Who will take the final automatic promotion spot in League Two?

By Tony Alvarez

Today sees the final fixtures in the regular season for both League One and League Two earlier in the week I wrote  a piece looking at the teams chasing automatic promotion and the play offs in League One, I will now focus on the positions up for grab in League Two.

As I earlier wrote an article on the relegation battle and who will survive the drop to non League Football I wont talk about that instead I will look at the teams battling for automatic promotion and play off positions.

The main talking point of the weekend is who will clinch 3^rd place and an automatic promotion to League One. There are three teams in contention for just one position.

Crawley Town who recently lost manager Steve Evans to Rotherham are in pole position the currently occupy third spot with 81 points and a goal difference of +21 hot on their heels are Torquay who also have 81 points but only have a goal difference of +9 . The third team in with a chance is Southend United, they are a point behind bothCrawleyand Torquay but have a superior goal difference of +27.

Barnet or Hereford: who will survive?

By Tony Alvarez

Yesterday Macclesfield were relegated from the Football League and will ply their trade in the Blue Square Premier next season.

That’s one of the two relegation spaces filled, with one remaining with just one game to play its going to be a nervy time for Hereford and Barnet.

Barnet are in pole position. They are currently outside the relegation zone with 2 points more than Hereford, although Hereford’s goal difference which could come in to play is superior.

Both teams are not going down without a major fight, yesterday both sides had big wins against teams much higher placed inb the table. Hereford impressively beat automatic promotion chasing Crawley at Crawley 3-0.

Barnet also had an impressive win albeit at their Underhill home, they beat 17th placed AFC Wimbledon 4-0. These results ensure both teams will go into their final fixtures full of confidence.    

Evans’ Rotherham move one of the shocks of the season

By Laurie Fitzgerald

Throughout any football season, there are plenty of shocks, thrills and spills that make the game we love so unpredictable.

However, one of the biggest shocks of this current campaign arrived on Monday morning, when it was announced that Steve Evans had stepped down from his position as Crawley Town manager to take over at fellow League Two side Rotherham United.

The 49 year-old signed a three-year deal with the Millers and replaces Andy Scott with United four points adrift of the play-offs thanks to their last-minute win at home to Cheltenham on Monday.

But Evans leaves a Crawley side that are just two points adrift of the automatic promotion places going into the final weeks of the campaign.

He had taken the Red Devils out of the conference with a record total of 105 points, and had overcome recent departures of key players to help put them in contention for back-to-back promotions.

Evans, who previously guided Boston United to the Football League, clearly believes that he can guide the club into the top six in these final weeks, otherwise he would have waited to take the job until the end of the season.    

It’s that time of the season again for Barnet?

Joyous scenes, Barnet's survival on the last day of last season

By Tony Alvarez

11 months ago I stood at Barnet’s Underhill ground cheering the players on a they fought for their Football League status for the second year in succession, thanks to an Izale McLeod penalty the Bees were successful in their survival bid and there were scenes of joy including fans invading the pitch in celebration.

The Barnet fans who were in attendance that day at Underhill truly believed they had learnt from past mistakes and this year would see the club improve and look at a mid table finish. This was something that throughout various points of the season looked realistic.

However as we enter the business end of the season with just five fixtures remaining Barnet lie just a single place above the drop zone in 22^nd, they are just three points ahead of both Hereford and Macclesfield who lie below them but have a much worse goal difference meaning at the present the gap more resembles two points than three.

Football League Trophy Final Preview

By Laurie Fitzgerald

Today sees one of the highlights in the calendar of the Football League season, as Chesterfield and Swindon meet at Wembley to decide who triumphs in the Johnstone Paint Trophy Final.

While the showpiece event pits opposition from League One against a League Two outfit, both sides have had differing fortunes in their respective division that means this is set to be a close encounter.

Chesterfield have been embroiled in a battle to stay in League One for most of the season, while Swindon currently sit atop League Two and very much favourites to secure automatic promotion.    

Can Portsmouth be saved?

By Tony Alvarez

For the second time in the last few years Portsmouth FC find themselves in dire financial problems which has led to them yet again being placed into administration, losing many of their players for nothing, not being able to pay wages and more seriously than before look like they wont be able to fulfil their fixtures until the end of the season.

It is widely thought that if the club is not brought in the next six weeks or the debts are not taken on by someone thenPortsmouthcould cease to exist something that has rarely happened in the Football Leagues.

Can Dagenham and Redbridge win their battle for Football League survival?

By Tony Alvarez

Following Saturdays somewhat embarrassing loss at the hands of Cheltenham Town, Dagenham and Redbridge sit bottom of League Two and look in real danger of dropping out of the Football League.

The Daggers are three points off safety albeit with a game in hand however with their inferior goal difference largely due to Saturdays defeat the gap more resembles four points than three.

What now for Accrington post-Coleman?

By Laurie Fitzgerald

One of the longest serving managers in English football ended an era this week when John Coleman left his role at Accrington Stanley to take the vacant job at League One side Rochdale.

Coleman had been in charge at Accrington since 1999, with only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger currently having a longer reign with a league club in the country.

For Coleman and Stanley, it has been a partnership that has taken the club on an incredible journey since his arrival way back in 1999.

What’s your stand out football memory from 2011?

By Tony Alvarez
With 2011 coming to an end with most clubs only having a single fixture left or having already completed their duties in 2011 we look back to the stand out moments in 2011 and to see what yours are no matter how big or small.

The joy of this topic is it will be different for everyone and can span from a Champions League memory to one in the lowest of levels of Football.

For the sake of this article I will look back to my top 4 memories of the year. These are in no particular order but are all moments that have touched my heart, made my chuckle or just made me celebrate like a mad man.
 

Should there be a return of artificial pitches in professional football?

By Tony Alvarez

It has been revealed that a few clubs in the Football leagues are backing the return of artificial pitches into the professional game inEngland.

Clubs such as Wycombe Wanderers and Accrington Stanley have backed the idea due to lower costs of maintenance and also the increased revenue streams of it being able to be used 7 days a week without suffering damage, this would allow the clubs to train on the pitch as well as hiring out their facilities.

Whilst it is currently thought that the plan is being discussed by all 72 Football League clubs the majority of the Championship are thought to be against installing artificial pitches as Premier League rules state you must play on grass the Championship sides do not want to install something that could have to be removed in less than a year.

Of course artificial or Astroturf pitches are nothing new to English football with Luton Town, Oldham Athletic, Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers all possessing artificial pitches until they were outlawed by the Football Association in the late 1980s, although Preston continued to use theirs until the end of the 1993-94 season.

The pitches were outlawed due to fears over player safety and arguments that they caused a poor brand of Football to be played, however since then technological means the pitches have come on massively and take aside the top few pitches in the country artificial pitches are as consistent.

Artificial pitches are always completely flat by nature meaning no bobbles and as they don’t suffer from wear and tear you do not get unplayable areas as you see in many goal mouths and centre circles in the Football League.

They tend to play faster than grass especially when wet which could add to the fast football which is already played in England, unless there is such a thing as too fast which I don’t believe there is I don’t think artificial pitches would be detrimental to the quality of Football.

The player safety issue is a good one whilst technological advances mean they are a lot safer than in the 80’s hence FIFA’s acceptance of them and many teams throughout the world using them I do believe that grass is safer.

Whilst you can get your studs stuck in grass which causes more horrific injuries, Astroturf pitches are a lot harder meaning and fall hurts a lot more. As well as the hardness of the pitches I feel defenders would be less happy with any change, slide tackles can still not be properly perfected on artificial pitches without a carpet burn effect, the same can be said for any player taken down by a slide tackle, bloody knees would happen numerous times per match.

Whilst a bloody knee is unlikely to cause grave pain think of the amount of stoppages as players have to leave the field as you cannot play with any blood coming from your body.

As mentioned above both FIFA and UEFA already sanction the use of artificial pitches, you may remember England losing to Russia on an artificial pitch in a euro 2008 qualifier or Tottenham losing to Young Boys in a Champions League qualifier last season on an artificial pitch.

Whilst those cases are in Russia and Switzerland there are artificial pitches a lot closer to home, many teams in the lower divisions of the Scottish Leagues use them as they cost less to maintain and do not get damaged in the bad weather.

I happen to know many sides currently have artificial pitches at their training ground, Arsenal’s London Colney training ground has numerous out door grass pitches but also has indoor artificial pitches.

For me it is a tough call I am all for clubs to maximise their revenue by having cheaper maintenance as well as hiring out their pitches not to mention the reduction of postponements it would bring with it.

However I am not for a game that has to stop 10 times per match for a player to go off and get treated for a blood wound, the positives do out weigh the negatives but the negative is a pretty big one, if it could be proved that their would not be numerous blood wounds I am all for a club making their choice whether they want grass or an artificial pitch.

What are your thoughts? Are you for the use of artificial pitches? Would there be numerous blood injuries on artificial pitches? Do technological advantages mean the quality of Football is not affected? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

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