Bradford City – SciFiFootball

I wasn’t able to get a Lower League Week finished last week, so earlier this week a Lower League Fortnight went up.

It covered Celtic’s offers for Peterborough’s Lee Tomlin; some other interesting late transfer window action; Hartlepool’s 5-0 win over Bradford and the context to explain why this was so bizarre; Bradford bouncing back with a 4-0 win over Brentford; Tom Pope opening his account for the season; Greg Abbott being sacked by Carlisle; Sheffield United’s new Saudi Arabian owners; Coventry winnin to cancel out their ten point deduction; and the huge figures Portsmouth owe to their former players.

Click here to read The Lower League Fortnight – Pay Up Pompey

FootballOpinion

Goals Galore for Coventry and Peterborough

August 29, 2013 David Stringer

Today at Bornoffside.net, the latest Lower League Week is up.

Carlisle’s results this weeks have been less bad than previously; Bradford’s Nahki Wells has broken a club scoring record; There’s been lots of goals for Coventry and Peterborough but few for Hartlepool; Wycombe have had a double financial boost; Mark Cooper has started well at Swindon but still has a few problems ahead.

Peterborough are binging on goals - any chance one or two could be spared for Hartlepool? — Peterborough are bingeing on goals – any chance one or two could be spared for Hartlepool?

Plus, there’s been a few upsets in the second round of the League Cup.

Click here to read The Lower League Week – Posh Peterborough Slaughter the Royals

FootballOpinion

Kick and a Punch for the First of the Month. And a Column on Leagues One and Two

March 1, 2013 David Stringer

Another Lower League Week has been published at Bornoffside, again quite late in the week.

This week I’ve written about the tightness of the races to get out of and remain in League One; after Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo was apparently released by Bury after one game, he’s given his side of the story; Chris Kiwomya has been given the Notts County job until the end of the season; Bradford and Oldham have both been knocked out of cups; Southend are in trouble with HMRC; John Still has left Dagenham & Redbridge after nine years to take over as boss at Luton; and Oxford’s match was delayed because the goalposts weren’t put in straight.

Click here for The Lower League Week: Moving On And Staying Put

FootballOpinion

Today’s Week

February 22, 2013 David Stringer

Earlier today I published a brief blog post linking to last week’s Lower League Week at BornOffside: here I link to the edition that was published today.

There’s large sections on Paolo di Canio’s departure from Swindon, and Coventry’s conflict over their stadium.

English football’s most successful twin brothers were both sacked as managers this week,Oldham marched a bit further on in the FA Cup, and Preston North End have appointed a new manager already.

Bilel Mohsni returned to Southend after throwing a Tevez, only for them to wish he’d stayed away, the area finals of the Johnstone Paint Trophy were both this week, and I looked forward briefly to Bradford competing in the League Cup final this Sunday.

You can read all that in The Lower League Week – Unreasonable People

FootballOpinion

A Late Link to a Large Lower League Week (I Love ‘Literation)

February 22, 2013February 22, 2013 David Stringer

I’ve been intending to link from here to everything I write elsewhere, but occasionally I have a massive memory lapse. So, seven days later, here is a short post linking to last week’s Lower League Week.

League Two’s bottom teams were fighting fiercely to break away from the relegation zone, while League One’s top sides seem intent on falling away from the top.

Mark Robins walked away from Coventry, Graham Westley was sacked by Preston, and Notts County spent about two minutes in court as a result of HMRC proceedings.

Hartlepool’s draw with Portsmouth made it seem that relegation had became a formality for both, and Torquay have been without manager Martin Ling because of a ‘mystery illness’.

Click here to read The Lower League Week: Impossible to Predict

FootballOpinion

I Sort of Remembered to Leave a Link This Time…

February 9, 2013 David Stringer

Yesterday there I wrote a new edition of the Lower League Week for Born Offside.

Swindon’s new owners have pissed of Paolo di Canio, Bournemouth are doing quite well, the Dalai Llama has declared his support for a League Two side, Hartlepool United won (remarkable in itself) with the goals scored by Hartley and Poole, Dickov and Curle were sacked by Oldham and Notts County, while Graham Westley praised himself in the Daily Mail, in the week his Preston side set a new club record for home games without victory.

You can read all of that in The Lower League Week – Things Fall Apart

FootballOpinion

Bornoffside Bits

January 17, 2013 David Stringer

After missing the first scheduled Lower League Week of the year due to other commitments, today a Lower League Fortnight has gone up at Bornoffside.

In it, I write about lower league involvement in three different cups, Dean Saunders waiting for the moment he starts being quite good to leave his job (again) Port Vale spending money, Notts County’s chairman surfing the web, and Graham Westley was booed by his own fans on his anniversary.

Click here to read The Lower League Fortnight: Glory of the Cups

I’ve also had another in the series of African Cup of Nations previews published, this time for Togo.

Click here to read African Cup of Nations Group D Preview : Togo

All Bornoffside previews for the competition (and subsequent coverage) can be found at the Africa 2013 section

FootballOpinion

If You Beat Arsenal, Does It Really Count As An Upset?

December 14, 2012December 14, 2012 David Stringer

My latest round-up of the events in football’s League One and Two went up at Born Offside this morning.

If you even vaguely follow English football, you’ll probably be aware that Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup by Bradford City – a team three divisions lower than them. You can read about the Bradford side of the story, and the rest of their eventful week.

Meanwhile, Coventry have been in negotiations over rent for their ground, Portsmouth fans are trying to enforce the sale of theirs, Southend and Bury have struggled to pay their wages, a Carlisle director inadvertendly put his manager under more pressure, and you can hear tales of an amusing own goal and an impressive double save.

Click here for The Lower League Week – Keeping Calm and Going to Penalties

FootballOpinion

A Mixed Bag of a Lower League Week

November 15, 2012 David Stringer

The latest Lower League Week has now gone live at Born Offside.

In it, I discuss Michael Appleton’s record at Portsmouth, Tranmere beginning to struggle at the top of League One, Bury and Scunthorpe pulling away from the bottom leaving Hartlepool (who’ve just appointed a new manager) behind; belatedly praise Walsall for their good start to the season, chuckle at Rotherham’s heavy defeat, look at Bradford’s record in penalty shoot-outs and listen to Edgar Davids saying a naughty word. It’s a mixed bag of a column.

Haribo_Matador_Mix_Bag by Knud Winckelmann Taken from Wikimedia Commons — One of the first responses to ‘mixed bag’ on Wikimedia Commons. Another was a painting of Jesus being breast-fed.

Click here to read The Lower League Week: Doing a Great Job in Difficult Circumstances

FootballOpinion

Milk!

November 2, 2012 David Stringer

A new edition of The Lower League Week has just gone up at BornOffside.net.

In it, I cover Tranmere starting to struggle, Sheffield United hitting form, Paolo di Canio whinging, Chesterfield take two months to appoint a manager, Scunthorpe taking less than a day, own goals, a red card, dangerous milk, and a really quite horrific injury.