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    Ray, your link is to that Battle of Stamford Bridge article and I can't see anything related to the entirely sober and rational comment you quote. Did it come from a different page, or is it from some comments section there that I can't find amid all the vastly oversized images linked to other articles in the Gazette?

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      Ah, fixed it now and here again.

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        Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
        Am I right in recalling that the aggro in and around Stamford Bridge after the 1988 D1 Relegation/promotion play-off between Chelsea and Boro finished off that format?
        I'm only going on memory here, but after the play-offs in 1988 they had achieved what they were supposedly set up to achieve which was to reduce the number of clubs in the first division. But they were seen as popular and, of course, made money so were continued in the present format, though with the final over two legs for a few seasons. I don't know if what happened at Stamford Bridge was a factor in removing a team from the higher division from having to go through them. At least with that format the play-offs had a degree of credibility in that a team finishing in a distant fifth place had to get past a team from the higher division to justify its promotion whereas, now, finishing in sixth (or seventh) gives you more or less as good a chance of going up as finishing third. I've been against the play-off system ever since for that reason.

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          Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
          Ah, fixed it now and here again.
          Great stuff Ray, thanks. That's a cracking article, and as a Norwich fan I'd agree entirely since it doesn't only apply to relegation from the Premier League. Notwithstanding its traumatic opening-day home hammering by Colchester, and how it brought the axe down on a popular club legend in the form of Bryan Gunn, our third-tier season in 2009-10 after relegation from the Championship was hugely refreshing after 15 years mostly piddling around in the middle of the second flight without getting anywhere. Lots of opponents I'd never known us play, a run of winning results, 30 goals for Grant Holt (previous season's best: 7 for Leroy Lita), the list goes on. And such was the momentum gained from that, we parleyed it into two straight promotions back to the Premier League, having previously only been there once in 14 seasons. I'd take that sequence any day against just grinding away at the same level for the entire time.

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            Seconded, though Ipswich fans might have taken exception to this paragraph until recently:

            No-one has a deathless, existential “what’s the point of doing this?” crisis in lower leagues, the way sides that constantly end up 17th to 7th in the Premier League do when merely surviving is the first and only soul-destroying objective.

            Since Mick McCarthy appeared to be applying that same principle in the Championship.

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              I would perhaps take that article more seriously if

              A F365 coverage of the Football League wasn't pretty much non-existent

              B It wasn't written by John fucking Nicholson.

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                Huddersfield keeping it blank at half time. Could be relegating Swansea this evening.

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                  Originally posted by Kevin S View Post
                  Huddersfield keeping it blank at half time. Could be relegating Swansea this evening.
                  it's done, we're down. It's been a long time coming really.

                  Hopefully we'll get Chris Coleman in and start all over again.

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                    Sad but it’s been coming for a few years since they lost the style and continuity which got them up & kept them up and then the new owners proved hopeless at picking and backing managers. Coleman would be a good shout and they have to regain their direction.

                    Huddersfield deserve to stay up so much though, pleased for them.

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                      I am disappointed for my local team, however the interminable fights against relegation were growing tiresome (that’s not to say I expect Swansea will have an easy ride next season)

                      Not sure about the Coleman suggestion. He’s always come across as a bit clueless.
                      Last edited by HORN; 10-05-2018, 03:52.

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                        Well done Huddersfield. Also well done me, for the inevitable jinx, and well done the fixture computer, for giving them a 3 point start against De Boer's Palace, and more pre-sacking points during the season. Timing is everything.

                        The 3 relegated clubs represent 25 years in the top flight, with no recently promoted teams. A slightly interesting fact.

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                          I'd also have reservations about Coleman at Swansea. There's some magical 'he's a Jack so that's an advantage' thinking going on there imo

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                            Originally posted by tee rex View Post
                            Well done Huddersfield. Also well done me, for the inevitable jinx, and well done the fixture computer, for giving them a 3 point start against De Boer's Palace, and more pre-sacking points during the season. Timing is everything.

                            The 3 relegated clubs represent 25 years in the top flight, with no recently promoted teams. A slightly interesting fact.
                            R5 have just said that no team that won promotion last season in to any of the top five tiers in English football has been relegated this campaign.

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                              Swansea also got a De Boer Bonus, as did, arguably, Southampton

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                                Details of the glue leagues restructure to be released this afternoon

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                                  Step 1-4 divisions released

                                  I see the FA have given Peterborough Sports their enormous round trip to Morpeth. Lowestoft (who seem to be placed in enough leagues to play every club in the country eventually) travelling to Stourbridge looks another belter.

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                                    And, as expected, a bit tough on Hereford.

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                                      Originally posted by Capybara View Post
                                      And, as expected, a bit tough on Hereford.
                                      Can't imagine Hereford will be complaining too much about sharing a division with Chester, Kidderminster, Stockport, FC United, Darlington and Telford instead of Truro, Chelmsford, Eastbourne and Billericay

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                                        Bloody hell, I'm going to have Merthyr playing two games five minutes from my house at Met Police and Walton Casuals.

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                                          Brighouse Town have been shat on a bit there too, only Yorkshire club in the NPL West. Swapping them, Chasetown and Wisbech Town (or Yaxley) round would surely seem a better solution.

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                                            Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                                            Bloody hell, I'm going to have Merthyr playing two games five minutes from my house at Met Police and Walton Casuals.
                                            And in a reverse of that, Poole Town will be coming to Merthyr.

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                                              Cinderford have expressed surprise at being placed in the Southern League East.

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                                                Even though I knew it was happening, it still took me by surprise not to see any Eastern teams in the Isthmian Premier. They have of course been moved laterally to the Southern Premier Central. It's weird that we have a region which is Isthmian at step 4 but Southern at step 3.

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                                                  Oof, Wisbech - promoted from the United Counties - have been put in the NPL1E. That's going to hurt.

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                                                    So do I have this right that the Southern League Central and Southern League South are being fed by the Southern League East and Southern League West? Never mind the Southern League Premier.

                                                    I'm southern and this still bothers me a lot.

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