NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AT THIS STAGE Starting in the Premier League: Title & Champions League: Southampton will be closely monitoring goings on at The Etihad as a win for Citeh will end their interest in next year's Champions League. Leicester and Ipswich are out of the running for the Premier League title. Relegation Liverpool are safe from the drop but, after their surprise defeat yesterday, Arsenal are still sweating in the knowledge that they still need a point to guarantee safety. Championship Promotion: Automatic promotion is now out of reach for Luton, Derby and Plymouth. Relegation: Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley can heave a sigh of relief, knowing they cannot now drop into the relegation zone. League One: Promotion The race for automatic promotion is still wide open, although the title is now out of reach for Cambridge and Shrewsbury. Relegation Birmingham City were held to a draw yesterday and are therefore still looking over their shoulders as they still need two more points to beat the drop. League Two Promotion Although the promotion race is still wide open, the League Two title is no longer an option for Carlisle or Morecambe. Relegation Walsall's victory yesterday guaranteed their league status. National League Promotion Defeat at Wealdstone yesterday finally ended Ebbsfleet's drive for the football league. Relegation Barnet's bid for safety took another stride yesterday with another win.They are now just two points away from eliminating the spectre of relegation to National League South from their nightmares. ------- Obviously as we go on we'll be able to bring a bit of sensibility to this thread. But for now it's just a bit of fun
A lot has been decided in the last few weeks Starting in the Premier League: Title & Champions League: The race for the title is hotting up with every-one from 11th placed Crystal palace now out of the running. Most teams below them still have their eyes on the Champions League, but Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton are now out of the running. Relegation: Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea have joined Liverpool by guaranteeing their Premier League status for another year. But Manchester City and Newcastle United are still sweating over that extra point they each need to secure their safety. Championship: Promotion: More than half the division are out of contention for automatic promotion; from 12th placed Norwich. All of these sides do, however, continue to be in with a shout of the play-offs. Relegation: Sunderland are the latest team to be safe from the drop into League One. Every-one else will still be casting a nervous glance over their shoulders. League One: Promotion: For Burton Albion and Crawley Town, the only path to the Championship is now via the play-offs. But the dream of promotion is officially over for poor old Cambridge United and Shrewsbury Town. Relegation: Birmingham City, Wrexham and Wycombe Waderers can sleep soundly at night, kowing that they can no longer drop into the basement. However, that can't be said of Charlton Athletic, who are scrambling to pick up another point to preserve their League One status. League Two: Promotion: Automatic promotion is now out of the question for Morecambe and Carlisle United, although the play-offs are still within their reach. Relegation: Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers, Notts County and Wimbledon have now joined Walsall in preserving their League status. But Port Vale are still on tenterhooks as they search for the two points that will keep them up. National League: Promotion: Every-one from 10th placed Eastleigh are out of the race for automatic promotion, although Ebbsfleet United remain the only side out of contention for the play-off places. Relegation: York City and Forest Green Rovers have joined Barnet in being safe from relegation to National Leagues North and South. Follow me for more ridiculous threads
Four weeks on and games are running out. The race for the Premier League title is whittling down, with 7th placed Aston Villa now out of the reckoning. But the same can't be said for the fourth Champions League spot, with Wolves still hanging in there. As far as relegation is concerned, 12th placed Brentford can now let off a sigh of relief, but Manchester United, in 13th, are still trying to scratch together those last four points needed for safety. With only five games apiece left in the Championship, only the top four can now mathematically make the top two. As far as the play-offs are concerned, Wednesday's heartbreaking 94th minute defeat put paid to Pompey's chances of promotion, along with the aspirations of the sides below them. Bristol City, Coventry and Middlesbrough are definitely staying up, but West Brom and Millwall are still sweating over that last point that will make them safe from relegation. Congratulations to Birmingham City, who have become the first side to clinch promotion from League One. They need two more points to win the title. Only Wycombe can now pip Wrexham to the other automatic spot. 13th place Barnsley are still clinging on to the dream of the play-offs, but promotion is now off the table for Stevenage and below. Fans of 10th placed Blackpool can sleep soundly in the knowledge that they are out of the relegation battle, but the same can't be said of 11 placed Lincoln, who, along with Rotherham and Barnsley, are still looking desperateley at their remaining fixtures to see where they might pick up those four priceless points. Interestingly, these sides are can still mathematically reach the play-offs as well as mathematically be relegated! The promotion race in League Two is still wide open, with teams as low as Salford in contention for an automatic slot. Even 16th placed Barrow have half an eye on the play-offs. Every-one below them though, will be looking over their shoulders at the trap door to the National League. Interestingly, Gillingham have drawn their last six games and, with five games to go, they need five points to be sure of staying up. In the National League, only York City can still dream of usurping Barnet's place at the summit. They alone are guaranteed a play-off spot, but Forest Green need another point to be sure. With six play-off berths, even Boston Utd, in 20th are eagerly looking at the Football League. This means that, since my last update, the dream of promotion fizzled out for Dagenham & Redbridge, Maidenhead Utd and Fylde. Ebbsfleet Utd were the first side in the top five divisions to be relegated, thus denying that great privilege to Southampton. When I last posted, only the top three were mathematically safe from relegation, but now 4th placed Rochdale to Southend, in 9th, now know that they cannot suffer the plight of life in National League North or South. I know you probably have lots of questions to ask me, but I can certainly answer the most obvious FAQ. Yes, I AM completely bonkers!
