Championship 2009-10 Predictions

1. West Brom
2. Middlesbrough
3. Newcastle
4. Reading
5. Sheffield United
6. Ipswich
7. Derby County
8. Cardiff
9. Crystal Palace
10. Queens Park Rangers
11. Nottingham Forest
12. Coventry City
13. Sheffield Wednesday
14. Preston North End
15. Leicester
16. Bristol City
17. Watford
18. Barnsley
19. Swansea
20. Plymouth
21. Blackpool
22. Doncaster
23. Peterborough
24. Scunthorpe

The BBC's Championship Guide can be found here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/8154723.stm

League One 2009-10 Predictions

1. Leeds
2. Norwich
3. Charlton
4. Huddersfield
5. MK Dons
6. Millwall
7. Colchester
8. Southampton
9. Southend
10. Oldham
11. Brentford
12. Tranmere
13. Brighton
14. Walsall
15. Bristol Rovers
16. Leyton Orient
17. Hartlepool
18. Carlisle
19. Wycombe
20. Exeter
21. Gillingham
22. Swindon
23. Yeovil
24. Stockport

The BBC's League One Guide can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/8140428.stm

League Two 2009-10 Predictions

1. Notts County
2. Rotherham
3. Bury
4. Shrewsbury
5. Bradford
6. Grimsby
7. Northampton
8. Barnet
9. Crewe
10. Rochdale
11. Darlington
12. Bournemouth
13. Chesterfield
14. Cheltenham
15. Dagenham & Redbridge
16. Torquay
17. Burton Albion
18. Lincoln
19. Port Vale
20. Accrington Stanley
21. Hereford
22. Morecambe
23. Aldershot
24. Macclesfield

The BBC's League Two Guide can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/8141245.stm

Championship Playoff Final: Burnley 1 - 0 Sheffield United
Burnely completed a fairy tale season by winning the ultimate prize, promotion to the top flight of English Football. Burnley was not considered one of the better teams in the league when the season began, but they completed an historic season by beating Sheffield United 1-0 in the playoff final. Having already beaten Liverpool and Chelsea in the League Cup, Burnely had their share of big games this season, and they didn't disappoint in the spotlight of a playoff final at Wembley. Wade Elliott put Burnley in front with a fantastic strike from 30 yards in the 13th minute. And throughout the match, Burnley kept the pressure on the Sheffield United defense. Joey Gudjohnsson, Robbie Blake and Martin Paterson all had chances to put Burnely ahead by two, but were denied by last chance blocks and challenges from United, particularly Kyle Walker and Nick Montgomery. As for Sheffield United, they didn't mount much of an attack until the second half, but the Burnely central defensive partnership of Caldwell and Carlisle were up to the task. Near the final whistle, United's Jamie Ward was sent off for his second yellow card, both for hand balls. Burnely finished fifth during the regular season, two spots below Sheffield United. But today they were the better team, and as a result, they return to the top flight for the first time in 33 years. Congratulations Burnley!

League One Playoff Final: Scunthorpe 3 - 2 Millwall
Scunthorpe prevailed over Millwall in an outstanding playoff final, and are back in the Championship for next season. Matt Sparrow put the Iron in front with a goal in the sixth minute, but Gary Alexander responded with two goals in a three minute span near the end of the first half. Alexander's first goal was a candidate for goal of the season as he took a headed pass, turned, and fired in a long range strike from well outside the penalty area. Moments later, Alexander headed in a second goal to put Millwall in front. It stayed 2-1 to Millwall until the 70th minute, when Sparrow scored his second. Sparrow pulled the ball back around a defender and slammed home to tying goal. With six minutes to go, Alexander had a great chance to put Millwall back in front, but he missed a open header from in front of goal. And Millwall paid the price. Moments later, Martyn Woolford scored the winner for Scunthorpe, firing in a low strike from the left of the penalty area. Scunthorpe just barely made the playoffs, finishing sixth after earning a late draw against Tranmere in the final game of the regular season. Now, they have been promoted to the Championship. Congratulations to the Iron!

League Two Playoff Final: Gillingham 1 - 0 Shrewsbury
It looked like this final was destined for extra time, as neither team had managed to score going into the final minutes of normal time. But Gillingham won a corner kick in the 90th minute, and took advantage. Simeon Jackson headed in Joshua Wright's corner kick to win the match and earn Gillingham a spot in League One next season. Replays suggested that it should have been a goal kick instead of a corner, but Gillingham won't care. In fairness, they were probably the better side over the course of the match. Winning the playoff final means that the Gills have bounced straight back to League One after being relegated a year ago. A tough luck ending for Shrewsbury, but congratulations to Gillingham.

Sheffield United v Burnley
There are plenty of reasons to root for either of these clubs. I'll start with Sheffield United:

1. The Blades felt justifiably slighted when they were relegated from the Premier League two years ago. West Ham won the last game of the season, at Old Trafford, thanks to a winning goal from Carlos Tevez. But West Ham were fined over the transfer dealings that brought Tevez to the club. Despite ruling that West Ham had violated league rules, they did not have points deducted, which would have led to their relegation and safety for Sheffield United. The Blades protested in vain and were sent down to the Championship. A win in the playoff finals would in some way right the perceived wrong from the Carlos Tevez incident.

2. Sheffield United have won of the best songs in the league. Their fans sing the "Greasy Chip Butty" song (to the tune of John Denver's Annie's Song) at the start of each game. A legendary Sheffield anthem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greasy_Chip_Butty_Song

2. Sheffield United's keeper, Paddy Kenny, is something of a legend, especially after having his eyebrow bitten off in a fight.

3. The Blades closed the season well, overtaking Reading in the standings and nearly catching second place Birmingham.

Now for Burnley:

1. Burnley had an incredible cup run this season, knocking off Liverpool and Chelsea in back to back League Cup games. Then, down 1-4 after the first leg of the semi-final against Spurs, Burnley mounted a furious second leg comeback to force extra time before eventually losing 4-6 on aggregate.

2. If they win, it would be Burnley's first appearance in the Premier League.

3. Burnley was a founding member of the football league in 1882 and have played at Turf Moor since 1883.

4. Burnley have one of the smallest squads in the league, in terms of number of players, especially compared to Sheffield United's sprawling side.

Burnely are clearly the underdogs in this match. Sheffield United have greater depth, but in a single match, that may be less important. Key players for Sheffield: Kyle Naughton, Matthew Kilgallon, Nick Montgomery, Greg Halford. Key players for Burnley: Martin Paterson, Chris Eagles, Graham Alexander. I think it will be a close match, but I think Sheffield United will win in the end. Keep an eye on Nick Montgomery.

Millwall v Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe nearly failed to make the playoffs. Needing a draw against Tranmere in the final game of the season, Scunthorpe were down 0-1 until a late goal from Cliff Byrne made it 1-1 to ensure that the Iron finished two points ahead of Tranmere. That meant 6th place Scunthorpe (76 points) were paired with 3rd place MK Dons (87 points) in the semi-finals. The first leg ended 1-1 with Martyn Woolford scoring Scunthorpe's goal. After a scoreless second leg, the game was decided on penalty kicks, with Scunthorpe winning 7-6.

Millwall faced Leeds in the other semi-final, with Leeds being the heavy favorites. In the past, both of these clubs were known for the tough, borderline violent character of their supporters and players, but that was a different time. Despite finishing just two points ahead of Millwall in the table, Leeds had a much better goal difference (28 to 10). But Millwall won the first leg 1-0, with Neil Harris scoring the only goal. In the second leg, Leeds' Luciano Becchio evened the score on aggregate with a goal in the 53rd minute. But Djimi Abdou put Millwall back in front for good with a quarter of an hour to go. Jermaine Beckford missed a crucial penalty for Leeds, who fell 1-2 on aggregate.

Scunthorpe's top scorer, Gary Hooper with 30 goals, is set to return in the playoff final after missing the semis. Millwall relies on veteran strikers Neil Harris (11 goals) and Gary Alexander (13 goals). The Lions also feature American defender Zak Whitbread. Scunthorpe won both matches against Millwall during the regular season, but I'm going with Millwall in the final.

Gillingham v Shrewsbury
It's the Gills vs the Shrews in the League Two playoff final. The winner will join the three clubs that achieved automatic promotion - Brentford, Exeter, and Wycombe - in League One next season. Shrewsbury finished the season in 7th place with 69 points, and just qualified for the playoffs, a point ahead of Dagenham and Redbridge. Gillingham finished in 5th place with 73 points.

Does that make Gillingham the favorites? Not necessarily. Shrewsbury had the better goal difference (17 to 3) and feature the league's top goal scorer, Grant Holt who scored 20. Gillingham's top striker, Simeon Jackson, wasn't far behind with 19 goals, and he scored the crucial 2 goals in the semi-final victory over Rochdale.

Shrewsbury needed a late goal from Kevin McIntyre to send the second leg of their semi-final against Bury into extra time. The match eventually went to penalties, and the hero was on-loan keeper Luke Daniels. In normal time, Daniels saved a penalty from Phil Jevons, and then he saved two more during the penalty shoot-out to give Shrews a 4-3 win on penalties. It was cruel fate for Bury however, as they missed out on automatic promotion by the narrowest of margins. Bury and Wycombe finished with 78 points, but Wycombe's goal difference of 21 was one better than Bury's 20. That meant Bury had to go the playoff route, where they lost out to Shrews. Jevon's missed penalty, the late goal from McIntyre, and a penalty shoot-out loss knocked Bury out of the playoffs and sent Shrews to the final. That makes you wonder whether the Shrews are destined for promotion.

If you look at these two clubs' meetings earlier in the season, you would have to favor Shrewsbury. They drew 2-2 at Gillingham in March, but the first meeting was a 7-0 victory for Shrewsbury back in September. That was a long time ago, and I'm certainly not expecting another thrashing like that, but I'm picking Shrews to win in the final.

Soccerword's Championship Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolverhampton

Manager of the Year: Owen Coyle, Burnley

Championship Player of the Year
2008-09: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolverhampton
2007-08: Liam Lawrence, Stoke City
2006-07: Dean Whitehead, Sunderland
2005-06: Phil Jagielka, Sheffield United
2004-05: Jason Roberts, Wigan

Championship Manager of the Year
2008-09: Owen Coyle, Burnley
2007-08: Tony Mowbray, West Brom
2006-07: Roy Keane, Sunderland
2005-06: Steve Coppell, Reading
2004-05: George Burley, Derby County

Soccerword's League One Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Matty Fryatt, Leicester City
Manager of the Year: Darren Ferguson, Peterborough

League One Player of the Year
2008-09: Matty Fryatt, Leicester City
2007-08: Jermaine Beckford, Leeds
2006-07: Billy Sharp, Scunthorpe
2005-06: Freddy Eastwood, Southend
2004-05: Stuart Elliott, Hull City

League One Manager of the Year
2008-09: Darren Ferguson, Peterborough
2007-08: Roberto Martinez, Swansea
2006-07: Nigel Adkins, Scunthorpe
2005-06: Steve Tilson, Southend
2004-05: Martin Allen, Brentford

Soccerword's League Two Awards for 2008-09

Player of the Year: Grant Holt, Shrewsbury
Manager of the Year: Andy Scott, Brentford

League Two Player of the Year
2008-09: Grant Holt, Shrewsbury
2007-08: Aaron McLean, Peterborough
2006-07: Izale McLeod, MK Dons
2005-06: Karl Hawley, Carlisle
2004-05: Lee Trundle, Swansea

League Two Manager of the Year
2008-09: Andy Scott, Brentford
2007-08: Paul Ince, MK Dons
2006-07: Richard Money, Walsall
2005-06: Paul Simpson, Carlisle
2004-05: Gary Johnson, Yeovil

Championship
It was an exciting finish to the Championship season. Wolves had already clinched the league championship, but the second automatic promotion spot, the fourth playoff spot, and the third relegation spot were up for grabs. Birmingham clinched automatic promotion and second place with their 2-1 win over reading. Keith Fahey and Kevin Phillips scored the goals for Birmingham. Reading will have to settle for a place in the playoffs. Sheffield United, Burnley, and Preston are the other playoff teams. Preston just edged out Cardiff for the final playoff spot by the narrowest of margins. Cardiff lost 0-1 at Sheffield Wednesday to open the door for Preston. And Preston took advantage with a 2-1 win against QPR, with Jon Parkin and Sean St. Ledger scoring the goals. The results left both clubs with 74 points and identical goal differences of +12. But Preston win the tie breaker because they scored one more goal than Cardiff, 66 to 65. As it turns out, Preston's 6-0 win over Cardiff two weeks ago made all the difference.

At the bottom end of the table, it's a sad day for three former Premier League Clubs. Norwich lost 2-4 to Charlton today, a result which keeps the Canaries in the bottom three. Charlton's relegation had already been confirmed, and the same was true for Southampton. All three clubs have played in the Premier League in recent seasons, but now they are heading to League One. Hopefully, they will follow Leicester's lead and bounce right back up.

Automatic Promotion
90 - Wolverhampton
83 - Birmingham

Playoffs
80 - Sheffield United
77 - Reading
76 - Burnley
74 - Preston

Relegation
46 - Norwich
45 - Southampton
39 - Charlton

League One
Leicester City have won League One and bounce back to the Championship a season after being relegated. Peterborough continue their climb up the divisions and will join Leicester in the Championship along with the playoff winner. Scunthorpe needed a late goal from captain Cliff Byrne to earn a 1-1 draw against Tranmere to claim the final playoff spot. At the bottom end of the table, Carlisle avoided relegation thanks to a 2-0 win over Millwall on the final day of the season. Graham Kavanagh and Paul Thirwell scored the vital goals to ensure safety for Carlisle. As a result, Northampton were relegated. Crewe, Cheltenham, and Hereford are also going down to League One.

Automatic Promotion
96 - Leicester City
89 - Peterborough

Playoffs
87 - MK Dons
84 - Millwall
82 - Leeds
76 - Scunthorpe

Relegation
49 - Northampton
46 - Crewe
39 - Cheltenham
34 - Hereford

League Two
Brentford have won League Two, and will be joined in League One next year by Exeter, Wycombe, and the playoff winner. Luton Town finish bottom of the league, primarily due to the hard 30 point penalty they received before the season began. Without the point deduction, Luton would have finished comfortably in 15th. Winning the Johnstone Paint trophy provides some consolation to the Hatters.

Automatic Promotion
85 - Brentford
79 - Exeter
78 - Wycombe

Playoffs
78 - Bury
75 - Gillingham
70 - Rochdale
69 - Shrewsbury

Relegation
37 - Chester
26 - Luton (-30 point deduction)

League One News
The top two clubs earn automatic promotion from League One, and Leicester City will almost certainly be one of them, especially after their 1-0 win against Millwall today. Steve Howard scored the only goal of the match as Leicester are on pace to bounce straight back up to the Championship after suffering relegation last season. MK Dons have a great chance to overtake Petersborough for the second automatic spot because they have played three fewer games to date. Every club from Millwall in fourth to Colchester in 11th still have a shot a making the playoffs.

League One - Top of the Table
1 Leicester 81
2 Peterborough 72
3 MK Dons 67
4 Millwall 64
5 Leeds United 62
6 Tranmere 59
7 Scunthorpe 58
8 Oldham 58
9 Stockport 56
10 Southend 55
11 Colchester 53

Four clubs are relegated from League One, and Cheltenham will almost certainly be one of them. It doesn't look good for Hereford either.

League One - Bottom of the Table
19 Northampton 38
20 Yeovil 38
21 Swindon 35
22 Brighton 35
23 Hereford 30
24 Cheltenham 25

League Two News
With fewer than 10 matches to go, it looks like Brentford will earn promotion to League One, especially after their 3-3 draw against Wycombe today. Sam Williams scored a late goal for the Bees to keep them 7 points ahead of second place Wycombe. There are three automatic promotion places in League Two, so Wycombe will battle it out with Rochdale, Bury, Exeter, and Gillingham for the final two automatic promotion spots. Four other clubs (see below) are still in contention for the playoffs, but it's looking less likely for Dagenham and Redbridge and Morecambe.

League Two - Top of the Table
1 Brentford 70
2 Wycombe 63
3 Rochdale 61
4 Bury 61
5 Exeter 61
6 Gillingham 61
7 Shrewsbury 58
8 Bradford 58
9 Dag & Red 53
10 Morecambe 51

At the other end of the table, Luton Town are almost certainly relegated, especially after their loss to Aldershot today. It is a cruel fate for the club who were hit with an extremely harsh -30 point penalty to start the season. Either Chester or Grimsby Town will most likely join Luton in relegation.

League Two: bottom of the table
22 Chester 28
23 Grimsby 27
24 Luton 13

FA Cup third round draw:

Portsmouth v Bristol City
Sheffield Wed v Fulham
Preston v Liverpool
Birmingham v Wolves
West Ham v Barnsley
Middlesbrough v Barrow
Hull City v Newcastle
Hartlepool v Stoke
Chelsea v Southend
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
Cardiff v Reading
Ipswich v Chesterfield or Droylsden
Charlton v Norwich
West Brom v Peterborough or Tranmere
Torquay v Blackpool
Leyton Orient v Sheffield United
Southampton v Manchester United
Millwall v Carlisle or Crewe
Histon v Swansea
Forest Green Rovers v Derby
QPR v Burnley
Leicester v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v Wigan
Morecambe or Cheltenham v Doncaster
Arsenal v Plymouth
Notts County or Kettering v Eastwood Town
Bournemouth or Blyth Spartans v Blackburn
Macclesfield v Everton
Watford v Scunthorpe
Sunderland v Bolton
Coventry v Kidderminster
Gillingham or Stockport v Aston Villa

Chesterfield v Droylsden
Peterborough United v Tranmere Rovers
Eastwood Town v Wycombe Wanderers
Notts County v Kettering Town
Leicester City v Dagenham & Redbridge
Barrow v Brentford
Bradford City v Leyton Orient
Southend United v Luton Town
Forest Green Rovers v Rochdale
Histon v Leeds United
Scunthorpe United v Alfreton Town
Torquay United v Oxford United
Fleetwood Town v Hartlepool United
Morecambe v Cheltenham Town
Gillingham v Stockport County
Millwall v Aldershot Town
Carlisle United or Grays Athletic v Crewe Alexandra
Bournemouth v Blyth Spartans
Kidderminster Harriers v Curzon Ashton
Port Vale v Macclesfield Town

After ten games, Birmingham, Wolves, and Reading are emerging as the class of the Championship League (aka, English 2nd Division) with Sheffield United three points behind. After that, it's a toss up. Fifth place Plymouth are only 5 points ahead of 21st place Norwich, and a total of 7 clubs currently have 15 points. That means any club from 5th to 24th place is not out of the running for the playoffs or relegation. It's still very early in the season, we haven't reached the 1/4 mark yet, but the Championship is shaping up to be an exciting league this season.

Pts - Club

23 Birmingham
22 Wolverhampton
20 Reading
17 Sheff Utd
15 Plymouth
15 Coventry
15 Cardiff
15 Swansea
15 Burnley
15 Sheff Wed
15 QPR
14 Preston
13 Bristol City
13 Charlton
13 Derby
13 Blackpool
12 Ipswich
12 Crystal Palace
11 Watford
11 Southampton
10 Norwich
08 Barnsley
07 Doncaster
05 Nottm Forest

After a brief managerial spell in Spain's second division, Chris Coleman is back in England, this time with Championship club Coventry City. And the club is off to a flying start, winners of their first two matches and in first place in the league.

Coleman enjoyed success at Fulham, guiding the Cottagers to their best ever finish in the top flight, 9th place in 2004. With limited resources, Coleman kept Fulham in the Premiership in each of his seasons in charge, and I think he will bring success to Coventry City as well. Coventry won their first match of the season, a 2-0 victory over Norwich. Elliott Ward opened the scoring with a penalty, and former Canary Leon McKenzie added the second.

Yesterday, Coventry won again, this time at Barnsley. New signing Freddie Eastwood scored in the 12th minute, and Julian Gray struck the winning goal in the second half.

With Coleman in charge, Coventry have added a few shrewd summer signings (Eastwood from Wolves, Clinton Morrison from Crystal Palace, Guillaume Beuzelin from Hibs) to a squad that already featured Jay Tabb and Michael Mifsud. I expect Coventry to make a legitimate run at promotion.

Football is here again, and the beginning of the season is always a time of hope as clubs start over with a clean slate. At least, that's usually how it works. But not in League Two. Not this year. Because of point deductions, Luton Town begin the 2008-09 campaign on -30 points. That's minus 30. Just a few years ago Luton Town was in the top half of the Championship League, England's second division, with the Premiership nearly in sight. But two relegations later, the Hatters find themselves in the fourth division, known in the odd naming system as League Two.

What happened? Part of Luton Town's demise was of their own making. The club went into administration and made illegal payments to agents. Accordingly, they had points deducted last season that virtually guaranteed their relegation to League Two. In fact, the club nearly ceased to exist as players weren't paid and a new ownership team was sought. Finally, a new ownership team took over and the club hoped to quickly bounce back to League One. But then, before this season began, Luton Town was hit with another point deduction, this time 30 points.

That seems incredibly harsh! Hasn't the club been punished enough? In fact, it was the previous ownership that got Luton Town into hot water in the first place. A 30 point deduction is so severe that it virtually insures a third relegation for Luton, this town out of the Football League altogether.

A small consolation is that two other League Two clubs also start the season with negative points. Rotherham and Bournemouth began at -17 points. Rotherham have won their first two games to reduce their deficit to -11, while Bournemouth currently stand on -15. Luton Town lost their first match, but were victorious at Gillingham yesterday thanks to a goal from Sam Parking. That 1-0 win takes the Hatters to -27 points. It will be a most difficult task, but to avoid relgation, they'll have to surpass both Rotherham and Bournemouth, or some other club that manages to get surpassed by all three of the negative pointers.

On a bright note, Luton was able to sign former Hatter Kevin Nicholls during the summer. Nicholls was around for Luton's championship days a few years ago, and it is refreshing that he would step down two divisions to help save his old club. Luton also retained several key players from last season like keeper Dean Brill, striker Parkin, and defenders Sol Davis and Keith Keane.

Soccerword will be watching as Luton Town struggle to make up the points on the pitch and struggle against the powers that be off the pitch. Good luck Hatters!

Soccerword's Championship Predictions
1. Birmingham
2. Reading
3. Sheffield United
4. Crystal Palace
5. Queens Park Rangers
6. Ipswich
7. Bristol City
8. Watford
9. Coventry City
10. Nottingham Forest
11. Charlton
12. Derby County
13. Cardiff
14. Wolverhampton
15. Sheffield Wednesday
16. Norwich
17. Plymouth
18. Barnsley
19. Southampton
20. Preston
21. Blackpool
22. Swansea
23. Burnley
24. Doncaster.

Soccerword's League One Predictions
1. Leeds
2. Huddersfield
3. Leicester City
4. Brighton & Hove Albion
5. Colchester
6. Scunthorpe
7. Oldham
8. Carlisle
9. Peterborough
10. Northampton
11. MK Dons
12. Southend
13. Millwall
14. Tranmere
15. Bristol Rovers
16. Swindon Town
17. Walsall
18. Hartlepool
19. Leyton Orient
20. Crewe
21. Yeovil
22. Hereford
23. Stockport County
24. Cheltenham

Soccerword's League Two Predictions
1. Darlington
2. Bradford
3. Rochdale
4. Wycombe
5. Shrewsbury
6. Chesterfield
7. Brentford
8. Notts County
9. Port Vale
10. Grimsby Town
11. Gillingham
12. Lincoln City
13. Exeter
14. Barnet
15. Aldershot
16. Bournemouth
17. Morecambe
18. Bury
19. Chester City
20. Macclesfield
21. Accrington Stanley
22. Dagenham & Redbridge
23. Rotherham
24. Luton Town

Stockport County 3 - 2 Rochdale
Stockport came from a goal down to win the League Two playoff final and earn promotion to League One, the third tier of English football. Rory McCardle put Rochdale in front with a headed goal in the 24th minute, but an own goal from Nathan Stanton made it 1-1 ten minutes later.

In the second half, Stockport took the lead when Anthony Pilkington's header deflected off the crossbar and into to goal. At the 67 minute mark, Stockport extended the lead through Liam Dickinson's near-post strike. Rochdale closed the gap to 2-3 when Adam Rundle volleyed home from 18 yards, but Stockport held on for the win and promotion to League One. It was Stockport's first win at Wembley in five tries.

Doncaster 1 - 0 Leeds
First we had an all-English Champions League final. Now we've had an all-Yorkshire League One playoff final, and Doncaster has emerged victories. James Hayter scored the only goal of the match, an unmarked header from ten yards to put Donny in front just after the break. Leeds through everything at Doncaster in a desperate attempt to even the match, but Donny keeper Neil Sullivan was brilliant in goal,repeatedly saving shots and collecting crosses. Doncaster will be playing in the Championship next year, while Leeds will have to regroup once again. It has been an unlucky season for Leeds, who were hit with a 15 point deduction at the start of the season. Without that deduction, Leeds would have finished second in League One and earned automatic promotion. Instead, Leeds were second best in the playoff final and will spend another season in the third tier of English football. Congratulations to Doncaster as they return to the second division for the first time in 50 years!

Hull City 1 - 0 Bristol City
Hull City have reached the top flight of English football for the first time thanks to a first half strike from Dean Windass. The 39 year old striker from Hull, scored with an 18 yard volley in the 38th minute, and the goal proved decisive. Bristol City went all out late in the second half, but could not produce a tying goal. Lee Trundle had a late strike blocked by Hull defender Michael Turner, and Darren Byfield headed over the bar Hull withstood a late onslaught by Bristol. Hull keeper Boaz Myhill also recorded two fine saves denying Trundle and Michael McIndoe. Bristol City's Bradley Orr had to leave the match in the first half with an apparent cheek fracture after a clash of heads with Nick Barmby. Hull had been the largest city in England never to be represented in the top division. No more, as Phil Brown's Tigers will be playing in the Premiership next season.

Bristol City v Hull City
Both of these clubs are looking to earn promotion to the Premier League for the first time. And both teams enjoyed comfortable wins over their more well known opponents in the semi-finals. At one point this season it looked like Watford were certain to earn automatic promotion, but they were easily dispatched by Hull City, 6-1 on aggregate. Nick Barmby scored in both legs to lead the Tigers. In the other semi, Bristol needed extra time in the second leg, but eventually prevailed 4-2 on aggregate thanks to goals from Michael McIndoe and Lee Trundle. Gary Johnson has done a great job with the Rubins, much like his over-achievement with Yeovil before he moved to Bristol. Amazingly, Bristol stayed near the top of the table all season with a goal difference hovering around 0. That's making the most out of your team. The team that wins this final will certainly be heavy favorites for relegation next year in the Premiership. And I think it will be Bristol City.

Leeds v Doncaster
You get the sense that Leeds are due some good luck. After being relegated from the Premiership, Leeds had to endure a second relegation, going into administration, being docked 15 points to start the season, and possibly worst of all, Ken Bates. Then after Leeds began the season on a great unbeaten run, manager Dennis Wise left the club for a less-than-clearly defined position at Newcaste. Through all of that, the club persevered, and with Gary McAllister in charge, find themselves a game away from the Championship. Again it wasn't easy. Leeds overcame a 1-2 deficit in the first leg of the semi-final, by winning 2-0 at Carlisle, thanks to a late goal from Jonathan Howson, his second of the game. Doncaster, by contrast, breezed to a 5-1 aggregate win over Southend in the semi-finals, with James Coppinger scoring a hat-trick in the second leg. If Leeds hadn't started the season at minus 15, they would have gained automatic promotion, and they have the second best goal difference in the league. I think their quality will see them through.

Stockport v Rochdale
I thought Darlington had the best chance of winning the League Two playoffs, but they were beaten 5-4 on penalties by Rochdale in the semi-finals. But Rochdale's victory came with a price as David Perkins was sent off and will miss out on the final. Stockport trailed the first leg of their semi-final at Wycombe until Stephen Gleeson's 25-yard volley made it 1-1. In the second leg, striker Liam Dickinson scored the only goal to give Stockport the win 2-1 on aggregate. Only two points separated these two clubs in the League Two table, so it should be a close match. With Perkins suspended, I'm giving the edge to Stockport.

Championship Awards

Player of the Year: Liam Lawrence, Stoke City

Manager of the Year: Tony Mowbray, West Brom

(Honorable Mention: Tony Pulis, Stoke City)

Soccerword's Championship Players of the Year
2007-08: Liam Lawrence, Stoke City
2006-07: Dean Whitehead, Sunderland
2005-06: Phil Jagielka, Sheffield United
2004-05: Jason Roberts, Wigan

Soccerword's Championship Managers of the Year
2007-08: Tony Mowbray, West Brom

2006-07: Roy Keane, Sunderland
2005-06: Steve Coppell, Reading
2004-05: George Burley, Derby County

League One Awards

League 1 Player of the Year: Jermaine Beckford, Leeds

League 1 Manager of the Year: Roberto Martinez, Swansea

Soccerword's League One Players of the Year
2007-08: Jermaine Beckford, Leeds
2006-07: Billy Sharp, Scunthorpe
2005-06: Freddy Eastwood, Southend
2004-05: Stuart Elliott, Hull City

Soccerword's League One Managers of the Year
2007-08: Roberto Martinez, Swansea
2006-07: Nigel Adkins, Scunthorpe
2005-06: Steve Tilson, Southend
2004-05: Martin Allen, Brentford

League Two Awards

League 2 Player of the Year: Aaron McLean, Peterborough

League 2 Manager of the Year: Paul Ince, MK Dons

Soccerword's League Two Players of the Year
2007-08: Aaron McLean, Peterborough
2006-07: Izale McLeod, MK Dons
2005-06: Karl Hawley, Carlisle
2004-05: Lee Trundle, Swansea

Soccerword's League Two Managers of the Year
2007-08: Paul Ince, MK Dons
2006-07: Richard Money, Walsall
2005-06: Paul Simpson, Carlisle
2004-05: Gary Johnson, Yeovil

Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City for earning automatic promotion to the Premier League. Hull City, Bristol City, Watford, and Crystal Palace are in the playoffs. Here is the complete Championship table:

Rank - Club - Games P - GD - PTS
1 West Brom 46 33 81
2 Stoke 46 14 79
3 Hull 46 18 75
4 Bristol City 46 1 74
5 Crystal Palace 46 16 71
6 Watford 46 6 70
7 Wolverhampton 46 5 70
8 Ipswich 46 9 69
9 Sheff Utd 46 5 66
10 Plymouth 46 10 64
11 Charlton 46 5 64
12 Cardiff 46 4 64
13 Burnley 46 -7 62
14 QPR 46 -6 58
15 Preston 46 -6 56
16 Sheff Wed 46 -1 55
17 Norwich 46 -10 55
18 Barnsley 46 -13 55
19 Blackpool 46 -5 54
20 Southampton 46 -16 54
21 Coventry 46 -12 53
22 Leicester 46 -3 52
23 Scunthorpe 46 -23 46
24 Colchester 46 -24 38

Southampton's 3-2 win over Sheffield United condemned Leicester City to relegation to the third division of English football for the first time ever. Scunthorpe and Colchester are also going down to League One.

Congratulations to Swansea and Nottingham Forest for earning automatic promotion to the Championship. Doncaster, Carlisle, Leeds, and Southend are in the play-offs. Here is the complete League One table:

Rank - Club - Games - Goaldif - Pts
1 Swansea 46 40 92
2 Nottm Forest 46 32 82
3 Doncaster 46 24 80
4 Carlisle 46 18 80
5 Leeds 46 34 76
6 Southend 46 15 76
7 Brighton 46 8 69
8 Oldham 46 12 67
9 Northampton 46 5 66
10 Huddersfield 46 -12 66
11 Tranmere 46 5 65
12 Walsall 46 6 64
13 Swindon 46 7 61
14 Leyton Orient 46 -14 60
15 Hartlepool 46 -3 54
16 Bristol Rovers 46 -8 53
17 Millwall 46 -15 52
18 Yeovil 46 -21 52
19 Cheltenham 46 -22 51
20 Crewe 46 -18 50
21 Bournemouth 46 -10 48
22 Gillingham 46 -29 46
23 Port Vale 46 -34 38
24 Luton 46 -20 33

Bournemouth, Gillingham, Port Vale, and Luton Town are relegated to League Two.

Congratulations to MK Dons, Peterborough, and Hereford for earning automatic promotion. Stockport, Rochdale, Darlington, and Wycombe are in the play-offs. Here is the complete League Two Table:

Rank - Club - Games - Goaldif - Pts
1 Milton Keynes Dons 46 45 97
2 Peterborough 46 41 92
3 Hereford 46 31 88
4 Stockport 46 18 82
5 Rochdale 46 23 80
6 Darlington 46 27 78
7 Wycombe 46 14 78
8 Chesterfield 46 20 69
9 Rotherham 46 4 64
10 Bradford 46 2 62
11 Morecambe 46 -4 60
12 Barnet 46 -7 60
13 Bury 46 -3 59
14 Brentford 46 -18 59
15 Lincoln City 46 -16 58
16 Grimsby 46 -11 55
17 Accrington Stanley 46 -34 51
18 Shrewsbury 46 -9 50
19 Macclesfield 46 -17 50
20 Dag & Red 46 -21 49
21 Notts County 46 -16 48
22 Chester 46 -17 47
23 Mansfield 46 -20 42
24 Wrexham 46 -32 40

Wrexham and Mansfield are relegated out of the Football League.

West Brom have clinched promotion to the Premier League, and Stoke can join them with a draw in their final match. Hull and Bristol have clinched playoff spots, with Watford and Crystal Palace in control of their destinies. If each club wins, they're in. But if either slips up, it opens the door for Wolves, Ipswich, and even Sheffield United. Here is the complete Championship table:

Rank - Club - Games P - GD - PTS
1 West Brom 45 31 78
2 Stoke 45 14 78
3 Hull 45 19 75
4 Bristol City 45 -2 71
5 Watford 45 6 69
6 Crystal Palace 45 11 68
7 Wolverhampton 45 4 67
8 Ipswich 45 8 66
9 Sheff Utd 45 6 66
10 Plymouth 45 11 64
11 Burnley 45 -2 62
12 Charlton 45 2 61
13 Cardiff 45 1 61
14 QPR 45 -4 58
15 Preston 45 -3 56
16 Norwich 45 -7 55
17 Barnsley 45 -10 55
18 Blackpool 45 -5 53
19 Coventry 45 -9 53
20 Sheff Wed 45 -4 52
21 Leicester 45 -3 51
22 Southampton 45 -17 51
23 Scunthorpe 45 -23 45
24 Colchester 45 -24 37

At the wrong end of the table, Colchester and Scunthorpe have already been relegated, while five other clubs could still find themselves in the bottom three at season's end. Southampton is the only club that needs help to survive. If the other clubs win, they know they are safe. But the Saints need a win and other clubs to slip up, or a draw and a Leicester loss. It will be a nervy final day for Blackpool, Coventry, Wednesday, Leicester, and Southampton.

Swansea have already clinched the League One Championship and promotion to the Coca Cola Championship. Doncaster will earn automatic promotion if they win at Cheltenham or if they at least match the results of Nottingham Forest and Carlisle. Forest, with a superior goal difference, can claim the second spot if they beat Yeovil at home and Doncaster draw or lose. Carlisle need a win along with a draw or loss from both Forest and Doncaster. All three of those clubs are assured of at least a playoff spot, as are Southend and Leeds. All of that is assuming that Leeds' 15 point deduction is not overturned. If it is, then Leeds get automatic promotion at the expense of Doncaster, Nott Forest, or Carlisle. Here is the complete League One table:

Rank - Club - Games - Goaldif - Pts
1 Swansea 45 39 89
2 Doncaster 45 25 80
3 Nottm Forest 45 31 79
4 Carlisle 45 18 79
5 Southend 45 15 75
6 Leeds 45 33 73
7 Brighton 45 9 69
8 Tranmere 45 6 65
9 Oldham 45 9 64
10 Walsall 45 6 63
11 Northampton 45 4 63
12 Huddersfield 45 -13 63
13 Swindon 45 6 58
14 Leyton Orient 45 -16 57
15 Hartlepool 45 -3 53
16 Bristol Rovers 45 -6 53
17 Millwall 45 -14 52
18 Yeovil 45 -20 52
19 Crewe 45 -15 50
20 Cheltenham 45 -23 48
21 Bournemouth 45 -10 47
22 Gillingham 45 -28 46
23 Port Vale 45 -34 37
24 Luton 45 -19 33

Luton Town and Port Vale have already been relegated, and Bournemouth and Gillingham looked likely to join them. But now Cheltenham, with an inferior goal difference, have been drawn into the mix. And Crewe is not quite safe either. Bournemouth will be relegated if they lose at Carlisle, or if they draw and Cheltenham draw or win at home to Doncaster. Gillingham are also set for the drop unless they win and Cheltenham lose. For Cheltenham, win and they are safe, while Crewe need just a draw to survive another year in League One.

Milton Keynes Dons, Peterborough, and Hereford have already clinched promotion to League One. And the next four clubs have already clinched playoff spots: Rochdale, Stockport, Darlington, and Wycome. Here is the complete League Two Table:

Rank - Club - Games - Goaldif - Pts
1 Milton Keynes Dons 45 45 96
2 Peterborough 45 43 92
3 Hereford 45 29 85
4 Rochdale 45 23 79
5 Stockport 44 17 78
6 Darlington 45 25 75
7 Wycombe 45 13 75
8 Chesterfield 45 20 68
9 Bradford 45 3 62
10 Rotherham 45 3 61
11 Barnet 45 -6 60
12 Morecambe 45 -4 59
13 Brentford 45 -17 59
14 Lincoln City 45 -14 58
15 Bury 45 -5 56
16 Grimsby 45 -9 55
17 Accrington Stanley 45 -32 51
18 Shrewsbury 45 -9 49
19 Macclesfield 45 -17 49
20 Notts County 45 -16 47
21 Dag & Red 45 -23 46
22 Chester 44 -17 45
23 Mansfield 45 -18 42
24 Wrexham 45 -34 37

Wrexham have already been relegated, with Chester or Mansfield set to join them. Chester just need a draw to survive, while Mansfield need to win at Dagenham and Redbridge and hope Chester lose their last two matches.

It's a sad day in Wrexham, as the Welsh club is relegated from League Two, ending 87 straight years in the Football League. The Dragons lost 0-2 against Hereford, clinching relegation to the Blue Square Premier League (commonly known as the Conference). Gary Hooper and Theo Robinson scored the fateful goals for Hereford. Good luck to Wrexham as they try to bounce back up next season, but recent history has been against relegated League Two clubs earning promotion in the first attempt. Just ask York City, Rushden & Diamonds, Kidderminster, Oxford or Cambridge.

It's still a tight race in the Championship for promotion and for the playoffs. West Brom are nearly there, needing just a draw from one of their final two matches to gain promotion back to the Premier League. Stoke, Hull, and Bristol will battle it out for the second automatic promotion spot, while several clubs still have a shot at the playoffs. Here is the complete Championship table:

Rank - Club - Games P - GD - PTS
1 West Brom 44 31 77
2 Stoke 44 13 75
3 Hull 44 18 72
4 Bristol City 44 -1 71
5 Watford 44 7 69
6 Crystal Palace 44 12 68
7 Ipswich 44 8 65
8 Sheff Utd 44 5 63
9 Wolverhampton 43 1 63
10 Plymouth 44 8 61
11 Charlton 44 5 61
12 Burnley 44 -2 61
13 Cardiff 43 4 60
14 QPR 44 -1 58
15 Preston 44 -3 55
16 Blackpool 44 -2 53
17 Coventry 44 -9 52
18 Norwich 44 -10 52
19 Barnsley 44 -13 52
20 Leicester 44 -1 51
21 Southampton 44 -17 50
22 Sheff Wed 44 -6 49
23 Scunthorpe 44 -24 42
24 Colchester 44 -23 37

At the wrong end of the table, Colchester and Scunthorpe have already been relegated, while six other clubs could still find themselves in the bottom three at season's end. Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton are the most likely candidates.

Swansea have already clinched the League One Championship and promotion to the Coca Cola Championship. Here is the complete League One table:

Rank - Club - Games - Goaldif - Pts
1 Swansea 44 36 86
2 Carlisle 44 21 79
3 Doncaster 44 23 77
4 Nottm Forest 44 30 76
5 Southend 44 16 75
6 Leeds 44 32 70
7 Brighton 44 7 66
8 Walsall 44 8 63
9 Tranmere 44 5 62
10 Northampton 44 4 62
11 Oldham 44 8 61
12 Huddersfield 44 -15 60
13 Leyton Orient 44 -13 57
14 Swindon 43 5 54
15 Hartlepool 44 -2 53
16 Bristol Rovers 43 -3 53
17 Yeovil 44 -19 52
18 Crewe 44 -14 50
19 Millwall 44 -17 49
20 Cheltenham 44 -22 48
21 Gillingham 44 -28 45
22 Bournemouth 44 -11 44
23 Port Vale 44 -34 36
24 Luton 44 -17 33

Luton Town and Port Vale have already been relegated, and Bournemouth and Gillingham look likely to join them. A bit unlucky for Bournemouth and Luton as they are in the bottom four due to a 15 point deduction for going into administration. By the way, before the season began, I picked Bournemouth to finish 23rd and received lots of harsh words from fans of the Cherries. Looks like I wasn't too far off after all.

Milton Keynes Dons and Peterborough have already clinched promotion to League One. Here is the complete League Two Table:

Rank - Club - Games - Goaldif - Pts
1 Milton Keynes Dons 44 44 93
2 Peterborough 44 40 89
3 Hereford 43 24 79
4 Rochdale 44 23 78
5 Stockport 43 18 78
6 Darlington 44 26 75
7 Wycombe 44 14 75
8 Chesterfield 44 21 68
9 Bradford 44 4 62
10 Morecambe 44 -3 59
11 Brentford 44 -14 59
12 Rotherham 44 2 58
13 Barnet 44 -7 57
14 Bury 44 -5 55
15 Grimsby 44 -6 55
16 Lincoln City 44 -15 55
17 Shrewsbury 44 -9 48
18 Accrington Stanley 44 -34 48
19 Macclesfield 44 -18 46
20 Chester 43 -17 44
21 Notts County 44 -17 44
22 Dag & Red 44 -24 43
23 Mansfield 44 -17 42
24 Wrexham 43 -30 37

No club has been mathematically relegated, but it doesn't look good for Welsh club Wrexham at the bottom of the table.

Automatic Promotion
A month or two ago, I would have told you (and I think I did) that Watford were a sure bet for automatic promotion. But now West Brom look to be the team to beat. The Baggies are 3 points ahead of the Hornets with a much better goal difference. Both clubs are still the favorites to finish one-two, but who claims the championship is still uncertain. Behind them, several clubs are in the playoff chase: Bristol City, Stoke, Crystal Palace, Charlton, Ipswich, Cardiff, Burnley, Wolves, Plymouth, Hull, and Southampton. This list includes recent Premier League teams and smaller clubs on the rise. It's way to early to be making predictions, but it would be nice to see a new boy make it to the Premiership stage (that means you: Bristol, Cardiff and Plymouth.

Relegation
Preston, Scunthorpe, and Colchester are in the bottom three. Of those clubs, I think Preston has the best chance of avoiding relegation. If they survive, then it will probably be Coventry or Sheffield Wednesday taking their place.

Automatic Promotion
Swansea (50 points) have opened up a five point lead at the top of League One. After that, it's anyone's guess. Clubs in second through tenth place are separated by only 7 points: Carlisle, Nottingham Forest, Doncaster, Leeds, Leyton Orient, Walsall, Southend, Tranmere, and Yeovil. With Leeds overcoming a 15 point deficit to start the season, I think they will claim the second automatic spot eventually. Will this be the year that Forest finally make it out of League One?

Relegation
At the beginning of the year, I received complaints and insults for picking Bournemouth to finish the season in 23rd place. Well, currently the Cherries (yes, their team nickname really is the cherries) are in last place with 20 points. Port Vale also has 20 points but a slightly better goal difference. Those two clubs will almost certainly suffer relegation. Millwall and Luton Town are the other clubs in the bottom four for now, but Luton are there because of a ten point deduction for going into administration. If they have to sell off more players, the Hatters may not be able to escape the drop. I think Millwall might just make it, so watch out fans of Cheltenham and Crewe. Your teams are just barely above the bottom four.

Automatic Promotion
Milton Keynes Dons (formerly Wimbledon) should earn automatic promotion. MK Dons are in first place (57 points), seven points ahead of Rotherham. The other two automatic spots are up for grabs with Rotherham (50), Darlington (49), Hereford (49), Peterborough (46, Chesterfield (46), and Wycombe (44) still in contention. Rochdale in 9th place with 41 points is still in the playoff race too as they have played three fewer games than Chesterfield or Wycombe.
Basically, League Two is far from decided as 14th place Grimsby Town (34) are only 10 points behind 7th place Wycombe for the final playoff spot.

Relegation
Mansfield (19) and Wrexham (18) are currently in the bottom two, but they each have a game in hand over Lincoln City (22) and Dagenham & Redbridge (22). Two of those four clubs will face the drop out of the Football League.

Championship Table, Christmas 2007
1 Watford - 43
2 West Brom - 41
3 Bristol City - 41
4 Stoke - 40
5 Charlton - 38
6 Ipswich - 36
7 Wolverhampton - 35
8 Plymouth - 34
9 Burnley - 33
10 Crystal Palace - 31
11 Hull - 31
12 Barnsley - 31
13 Southampton - 31
14 Sheff Utd - 30
15 Cardiff - 29
16 Coventry - 29
17 Blackpool - 26
18 Norwich - 25
19 Sheff Wed - 24
20 Preston - 24
21 QPR - 24
22 Leicester - 23
23 Scunthorpe - 23
24 Colchester - 21

League One Table, Christmas 2007
1 Nottm Forest - 37
2 Swansea - 37
3 Leeds - 36
4 Carlisle - 36
5 Leyton Orient - 35
6 Walsall - 32
7 Southend - 32
8 Yeovil - 32
9 Doncaster - 31
10 Brighton - 30
11 Huddersfield - 29
12 Tranmere - 28
13 Hartlepool - 27
14 Oldham - 27
15 Swindon - 26
16 Northampton - 24
17 Crewe - 24
18 Gillingham - 22
19 Bristol Rovers - 19
20 Millwall - 19
21 Cheltenham - 18
22 Luton - 16
23 Port Vale - 16
24 Bournemouth - 16

League Two Table, Christmas 2007
1 Milton Keynes Dons - 45
2 Peterborough - 40
3 Darlington - 39
4 Hereford - 39
5 Rotherham - 39
6 Chester - 35
7 Chesterfield - 34
8 Wycombe - 33
9 Shrewsbury - 31
10 Morecambe - 30
11 Rochdale - 28
12 Stockport - 27
13 Accrington Stanley - 26
14 Barnet - 25
15 Bury - 23
16 Brentford - 23
17 Notts County - 22
18 Macclesfield - 22
19 Bradford - 21
20 Grimsby - 21
21 Lincoln City - 18
22 Dag & Red - 18
23 Wrexham - 15
24 Mansfield - 13