h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes I suppose it's true, I *am* getting stupidly excited about the state of play at the top end of the Championship

To this end, this week's list is based around the three teams who could get the final automatic promotion place.


Cardiff v Sheffield United
Wolves v Watford
Leeds v Reading
Watford v Ipswich
Sheffield United v Leeds


All selections to be in by 3pm on Friday - yes that's FRIDAY - 14th April.

To the evidential exclusion of the rest of us football, fans, it seems.

B

As a Bradford fan, I don't feel excluded. I have a joyous opportunity to profit from the thwarting of Leeds' ambitions.

The closest I can get to a flying toss about any of the above teams is that my stepfather supports Ipswich.

B

Look at it this way B: if what happens in these games is what I want to have happen, then you can be guaranteed that Sheffield United will not be featuring in seasons 16 and 17.

Are we going anti-Premiership next season again, then?

B

It's more that I couldn't face having to put up a selection where I knew that if I wanted to win points I would have to predict the Blades getting stuffed by the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, fnck probably even Aston Villa

No, for the purposes of this competition I am going to avoid as best I can the fact that Sheffield United will be in the Premiership for the 2006/07 season.

Cardiff v Sheffield United 1-2 (ifill)
Wolves v Watford 2-2 (ince)
Leeds v Reading 1-3 (harper)
Watford v Ipswich 3-1 (king)
Sheffield United v Leeds 1-3 (hulse)

andy

If you put it in some perspective, getting stuffed 4-0 by Villa is still a calendar highlight for the Iron.

B

Do you realise in addition that match 5 will be the SEVENTH time that Leeds have featured this season?

B

So that's a little less than one team in twenty.

That's about what they deserve

Bearing in mind that there are quite a lot more than twenty teams for you to choose from...

B

Leeds' regular appearances here have given me yet another reason to despise them. When I abandon all principles, grit my teeth and back them to win because form suggests that they should, the useless ers always blow it. I'm sure they do it just to annoy me.

Hang on how are Watford playing twice.

Ok I get it double header weekend

Actually Ormy that is 8 Leeds games:

Next best are Middlesbourgh, Sheff Utd and Wigan with only 5 each.

Then Portsmouth, Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham with 4.

Only one SCOTTISH team featured more than once well done Hearts for getting a second call up.

Is it any wonder I'm having difficulties.

When you consider that one week each was Scottish, Welsh and overseas. Leeds appeared in 8 games of the 12 weeks that English football featured.

I agree with you Ormy this is slight overbias towards certain supporters on here.

I know GD does a great job but come on spread it out a little next session, I mean after the world cup session that is.

It's actually remarkably difficult to pick a balanced list that does not have too many gimmes in it.

starting from the top I try to avoid matches involving Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal - particularly at home and Liverpool, plus of course poor old Sunderland. As these are games with a fairly obvious outcome - it takes a brave man to predict a Chelsea loss, so of course none of you will.

I'm pleased that the likes of West Ham, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Wigan have come through in the selections, as these are teams that have been one or more of: unpredictable, punching above their weight, on the slide, on the rise, all through the season. Thus bringing an element of uncertainty to the match prediction process.

As for lower leagues such as Leagues One and Two. Well sorry guys, but they are of lesser interest, and hence I feel that it is harder to be able to make an informed choice about a match result. Therefore I tend to steer away from them, apart of course from the odd Bradford and Scunthorpe game.

This basically leaves me with the Championship to take a large slice of games in which there is an element of unpredictablility (and after all that's been Leeds this season). But also coming from a league where there is a decent amount of press coverage, and hence one should be able to make an informed choice in predicting the match.

Well that's my take on it anyway.


(Eight games for Leeds is I suppose quite a lot. I'll see how they do next season when they don't have their parachute payments making up 25% of their cash flow before I start adding them to the weekly lists.)

"As for lower leagues such as Leagues One and Two. Well sorry guys, but they are of lesser interest"

And yet you post Rhyl v Haverfordwest, Attendance 425 and no-one can find out the first scorer until Tuesday.

B

Well trips to foreign lands are supposed to be a bit strange and cofusing

There is undeniably less general interest in Leagues One and Two, but I see no reason why their games shouldn't be featured in this competition. Or those from the Scottish Leagues, the League of Wales, the Conferences National, North & South, and the major mainland European national leagues, come to that. The statistics from those leagues are easily available, so the only FF competitors who suffer from non-Premiership and Championship games being used are those who can't be arsed to do a minimal bit of research. And they don't deserve to succeed.