The Round Ball Game

[antongould]

Probably 2 changes of manager here.

I think only Pardew EA........

[teamsaint]

I think only Pardew EA........

I would certainly sack the Monkey hangers boss, after todays pathetic effort.

[antongould]

I would certainly sack the Monkey hangers boss, after todays pathetic effort.

Many apologies ts. ..........

[cloughie]

I would certainly sack the Monkey hangers boss, after todays pathetic effort.

now now ts - just because you want to see a certain side playing Salisbury next season!

[teamsaint]

now now ts - just because you want to see a certain side playing Salisbury next season!

I was rather hoping that the Whites might get promotion and avoid the ignominy of playing them........

[aeolium]

Thanks for the round-up as ever, ER. Rare win for Inverness these days, but the usual desperate performance from Hereford.

Would you care to explain the Split,and the. Labyrinthine complexities of the SPL, JC?

Seems confusing to us down here.

As someone with a passing interest in the Scottish Premiership, I'll give this a try, ts.

As of this week, the regular (i.e. pre-assigned) SPL fixtures are completed and from next week* the league is split between the top 6 clubs and the bottom 6. For the remainder of the season, the top 6 clubs play each other once and the bottom 6 play each other once. The top 6 are playing essentially for European places (the title already having been decided) - I think the top 3 qualify. The bottom 6 play to avoid relegation, with two teams going down (Hearts are one of those teams as of yesterday).

So, still a lot to play for, especially for forum teams Inverness, Partick and St Mirren.

The bottom of the English Premier league is beginning to look interesting after Fulham's unexpected win yesterday. If they beat Norwich at home then I think Norwich will replace them as favourites for the drop, given their tough remaining fixtures.

* actually two weeks time as there is a week's break for the SPL

[gurnemanz]

Cardiff City 0 Crystal Palace 3. Massive win,now 7 points clear of danger.

Thanks again for great roundup. Survival looking possible. We're going to the Villa match next Saturday.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm rather disappointed about Cardiff. It's the team I wanted to see promoted from the Championship for several seasons. Sadly, things haven't gone their way, now that they've finally made it.

[cloughie]

Thanks again for great roundup. Survival looking possible. We're going to the Villa match next Saturday.

I suspect Palace are doing better than many thought. Barnsley fans used to sing 'Just like watching Brazil' do Palace fans now sing 'Just like watching Stoke' ?

[johncorrigan]

Thanks for the round-up as ever, ER. Rare win for Inverness these days, but the usual desperate performance from Hereford.



As someone with a passing interest in the Scottish Premiership, I'll give this a try, ts.

As of this week, the regular (i.e. pre-assigned) SPL fixtures are completed and from next week* the league is split between the top 6 clubs and the bottom 6. For the remainder of the season, the top 6 clubs play each other once and the bottom 6 play each other once. The top 6 are playing essentially for European places (the title already having been decided) - I think the top 3 qualify. The bottom 6 play to avoid relegation, with two teams going down (Hearts are one of those teams as of yesterday).

So, still a lot to play for, especially for forum teams Inverness, Partick and St Mirren.

The bottom of the English Premier league is beginning to look interesting after Fulham's unexpected win yesterday. If they beat Norwich at home then I think Norwich will replace them as favourites for the drop, given their tough remaining fixtures.

* actually two weeks time as there is a week's break for the SPL

The split, as aeolium correctly stated, happens after 33 games and each team in each half plays the other 5 once. This has been an issue over the years as some teams will play home 3 and away twice; others will be home twice and away three times. Yesterday's late rally by the Saints was a major one and kept all the teams trying to avoid the play-off close together, so the number of home games a team gets could be crucial.

As aeolium says the bottom team is relegated to the Championship - Hearts went down yesterday. Top of the Championship is promoted.

Then it gets complicated. The team in eleventh place in the SPL then plays the winner of a mini-tourney involving the Championship teams who finish 2nd, 3rd and 4th. As I understand it 4th plays 3rd over two legs; winner of that then plays the team in 2nd once again over two legs; the winner then plays the team finishing 11th in the SPL. (should be done by Christmas)!

[johncorrigan]

Thanks again for great roundup. Survival looking possible. We're going to the Villa match next Saturday.

Must be between Pulis and Rodgers for English Premier League Manager of the season, gurnemanz!

[aeolium]

Then it gets complicated. The team in eleventh place in the SPL then plays the winner of a mini-tourney involving the Championship teams who finish 2nd, 3rd and 4th. As I understand it 4th plays 3rd over two legs; winner of that then plays the team in 2nd once again over two legs; the winner then plays the team finishing 11th in the SPL. (should be done by Christmas)!

Aargh! It's worse than I thought - though I suppose I should have expected some play-off system.

What about at the top? First qualifies for Champions League, 2nd & 3rd Europa League places?

[johncorrigan]

Aargh! It's worse than I thought - though I suppose I should have expected some play-off system.

What about at the top? First qualifies for Champions League, 2nd & 3rd Europa League places?

This is the first year the play-offs have affected the Premier League teams...and you're right about 2nd and 3rd, aeolium, and I think there's also a place for the Scottish Cup winner.

[EdgeleyRob]

This is the first year the play-offs have affected the Premier League teams...and you're right about 2nd and 3rd, aeolium, and I think there's also a place for the Scottish Cup winner.

Which is why ICT winning at Ross County was a good result for all the Scottish forum teams.
In a perfect world Hibernian,Kilmarnock or Ross County will finish 11th

[cloughie]

Good to see Arteta on the scoresheet for Everton after all this time. Arsenal could be double-qualifying for the Europa Cup yet!