Re: The Football Thread - 10/11 (II)

[Chivalry Augustus]

Just seen the highlights and the corner leading to their third goal featured an even more blatant offence that should have lead to a penalty than the other three over the two legs. Andre Mariner was awful tonight though, he was never going to give Forest anything and that was summed up by him booking Gunter for having the tenacity to run faster than somebody to get the ball. I think we've been denied three stone-wall penalties over these two legs, and one other that ought to be given as well. 0 out of 4 - not at all surprising when it's Forest in the play-offs.

[Guest]

We are to playoffs what England are to penalty shoot out. Except England actually won one.

[JKLever]

Sad for Forest tonight, you can't quite match Ipswichs record in the playoffs though - think we've played 10 of them and won 1. Played 7 before we won our first.

[beamer]

I know who I want us to get next season then! Would be like England v Holland in a World Cup shoot-out, they would both do their best to lose but someone would have to go through...

[Chivalry Augustus]

I'd rather just finish 1st. Or 7th.

[beamer]

One of the football stories of the season from the Conference, where AFC Wimbledon have reached the Football League after just 9 seasons of existence following a penalty shoot-out win over Luton. Just shows the power of football supporters once again, after the FA allowed their team to be relocated to Milton Keynes. I think it's probably time for the football community to stop hating MK now as well, they have their team and it's not going away but Wimbledon have their Football League club again as well and it will be some rivalry if they end up in the same division at some stage!

On the subject of feel good football stories this season we can't forget Brighton as well, 15 years or so ago they were bankrupt, homeless and one game from going out of the League - the "Fans United" day helped save them and after years in distant Gillingham and then a run-down old athletics stadium they will be moving into a fantastic new stadium this summer, with Championship football to go with it.

All proof that it's the fans that matter in this game, not those who think they know how to run it. Let's hope Luton have their time next season as they've been through it as well and it's a shame someone had to lose today.

[Basil]

The fact that Luton have yet to return to the League shows the strength in depth of the Conference

[beamer]

There's a lot of former League clubs in there now, plus you get a team like Crawley who have a lot of money behind them thrown into the mix from time to time. A much more difficult league to get out of than it used to be, I know for years there was only one promotion place but would be good to see it increase to 3 or 4 like in the higher divisions.

News from Spain tonight, Deportivo La Coruna relegated, Champions League regulars just a few years ago, made the semis a couple of times I think and won a Spanish title. Shame it's now become a rich man's SPL with two teams who could play blindfolded and still fill the top two places.

[JKLever]

I despised Wimbledon, but todays promotion is a great story.

[JGK]

Well I am currently starting to pack my bags getting ready for my short trip to London for the CL final.

Happily, London in late spring seems to be as cold as Sydney in late autumn so I don't need to think to hard about what clothes to pack.

[Basil]

There's a lot of former League clubs in there now, plus you get a team like Crawley who have a lot of money behind them thrown into the mix from time to time. A much more difficult league to get out of than it used to be, I know for years there was only one promotion place but would be good to see it increase to 3 or 4 like in the higher divisions.

News from Spain tonight, Deportivo La Coruna relegated, Champions League regulars just a few years ago, made the semis a couple of times I think and won a Spanish title. Shame it's now become a rich man's SPL with two teams who could play blindfolded and still fill the top two places.

The Conference is beginning to look like the old fourth Division. I hope Luton go up next year, but they won't have a parachute paymet to play with.

[beamer]

The Conference is beginning to look like the old fourth Division. I hope Luton go up next year, but they won't have a parachute paymet to play with.

They still have average crowds of over 6,000 which is around twice anyone else in that league, so they should still have the biggest budget barring another team like Crawley this season emerging.

At the other end of the scale, Hayes and Yeading averaged just 386. How poor must their support have been before they merged? (unless that was the thing that actually drove people away!)

[LeFromage]

So, who's going down?

I'm tipping Wigan (won't get anything from Stoke) and Birmingham.

[beamer]

Can't see Blackpool getting anything at Old Trafford, hope they produce one more surprise to save themselves but expect United's reserves will put on an end of season show and score three or four.

Wigan will have had such a lift from last weekend I think they will get something at Stoke, who have nothing really to play for and are still getting over FA Cup disappointment. May only be a point but think that will be good enough with Birmingham, who seem to have nothing left, losing at Spurs.

That combination of results would make Wolves-Blackburn academic but I think there will be twists that put one or both of those under pressure at some point during the afternoon...

[LeFromage]

Man United's reserves aren't all that good - the first team's nothing special this year.

I can see Blackpool, with their all-out attack philosophy pulling something out of their arses. A 5-5 draw or something similarly nuts.

But I agree, Birmingham seemed to run out of gas a couple of months ago. Although they are playing Spurs, whose season has also petered out with a whimper.

[Basil]

I think Birmingham met get a bending from Spurs, which gives Blackpool a sniff, but that assumes Wigan get nothing at Stoke, which I think is far from certain

[LeFromage]

Wigan are terrible in defence against the ball in the air. Stoke live to pump the ball into the air.

No points for the Latics.

[JKLever]

Blackpool are doomed, which is a shame.

[beamer]

Although they are playing Spurs, whose season has also petered out with a whimper.

Until they went to Anfield to play on-fire Liverpool and somehow turned them over 2-0... just shows you can predict absolutely nothing this season!

[JKLever]

Well Blackpool still in it, always fancy their dodgy defence to let one in though.

[JGK]

Blackpool are well in it now - 2-1 up.

[JGK]

As I type that - Man U score.

2-2 might keeps Blackpool in as Birm and losing and Wigan are drawing. What is the tiebreaker where the GD's are the same?

[doremi]

4-2. They're out. Shame. They actually try and pass the ball.

[beamer]

Well, after a slow start what an afternoon of football we ended up with. Blackpool are down after a brave fight, don't think we'll see them in the top flight again but we may well see Holloway there again. (If not, Sky should sign him up as a pundit.) Birmingham also gone, gives us the crazy situation of having a Championship side in Europe next season, which doesn't seem right really. And Wigan survive again, as I expected - a draw would have done them as it turns out. They're the new Coventry, they stay up year after year somehow.

Probably only one team deserved to go down though (I can safely say that after we fuqed up the play-offs again!)

In terms of the minor issues to be decided today, Arsenal in the CL qualifiers, wouldn't surprise me if they even mess that one up. City only separated from second place by goal difference. Spurs in the Europa, and did Fulham throw away the Fair Play place with Gera's red card? Could be two Championship sides in Europe next season!

[JKLever]

4-2. They're out. Shame. They actually try and pass the ball.

Aye, thought they played really good football. Can't defend for sh!t though.

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