It's now 2 months since we've won at Easter Road and St Mirren's visit on Saturday could be another potential failure. I've argued that we're just about to turn the corner but we're now in hairpin bend country, with many fans' patience wearing a bit thin.

The Saints are only 3 points above us and are also going through a sticky patch just now, so this will be a chance for us to start producing the goods. We're gradually getting rid of players, with Jeggo and Doidge the latest to go, to make room for some talented youngsters coming in.

Premier League

Derby 25
B.B.B. 20
Blue B 16
Minizin 15
Dingle 12
Lady J 11
Zinman 10
Stairs 10

Good consistent scoring this week in the PL and by my recollection only the 3rd week we see everyone in double figures. Derby had an excellent week finishing on 25 points!! This matches his highest score of the season and he is still the only player to reach 25 points this season. He scored on 8 games, got 3CSs and picked up points on all his balls. BBB also posted his best score of the season with 20 points, making him the last player to reach the 20 point mark. He scored on less games than Derby but like him he scored on all his balls and added a couple of CSs. BlueBaggie keep up his good form with 16 points, his inability to get an CSs kept his score down a bit.

Minizin got 15 points, mainly due to being the only player to get a spot on result on the Gamball but he was one of only two players to miss on the Bonus. Dingle with 12 points and LJ with 11 points both scored on their balls but were unable to add much else.

The bottom two this week are Zinman and Stairs, both with 10 points. Zin was due a bad week (if you class double digits as a bad week?), he missed on the Bonus and added no CSs. Stairs keep up his Gamball form being the only player to have any faith in the Baggies and therefore getting it wrong!!

301 Zinman
291 Blue Baggie
255 Derby
249 Minizin
241 BBB
213 Stairs
205 Dingle
184 Lady Jane

Just one positional change this week with Derby overtaking Minizin to take 3rd place. Zinman has now gone past the 300 point mark but Blue is only 10 points behind him now as he claws back more points this week. Derby, Minizin and BBB are all chasing that 3rd spot now. The bottom three remain adrift and in the same spots, Dingle is the 7th player to get to 200 points.

Cheers
SCO

Championship

Themaclad 17
Sanjay 16
SCO 11
Snooty 10
BaggieOne 7
AAA 6
Twerton 6

It almost seems as if week 22 has repeated itself. Moderate scores in the Championship, the same 2 players out in front with a gap to the rest. And those same players are the ones who've sat at the foot of the table for most of the season but now appear to have found some form. A mixed bag from the gamball with hearts overruling heads for a few people. All bonuses were played on just 2 matches - one of them went to form while the other didn't. And though only 2 matches (excluding the gamball) failed to feature goals from both sides, 4 of the Championship players chose one of them.

So once again it's Themaclad and Sanjay at the top of the table though they have swopped positions. Themaclad got to the top with 3 correct scores from his 5 correct predictions though he did miss out on the gamball. Sanjay was just 1 correct score lower and scored a maximum on the gamball, though that was offset by him choosing the "wrong" game for his bonus. SCO and Snooty creep into double figures, SCO failing to nail a maximum but scoring from both of the major balls. Snooty lies a point back, another one to overestimate Albion's ability.

The other 3 players are a few points back. AAA was held back by his balls, failing to get any of them right, while BaggieOne and Twerton had identical records except for B1's extra scoreball point.

248 SCO
231 Twerton
216 AAA
208 Snooty
193 Themaclad
192 BaggieOne
163 Sanjay

SCO extends his lead at the top by a further 5 points. Themaclad's recent upturn in form sees him catch BaggieOne and these 2 are far from out of the promotion hunt. Sanjay went from week 3 to week 17 without achieving a double figure score - he's now managed this in 6 of the last 7 weeks and only failed once when he wasn't able to predict. A recent form table taking in the last 7 weeks would see Themaclad and Sanjay at the top!

Zin

Ebbsfleet have sacked manager Dennis Kutrieb after falling into the National League relegation zone.

The 44-year-old German led The Fleet to the National League South title with 103 points last season.

Saturday's defeat at bottom side Oxford City was their 17th in 31 games and they are three points off the foot with rivals having games in hand.

A club statement said it had been a "difficult decision" to remove him after more than three years in the job.

"Heading into a crucial final three months of the campaign, the club's number-one priority is to maintain our status in the division," the statement added.

"Such decisions are never easy to make, especially off the back of such a remarkable and record-breaking previous season, but the status of the football club must always take priority and be foremost when making these big decisions."

First-team coach Chris Franks has also left the Kent club.

Gamball:
Norwich - Coventry

Others:
Everton - Spurs
Burnley - Fulham
Man Utd - West Ham
Preston - Ipswich
Swansea - Plymouth
Watford - Cardiff
Bournemouth - Nottingham Forest
Arsenal - Liverpool
Middlesbrough - Sunderland

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. jjamez = 108 pts
   
2. ritchiebaby = 106 pts
   
3. St Charles Owl = 104 pts
   
4. Lord Snooty = 100 pts
   
5. Baggiebob(BBB) = 88 pts
   
6. themaclad = 86 pts
   

Friday February 2nd:
Bristol City v Leeds United

Saturday February 3rd:
Town v Sheff Weds:
Town scorers:
Weds scorers:

Norwich City v Coventry City
Preston North End v Ipswich Town
Swansea City v Plymouth Argyle
West Bromwich Albion v Birmingham City

Sunday February 4th:
Middlesbrough v Sunderland (12:00)

Bonus matches
Scottish Premiership:
Saturday
Hibernian v St Mirren

Premier League:
Saturday:
Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace

Sunday:
Manchester United v West Ham United (14:00)
Arsenal v Liverpool (16:30)

FA Cup 4th round replays:
Tuesday:
Coventry City v Sheffield Wednesday
Southampton v Watford

Wednesday:
Aston Villa v Chelsea


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

1. Devongone = 87 pts
   
2. theo_luddite = 85 pts
   
3. SHEP_HTAFC = 81 pts
   
4. neonfoxinthebox = 76 pts
   
5. Amelia Chaffinch = 52 pts
   
6. WakeyTerrier = 42 pts
   

Saturday February 3rd:
Town v Sheff Weds:
Town scorers:
Weds scorers:

Blackburn Rovers v Queens Park Rangers
Hull City v Millwall
Norwich City v Coventry City
Rotherham United v Southampton
Stoke City v Leicester City
Watford v Cardiff City

Bonus matches:
National League:
Saturday:
Eastleigh v Chesterfield

Premier League:
Saturday:
Everton v Tottenham Hotspur (12:30)
Sheffield United v Aston Villa (17:30)

Sunday:
Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers (14:00)

FA Cup 4th round replays:
Tuesday:
Coventry City v Sheffield Wednesday
Plymouth Argyle v Leeds United

Wednesday:
Nottingham Forest v Bristol City


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

Back when he became the first player ever to be given a contract by Warrington Rylands I have been an advocate of our making an offer for this player.

Now he is at Macclesfield. On Saturday he ended a seven-game goal drought for them. He's still young. He's skilful, quick, makes goals and scores regularly. He's a scouser who started out at Liverpool. He goes wide and comes inside. He'd be an addition.

Assuming we are EFL-bound he would make the grade and I think be keen to do it. We would have to pay something.

On the other hand if we wait till the end of the season other EFL interest might surface.

My suggestion would be to sign him now whilst he sees us at the crest of our wave and loan him back till the end of this season.

Matt has been keen on him too for some time too. Promotion shouldn't be the end of our story should it?

THE MATCH

WEDNESDAY 31ST JANUARY KO 7:45PM

v

LAST MATCH



Not the result either team would have particularly wanted but the reward of Maidstone at home in the next round would give either team a great chance to get to the quarter finals. Both teams had chances in the first half but it was Coventry who took the lead just before HT, Torp firing in from 25 yards. We pressed for an equalizer in the 2nd half but just it looked like we weren't going to score Gassama cut in from the left and fired past the goalie.

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

THE MATCH



Back to the league and Watford make the journey north. Watford currently lie in 10th place just 3 points off the playoffs and would be higher if they hadn't drawn 10 of there games this season. They should be there or thereabouts come the end of the season and will probably make the playoffs if they cut out those draws. They are managed by Valerian Ismael who used to manage Barnsley. There main threat is Rajovic who has 9 goals so far this season 

DEJPHON CHANSIRI, GET OUT OF OUR CLUB    

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 16
WAT 24
DRAWS 10   

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                                                                 

WAT                -                                                                  

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

TOM NIELD
Mark Stevens and Robert Hyde
Fourth Official : Rebecca Welch

THE TEAM

Dawson
Palmer Ihiekwe Bernard Johnson
Musaba M Diaby Vaulks Bannan Windass
Cadamarteri

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

2-1 Musaba

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

26

ATTENDANCE

23811

BML LEAGUE

Washington 17
Imre 15
Owlkev 11
Maddix 11
SCO 5

BMPL

Wereham 7
Stateside 6
Pei -2

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Manchester City v Burnley
Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford
Liverpool v Chelsea
West Ham United v AFC Bournemouth
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United

HHHDD

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE

PEIOWL




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

Wealdstone have appointed St Albans boss David Noble as their new manager.

The National League club were seeking a new boss after Stuart Maynard departed for Notts County last week.

Noble, 41, taking over from Ian Allinson in September 2022 and had steered the Saints into the National League South promotion race.

He joins on a deal until the end of 2025-26 and a club statement said: "His philosophy and approach to the game align perfectly with our ambitions."

Noble made more than 300 Football League appearances as a player, starting out at Arsenal and playing for Watford, West Ham, Bristol City and Exeter.

A statement from the Wealdstone board said: "We have been closely following David's impressive work at St Albans City and are confident in his ability to excel in a full-time managerial role.

"His philosophy and approach to the game will enable him to settle in quickly to build upon the excellent foundations set by Stuart Maynard over the last few years. We are poised for a new era of success at Wealdstone."

Noble's assistant will be Neil Banfield, a former Arsenal youth coach who worked under Arsene Wenger and has most recently assisted Michael Beale at QPR and Rangers.

St Albans will receive compensation from the Stones for Noble's move.

Hibs will get a taste of the famous Killie pies later today, but first they need to give Killie a taste of a footballing lesson. The signs are not great following their Dubai jolly. I have never been a fan of hot weather training - let the players earn it by performances on the field, not as an expected perk.

I do expect Maolida, Marcondes and Amos to get more minutes on the park today and maybe a bit of a rummle-up is what is required for the rest of the team. There's not much more to be said that hasn't already been said on just about every thread, so let's get stuck into this dangerous Killie side, beat them and enjoy a succulent pie and chips afterwards (not before, as we've seen enough stodge from Hibs already.