Yeah, that's probably the point he was trying to make...

Car Expert

*resists any temptation to use puns like 'fowl play'*

Local Derby again next season against a team called Mansfield(thank-you York).

Oh, Stewie. Where are your shooting boots? Pretend you're at the Riverside, and think how many pens your scored for us. But don't try to do the typical Boro thing now that you're at Anfield...

For me its all about QPR staying up (meaning Man U win the league ) and Stevenage coming up to the Championship and being the only team in the history of the league to do four straight promotions

Also would love to see Newcastle in the Champions League instead of Chelsea (or even Arsenal for that matter ) Tottenham and Newcastle for the Champions League

My team Alfreton Town have increased prices for games from ?13 to ?18 for next season, is this to much for non-league football?

Arsenal have announced that Pat Rice is leaving at the end of the season after 44 years with the club. He was a member of the team when I first began supporting them and has been a fantastic coach and assistant manager under Arsene Wenger. It won't be the same without him in the dugout, listening to Arsene rant about the ref.

Yes. In a nutshell...

Anyone but Newcastle in the Champion's League (except possibly Millwall or Leeds). Yes, even Sunderland in the CL would be better than Newcastle, but I don't mind at all if the Barcodes are in the Europa League.

Chelsea can't get into the CL unless they win it this year.

I hope QPR do get relegated now after that Joey Barton behaviour.

Poor Bolton.

What an afternoon!

Car Expert

Utter craziness.

Well done to Man City. I think they probably wanted it more, but what a finish!

As for a certain ex-Barcode, I hope he gets the book well and truly thrown at him.

Absolutely. There's no place for that kind of behaviour

I wonder how Mr QPR fan will react the next time I see him - we'll have Reading, QPR and Norwich all in the top flight next season... looking forward to it already

And congratulations to Dartford who have won promotion to the Blue Square Premier today

Car Expert

I've just been looking at some of the video clips - the look of utter shock and disbelief on Fergies face when the Mackems started cheering after City's winner is something you don't see very often.


I'd been wondering if you'd seen him anymore.

It's hard on Bolton. They've not been great, but have been better than some of the teams around (and above!) them - they really just haven't had luck on their side this season.

I'm really pleased with our third place after such a dreadful start to the season. To have finished higher without Fabregas, Clichy and Nasri than we did with them is a great achievement. I think the last-minute purchase of Arteta was an excellent move, and I'm really glad Arsene has begun buying for next season already. He needs to offload the likes of Bendtner and Arshavin permanently, and offer RVP the sort of deal he can't possibly turn down.

And lets hope Wilshere finally regains full fitness over the summer...

You've done well this season.

Has anyone else noticed how the top 3 scorers in the Premier League are the reverse of the top 3 teams?

An up and coming club, are Dartford. They have a new stadium with bags of room for expansion, and a very ambitious board. Up the Darts!

I saw him the other day, and he looked pretty relieved as you'd expect. But he did say good luck for next season

The Euro 2012 England squad has been announced:

Goalkeepers: Robert Green, Joe Hart, John Ruddy
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, John Terry
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Ashley Young
Strikers: Andy Carroll, Jermian Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck

So no place for Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch or Adam Johnson...

Car Expert

Im happy with that team except I am rather a fan of Peter Crouch, he played well late in the season for Stoke, and aslo has a good scoring record for England

Agree, Crouch for England.

I'd rather sit down myself : more comfortable

(England no chance)Crouch is better than Rooney.same old England,picking the same players who have failed for years(the mind boggles).

.... and Crouch was Cheshire born !

That was some Champions' League Final!

Well done Chelsea!

...and Tottenham out of the Champions' League on penalties.

That's not gloating I'm witnessing there andante_in_c, is it?

Not a smiley in sight.

No...the is just in your mind

di Matteo has to get the manager's job permanently now surely...

Car Expert

That was a close game. Not often the penalties go all the way to the goalkeepers taking them. Well done Huddersfield, hard luck Sheffield Utd...

If they can hang on to Jordan Rhodes, Huddersfield will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

On a completely different topic, I've just seen what's happened to Darlington, Flossie...

In the football, England beat Norway last night.

In the Eurovision, The UK finished second bottom. The only country below them - again were Norway. Coincidence or what?

Car Expert

Spooky

Charlton to meet Leyton Orient in the Carling Capital One Cup first round...

And Harry Redknapp's left Spurs. That was probably inevitable...

Car Expert

So now the league fixtures are out, here's my ups and downs predictions...

Premier League :

1. Manchester City; 2. Chelsea; 3. Arsenal; 4. Manchester United; 5. Everton; 6. Liverpool

Relegated : Reading, Swansea, Aston Villa

Championship :

Promoted : Birmingham City, Blackpool, Bolton (much as I'd love it to be Charlton, I don't think realistically it will be - I'd be happy with mid-table consolidation!)

Relegated : Barnsley, Peterborough United, Millwall

League One :

Promoted : Coventry City, Milton Keynes Dons, Sheffield United

Relegated : Leyton Orient, Shrewsbury Town, Stevenage, Walsall

League Two :

Promoted : Chesterfield, Gillingham, Oxford United, Wycombe Wanderers

Relegated : Barnet, Burton Albion

Conference Premier :

Promoted : Forest Green Rovers, Macclesfield Town

Relegated : Alfreton Town, Barrow, Ebbsfleet United, Nuneaton Town

Oh, you're very kind...

Seeing as you're doing yours Barry, I'll do mine as well! Let's see how badly well I do this season...

PREMIER LEAGUE
Top Six: Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton
Relegation: Aston Villa, Wigan, Norwich

CHAMPIONSHIP
Promotion: Bolton, Birmingham, Blackpool
Relegation: Bristol City, Nott'm Forest, Peterborough

LEAGUE ONE
Promotion: Sheff Utd, MK Dons, Crawley (bold prediction!)
Relegation: Shrewsbury, Bury, Crewe, Yeovil

LEAGUE TWO
Promotion: Gillingham, Cheltenham, Northampton, Southend
Relegation: Morecambe, Burton Albion

CONFERENCE PREMIER
Promotion: Forest Green, Luton
Relegation: Braintree, Hyde, AFC Telford, Nuneaton

Car Expert

I'm sorry! I'd love to be proved wrong, but I can't see Reading really pulling up trees in the Premiership without considerable improvement, and Leyton Orient looked very wobbly at the end of last season, and nothing there now suggests to me they'll do anything other than struggle.

Now I await europeanpianist's view of my prediction that Alfreton will go down...

THE MIGHTY ALFRETON TOWN

2012/2013 Fixtures
Tuesday
17/07/12 19:45 Barnsley Pre-season friendly H
Saturday
21/07/12 15:00 Leeds United Pre-season friendly H
Wednesday
25/07/12 19:30 Notts County Pre-season friendly H
Saturday
28/07/12 15:00 Burnley Pre-season friendly H
Tuesday
31/07/12 19:45 Sutton Town AFC Pre-season friendly A
Friday
03/08/12 19:45 Chesterfield Pre-season friendly H
Saturday
11/08/12 15:00 Stockport County Conference Premier A
Tuesday
14/08/12 19:45 Southport Conference Premier H
Saturday
18/08/12 15:00 Hereford United Conference Premier H
Saturday
25/08/12 15:00 Barrow Conference Premier A
Monday
27/08/12 15:00 Nuneaton Town Conference Premier H
Saturday
01/09/12 15:00 Dartford Conference Premier A
Tuesday
04/09/12 19:45 Lincoln City Conference Premier A
Saturday
08/09/12 15:00 Luton Town Conference Premier H
Saturday
15/09/12 15:00 Forest Green Rovers Conference Premier A
Saturday
22/09/12 15:00 Kidderminster Harriers Conference Premier H
Tuesday
25/09/12 19:45 Hyde Conference Premier A
Saturday
29/09/12 15:00 Braintree Town Conference Premier H
Saturday
06/10/12 15:00 Macclesfield Town Conference Premier A
Tuesday
09/10/12 19:45 Grimsby Town Conference Premier H
Saturday
13/10/12 19:45 Ebbsfleet United Conference Premier A
Saturday
27/10/12 15:00 AFC Telford United Conference Premier H
Tuesday
06/11/12 19:45 Gateshead Conference Premier A
Saturday
10/11/12 15:00 Newport County AFC Conference Premier H
Saturday
17/11/12 15:00 Woking Conference Premier A
Saturday
01/12/12 15:00 Cambridge United Conference Premier H
Tuesday
04/12/12 19:45 Wrexham Conference Premier H
Saturday
08/12/12 15:00 Luton Town Conference Premier A
Saturday
22/12/12 15:00 Barrow Conference Premier H
Wednesday
26/12/12 15:00 Mansfield Town Conference Premier A
Saturday
29/12/12 15:00 Nuneaton Town Conference Premier A
Tuesday
01/01/13 15:00 Mansfield Town Conference Premier H
Saturday
05/01/13 15:00 Dartford Conference Premier H
Saturday
12/01/13 15:00 Hereford United Conference Premier A
Saturday
19/01/13 15:00 AFC Telford United Conference Premier A
Saturday
26/01/13 15:00 Tamworth Conference Premier H
Saturday
02/02/13 15:00 Grimsby Town Conference Premier A
Saturday
09/02/13 15:00 Woking Conference Premier H
Tuesday
12/02/13 19:45 Cambridge United Conference Premier A
Saturday
16/02/13 15:00 Macclesfield Town Conference Premier H
Saturday
23/02/13 15:00 Kidderminster Harriers Conference Premier A
Tuesday
26/02/13 19:45 Hyde Conference Premier H
Saturday
02/03/13 15:00 Wrexham Conference Premier A
Saturday
09/03/13 15:00 Tamworth Conference Premier A
Tuesday
12/03/13 19:45 Ebbsfleet United Conference Premier H
Saturday
16/03/13 15:00 Gateshead Conference Premier H
Saturday
23/03/13 15:00 Braintree Town Conference Premier A
Saturday
30/03/13 15:00 Lincoln City Conference Premier H
Monday
01/04/13 15:00 Southport Conference Premier A
Saturday
06/04/13 15:00 Stockport County Conference Premier H
Saturday
13/04/13 15:00 Newport County AFC Conference Premier A
Saturday
20/04/13 15:00 Forest Green Rovers Conference Premier H

Can't wait for this one. Clash of the Giants!!!

It's too early for predictions. We don't know what players will be in each team and with which manager...

I'd like us to make some decent signings. At the moment we only have one senior goalkeeper and we haven't improved our strikeforce at all.

League 2 promotion for York City

So Glasgow Rangers have gone down to Scottish division 3 (so the fourth tier).

It is morally exactly the right thing to do. If it were any other club, I doubt there would have been any fuss, because the rules are the rules, and if you are formed as a newco, then you start again.
I do have a concern for the fact it's going to absolutely kill Scottish football, financially. But, I think you have to do the right thing even if it's not going to have the best outcome. You do the right thing because it's Right, not because it's 'Best for Me'...

Leyton Orient beat Charlton on penalties in the League Cup

Car Expert

Scunthorpe beat Derby 7-6 on penalties after a 5-5 score at full time (and after extra time!). They did ever so well, and were 3-0 down at half time.

Fingers crossed for the next round

It's going to be a long hard season for us Derby fans.

Oh.................

Not really surprised : Charlton are not known for cup prowess.

Stetenorve : Derby will be fine, I think. There are certainly at least 8-10 sides worse than Derby in the league.

Just struck by something Pianissimole said on another thread:




This is exactly why Arsenal should sell RVP.