League One, League Two and The Championship

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Robbo's my hero said:
Sunderland is still in League 1. They cancelled the season despite with 8 games remaining!
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Hopefully SunLun can get their act together over Summer and sign up some quality players to help you go back up to The Championship.

League One is a putrid league to be stuck in, believe me I know.
 


I am still celebrating our Promotion tbh..

Don't think I have ever been this happy after a sporting triumph for me in all my life (Red Sox in 04 and The Patriots comeback Super bowl win againat the Falcons, and John Aloisi's penalty to send The Socceroos to the World Cup for the first time in 32 years are the other ones that come closest to my heart)

Given the horrific year humanity has suffered in 2020 and so many good, decent people passing away (including two Leeds Legends in Norman Hunter and Jack Charlton), Leeds winning Promotion to the Premier League is the most emotionally fulfilling Sports triumph in my lifetime (although intellectually and historically speaking, the Red Sox breaking the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 should be 1) but I have been to hell and back as a long suffering Leeds fan. Cried my eyes out at the Charles Dickens Tavern watching us lose two playoff finals (to Watford and Doncaster) over the years.

Met so many special friends and people over the years following LUFC.

In all honesty, I am more potty/passionate about Leeds United than any other sports team i follow.

There is such a special bond I feel between myself and Leeds, even though i have sadly never been to Yorkshire.
 
UK Telegraph - 6 September 2020

Sunderland fuelled by feeling of injustice as they look to escape League One at the third attempt.

The club were denied a shot at promotion last season because of Covid-19 - now a new salary cap is hindering their efforts to bounce back.

Forced to operate with the same wage budget as Accrington Stanley after being denied a shot at promotion by a vote to curtail last season, Sunderland head into their third campaign in League One with a burning sense of injustice fuelling their ambitions.

A fourth season in League One is unthinkable at a club which is still trying to digest the fact the last one was the worst in the club’s history. When it was cut short, and league positions decided on a point per game basis, the Black Cats were eighth, their lowest finish in the football pyramid since their foundation in 1879.

Phil Parkinson’s team had been in decent form through the winter, picking up 31 points from 16 games, but had won none in four when the Coronavirus pandemic struck. Wycombe Wanderers leapfrogged them into the playoffs and won promotion with a victory over Fleetwood Town at Wembley.

“It was difficult for all of us to cope with,” admitted Parkinson, who replaced Jack Ross last October. The perceived lack of ambition in Parkinson's appointment dismayed those still struggling to come to terms with how far their club had fallen in such a short space of time.

“We understood there was a bigger picture around the country and in the world in general. I think the frustrating thing for us was we kinda got told by the EFL that they were going to extend the play offs because of the tightness of the division.

“Not only because we could still get into the play-offs, but the top two [automatic promotion places] were still there for the taking. We thought we knew what was going to happen and then, the following week, they changed tack. There was a feeling we had an opportunity unfairly taken away from us.

“We need to use that to drive us on. We are using it as a motivating factor, that and the fact the salary cap also came in. We are probably the biggest club in the division and in fairness the two things combined… I’m not using it as an excuse, but I am saying to the lads come on, let’s use that [to motivate us to win promotion.]

Sunderland will remain the team everyone wants to beat because of their history and prestige, but the brutal truth is they are no longer a big club in the wrong division - they are where they deserve to be.

The atmosphere is not good. Owner Stewart Donald, who has been blamed for much of the trouble, is trying to sell up after two failed promotion attempts and is talking to interested parties. However, the club has been for sale for over a year without a deal being done and the business must now survive without parachute payments.

For now, Parkinson, who has been promoted twice from League One as a manager, is doing what he can. The squad has been strengthened - Aiden O’Brien in from Millwall, centre backs Bailey Wright from Barnsley and Morgan Feeney from Everton and goalkeeper Remi Matthews from Bolton. Kosovan defender Arbenit Xhemajli is also set to join after a successful trial.

But Sunderland’s recruitment has been severely hampered by the arrival of the salary cap, which gives every club £2.5m a year for a 22-man squad in League One, excluding those who still qualify to play for the Under-23s.

The idea was vehemently imposed by Sunderland, as well as others like Ipswich Town and Portsmouth, but they were outnumbered by smaller rivals. They were no longer big fish in a small pond, more like crabs in a barrel.

“You could write down the names of the teams who were going to vote for it,” Parkinson explained. “It was voted for in the interests of those clubs, not for the long-term health of English football.

“What needs to be put in place is FFP needs to be policed better and it can easily be done. This [Covid 19] is already a massive change for clubs trying to bring players in and there are a lot of players looking for work. Covid, combined with the salary cap, has made it very hard. It certainly wasn’t in the interests of the hundreds of players out there still looking for clubs…I though the PFA would be stronger but it came in under the radar because of the pandemic and the [media] obsession with the Premier League.

Parkinson supported his argument by pointing out the Championship clubs have not voted for a salary cap and even if they do, the gap to League One will be almost unbridgeable.

“It was also talked about with the Championship clubs,” added Parkinson. “But it was decided, with everything going on, they would take longer to decide. I just thought that was very sensible.

“They’ve taken a rain check and if they do go for it, they are looking at an £18m budget… to go from £2.5m to that... it will be very hard.”

The gap between the top divisions and the bottom two has never been larger, while Sunderland have never felt so far away from the top-flight. Promotion is a must.

“We don’t shy away from that expectation,” admitted Parkinson. “I know what is needed to get out of this division and I am confident we will have a squad that is as good as any other in League One.”
 
After a barnstorming couple of months the Lads have faltered in the past two league games losing at home to Charlton on Saturday and Wigan today. Automatic promotion is looking like a bust so the play offs beckon. We’ve been to Wembley and won in this current season. Hopefully we can do it again. Ha’way!
 
In the Scottish Premiership, Killie went down via the play-offs. They were beaten by an exciting attacking Dundee in the two-legged final led by Charlie Adam. Kille's defence was woeful. The Dundee derby comes back to the big league! Alloa was relegated. Barry Ferguson leaves Kelty Hearts to take on the job at Alloa.

In the Championship, Greenock Morton beat Airdie in the play-offs so Morton stay in the Championship. Airdrie was a bigger club once but have fallen on hard times. This result shows the huge gap between the Championship and League 1. Partick got the automatic promotion spot back into the Championship. Crowds were banned at all games bar the playoffs due to the SNP's eternal lockdowns.

Big clubs Dunfermline and Falkirk were disappointments yet again and will stay down in the Championship and League 1, respectively.

Queen's Park, now no longer amateur, won the automatic promotion spot into League 1 and further promotions are on the cards.

Brechin City went down to the Highland League after an enthusiastic Kelty Hearts, under former Rangers star, Barry Ferguson, beat them in the two-legged playoff. Brechin will join the Highland League.

On the League 1 hooligan scene, a somewhat reliable source tells me that Airdrie Section B have been running rings around Falkirk Fear and Raith Rovers. Apparently, Cowdenbeath only ever come out for Dunfermline!
 
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Robbo's my hero said:


50 years ago. Ha’way the lads.

Porterfield.😍
Monty.👀
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How are Sunderland going this year Robbo's my hero ? Are they in the mix for promotion ?

I have been super focused on Newcastle's run for the Champions League, a win against Arsenal this weekend will pretty much see us with a top 4 finish.
 
AceAndy said:
How are Sunderland going this year Robbo's my hero ? Are they in the mix for promotion ?

I have been super focused on Newcastle's run for the Champions League, a win against Arsenal this weekend will pretty much see us with a top 4 finish.
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Last game. Need to win away and hope other results go their way to make play offs.

It’s been a solid first up season in The Championship. Lots of injuries to senior players which has meant consistently fielding a team with an average age of 22 to 23.

There are some exciting younger players who hold no fear of the opposition. Several of those are on loan and unlikely to feature moving forward. However top flight clubs are happy for their promising players to get a game and enjoy the electric atmosphere that Sunderland fans provide.

And as always, Ha’way the lads.
 
The Lads went down 3-2 after splitting the home and away leg with Luton. A season full of challenges because of the team’s horrendous run with injuries. However the kids stepped up. I saw that Sunderland scored the fourth most goals in The Championship and that was achieved without a recognised striker since January. There are no guarantees for the next season because a number of these kids have returned to the likes of Manchester United, Leeds and PSG. However like the show I’m Sunderland ‘Til I die’
 
After a slow start to this season the Lads are gathering momentum with great wins either side of the international break. A 5-0 thumping of Southampton at home and a 3-1 win away against QPR. I’m excited that we’re playing teams with familiar names.

Sunderland is largely an U23 squad. Some are teenagers which makes their efforts at this level noteworthy. Bellingham 17, scored a brace recently. Riggs 16, became the youngest player to score a goal for the club.

This team is not dour. It takes the game on. No wonder the supporters are excited.

Hoping the trend continues. Ha’way the lads!
 
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