2 points for a correct result
4 points for a correct score
2 points for each correct scorer
Correct joker doubles your score      
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.

Saturday 17th September:
Town v Cardiff
Town scorers:
Cardiff scorers:

Swansea City v Hull City (12:30)
Birmingham City v Coventry City
Burnley v Bristol City
Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers
Millwall v Blackpool
Norwich City v West Bromwich Albion
Preston North End v Sheffield United
Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City
Watford v Sunderland
Wigan Athletic v Reading
Middlesbrough v Rotherham United

Table after Matchday 7:

1. themaclad = 151 pts
   
2. theo_luddite = 148 pts
   
3. jjamez = 145 pts
   
4. ritchiebaby = 136 pts
   
5. Lord Snooty = 133 pts
   
6. neonfoxinthebox = 119 pts
   
7. Devongone = 118 pts
   
8. Baggiebob(BBB) = 117 pts
   
9. St Charles Owl = 113 pts
   
10. Amelia Chaffinch = 107 pts
    
11. SHEP_HTAFC = 103 pts
    
12. WakeyTerrier = 77 pts

Danny's gone. Who next? I hope whoever it is starts winning immediately or the vultures will be circling as soon as.

Anybody know where my post went?
Pressed post and it disappeard.

It looks like most fixtures are going ahead. If any of these get cancelled we'll carry forward any unused balls to next week.

Gamball (just for SCO):
Sheff Wed - Ipswich

Others:
Birmingham - Coventry
Huddersfield - Cardiff
Luton - Blackburn
Norwich - WBA
Preston - Sheff Utd
QPR - Stoke
Wigan - Reading
Brentford - Arsenal
Everton - West Ham

Cheltenham Town defender Matty Blair has announced his retirement from professional football due to injury.

The 33-year-old joined the club at the start of the 2020-21 season and helped them gain promotion to League One.

"I've made this decision due to a lack of options really," Blair said.

"The options would have meant less time being spent with my family due to not being able to walk for a couple days after games, or have an operation which would have a two-year recovery period."

Blair made more than 90 appearances for the Robins in all competitions over two seasons, scoring five goals.

He missed four games at the end of last season due to a lingering knee injury.

"The football club have been nothing short of incredible and we've come to this decision that's best for all parties," the defender said.

Blair started his career in non-league football and won promotion to the Football League with York City in 2012.

In the next ten seasons he played over 300 league games with seven teams in League One and League Two and scored 30 goals in all competitions.

"I never would've dreamt for of doing some of the things I have in the lower leagues. There will always be people who'll say, 'well you never played in the Championship,' but you're talking to someone who never thought they'd even become a professional footballer.

"I just did it for the enjoyment and I've received a lot of very positive feedback throughout my career that I'll be truly grateful for."

Cheltenham Town defender Matty Blair
Matty Blair (centre) says he has run out of options to continue playing due to a lingering knee injury
Cheltenham Town thanked Blair for his service on their website and head coach Wade Elliott praised him for his attitude on and off the field.

"It has been a pleasure to work with Matthew. The player you see on the pitch reflects what we have come to know as a person - wholehearted, honest, positive and energetic.

"Most importantly he is a good human being and his contribution on and off the pitch over the past two years can't be understated.

"Matthew will always be a friend of the football club, and we look forward to welcoming him back in the future."

Cheltenham Town are currently 22nd in the League One table with just one win from seven matches.

They host Cambridge United tomorrow night.

LAST TIME OUT



FORM GUIDE

PNE 9 BURNLEY 12

MANAGER

Vincent Kompany

Managerial career
Anderlecht
On 17 August 2020, it was announced that Kompany would be the head coach at Anderlecht for the next four seasons, after retiring from professional football on the same day.[63] He made his debut six days later in a 1–1 home draw with Mouscron, conceding the equaliser in added time.[64] In the Belgian Cup, the team reached the semi-finals before a 2–1 elimination by Genk in March.[65] The league campaign ended with qualification for the play-offs, in which they came fourth and made the UEFA Europa Conference League.[66]

In August 2021, Kompany's Violets were eliminated from the Conference League qualifiers 5–4 on aggregate by Dutch club Vitesse.[67] The team did one round better in the cup than before, losing the final on penalties to Gent on 18 April,[68] and came third in the league.[69]

Burnley
On 14 June 2022, Kompany was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Burnley on a deal of undisclosed length, following the club's relegation from the Premier League. He became the club's first manager from outside the UK and Ireland and the first Belgian to manage in English Football.[70] On his debut on 29 July, he won 1–0 at Huddersfield Town with a goal by debutant Ian Maatsen.[71]

Burney Culture

Chumbawamba (/ˌtʃʌmbəˈwɒmbə/) were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", "Enough Is Enough" (with MC Fusion), "Timebomb", "Top of the World (Olé, Olé, Olé)", and "Add Me". The band drew on genres such as punk rock, pop, and folk. Their anarcho-communist political leanings led them to have an irreverent attitude toward authority, and to espouse a variety of political and social causes including animal rights and pacifism (early in their career) and later regarding class struggle, Marxism, feminism, gay liberation, pop culture, and anti-fascism.

In July 2012, Chumbawamba announced they were splitting up after 30 years.[1] The band was joined by former members and collaborators for three final shows between 31 October and 3 November 2012, one of which was filmed and released as a live

Actually seen them supporting the Levellers

THE MATCH

TUESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER KO 7:45PM

v

LAST MATCH



Another derby game, another non performance as Barnsley won very comfortably. Barnsley were at it from the first whistle and had a few chances before taking the lead when Johnson lost the ball in his own half then we lost it again in the box and Cole fired home. Onto the 2nd half and Gregory had a chance to equalize but his close range effort was blocked by there keeper. Thomas hit the bar for them before Gregory was denied by there keeper. Barnsley then made it 2 from a corner, Norwood heading in after just coming on.

THE MATCH



Next up after the weekend cancellation is Morecombe. They haven't made the best of starts and currently lie in 23rd place and are still waiting for there first win in the league this season, will we be our usual obliging selves      They are struggling to score with only four goals, Gnahure & Weir with 2 goals each while have let in 12 at the other end. Derek Adams is ther manager and his job will be to keep them in the division.

ALL TIME H2H

OWLS 2
MORE 1
DRAWS 0 

CURRENT FORM

OWLS              -                                                        

MORE              -                                                       

EFL STOOGES

DOES IT MATTER THERE ALL CORRUPT  

ANDREW KITCHEN
Paul Newhouse and Graeme Fyvie
Fourth Official : Alex Gray

THE TEAM

Stockdale
Iorfa Ihikwe McGuiness
Palmer Bakinson Bannan Byers Mighten
Gregory Wilks

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

1-2 Gregory

ATTENDANCE

N/A

WEDNESDAYS FIRT GOAL TIME

26

BML LEAGUE

Imre 4
Wash 3
Stateside 2
Maddix 1
Pieowl 1
Owlskev 1
SCO 1
Wereham

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Bayern Munich v Barcelona
Preston v Burnley
Plymouth v Oxford
Tranmere v Bradford
Notts Co v Aldershot

HAHHH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE

PEI




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC

Altrincham 2-0 Scunthorpe United
Barnet 3-1 Dorking Wanderers
Boreham Wood 2-0 Maidenhead United
Chesterfield 3-0 Southend United
Eastleigh 2-1 Yeovil Town
FC Halifax Town 0-0 Gateshead
Maidstone United 1-2 Wealdstone
Notts County 2-2 Aldershot Town
Torquay United 1-2 Solihull Moors
Woking 3-1 Oldham Athletic
Wrexham 1-1 Dagenham & Redbridge
York City 1-0. Bromley

Huddersfield Town v Wigan Athletic
The Sky Bet Championship
Tuesday September 13th - 19:45 ko
at the John Smith's Stadium

Huddersfield Town welcome Wigan Athletic to the John Smith's on Tuesday night for the first game under the reign of King Charles III, the artist formerly known as Prince.

And what better opposition could we hope for than Wigan with football's favourite gobshite in their ranks, James McClean.

So with the match at QPR being postponed, this one is now in the middle of three home games in a row. We all felt robbed last week in the much talked about defeat against Blackpool. And on Saturday, we welcome Cardiff City here, before taking a break for some international games.

Our position in the table and the bad mouthing of our manager Danny Schofield, the Town legend, on radio and social media, makes these two games essential that we take the full six points, just to shut the critics up for a while. Why are fans so set against young Dan? Very strange that they won't give him a chance, but they backed yond Spanish lad, who came here with exactly the same experience as Danny and started off with a similar poor start? Very strange!

Answers on a postcard to the usual address.......

A brief history of Wigan Athletic: formed in 1932, the fifth attempt at getting a football club established in the Rugby League town. The previous ones being  Wigan A.F.C., Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town and Wigan Borough.

All of them played at Springfield Park and on gaining entry to the Cheshire League, Athletic set about gaining entry to the Football League. It only took them 46 years, but in 1978 their dreams were fulfilled when Southport weren't re-elected and the Latics came top of the vote. This was still eight years before automatic promotion between the FL and the Conference.

They had spent the last ten years in the Northern Premier League and now they were in Division 4, finishing that first season in 6th, three places above the once famous northern powerhouse, Huddersfield Town.

Brucey boy got them to the Play Offs, but obviously failed. Couldn't beat Reading. He walked out on them when Crystal Palace came knocking and Whelan replaced one clown with another. Paul Jewell. 

He started well, losing to Canvey Island in the FA Cup, but then got them promoted to the Championship. Even more unbelievably they then just missed out on a Play Off spot, but won automatic promotion in the next season and Wigan Athletic were in the Premier League.

They stuck around in the Primadonnaship for eight seasons. Jewell left at the end of the second one, with ex Town full back Chris Hutchings getting the job. He only lasted 12 games though. Whelan had been wheeler dealing a deal to bring back Bruce, Steve, not Rioch.

Bruce went about his usual business of trying to bankrupt the club by buying over priced, over rated players, before quitting due to lack of funds and taking the job at Sunderland.

That brought ex player Roberto Martinez back to the club and he was in charge when they got stuffed 9-1 at Tottenham. Despite this though, they survived relegation, beating Arsenal on the final day.

The next season saw another last day survival. Having been in the bottom three all season, they beat Blackburn 1-0 at Ewood Park to send the chicken pluckers down instead.

They were millions in debt by now but then went and won the FA Cup in 2013, beating moneybags Man City 1-0 at Wembley. Ben Watson scored the winner in injury time. Celebrations were muted though as three days later, they lost to Arsenal and were relegated.

Head to Head



Town lead the head to head with 13 wins to Wigan's 9, with 8 draws.

Our first ever meeting was in the FA Cup of 1973/74 when Wigan were still non league. They were members of the Northern Premier League and we were in Division Three. Ian Greaves was still our manager and the team on this day had still some of our First Division team playing. Terry Poole, Geoff Hutt, Steve Smith, Bobby Hoy and Terry Dolan all played, but it was a kid who stole the show.

Centre forward Bob Newton, who had made his league debut a couple of weeks before as a 16 year old, scored both goals in a 2-0 win, a day after his 17th birthday.

By 2014, things had changed when they came back to Huddersfield to play us in a 5th round FA Cup match. They were now a Premier league club and we were in the Championship. They absolutely battered us. Callum McManaman, James McArthur and two from Arouna Koné for Wigan and a Lee Novak consolation for us in a 4-1 scoreline.

Our first league meetings came in their first ever FL season in 78/79. We drew at home and lost away. The next season, I got to go to the game at Springfield Park. A strange little ground and I can't think of anywhere else I've watched Town sat on a grass banking behind the goal. Ian Holmes and Peter Fletcher scored in a 2-1 Town win. The return fixture saw us win 4-0. Two for Fletch in that one, plus one each for Brian Stanton and David Cowling.

I've never been to the JJB/DW Stadium. Town first went there in 2001 and lost 1-0. We lost our first three games there, but finally got a 1-0 win in 2015, with Conor Coady getting the only goal of the game. We won again in the 2017 promotion season, when Nahki Wells scored a late winner.

it was a draw on our last visit there, with Karlan Grant equalising after Josh Windass had scored. Wigan have won on their last two visits to the JSS. It was 2-1 to the Latics in 2016. Aaron Mooy with ours and Reece Burke and Yanic Wildschutt for them. Then behind closed doors in June 2020, they won a dire encounter 2-0 with Jamal Lowe scoring and our old favourite Anthony Pilkington scoring the second.

So what's going on down in t'pie oyl? Managed nowadays by Leam Richardson, a legend in Accrington.

Born in Leeds in 1979, he's 42 years old and started his professional career, making his debut in a League Cup match in 1999 against Leeds for Blackburn Rovers. He then moved to Bolton, where he was part of the Trotters team that won the Play Offs to win promotion to the Prima Donna League in 2001.

He then moved to Blackpool and in the 2003 New Years Day match against Huddersfield Town, the Terriers were cruising to a 1-0 win with five minutes to go. Richardson took one for the team, getting himself sent off in the widely held knowledge that Huddersfield Town cannot play against ten men. The plan worked to perfection as the Seasiders got a late penalty and a draw.

He then moved to Accrington Stanley, where he stayed for eight years, as a player and then as manager. They were in the Conference when he signed and he played his part in their promotion to the Football League.

John Coleman left Accrington, enticed away by the bright lights of Rochdale. Richardson took over as caretaker, before Paul Cook got the job. He had a bit of deja vu not long after when Cook left for Chesterfield and so he had another caretaker stint. They then gave him the permanent job but after a short while, he left to team up with Cook at the twisty spirey place.

The pair of them then went to Portsmouth and won promotion to League One. They then both went to Wigan in 2017, again winning promotion, this time to the Championship. Cook resigned in 2020 after the club was taken over and went into administration. But Richardson stayed on. John Sheridan came in and kept him on as assistant. Cook then invited him to join him at Ipswich, but the offer was declined.

He was rewarded for his loyalty by being given the honour of becoming manager of Wigan Athletic when Sheridan left. And it's all gone well so far, winning promotion last season and being named League One Manager of the Season.

1. Hazel Been Quiet 
   
2. Erik Eggnog VI
   
3. Be Julie 
   
4. Wild Ancestors 
   
5. Regal Chinks