER two late goals from Jon Main (if we don't go up this season I'm sure he'll get snapped up by someone in league2) save the day... Not really sure what to make of the BSS yet...

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44961000/jpg/_44961402_akinfenwa226body.jpg

BOOM BOOM BOOM, LEMME HEAR YOU SAY "BAYO"
BAYO

Amir Khan. Fred Dibnah. Sara Cox. Johnny Ball. Stu Francis. Peter Kay. Nat Lofthouse. Dave Spikey. Vernon Kay, can you hear me? Vernon Kay: your boys took one helluva beating, your boys took one helluva beating.

Darlo boss Dave Penney makes an early run for Euphemism Of The Season:

At 6ft 3in Liam will give us another option up front

Who is the biggest idiot here?

i'm guessing the guy at Marseille who wants to sign Tyrone Mears?

Tony Pulis disowns son, sort of

DAD, DAD, ISN'T IT BRILLIANT THAT WE'RE IN THE PREMIER!!

well yes, yes it is. but sit down for a minute son...

I feel I should also point out that Jan Poortvliet's Total Football Revolution(TM) are the live game on Sky this evening, up against Blackpool. Son Of Pulis is injured, but it should still be quite the spectacle in any case.

Actually, no, live game on Sky now. We're rather tasty going forward, but we're getting sprung at the back rather too easy. Some lovely tackling from us thus far, but...

Eeeh - 1-0 down at half-time. We've played some lovely stuff, but Jamie White decided to relieve Ben Burgess of his legs in the box, and Burgess put the penalty away. We can definitely get back in it - Lallana and Holmes both look like proper stars up front - but our open play might just cost us here. Very good game so far, though.

IIRC Ben Burgess is like their only good player. Silly Jamie. I could watch this if I wander down to my cricket club and take advantage of Sky box joy. We'll see.

It's worth it - we are very pretty going forward and Edam at the back. (It was actually G. Taylor-Fletcher who won the penalty, basically used his experience to buy it off White - he's only 18, the poor mite. That's about average age for our squad this season if you ignore Chris Perry, mind)

Oh boy, we have started this half appallingly.

Hmm, well I'm going out about 3, not rly worth the walk now. I'll take yr word for it. Don't you come to The Valley fairly soon? Chris Perry is a saint but bless him he was too old for football 3 years ago.

Oh, that second half was 'orrible. The wind basically left our sails, we were punting it in the mixer by the end but it was all a little hopeless. Basically age & guile wins out over youth and a string of identical haircuts. Still gonna say we'll be OK, it's one of those things we can sort out with time.

Jewell: "Tyrone Mears has no future at Derby. This is a brilliant place to work and he's just signed his death warrant."

2-0 loss to Barnsley suggests Jewell may have just signed his.

http://d.yimg.com/origin1.lifestyles.yahoo.com/ls/he/healthwise/hwkb17_065.jpg

What was that about the best goalkeeper outside the top two divisions Dom?

Oh, and amidst all yesterday's big news, this may have been missed - the Football League's sack race has been won by Kevin Bond.

QPR have signed Damiano "Minimum Wayeeege" Tomassi. They're creeping forwards...

OH SHIT

14:49: Confusion as Andy Keogh appears in attack for Wolves, with no sign of Chris Iwelumo.

Blades on telly later. Good times.

YES YES Y'ALL That's why they call him Sylvan Jebus-Blake.

And judging by the yellow card count Charlton appear to be trying to kick their way out of trouble. Tsk.

HI LJ, HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE MATCH. SORRY FOR DOING YOU AGAIN.

Ipswich and Charlton away both more impressive results in their way than the showy demolitions of Wednesday and Forest. Not used to feeling this buoyant at the start of a season, can we get a few key injuries in now to normalise things please?

Apparently Andy Murray was at Charlton today? God knows why, according to Wiki he's a Hibs fan.

i had a brainwave and didn't go, funnily enough. stayed at my friend's and got beaten at pro evo instead. saw on soccer saturday we had gone 1-0 up, knew instantly we'd lose

Big Chris feigned injury rather than face the Valley massive, shockah.

we'll cut you soon as look at you, them millwall poofters don't know what football violence is

Paul Sturrock on Jermaine Easter:

"He has to fight himself into this team first because, if he is laying about here and not playing to the standards I know he can achieve, he won't be able to move on to the standards he would like, if he was still in that frame of mind."

Yes.

let the poor bastard be

"I hadn't laughed as much since I saw John Polston step on a rake"

Southampton should be playing that Czech guy they loaned form Spurs.

Gillingham have taken Dirk Benedict's son on trial.

Southampton should be playing that Czech guy they loaned form Spurs.

He got our equaliser tonight!

BIG CHRIS = JESUS

I am kinda struggling to breathe here.

So hey, we're going down this season.

Ah well, League 1 is just big money + hype anyway.

BIG CHRIS = TRIPLE JESUS

OK, that Reading 'goal'.

For those who haven't seen it, Reading are attacking and head the ball goalward but misses by about 5yds to the right. After it has crossed the line, a Reading player hooks it back into play, and it is headed by a Reading player onto the bar and bounces back into the six yard box where a Watford player half clears it. The ref blows up and the ball goes back to the Watford keeper who gets ready to take a goal kick.

At this point the ref stops him, and tells him he's given a goal to Reading because the linesman has told him when the ball crossed the line earlier it was between the posts. Two Watford players are booked for protesting and Adie Boothroyd is sent to the stand.

The other linesman gives a dubious penalty with about 5 minutes to go so Reading can pull it back to 2-2.

looooooooooool just seen that on youtube

LOLOLOLOLOL Assistant Referee's Manager (who was at the game): "Looking at the video after, it would appear that the ball crossed the line wide of the post"

link?

= goal
= referee dude

"BOTH COMPLETE COCKS"

Man, I love focusing on the league.

gotta feel a bit sorry for the Cobblers

tbh I'm glad. We suck so fucking much this season we really do need to focus on the league. Or at least focus on not having MK Dons do the double over us.

So I get there half an hour late, 1-0 up, then we concede two horrendous "solo" goals against the run of play and then fruitlessly batter the Wednesday penalty area for the second 45

There's probably a moral in there somewhere

I had planned to go Doncaster today but wound up getting rather too drunk the night before. One 2-0 win later, I think I've got a new plan to get through this season...

Off today to watch Kevin Lisbie stick a few past us again.

According to my old man we were outclassed on Tuesday. And Kights is out for a couple of weeks. So now shit gets intersting.

Jammy Birmingham nick another 1-0 to go top, for now. Irrespective of any current rivalry, that club really is one of history's greatest monsters. Albeit a shitty, never-achieving one.

Dowie out.

Ach fuck here we go back to normality. McCarthy Out, I suppose.

Derby are gonna go on some hilarious winning streak now and finish top 2, right?

that was a terrible win, but nonetheless we feed off the scraps we're thrown

Leon Best. Fuck that guy.

Your boys took a hell of a beating :(

See you down Sixfields next season then, Swygart?

Also, how come Reading have started to look like a team worthy of (being stuck in 15th all season in) the Premiership again?

God knows. Even when they've been beat this season they looked pretty good, at least from watching the highlights. As I said, my dad said they were a different class at Molineux on Tuesday.

Maybe Coppell's stopped (libellous allegation about certain habits in his private life) again?

A friend of ours went out with Coppell in the 70s, maybe early 80s, and she said he was a huge libellous allegation.

I think it's like the Evan Davis libellous allegation: if I hear the libellous allegation from three separate sources, it has to be true.

Thing is, still not the worst result in the Championship of the day - Donny lost 4-1 to Barnsley. Having been 1-0 up against 10 men.

The question now is, are there three sides worse than us in the Championship? Thus far, I'd say yes. We can't afford to drop points against Forest, and need all nine points remaining against the other teams beneath us...

But.

We're currently four points off fifth. And who's in fifth? Plymouth. This, lest we forget, is still the Championship.

I'd say Forest and Donny for the drop, for real. There ought to be enough other candidates for Saints to have every chance of finishing 21st.

Colin Calderwood's reputation as one of the best young managers in the game RIP, 2003-2008

You come up to the Championship and model your team on Arsenal at their flimsiest, you got balls but you're asking for a 9-month spanking, rilly.

the way the Championship usually is, with there being so few points between clubs near the bottom and the playoff zone, a team like Cov will spend one week in sixth and then slide down the table for a few weeks, at which point they're still somehow only 3 points from the playoffs and then results go their way one weekend and they're back up again. it's usually sometime in the new year that things settle down a little and we find our little groove in the low teens. you would think by now i would be hardened to the false dawn of 4 goals and a spell in the playoff zone, but somehow the inevitable slump and mediocrity is always painful. in days gone by i would be gutted that i'd missed a 4-goal home display, but i realise that i am actually glad i have the insulation of being 3,000 miles away from the Ricoh Europe's Biggest Tesco and Football Arena.

Not used to feeling this buoyant at the start of a season, can we get a few key injuries in now to normalise things please?

― Camille Pagliacci (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 13 September 2008 15:52 (3 weeks ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

That guy is a dick imo.

Starting to get quite excited about the Blades this season. Beattie finally earning his wages is the difference.

Guess who's back, back again...

Incidentally, Rotherham became the first team to overturn their points deductions at the weekend, and are now just two points behind Grimsby. Bournemouth are on -8, Luton on -18. Peter Taylor's Wycombe top the table with 21 points. And Port Vale have appointed Dean Glover as manager.

wtf dubai

"just to let you know, there are reports of crowd trouble at the Millwall-Leeds United game"

haha

Three whole wins in a row. Champions League here we come

1737: The two players booked for Norwich today have surnames of Bertrand and Russell. Philosophise on that one.

Meanwhile, the two players sent off for Charlton today have the surnames of Semedo and Hudson, with the end result that we won't actually have 4 defenders available for our next match.

So Watford can be crossed off the list of teams we might be better than, then. Ugguggugg.

Well yknow total football would probably kick ass in League One

3rd in the conf south and still in the FA Cup. Could be worse.

"just to let you know, there are reports of crowd trouble at the Millwall-Leeds United game"

Gladioli allergies?

Top of the Walt Disney League once again.

One shot during the whole game, in the 89th minute, and it wasn't even on target, against a team who played the majority of the game with a defender in goal. Fuck off Dowie. It's amazing just how far backwards we've gone from the slick attacking football of De Canio.

;_;

also lolves

and dunno if palace losing to a 94th minute winner is better than birmingham going top of the championship

probably not.

bad day.

blades going off the boil

lol we're not actually gonna get relegated right

sure?

banking on someone unexpected to make 3/4-season plummet, and the bottom 2 to remain fixed

or lol southampton of course

Sheffield United failed to bounce back from the weekend's derby day defeat as Championship strugglers Southampton held them to a goalless draw.

i think you're playing us soon

Nov 22

must try and go to that one, if only so some clogger called beattie can score the winner against us for the 2nd time this season

good grief, is he already 30?

i recall him striking the crossbar from 4 yards for england against like uh luxembourg or something

and a season at soton immediately before this when literally everything was flying in the top corner

heady times

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00486/Iain_Dowie_486903a.jpg

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye

he holds a job almost as badly as i do

oh god i've left that goal gaping haven't i

best result for GIS "managerial merry go round"

http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/1098/magickc2.jpg

Queue three weeks of discussion about how the next QPR manager will be Mancini/Donadoni/Terim/Wenger/the reanimated corpse of Helenio Herrera, before they just go and appoint Allardyce.

I dunno if this strictly counts as things getting worse, but it definitely feels that way. The story on the official site has Jan "Total Football" Poortvliet saying it'll do Stern good because Bristol City play 4-4-2. Mmm.

wtf he's only 31

i assumed he was one of those 37-year-old national treasure evergreens

and had always been so

as they proved at Cov, an Adebola/John front line practically guarantees promotion.

Somehow, despite the fact that I'd not reckon we'd have got anything out of today's game anyhow, losing 3-0 away to Swansea has given me a major feeling that we might well be doomed. Possibly because I can't imagine this side getting anything anywhere, never mind bloody Swansea.

Stelling was criticizing the decision to put Stern John out on loan today.

We won 1-0 at home to Preston, which is not a result for the ages but was needed after last week.

I dunno that Stern would have made much difference, really - his goals carried us last season, but our team make-up was pretty different last season too. Also, it's apparently an economic thing too. We can't afford the feller; I'd not back him to still be here in February. We've no shortage of strikers, we've just no confidence at the moment - from what I've seen of us this season, we have real trouble dealing with knockbacks. Kinda makes me wish Pearson was still in charge, cos regardless of how pretty Poortvliet has made our passing, he just doesn't seem like the figure to inspire our boys to dig in when they need to.

I took a friend to Charlton, although he's a very good player in his own right this is the first game he'd paid to see. He spent the whole game dishing out (very sensible) tactical advice to Pardew's strugglers. The difference between the first and second halves, I am happy to note, is that my friend often said "...Yeah! Good!" in the latter period. Truly, the first half had been one of the nadirs of my Addick support. The second featured a side transformed, a goal for Svetoslav, and right at the end one of the most gut-sickening bottles in front of an open goal I've ever had the misfortune to watch. Having rounded the keeper from a short backpass, our hapless striker had 2 choices:

a) Pass it firmly into the empty net from a fairly oblique but by no means prohibitive angle
b) Control the ball, dribble slowly towards the goal, wait for a defender to assume role of goalkeeper, then poke it lamely into said defender's leg

Luke Varney, sort it out.

telegraph in "completely OTM" shocka http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/3260210/Charlton-get-back-to-their-roots-with-Burnley-draw-Football.html

Supporters and employees alike of Leigh Genesis have been hit with a devastating blow this afternoon with the news that club chairman and benefactor Dominic Speakman is unfortunately withdrawing his substantial funding from the club with immediate effect.

A statement posted on the club's official website reads as follows;It is with deep regret that I am announcing that as of today I will be stepping down as chairman and will no longer fund the club going forward.

Over the last 9 months we have made huge changes to the club, in raising its profile and raising the standards, but unfortunately that investment was made on the assumption that we would be moving into the new stadium in time for pre season.

Since the end of last season we have been left with no ground to play at, meaning that we have had to play all our home matches outside the town, resulting in significantly reduced income, to the point that staging a match just about breaks even. Match income doesn’t even start to eat into the player costs and administrative costs of the club.

We set the cost base of the club at the end of last season, at a point when we were still being told that we could be in the stadium for pre season. Had we moved in then the club would have been fine and would have continued to make huge strides forward.

At the start of the season we were left without a ground as Hilton Park deteriorated and was ultimately condemned the day after Centurions played their last match.

The council and LSV have periodically informed us of delays in the opening date of the stadium, but over the last six weeks there has been hardly any progress on the site due to a standoff between the builders, developers and the council with regards to some finishing issues.

Last week we were told that the earliest chance for our first game would be the 13th December, but there was even some doubt over that.

The final straw came last week when the council and the health and safety advisory committee gave its verdict on stewarding requirements for the ground. We were presented with their proposal to open a quarter of the stadium, which they judged to need 45 stewards of varying degrees of seniority, costing £3,000 per match, including 5 people to run the control room!!!

All this for a match where there may only be 250 spectators!! Bearing in mind the stewarding costs at Hilton park were under £200 per match. Similarly the cost of meals for players, of which we are bound by the league to provide 40 per match, will rise in cost from £2per player to £7.50per player at LSV.

Unfortunately the people involved in running the stadium appear to have no appreciation of the running costs of a club of this type and are gearing the stadium up with a cost base similar to a Premier League club, then trying to pass the costs onto the clubs.

By resigning as chairman and ceasing with funding the club, it doesn’t necessarily fold, although when I joined the club it was days away from running out of cash and there was nobody else to keep the club going. We are trying to restructure the club to fulfil the remaining fixtures, effectively on a zero cost base, but that would require several key issues with the league and council to fall into line.

It is shame that this was a real opportunity for the town to have a good quality football club, but over the last nine months we have had the door slammed in our faces so many times that it really has made the club unviable.

I went into this with an amount to which I was prepared to fund the club, but with virtually zero income, the losses have effectively trebled.

I do hope that the club can continue, although it is looking difficult and I hope that the council review how they are viewing the clubs so that Centurions aren’t faced with such ridiculous costs and a similar fate. What looked like a bright future for the club six month ago has turned into a nightmare because of poor management of the stadium build and health and safety people that just don’t live in the real world.

I’d like to thank Mary, Donna, James and Steve who have put their heart and soul into taking the club forward. I’d like to thank the supporters and LGSA and in particular Matt Lawton and Tony Marshall who have really helped build the support against the odds. We should also spare a thought for the players who are now left without pay and who have taken the news very well, many of whom have volunteered to play in the short term.

Regards
Dominic Speakman

http://a0.vox.com/6a00c2251ce3f4f21900e398f379e80004-320pi

WE THE BEST

WE TAKIN' OVER

LISSSENNNNNN

ok shit

we may in fact be fucked after all

Boothroyd's gone.

The QPR position is still vacant, isn't it?

BIRMINGLOL

Is there an FA Cup thread yet?

Dancing in the streets of Curzon Ashton: The FA Cup, 2008

Kettering Town win friends and influence people

(he's since apologised, but let's not go letting the facts get in the way)

Ishmel Demontagnac sacked for excessive twattishness

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/ArticleSearchPhrase?phrase=qpr%20football&contenttype=-1&articlesortby=DateUploaded&show=20

^^^laughs-a-plenty

Paulo Sousa new stooge at QPR

Predictions: 74 new flair players in their mid-30s to be signed on free transfer from whichever Qatari team just released them, QPR to still play by hoofing the ball up to Blackstock.

It can't be much fun fun having Flavio Briatore telling you what team you have to pick, maybe he wasn't fully behind Dowie's deeply held beliefs about touch tightness and picking up those second phase balls

http://www.masbiz-world.com/qpr-logo.jpg
http://www.icicom.up.pt/blog/quarto-arbitro/arquivos/sousa.jpg
http://www.laughtertherapy.com/bean_laughing_hb.gif

Really do need "thread of laughing at QPR"

Andy Fordham not a QPR fan then?

Also thread of laughing at Charlton when Jaggerman gets back.

Still, you'll love travelling down to Sixfields next season. There's a bowling alley and an Old Orleans and a Frankie and Jonny's and everything.

Is LJ at the game? Poor guy.

He's either at the game or banned.

Poor guy.

In between pointing out that rubbishy old Big Chris is once again showing the Scotland fans what they're missing out on, I'd like to say COME ON YOU SAINTS

And they did come on. Well done you guys.

I've been trying not to LOL at our current situation, especially after the 'boutique football' comments but once i read Briatore was giving serious thought to appointing himself as manager i couldn't stop myself. Although it's not as funny as our deluded fans as pointed out up thread with the 606 forum.

This column may have previously given the impression that Bradley Wright-Phillips was steadily pissing whatever potential he once had up the wall. We now accept that he is, in fact, the messiah.

And the Charlies are rid of Pardew.

He'll be okay, I hear there's a vacancy at Arsenal coming up.

More QPR LOL's:

We announced on our official site that we had signed Heidar Helguson on loan, only we haven't and he's gone back to Bolton and is going on loan to Charlton instead, who we play tomorrow night, so he may actually score the winning goal against us.

Boutique LOLs

In between pointing out that rubbishy old Big Chris is once again showing the Scotland fans what they're missing out on

He started against Argentina, and only came off because he was injured! We're hardly missing out on anything yet or for the foreseeable (unless Kerr somehow gets the Scotland manager's job, or some twat gives Nacho Novo a passport and a game).

We announced on our official site that we had signed Heidar Helguson on loan, only we haven't and he's gone back to Bolton and is going on loan to Charlton instead, who we play tomorrow night, so he may actually score the winning goal against us.

― Mr Raif, Monday, 24 November 2008 22:08 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

The story behind this is even greater. QPR wanted him on loan until January 31st, but Helguson wanted the loan spell to end (understandably) in the transfer window. So QPR just sent Bolton the paperwork with it written down as the 31st anyway, possibly due to incompetence, possibly because they thought Bolton might not notice.

QPR are still only 3 pts off the playoff places tbf

The rest of the Championship needs to man up

We're only in that position because the Championship is pretty poor this year apart from Wolves, Birmingham and Reading. The other three play off places could be filled by anyone although i expect Sheffield Utd to be in there. The fact that we haven't scored a goal in seven away games and can still be close to the play offs is insane.

Bradford City unveil £99 season ticket

Just saw Iain Hume's injury for the first time on the news. That is seriously unpleasant.

Police have arrested four Football League youth side players over claims that a team-mate was subjected to a sickening sex attack.

Hospital staff tipped off police while the 17-year-old Coca-Cola League One club player was being treated, after he was allegedly attacked with an object in showers.

It’s believed that horseplay between the players got out of hand.

Cops quizzed four players at the club – which cannot be named for legal reasons - and last night three were released on police bail while a fourth was freed and told that he would not face charges.

The club said in a statement: “We are aware there has been an alleged incident. We will assist and communicate with the relevant authorities.”

It's Franchise, right?

Think McCarthy's half time talk will be along the lines of "try not to be so shit in the second half, lads".

Three points from a plausible nine for us, but we're unbeaten in four... it'll come right. I think.

Comprehensively outplayed for 70-odd minutes. Hopefully we're gonna buy come January cos the bench looks thin to me.

If you had played Jarvis from the start you might have got something since he totally destroyed Peter 'Damage' when he came on but your forwards met their match in our centre backs today. If we sort out our away form we might just make the play offs.

Yeah Jarvis improved things but we never really got going, too many of our guys anonymous today. You should probly have scored a couple more, altho y'also did save that cracking free kick.

http://www.world-guides.com/images/leeds/leeds_map.jpg
http://blog.mrfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/laughing-jesus.jpg

my idiot housemate supports leeds. today is a good day.

Shit business, in't it?

a+ penalty from beattie

blades seem to have gon mental in last two minutes

good grief, paddy kenny got fat this year

lol

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/7794419.stm

McAllister out. Leeds must be close to a manager a year since they sacked O'Leary.

RIP big man, heaven needed a guy who'd rather spend time with his dying wife than Michael Mifsud

Gus Poyet 5/2
Ady Boothrord 7/1
Billy Davies 7/1
Simon Grayson 8/1
Ian Dowie 12/1
Joe Royle 12/1
John Sheridan 12/1

Billy Davies ftw (where 'w' = next in a long line of failed Leeds managers who barely last a season)

wailing, gnashing of teeth and all that

Ouch.

Still, good work from Reading and the Blues. Blackpool tomorrow won't be easy, and I feel like we're in a bad patch at the mo, but it's nice of the other promotion contenders to give us a sporting chance.

"a sporting chance" wtf u are fkn creaming the league u can even afford to have comedy pot-shot session against doncaster and win

meanwhile we control 60 minutes of a match against shitty blades and lose 3-1, EVERY SINGLE FREE-KICK is going in against us, EVERY ONE, and we're now like 5 points adrift at the bottom

4 points, would have been 5 but for late reading equaliser

i feel bad for you, son

pah, next season i won't have to worry about so many ilxors clowning me after defeat

except for the 'big' one :-/

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45331000/jpg/_45331031_saintsbody.jpg

At least your lot aren't attempting to save money by deliberately buying shirts three sizes too big so players can 'grow into' them. Poor Simon Gillett.

And apparently Derby are having a fairly shitty season too

John Leslie or Gillian Taylforth to take over, then.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45331000/jpg/_45331568_jewell_getty2_226.jpg

god, he's hideous

Going into town to stick a twenty on Forest Green right now.

Unless they're already odds on.

ram_pant_crying_eagle.jpg

Incidentally, no mention of Forest jettisoning Calderwood?

I nearly said something, but I was too busy pissing myself laughing.

Jordan Robertson ensuring that Saints' season goes from strength-to-strength, I see.

That cunt grabbed Nicky Weaver's arm at The Valley, thus preventing him from making a quick throw-out, got booked and then substituted

A certified failure, as permanent first-team coach! Happy New Year, Charlton Athletic!!

Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyne Routledge.

Wayne Routledge has no confidence.

In further gazumping news, Wolves are apparently snaffling Alan Gow from under Blackpool's noses.

FUCK

I am so furious right now

A virgin league fixture, and quite possibly one that will never happen again, Leeds visiting Edgar Street in the league, getting out of the house for a bit, a worthwhile Saturday...robbed because some referee decides a game can't be played on a pitch that will thaw out by 3 in the blazing sunshine

SO FUCKING PISSED RIGHT NOW

Now I've gotta wait SEVEN MONTHS to watch some League One

OK, this really is it.

RIP

In further gazumping news, Wolves are apparently snaffling Alan Gow from under Blackpool's noses.

Didn't go through, apparently his medical highlighted a "biomechanical" problem, lol Alan Gow is a cyborg.

Roeder out.

Charlton assuming the Grim Reaper's mantle ever more quickly these days

http://www.theselector.org/images/brett.jpg

Remember him this way.

as a broken image? good call

Transfer talk:

So, Saints are buying (note, buying) Arturo Lupoli, according to lots of completely unsourced internet stories.

Plus Lee Molyneux from Everton, and this Dutch centre-back, Jan-Paul Saeijs, who is at least tall and not a teenager, and Ryan Smith from Millwall.

Still no sign of bids for Lallana or Surman or Davis.

It's all very confusing. I thought we were broke.

So apart from Beattie to Stoke, what else is happening?

Unless we go down, I think we'll hold on to them three. Davis is the only one who's really pulled up trees for us so far, but given his previous Prem form I don't think any top-flight clubs will be too interested. As for the other two, I just think the clubs they'd leave us for will probably have more attractive targets to pursue.

That said, if we do go down, then they'll probably be gone licketysplit.

Also, some people saying the board is the problem at Norwich, a view perhaps strengthened by the news that the IFA have denied them permission to speak to... Nigel Worthington.

And now Norwich are attempting to deny that they made any approach for Nigel Worthington. Jamie - I think we might have just found someone to take our place in the bottom three...

Clough out.

Be fair, it only took him 10 years to turn Burton into a Champions' League club.

** VINCE RUSSO MADE NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT WATFORD **

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/02-2.jpg

http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/pictures/v/vincerusso/03.jpg

oh ok it's not that one

Jan P gone

Inevitable, I guess. We really look like an impossible job at the moment, given how crap our financial standing is, but if the board gets a proper man-manager in, then maybe - maybe - we can do something. I'm gonna cross my fingers and toes for Boothroyd, but I suspect we'll just wind up with Wotte til end of season instead. And go down.

And F365 (and therefore presumably PA) has confirmed Wotte's in permanent charge until the end of the season.

Shit.

Poor Jan. I liked him. Performances have been better than results, and I think we would have been OK, but it can't have been much fun. Seemed to be feeling the pressure in that Man U cup game: "It is a shame, what you did!"

I still think we'll be alright. We are actually a lot better than a lot of other teams around us (see two Reading games). I think it is inconsistency, not just general crapness, although any kind of long ball or decent cross will usually result in a goal against us.

Boothroyd a twat, apparently. All positive thinking and inspiring quotes pinned up in the dressing room and stuff. Also, prob not willing to take our pay rates!

I'm quite happy with Wotte till the end of the season, then see where we are, who owns us, etc. Mind you, my mates call me a "Lowe-lover".

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/84167318.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF19358B9FCD9D575A233787DEFE1B2EB48A05A5397277B4DC33E

"Fucking abysmal, that was what I fucking thought of it. C'mon, let's get to it, I'm trying my best here. What did I make of it? I thought it was the best bit of fucking football I've seen in a long time. Do me a favour. It was a crap start to a game. There you have it, can you print all that? Fucking rubbish, absolute tosh. Drivel. Shite. Bullshit. That's what I thought of it. Did that help? I'm quite pleased, apart from the fact that's given them the poxy result, I'm fucking livid about it – of course I am. So, there you have it."

Glad to see the pressure's not getting to him.

TBH I think he's doing his whole swear-up comedy act, benefit of doubt

Nah I think he's probly kidding, if that dude's got a problem it's not reacting to pressure or indeed anything else.

Take away the own goal and I'd've took 0-0 at Reading, it reads like an improvement on our previous meeting.

what problems Wolves have at the moment ;_;

This must be what it's like for suffering Arsenal fans :D

FUCKING IDIOT WENGER "out" RETAINS R VAN INJURY in favour of PROVEN GOALSCORER LIAM KEOGH

is he out of his MIND

loooooooooool oops I mean Andy Keogh, that one fell flat

like Arsenal's title-challenge amirite

Keogh is the van Injury at the Molineux nowadays.

http://www.canadalegal.info/img--site/BC/van-downtown-keith/van-dtwn-keith-1k792.gif

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crystal_palace/7855776.stm

This man played for 90 minutes last night in one of the most desperate, scrappy, utterly-devoid-of-quality games of football I have EVER seen, did absolutely nothing worthy of mention (I didn't actually notice him once), and frankly he's a low-rent Kevin Davies antifootball clone who has no business being anywhere near a goalmouth.

But hey, we beat the scum 1-0, we beat the scum 1-0 *chants all the way to League One*

I take it all back btw; he's the Palace tribute signing to our own Andy Gray debacle. We had the sense to drag ours off after about 75 minutes but I don't think he accomplished much more than good old Shefki.

COME ON WEDNESDAY

everybody please die

yours,

a charlton fan

Look on the bright side, you can watch Leeds next season.

I was gonna watch Leeds this season but the game got frozen off. What a year it's been.

Meanwhile, we're still three points and hell of goal difference off getting out of the bottom three, and we still can't buy a win at home, but we've come from behind with 10 men to draw against Roberto Martinez's Shining White Knights Of Playing The Game As It Was Intended, and I make that 4 goals from 3 games for Saganowski, who's now saying he wants to stay with us. He scored 10 in 13 to take us to the play-offs two seasons ago, and having been shit last season and on loan to Champions League Aalborg, he might - just might - have come back to save us. Good grief, I'm actually feeling... positive!

Still a long way to go but i can't see any team outside the current top ten finishing in the play offs. We've hit a very good run recently and i'm starting to believe we might make it. Paolo 'Keyser' Sousa seems to have something about him.

I think the Good Lord gave us the Palace win out of nothing so much as a wearied duty to prevent our fans from actually committing suicide.

WBS, are you schtill playing zhe total football?

KEEP ON COMING ON WEDNESDAY

Just want to be in first with the McCARTHY OUT

Fucking Lol Reading and Birmingham City FC Are And Always Have Been Dour Talentless Cunts don't want to win this shit either. QPR for the title or something.

Birmingham City FC Are And Always Have Been Dour Talentless Cunts

should be added to the national constitution

Incidentally, six points behind Dear God No City but with two games in hand plus better goal difference - Cardiff City are perfectly placed to make this a four-way pile-up at the top.

Also, for the betting man - you can still get reasonable odds on Chester going down this season. It's very much worth a pop.

Swansea currently fourth favourites to go up with Betfair. They are, however, offering "6.2" (I can't quite remember how that translates) for QPR to go up... value, though.

Without being arsed to look at the stats I've got a feeling QPR's away form will let them down. At home, on a narrow pitch where they can bustle and close teams down and generally boss the game they look good. Forced to let teams play, not so much. Also their concentration for the full length of the game looks iffy to me.

Cardiff would have been even better placed but for a spot of weather in SE London. And I'd be a lot more irritable and cold right now.

The current top four are nailed on to finish to be there at the end of the season. The last two play off places will be between Sheff Utd, Swansea, Burnley and us i think. We have one of the best defences in the league but our away form is so crap because of our forward line. Helguson has missed about four open goals since he's been with us. Blackstock is really overrated as well. We'll be a much better bet next season.

Potentially misleading headline corner:

Canaries confirm Doherty appeal

Fisher Athletic appoint first female manager in British league history. Well, sort of. She's in charge for their game against Eastleigh in the Blue Square South in an attempt to raise sponsorship money for the club.

fuck football up the fucking arse

...and a resurgent Charlton coming up soon as well

Today was the first time we've won convincingly in....oh, aeons

Seriously, Sturrock out

No way. Seven points out of a possible 39? Sturrock's doing a marvellous job.

Fisher Athletic (who play at my local ground in East Dulwich) appoint first female football manager (for one game): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/4680972/Donna-Powell-makes-history-as-Fisher-Athletics-manageress-for-the-day.html

Telegraph opts for photo of Cherie Lunghi.

Setting her up as scapegoat for their inevitable relegation from conference south: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/conference_south_table/default.stm

*cough*sixpostsup*cough*

Interesting to see how this turns out. Eastleigh do seem extremely pissed off about it.

Also, last night's results in Championship keep snapping the strands on our rope down the bottom. Plymouth might be worse than us at the moment, and it's still possible Norwich could screw up badly enough to let us back in. Plus we have a rescheduled six-pointer against Watford coming up. Still winless under Wotte, though, and we've conceded two goals in each of our last five games.

tbh I think SW England and SE London are pretty fucked when it comes to relegation

out of the Championship, certainly

xxxpost OOPS No excuses for not reading the end of a thread.

*Hangs head in shame*

Might go though. If only for the inevitable "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING" and other lol sexism.

Also, for the betting man - you can still get reasonable odds on Chester going down this season. It's very much worth a pop.

― William Bloody Swygart, Saturday, 7 February 2009 17:14 (1 week ago) Bookmark

I have just checked their BBC Sport homepage on an absolute whim and by God you've got a point

"With Chris Brown, Preston have a much more aggressive threat upfront now"

Deliberate pun?

Now that was three points I really did not see coming. And what I'd not noticed is Forest have managed one point from their last five games. Only our second home league win of the season, true, but that whole "find three teams worse than us" thing might possibly happen.

Might.

Things could be worse, though - we could be Weymouth.

Kudos to Birmingham and Reading on applying relentless pressure. KIU lads.

Two points cover 4th to 9th in the Championship. The QPR-Ipswich game stays as it is, then it's 3 covering 4th to 10th. Admittedly, eighth-placed Cardiff have got a good four or five games in hand on everyone else, but this is gonna be one of those run-ins again, isn't it?

I still think there are only 4 credible contenders for a top 2 spot: Wolves, Blues, Reading and Cardiff. And I can't see Cardiff picking up max points from the games in hand. That said, given our current level of performance I will happily take a goalless draw tomorrow.

Then again, that's how it's gone the past few seasons - a breakaway pack up the top, Cardiff and Wolves messing up somewhere in the middle, and then all hell breaking loose from about 12th spot upwards. Hull, for instance, can't have been more than about 9th this time last year?

Hull were playing really mediocre football too. I can't remember exactly when the play-offs became a sensible possiblity, obviously most of the die-hard Tigers I know have this permanent never-in-doubt mentality going on which is presumably the best way to approach supporting City.

Hmmm. Not outplayed but certainly outfought, brilliant third goal by Ipswich though. Looks like we don't have enough in the final third to reach the play offs this year and our lack of natural full backs undermines us when we get the ball out wide.

Hull were going nowhere last year until they signed Fraser Campbell on loan. That's all it really takes to make a difference in the Championship.

http://kaiser.dreamhost.com/OT_stuff/head_in_hands1.jpg

Hang on - why did nobody tell me that Birmingham had signed the greatest-named player *ever*?

I mean, everything literally writes itself. Everything. It's like having a winger called Will Cross or a goalie called Reflex Gaffe

Or in Blues' case just sign Danny Shittu.

Well, you know where Shittu started off...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Carlo_Costly_Drawing.JPG/185px-Carlo_Costly_Drawing.JPG
Are you talking about this lad? (that's his wikipedia photo by the way)

"LAAAAAAND AHOOOOOOY"

Just to let you guys know if you don't hear from me for a while it's cos I'll be getting a train down to the Black Country and fucking up McCarthy's other kneecap with a rusty crowbar.

Meanwhile, just to add to the general unfuckingbelievability of the Ripped to the Tits on Acid and PCP league, Reading and Cardiff both trailing too.

Cardiff and Wolves messing up somewhere in the middle

QE-fuckin'-D.

Still, two home wins in a row for us! Mission Impossible upgraded to Mission Unlikely!

Good god, all these relegation-threatened teams simply can't stop winning!

Except for us. Today, I believe, is white-flag day. The official ceremonies may now begin. Absolutely no way out. RIP. Adios.

Blackpool are fucked too, in their own quiet way.

It is REALLY ANNOYING how everyone - EVEN BLOODY PLYMOUTH - has decided to hit form now too. Three wins on the bounce! Two straight clean sheets! JASON EUELL SCORED! And, in true Championship form, it's time for every team not in the bottom six to go to shit. Blackpool and Barnsley are starting to float into our sights, though, and maybe... maybe we might make it out. (Albeit that tonight was, I suspect, a very, very good time to be playing Ipswich)

Incidentally, Bournemouth - dear old Bournemouth and their 17-point deduction - have made it out of the League Two relegation zone, at the expense of Grimsby Town, whose lone hope of salvation is now Chester going under.

QPR 0-1 Norwich

^^^gotta be one of the lulziest results of the season

Still think Charlton have had the worst season of any league club, Grimsby and Chester inclusive. Anything but a win and I'd have Norwich as relegation certainties too, mind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Curbishley

is he having a piss in that photo or what?

Props to Doncaster though, I'm not sure there's any other League side currently outstripping expectations to the extent that they are, given that, at the start of the season, most people would probably have picked them to finish bottom of the Championship.

I was thinking that very same thought as I lay in bed last night. They even WERE bottom of the Championship until well into December, I believe. Now they've gone ahead of Palace o_O

They were playing well even when they were losing tho, mostly. Didn't ship many goals at home, all they needed was to edge a few and here they are.

Sheffield United in decent form since the new year.

Well, technically, since BWP's been arrested before, that's only four Saints players arrested in the past year. And Jordan Robertson was on loan so it's only three, really...

I've lost the heart (and the financial means) to watch Charlton for two games running now. :(

On the plus side, I've picked two good ones to miss! :D

;_;

lol have you seen your next 2 fixtures?

bitter lolz

TBF I won't be convinced we've gotten thru our shitty patch until we've convincingly gubbed you guys next Saturday. But at least I'm back to worrying about the team we've got being too piss-poor for the Premier League rather than thinking we're not gonna get there.

please, do go on, I insist

Soz :(

it'll all be fine when we go to Millwall and win and get beaten up

Leeds too

That actually goes without saying. My brother might be at uni there next year...I'd be well up for an Elland Road smash-and-grab. As it were.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6965/snap13rb6zv5.png

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f14/snouts/boutique.jpg

bah

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f14/snouts/boutique.jpg

(just setting up the lolz for wbs' lot's "surprise" victory tomoz)

oh look who's scored

it's been a season of final nails

I KNOW WHO I'D LIKE TO STICK A FINAL NAIL IN THE SCROTUM OF

top of the league, you're having a laugh

0-0 against a side whose away record is exactly the same as our home record (won 3, drawn 9, lost 8) isn't too terrible a result, I guess, though three points would've been much nicer. Still, one point off Barnsley (they have two games in hand), two off Forest (we have one game in hand)... Norwich beating Plymouth is a bastard, though.

My old man reckons Charlton came with no intention other than to get a point which is the kind of attitude you need when you're 13 adrift at the bottom of the table.

fighting the good fight

I reckon we prolly only need about 8 new first team players to be able to compete in the Premier League. Should be a doddle.

Good enough maybe: Berra, Stearman, Jarvis(?)
Be interesting finding out: Kightley, Jebus-Blake, Elokobi
Fucked: the field

Guess who's back...

(also - Andrew Bikey?)

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2009/03/18/sacked-pilot-says-robbie-savage-did-not-pose-terrorist-threat-97319-23172394/

best headline of 2009 is WON

1 Wolverhampton 40 24 77
2 Birmingham 40 14 72
3 Reading 39 30 68
4 Burnley 40 8 65
5 Sheff Utd 38 18 63
6 Cardiff 37 18 63

THIS IS HOW WE ROLL

Nice to be able to visit St Andrews next match and afford to go home with nada.

Just found out that the referee for our completely end-of-season-feel 0-0 with Preston was called Darren Deadman

today was a good day for sheffield united. did not really expect a 3-0 win away at cardiff.

i've completely lost track of who supports who in the championship. who else has a horse in this race?

you'll be the only one next season!

well, you, rtc and Mr Raif, but they don't support a football club so much as a bank

Depends which race you mean...

Oddly enough, the Blades look to be one of the few sides at the business end who have any kind of form at the moment - unbeaten in their last seven, winning a decent amount, and if they take their game in hand they're three points off second place with much better goal difference. Automatic promotion really is not out of the question.

Predicting the division is murder, cos this year nobody has got the legs for it. That said, the way it's shaken out, I wouldn't think anyone beyond Swansea has a shot now, and they're a long shot at best - it looks like it'll be between Preston and Burnley for the last spot if anything, and I'd reckon Burnley will probably take it.

And down the bottom, our run-in kinda gives me nausea. Next game is home to Charlton, then our game in hand is Watford away. Those are both very winnable fixtures, and if we don't come away with six points then we're probably stuffed. Wouldn't expect anything away at Wolves, but then it's home to Palace and away at Wednesday - the two teams whose seasons have basically petered out to nothing already. Again, six points needed there. Burnley at home I expect will be fairly dicey, a point from that would be lovely; and then, to end the season - away at Forest. The team we're currently one point behind with a game in hand. What odds that game ends up with both sides getting relegated by a last-minute goal for Plymouth?

Soton-Charlton will truly be a field of despair, especially considering we're playing some of our best football this season at present and so will most likely get something from the game. Not much in the way of a final ball against Preston, but we completely ran the game in midfield, playing some delightful one-touch stuff at times. You'll need something special from your players over the last few games to get out of this.

Since the beginning of March we've won 4, drawn 1, and conceded 1 goal. Those performances have been more important and characterful than the barn-storming stuff at the start of the season I think.

but what a goal it was

actually, that kinda vindicates you further, that the one goal you've conceded was a 25-yard bolt-from-the-blue screamer, cleanly struck by the boot of the national captain of the most populous country on Earth

a man who will probably not be plying his trade in League One next season

Yeah, Berra is going to be McCarthy's best decision of the season I think.

they have combined england's arch-enemies into a super-being

Luton Town, incidentally, have broken the record for the number of supporters of one club attending a match at Wembley, having sold out their 30,000 ticket allocation for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

And next season, they get to play AFC Wimbledon.

Wolves have got Harewood on loan. Is he functioning as a reserve Iwelumo, or is Iwelumo a reserve Harewood, or is it going to be sort of two-pronged lump-based attack?

Actually, I've just looked at Wolves' first-team squad - why have they got Shane Higgs on loan, and whatever happened to Matt Murray? I know he was injury-prone - have they finally given up on him, then?

Murray went out on loan to Hereford near the start of the season to get some match fitness and he broke down again :( Ruptured patella apparently. Guy's had no luck, ever.

The answer to your other questions is a big jpeg of McCarthy looking sulky and/or baffled.

Oh... fuck.

It's alright, SAINTS will sensationally avoid a ten point deduction, even if the club's parent company goes into administration. according to the Echo.

Just got train tickets from Leeds to Southampton for tomorrow's 0-0 disappointment. What's the likelihood I'll be able to get back to the Southampton Central station for 5.15? Having looked at the map, it almost seems like I could walk it in time... but I'm not sure.

Luton Town, incidentally, have broken the record for the number of supporters of one club attending a match at Wembley, having sold out their 30,000 ticket allocation for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.

That can't possibly be the record, can it?

Top 50 Football League players published by FourFourTwo Magazine this month. [loanees from outside the Football League excluded]

1. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Wolves)
2. Kevin Doyle (Reading)
3. Michael Kightly (Wolves)
4. Stephen Hunt (Reading)
5. Kris Commons (Derby)
6. Jason Scotland (Swans)
7. Ross McCormack (Cardiff)
8. Karl Henry (Wolves)
9. Keiren Westwood (Coventry)
10. Joe Ledley (Cardiff)
11. Ferrie Bodde (Swans)
12. Kevin Phillips (Birmingham)
13. Chris Eagles (Burnley)
14. Darren Pratley (Swans)
15. Chris Iwelumo (Wolves)
16. Wayne Hennessey (Wolves)
17. Roger Johnson (Cardiff)
18. Chris Cohen (Nottingham Forest)
19. Maik Taylor (Birmingham)
20. Matty Fryatt (Leicester)
21. Fabian Delph (Leeds)
22. Tommy Smith (Watford)
23. Kevin Foley (Wolves)
24. Kyle Naughton (Sheffield United)
25. Martin Paterson (Burnley)
26. Matthew Kilgallon (Sheffield United)
27. Daniel Fox (Coventry)
28. Miles Addison (Derby)
29. Sean St. Ledger (Preston)
30. Lee Carsley (Birmingham)
31. Marvin Elliott (Bristol City)
32. Noel Hunt (Reading)
33. Dexter Blackstock (QPR)
34. Rickie Lambert (Bristol Rovers)
35. Andy King (Leicester)
36. Jermaine Beckford (Leeds)
37. Marcus Tudgay (Sheffield Wednesday)
38. Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough)
39. Adrian Basso (Bristol City)
40. Grant Holt (Shrewsbury)
41. Simon Cox (Swindon)
42. Brian Stock (Doncaster)
43. Aaron McLean (Peterborough)
44. George Boyd (Peterborough)
45. Tommy Spurr (Sheffield Wednesday)
46. Mike Williamson (Watford)
47. Tommy Doherty (Wycombe)
48. Charlie MacDonald (Brentford)
49. Andy Bishop (Bury)
50. Marcus Bean (Brentford)

link or it's not true

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A49359838

that's 50-1, where did you get 1-50?

No Akos Buzsaky, no credibility.

lol @ Swygart attending the most depressing football match of the season

and travelling 400 miles in the process!

lol @ Southampton ticket line's Maestro payment facility being 'broken'

lol @ Swygart getting his train tickets before getting his match ticket

lol @ Swygart doing 10-and-a-half-hour round trip and probably just ending up watching The Damned United or something

But, y'know, at least it'll be near the sea. The air'll do me some good, innit?

The air, riven with the dank stench of relegation and nearby Portsmouth

Also, least impressive admission of culpability ever.

I would offer to come along and bear witness to proceedings in my capacity as a footballing coroner but I can think of ways to spend 70 quid on a Saturday that don't involve wailing and gnashing of teeth

On an entirely unrelated note - anyone seen the League Two promotion race lately?

1 Brentford 39 23 71
2 Bury 40 15 66
3 Rochdale 40 17 65
4 Wycombe 39 17 65
5 Exeter 40 11 65
6 Gillingham 40 3 65
7 Shrewsbury 40 16 60
8 Bradford 40 10 59
9 Chesterfield 39 9 59
10 Dag & Red 39 17 56

It almost makes the Championship look sensible.

WTF GILLINGHAM

N.B. three automatic promotion slots and then four play-off slots. Rochdale presumably currently third on goals scored.

I thought they were struggling at the other end!!

Might get that Dartford line derby after all

In the absence of the Robot I question his credibility.

loooooooool

down with the chaaaaarlton
you're going down with the charlton

(i can GUARANTEE you we're singing this one, probably right this second)

Maybe should have considered how many times we've lost from being ahead this season before saying that

Oh well Lou1s if you've done nothing else this season you've probably terminated Southampton at least.

Run ins for that second automatic spot:

Birmingham (72pts, +14, 1 game in hand)
Wolves (H), Charlton (A), Plymouth (H), Watford (A), Preston (H), Reading (A)

Reading (69pts, +30, 1 game in hand)
Sheffield United (H), Blackpool (A), Barnsley (H), Derby (A), Norwich (A), Birmingham (H)

Sheffield United (69pts, +23, 1 game in hand)
Barnsley (H), Reading (A), Forest (H), Burnley (A), Swansea (H), Palace (A)

Burnley (66pts, +8)
Derby (A), QPR (H), Cardiff (A), Sheffield United (H), Southampton (A), Bristol City (H)

Cardiff (63pts, +15, 2 games in hand)
Swansea (H), Derby (H), Palace (A), Burnley (H), Preston (A), Charlton (A), Ipswich (H), Wednesday (A)

Reading have shot it, I think. Between Blades us and Birmingham now.

Cos we can still lose this division, easy.

Birmingham have a pretty soft run in apart from Wolves on Monday. Reading too, apart from us next Friday. Birmingham - Reading on the last day of the season should be good times. With Reading, Burnley and Swansea, our run-in could be easier. Burnley are probably out of the mix for the promotion spot. Would love to see a Cardiff meltdown tomorrow morning (lol 11am kick off) and a Birmingham loss on Monday.

xp

Reading in exactly the same position as Sheffield United, don't think they're at all out.

(they have better goal difference and an easier run-in too, apart from that last game)

No way Wolves aren't getting automatic promotion.

Southampton, Derby, QPR, Barnsley and Doncaster?

Staggered if you take less than 10pts from those five games.

I'm tentatively happy we'll get automatic now but it could still be in second. I'm not thinking so much of Reading's points relative to you guys as their form which suggests a team in the process of bottling it.

You could still lose to Birmingham and finish on 87pts with those 10pts. Reading and us are have six games left and are 18 points behind that total. Seriously doubt either of us win all six.

xp, ah, ok. Yeah, Birmingham could catch you with that six pointer on Monday. Needless to say, I'm hoping they don't.

It's nice to have the luxury of being able to lose at St Andrews and stay top. If we take anything on Monday then mentally that's the finish line for me.

lol at reading's form. i obviously haven't been paying attention.

finish line for champion or promotion?

Promotion.

I think McCarthy shd start sounding at Boro about bringing Aliadière back to the Wolves, seeing as they're going down and all.

sounding out, even.

love this time of year

oh shit i am in good luck usa on the last day of the season.

I wasn't exactly over the moon when the train had to sit at Peterborough for half-an-hour on the way back due to the police and a bunch of Newcastle fans having a frank exchange of views... but on the whole, I think I actually quite enjoyed my grand day out. I can't see us staying up on the evidence offered today - too much lumping to players who weren't really able to do anything with said lumping, plus a general air of disorganisation and mismatched players harrying earnestly but kind of out of their depth (poor, poor Jake Thomson trying to be a right-back) - but really, we could use a rebuilding. Yes, another one. Where and how that happens is the scary bit.

I would also like to point out that our two goals were both quality. Dave McGoldrick also made a point of coming over and applauding our section, which was really sweet of him.

Also: yay Lu'on!

I watched two games relevant to this thread today - Cardiff v Swansea (the derby where ex-SPL players go to die), and quite a lot of Luton v Scunthorpe. I was entertained greatly all round.

i slept through cardiff - swansea, but the result was v. pleasing.

Swygart, lol and all that...sounds like a cracking game with some great goals, shame the fixture will be gracing L1 next season. Were our own merry troupe of doomed vagabonds any good?

Difficult to say - my glasses are currently in desperate need of replacement cos my eyes are going downhill like they were Permin Zurbriggen, so I did have quite a difficult time making out the precise goings-on for a fair bit of the game - I had serious difficulty telling Drew Surman and Adam Lallana apart, for instance, despite them playing on opposite flanks. Darren Ward seemed good at getting on the end of our delicately lofted punts into the box, but I'm pretty certain got a skinning for at least one of our goals; Zheng was hassling the living daylights out of us while he was on the pitch; we also seemed to have quite the predilection for booing the hell out of Kelly Youga, though I can't remember why. Thinking any player that Ryan Smith has got the number of can't really be all that.

In terms of cracking game... can't honestly say it was. The ball was in the air a lot, and yours profited more from that than ours. Our defending for your first was very much of the "Jesus wept" variety - it was down the other end from me, and cos everyone was chanting at full pelt when it happened it had this kind of surreal, unbelievable quality about it, like it wasn't actually happening. When it blatantly was. Rudi Skacel looks permanently knackered and should tuck his damn shirt in. Jake Thomson is not a right-back, and that played a large part in Nicky Bailey scoring the third goal.

There were bits of quality, though. Racon's finish for your second; McGoldrick's delightful swerving to carve the opening for our first, which he finished by sumptuously rolling it beyond Rob Elliot; oh, and our second, which roughly nobody in the ground saw coming, BWP lashing diagonally beyond Elliot into the top corner. Ryan Smith had his moments on the wing, but no-one seemed capable of offering him support. Oh, and Saganowski - no way we can hang onto him beyond season's end, and he spent the entire afternoon getting dominated aerially, but when it was on the ground and he was chasing it, it was marvellous. He was linking up very niftily.

Worst thing about relegation, if it happens - Exeter might be going up from League Two. Our kits are practically identical. It'll just be embarrassing.

Gillingham are menacing promotion as well. Oh, what times beckon.

Cheers for the report, btw, must remember that Permin Zurbriggen line

Oi! WBS! If Exeter go up from League Two it'll be the single best thing to happen anywhere in the world in 2009.

As of right now:

1 Brentford 40 72
2 Exeter 41 68
3 Bury 41 67

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 Wycombe 39 65
5 Rochdale 41 65
6 Gillingham 41 65
7 Shrewsbury 41 61

We (Exeter, obv) play Brentford next, and then Wycombe. Season-defining Easter fixture list, innit? The stats seem to suggest that 76 points will be enough to secure automatic promotion (I'm using the work of cleverer and madder individuals than me by the way). It's kind of nervous-making and what's doubly odd is that the possibility us securing our fourth-ever automatic promotion has crept up on us rather quietly.

Stuart Fleetwood, on loan from free-scoring Charlton Athletic, "notched" two brilliant goals on Saturday. Just saying.

I'd agree that Exeter going up would be well cool but YOU HAVE THE SAME SHIRTS AS US IT IS NOT FAIR WE NICKED BIRMINGHAM CITY'S SPONSORS BEFORE YOU DAMMIT (I think that's how it happened, anyway)

Note also that Bradford and Chesterfield are both one point behind Shrewsbee, and one thing worth noting about the Shrews is this:

Home: Won 14 Drawn 4 Lost 3 - Scored 40 Conceded 15
Away: Won 1 Drawn 12 Lost 7 - Scored 15 Conceded 24

That's what happens when you no longer play at a ground with a comedy name.

As for Flybe: no way dude, they started sponsoring us when we went down to the conference six seasons ago, and BCFC a little while after that. I think. It is true that ECFC and SFC seem to have hahd some sort of shirt convergence. I bet they change to be distinguishable for next year if we're in the same division.

How seriously should I be taking the "Southampton FC might cease to be" stuff which was hinted at in the papers?

Also, poor Kelly Youga is one of the most unpopular first-team players with the Charlton fans. Heaven knows how he felt after that one. Like I say, a day of despair for all except Nicky Bailey who climbs ever-stoically up the Championship goalscorers' chart. I reckon he must have cracked the top 25 by now, which isn't bad for an all-action centre mid.

Should be interesting to see which of Soton (given relegation) and Charlton give the whole Leicester City "taking Tiger Mountain L1 by strategyorm" a better go. All depends who's kept hold of, I suppose. Both clubs are in dire need of defenders.

Tim, can you explain me Exeter's recent history in a nutshell? I'm imagining similar fanbase/fortunes to Carlisle United, somehow.

I am so fucking nervous already I'm gonna have an ulcer by 8pm.

Here we go, this is about as potted as I can manage.

1990s: decade begins with marvellous promotion from Div 4, club owned by a local businessman who sinks tons of cash into overseeing a slow decline. Few bright spots (Alan Ball managing us to six points over Argyle in 1992). Relegation in 1994. Administration 1994-6. Finished bottom of the league 1995 (league status saved by Macclesfield's ground not being of standard, or something).

Next few years see us struggle along, best finish being 13th in Div 4. Ambitious stadium development plans lead to further penury. Owner finally sells out to a couple of fellows from outside. They usher in a season of ECFC being something of a comedy club (Uri Gellar, Michael Jackson, Dave Prowse, managerial upheaval, not enough games won). Nearly scrape survival but becoem the first club to be automatically relegated by finishing second-bottom.

My mate Neil gets married on the pitch the day we lose our league status.

Police swoop on the club amid allegations of fraud (one of the directors goes to prison years later as a result of these investigations).

Supporters' Trust, formed a couple of years before, takes on ownersip of the club and its £4M+ debts. Club survives hand-to-mouth for a bit, goes into a CVA, fans learn far more about bankruptcy laws than we ever imagined we would. Still faced with bills of more than £1M, which will need repaying within a year or so. We're breaking even operationally but not turning a profit. Things are looking dicey.

We make it through to the third round of the FA Cup, via a pot shot from the half-way line courtesy of local lad and youth team product Dean Moxey. Tony Cascarino sees fit to draw us away to Manchester United. We go there without a prayer and draw 0-0, losing 0-2 in the replay. The various income streams see us pay our debts off (but not really make it into surplus).

The bad news is that we have settled uncomfortably into being non-league. We keep just missing out on the play-offs.

2006: our second manager in a row is poached by a higher-div club to be their youth team manager (Alex Inglethorpe to Spurs; previously Eamonn Dolan had gone to Reading). We appoint the little-known Paul Tisdale from Team Bath.

2007: Tisdale takes us to the Conference play-off final in his first season. We lose.

2008: promoted back to the league via the play-offs (following a memorable play-off semi against Torquay, remind me to tell you about it sometime)

2009: exceed all expectations by thriving back in the League (most of us would have settled for consolidation) as a supporter-owned club. I'm really proud of this. We msotly play pretty, to-feet football.