Tranmere Rovers
Football League Ups and Downs
By Matthew Jones
April 27 2010
As the season draws to it's close, there are many things to be decided in the Football League, so we bring you an article explaining who could go up or down this weekend, and who already knows their fate
With such a short space of time left in the 2009/10 Football League season, there are still many team who's fate for next season is yet to be decided, as they either battle for promotion or battle to beat the drop.
This though could all change for a number of clubs this weekend, with a possibility of four relegations and one promotion being decided by Sunday evening.
Starting in the Coca Cola Championship, and without doubt the biggest game of the weekend takes place at Hillsborough on Sunday lunchtime, when Crystal Palace travel to Sheffield Wednesday.
The game is, quite simply, winner takes all, as Palace go into the game two points and one place above the Owls, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, in the league table with just one game of the season.
It's been a tough season for both sides, each struggling with financial problems, Palace perhaps more so with the London club having been docked ten points for entering administration, and relegation would only compound misery on Sunday's loser.
The loser of that match could already have been replaced in the Championship by the team coming up from League One, when on Saturday afternoon Leeds United could secure second place in the division if they beat Charlton at the Valley and Millwall fail to beat Tranmere at Prenton Park.
League's One and Two sides though of course have played one game less than their Championship counterparts, so in all likelyhood the race for second place in League One will probably go on another week.
At the other end of the table, two teams could be relegated this weekend if results go against them.
The most likely team to be relegated this weekend is Wycombe Wanderers. Though they've been on a great run of form recently, the Adams Park side go into the final two games of the season five points behind Gillingham and Exeter, meaning that anything other than a win for the Chairboys against Leyton Orient this weekend is not good enough and as such they will be relegated.
The other team who could be relegated from League One this weekend is Tranmere Rovers, though their equation is slightly more difficult than Wycombe's!
Les Parry's side go into their home game against Millwall two points behind Exeter and Gillingham with two games left, meaning if Rovers fail to win and their two rivals both pick up maximum points from their fixtures away to Hartlepool and at home to Southampton, then they will be down.
However, if Tranmere pick up three points from their fixture then they will go into their final match against Stockport one week later two points behind the Gills and Exeter at the very worst.
One division down, Grimsby could well have lost their league status a couple of hours after this article goes live.
The Mariners, at the time of writing, are four points behind 22nd placed Barnet in the table, but Barnet are currently playing away at mid-table Accrington Stanley.
If Barnet pick up a win in that game, then Grimsby's relegation will be all but confirmed. However, if Barnet fail to win at the Crown Ground, then Grimsby live on to fight another day.
Saturday though brings a massive game in the League Two calendar as Grimsby host Barnet at Blundell Park at 3.00pm.
If Grimsby fail to win the match, then they'll be relegated, but a win against their relegation rivals will leave them one point behind Barnet ahead of League Two's final round of games, when Barnet host Rochdale and Grimsby travel to Burton.
Some sides though have already had their fate for next season decided. Remaining in League Two, Darlington have already been relegated after an awful season, whilst at the other end of the table Notts County, Rochdale and Bournemouth have already secured promotion to League One.
Rotherham need just two points from their two games to secure a play-off place, but the other three play-off places are still wide open and should go right down to the wire, with seven teams seperated by just three points in League Two.
In League One, Norwich have already secured the League title in their first season after relegation from the Championship, whilst the five teams directly below them; Leeds, Millwall, Swindon, Charlton and Huddersfield, have all secured a play-off place at the very least.
At the other end of the table, two teams have already lost their League One status for next season, with Stockport and Southend United both already relegated to League Two.
Finally, in the Championship, Newcastle United have already secured the title and like them, West Brom have secured promotion behind them and both will be playing in the Premier League next season.
Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City and Leicester City have already secured play-off places for the promotion battle, but the final play-off place is yet to be decided, though Blackpool are in the strongest position to earn this as they go in to their game at home to Bristol City this weekend one place and one point above Swansea City, the only other club who can finish seventh, who host Doncaster.
Coming down from the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday or Crystal Palace will join Peterborough United and Plymouth, who have both already been relegated.
Hopefully the team you want to win will win this weekend in an aim to securing what they need and what for next season, but most importantly, hopefully Tranmere pick up the points they need against Millwall!
We hope this article has helped to inform you of what's what in the Football League this season and help you understand the implications of certain games this weekend.
Don't forget to check out our League One survival guide, which tells you all you need to know about what it's going to take each team currently involved in the League One relegation battle to achieve in order to stay up.
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27/04/2010 20:48
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In addition to the above article, Accrington to beat Barnet 1-0 tonight, pilling the pressure on Saturday's game at Blundell Park
27/04/2010 23:31
Amazing really how fixtures that mean nothing when announced In June turn out like this with Sheff W v Palace and Grimsby v Barnet.
does anyone else feel like last way is a million miles away to me its neally like it never happened last year a think the sums up this season.
