So the Play-Offs are to be expanded from 4 teams to 6 from next season, what do others think about it? Personally I don't think they should exist at all, it should go by the position over a season rather than a lucky goal in the Play-Offs. Earning the promotion over a season also shows consistency, so you would think shows that team may have a better chance of survival in the Prem.

However you look at it, league position is simply fairer, how can it be fair that the team who finishes 8th in the league gets promoted, based on results of a couple of games, but the team who finishes 3rd based on the results of 42 games doesn't? Seems to me its all about making, the EFL and the T.V. companies, a few more shillings, rather than fairness in the game.

Gamball:
Oxford - Charlton

Others:
Burnley - Bournemouth
Sunderland - Brighton
Birmingham - Sheff Utd
Leicester - QPR
Norwich - Preston
Stoke - Watford
WBA - Hull
Man Utd - Villa
Forest - Fulham

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league downward,
All in the Stadium of Kassam
The Baggies floundered.
"Forward the Shite Brigade!
Charge for the goal!"
In the Stadium of Kassam,
That woeful shithole.

Was there a man dismayed?
Swiftly they countered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to fracture a thigh.
In the Stadium of Kassam
The Baggies floundered.

Oxen to right of them,
Oxen to left of them,
Oxen in front of them
Volleyed and headed;
Stormed at with shot and pass,
Badly they played, alas
Weapons-grade laughing gas
Couldn't dull what we dreaded.

Now they must charge again,
To thankless Bramall Lane
There to perform like drains,
Damn how it might be played.
Make now an orison
To Cyrille and Laurie, son
For big James Morrison:
And forward the Shite Brigade!

Scunthorpe United boss Andy Butler has extended his contract through to the end of the 2027-28 season.

The 42-year-old guided the club to promotion from National League North in his first season in charge in 2024-25.

The Iron are sixth in the National League despite failing to win any of their past six league matches.

"I'm really pleased. It's nice to be rewarded for what's been a successful season so far," Butler told BBC Radio Humberside.

"It means we're doing something right and gives us a bit of stability.

"It's been a good two years I think and now we can start planning for next season."

Butler's assistant John Schofield and goalkeeper coach Paul Musselwhite have also extended their deals through to the summer of 2028.

THE MATCH

SATURDAY 7TH MARCH KO 3PM

v

LAST MATCH



Another game and another defeat but a spirited display especially in the 2nd half. Southampton controlled most of the first half and numerous chances while we had one or two chances, McNeill firing wide of the mark. The Saints took the lead when Bree toe poked one in from the edge of the 6 yard box after we didn't deal with a cross. It was 0-2 when Manning scored directly from a free kick although the keeper probably should have done better. Onto the 2nd half and we upped it a bit and we pulled one back when Yates headed in from close range, We looked like we might grab something, a shot was blocked and Lowe fired at there keeper. But it was the Saints who got a third when the ball fell in the box and Harwood Bellis fired in from close range. We nearly made it 2-3 late on but there keeper made a good save and Yates messed up the rebound.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

THE MATCH



Next up and the short trip south to Derby. Derby have had a decent season and are currently in 8th place in the Championship, 6 points off the playoffs with 11 games remaining. They do have a shout of making the end of season party but with some of the teams above them in good form it could be a challenge to make those playoffs. They are managed by John Eustace who took over in February 2025, and he managed to keep the Rams up on the final day of the season. There leading scorer this season is Agyemang who has 10 goals and 3 assists so far this season.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 48
DERBY 54
DRAW 42

CURRENT FORM

OWLS     L L L L L L                                                                

DERBY W L L W L W

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

Oliver Langford
Conor Brown and Natalie Aspinall
Fourth Official : Samuel Allison

THE TEAM

Dieng
Palmer Otegbayo Iorfa
Fusire Thornton Ingelsson Adaramola
McNeill J Lowe
Yates

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

3-1 McNeill

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

56

ATTENDANCE

N/A

BML LEAGUE

Owlkev 19
Imre 16
Washington 16
SCO 12
Maddix 9

BMPL

Stateside 18
Pei 1
Wereham -11
Southey -12

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Bristol City v Coventry
Charlton v Birmingham
Luton v Reading
Walsall v Notts Co
Carlisle v Southend

ADHDH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE

... till the end of the season, + another chap I don't know anything about.
Fingers tightly crossed ; GOOD LUCK!!

https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1305795049?-11200:789

Matt Taylor says it is unlikely he will take charge of Exeter City in the long term.

The 44-year-old returned as interim manager until the end of the season on Tuesday, leading the Grecians to a 1-1 draw with Burton Albion.

Taylor, who managed the side for more than four years from 2018, has come in after his successor Gary Caldwell left to take on the vacant head coach job at Wigan Athletic.

"It suits all parties," Taylor told BBC Radio Devon

"Any longer then the wife might have divorced me. I've got three young children, and they are young and they're a handful, and we've got a life in the south of Sheffield.

"But there's a lot of people in the club who I care about, and if I can help in any way for two months I will do.

"When I left I thought I left the club in a strong position and I'd like to leave it in a strong position when I go this time, if I do go."


He moved on in October that year to join then-Championship side Rotherham United but was sacked after 13 months with the Millers in the relegation places.

He went on to spend a year in charge at Bristol Rovers before losing his job in mid-December 2024.

In that time Exeter have established themselves as a League One side - should they stay up this season their fifth successive campaign in the third tier would be their longest stint at that level of football since the late 1970's and early 1980's.

The club's off-field infrastructure has also changed drastically in that time - a new training facility has been built while a new stand at St James Park was officially opened days after Taylor left.

"This club means an awful lot to me. The staff who are here mean an awful lot to me," he added.

"It wasn't on my radar, I've watched from afar and admired from afar in terms of what Exeter have done for a period of time.

"But I got a phone call from someone I really rate and someone I really trust and someone who felt I was the person to come in and help the team, which is the most important thing, until the end of the season.

"I was at the training ground yesterday and that was surreal, because I had left before that was in place.

"So to go into a facility like that and to see it first-hand was just incredible, because I know that the hard work which went into to getting that even planned, let alone built, and now it's in in product, so it was absolutely incredible.

"The provision the players have got is second to none for League One, let alone Exeter City, and I'm looking forward to you know working well in that environment for next two months."


Exeter have not won in eight games - drawing six of those matches - and they have slipped to 15th in League One, six points above the relegation zone.

It comes as the fan-owned club deals with financial issues caused by a major overspend last season - the Exeter City Supporters' Trust has lent the club around £600,000 and the playing budget could be slashed by as much as £1.5m in the summer.

But Taylor is hopeful he can leave the club in the best possible shape come the end of the season - they travel to Barnsley on Saturday before back-to-back home games against the top two in Cardiff City and Lincoln City.

"I'm a little bit in the dark in terms of why we're in the situation we are," he said.

"It always seems to be a such a well-run club in terms of a financial aspect, it's had to be because of the trust ownership

"The key is what's next and what next season looks like, but we can only concentrate on next season once we get through this season."

Tranmere Rovers have sacked manager Andy Crosby, 10 months after he was appointed on a permanent basis.

Crosby leaves Prenton Park off the back of 10 losses from 11 League Two games, which has left Tranmere 19th in the table.

The club are eight points off the relegation places with 11 games of the season remaining following Tuesday's defeat by relegation-threatened Newport County.

"Andy did a great job for us last year and has undoubtedly been dealt a tough hand this season with the exceptionally high level of injuries we have experienced," said chairman Mark Palios.

"However, I felt a change was unfortunately necessary to try to address the poor run of results.

"I have no doubt that Andy has put his all into the role over the last 12 months in difficult circumstances, and I wish him all the best for the future."

Andy Parkinson will take over on an interim basis for Saturday's visit of Oldham Athletic, with Connor Jennings and Joe Murphy assisting.

Crosby initially led the club on an interim basis after former boss Nigel Adkins was dismissed in February 2025 before being appointed on a permanent deal in May.

He earned six wins and five draws from 13 games in charge of Tranmere at the tail end of last season as they avoided relegation by finishing 20th and nine points clear of the drop zone.

Their recent form has taken a drastic turn in comparison to their finish last term, however, with the club winning just twice since the turn of the year.

Following their 2-0 victory at Harrogate on New Year's Day, Tranmere have picked up three points from a possible 33.

During that period, the gap between themselves and the bottom two has decreased from 15 to eight points, while they have conceded 10 goals in their past three games, including a 5-0 hammering by Notts County on 21 February.

Prior to his sacking, Tranmere Rovers' Official Supporters' Club had called, external for an "immediate change" to the managerial team, saying Crosby's position was "untenable".