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April 15, 2020 at 4:32 pm #14641Cape Cod WombleParticipant
Hi everyone :
I’m in Melbourne staying with my son Tomas and his partner in Richmond right next to Yarra Park and the MCG. I kinda got caught here by the speed of the CV spread and travel restrictions and opted to stay here in Aus due to health and personal reasons. Certainly so far I think it has been the correct choice. I’m not sure when I will be able to get back to the UK but that will play out I’m sure as all part of the global picture.
I get to do my exercise walking around the hallowed stadium and can tell you just about all of the monologue and statistics on the various statues say off by heart. My favourite statues are John Coleman (Essendon AFL full forward) and Bill Ponsford (great Victorian and Australian opening batsman. Shane Warne’s statue is a bit underwhelming IMO.
I therefore was really pleased to receive the latest WDSA newsletter and super chuffed in fact to read the interview with my favourite all time Dons player, Carlton Fairweather. (Rob must have known that, as I was the page sponsor!). When I was at the Stadium of Light in August, I was called up on stage (well the top of a shipper container) in the Fanzone to give the viewpoint from a Dons’ supporter on the game. The discussion got into players with links between the two clubs and Mick Harford and John Kay were mentioned. I piped up about Carlton’s tenure as Youth and Ladies’ team coach at Sunderland, which was well remarked upon. It strikes me that Carlton is just a very endearing person wherever he goes. (I didn’t do too badly in fact in front of a crowd of about a 1,000 Mackems and got a clap out of them. Must have been those pre-match pints at William Jameson @Spoons in town and that rather scary walk across the Tyne Bridge!
Speaking of which, who was seen the second series of Sunderland Till I Die on Netflix? There is a minute or so of coverage from our encounter at Kingsmeadow last season, a match I thought we should have put to bed by half time. Lee Cattermole scored a volley right in front of me on the left wing (I was sitting with Super Dawnie on the touchline) and I must have been just out of shot when he did his celebration. There is a small glimpse of AFC (I recognised Waggy in the pre-match) from the second match at SoL.
So perhaps we will get another season against the mighty Black Cats. It would be great then if the next time they visit us it is to NPL and that the club can offer them the full allocation of 3,000 odd tickets, that they regularly take away. That would make for a great atmosphere. That is making the assumption that things still as is on the league table.
Who knows how and when that will pan out?April 17, 2020 at 2:26 pm #14642onyadonKeymasterThis is from Ken Newman in Perth, WA
Here in Western Australia we’ve not had a new covid infection for four days, but the powers that be are talking of the lifting of SOME sanctions in four weeks ie mid May. When large crowds are allowed for sporting events is probably a further six weeks away –about the start of July. Very sadly it looks like Britain will take a further month (at least) to get new cases down to zero – more or less when the 2020/21 football season would start. The concept of completing the 2019/20 fixtures isn’t a realistic option with a weekend and midweek games for a month –followed by playoffs for promotion which would leave players tired –and a few injured- before the new season.
Let’s consider an alternative by looking at which teams were 95% certain of relegation.
Premier League: Norwich were favourites for relegation but were playing some good football and had some good recent results. Being only 6 points adrift I’d put them below 95%. ie dead certainties.
Championship: No obvious choices
League 1: Southend and Bolton were basket cases. Bury unfortunately having ceased to exist.
League 2: StevenageFor next season only
Increase the Premier League to 22 (with no relegation) by promoting Leeds and WBA. An extra pair of teams ie 5 relegated at the end of the 2020/21 football season.
The Championship would have Coventry and Rotherham replacing Leeds and WBA. They would remain at 24 teams. At the end of the season 3 promoted, 5 relegated.
League 1: Would be 22 for the new season with Crewe, Swindon and Plymouth promoted to replace Southend, Bolton and Bury. The following season they’d be 24.
League 2: Would remain at 24. Barrow (current leaders) and Harrowgate (2nd) being promoted.There is no perfect solution but none of the relegated teams could complain as their fate realistically could not be avoided. The teams currently in the automatic promotion places were the most likely to be promoted. Those in the play-off positions would lose their chance of promotion -but it is always a bit of a lottery anyhow.
The only problem to be resolved is the European cup places: Maybe home and away Chelsea v Man. Utd to decide the 4th place.
The final advantage of my solution is that those mighty Dons would be in League 1 for another season! COYDApril 17, 2020 at 7:41 pm #14643onyadonKeymasterLetter to supporters from EFL CEO Rick Parry..
Essentially, no nearer to the date for restarting the season..
April 17, 2020 at 7:59 pm #14644onyadonKeymasterSad to learn Covid19 had claimed Leeds United great Norman Hunter at the age of 76.
Leeds United are devastated to learn of the passing of club legend Norman Hunter
April 17, 2020 at 8:26 pm #14645onyadonKeymasterNice read from the BBC on Norman Hunter’s career..
Norman Hunter dies: Leeds United great ‘a man of steel who could produce silk’
April 23, 2020 at 1:43 pm #14646onyadonKeymasterThe National League have pulled the pin on the rest of this season …
National League Statement | Remaining League Matches to be Cancelled
➡️ https://t.co/FEUypT7qVK pic.twitter.com/F7BpjwOXxE
— The National League (@TheVanaramaNL) April 22, 2020
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