I'm curious to see what team Lennon starts with on Sunday at Hampden Park because I reckon, based on last night's interview in which he vilified some of the "over the top" comments from certain hun press circles and other extreme reactions, he'll use the negative comments to his advantage. I think the Hoops will win this match more comfortably than many people perceive it. Note the last time Celtic have lost any domestic cup tie was four years ago in 2016. Also IMO the starting team that played the Dons last Sunday will most certainly be different from that one with quite a few changes rightly imposed to win this cup tie and do it convincingly. He must "shore up" his defence first and foremost - prob "pair up" Bitton with Duffy and give the Irishman the "benefit of the doubt" as he has not actually made too many big errors since arriving at Celtic Park and I see Ajer as being the bigger weakness in not providing proper defensive cover. Also Laxalt has never impressed me at all and I'll be surprised if Taylor is not returned to the LB position. It should be a good game but I'll predict a 2-0 or 3-0 Celtic win this time.

https://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/matches/hi...midlothian

So this semi-final at Hampden Park approaches ever closer with Hibs holding the favourite's tag this time. However, this is a one-off game to get to a final and sadly we can't attend this match or indeed witness the eventual final if the guys manage to get there. My perception of this latest derby match is that Hibs should be stronger than Hertz at this particular time because the guys are well into this footie season, doing well and are fully match fit and competitive as opposed to Hertz starting late and playing lesser opponents. IMO Hibs biggest enemy is complacency as well as not converting scoring opps often enough. However, our mid to back defence is solid enough and JR must use that strength to counter Hertz defence particularly in central positions and on their flanks. I also want to see a hi-tempo approach and fully test out their fitness levels. Two up top? IMO yes because it is a cup tie and a belief to succeed plus a willingness to win this semi-final with the requisite goals should tie in nicely with "two up top". Lastly, Robbie Neilson is Hibs fans' "lucky mascot" for winning a Scottish Cup - LETS KEEP IT THAT WAY!!!

GGTTH

LAST TIME OUT

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 PRESTON NORTH END 2



MILLWALL 1 BARNSLEY 1


LAST TIME AT DEEPDALE

PRESTON NORTH END 0 MILLWALL 1



FORM GUIDE MAX 25

PRESTON NORTH END 15 MILLWALL 10

MILLWALL NEWBIES

Parrott, Malone, Bennett, Zahore, Woods(scored for North End og at Shrewsbury

Millwall won on their first visit to Deepdale on 6/10/1928 by the odd goal in seven, North End's last win was 15/12/2018 3-2 which brings me to another 3-2 victory on 29/4/2000 when we were presented with the League 1 Championship trophy after winning the league, we were 3 up at half time before playing the second half in reverse gear didn't matter though still won. The Lions fans were generous in defeat that day donating pies from the old Pavillion paddock to the lads in the Town End. All good fun though

MACS VIEW

Another home game against a side who will probably sit deep and play on the break using two of the back three as attacking players a la Sheffield United, no easy game this however:

Millwall have said all senior coaching personnel at the club will self-isolate after confirming two members of their first-team coaching staff have tested positive for Covid-19.

Manager Gary Rowett also tested positive on Friday.

Under-23s manager Kevin Nugent, player-coach Shaun Williams and club captain Alex Pearce will take charge of their next two Championship matches.

Millwall face Preston on Wednesday and Huddersfield on Saturday.

Manager Rowett, 46, is expected to return to work from Monday once he completes his 10 days of self-isolation.

Millwall have not confirmed the names of the two coaches who are the latest to test positive.

Assistant manager Adam Barrett took charge of their 1-1 home draw against Barnsley on Saturday.

He is now among the group who will self-isolate in line with government guidelines.

Rowett last took charge on Tuesday, 20 October when they beat Luton Town 2-0.

Anymore cases and this one could be off, think it's on the red button 7 pm Kick off


Preston North End take on Gary Rowett’s Millwall at Deepdale on Wednesday evening, but with Adam Barrett likely to be in charge in the opposition dug out, with the Lions boss currently isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.

Despite this set back, they have started the season in a very positive way and have only lost one game so far this season, occupying a Play-Off place at present, with a strengthened squad looking like they have a number of good options available to them.

For the Lilywhites, they will be looking to bring back-to-back away wins to Deepdale, looking to pick up their first home win of the season. Three wins from the last four games have moved them into the top half of the table and the squad will look to build upon that, but will know it will be a very tough test.

The manager has options available to him, after naming an unchanged side for the last two games, with the likes of Tom Barkhuizen, Sean Maguire and also the returning Darnell Fisher all pushing for selection.


Team News
Darnell Fisher is back in training after a month out with a hamstring injury and both Ben Pearson and Ben Davies will be given every opportunity to prove their fitness before the clash with the Lions.

Both have missed the last two games, but with an extra day’s recovery, due to another Wednesday game, could give them time to get back for the latest game. Louis Moult continues to work on his rehab.

Billy Mitchell and Troy Parrott (ankle ligaments) will sit out the meeting, but Gary Rowett – managing from home due to his positive Covid-19 test - has an otherwise fully-fit squad to select from.

He made changes for the weekend’s home draw with Barnsley, bringing in three players from the side that had win it’s previous two games and he could revert back to a side similar side.

Opposition View
Gary Rowett on millwallfc.co.uk: “It will be a difficult game. Any game away from home against the likes of Preston will be difficult. People will look at their home form and the fact that they haven't scored at home yet, but Preston are a good side.

“They have been up and around it for three or four years now. They are probably a bit more advanced into what they are doing then perhaps we are, even though we finished higher than them last season.

“It is going to be another challenge. Alex flipped to a 5-3-2 at the weekend to a good success, because Huddersfield did, but they are similar to us, they have a bit of tactical flexibility. They could play a four, they could play a five, they have some key injuries to players also.

“We have to go there with the right mentality, the right attitude, but we have lost one game in seven - two games in ten if you count the cup games - and I think it is a very positive start to the season.

“It’s the Championship - if you go there with a poor mentality you lose; if you go there with the right mentality and play with more composure than we did in the first half on Saturday, then we give ourselves a chance of getting a result.”

Match Officials
Darren Bond will take charge of a Lilywhites game for the first time this season for Wednesday’s game.

Last season he refereed our July trip to Huddersfield Town and the Boxing Day draw with Leeds United. Prior to the clash with the Peacocks, he had not taken charge of a North End game since February 2019, when the game with Derby County ended goalless at Deepdale.

This will also be the Lancashire referee’s first Lions clash of the season, having officiated their 1-1 draw with Luton in October of last year.

Darren has taken charge of this game before, in September 2017 and that season he also officiated our 2-1 win at Bristol City and the 2-0 victory over Sunderland up at the Stadium of Light in March.

This will be his sixth game of this season, having issued 17 yellow cards and one red so far. The referee will be assisted by Wade Smith and Mark Jones, with Tom Bramall as the fourth official.

Three Premier League players failed a drugs test during the 2019-20 season but escaped punishment as they were granted a therapeutic use exemption, which allows an athlete to take a prescribed substance for medical reasons. (The Athletic)

They obviously (yes I know it says Premiership) didn`t play for West Brom or one of the other scapegoat teams or it would have been headline news.....

DD

Listening to the bbc doing their usual "Rangers Appreciation Society bit" and touting Ecky's high praise and prediction of Rangers not looking to stop nine-in-a-row but looking good to win their 55th league title!!!??? Someone should've reminded McLeish that they are no longer Glasgow Rangers any more and indeed should've have had some of their previous "cheated" league titles removed from their trophy room and the official Scot footie list of winners!!

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.


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.

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.  

Friday 30th October:
Coventry City v Reading

Saturday 31st October:
Millwall v Town
Town scorers:
Millwall scorers:

Bristol City v Norwich City (12:30)
Barnsley v Watford
AFC Bournemouth v Derby County
Luton Town v Brentford
Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest
Preston North End v Birmingham City
Queens Park Rangers v Cardiff City
Stoke City v Rotherham United
Swansea City v Blackburn Rovers
Wycombe Wanderers v Sheffield Wednesday

Tuesday 3rd November:
Town v Bristol City (19:00)
Town scorers:
City scorers:

Brentford v Swansea City
Sheffield Wednesday v AFC Bournemouth
Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough
Cardiff City v Barnsley
Norwich City v Millwall

Wednesday 4th November:
Reading v Preston North End
Watford v Stoke City
Birmingham City v Wycombe Wanderers
Derby County v Queens Park Rangers
Nottingham Forest v Coventry City
Rotherham United v Luton Town

Bonus matches:
Scottish Cup semi finals at Hampden:
Saturday:
Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian (17:00)

Sunday:
Celtic v Aberdeen (14:30)

Table after Matchday 8:

1. themaclad = 183 pts
   
2. theo_luddite = 181 pts
   
3. jjamez = 171 pts
   
4. Baggiebob(BBB) = 151 pts
   
5. Lord Snooty = 148 pts
   
6. Beefy 1965 = 142 pts
   
7. neonfoxinthebox = 142 pts
   
8. SHEP_HTAFC = 126 pts
   
9. St Charles Owl = 124 pts
   
10. Amelia Chaffinch = 119 pts
    
11. ritchiebaby = 112 pts

Aldershot 0-2 Torquay
Boreham Wood 1-2 Woking
Bromley 0-3 Weymouth
Dover 0-1 Eastleigh
Hartlepool 4-1 Altrincham
King's Lynn 2-4 Wealdstone
Maidenhead United 2-2 Dag & Red
Stockport 2-1 Solihull Moors
Wrexham 2-2 Barnet
Yeovil 1-2 Sutton United

League Table After Matchday 6
Lord Snoots = 58
Spireitematt = 56
Devon = 54
Amelia = 48
Dancing = 48
St Charles = 28

THE MATCH

WEDNESDAY 28TH OCTOBER 7:45PM

v

LAST MATCH



Oh look, we were at home, oh look we didn't win, oh look we didn't score, oh look we lost, Oh look we were playing mighty Luton        

THE MATCH



Oh great just what we need, a Yorkshire Derby, against the mighty Toytown. All you need to know is that they haven't won in 6 games

CURRENT FORM

OWLS               -                       

TOYTOWN         -                                           

THE BASTARD IN THE BLACK

JARRED GILLETT
Paul Hodskinson and Philip Dermott
Fourth Official : Michael George

THE TEAM

Will any of the injured return, is the question again

Dawson
Palmer Flint Borner
Reach Brown Bannan Penney
Windass
Marriott Paterson

SCORE & SCORER (HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST)

1-2 Paterson

BML STANDINGS

Owlkev 3
Washington 2
Maddix 2
Wereham 1
Stateside 1

OTHER GAMES OF MILD INTEREST

Preston North End v Millwall
Birmingham City v Huddersfield Town
AFC Bournemouth v Bristol City
Derby County v Cardiff City
Luton Town v Nottingham Forest

DDHAH

THE MUPPETT LEAGUE




KATE BECKINSALE TRIBUTE PIC





One for Washington

I was amazed and delighted to see us reach the FA Cup 1st Round. We won through against possibly the best side outside the EFL.

Butterfield, who our fans on Bob's had all assessed as not good enough, was the best player on the park, scored our goal and followed up with the decisive penalty. Who'd have thought we could shout, "Come on Milan!" Maybe we could pull Sunderland out of the hat and grab all the big TV money - well big for us anyway!

But the real good news was the appointment of Paul Lemon in charge of scouting. A former Spire too! Well done the Trust! A commitment to the future. We have to find players and develop them economically. On Saturday Jacob Hazel scored 2 for Whitby and was MOM in a tough game, and Jonathan Wafula was Guiseley's goal scorer and star player - we obviously need the talent we uncover to put in that level of performance for us or our future is bleak.

So this lunchtime Paul Lemon I raised a G&T to you and The Trust. 7-6 at Stockport was good, but our future is sustaining ourselves by our ability to find talent. The Cup Draw is only the first of our tomorrows.

This exciting game was actually a good advert for Scottish footie but from a Celtic perspective what a "comedy of errors" that places a wee bit pressure on Neil Lennon's position - luckily for him the "do minimum" of attaining a draw was achieved and 3 x consecutive defeats avoided with no significant damage to the current league position with a "game in hand". However, when one scrutinises this Hoops' performance the error-strewn nature of it was damning. Firstly, that naive Ntcham challenge on Ferguson for Aberdeen's opening goal/pk conversion was worthy of his instant removal and sub from Lennon's perspective - dreadfully poor awareness and judgement in a nothing situation at the edge of the Dons' pen box! Then Duffy's total lack of nous in simply clearing a ball, losing possession so cheaply and ultimately losing the second goal was bemusing - Celtic's defence not looking too clever at all but Duffy definitely the ultimate offender. Then lastly, a totally avoidable last min equalising 3rd goal was ridiculous, Magregor the main offender in conceding another pk after previously fouling Dons' players in so many dangerous positions - needless fouls btw from a guy who scored a really good second goal for Celtic! Lennon again bringing on rested subs after another tough Euro fixture and they should've delivered a positive fightback and win - Sparky coming on and scoring a "cracker" of a goal and Broony's influence clearly missed up to the point when Celtic were losing 2-1. From Aberdeen's pt of view this was a good result but one stat is still glaring for them - THEY STILL CAN'T BEAT CELTIC, THEY RARELY WIN AND THAT REMAINS THE CASE. My prediction for their next match v the Hoops at Hampden Park is that Lennon will field a changed but better Celtic team in this semi-final, contrary to all the "doom n gloom" stuff that surrounds them at the mo, and they will win this Scottish Cup semi-final more impressively than a lotta folk perceive. I think the chinks in Aberdeen's defence without McKenna definitely leaves room for great optimism esp for a team that plays good, controlled one-touch and two-touch footie but with good strikers up front to finish these thrustful attacking moves. Note Ajeti is not that striker and proved it today - a non-entity who was shown up by Sparky's brief contribution in the last quarter of this match.