There's a new found optimism amongst Hibs fans ahead of the last match of the season. As far as support is concerned, it should be like a home game for Hibs, who must have a good chance of getting another win under their belt.

All in all, most Hibees will be glad to see the end of this season, only notable because the number of late goals lost. Another welcome points haul will be a decent bonus to claim and perhaps be another feather in SDG's cap.

Wealdstone have appointed Matt Taylor as their new manager.

The former Swindon, Walsall and Shrewsbury boss joins alongside assistant Paul Hughes, while first-team coach Sam Cox, who led the Stones to safety last season after David Noble was sacked, has left the club.

Meanwhile the Stones are in talks with Max Kretzschmar, Dillon De Silva, Jaydn Mundle-Smith, Tarryn Allarakhia, Alex Dyer, Dominic Hutchinson and Declan Phillips over new deals.

Jack Cook, Mason Barrett, Kallum Sesay, Luke Dreher and Trae Cook-Appiah have joined new signing Deon Woodman in signing contracts, while the club, who finished 16th in the National League this season, have taken the option to extend the deals of Charlie Barker and Micah Obiero for another 12 months.

Meanwhile Jaiden Bartolo, Manny Duku, Corie Andrews, Marcus Dewhurst and Nathan Ferguson have all left the Grosvenor Vale.

Boreham Wood have appointed Ross Jenkins as their new head coach, following his departure from relegated Oxford City.

Jenkins, 33, takes over from Luke Garrard who stepped down at the end of the season having been in charge since October 2015.

Former Watford midfielder Jenkins took over at Oxford City in January 2022 and guided them to promotion to the National League for the first time in the 2022-23 season.

But the team finished bottom of the table this campaign, winning eight of their 46 games, and were relegated back to the National League South.

Boreham Wood stalwart and former captain Mark Ricketts joins Jenkins' coaching staff as first-team assistant manager after retiring as a player this May, with Lloyd Doyley as first-team coach.

Oxford City owner Justin Merritt: “Ross will always be remembered fondly here as the manager who helped us reach the highest level we have ever played at.

"To keep us in contention for much of last season, despite the obvious challenges in the higher league, was commendable and it is no surprise that he attracted interest from other clubs."

A very brief posting on here as SDG tries to keep up his 40% win record as interim manager, with a definite possibility of improving it. To do so, he'll have to give the team a good kick up the backside and instil some of his passion and commitment into them. He knows the problems, the players know the problems and so do we. Good luck to him in his endeavours.

Busy afternoon at easter road.


Monty emptied.

SDG takes over as interim manager for the 4th time.....

Malky Mackay then appointed as the clubs sporting director.

Then CEO apparently departs (with some rather... ahem... interesting rumours about his private life)

My guess from that is if we keep the same structure our next coach will be someone connected to bournemouth working under MM and won't particularly be a name. Maybe i'm wrong though.

orquay United's incoming owners have appointed Paul Wotton as their new manager.

The 46-year-old leaves the Gulls' fellow National League South side Truro City after almost five years to take over the reins at Plainmoor.

The two clubs have agreed a compensation fee for the former Plymouth Argyle captain, who signed a new long-term deal at the Cornish club in November.

Wotton, who has agreed a three-year contract, will work under highly-experienced former top-flight boss Neil Warnock as the Gulls' new owners begin to make their mark on the side.

"I’m thrilled to be here it’s a great opportunity for myself," Wotton told BBC Sport.

"Torquay’s a football club I know all about, it’s a club I’m excited to be joining.

"It’s time for me to make that jump and Torquay’s the perfect jump for me to make."

The Bryn Consortium - a group of local businessmen - have agreed a deal to buy the club after it went into administration earlier this year.

They have replaced former owner Clarke Osborne, who said in February he could no longer fund the club.

"This marks the first important foundation stone that we’re laying for the football operation as we rebuild this club and start on it’s new journey," added Torquay co-chairman Michael Westcott.

Wotton was unveiled alongside the club's new football advisor Neil Warnock.

The former Huddersfield Town, Aberdeen and Leeds United boss - who spent a spell as Gulls boss in 1993 - has joined the club's board on an unpaid basis to help try and revitalise the club after the takeover.

"I didn’t envisage being in Torquay if I’m honest," Warnock told BBC Sport.

"But a passing chance Michael (Westcott) bumped into me and my wife on the train from London and pestered the life out of me, and it seemed a very, very good thing at the end of my career to put something back into football.

"I can’t begin to tell you how much this club has helped me in my career, if it wasn’t for Torquay I don’t think I’d have had the career I had."

Wotton led Truro to promotion from the Southern Premier League last year and then guided them to a 16th-placed finish in their first season back in the sixth tier.

They ended the season two points above the Gulls, who had a total of 11 points deducted, with Wotton masterminding a 1-0 win over Torquay at Plainmoor on Boxing Day.

The former Plymouth assistant manager has drawn praise for managing a side that has been homeless for much of his time in charge - Truro are due to move to a new home ground this summer.

They spent the past season playing home matches at Plymouth Parkway and Gloucester City - and were forced to play 13 games in the final four weeks of the season due to a raft of postponements.

"Everyone connected with Truro City thanks Paul for his time spent in charge of the football club and we wish him well in his future endeavours," a statement from the Cornish club read.

"The process of replacing Paul is now well under way.

"Prospective candidates are invited to apply for the role of first team manager in this, an exciting chapter in the club’s history as it returns to Cornwall, in a new stadium within the Langarth village development."

Downes' time at Torquay comes to an end
Aaron Downes talks to Paul Wotton
IMAGE SOURCE,REX FEATURES
Image caption,
Aaron Downes (left) led Torquay United to a 2-1 win over Wotton's Truro City last month

The news of Wotton's appointment comes as Torquay confirmed that Aaron Downes will leave the club, having guided the Gulls to safety as interim boss.

Downes, who had been Gary Johnson's assistant for the past six seasons, also spent three campaigns as a player at Plainmoor between 2012 and 2015.

“Aaron Downes has been a loyal servant to Torquay United AFC, in trying and difficult circumstances," the club said in a statement.

“We thank him immensely for what he has done with the squad, and for securing our survival in National League South.

“He leaves with our blessing, and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.

“It goes without saying that he will always be very welcome back here at Plainmoor.”


Paul Wotton's appointment - and Torquay's payment of a substantial release fee to free the 46-year-old from his contract at Truro City - is another statement of intent from Torquay's prospective new owners.

The Bryn Consortium have already been more visible and communicative in the past few weeks than the previous regime and, as Torquay fans, have the club's success at heart.

But with the high-profile appointments of Warnock and Wotton - along with an assertion that the club will have one of the biggest playing budgets in National League South - comes pressure.

In 2019 the club cruised to promotion from this level as a fully professional side, but struggled in the season that has just ended even before their points deductions for financial issues.

The club will again be among the favourites to go up in 12 months' time, and the crucial work to get a squad together capable of the task begins now.

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 = 364 pts
   
2. Lord Snooty = 349 pts
   
3. themaclad = 340 pts
   
4. jjamez = 330 pts
   
5. Baggiebob(BBB) = 302 pts
   
6. ritchiebaby = 291 pts
   

1. SHEP_HTAFC = 334 pts
   
2. neonfoxinthebox = 323 pts
   
3. Devongone = 319 pts
   
4. theo_luddite = 307 pts
   
5. WakeyTerrier = 253 pts
   
6. Amelia Chaffinch = 235 pts
   

Championship Play Off semi final 2nd legs:
Thursday 16th May:
Leeds United v Norwich City (agg 0-0)

Friday 17th May:
Southampton v West Bromwich Albion (agg 0-0)

League One Play Off Final:
Saturday 18th May:
Bolton Wanderers v Oxford United (16:15)

Premier League:
Sunday 19th May:
All 16:30 kick offs:
Arsenal v Everton
Brentford v Newcastle United
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United
Burnley v Nottingham Forest
Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Luton Town v Fulham
Manchester City v West Ham United
Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur

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

Just re-read the last few match threads to get the gist of this match thread, especially.....

"Last week against St Johnstone Ross County we also lost a late goal after dominating the game, so it's clear where our problems lie. We are easily good enough to get the win, but it is Hibs we're talking about, so you just never know. The likes of Simon Murray Biojan Miovski and Junior Hoilett will try to run our defence off their feet and Ross Laidlaw Kelle Roos at the other end will play an important part too."

Maybe a visit to church for a prayer or two wouldn't go amiss.

https://www.htafc.com/news/2024/may/club...r-departs/