English football leagues prediction contest 2021-22

[Merseybeast]

First Division: 4 qualifiers for CL
Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United

First Division: 3 to go down
Brentford, Southampton, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division: 3 to go up
Middlesbrough, QPR, WBA

Second Division: 3 to go down
Derby County, Hull City, Millwall

Third Division: 3 to go up
Charlton Athletic, Oxford United, Portsmouth

Third Division: 4 to go down
Cambridge United, Crewe Alexandra, Fleetwood Town, Morecambe

Fourth Division: 4 to go up
Bradford City, Port Vale, Salford City, Tranmere Rovers

Fourth Division: 2 to go down
Scunthorpe United, Swindon Town

Gola League: 2 to go up
Chesterfield, Wrexham

Gola League: 3 to go down
Dover Athletic, Kings Lynn Town, Weymouth

[Duncan Gardner]

Premier League: 4 qualifiers for CL
Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Arse

Premier League: 3 to go down
Bottomham, Soton, Norwich

Division 2: 3 to go up
Fulham, Bournemouth, Olbyun

Division 2: 3 to go down
Kew Pier, Coventry, Huddersfield

Division 3: 3 to go up
Portsmouth, Sunderland, Rotherham

Division 3: 4 to go down
Wimbledon, Morecambe, Cambridge, Plymouth

Division 4: 4 to go up
Salford, Forest Green, Exeter, Bradford

Division 4: 2 to go down
Scunthorpe, Swindon

National League: 2 to go up
Notts County, Wrexham

National League: 3 to go down
Dover, Barnet, Wealdstone

[Sporting]

22 experts! Great!

Here is an overview of the considered predictions:

PL/CL QUALIFIERS

Man City 22
Liverpool 21
Man Utd 20
Chelsea 20
Leicester City 3
Arsenal 2

PL RELEGATED

Watford 12
Brentford 11
Norwich 10
Newcastle 6
Burnley 6
Crystal Palace 6
Brighton 5
Southampton 5
Wolves 3
Leeds 1
Spurs 1

NOT PICKED

Aston Villa, Everton, West Ham

DIVISION 2 PROMOTED

WBA 17
QPR 11
Fulham 9
Sheffield United 6
Swansea 6
Bournemouth 6
Middlesbrough 4
Cardiff City 3
Reading 2
Stoke City 1
Blackpool 1

DIVISION 2 RELEGATED

Derby 16
Blackpool 12
Coventry 7
Huddersfield 6
Hull City 5
Peterborough 4
Luton Town 3
Sheffield United 2
Peterborough 2
Millwall 2
Preston 1
Swansea 1
Reading 1
Bristol City 1
Bournemouth 1
Barnsley 1
QPR 1

BOTH UP AND DOWN

Blackpool, Bournemouth, QPR, Reading, Sheffield United, Swansea


NOT PICKED

Birmingham City, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest



DIVISION 3 PROMOTED

Portsmouth 13
Sunderland 12
Charlton 10
Rotherham 8
Ipswich 7
Sheffield Wednesday 6
Wycombe 4
Oxford 3
Lincoln 2
Gillingham 1


DIVISION 3 RELEGATED

Morecambe 17
Cambridge 13
Crewe 10
Plymouth 8
Milton Keynes 7
Cheltenham 6
Wimbledon 4
Shrewsbury 4
Wigan 4
Burton 4
Fleetwood 4
Accrington 3
Doncaster 1
Rotherham 1
Lincoln 1
Bolton 1

BOTH UP AND DOWN

Lincoln, Rotherham

DIVISION 4 PROMOTED

Exeter 14
Salford 11
Bradford City 11
Forest Green 9
Carlisle 6
Newport 6
Rochdale 4
Orient 4
Tranmere 4
Bristol Rovers 3
Walsall 3
Northampton 3
Swindon 2
Port Vale 2
Stevenage 1
Sutton 1
Scunthorpe 1
Mansfield 1
Crawley 1
Oldham 1


DIVISION 4 RELEGATED

Swindon 9
Scunthorpe 8
Barrow 7
Sutton 5
Stevenage 4
Harrogate 3
Bristol Rovers 2
Rochdale 1
Mansfield 1
Crawley 1
Poole 1
Oldham 1
Salford 1
Hartlepool 1


BOTH UP AND DOWN

Bristol Rovers, Crawley, Mansfield, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Scunthorpe, Stevenage, Sutton, Swindon





CONFERENCE PROMOTED

Wrexham 13
Stockport 9
Notts County 8
Torquay 6
Chesterfield 3
Grimsby 1
Southend 1
Halifax 1
Dagenham 1
Aldershot 1


CONFERENCE RELEGATED

Dover 15
Kings Lynn 14
Weymouth 9
Wealdstone 7
Barnet 5
Boreham 4
Solihull 3
Maidenhead 3
Wrexham 1
Dagenham 1
Aldershot 1
Chesterfield 1
Eastleigh 1
Woking 1

BOTH UP AND DOWN

Aldershot, Chesterfield, Dagenham, Wrexham

NOT PICKED

Altrincham, Bromley, Yeovil

[Sits]

Outstanding summary Sporting, and thanks again.

To be pedantic for a moment, Wrexham can be added to the “both up and down” list.

[Sporting]

Thanks and duly edited.

[Capybara]

Thanks Sporting. Great work. I made a late alteration to my selection just before kick-off last night. Did you pick it up?

[lambers]

Thanks for sorting Sporting, tremendous stuff.

However, further pedantry demands that I point out that QPR should also be added to the up/down lists.

[Sporting]

Thanks Sporting. Great work. I made a late alteration to my selection just before kick-off last night. Did you pick it up?

No. What was it?

[Sporting]

Thanks for sorting Sporting, tremendous stuff.

However, further pedantry demands that I point out that QPR should also be added to the up/down lists.

Ta!

[Capybara]

No. What was it?

I put Bournemouth on for promotion instead of Swansea. Sorry for messing you around.

[nmrfox]

Guy had Poolie going down I.e. Hartlepool and Dunc had Bottenham as relegation fodder I.e. Tottenham so both of them do have picks Sporting

[Sporting]

Ah i understood Duncan had picked West Ham

[Duncan Gardner]

Ah i understood Duncan had picked West Ham

Sorry about that. Just to clarify

Bottomham = Hotspur
Arse = Woolwich
Barse = Familia Messi Vanity Project
Merengue? = No, all the above are wholly valid descriptions

[Sporting]

All hopefully corrected.

Are Derby really toast or is their relegation wishful thinking?

[Sits]

I fear they may be toast by most accounts.

[Capybara]

Their correspondent in the WSC season preview: 'Survival will be a miracle'

[Amor de Cosmos]

There are only so many 'Get Out of Jail Free Cards' even the EFL can give their favoured clubs.

[Sporting]

This is a brief update on our collective performance so far, so no names apart from mine are mentioned. Comments highly welcpmed.

PL/CL QUALIFIERS

Man City 22
Liverpool 21
Man Utd 20
Chelsea 20
Leicester City 3
Arsenal 2

Three of these are pretty much nailed on, nobody considered West Ham or Spurs, and early indications are that those predicting Leicester may be disappointed.

PL RELEGATED

Watford 12
Brentford 11
Norwich 10
Newcastle 6
Burnley 6
Crystal Palace 6
Brighton 5
Southampton 5
Wolves 3
Leeds 1
West Ham 1

Brentford doing much better than many feared/expected/hoped (but who seriously wants Brentford to nosedive?). Norwich confirming suspicions, and Newcastle confirming wishes. Leeds a bold and promising longshot, and West Ham the maverick and thus far erroneous prediction.

NOT PICKED

Aston Villa, Everton, Spurs

Probably wise omissions on our behalfs.


DIVISION 2 PROMOTED

WBA 17
QPR 11
Fulham 9
Sheffield United 6
Swansea 6
Bournemouth 6
Middlesbrough 4
Cardiff City 3
Reading 2
Stoke City 1
Blackpool 1

Any interim analysis is bound to be found wanting in, more than likely, just a few games in this ridiculously competitive league. But the top three in our list are doing ok, and others bubbling just under, or in, the play-off slots. Cardiff and Reading were bold guesses, one would have to say.

DIVISION 2 RELEGATED

Derby 16
Blackpool 12
Coventry 7
Huddersfield 6
Hull City 5
Peterborough 4
Luton Town 3
Sheffield United 2
Peterborough 2
Millwall 2
Preston 1
Swansea 1
Reading 1
Bristol City 1
Bournemouth 1
Barnsley 1
QPR 1

Muggins here didn’t choose Derby. Blackpool are defying predictions, though Barnsley and Peterborough may be unpleasantly surprising many of us. Huddersfield are doing much better than expected. QPR to go down?! Almost as bad as my Derby cock-up…

BOTH UP AND DOWN

Blackpool, Bournemouth, Reading, Sheffield United, Swansea

As I said, a league you wouldn’t bet your house on…

NOT PICKED

Birmingham City, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest

Blackburn the obvious (at the moment) stand-outs here, though Forest may be seen in retrospect as an odd omission.

[Sporting]

DIVISION 3 PROMOTED

Portsmouth 13
Sunderland 12
Charlton 10
Rotherham 8
Ipswich 7
Sheffield Wednesday 6
Wycombe 4
Oxford 3
Lincoln 2
Gillingham 1

Portsmouth are letting a lot of people down; so are Ipswich and Charlton. Rotherham are flying, though! As for Gillingham, Lincoln…Sunderland seems a solid outside gamble, however. Milton Keynes likewise are nowhere near the lower reaches of the table.


DIVISION 3 RELEGATED

Morecambe 17
Cambridge 13
Crewe 10
Plymouth 8
Milton Keynes 7
Cheltenham 6
Wimbledon 4
Shrewsbury 4
Wigan 4
Burton 4
Fleetwood 4
Accrington 3
Doncaster 1
Rotherham 1
Lincoln 1
Bolton 1

Morecambe are doing their best to oblige our predictions, as are Crewe, but Cambridge are doing better than expected. Plymouth too are defying some pessimism.

BOTH UP AND DOWN

Lincoln, Rotherham

Rotherham obviously doing better than Lincoln.

DIVISION 4 PROMOTED

Exeter 14
Salford 11
Bradford City 11
Forest Green 9
Carlisle 6
Newport 6
Rochdale 4
Orient 4
Tranmere 4
Bristol Rovers 3
Walsall 3
Northampton 3
Swindon 2
Port Vale 2
Stevenage 1
Sutton 1
Scunthorpe 1
Mansfield 1
Crawley 1
Oldham 1

Exeter are disappointing somewhat, though still in with chances, as are Salford and Bradford, but Forest Green are flying. The Carlisle predictions are looking optimistic. And Sutton were very much underrated.


DIVISION 4 RELEGATED
Swindon 9
Scunthorpe 8
Barrow 7
Sutton 5
Stevenage 4
Harrogate 3
Bristol Rovers 2
Rochdale 1
Mansfield 1
Crawley 1
Oldham 1
Salford 1

Scunthorpe living down to expectations, but Swindon surprising many of us.

BOTH UP AND DOWN

Bristol Rovers, Crawley, Mansfield, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Scunthorpe, Stevenage, Sutton, Swindon

Make what you want of this!


NOT PICKED

Hartlepool

Sitting in mid-table, looking like a sensible omission.


CONFERENCE PROMOTED

Wrexham 13
Stockport 9
Notts County 8
Torquay 6
Chesterfield 3
Grimsby 1
Southend 1
Halifax 1
Dagenham 1
Aldershot 1

Of the top choices, maybe Torquay are the most disappointing. Good longshot pick for Halifax.


CONFERENCE RELEGATED

Dover 15
Kings Lynn 14
Weymouth 9
Wealdstone 7
Barnet 5
Boreham 4
Solihull 3
Maidenhead 3
Wrexham 1
Dagenham 1
Aldershot 1
Chesterfield 1
Eastleigh 1
Woking 1

Boreham defying expectations: Dover, Kings Lynn and Weymouth predictably in the mire. Chesterfield simply wrong, as is Boreham. Solihull are doing better than some thought.


BOTH UP AND DOWN

Aldershot, Chesterfield, Dagenham

Dagenham look to be going nowhere.

NOT PICKED

Altrincham, Bromley, Yeovil

Bromley the stand-out so far erroneous omission here.

[Sporting]

Successful picks so far with the number of correct guesses (from 22 competitors):


Man City 22
Liverpool 21
Chelsea 20
Spurs 0

Burnley 6
Norwich 10
Watford 12

Bournemouth 6
Fulham 9
Nottingham Forest 0

Derby 16
Peterborough 2
Barnsley 1

Wigan 0
Rotherham 8
Sunderland 12

Gillingham 0
Doncaster 1
Wimbledon 4
Crewe 10

Exeter 14
Forest Green 9
Bristol Rovers 3
Port Vale 2

Oldham 1
Scunthorpe 8

Stockport 9
Grimbsy 1

King's Lynn 14
Weymouth 9
Dover 15

[Sporting]

So as can be seen from the preceding (edited) post we were way out on Spurs (not even Jah), Nottingham Forest, Wigan and Gillingham.

Final scores (max. 31):

Kevin S 15
Sean of the Shed 15
Sporting 14
Duncan Gardner 13
Capybara 12
Nmfox 12
3 Colours Red 12
Discordant Resonance 12
Longeared 11
Lambers 11
Sits 11
Jah Womble 11
pebblethefish 11
Foot of Astaire's 11
Greenlander 10
jwdd27 10
Amor de Cosmos 10
Ad Hoc 9
Baptiste 9
Crystal Staples 9
Merseybeast 8
Guy Profumo 8



Last season (max. 28):

Foot of Astaire's 14
Capybara 14
Ad Hoc 14
Nmfox 13
Fatbear 12
CY Boaby 12
Sporting 12
Guy Profumo 11
Longeared 11
Kevin S 11
3 Colours Red 10
pebblethefish 10
Diable Rouge 10
Jah Womble 9
Sean of the Shed 8
Amor de Cosmos 6

I'll leave it for individuals to confess or boast about any particularly crap or accurate predictions. Myself, I didn't have Derby but I did have Barnsley to go down.

[Capybara]

I think my season was set when I realised I hadn't picked Dover to go down despite their huge points deduction which they didn't manage to clear off until the end of the season. Elsewhere I had three clubs down for relegation who reached the play-offs so I was pretty pleased to finish in the top half. Thanks Sporting for the organisation.

[Kevin S]

Yeah, thanks for doing all this Sporting. Good to see, like last year, that half marks is about the best we can hope for!