Stevenage out of league

[ClaretTony]

Despite the League Two clubs unanimously voting for no relegation, it has been rejected by the league so Stevenage will be relegated to the National League.

Also decided to end League One with an unweighted points per game which will see, I think, Coventry & Rotherham go up, Oxford, Portsmouth, Fleetwood and Wycombe in the play offs with Tranmere, Southend and Bolton relegated.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Stevenage were always going down once they sacked the medal winner, he would have saved them ..... he will be saying

[tiger76]

What about Bury's replacement?or are 4 teams being promoted from League 2 to make up the shortage.

Just read the Beeb article and apparently not,so League 1 will still be a 23 team league next season.

So if Stevenage go down Barrow take their place,or is it not quite that simple.

This is getting very messy.

[Sausage]

Wouldn't be surprised if the start of the 2020/21 season is delayed, not because of Covid-19 but because of pending legal cases involving promotion and relegation.

[tiger76]

Wouldn't be surprised if the start of the 2020/21 season is delayed, not because of Covid-19 but because of pending legal cases involving promotion and relegation.

Can clubs at those levels afford costly legal cases?i'd wouldn't have thought so given many are living hand to mouth,but it's a potential problem that's for sure.

[ClaretTony]

What about Bury's replacement?or are 4 teams being promoted from League 2 to make up the shortage.

Just read the Beeb article and apparently not,so League 1 will still be a 23 team league next season.

So if Stevenage go down Barrow take their place,or is it not quite that simple.

This is getting very messy.

The plan, prior to this suspension was three down and four up between Leagues One and Two.

[tiger76]

The plan, prior to this suspension was three down and four up between Leagues One and Two.

Easy solution would be to just promote the top 4 in League 2,however a quick glance at the current standings shows how complicated that could prove to be in practice.

1Crewe Alexandra 37 20 9 8 24 69
2Swindon Town 36 21 6 9 23 69
3Plymouth Argyle 37 20 8 9 22 68
4Exeter City 37 18 11 8 10 65
5Cheltenham Town 36 17 13 6 25 64

The rest are a fair number of points off the top 4,but Cheltenham would kick up merry hell given they'd only need to draw their game in hand to climb above Exeter,and that's just one example.

[ClaretTony]

Easy solution would be to just promote the top 4 in League 2,however a quick glance at the current standings shows how complicated that could prove to be in practice.

1Crewe Alexandra 37 20 9 8 24 69
2Swindon Town 36 21 6 9 23 69
3Plymouth Argyle 37 20 8 9 22 68
4Exeter City 37 18 11 8 10 65
5Cheltenham Town 36 17 13 6 25 64

The rest are a fair number of points off the top 4,but Cheltenham would kick up merry hell given they'd only need to draw their game in hand to climb above Exeter,and that's just one example.

They intend staging the play offs

[tiger76]

They intend staging the play offs

So top 3 up auto,and the rest battle it out in the PO lottery,right got you now,i still think they'll be plenty of bumps in the road,before we get that far.

It only takes one club to launch a successful legal case and the whole league's thrown into turmoil.

[Spijed]

So top 3 up auto,and the rest battle it out in the PO lottery,right got you now,i still think they'll be plenty of bumps in the road,before we get that far.

It only takes one club to launch a successful legal case and the whole league's thrown into turmoil.

Does seem odd that teams are allowed to fight for promotion yet if you'd dropped into the relegation places for the first time the weekend before the suspension you've now no way of getting out of it.

[Herts Clarets]

Stevenage were always going down once they sacked the medal winner, he would have saved them ..... he will be saying

Jon Parkin on Twitter suggested that the medal winner would be claiming he saved them from relegation....

Looks like that one has gone out of the window now then.

[ElectroClaret]

Can clubs at those levels afford costly legal cases?i'd wouldn't have thought so given many are living hand to mouth,but it's a potential problem that's for sure.

Its a good point. There'll probably be a lot of sabre-rattling and threats, but its likely they'll fall into line because of the cost of prolonged litigation.
And they might not even win.

[Enty1974]

When will playoffs be played and where

[ClaretTony]

Stevenage were always going down once they sacked the medal winner, he would have saved them ..... he will be saying

Any club who employs him as many times as they have deserve to go down.

[Hendrickxz]

There won't be many tears shed around Accrington when Stevenage go down. There's "history" between them from the play-offs some years ago. Bit like us and Stockport County (remember them?)

[Vegas Claret]

so it's not safe for everyone to play unless you are in the play-off places, ok

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

I can't wait for next seasons Sunderland Til I Die. They've taken 2 points from their last 4 games whilst P'boro have taken 7 and edged them out.

[aclaretinstevenage]

I don't see the Chairman taking this as read without a legal challenge. Boro have certainly been the poorest side in the league by a distance in part due to the Chairman's continual changing of manager including Westley again, but with the National League not finishing their season it leaves him an angle and he will certainly take that as far as he can.

[tiger76]

There won't be many tears shed around Accrington when Stevenage go down. There's "history" between them from the play-offs some years ago. Bit like us and Stockport County (remember them?)

Stockport County who are they?

Exactly!

[warksclaret]

Don't know if claret fans learned today. Coventry City are automatically promoted to the Championship-this after their promotion 12 months ago from the second division. Coventry were on their knees-lost their ground and pride but under Mark Robins have been outstanding without the benefit of a transfer budget. I hope Robins does not move on as a result of this achievement (so many who have moved to better positions have failed miserably)

Coventry are one of my local clubs and I have seen many games v the Sky Blues. A few to forget, like when Bobby Gould scored a hat-trick and they trounced us, or the game after Stan have taken our team abroad for "some sun". But I recall some great ones -like a mid week League Cup game with Leighton James making one of his first appearances and taking them apart, or the year we were promoted and Blake & Eagles came on to turn a losing position to a 2-1 win

Its good to see them in the Second tier, and hopeful;ly on behalf of their fans I hope they can claim their own home playing venue soon

[Longsider]

That Goal by Eagles was a belter.

[Longsidelenny1882]

Coventry the first club to get promoted never to play a home game utc

[Burnley1989]

Really like Coventry as a club, feel for their fans as well

[warksclaret]

Coventry were a club that Robbie Blake always did well and scored against. When he and Eagles came on for that 2-1 win, a Coventry fan behind me said , as Robbie came on "I hate that Robbie Blake-he always scores against us" and sure enough he scored a poachers goal in no time.And yes that Eagles goal was class

[ksrclaret]

I've always quite liked Coventry. Not really sure why.

They've had a shocking time of it over the last decade, and I'm delighted they're back in the Championship. Robins is a good fit there. Hope they sort a ground out properly.

[tim_noone]

Really like Coventry as a club, feel for their fans as well

Watched Coventry get Promoted at Ewood 67/ 68 glad they're on the way Back. Dont know the ins and outs but they appear to have been treated shocking....by their own council?

[ElectroClaret]

Is the current plan still to play home games at St. Andrews next season?

[Woodleyclaret]

A great goal from Chris Eagles
A salutory tale when dodgy owners and directors can run a once decent club into the ground
Moving from Highfield Road was the start of their problems
Then a series of mismanaged takeovers and Coventry FC never actually owning their ground ,led to the present fiasco when rugby club owners have actually refused to let them rent the ground they once shared
Ground sharing with a rugby team never ends well
My local team Reading, have wrecked their playing surface by allowing London Irish to play at the MadStad

[jrgbfc]

Of all the new grounds the Ricoh has to be the worst one I've visited. Probably because it's always been half empty, it just seems so cavernous and soulless. I'd hate it if we ever moved somewhere like that.

[Funkydrummer]

I hadn't appreciated that Westley has had 4 stints as manager there, and done the square root of
of feck all, as far as I can see.

[timshorts]

Of all the new grounds the Ricoh has to be the worst one I've visited. Probably because it's always been half empty, it just seems so cavernous and soulless. I'd hate it if we ever moved somewhere like that.

I prefer it to the madjesci. It may just be that I associate it with the Chris eagles goal, of course. Like I associate Southampton with the game when we relegated them to div. 3, but then very unexpectedly got into the play offs a game later and then went up, and I associate Bournemouth with 3 away points as that's happened every time I've been there even when we were dog poo.

[mdd2]

Watched Coventry get Promoted at Ewood 67/ 68 glad they're on the way Back. Dont know the ins and outs but they appear to have been treated shocking....by their own council?

I saw them play Newcastle in 1967 after their promotion to the top tier, so I guess your game Tim was the 66/67 season?

[ElectroClaret]

Stevenage and Macclesfield still waiting for a date when their fates will be decided.

[Billy Balfour]

The bookies have scrubbed my season acca bet. I had Liverpool, West Brom, Sunderland and Plymouth. Second season on the trot that Sunderland have screwed up my bet.

[bfcmik]

The Ricoh had a great atmosphere when I went to see the Rolling Stones there a couple of years ago.

[EarbyClaret]

I always liked Highfield Road - remember us going there in the Cup in the promotion season to the Championship. At the time they were PL top 6 under Strachan and in the two previous home games they'd beaten Arsenal and Chelsea (I think?) - good to see them back, hope they find a new home in Coventry

[tim_noone]

I saw them play Newcastle in 1967 after their promotion to the top tier, so I guess your game Tim was the 66/67 season?

FFs.....I'm older than I thought!

[tim_noone]

The Ricoh had a great atmosphere when I went to see the Rolling Stones there a couple of years ago.

So did Old Trafford and..... again in January

[Ptangyangkipperbang]

The bookies have scrubbed my season acca bet. I had Liverpool, West Brom, Sunderland and Plymouth. Second season on the trot that Sunderland have screwed up my bet.

Which bookmaking firm have cancelled the bet and what's the reason why?

[Quickenthetempo]

Which bookmaking firm have cancelled the bet and what's the reason why?

Sunderland have missed out on the play offs so he has lost.

[wilks_bfc]

Sunderland have missed out on the play offs so he has lost.

So it’s not the bookies that have scrubbed it then

[ralphc]

Just reminded me to check a bet i had - Peterborough and Harrogate to win their respective leagues. BetVictor have taken my money as a lost bet which I personally think is rather unfair.

[AlargeClaret]

Anyone know what’s happening with conference promotion? Presuming Barrow are ok but who makes the play offs ?

[Quickenthetempo]

So it’s not the bookies that have scrubbed it then

I presume by scrubbed, he means confirmed it's a losing bet and took away from his live bets.

[Erasmus]

I seem to recall seeing Burnley winning 1-0 at Highfield Road sometime in 1971 or 1972. Not many other Burnley supporters there that day.

[tiger76]

Anyone know what’s happening with conference promotion? Presuming Barrow are ok but who makes the play offs ?

Barrow promoted auto, i don't think a decision's been made on the play-off's yet.

[Quicknick]

I'm glad Stevenage are down, and not because I used to live there.

[tiger76]

I'm glad Stevenage are down, and not because I used to live there.

They might yet be reprieved if Macclesfield incur further points deductions. So don't count them as down and out just yet.