At last, there's a home game to look forward to with the visit of Hearts in the "best derby in the world". Joe Newell will definitely return to the Hibs line-up tonight in a game that could go either way. Hibs are doing well at Easter Road and Hearts are on a winning run. This is the game for Elie Youan to make an impact in, as he did at Tynecastle in October. As he says himself “Every game is special and you want to score every game. But this game for me is extra special. If you score or contribute in this match, then you never leave the memories of the fans. There is a huge rivalry between the clubs and the atmosphere is crazy. The whole fixture is very exciting, and it is a game that you need to give that extra 10% percent.”

I'll not say too much about Hearts except beware of Lawrence Shankland. He's scored 4 goals in their last 3 games, but is still only part of their team.

Salford City have parted with head coach Neil Wood after a run of eight League Two games without a win, with the club 21st in the table.

The 40-year-old led the Ammies to the League Two play-offs last season having succeeded Gary Bowyer in May 2022.

However, Wood was unable to steer Salford to similar success this term, and Boxing Day's 5-1 home loss to Tranmere proved his last match in post.

Assistant coach Simon Wiles will take charge of Friday's game with Grimsby.

The former Manchester United under-23 coach was a penalty shoot-out away from taking Salford to Wembley last season, when they lost to Stockport County.

Yet, only six wins from 23 league games this season have left Salford loitering just outside the bottom two.

"The club would like to thank Neil for his hard work over the last 18 months, including leading the club to our highest-ever finish in Sky Bet League Two last season, and we wish him well in his future role within football," Salford said in a statement.

Goalkeeper Alex Cairns said in a post-match interview with BBC Radio Manchester after the Tranmere loss that it was time for the team to take responsibility for results.

"I don't think any footballer goes out to do the manager [an injustice]," Cairns said.

"As a group we need to be accountable for that performance, we're the ones out on the pitch, and even if we're not playing well we have to stand up and be counted and win our individual battles.

"We weren't that tonight."

Salford City's owners made promotion every other year their target when they took charge, and the club were promoted four times in five seasons as they made a rapid ascent through non-league.

But they have found League Two a much tougher nut to crack.

Former Manchester United Academy coach Neil Wood was their fourth permanent appointment to try and get them promoted, and he came close in his first year with their highest ever finish and a penalty shootout loss to Stockport in the playoffs.

His second season though has been a disappointment, with the club 21st in the table and looking nervously over their shoulders. A lengthy injury list hasn't helped - with the likes of Callum Hendry, Ossama Ashley, Theo Vassell and Luke Bolton all missing long spells - but it is hard not to think the squad was left short of numbers.

Whether the head coach is to blame for that or not, he has ultimately paid the price. Wood said this season Salford may have overachieved reaching the play-offs last season; the owners it seems do not agree.

Course you could have said straightaway that you were flattered a club like Plymouth were interested in you, but you promised to get Chesterfield back in the League and you wanted to finish the job.

You could have made it clear that Plymouth was too good a chance to miss and if you were a runner then you only get one shot at life don't you?

Or you could have destabilised your own team and helped to end its winning run by prolonging the agony.

Remember Portsmouth and how you reticently led us into the League One play offs, knowing half your squad's contracts were nearly up and you and everyone else knew you were off to Pompey however we performed? And we ended up playing a keeper who hadn't played a competitive game in two years?

Thanks for all the good times you've given us. You are nearly as good a manager as you were player. Course we'd like you to stay. Course we want to win our league and get back to the EFL. Course we'd cheer you, but hey don't just return us to the shelter like some unwanted unfashionable dog. If you've got ambitions beyond Sheffield Road, just say so ..... because results speak for themselves.

Premier League

Zinman 22
Blue B 16
Minizin 7
Dingle 6
Stairs 5
Lady J 4
B.B.B. 2
Derby -3

Well this week was overall a poor week but for the second week in a row 2 players stand out at the top of the table.  Zinman is on fire at the moment with 22 points this week!!  He set a new weekly record for the PL with 4 CSs, including the Gamball and scored on 8 games!!  Blue Baggie has also been in fine form recently and is 2nd this week with 16 points, he has 2 CSs and managed a CR on his two BBs.

Big drop to the rest where Minizin - 7, Dingle - 6, Stairs - 5 and Lady J - 4 scored a few points and only managed 2 CSs and with 5 Bonus' they only scored positive points on 2 of them.

BBB finished 7th with 2 points, he missed on all his balls and Derby ended with -3, he had 2 Bonus' and missed on both of them.  Both of them recorded their worst scores of the season!!


227 Zinman
199 Blue Baggie
179 Minizin
168 Derby
167 BBB
161 Stairs
139 Dingle
128 Lady Jane

No positional changes this week but Zinman stretched his lead to 28 points over Blue Baggie, who has now stretched his lead over Minzin to 20 points!!  The top two are moving away from the rest with their good form.  Derby, BBB and Stairs are now only separated by 7 points, and Dingle and LJ are still stranded in the bottom 2 spots.

Just a quick note on ball scoring, Zinman has now amassed 77 points on his three balls!!!  That is over 3 times higher than any other player!!!

Cheers
SCO


Championship

Themaclad  16
Sanjay        11
AAA            10
SCO            9
BaggieOne    2
Twerton        0
Snooty        0

One of football's most used cliches is that you get some strange results over the festive period - it seems this applies to the Prediction League too (at least in the Championship  )! More predictably, the bonus once again caused problems.

This week sees the table turned upside down as we have unusual names at both the top and bottom of the league. Themaclad leads the way with 16 points from a healthy 5 correct predictions with 2 correct scores including the gamball. Sanjay hit double figures again this week - 2 in a row as he starts to find some form at the mid point of the season. Like Themaclad he got 2 correct scores including the gamball - amazingly this is the first time he's got more than 1 correct score and also his first gamball maximum. AAA also made double figures. Once again he chose to avoid the gamball but this time it cost him 2 points as he got it right.

SCO has hit some decent form in the last few weeks and once again he had a decent week with 9 points in a week which saw the other promotion challengers falter. The remaining 3 players were some way adrift. BaggieOne missed out on all of the balls but at least got 3 correct results to give him just 2 points. Neither Twerton nor Snooty could add anything to their total scores - Twerton only scored on 1 game but at least made that one a correct score to avoid a negative score. Snooty scored on just 2 but like Twerton, ended up with zero points for the week.

177 SCO
174 Twerton
168 Snooty
160 AAA
141 Themaclad
135 BaggieOne
96 Sanjay

All change at the top as SCO takes a slender lead over Twerton Snooty drops to 3rd place with AAA closing in on the top 3. Themaclad also climbs above BaggieOne while Sanjay is at least closing in on the 100 point mark as he strives to get back in touch with the rest.

Hope you all had a good Christmas and can look forward to a great New Year. Thanks for sticking with this.

Zin

2 points for correct result
4 points for correct score
2 points for each correct scorer
Correct joker doubles your score   (correct score on a joker would give you 8 points)
Wrong joker result gives you minus 2
Correct Random Badger gives you 2 points

The random badger is used for any random prediction used once in each matchday sequence. For instance, a scorer at a particular match, the number of red cards in the matches or yellow cards or own goals or owt you want really within reason, I do need to be able to check whether it's correct or not. Please don't put stuff like....."Commentator says...."  
The joker   is played for one match in each sequence and if correct you get double points. So if you've predicted 1-0 and it finishes 2-0, you get 4 pts, but if you've predicted 2-0, that's 8 pts. But if you get it wrong, it's minus 2.
Jokers and badgers are optional. You don't have to play one if you don't want.

The prize for winning the league is one rep point.

Cup games: In the event of a draw, it's half the points if you've predicted a draw when it gets to 90 mins and the full points if it's still a draw after extra time. Half the points will be awarded for correctly predicting the winner of the match if it goes to penalties. Similarly with the badger, if your random prediction is affected by this, it'll be half the points.

Random score generator: I will be using the random score generator again for those who miss predicting, so we shouldn't get some people too far behind that after missing a couple of weeks they lose all interest, because I know it's not easy getting on here every week.
To be fair to everybody, this is going to be like, say if three people in one week miss their predictions, the first one in the table will be given all 0-0, the second one down the line will get 1-0 and the third will get 0-1 and so on, like if there's four missing the 4th will get 1-1, then 5th 2-1, 6th 1-2. and if there are so many missing, might as well pack in.
And if you miss two weeks on the trot, I'll stop until you come back on again. Not doing it for half a season like I did t'other year.  

End of season Play Offs: The one who finishes top of the league will still be champion, but after the season finishes there will be Play Offs between the top 4, with 1st v 4th and 2nd v 3rd. This will take in stuff like the EFL Play Offs, FA Cup Final, final day of Prima Donna League, European Finals etc. It will be one matchday for the semis and one for the Final. It will be the individual scores for each matchday against the allotted opponent, with some kind of tie breaker for a drawn match.

The prize for winning will be enormous. Another rep point.

1. St Charles Owl = 438 pts
   
2. Baggiebob(BBB) = 423 pts
   
3. jjamez = 372 pts
   
4. themaclad = 362 pts
   
5. theo_luddite = 357 pts
   
6. neonfoxinthebox = 347 pts
   

1. Lord Snooty = 383 pts
   
2. ritchiebaby = 355 pts
   
3. WakeyTerrier = 346 pts
   
4. Devongone = 345 pts
   
5. Amelia Chaffinch = 328 pts
   
6. SHEP_HTAFC = 304 pts
   

Friday 29th December:
Town v Middlesbrough
Town scorers:
Boro scorers:

Southampton v Plymouth Argyle (18:00)
Birmingham City v Bristol City
Cardiff City v Leicester City
Coventry City v Swansea City
Hull City v Blackburn Rovers
Ipswich Town v Queens Park Rangers
Millwall v Norwich City
Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday
Rotherham United v Sunderland
Watford v Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion v Leeds United (20:15)


*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***
*** scores for ***

Tie breaker: Total number of corners in the matches Town v Boro and Leicester v Town (on New Years Day) = ??

2014/15: Final table:

Terrier1987cas: 961 pts
terrier1973: 950 pts
JUSTASILLYOLDGIT: 938 pts
Neonfoxinthebox: 914 pts
ritchiebaby: 904 pts
SHEP_HTAFC: 885 pts
jjamez: 882 pts
Lord Snooty: 832 pts
WakeyTerrier: 773 pts
Mitzi: 751 pts
Amelia Chaffinch: 741 pts
Marco4: 608 pts
ARTERRIER: 567 pts
grimois: 281 pts
Beefy 1965: 233 pts
Citizen Jeebers: 161 pts

2015/16: FINAL TABLE:

Terrier1987cas = 864 pts
terrier1973 = 853 pts
jjamez = 804 pts
SHEP_HTAFC = 736 pts
Lord Snooty = 719 pts
ritchiebaby = 697 pts
neonfoxinthebox = 608 pts
Jeebers = 506 pts
WakeyTerrier = 407 pts
Amelia Chaffinch = 89 pts

2016/17: The Final Table:

Terrier1987cas = 1179 pts
JUSTASILLYOLDGIT = 1178 pts
neonfoxinthebox = 1169 pts
themaclad = 1141 pts
Lord Snooty = 1097 pts
jjamez = 1090 pts
St Charles Owl = 1075 pts
SHEP_HTAFC = 1064 pts
ritchiebaby = 1026 pts
terrier1973 = 949 pts
WakeyTerrier = 859 pts
Amelia Chaffinch = 722 pts

2017/18: Final Table:

Terrier1987cas = 989 pts
JUSTASILLYOLDGIT = 973 pts
neonfoxinthebox = 958 pts
jjamez = 920 pts
themaclad = 916 pts
St Charles Owl = 906 pts
SHEP_HTAFC = 890 pts
Lord Snooty = 889 pts
theo_luddite = 825 pts
ritchiebaby = 769 pts
Amelia Chaffinch = 734 pts
terrier1973 = 98 pts
Beefy 1965 = 6 pts

2018/19: Final Table:

themaclad = 1009 pts
St Charles Owl = 1002 pts
jjamez = 983 pts
Baggiebob(BBB) = 975 pts
theo_luddite = 960 pts
SHEP_HTAFC = 949 pts
neonfoxinthebox = 921 pts
Lord Snooty = 857 pts
Amelia Chaffinch = 812 pts
JUSTASILLYOLDGIT = 786 pts
ritchiebaby = 784 pts
Terrier1987cas = 544 pts

2019/20:Final Table 2019/20:

jjamez = 855 pts
themaclad = 820 pts
Baggiebob(BBB) = 819 pts
neonfoxinthebox = 818 pts
theo_luddite = 791 pts
St Charles Owl = 763 pts
ritchiebaby = 739 pts
SHEP_HTAFC = 738 pts
Lord Snooty = 731 pts
Beefy 1965 = 674 pts
Amelia Chaffinch = 668 pts

Final Table for 2020/21:

1. Baggiebob(BBB) = 916 pts
   
2. jjamez = 899 pts
   
3. St Charles Owl = 862 pts
   
4. theo_luddite = 858 pts
   
5. themaclad = 847 pts
   
6. Lord Snooty = 840 pts
   
7. SHEP_HTAFC = 794 pts
   
8. neonfoxinthebox = 791 pts
   
9. ritchiebaby = 786 pts
   
10. Amelia Chaffinch = 686 pts
    
11. Beefy 1965 = 356 pts
    
    2021/22: Final Table:
    
    1. Baggiebob(BBB) = 1001 pts
       
    2. jjamez = 942 pts
       
    3. St Charles Owl = 927 pts
       
    4. theo_luddite = 924 pts
       
    5. neonfoxinthebox = 897 pts
       
    6. Lord Snooty = 886 pts
       
    7. themaclad = 882 pts
       
    8. SHEP_HTAFC = 835 pts
       
    9. ritchiebaby = 807 pts
       
    10. Amelia Chaffinch = 724 pts
        
    11. WakeyTerrier = 617 pts
        
        Play Off Final 2022: theo_luddite 14 -26 jjamez
        
        Final Table for 2022/23:
        
        1. jjamez = 872 pts
           
        2. Baggiebob(BBB) = 851 pts
           
        3. themaclad = 826 pts
           
        4. theo_luddite = 819 pts
           
        5. St Charles Owl = 808 pts
           
        6. neonfoxinthebox = 804 pts
           
        7. Lord Snooty = 762 pts
           
        8. ritchiebaby = 713 pts
           
        9. SHEP_HTAFC = 712 pts
           
        10. Amelia Chaffinch = 710 pts
            
        11. Devongone = 664 pts
            
        12. WakeyTerrier = 171 pts
            
            The 2023 Play Off Final: jjamez 22-15 Baggiebob(BBB)

Merry Christmas everyone and welcome to another part of a hectic football schedule that the powers that be have thrust upon us. I have spent the build up to Christmas just simply looking forward to the festive delight that Darren Moore and Town are going to produce for us as we come up against a Blackburn side that have looked decent but not quite reaching the standards of last season. They are however still well within a shout of getting a playoff place should a good 2024 beckon. For Town it feels like a drop to League one beckons should January prove to be a disappointing transfer window, but that my friends is for another thread.

Town come into the game on the back of a predictable defeat against David Wagner's Norwich City. It was only 2-0, and it probably should have been more, had it not been for a top save from Chris Maxwell. The obvious thing being, we didn't lay a finger on them nor did we even try to, it is becoming very repetitious and very monotonous to boot, it doesn't really make you want to get out of bed and look forward to going to the games and something really does have to change and quickly. I'll be honest, with a lot of Towns recent managers I've had some grasp of what they were trying to do, well maybe not Fotheringham, but then he didn't either, but with Darren Moore, the only thing I'm seeing is trying not to lose by any means possible, hell, I even thought there as a decent glimpse of an idea when Siewert was in charge and I think he would have had more success had he been appointed in the Summer rather than when we was still being hammered in the Premier League. I've always wanted to give managers time, but at some point you have to be able to turn around and acknowledge that something isn't working, nor is it likely to, are there options out there? absolutely, would they be willing to come here? maybe if they were given the right convincing, we could have had big Ange instead of the Cowleys had we not baulked at the timeframe of what he wanted before he joined. To me we need to act sooner rather than later, if we are thinking that we wont be able to move forward with Moore.

As for our guests, they are still managed by Jon Dahl Tomasson and come into the game on the back of some rather more indifferent form, with one win in their last five games, which has seen them drop to 14th but only 5 points off the play off spots. Their recent games have seen them play two of the better teams in the league in the shapes of Leeds and Southampton, they lost 2-0 at home to Leeds and 4-0 away at Southampton. The most recent fixture was at home to Watford where two late goals saw the travelling Hornets come from behind to win. They have only drawn one game so far this season, so it may be prudent to be backing one team to win, although we all know who will and should be favourites for that.

Has much changed over at Ewood? I would say not particularly, same manager, but they have seen the owners tighten the purse strings a touch, which talismanic striker Ben Brereton Diaz has departed for football in Spain, although rumours suggest that he will be coming back to these shores come the January window having found his goalscoring touch vacating him since leaving. They have also seen first choice keeper Thomas Kaminski leave to join Premier League new boys Luton Town, whilst young defender Ashley Phillips left to join the Spurs set up. Long term stalwart Daniel Ayala was released and he has since joined Rotherham, whilst injury prone but mercurial midfielder Bradley Dack joined Sunderland after being released. Talented midfielder John Buckley left the club on loan to join Sheffield Wednesday in their quest for survival.

Coming in at Ewood Park, former Town academy player Sondre Tronstad joined from Dutch side Vitesse, striker Niall Ennis joined on a free transfer from Plymouth Argyle, James Hill joined on loan from Bournemouth, whilst Arnor Sigurdsson joined on loan from CSKA Moscow, a deal which was turned permanent just the other day and finally Leopold Wahlstedt joined to become the new number one from Odd in Norway.

In terms of head to heads, it doesn't make good reading for those of a Town persuasion, Games won:26 Games drawn:36 Games lost:35. The first fixture coming back in 1921 where the two sides played out a 0-0 draw. A spell from 1928 to 1934 saw Town go without registering a victory against the Rovers despite playing them in each season during that period. There would be another spell between 2000 and 2016 where Town would once again go without notching a victory, but in that spell, Blackburn became a half decent Premier League side, whilst Town fought off administration and plummeted to the depths of what is now League Two. The more recent contests between the two sides have seen a fairly even split in terms of outcome, with 3 Town wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats. If you were a gambling individual, you'd be backing it to become 3 defeats tomorrow, but you wouldn't be getting much money back.

Team news for tomorrow, well Danny Ward has decided to take the christmas period off once again, we should never have resigned him, all we have done is burdened ourselves with a pretty poor, injury prone striker for the next few seasons, on probably a decent wage. Elsewhere Lee Nicholls will once again be missing, Blackburn boy Matty Pearson looks likely to miss out once again, Kian Harratt and Ollie Turton are longer term absentees but worry not Kyle Hudlin made his long awaited comeback at the weekend and will be set to fire Town to a second half of the season play off push...

The visitors were without leading scorer Sammy Sczmozdics at the weekend but there is a decent chance that the diminutive forward will return for tomorrows game, he will be one of the players that Town will have to watch closely as he can be a slippy customer at the best of times, and lets face it, our defence is hardly the quickest or mobile out there however we sugar coat it.

Played for both

1) Jades Not
2) Attorneys Map
3) Jar Horned Sod
4) I Swooned Moats
5) Tallowed Tired

Sorry it is about as entertaining as a Darren Moore press conference, I shall endeavour to put some piccys up later if i get chance, unless someone fancies beating me to the punch!

Merry christmas every body!

THE MATCH

TUESDAY 26TH DECEMBER KO 3:00PM

v

LAST MATCH



Despite being the better team we fell to defeat as Dawson gifted 2 late goals as the boys from the valleys took the points. We were the better team in the first half and were rewarded when Musaba fired us in front. Onto the second half and we continued to be the better team, but despite the chances we were creating we couldn't find a second. Then out of nowhere Cardiff levelled through Grant, Dawson at fault. Then with minutes left Dawson spilled a shot and the ball was forced into the net. We should have had a penalty in injury time, but as we all know we don't penalties

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

THE MATCH



Next up and a boxing day visit to Coventry. They currently lie in 15th place in the table and are just 6 points off the playoffs and 10 points above the relegation zone. Can they mount a challenge for the playoffs, maybe although they might need to bring a few players in the transfer window. They are managed by Mark Robins, who has been in charge for 6 years, pretty good going for a manager these days. There leading scorer is Matt Godden with 7 followed by Haji Wright with 6 and 3 assists.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 29
COV 32 
DRAWS 23 

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                                                               

COV                -                                                           

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

Oliver Langford
Hristo Karaivanov & George Byrne
Ed Duckworth

THE TEAM

Dawson
Palmer Ihiekwe Bernard Famewo
Windass Bannan Vaulks Byers Johnson
Cadamarteri

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

2-1 Cadamarteri

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

30

ATTENDANCE

N/A

BML LEAGUE

Washington 10
Owlkev 8
Imre 7
Maddix 6
SCO 3

BMPL

Wereham 6
Stateside 3
Pei -6

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Sheffield Utd v Luton
Ipswich v Leicester
Wigan v Derby
Barrow v Stockport
Hartlepool v Oldham

HAAAA

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

Early but I'm sitting at work on a Saturday afternoon with nothing to do.

fixtures from the New Year Weekend including NYD

Gamball:
Wolves - Everton

Others:
Palace - Brentford
Liverpool - Newcastle
Forest - Man Utd
Sunderland - Preston
Norwich - Southampton
QPR - Cardiff
Plymouth - Watford
Swansea - Albion
Sheff W - Hull

FOR NOW

In tough times the club management is paid to take tough decisions, not easy decisions.

The easy decision based on recent results would be to change our football manager. We are not blind to the fact that recent results have not been acceptable. We have however invested two years in our football management team and in building a competitive squad.

Everyone at Euxton, football management, coaches, players and admin staff are working hard to move the club in the right direction. We believe it incumbent on ourselves to continue this work together to make it a success.


Early season results show that we were going in the right direction. Without dwelling on decisions that could and should have fallen in our favour and as a result added points that we were denied, we believe that that this squad is capable of getting back to winning ways.

Supporters can be the positive 12th man. Social media has its place in today’s world but frankly when used for abuse as opposed to constructive criticism it cannot be tolerated. We believe that our supporters can and will continue to demonstrate that they are our biggest asset.



We are therefore asking you to respect our decision at this stage, to back our judgement and get behind the manager and the team in the fixtures ahead.

Have a very Happy Christmas and thank you for your support during 2023. We look forward to seeing you at a sold out Deepdale on Boxing Day.

Craig and Peter