Easter Football
The Easter weekend is often such a pivotal weekend in the final standings in the English football divisions, so it was nice that this weekend absolutely nothing was decided.
Man Utd are one more step closer to their record 17th league title after Arsenal faltered once more – might want to think about getting that chequebook out this summer Arsene – although Chelsea won to keep alive their slim hopes. Once again its United’s to throw away.
Other Premiership occurrences?
Most of the bottom teams lost again. Its getting tighter down there than the proverbial ducks behind.
Oh yeah, and Torres scored. What? Sorry? No that isn’t a typo. TORRES SCORED!!
The NPower Championship draws to a close with most clubs looking forward to next year already.
Preston – after a dispointing season – finally went down on Monday despite a magnificent effort by Phil Brown and his merry men.
Doncaster and Crystal Palace need just one more point to ensure safety which would come if Sheffield United or Scunthorpe fail to win both of their remaining games. It looks bleak for both but there are often unlikely and unusual twists in the last couple of weeks. We’ll know more on Saturday when the next round of games are played.
At the more illustrious end of the Championship table, QPR remain in pole position for a return to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years. Barring a calamitous pair of heavy defeats, or a hefty points deduction by the authorities over the acquisition of Alejandro Faurlín they are assured promotion.
Of the chasing pack, only Norwich and Cardiff have real aims of the automatic spots and continue battling it out. Norwich have the edge as things stand. Whoever misses out will be favourites for the play-offs but often the favourites tag weighs too heavily in May. Millwall and Leeds, like Norwich, looking for back-to-back promotions are in the mix along with Swansea, Reading, Forest and Burnley.
In League One, Brighton are worthy champions and will be followed to the Championship by either Southampton or Huddersfield. The Saints have 1 game more to play, against struggling Plymouth and the picture will be clearer after that game. I expect the Saints to march on up though.
Brighton will be looking forward to their brand new 22,500 capacity ground at Falmer welcoming Championship football. With potential visits from Leeds, Cardiff, and Millwall next season, lets hope that there are some seats left in the away end for the rest of us Championship fans!
In Scotland Rangers and Celtic played out a relatively tame and uneventful Old Firm game on Easter Sunday – surely there is no better day to raise the sectarian tensions than one of the holiest of holy days – a 0-0 draw which means that Rangers maintain a slim 1 point lead over their Glasgow rivals, who still have a game in hand.
Rather predictably no other team is within 18 points of the top two. Perhaps, the next time the Scottish FA have to dish out punishment to both clubs for their transgressions, they should make both play with 9 men for half the season. That way some other club would surely close the gap a little…
Carry On's in Madrid
The most eagerly awaited match of the week was El Classico (Champions League – pt 1) on Wednesday evening. Over 71 thousand people wedged into the Bernabau and millions more were watching on TV sets around Spain and the rest of the world.
I probably wont bother to tune into the 2nd leg.
Watching the game was like watching a few big bullies chasing little kids round the school playground. They never really get close enough and if they do they resort to little kicks and pinches to try and slow their desire a little bit. The little kids once caught also often resort to telling teacher and overplaying the injuries they’ve sustained.
This was supposed to be the best European game of the year but failed on all levels except perhaps one. I always said that the little Messi fella was quality. Oh, it wasn’t just me then.
Not sure I can be bothered to watch the 2nd leg now. Although any Christiano Ronaldo tears at the end may be worth hanging around for!
Nice to see that Jose had been watching some of the many Carry On films over the Easter weekend. His “infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me” interview at the end of the match was sooo Kenneth Williams.
Following a Man Utd win away at Shalke it looks like it will be Fergies boys turn to try and extinguish the Barca flame. The second leg of both games are next week.
Trumping (tee-hee) in Sheffield
Always a fan of amusing names in sport I’m delighted to see the recent success of Judd TRUMP. Trump hasn’t just appeared on the snooker scene of course, he’s been showing great promise for a few years now but it was his siccess at last months China Open which drew him to most peoples attention. He’s continued that form into the World Championships and has a huge career in front of him and a great chance of winning this years tournament.
My only concern for Judd is that in years to come, he’ll watch DVD’s of his current successes and surely wonder why that unruly wild fowl has settled on his head! Judd, I’m just kidding. If I had enough hair to make a style from, I’d probably look at the 80’s for my inspiration too, being an 80’s child and all that. Not sure I’d have gone for the Flock of Seagulls though.
And Finally...
I spent some of this week planning and making an application for tickets to the 2012 Olympics here in London. Yes I should have done it earlier, but I didn’t leave it so late that the system crashed on me. I’ll have to wait until June to see whether I have been successful, just like everyone else except for sponsors, politicians, 2012 organisers and Olympic officials who seem to have taken most of the tickets already!
Next week?
For next weeks edition, I'm hoping to have some answers around the ups and downs in the football leagues and dissected the NFL draft along with some good old fashioned blood and thunder match ups in UFC 129 (with St Pierre v Shields looking like a classic in the making)
