The Football League featuring the Championship, League One and League Two is the most followed lower division sport in the world, full of teams that some will remember from EPL days of yore, FA Cup winners, and even a Champions League semi finalist. There’s also a bunch of teams that very few outside the most hardened fans would recognise. Given that most football fans don’t care about the Football League until May when they realise three of them will make the EPL, we do the hard work and give you – the discerning football fan – the briefest of weekly catch ups to keep in touch with a minimum of effort. Plus a bunch if tips that win rarely but pay handsomely when successful.
This week the FA Cup has made a minor impact with a reduced program for the Championship, but never fear, there’s more fun in the midweek, just the way we and you like it. And more fun this Saturday (early Sunday for those few keen in Australia).
FOOTBALL LEAGUE BITS
- Kudos to Brighton & Hove Albion who were written off by all including us after their 21 unbeaten run turned into a 7 games winless streak. They are now unbeaten in five and a draw in their most recent game halted a four game winning streak. They are now just three points from the top, and like Leicester of previous year’s can turn recent playoff near misses into a cash bloated promotion.
- More kudos to League Two Northampton Town, who faced financial troubles aided by fundraising at games, and a case of missing money for an extension to their home ground which never happened. Karma has caught up and on the field they are excelling and sit top of the fourth division and are on a run of 8 straight wins overall, and an amazing 7 straight away. 4 in a row at home isn’t too bad either. They are 8 points clear of 2nd and 18 of fourth (first of the clubs not automatically promoted) so a move up to League One seems highly likely. A feel good story at least.
- Another feel good story is Burton Albion, who are five points clear at the top of League One in their first ever year. Their current manager Nigel Clough all but got them promoted from Non League before following in his father’s footsteps at Derby County before he got to taste their title win. Now he may well benefit from someone’s good start, as he has maintained the good work of QPR departed Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank and kept the Brewers at the top. People laughed when The Gurgler tipped them as outsiders for promotion.
MANAGER UPDATES
- For once there has been no further sackings this week.
OUR “BEST BETS”
We are surely due, but the beauty is that at this stage it is only us losing money.
CHAMPIONSHIP
$1 for $37
DERBY or DRAW v Brentford
BURNLEY to beat Rotherham
HUDDERSFIELD to beat Wolves
BRISTOL CITY to beat Milton Keynes
PRESTON to beat Sheffield Wednesday
QPR or DRAW v Bolton
LEAGUE ONE
$1 for $42
BARNSLEY to beat Doncaster
BRADFORD to beat Rochdale
SWINDON to beat Blackpool
SHEFFIELD UTD to beat Port Vale
PETERBOROUGH to beat Millwal
LEAGUE TWO
$1 for $41
BRISTOL ROVERS to beat Morecambe
YORK to beat Cambridge
PLYMOUTH to beat Crawley
OXFORD to beat Accrington
PORTSMOUTH to beat Yeovil
