For both Nottingham Forest and Sunderland the 2022 Play-Offs finally provided two clubs recently starved of success with a reason to celebrate as they gained promotion after many years in the wilderness. However, the most heart-warming story of this year’s Play-Offs came in the League Two Final. Port Vale’s 3-0 triumph over Mansfield TownContinue reading “The 2022 Play-Offs – Return of crowds, Records and Redemption – Part Two”
Category Archives: EFL
Crystal Palace 2 Man City 136
When Michael Olise’s perfectly struck shot cannoned off the far post into Millwall’s net in 46th minute it not only sparked Palace’s recovery from a goal down but also it broke the Eagles’ Cup drought, which stretched back to March 2019. And so this painful count of City goals that they have racked up inContinue reading “Crystal Palace 2 Man City 136”
Up, Up and Away – the 2021 Play-Offs
This year’s Play-Off finals started with a penalty and they ended with a penalty. The first was stroked home with consummate confidence by the Championship’s top scorer Ivan Toney, his 33rd goal of the season, which set Brentford on their way to finally ending the curse of clubs that traditionally wear red-and-white striped shirts withContinue reading “Up, Up and Away – the 2021 Play-Offs”
The 2021 Play-Offs: Will the Curse finally be broken?
As the build-up to the Play-Offs weekend intensifies, a slight dampener was cast on proceedings. Unlike the FA Cup Final which was deemed ‘a test event’ with Chelsea and Leicester City receiving around 10,000 tickets each, only 4,000 tickets were made available to each of the Play-Offs finalists. Although an extra 2,000 tickets have nowContinue reading “The 2021 Play-Offs: Will the Curse finally be broken?”
The referee’s a ****** – How abuse has reached a disturbing level
Referees are considered by many football fans to be fair game for having abuse hurled at them from a dizzy height. They are the Aunt Sallys of football – an easy target when things are going wrong for your team and you need to vent your frustration. A variety of chants cascade from the standsContinue reading “The referee’s a ****** – How abuse has reached a disturbing level”
Football’s Endgame: How clubs now face a grim fight for survival this winter
In my first blog post in late August I wrote about how eerie and soulless football was without fans after being among forty-odd people watching QPR play Sheffield Wednesday: “The likelihood is that this will be the way matches are going to be played out for the foreseeable future. Josh Scott, QPR’s Operations Manager, toldContinue reading “Football’s Endgame: How clubs now face a grim fight for survival this winter”
The Football Mine 