The latest episode of the writers podcast features writer and Cardiff City fan Martin Townley.
We discuss his opinion on which sides have impressed in the EFL Championship so far as well as what he has made of the start to the Premier League season.
Link to the Writers Podcast below: https://soundcloud.com/adam-stephens-425096853/24-7-football-episode-8
In addition, we are also proud to announce that we have been ranked by Feedspot in their Top 40 UK Football Blogs
Football League One and Two seasons have both been ended early after a vote by all clubs on Tuesday.
Both tables will be settled on points per game, while promotion, relegation and the play-offs all remain.
Coventry and Rotherham have been promoted from League one, While Wycombe leapfrog Peterborough into the play-off places.
Swindon have been crowned League Two champions, but ongoing disciplinary matters mean it is not yet certain who will get relegated into the National League.
Currently, Stevenage are rooted at the bottom of the table, but they could be reprieved after Macclesfield Town were handed a fresh EFL misconduct charge at the beginning of the month.
Macclesfield, who sit three points above Stevenage, have already had 11 points deducted for previous rule breaches this season and have a further suspended two-point penalty hanging over them if they transgress again.
Both votes were passed with an overwhelming majority, according to the EFL. No dates have yet been confirmed for the League One play-offs, but the schedule for the Division Two play-offs has been decided with Colchester entertaining Exeter on Thursday 18th June and Northampton facing Cheltenham on the same day in the first legs. The second legs for all four sides will be on Monday 22nd June, with the Final played at Wembley on Monday 29th June.
Clubs in League One had previously been divided over whether to finish the season or not. Initial talks were put on hold when at least six sides said they wanted to continue the campaign.
However, the new regulations proposed by the EFL board and approved by the 71 clubs on Tuesday, meant just over half of the teams in any division needed to agree on ending the season early.
With the decision of points per game decided by the board, it has thrown up one major change to the League One table, with Wycombe who originally were in eighth placed replacing sixth placed Peterborough United in the play-offs.
After the conclusion of the season, the next few months are going to be a very anxious time for clubs in League One and Two. Many of whom are going to find themselves financially very insecure.
Gareth Ainsworth and his Wycombe Wanderers are enjoying their 2019/20 campaign in League One so far, with the Chairboys five points clear at the top of the table.
Wycombe have only lost one game so far this season and they are looking very comfortable at the top of League One.
However, it is going to be a very difficult winter period for Ainsworth’s men as they face Burton Albion, Oxford United, Portsmouth, Coventry City, Ipswich Town, Peterborough United and Sunderland; who are all aiming for promotion this season.
The real test starts for the Blues with the toughest fixtures of the season all coming at once.
If they manage to stay in the play offs or even the automatic places, after the upcoming fixtures, then Wycombe fans will deserve something to cheer about come the end of the season.
With the Chairboys having the third lowest budget in the league, it just goes to show the brilliance of Ainsworth, his staff and his players.
The underdogs are starting to show the big boys like Ipswich, Coventry and Sunderland; that they are a team who needs to be taken seriously.
The Carabao Cup Round One draw was made on Thursday evening from Morrisons, Colindale, North West London.
There were two stand out ties from the draw with AFC Wimbledon playing MK Dons, while newly-promoted Salford City will face Leeds United.
The draw was conducted by two former England internationals in John Barnes and Ray Parlour and was split into two regions – North and South.
Huddersfield Town, the hightest-ranked team in the Northern Section, will face Lincoln City while the highest ranked Southern side, West Bromwich Albion, will face Millwall.
Every club from Sky Bet League One and League Two enter the Carabao Cup in Round One, along with 22 Championship clubs.
Only Cardiff City and Fulham – who finished 18th and 19th respectively in the Premier League last season, will enter in Round Two, alongside the clubs from the Premier League, not in European competitions.
The first round matches are scheduled to take place week commencing Monday 12thAugust, with the final due to take place on March 1, 2020.
Full Round One Draw can be seen below:
North Draw
Tranmere Rovers v Hull City
Grimsby Town v Doncaster Rovers
Wigan Athletic v Stoke City
Port Vale v Burton Albion
Nottingham Forest v Fleetwood Town
Bradford City v Preston North End
Blackpool v Macclesfield Town
Blackburn Rovers v Oldham Athletic
Mansfield Town v Morecambe
Accrington Stanley v Sunderland
Scunthorpe United v Derby County
Rochdale v Bolton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town v Lincoln City
Middlesbrough v Crewe Alexandra
Shrewsbury Town v Rotherham United
Sheffield Wednesday v Bury
Salford City v Leeds United
Barnsley v Carlisle United
South Draw
Colchester United v Swindon Town
AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons
Oxford United v Peterborough United
Queens Park Rangers v Bristol City
Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient
Wycombe Wanderers v Reading
Charlton Athletic v Forest Green Rovers
Gillingham v Newport County
Stevenage v Southend United
Luton Town v Ipswich Town
Walsall v Crawley Town
Bristol Rovers v Cheltenham Town
Brentford v Cambridge United
Coventry City v Exeter City
Swansea City v Northampton Town
As we near the business end of the season in the English Football League One, there are 11 teams, seperated by just 8 points.
8 points might not sound a lot given the previous relegation history of this league, but this has been no ordinary season in this league.
It has given us everything including drama, unexpected results, upturns in form, managerial changes, some good some bad and some just inspired.
From Bristol Rovers in 13th Position on 44 points, down to Bradford City, who this week took over from AFC Wimbledon as the strong men of the division, on 36 points, it could be said that none of the teams from 13th, down to 20th are considered safe, by any stretch.
Bristol Rovers, Scunthorpe , AFC Wimbledon, Rochdale and Bradford, among these teams have changed managers this term, with Bradford and Rochdale , being the latest to change, though it could be said, that in Bradford’s case, the appointment of Gary Bowyer, is their 4th Managerial change this season, with history not favoring relegated teams who change manager more than once.
Bristol Rovers and AFC Wimbledon, appointed managers who have fresh innovative ideas and this has been reflected in these two clubs upturn in form, both previous occupants of the bottom slot, Rovers now occupy 13th, with AFC Wimbledon sitting in 22nd position and just 3 points away from the teams directly above them.
In fact a win at home to Gillingham on Saturday, would potentially see the ‘Dons climb out of the bottom 4, which would represent a total turn around in fortunes.
Previous seasons have seen 50 points being the safety mark to avoid relegation, but given the unpredictable nature of results this season, and with just 8 games to go, it is quite conceivable that less than 50 points will be enough this season?
Either way, it promises to be a very exciting and potentially nerve-wracking end to an incredible season.
Who do you think will survive this season ?
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