Football League + Conference

[DC76]

Well, so much for his football career. If he gets convicted, which he probably will. Idiot. :rolleyes:

[Southend_Yid]

The football league started today and all you guys just need to know......... that Southend started off with a 1-0 win!

[Southend_Yid]

Luke McCormick (Plymouth) - Has been been -

Charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
One count of driving with excess alcohol.
One count of driving without insurance.

 professional footballer has been jailed for seven years and four months for killing two children in a crash.

Former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick, 25, admitted causing the deaths of Arron Peak, 10, and Ben Peak, eight, and driving with excess alcohol.

The brothers, from Partington, Greater Manchester, died in a crash on the M6 in Staffordshire on 7 June.

Stoke Crown Court heard McCormick had driven "like an idiot". The boys' parents said they were scarred forever.

The court also heard McCormick, who was returning from a wedding, had ignored a plea from a friend to stop driving and pull over at services

Friends and relatives of the boys' family jeered McCormick as he arrived at court.

In a victim impact statement the boys' parents, Philip and Amanda Peak, said their lives had been shattered by the accident.

Philip Peak remains in a wheelchair and wears a neckbrace. He suffered spinal and lung injuries in the crash and may need further surgery.

Mr and Mrs Peak said they were disappointed McCormick would be eligible for parole in three-and-a-half years' time.

"In court, his barrister spoke of the effect this case has had on Luke. We find this offensive.

"Phil will carry the scars of the incident for life. We will both carry the emotional scars forever," they said.

The court heard that when breathalysed McCormick was found to have 74 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

The brothers and their father Philip Peak, 37, were in a Toyota Previa with friends, travelling to Silverstone racetrack, when the crash happened.

Their car was involved in a collision with McCormick's Range Rover at about 0545 BST on the southbound carriageway of the motorway between junctions 15 and 16, near Keele services.

Mr Peak, 37, who was driving, was seriously injured in the crash.

McCormick kept his head bowed and covered his face with his hand as the court heard he had told eyewitnesses at the crash scene: "I am so sorry, I'm sorry. I just fell asleep. I fell asleep, I'm sorry."

Before the accident other motorists noticed him "driving like an idiot" and estimated his speed at around 90mph (144km/h).

In mitigation, John Jones told the court he had been on his way to "sort out his love life," when the crash happened.

'Speed and alcohol'

He had been at a teammate David Norris's wedding in Bolton when he became upset about rumours of his fiancee's alleged infidelity which had been posted on the internet.

He was seen drinking beer and downing shots of sambuca before leaving the reception at 0200 BST. He got two hours sleep before getting up and leaving for Coventry.

The court heard he ignored a telephone plea from his room-mate to stop driving and pull over at services.

McCormick, a former England youth international, had his contract with Championship side Plymouth cancelled by mutual consent a month after the crash.

He was disqualified from driving for four years for causing death by dangerous driving.

Sgt Steve Robinson of the Central Motorway Police Group said McCormick had nearly collided with several people before the crash took place.

"I am shocked at the speed and the alcohol," he said.

"If he had only stopped, this tragedy could have been avoided."

[DC76]

professional footballer has been jailed for seven years and four months for killing two children in a crash.

Even if he pled guilty, I find that to be rather lenient.:mad:

[DC76]

I guess we're far enough along in the season that I can start this again.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Wolves look destined for Premiership glory atm, while Reading and Birmingham are seven back and looking quite strong. Cardiff, Burnley, Preston, Crystal Palace, and QPR would be contenders if this were the stretch run.

On the other end, what the hell happened to Charlton? :shock: Absolute collapse. Otherwise, nobody is truly safe, but the most likely to be fighting for their lives (Charlton aside) are Southampton, Doncaster, Nottingham Forest, Norwich, Watford, and Derby.

Now for the Canadian picture.

Iain Hume may be forced to retire from football after sustaining a fractured skull and internal bleeding because of a blatant elbow by Sheffield United's Chris Morgan. Since the FA did jack all about it, Barnsley are considering legal action against Morgan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnsley/7719713.stm

Also, Michael D'Agostino has been cut loose by Blackpool and Jaime Peters has yet to see action for Ipswich this season because of a knee injury.

Canadian of the season thus far: Hume, even though he may have to quit the game altogether

LEAGUE ONE

Leicester and MK Dons appear to be on the up with Millwall, Peterborough, Oldham, and S****horpe in playoff position. Stockport, Tranmere, Leeds, and Huddersfield are looking a little better than average as well. On the other hand, the bottom nine all look like there's a chance of them going down - Bristol Rovers, Carlisle, Yeovil, Brighton, Swindon, Leyton Orient, Cheltenham, Hereford, and Crewe, with the last three looking particularly bad.

There's no question who the best Canadian is thus far in this division - MK Dons striker Ali Gerba hands down. He seems to have found some form in Milton Keynes, scoring five goals this season, not bad at all considering how much bad luck our strikers have had at the club level lately

Yeovil has, once again, been Team Canada this season in terms of players. Marc Bircham is another player who is considering retiring, while Asmir Begovic started the season in Yeovil but was recalled to Pompey after fourteen games, leaving them with less-rated Canuck 'keeper Josh Wagenaar.

Comparative League records:

Wagenaar: 2W 3D 4L, 2CS
Begovic: 3W 6D 5L, 4CS (including all of his last 3 games, of which two were scoreless draws)

Anyway, that's the Canuck story.

LEAGUE TWO

Soaring Wycombe aside, League 2 is quite close - 5 points separate Wycombe from 2nd place Brentford, while seven separate Brentford from Gillingham and Aldershot, 10th and 11th respectively. In that 7-point space lie Brentford, Bradford, Dag & Red, Shrewsbury, Bury, Exeter, Darlington, Rochdale, Gillingham, and Aldershot.

The drop zone, for once, looks a little more clearcut. Poor Luton. They seem to be in a downward spiral. Bournemouth aren't faring so well either. If not for stifling point penalties, Grimsby and Barnet would probably be the bottom two. Rotherham are fighting like wounded dogs to stay up and would be in seventh place if not for their points penalty.

The Canadian story has smile-inducing abilities for Canadian fans in Div 2 this season, as Simeon Jackson, after splitting last season between Conference and Division One has found his form again after a slow start in Gillingham. In a tight scoring race, Jackson sits joint-fourth alongside Bradford's Peter Thorne with eleven goals.

Terry Dunfield still hasn't cleaned up his act, but he has produced more so far this season than he did in his comeback season last season with Macclesfield. 2 goals, 2 assists, and 4 yellow cards. :p

CONFERENCE PREMIER

Burton Albion appears to be running away with the title, but the next few spots in the table are a little closer, with Histon, Kidderminster, Crawley, Torquay, and Cambridge all jam-packed into a three-point space, and Wrexham right there behind them. Jackson's departure last season was the wakeup call Rushden & Diamonds needed and they appear to be playing much better football this season, in the upper-mid-table along with Stevenage, Kettering and :dry: Altrincham :dry:. Lewes and Northwich seem to be doing quite poorly, but Woking and Grays are at least trying to keep it close. The next dozen games or so should define things further.

Only one Canadian in Conference Prem this season, Crawley starter Simon Rayner, and since his team is so high up, that can only say how well he's doing!

CONFERENCE NORTH

No Canadians to be found here

If the current trend keeps up, this season is gonna be a slugfest at the top, with Tamworth, Southport, and Telford all with their eyes on the prize. With the weird scheduling though, anything could happen right below them. Harrogate, Gateshead, Stalybridge, Hinckley, and Alfreton are all doing decently, while Farsley and Droylsden have enough games in hand to get into that race. Hyde, Burscough, Blyth and Hucknall seem the most likely relegation candidates although of course only three teams go down, and Solihull, Workington, Fleetwood, Redditch and even Vauxhall aren't realistically out of danger.

CONFERENCE SOUTH

It would seem a little more defined if not for the fact that Chelmsford has played two more games than 2nd place Wimbledon The games played count is a little more uniform in this league with most having played 20 or 21 matches, and four teams (Chelmsford, Bromley, Eastleigh, Thurrock) having played 22. Wimbledon and Team Bath have a distinct advantage, with two of the top 5 having played 22 and them, sitting in 2nd and 5th respectively, only having played 20. The H&R Block are fourth with 37 in 21 games played, so they could easily catch Eastleigh for another 3rd-place finish, despite having lost top scorer (and Canadian) Elliott Godfrey. But by no means are these five the only contenders. Welling, Hayes and Yeading, and Maidenhead look strong, and Bath City has a game in hand on all three.

At the other end, Bognor Regis, Fisher Ath, Basingstoke (Powerage ain't gonna be happy), Bishop's Stortford (Storts either), and Newport County are playing rather poorly, although Basingstoke and Stortford also have a game in hand so a good run and they could bump the slump so to speak :p

Elliott Godfrey, the aforementioned Canadian coming off a career year with H&R, seems to be taking his sweet time getting adjusted to Wimbledon's style of play (and a position change from striker to attacking mid), although he has contributed three goals this season.

[DC76]

Update time!

It's been about five weeks since I last updated this, so there are some significant changes.

CHAMPIONSHIP

It's a fair bit closer than it was when I last updated - Wolves are still top by five but they have played one more game than second-place Reading and the third-place Brummies, and two more than Cardiff, so the race for top could get real interesting real fast. The playoff race is also close, with :dry: Preston North End :dry: holding down the last spot but also having played one more game than the logjam of teams behind them - QPR in particular could pass them by goal differential with a single win, while Burnley, Swansea, Bristol, and Ipswich are close as well. Crystal Palace appears to be an outside favourite on top of these.

On the other end, it seems several former Prems teams are on the down. Charlton in particular are all but doomed with their form, with Southampton and Watford looking slightly more hopeful Because of scheduling, the games played vary, and Watford probably has a better chance of avoiding the drop as a result - if they can pass 29-gamers Doncaster that is - and Derby has a better chance of staying out of the red zone completely than the teams surrounding them. Barnsley have been on a slump since the injury to Iain Hume (who according to Barnsley's website is making very good progress from the head injury that could easily have ended his career or even his life) and are teetering on the brink of relegation. Norwich is probably in more danger, however, because they have played one more match. Plymouth and Forest need to watch themselves, too.

Canadian scene - see what I said about Barnsley

LEAGUE ONE

Leicester is MILES ahead. Even if Millwall were to win all three games they had in hand on them, they'd still be eight back, although they'd also be two up on second-place Milton Keynes. To be fair, if Peterborough and S****horpe could win their games in hand as well, they'd be pretty close in their own right. After the nailbiter between 2nd and 5th sits Oldham, who have played one more game than 7th-place Leeds but are only 4 ahead. A win in the game in hand and you'd have another close race. Also, with Tranmere having two in hand on Oldham, they too could jump right back into the thick of things with full points, leapfrogging disadvantaged Huddersfield who have played more matches than any other team in the division up to this point. Still, Hudds, as well as Colchester, are on the right side of a growing points chasm between the top half and the bottom half.

It would seem that this is more a result of scheduling and postponements than of form. Below the "chasm," only one team - red-zone occupying Leyton Orient - has played more than 28 games, while above it, five teams have. This could provide some solace to the fans of most of the teams outside the red zone in this lower half, with only 3 points separating 12th-place Walsall from 18th-place Carlisle, but not one of these teams is out of even immediate danger, with all but Orient in the red zone, as well as the two teams immediately above it (Swindon and Brighton/Hove Albion), having games in hand on this pack. Bristol Rovers could get themselves out of this in the short term by winning their game in hand. But in the meantime, although Cheltenham, Crewe, and Hereford seem doomed at the moment, a good run of form and they are very much alive.

As for the Canadian report, Ali Gerba has added another goal to his number with the Dons. However, the best Canadian of the last 5 weeks has been, surprisingly, goalkeeper Josh Wagenaar, who after letting four in in his first two matches of 2009, put together three very inspired clean sheets against Southend, Huddersfield, and Leyton Orient, all ending 1-0. One would think that he might have done the same against Crewe but for the fact that their match was postponed.

LEAGUE TWO

Way too close to call at this point. Sure, Wycombe has four more than 2nd-place Brentford, but at this time, only six separate Brentford from 10th-place Exeter. Translation: anyone's game. Bury, Rochdale, Darlington, Shrewsbury, Gillingham, Bradford, and Dags & Reds also all have a very good chance of making the playoffs or perhaps even getting into the three auto-promotion spots. Even Chesterfield and Aldershot have an outside shot. Lincoln is kinda just there.

With stiff points penalties against Bournemouth and Luton it looks highly unlikely that anyone else is going to be going under this season. Grimsby and Barnet better be thanking someone for those two clubs' misfortunes, or else it would be them in the red for sure, since Luton would have 32 points instead of 2, and Bournemouth 29 instead of 12, versus Grimsby's 21 and Barnet's 22. There's still no ruling out Bournemouth catching either of the two, either, although Luton is pretty much hooped. Now Rotherham is something else. Under the crushing weight of the same 17-point penalty that Bournemouth has, they have managed to soldier on and stay a fair distance out of the red, even being ahead of Grimsby, Barnet, and also Chester City. If not for the penalty, they'd be in position for a playoff run.

Canadians - Simeon Jackson is now joint third in the division with thirteen (with two more goals to his name since last update), only one behind co-leaders Jamie Ward and Grant Holt. Terrible Terry, on the other hand, has a red card from a cup competition to his name with no further points.

CONFERENCE PREMIER

Postponements have hit some teams hard in the standings. Not that it matters too much - Burton would still be 7 up on Histon even if that side did win all its games in hand, and the race for the playoffs is still very tight. Cambridge and Stevenage are at a disadvantage because while they have played 30 and 31 respectively, Torquay and Histon have only played 27, Kidderminster, 28, and Wrexham, 26, which could be problematic for them in a very close race. Oxford and Crawley have soldiered on with point penalties to their name, although they too have played more games than the above-mentioned.

The mid-table is interesting. If ever you wanted an example of .500 football, look no further than Rushden and Diamonds, who have won ten, drawn ten, and lost ten Eastbourne, Altrincham, Weymouth, and even Mansfield Town (despite a 4-point penalty) seem to be holding the fort in mid-table. I must say, though, that not one team has been as affected by cancellations as Kettering. They've only played 24 of their games. 7 GAMES IN HAND ON SOME TEAMS!! All they need is a good run and they're in playoff contention!

Lewes and Northwich seem to be going under already, but the race involving Grays Ath, Forest Green, Salisbury, Barrow, Woking, York City, and Ebbsfleet is going to be a doozy in the late season.

Only Canadian is still Simon Rayner.

CONFERENCE NORTH

This is just... weird. Tamworth is only on top by a point but it also has three games in hand on 2nd-place Gateshead. Then behind Gateshead is Southport, who have played two fewer games than Tamworth and could easily catch them, and the weirdness carries on from there. Looking at the points earned per game, one gets a different picture about who ought to be where:

Actual rank in parentheses, pace points (rounded to whole number) in square brackets

1. (1) Tamworth: 2.125 [89]
2. (3) Southport: 2.045 [86]
3. (4) Telford: 1.875 [79]
4. (2) Gateshead: 1.852 [78]
5. (7) Stalybridge: 1.739 [73]
6. (5) Alfreton: 1.640 [69]
7. (10) Droylsden: 1.591 [67]
8. (6) Harrogate: 1.577 [66]
9. (9) Hinckley: 1.522 [64]
10. (11) Vauxhall: 1.391 [58]
11. (13) Farsley: 1.292 [54]
12. ( Gainsborough: 1.286 [54]
13. (15) Fleetwood: 1.261 [53]
14. (12) Stafford: 1.231 [52]
15. (16) Workington: 1.173 [49]
16. (14) Kings Lynn: 1.148 [48]
17. (17) Redditch: 1.083 [45]
18. (19) Blyth: 0.957 [40]
19. (18) Solihull: 0.889 [37]
20. (20) Hyde: 0.88 [37]
21. (21) Burscough: 0.84 [35]
22. (22) Hucknall: 0.769 [32]

Of course, because of the skewed schedules, it really could turn out any which way. But this is really how the division should be lining up. So as you can see, the only team that is really where it should be that is out of relegation danger is Hinckley. Well, and Tamworth of course.

CONFERENCE SOUTH

Far more uniform in the South. Like last season with the H&R Block (who currently sit a respectable third), the promoted teams from the feeder leagues were looking to make an impression and have done so, as AFC Wimbledon and Chelmsford City sit 1-2. H&R and Eastleigh are both six up on 5th-place Welling U, but H&R has a game in hand. The last playoff spot, occupied by the aforementioned Welling, is another story. Five teams have a clear crack at that at the moment, with the four on the outside looking in being Maidenhead, Hayes and Yeading, Team Bath, and Bath City. Methinks Braintree and Worcester will have a better chance at catching that pack than Bromley, who have played more matches than any other team thus far.

At the other end, Bognor Regis and Fisher Ath seem to be in a world of trouble, but for the third red-zone team, Basingstoke, things aren't quite so bleak as they are only five back of Thurrock and Havant/Waterlooville. In all fairness, Thurrock is the team that's really being chased as B'stoke, Stortford, and H&W all have two games in hand on them.

Elliott Godfrey still only has 3 goals to his name but he has participated in all but three matches this season for red-hot AFC Wimbledon.

[DC76]

Well, this season, I'll be using S*ccerway and a couple other sites, since the man who ran probably the most thorough English football tables site on the Web, Tony Kempster, passed away not long after last season ended.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Of the three Prems teams relegated after last season, two of them look on form to go right back up - that is, West Brom and Newcastle, who sit one and two thus far.

Promote Leicester City sits third and look hungry this season, with both Welsh clubs - Cardiff and Swansea - in playoff position and QPR, Blackpool, and Watford all even with them in the points. So it's going to be quite a battle unless one team goes wild... or one team goes down the hatch

Middlesbrough are living up to their name, sitting at mid-table but only two points back of the playoff spot log-jam. Nott Forest and Bristol City are a point ahead of them, and Preston North End (SCUUUUUUUUM) are one back, with Crystal Palace behind them.

Sheffield United and Barnsley sit at 21, which is interesting considering what happened between the two last year. Considering Sheffield's Chris Morgan got off Scot-free for his nasty elbow that nearly ended the career of - and could have killed - Barnsley's Canadian striker Iain Hume, there will likely be bad blood between these two. But there is good news. Hume recovered faster than expected from this potentially life-threatening injury, and has only missed one match this season, scoring two goals for the Tykes.

Which brings us to the bottom section. You've got one point separating 16th from 21st and Doncaster, Sheff W, Coventry, Derby, Reading, and Sc*nthorpe occupying that space. What the hell? Derby and Reading? What happened to them anyway? It's like Charlton, Southampton, and Norwich last season. How low the mighty have fallen...

Plymouth, Ipswich, and Peterborough are in the red at the moment.

Canadian picture - you already got half of the important part with the Hume news. Jaime Peters is struggling to live up to expectations with Ipswich, having just one assist this season. Asmir Begovic decided to play for Bosnia, but since he was born there and didn't live in Canada that long anyway, few Canadians harbour any ill will towards him. Still a Canadian in our books anyway He's on loan to Ipswich btw.

LEAGUE ONE

Leeds has made it very clear that they want out of League One, having lost only once this season (a recent shock loss against Millwall), and being six clear of second-place Charlton. At the moment there appear to be five contenders for the four playoff spots - Huddersfield, Colchester, Norwich, MK Dons, and Bristol Rovers, then a three-point drop-off to Millwall and Swindon (25).

Following them are Walsall (24) then Southend and Hartlepool (23), then Yeovil (22), Oldham and Exeter (21).

The low table could get close. It starts with Brentford and Leyton Orient (19) and Gillingham (18), all three being promoted clubs from last season (the fourth was Exeter). Carlisle and Brighton are lagging a little as well (17) but are still out of the red, with Stockport (14) having dropped five straight, Southampton (13) under the weight of a 10-point penalty, and Wycombe (11) and Tranmere (10) just flat-out sucking.

It's only mid-season, so anything can happen, but still.

Only one Canadian in League One, but a good one - 22-year-old Simeon Jackson is looking more and more like the next Alex Bunbury the more he plays and has been one of a couple of bright spots in an otherwise half-arsed Gillingham season, sitting joint seventh in League One in goals with eight.

LEAGUE TWO

Looks like usual League Two football Bournemouth is three up on a four-team logjam for second in the points - Rochdale (BOOOOOOO), Dag & Red, Rotherham, and Chesterfield, who all have 32.

A little ways behind are Notts County (28) and Shrewsbury (27), with Barnet, Bury, Burton, and Aldershot all within a win of the Shrews.

At the other end, it's pretty comfy for most teams, but Torquay, Cheltenham, and even Lincoln have their eyes over their shoulders at Grimsby, who sit second-last with 13 points. But even they have fared better than Darlington, whose only two wins of the season have come in the last five matches - a 2-1 stunner against Shrewsbury and a 1-0 nailbiter over Chesterfield.

As Canadians go, there are two in League Two this season, and neither has really stood out that much. Terry Dunfield has only played once this season for Shrewsbury, with the rough but apparently lovable Canadian (he has his own fansite - ILoveTerryDunfield.com ) having been injured for most of the season. Hereford utility player Gavin McCallum has fared slightly better, scoring a goal and getting an assist in four matches for the Bulls.

CONFERENCE NATIONAL

Oxford sit five points clear atop the Conference, with a whopping 46. Stevenage Borough would be better off if not for all those accursed draws though, as they've only lost once this season in their 41-point campaign.

As for playoff picture, Kettering, Mansfield, and York are in position, with Luton's downward spiral seeming to have finally put on the emergency brake within striking distance of a Conference playoff spot. They'll be back in League eventually.

Another team to watch for right now is Rushden & Diamonds. They may no longer have Simeon Jackson, but they're on fire at the moment, having won seven in a row. Kidderminster's a little further back but still in decent position.

At the other end, it's another case of the red-zoners lagging way the hell behind. Chester City have a 25-point penalty for insolvency issues, so they're in the negative in points, whereas if they didn't have the penalty they'd be three points out of the red as it would be in that situation - 18 points. Instead, the survival mark is at 18 points, with Forest Green, Grays, and Ebbsfleet all lagging behind. Hell, the Fleet has only won ONCE this season and that was all the way back in August. They have also lost six in a row.

Canadians: It would appear that neither Simon Rayner nor Elliott Godfrey has had that good a season But there is good news. Ross Smith, who had to retire in 2008 because of a previously undetected heart condition, was cleared to return to the game just recently, and was signed last week by Ebbsfleet United, a club he played for in the 06-07 season.

Conference North and South later.

[DC76]

I guess I oughta do a mid-season update, despite the goofy nature of the fixtures atm.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Since I last reported, Newcastle have basically gone nuts and sit six clear atop the table (51), with fellow relegated team WBA (45) right behind them and Forest (43) sitting a clear third. Perhaps they will be back in the Prems like they were when I began following football.

The other three playoff spots are a three-way points draw (37) between Cardiff, Leicester, and Swansea, with Sheffield United (35), Blackpool (34), and Crystal Palace (also 34) within one win, and QPR (33) within 4 points. Right behind them, another three-way logjam between Middlesbrough, Bristol City, and Watford.

At the other end, it's currently Plymouth Argyle (21), Sheffield Wednesday (19), and Peterborough (18) seeing red, with Sc*nthorpe and Reading only two clear and Ipswich (with their two Canadians) a win up. So something tells me it's going to be a tight battle.

Canadians - None of them are doing that hot right now, although you have to cut Barnsley's Iain Hume some slack, since he came back from a life threatening injury and has two goals this season. On a more positive note, Jaime Peters has added a goal to his collection.

LEAGUE ONE

Still just one loss for Leeds (56) this season, who are now eight clear of second with a game in hand on both Norwich and Charlton (48 each). Colchester is looking decent although the fact that the North End Scum mopped the floor with them, 7-0 in Cup action, isn't going to be good for their self-esteem. The next five places in the table (5th through 9th) are very close at the moment though, with only four points separating them:

5. Hudds - 38, +18, 23 GP
6. Swindon - 38, +2, 22 GP
7. Millwall - 36, +7, 24 GP
8. MK Dons - 36, E, 24 GP
9. Bristol Rovers - 34, -4, 23

Rovers have had a rocky go of late though, winning just two of their last five.

At the other end, the four-team red-zone has Leyton Orient (24) out by goals scored. Yes, you heard me correctly. Draw in the points, draw in goal differential, same number of games played, and the exact same record as the team "ahead" of them - all referring to Brighton and Hove Albion - but they are out on the strength of two fewer goals scored.

Way closer than the other three Those are Tranmere (21), Wycombe (18), and Stockport (14), who have lost nine in a row, and twelve League matches in a row. Ouchies.

More than half the table's within six points of the red zone, but the teams in immediate danger, besides the aforementioned Albion, are Oldham (25), and Exeter and Gillingham (26).

In spite of Gillingham's lowly form, their resident Canadian is still doing his country proud with 10 League goals and 3 Cup goals so far this season. Simeon Jackson is in a four-way draw in eight place in scoring in the league with his goals. On top of that, he also has four assists. I figure if you took him from Gills, they'd fall flat on their collective arse in no time.

LEAGUE TWO

My mate Kier ain't gonna be happy. Rochdale, a team he hates, currently sits top with 51, 5 clear of Bournemouth and a dozen clear of Rotherham. On the other hand, Rotherham (39) has only played 21 matches while the two ahead of them have played 24. The simple fact that they are still in third makes them an EPIC threat at the moment, especially considering the fact that they also have the fewest losses.

That said, only six points separate them from eleventh-place Accrington Stanley:

3. Rotherham - 39
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4. Shrewsbury - 38
5. Notts County - 37
6. Dag & Red - 37
7. Aldershot - 36, +10
---------------------------------------------
8. Bury - 36, -1
9. Chesterfield - 35
10. Morecambe - 34
11. Accrington S. - 33

So as you can see, the playoff picture is hella close.

The other end sees two clear favourites for the drop. Darlington ( might as well begin plans for Conference National play for next season, having won just twice this season (both in their last ten matches), and sitting fourteen points from safety. Grimsby (18) would be better off if they could just go the extra mile - they have nine draws, including eight of their last eleven League matches. They are only four back of Lincoln (22), but given the fact that they've not won since beating Hartlepool on 6 October, I'm not holding out hope

I'd imagine Hereford and Torquay (25) and Cheltenham (24) are also looking over their shoulders.

Canadians - Shrews mid Terry Dunfield appears to be back in the lineup, and has a goal in eight League appearances. But the better of the two Canucks is still Gavin McCallum despite his team's low standing, having added a League goal and a Cup assist to his collection.

CONFERENCE PREMIER

The sked's even more skewed here, with the teams varying from 22 matches played (less than halfway done) to 27 played.

Stevenage currently sits first by a point (57) but the people behind them all have games in hand, and this is bad news when the team right behind them, Oxford U (56), has three of 'em! Both they and third-place York (49) are on an absolute tear at the moment, with Oxford unbeaten in six Conference matches (4W 2D), and York on a seven-game Conference win streak. Mansfield (44) and Wimbledon (43) hold down the other two playoff spots, with Kettering just one point out and Luton (40) with a crapton of games in hand.

On the other side, it seems the return of Canadian Ross Smith to Ebbsfleet (21) has lit a fire under the team, winning four of their last six Conference matches to put them just one point from getting out of the red zone, and given how they they'd've been last place if not for Chester's insolvency and negative pointage (-3, after 25 points deducted), that's saying something! Presently, that burden would fall upon Grays Athletic (17). Forest Green are also in the red with 20.

Eastbourne (22), who have won just twice in their last twenty Conference matches (sad, eh?), Gateshead (22 with a 1-point penalty), and Salisbury (24) should be looking over their shoulders.

Simon Rayner seems to have been doing a little better with Crawley, while Elliot Godfrey added a goal to his collection in a 7-1 Wimbledon rout of Ash United in a trophy match.

Just for curiosity, here's how the table would look, with the averages pro-rated (points ÷ games played) to 27 games played, with all point penalties removed.

(2) Oxford - 63
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(1) Stevenage - 57
(3) York - 53
(4) Mansfield - 48
(7) Luton - 47
-------------------------
(5) Wimbledon - 45
(6) Kettering - 45
(8 ) Rushden and Diamonds - 44
(9) Kidderminster - 39
(10) Crawley - 38
(11) Histon - 38
(13) Altrincham - 38
(12) Cambridge U - 34
(17) Wrexham - 33
(14) Hayes/Yeading - 33
(15) Tamworth - 32
(16) Barrow - 32
(18) Salisbury - 25
(19) Gateshead - 25
(24) Chester - 24
-------------------------
(20) Eastbourne - 23
(22) Forest Green - 22
(21) Ebbsfleet - 21
(23) Grays Ath. - 17

CONFERENCE NORTH

The schedule is really out of wack in this division. So I s'pose the best I can do is pro-rate this to 23 games to give you an idea of their form. By the way, Southport is tops with 48.

(1) Southport - 48
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(7) Stalybridge - 46
(2) Fleetwood - 45
(3) Hinckley - 44
(4) Eastwood - 41
-----------------------------------
(5) Droylsden - 41
(6) Corby - 38
(8 ) Alfreton - 37
(10) Ilkeston - 34
(9) Telford - 33
(11) Workington - 29
(15) Spartans - 27
(12) Gloucester - 25
(14) Farsley - 25
(13) Redditch - 24
(17) Northwich - 24
(16) Stafford - 21
(20) Hyde - 21
(19) Gainsborough - 20, -14
------------------------------------------
(18) Solihull - 20, -15
(21) Harrogate - 15
(22) Vauxhall - 15

CONFERENCE SOUTH

Since this division has some semblance of sanity, here goes

Newport (56) pretty much appears predestined to win this. I mean come on, they're fourteen points clear AND they have a game in hand on second-place Woking (42). Second place is where it gets interesting. Only three points separate second from sixth. There's a drop-off afterwards, but all the teams immediately behind Thurrock have a game in hand on them:

2. Woking - 42
3. Dover - 41
4. Chelmsford - 41
5. Braintree - 39
--------------------------
6. Thurrock - 39
7. Eastleigh - 35
8. Bromley - 35
9. Bath - 34

Staines and Welling also have 34 points, with Basingstoke and St. Albans with 32.

So they're well clear of the red, with the current survival mark being 19. Lewes (17), Weston (16), and Weymouth (14) are the current red-zone occupants, with Worcester being the benchmark and H&R (21 - I bet they miss Elliott Godfrey now ) and Dorchester (22) also being in immediate danger.

But that brings us to the pro-rate section, since there is still some inconsistency.

(1) Newport - 61
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(5) Braintree - 44
(2) Woking - 44
(4) Chelmsford - 43
(6) Thurrock - 42
-----------------------------------
(3) Dover - 41
(7) Eastleigh - 40
( Bromley - 40
(9) Bath - 39
(10) Staines - 35
(11) Welling - 35
(15) Havant/W'ville - 34
(12) St. Albans - 33
(13) Basingstoke - 33
(14) Bishop's Stortford - 33
(16) Maidenhead - 30
(17) Dorchester - 26
(18) Hampton/Richmond - 25
(19) Worcester - 21
----------------------------------
(20) Lewes - 19
(21) Weston - 17
(22) Weymouth - 16

[DC76]

It would seem as if the sked is so cockeyed that I can't really do that good of an update. I think I'll wait until the end of the month.

[Southend_Yid]

League 1 - I really hope Southend Stay up, I went to see them play yesturday, Great to come back 2-0 down! With things happening off the pitch, I doubt they will stay up, havent got the squad to do it.

[DC76]

Could be worse.

You could support Stockport.

[Southend_Yid]

Southend won 3-0 Midweek!  The Fight is still there, but they face touch away trips to Leeds,Norwich and Southampton! 

[DC76]

With some semblance of normalcy returning to the League tables, I think I'll do a partial update

CHAMPIONSHIP

Well, we're down to the home stretch in the League. Most teams have seven or eight matches left, with two teams - Watford and Reading - having nine.

It's looking more and more like Newcastle (80) and West Bromwich (78) will be going up with the first two spots. The question is, who will be the 2009-10 Football League Champion? It's gonna be close there with only two points separating the Toon from the Brom. However, Newcastle has a game in hand.

Forest (70) has a death grip on third at the moment, nine clear of Leicester and Swansea (both 61) and eleven clear of Cardiff (59). It seems the Welsh teams mean business this season, as they've been consistently good. Five points back of Cardiff, a close group starts, with only six points separating Blackpool (54) from the North End scum (48) Barnsley have done well to dig themselves out of the hole they were in earlier in the season.

Speaking of teams digging themselves out of holes, when I did my last update, Ipswich (47) was walking on the edge of the red zone, and now they're eight points clear. But they need to keep the form up somewhat. There are still seven games to go in their season.

Although the first team out of the red is Watford (42), they have two games in hand on the team ahead of them and one in hand on the team right behind them, so the way I see things is, the team in the most danger of being caught is actually Sheffield Wednesday (43). I'll bet Crystal Palace (39) wishes they didn't have that ten-point penalty right about now

Plymouth (37) and Peterborough (30) are the other two red-zoners, but the former still has a decent chance of staying up if they can put together a run of good form. Peterborough... it's mathematically possible, but becoming less likely with every match. If they lose but three more matches, they're toast.

On the Canadian scene, there appears to now be a third Canuck owned by a Championship club, as 21-year-old ex-Vancouver Whitecap Marcus Haber was recently signed by West Bromwich Albion, and did a loan spell in Exeter in League One but is now back with the Baggies. Iain Hume appears to have had a very fruitful last couple months, as he has added a goal and three assists to his totals this season. Jaime Peters got another assist, but he still seems to be struggling somewhat.

LEAGUE ONE

Only five teams are off schedule in League One - Carlisle United and Yeovil Town have played 38 matches, one more than the standard, Oldham Ath and Tranmere Rovers have played 36, and Brentford has played 35. Everyone else has played 37, leaving them with nine matches remaining in their skeds.

Norwich (79) is the top dog in the pack for sure, eight ahead of the nearest competitor, Leeds (71). Leeds' second-place position could easily be taken from them too, as there is a small group within four points - Millwall (68), Charlton and Swindon (both 67) - with Colchester U (64) and Huddersfield (61) being dark horses in that regard. They aren't dark horses where the playoffs are concerned, though. Hudds are 5 clear of MK Dons (56) and six clear of Bristol Rovers (55), and it just goes downhill from there.

The lower end is far closer, although Stockport (24) wouldn't have you believing that! But don't take my word for it. See for yourself:

13. Brentford - 44, -2, 35 GP
14. Yeovil - 44, -6, 38 GP
15. Brighton/Hove - 44, -7
16. Leyton O. - 41
17. Oldham - 40, 36 MP
18. Gillingham - 39, -11
19. Hartlepool - 39, -12
20. Tranmere - 38, 36 MP
---------------------------------------------------
21. Southend - 37, -13
22. Exeter - 37, -14

Anything can happen down there. By the way, the missing red-zone team is second-from-last-place Wycombe (31).

Canadians - Marcus Haber did momentarily join Exeter on loan, but is back in West Brom, meaning that Simeon Jackson is once again the only Canadian in League One. Simeon Jackson appears to have bumped his slump somewhat, and now has fourteen league goals on the season. In a tie for ninth in league goalscoring, he appears to be the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal Gillingham roster.

LEAGUE TWO

The sked's a little more cockeyed here. Rochdale, Accrington Stanley, Barnet, and Cheltenham have played only 36 matches, while Darlington and Notts County have only played 35. Everyone else has played 37.

Not that it'd do Darlington (16) much good to have played those other two matches They're nineteen points behind Cheltenham (35), meaning if they lose five more matches - and with their form of late, they inevitably will - it's off to Conference for them. At least Grimsby (31) has a chance of staying up. I would advise Lincoln (42), Barnet, Hereford (both 41), Macclesfield (39) and Torquay (37) to keep an eye over their shoulders as well.

At the other end, there appears to be no stopping Rochdale (75), who are 10 points clear of second-place Notts County (65) in spite of a game in hand. Speaking of which, they're even in the points with Rotherham but have two games in hand and a far superior goal differential (+42 to Rotherham's +11). Even with the goal diff advantage and NC's games in hand, they both still have to keep their eyes on Bournemouth (64), Chesterfield, and Bury (61). Another team to watch out for is hard-charging Northampton (58), who have five wins in a row. If they keep this up, it'll be harder for the teams just outside the playoffs to keep up, and there are indeed a few of them within two wins:

7. Northampton - 58
------------------------------------------
8. Aldershot - 57
9. Dag & Red - 55, +5
10. Shrewsbury - 55 +4
11. Port Vale - 53, +11
12. Burton - 53, +3
13. Accrington Stanley - 53, -4
14. Morecambe - 52

Canadians - the last two months have been kind to Gavin McCallum, who has added four goals to his total, giving him six goals and an assist total this season. Terry Dunfield... well, he did score another goal, but hasn't done much else.

I'll do Conference some time in April.

[Southend_Yid]

Bristol Rovers 4-3 Southend United 

Southend was 2-0 up within 20 mins gone!

[DC76]

BBC Sport - Football - Farsley Celtic finally disbanded

RIP Farsley Celtic. :'( By the way, this means one fewer relegation from Conference North.