Tom
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Post by Tom on May 15, 2017 18:18:54 GMT 1
Halifax got promoted into the Conference/National, pleased with that, just a shame Forest Green beat Tranmere to get into the Football league for the first time. With a travelling support of 32... Another stat from the BBC article: "Their Gloucestershire home town of Nailsworth will be the smallest ever to host an EFL club next term, with a population of 5,794." That's smaller than our village, and our local team plays in the Thames Valley Division Four (level 15, or step 11)! They were relegated last season, but seem to have settled now - best results this season include 14-1 and 8-1 wins against The Hop Leaf (pretty sure that's actually a pub team), and scorelines of 12-1 and 8-3. The team doesn't even play in the village, though, after the council raised rent for the playing field You've got me intrigued to know who your local team is now! I might have heard of it in passing. But if you don't want to say then that's fine.
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Post by o on May 15, 2017 20:23:08 GMT 1
Here are some of the smaller places that have a Football League team. Intrigued to see the Stags are 12th! Nice to be high in some tables!
Forest Green – Nailsworth 5231 Took title from Fleetwood (25,000), (who took it Rushden & Diamonds (8000)) Morecambe (34,000), Accrington (36,000), Yeovil (46,000), Walsall (68,000), Shrewsbury (72,000), Crewe (72,000), Burton (73,000), Carlisle (76,000), Bury (78,000), Mansfield (78,000), Scunthorpe (80,000), Burnley (82,000), Grimsby (89,000), Chesterfield (89,000), Stevenage (90,000)
AFC Fylde in Wesham (3300)
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frag
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Post by frag on May 16, 2017 7:45:56 GMT 1
Tuesday 16 - Wednesday 17 May
Premier League Man City will qualify for the Champions League if they get a better result than Arsenal. Liverpool will also qualify if Arsenal lose.
SPL Inverness relegated without playing on Tuesday, if Hamilton win at Ross County. If Hamilton fail to win, then Inverness will still be down on Wednesday, unless they get a better result than Hamilton did.
Play-off Schedule
Tuesday: Championship SF 2nd leg: Reading v Fulham (1-1) SPL Semi-Final: Dundee Utd v Falkirk (2nd leg: Fri)
Wednesday: Championship SF 2nd leg: Sheff Wed v Huddersfield (0-0) Scottish Championship Final: Brechin v Alloa (2nd leg: Sat) Scottish League One Final: Forfar v Peterhead (2nd leg: Sat)
Thursday: League Two SF 2nd legs: Exeter v Carlisle (3-3), Luton v Blackpool (2-3)
Saturday: League One Final: Bradford v Millwall Scottish League Two Final 2nd leg: Cowdenbeath v East Kilbride (0-0)
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Post by o on May 16, 2017 12:48:31 GMT 1
Come on Reading!
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frag
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Post by frag on May 17, 2017 13:06:47 GMT 1
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Tom
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Post by Tom on May 17, 2017 19:09:56 GMT 1
Would say i'm surprised that we won last night, but actually said that if we keep a clean sheet I was quite confident we'd win, although with McShane and Obita out I did think we'd concede. The key was not losing away leg, discovered a positive omen that the years we hadn't made the final were when we lost both legs. Head said we'd be thrashed away but heart said narrow defeat or score draw, and hearing what players said afterwards they thought with our home record this season we'd get the job done last night having come away with the draw.
Though it now means I've got to worry about getting Wembley tickets...They're being done through an external company and the absolute mess for the Swansea play-off final almost meant I didn't go at all (got them less than half an hour before online sales ended and wasn't going to phone up otherwise). Thankfully it appears to be a new company so hopefully it will be nice and straightforward to buy them!
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Post by o on May 18, 2017 10:17:02 GMT 1
And Huddersfield join them after a penalty shoot out! I'm going to predict a goal fest for the final after the paucity of goals in the semis, bigger pitch will lead to more gaps and more chances. So it will be 0-0 now and go to penalties...
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frag
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Post by frag on May 18, 2017 15:06:09 GMT 1
Tuesday 16 - Wednesday 17 May
Premier LeagueMan City will qualify for the Champions League if they get a better result than Arsenal. Liverpool will also qualify if Arsenal lose. Arsenal won (despite Jordan Pickford's 11 saves), so the battle to compete in the CL/go out in the last 16 (delete as appropriate) goes down to the wire. Hamilton lost and Inverness won, so the great escape remains on! It's Reading v Huddersfield in the play-off final. Both teams finished in the bottom third of the table last season. Reading have been in the PL relatively recently, but Huddersfield are trying to make it to the top flight for the first time in 35 years.
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Post by suedehead on May 18, 2017 15:56:52 GMT 1
Huddersfield haven't been in the top flight since 1972, i.e. 45 years. Haven't you got a maths degree?
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Tom
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Post by Tom on May 18, 2017 18:19:51 GMT 1
And Huddersfield join them after a penalty shoot out! I'm going to predict a goal fest for the final after the paucity of goals in the semis, bigger pitch will lead to more gaps and more chances. So it will be 0-0 now and go to penalties... I can see the bigger pitch helping us with our passing game, (Swansea certainly enjoyed it for the majority of the 2011 final against us) though the same could be said for Huddersfield too. Though if it goes to penalties there's no way we're winning with our penalty record this season, we won't be able to score on the rebound! I was quite surprised that Stam admitted this, but then he's open with his answers (I think he goes on a bit too long really) but he said that they did penalty practice before the 2nd leg and Kermorgant was the only player to score!
It will be interesting to see how we cope with Huddersfield's gegenpress, as listening to commentary of the away league game this season it sounded like we struggled, at least first half anyway. And when we pressed Swansea for the first 15 mins of the 2nd half of the 2011 final they struggled to cope, and then we hit the post (with the rebound being blocked on the line) after which they played out the rest of the game.
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Tom
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Post by Tom on May 18, 2017 21:52:22 GMT 1
I think when the first goal goes in could depend on whether it's a goal fest or not. Thinking about our games this season, if a team has scored early they've tended to get a few, especially in the away games.
On another note, a Reading player has scored a very late winner for Exeter to beat Carlisle and reach the play off final! Jack Stacey, I first mentioned him on here when he scored a wonder goal in an fa youth Cup semi final 2nd leg against Fulham in 2014. It's weird that he's playing right back for them (although it might be right wing back, not sure) as he made a name himself that season, and in first team appearances the following season, as a right winger. But he did actually start out as a right back.
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frag
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Post by frag on May 18, 2017 22:39:44 GMT 1
Huddersfield haven't been in the top flight since 1972, i.e. 45 years. Haven't you got a maths degree? With all the Tories have done, I sometimes try to pretend the 2010s haven't happened
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frag
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Post by frag on May 19, 2017 8:15:07 GMT 1
Saturday 20 May
League One The winner of the Bradford v Millwall play-off final will be promoted.
SPL Hamilton and Inverness occupy the final two places. One will go down, and the other will have a play-off against Falkirk or Dundee United for the chance to stay up. Inverness will be the one relegated unless they win and Hamilton don't (or they draw and Hamiton lose by 5).
SFL The play-offs conclude, with teams in Green looking for promotion, and those in Red still fighting relegation. Championship: Alloa (0) v Brechin (1) League One: Peterhead (1) v Forfar (2) League Two: Cowdenbeath (0) v East Kilbride (0)
Sunday 21 May
Premier League The only issue to be resolved is Champions League qualification: two of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal will qualify, with the 5th-placed team compensated by a Europa League Group Stage place. Man City (away to Watford) will qualify unless they lose, both Liverpool and Arsenal win, and the goal difference swing to Arsenal is at least 5 goals. Liverpool (home to Middlesbrough) will qualify if they win, or if Arsenal don't (unless they lose by 2+ goals and Arsenal draw). Arsenal (home to Everton) will qualify if they win and either Liverpool don't win or Man City lose (with a 5-goal swing), or if they draw and Liverpool lose by 3+ (or 2+ with Arsenal scoring 2 more).
If Liverpool lose by 2 goals and Arsenal draw, then there will be a play-off if Arsenal score 1 more goal (e.g. Liverpool 0-2, Arsenal 1-1). If Man City lose, Arsenal win, and the swing is 5 goals, then there will be a play-off if Arsenal score 1 more goal (e.g. City 1-4, Arsenal 2-0).
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Post by o on May 19, 2017 12:36:15 GMT 1
Exeter v Blackpool in the Div.2 playoff final, I was hoping we'd get rid of "Too Big For This League" Luton, but sadly we have to put up with them and diving Hylton for another season! I'd like to see Blackpool go up, potentially the bigger club if they ever get rid of Oyston, Exeter is also a mammoth journey for our fans.
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Tom
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Post by Tom on May 19, 2017 18:30:06 GMT 1
Exeter v Blackpool in the Div.2 playoff final, I was hoping we'd get rid of "Too Big For This League" Luton, but sadly we have to put up with them and diving Hylton for another season! I'd like to see Blackpool go up, potentially the bigger club if they ever get rid of Oyston, Exeter is also a mammoth journey for our fans. Just to prove it wasn't all good for Reading players, Luton's keeper is Stuart Moore and he conceded an own goal in injury-time to cost them the game! Though he isn't officially a Reading player anymore as he's been released...
I'd like Exeter to go up, would be good for Stacey, but they've also got a couple of ex Royals there, Jake Taylor and Pierce Sweeney (though Sweeney never played for the first team, and he did actually keep Stacey out of the team for the first leg).
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Tom
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Post by Tom on May 20, 2017 10:23:03 GMT 1
Got my Wembley tickets last night. Not where I wanted them, but guess I shouldn't be picky! Think it could have been worse...
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frag
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Post by frag on May 22, 2017 8:45:07 GMT 1
Saturday 20 MayLeague OneThe winner of the Bradford v Millwall play-off final will be promoted. Millwall follow Sheffield United and Bolton into the Championship after a late winner. Inverness are relegated, while Hamilton face a two-legged match with Dundee United to retain their SPL spot. Meanwhile, Brechin and Forfar are promoted after winning their play-off ties, meaning Peterhead are relegated. Cowdenbeath retain their League Two place after a penalty shoot-out victory over East Kilbride. Man City and Liverpool claim the final two Champions League spots, while Arsenal enter the Europa League for the first time since dropping into it in 1999/2000, when they went on to lose the final on penalties.
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frag
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Post by frag on May 22, 2017 9:51:44 GMT 1
Remaining issues to be sorted...
Wednesday 24 May Man United will be in the Champions League if they win the Europa League final.
Thursday 25 May Dundee United v Hamilton Academical in the first leg of the SPL-Championship play-off final.
Sunday 28 May Second leg: Hamiton v Dundee United League Two play-off final: Blackpool v Exeter
Monday 29 May Championship play-off final: Huddersfield v Reading
And then we have a wait of just over two weeks until the 2017/18 Premier League fixtures are announced (14 June), and an extra week until the Football League fixtures are announced (21 June).
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Post by Shireblogger on May 22, 2017 10:10:30 GMT 1
Remaining issues to be sorted... Wednesday 24 MayMan United will be in the Champions League if they win the Europa League final. Does anyone know how Europa League spots are being determined for next year ? If United win the Europa League, do we still have their place in next year's tournament ? Arsenal, presumably, qualify for finishing 5th and for either winning the FA Cup, or being beaten Finalists to a Champions League qualifier. Does winning the League Cup still confer a place in the Europa League ? And given this went to United (if it exists), does it go to the beaten finalists (Southampton), if United qualify for the Champions League ? So, does that mean Everton take the 1st Europa League spot as the next highest finisher in the league (with United and Arsenal securing places through the Cups) ? Which means Arsenal & Everton only in the Europa League (if United go into the Champions League), or is there a 3rd spot for the 8th placed finisher - Southampton ?
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Tom
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Post by Tom on May 22, 2017 20:08:18 GMT 1
There isn't a place for the Fa cup runners up anymore, it goes to the next league place. 5th place is Europa League so Arsenal are in regardless of what they do in the cup final. Man Utd have qualified for the Europa League by winning the league cup, so either way I'm assuming Everton have made it in by finishing 7th. The standard qualification is the 2 Cup winners + 1 via the league.
I was wondering what would happen if Man Utd won the Europa League. I've got a feeling we have one less place...
Hope that all makes sense!
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