The Round Ball Game

[teamsaint]

Brilliant round up ER.

Good to see Punch getting on the scoresheet today for Palace.

[EdgeleyRob]

Ouch!

Yep cloughie,but thanks to Fulham and Brentford no real damage done,except to my Saturday accumulator

[EdgeleyRob]

Many thanks Rob.

Arsenal - Disappointing. The Minstermen - Alarming.

Indeed Lat,Wenger needs to spend some of the club's millions,hard to make a case for York staying up.

[antongould]

I am sure your Maths is correct ER but Hangers fans aren't used to having to count to 5 in the goals for column ..... Cheers as always ....

[Pulcinella]

I think that this link should now work for non-subscribers too, as there has been a policy change.

I like the last letter particularly!

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/comment/regulars/lettersandemails/article1686034.ece?shareToken=96484d6730b3df4662abd6fa8a5e07ae

PS! The link takes you to the whole page, but I'm sure you'll find the one I mean.
It's the last one in the 'doping' section.

[gurnemanz]

Much needed first League win of 2016 for Palace with Jason Puncheon paying tribute to Raphael’s “Deposition of Christ“ in his goal celebration.

[johncorrigan]

Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 0 Conceded the goal on 15 mins,now down to 8th place,so no top 6 for ICT and PT as I think this is the point where the SPL splits (JC correct me if I'm wrong)
Falkirk 2 St Mirren 2 v Got back to 2-2 on 82 mins v the potential division runners-up,only to conceded a last min 3rd goal,7th

Bang on, Rob, except for missing the third goal in the score.(wish you had been right...we were a wee bit unlucky against a play-off team)

Yeah, Rob...after game 33 (3x11) the league splits to two mini leagues of 6 who then play 5 games v either the top teams or the bottom teams. There's often been contention as teams can end up with 3 away games or three home games...cue conspiracy theories. The bottom teams are then only in contention for the relegation and play-off place, the top 6 for title and Europe. Mathematically, it seemed to me that there could be a possibility where a bottom six team finished with more points than the Champions but it's never happened...yet!

Relegation is there for the bottom team (Dundee Utd at present)...2nd bottom plays the winner of a mini-tournament from the teams finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Championship in a home/away to see who is in the premier division next season. (No Buddies this year!) Rangers are already promoted as Championship winners. They play Celtic in the semi-final of the cup next Saturday in what promises to be the first major old-firm clash since the Teddy Bears were exiled to the 4th division four years back. Interestingly Rangers play Peterhead today in 1st leg of the final of the Petrofac Training Cup...reckons there'll be over 50,000 there. The Rangers fans are really coming out of the woodwork. A lot of bad feeling towards other teams from the Rangers fans following their demotion continues to rumble on.

[burning dog]

[johncorrigan]

Nice one, Claudio! Better think about chipping in for a tin of Duraglit for Alison, Rob!

[Alison]

Better ?
and don't let's have any more of that defeatist talk.it's not over yet ! !

Have been looking back at some of last winter's messages. This one from 7 February 2015.

Here I got a hug from Edgey having more or less accepted that the Foxes were going down.

How right he was !

[teamsaint]

I don't think i would be sleeping very well if I Was a Leicester fan, at the moment.

Another good performance today and well deserved win.hearts in mouths time when Rodwell missed that chance though...I think even I could have put that one away !!

Come on Alison, talk us through the emotions.....

I Wish we could have Toby back. Why city, united etc didnt go after him is a mystery.

[EdgeleyRob]

Have been looking back at some of last winter's messages. This one from 7 February 2015.

Here I got a hug from Edgey having more or less accepted that the Foxes were going down.

How right he was !

No one could have predicted Leicester's meteoric rise this season though chuck.
Surely Nigel Pearson deserves some credit for this too.

Gary Lineker said it's an uninspiring choice.

How wrong was he (commenting on the appointment of Ranieri last year)

Round up

Sunderland 0 Leicester City 2 Vardy 2nd half double and Spurs result ensures a top 4 finish,3 more wins to guarantee the title
Liverpool 4 Stoke City 1 Scored twice in each half for a comfortable win,now 8th and 9 points off the top 4
Tottenham 3 Manchester United 0 Conceded 3 goals in the space of 6 2nd half mins,1st defeat at Spurs since 2001,5th place

[EdgeleyRob]

Bang on, Rob, except for missing the third goal in the score.(wish you had been right...we were a wee bit unlucky against a play-off team)

Yeah, Rob...after game 33 (3x11) the league splits to two mini leagues of 6 who then play 5 games v either the top teams or the bottom teams. There's often been contention as teams can end up with 3 away games or three home games...cue conspiracy theories. The bottom teams are then only in contention for the relegation and play-off place, the top 6 for title and Europe. Mathematically, it seemed to me that there could be a possibility where a bottom six team finished with more points than the Champions but it's never happened...yet!

Relegation is there for the bottom team (Dundee Utd at present)...2nd bottom plays the winner of a mini-tournament from the teams finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Championship in a home/away to see who is in the premier division next season. (No Buddies this year!) Rangers are already promoted as Championship winners. They play Celtic in the semi-final of the cup next Saturday in what promises to be the first major old-firm clash since the Teddy Bears were exiled to the 4th division four years back. Interestingly Rangers play Peterhead today in 1st leg of the final of the Petrofac Training Cup...reckons there'll be over 50,000 there. The Rangers fans are really coming out of the woodwork. A lot of bad feeling towards other teams from the Rangers fans following their demotion continues to rumble on.

Doh,well spotted John,duly amended for the record.
Thanks for the interesting post.

[eighthobstruction]

Much needed first League win of 2016 for Palace with Jason Puncheon paying tribute to Raphael’s “Deposition of Christ“ in his goal celebration.

....good ol'Punch....

[EdgeleyRob]

Nottingham Forest 1 Brighton 2 Leading 1-0 at the break,won it in the 91st min after conceding early in the 2nd half,remain 3rd
Notts County 1 Hartlepool United 0 Conceded the goal on 55 mins,15th and safe
Guiseley 3 Wrexham 1 Play off hopes all but over after being blown away by 3 goals in the 1st 26 mins,6 points off the top 5 with 3 games left.
Truro City 1 Weston-Super-Mare 3 Went 2-0 down on 75 mins,pulled one back on 83 mins then conceded the 3rd in the last min,remain in the play offs with games in hand
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Hearts 0 A game of few chances,9th
Crystal Palace 0 Everton 0 Couldn't find the net despite playing against 10 men for most of the 2nd half.11 points clear of the bottom 3
Continental Star 1 Hereford 5 No details,Bulls now 7 points clear at the top

FA Cup quarter final replay

West Ham United 1 Manchester United 2 Scored twice in 13 2nd half mins and held on despite a Hammers fightback and helped by a super display by De Gea

Non forum news,Barca out of the Champions League ,as for potential winners,please don't let it be them