The Premiership

A projected look at the ups and downs with the clock ticking with judgement day approaching under the promotion and relegation issues. At the top of English football it is safe to say that Liverpool will be crowned English champions for the 20^th time to equal Manchester United’s same numbered titles. Nottingham Forest have been the season’s surprise package with Forest harbouring ambitions for a top four finish, Forest seeking the ticket to Europe’s top table since 1981 on entry since the before named the European Cup. A numbered out seven clubs are jostling in behind with various permutations match ups. A possible seven Champion’s League slots to become active, numbers wise English clubs to dominate Europe? In the depths Southampton’s demise was fast tracked as early as December following Russell Martin’s sacking. To perm two clubs from three for the other two relegation spots has to be the case with Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Wolves, all bets on Wolves being the hot dogs to avoid the relegation.

The Championship

In the Championship, link to article October 2^nd 2024 ‘Engand’s 2^nd Tier, the Championship’. A return to the top flight after a 2 year absence seems evident for Leeds, Burnley and Sheffield United tucking in behind the Lilywhites akin to seeking a quick Premiership return. The documented parachute payments for clubs drop zoning out of the Prem aids their recovery powers substantially, hence the yo-yo effect, a major chink in English football which needs to be addressed,

English champions on six occasions, Sunderland AFC with an averaged out fan base of 37,000 seem certain to grab a play-off spot having drop zoned out of the top flight during the 2016-17 season. Coventry City have blitzed into contention under Frank Lampard’s guidance landing in 5^th spot (at time of writing) winning eight of their last nine matches, the Sky Blues best run since the 1969-70 season. West Bromwich Albion, Bristol City and Middlesborough are within touching distance of sixth spot, Sheffield Wednesday, Watford and Millwall could come into the equation, to suggest that twelfth position in the Championship can still breathe life into the club’s season. These clubs need to hit their boot straps with a long sequence of winning results which would vault them into the top six, Frank Lampard has worked that oracle for Coventry City in the lower reaches Plymouth Argyle seem destined to drop alongside Luton Town. Seven clubs above the named two have aspirations to stay clear of League 1.

League 1

Birmingham City to be crowned champions of League 1? Let’s put the crown on, the Brummies have obliterated the chasing pack with a twelve point margin on the current scoreboard. The main rivals Wrexham AFC and Wycombe Wanderers look set for the remaining two automatic slots. It would be a meteoric rise for Wrexham, three successive promotions from the depths of the National League. Wrexham went huge in the January transfer window, in came the one capped England international Jay Rodriguez from Burnley for a reported 1 million pounds with Sam Smith’s arrival from Reading eclipsing to double up on that figure arriving for 2 million pounds, a club record. The Hull City winger Ryan Longman arrived earlier in the window for 500,000 pounds. Wycombe Wanderers have kept pace with the Welsh dragons with Charlton Athletic, Stockport County and Huddersfield Town lying in the promotion spots (at the time of writing) to be clear that three more clubs could reach beyond into those spots.

At the deep end, Shrewsbury Town are sinking beyond reach with Cambridge United on the same dinghy, Crawley town and Burton Albion also seem to be cutting adrift, to say that there are four other clubs within a sniff’s range.

League 2

In League 2 the sleeping unfashionable Walsall FC have exited the club’s slumberland to top the division (at the time of writing), the Saddlers set a club record nine wins on the bounce, but a recent bump has saddled with just two wins in nine to reduce the gap to second to three points. The club’s Poundland Bescot Stadium is a sand pit of a pitch, perhaps the opposition have adapted to beach football? Closing in behind are former Premiership clubs Bradford City afforded the 1999-2001 seasons and AFC Wimbledon, ironically the Don’s exited the Premiership the season prior in 2000 having endured fourteen years of top flight football, link to article Jan 5^th 2021 ‘Historically Yours, Wimbledon FC’ the Bantams for their part fizzled out with a year Prem shelf life.

Also in the play-off spots are Doncaster Rovers, link to article Sept 3^rd 2024 ‘Fireballed, Richardson’s Hobby Horses’ and the world’s oldest professional football club Notts County, formed 1862, of interest and for the record Sheffield FC are recognised by FIFA as the world’s oldest club, currently based in the Northern Premier League One, East, the 8^th tier of English football. The third oldest club in existence is Wrexham AFC founded in 1865. Tucked in behind are Port Vale with one of the widest pitches in English football, expansive football at Vale Park? Up to six clubs are still in contention for a late play-off spot. In the lower reaches Carlisle United are doomed, double figures insanity from a safety position, Morecambe look set to sink ahoy with Tranmere Rovers clinging onto some chinks of light. As to avoid the second relegation pull the cord. Relegation from the Football League is ranked as the worst relegation in English football.