Tag: lower league football

FootballOpinion

Later than Wished, Last Week’s Lower League Week

David Stringer

The Football League has returned, and that means that, during the week, so did the Lower League Week.

On Wednesday, for Born Offside, I wrote about the Coventry fiasco; the media’s lazy reporting of the Coventry fiasco; a Crawley fan being banned for being mean to Ian Holloway; Northampton beginning pre-season with a bonfire; the opening weekend’s matches; and an Accrington employee being naughty and breaking some betting laws.

This was on the first page of searches for 'betting' and I'm too lazy to look further.
This was on the first page of searches for ‘betting’ and I’m too lazy to look further.

There was also some lovely sarcasm from Torquay United, and Notts County tempting fate.

You can read all that and more at The Lower League Week: Coventry’s Ten Points and Northampton’s Bonfire of the Memories

FootballOpinion

The Sun Still Shines in the Lower Leagues

David Stringer

The Football League is set to start again today, so it’s about time for me to get round to linking to a couple of articles I wrote during the week for Bornoffside.net, summing up the events concerning the teams of League One and Two.

This stadium was as packed during the summer as it will be during Coventry's matches.
This stadium was as packed during the summer as it will be during Coventry’s matches.

Wolves have been named as the favourites for League One after being relegated for two years in a row, but haven’t done all that much in the transfer market; Coventry have been in deep financial trouble, and have made the deeply unpopular decision to move the team 30 miles from home, with only 300 fans following them (seriously). Swindon and Walsall have stripped their team away, while Exeter have arranged to follow the example of Arsenal, Manchester United and others by jetting off around the world for a pre-season tour next summer. But in there case, there is a justification beyond ‘we like money’.

Click here to read Lower League Summer: League One
Click here to read Lower League Summer: League Two

FootballOpinion

Last Week of the Season

David Stringer

This is a late link yet again, with the final, double-sized edition of the Lower League Week going up on Bornoffside.net during the week.

born_offside_greenSome of the bigger stories were Coventry’s stadium apparently being on fire; the playoff finals; new managers for Doncaster and Hartlepool; Wolves and Sheffield United still searching for bosses (at the time of writing); the effects and to an extent the morality of  parachute payments; early summer transfers; Bury’s financial troubles, and Billy Sharp being playful. Probably.

Click here to read The Lower League Fortnight – Preparations for Next Season

FootballOpinion

A Little Late Lower League Week

David Stringer

The second last Lower League Week went up late in the week last week, so appropriately enough, the link to it is going up late as well.

This edition covers John Hughes’ sacking by Hartlepool, James Beattie’s appointment as Accrington manager, and former Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler announcing his intent to return to management… and his belief that he would also have taken them up this year.

After two years of spending heavily, Swindon have announced their intention to make massive cuts for next year. Portsmouth will probably not be able to pay a transfer fee for a few years, as a result of being required to pay ‘football debts’ in full, and there’s the potential for a Coventry buyout by Preston Haskell IV, and investment as a result.

An Oxford supporters’ group, OxVox, have helped force the club’s ground to be designated as a ‘community asset’, protecting it against owners who want to sell it for a quick profit.

Aldershot and Wycombe have had financial problems, while a Yeovil fan has been denied the chance to take a flag into the playoff final… unless he paid £1500 for eight people to help him.

Yeovil manager Gary Johnson, immediately after having his flag yoinked from his fist. Possibly.
Yeovil manager Gary Johnson, immediately after having his flagpole yoinked from his fist. Possibly.

Click here to read Lower League Week – Managers and Money

FootballOpinion

More Late Drama Than Sky Atlantic’s Through the Night Programming

David Stringer

On Friday BornOffside published my latest Lower League Week.

It begins with a summary of the events in the League One and Two playoff semi-finals, which were pretty dramatic.

I also covered the smaller, end of season stories.
Bury fan favourite Efe Sodje is in conflict with manager Kevin Blackwell, refusing to sign a new contract unless he leaves. Steve Fletcher has finally retired at the age of 40, not because decades of centre-forwarding have taken their toll on his body, but simply because he’s pretty far down the pecking order now.

Steve Fletcher: Retiree
Steve Fletcher: Retiree

Coventry were locked out of their stadium again after continuing to refuse to pay the rent (what are they like!) and Martin Ling, who’d been on sick leave, has been replaced as Torquay manager by Alan Knill.

Having narrowly survived relegation, Dagenham caretaker manager Wayne Burnett has been appointed as permanent manager, while Brian Flynn has decided against continuing as Doncaster boss despite their last minute title win.

And Luke McCormick has returned to Plymouth, the club that terminated his contract after he was convicted of causing the death of two young boys. Yeah, it’s not all sweetness and light.

Click here to read The Lower League Week – The Stoppage Time Equaliser Edition

FootballOpinion

Last Week’s Last Day Drama

David Stringer

Although football in the Premiership and the Championship are ongoing, the normal season in Leagues One and Two are now complete.

Speaking as a Hartlepool fan, I'm glad to see the season go.
Speaking as a Hartlepool fan, I’m glad to see the season go.

There’s been some pretty dramatic action on the final day, including an end to the Doncaster – Brentford game you may be aware of, and amazingly, 7 teams battling to avoid relegation from League Two on the final day.

And Jeremy Kyle, daytime TV talk show host, was invited to give a pre-match team talk, during which he presumably revealed the results of a DNA test to one of the players, and yelled at others.

Click here to read The Lower League Week: The Jimmy Glass Day Edition

FootballOpinion

Bias In Wales

David Stringer

In English football, there are a number of Welsh teams competing within the English football leagues. This came about essentially because there aren’t enough professional teams for a fully professional Welsh league to be sustainable. So, for a century, Welsh and English teams have intermingled.

There is a strange detail to this – though they compete in the English leagues, when their players are disciplined, the Welsh teams are punished by the Football Association of Wales, rather than the English FA.

Recently, this has led to a conflict of interests, with a Wrexham player having a ban rescinded, allowing him to compete in the Conference playoff semi-finals.

This is what Wales looks like from space... if you squint really hard.
This is what Wales looks like from space… if you squint really hard.

I’ve written about this for BornOffside.

Click here to read Time to End Welsh Independence

FootballOpinion

A Dramatic Day to Come in Leagues One and Two

David Stringer

It’s a bit late in the week, but I’ve covered the events in Leagues One and Two.

This is what cool looks like

Barnet have played their last game at Underhill, home of the famous sloping pitch; Portsmouth have been deducted points this season rather than next, despite already being relegated; Scunthorpe are all but relegated, for the second time in three years; Coventry City FC are – I’m sorry if I don’t seem to be taking it seriously, just laughably villainous.

I’ve also written about the teams still with something to play for on the last round of league matches this weekend.

Click here to read The Lower League Week – Preparing for the Showdown

FootballOpinion

Pools are Going Down; I’ve Written for We Are Going Up

David Stringer

I’ve been a bit busy writing for a few sites over recent days. First up is a piece I wrote for We Are Going Up – basically a look back across Hartlepool United’s awful, awful season.

It’s been a season when Pools have set a new club record for games without a win, a new club record for least amount of goals scored by the top scorer, and have lost by 5 goals on 4 occasions.

On the plus side, I still think the ground looks awesome.
On the plus side, I still think the ground looks awesome.

Click here to read Thank God It’s Nearly Over

FootballOpinion

Earlier, The Week

David Stringer

I do have a bad habit of neglecting this blog from time to time…

During the week, the latest Lower League Week was published at Bornoffside.net.

born_offside_green

Portsmouth were taken over by their fans, but, along with Bury and Hartlepool, were relegated from League One with two games to play. Yeovil vs Oldham saw father and son managers on the touchline; Torquay’s new chairman is a lottery winner, and the country’s highest positioned female chairman; Danny Wilson was sacked by Sheffield United; and Coventry have outdone themselves in their battle over the Ricoh Arena.

Click here to read Lower League Week – Confirmation of Relegation Edition