As things turned out on Saturday, Preston didn’t drop any positions and remained 14^th in the table, still 9 points behind 6^th placed Stevenage and the final play off place. However with time running out and Stevenage with a game in hand over Preston, it would now take a miracle if we were to make the end of season play-offs which look to be very tightly contested this year. At this moment in time there hasn’t been a date for the rearranged Brentford game but I can only presume it will be the end of February or the beginning of March.

Looking ahead, Preston play Tranmere, Hartlepool and Sheffield United in the next 2 weeks and these 3 games will be critical in deciding which direction Preston will be heading between now and the end of the season. Undoubtedly Sheffield United away will be the hardest of the three games and almost every Preston fan would be delighted if we were to come away with just a draw at Bramall Lane.

Similarly to Preston, Tranmere are in a shocking run of form having won just 1 of the last 16 games and it will be a case of two out of form teams trying to arrest the slides that they are on, but for Tranmere if this run carries on, it will only be a matter of time before unpopular manager Les Parry is given the boot. In-between these two games Preston play Hartlepool on the 14th. After changing managers their form has been erratic to say the least and credible results like a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday has been counterbalanced with a 2-1 defeat at home to struggling Scunthorpe.

However, for many Preston fans including myself, this will be a sombre affair, as on Saturday afternoon we heard that seventeen year old Jordan Grant had passed away after a cardiac arrest. Jordan was a very popular person both on the social networking site Twitter and in Preston and will be sorely missed by his family, friends and myself. In the 17^th minute of the Hartlepool game we plan to have a one minutes applause in memory of Jordan and I can be sure it will be an emotional moment for everyone who knew him but it will be a very fitting tribute to such a wonderful lad who couldn’t fail to put a smile on your face.

By Sean Marshall. When not watching his beloved Preston, he can be found writing about them on his blog.

The standard of football between the two divisions has improved vastly over the last several seasons and this season sees the quality of the Championship as good as it ever has been. In defence of these players, there is of course a higher standard of football despite the dip in margin. For example, strikers are up against better teams and while they might have got 10 chances per game in the Football League, they may only get the odd few in the Prem.

So what unfortunate ten make my top ten list of players who are Championship rather than Premier League quality? Find out below…

Click on Routledge below to see the Top TEN

Not only have we appointed a new manager, who achieved massive success at Stevenage, but he has gone on to bring in seven new players during the window. With Chris Holroyd, Jamie McAllister, Andy Procter, Alex Marrow, Chris Robertson, Rhys Murphy and Graham Cummings all arriving at the club.

Overall nine players came in as Jake Jervis and Harry Bunn were brought in by the caretaker managers but they have both returned to their parent clubs. Not only were seven players signed but there were a handful of departures as well.  Club captain Ian Ashbee was released from his contract just over a year after signing, Juhvel Tsoumou has been loaned out to Plymouth Argyle and Clarke Carlisle has had his loan deal cancelled and he has since gone on loan to Northampton.

Personally I think all three departures are very beneficial to the club and we have certainly left January in a stronger position than we entered it. On the field I believe we badly need these signings to be successful as Preston’s form was highly erratic with one win, two draws and 2 defeats in January. It is almost fair to say that any chance of the play offs have now disappeared.

Subsequently Westley would need to dramatically turn around the fortunes of the club if we were to be plying our trade in the Championship next season. It seems highly unlikely with Preston languishing in fourteenth place in the table and nine points off Stevenage in sixth who also have a game in hand.

With Ashbee out the door we now will also need a new full time captain. Coutts would have been the obvious choice to succeed him, but Westley has since stripped him of the captaincy, citing a poor attitude and a lack of professionalism. As he is suspended for the next two games, he has been granted leave from the club for a few games to get himself mentally in shape again. I think this is crucial to our hopes both this and next season as undoubtedly Coutts is one of our best players and we are a poorer team without him. However I completely agree with Westley’s actions and we have to remember that no man is bigger than Preston North End and that is how it should be.

The Graham Westley revolution is in full swing now and it will be tested by the visit of play-off contenders Brentford. They will be out for revenge after Preston won 3-1 at Griffin Park in September, back when we were on our seven game winning streak.

Any Preston fan would give a lot for a similar winning streak right now and it would certainly make Westley extremely popular at the club. It is very apparent now that it will take a long time before we are pointing in the right direction but I have every faith in Westley turning us into a successful Championship team again.

By Sean Marshall 

They were a major feature of football in the 80’s with QPR and Luton using them as well as Oldham and Preston, but they were banned in 1988 after complaints that they were causing injuries because they were solid and it was affecting the quality of football on show.

Pitches were set on top of concrete which made it very difficult to move about in comparison to traditional grass but thanks to the advancements in technology the current plastic pitches have padding underneath which makes the experience similar to grass, offering a softer experience under foot and in the tackle as well as a smooth surface that is not guaranteed outside of the country’s top grounds. Rubber pellets are also on the pitch to act like mud and increase movement.

Accrington owner John Heys said that it will cost about £500,000 to install but the savings on maintenance will make it worthwhile. He added: “There is an income to be gained from hiring the pitch out and money to be saved in maintenance costs and the fact that you can train on it.

“The community benefit is that you can get people down to the ground seven days a week rather than just 23 times a season for home fixtures.”

Opinion is divided on the issue, with people saying that it is unnatural and will cause injuries and others favouring the idea of having smooth, all-weather pitches and there is no reason why the game should not bring them back.

Admittedly it would take a while to get used to. Players might not be too keen to make the sliding tackle because of the surface but that is part of the settling in process. It would not cut the skin like they did before and after training on the pitch players would become more comfortable with it and be able to play their natural game. The fear that they may get injured turning or by getting their foot stuck in the ground is still the same as it is on grass and is an unfortunate part of football whatever surface is used.

Mick Rathborne, who played on the plastic pitch at Preston and worked as Everton physio after retiring said: “The new third generation pitches are light years away from the old plastic pitches.

“The new pitches with the millions of rubber balls are soft to run on, you can stop and turn very easily so there could be implications with preventing those types of injuries.”

Introducing artificial surfaces is necessary to football because although clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea have an abundance of cash, many clubs in the lower leagues are struggling for funds and an opportunity to make savings should be welcomed. Wycombe owner Steve Hayes said that to maintain the grass pitch currently installed at Adams Park costs around £75,000 a year and although clubs would have to shell out to make the change, it would see a huge chunk of that money stay in the kitty. Rather than heating the pitch to prevent it being icy or covered in snow, a blanket would be all that is required and instead of cutting the grass it would only require sweeping every so often to get rid of some of the rubber. And take away the cost of replacing the turf once it gets cut up beyond repair and your team is already onto a winner.

And after the problems last winter with games being called off for frozen and snow covered pitches, a plastic surface would put an end to that so no longer would fans be travelling to the match only to hear it has been cancelled.

It would also mean that the team could train and play at the stadium rather than finding a traditional training pitch which again saves money and when the club are not using it other groups could get involved, creating possible opportunities for community groups and sport centres which could in turn lead to more people coming to the ground, meaning more money.

And for the traditionalist, who wants sexy football from one side and tough tackling from the opponent. The new surface would not have patches that cause the ball to bobble or bounce differently so that in itself will encourage passing football rather than the long-ball game that everybody loves to hate. Players will be more comfortable playing the ball along the ground because they know there is less chance for an unlucky break and slide tackles will still be possible on the natural-feeling pitch, so a non-contact game is not on the horizon.

Top-flight clubs in Italy, France, Switzerland and Russia use them without major problems and there is not a noticeably higher rate of major injuries in their leagues. Our players have experienced them in Europe and World Cup qualifying. Do not think of the old plastic pitches because they are as ancient as the Romans, plastic is the affordable and effective way forward.

Do you want a plastic pitch at your club? Comment below or follow me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.

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There was a West Country feel to the relegated teams in League One last season with Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town joining Dagenham & Redbridge in succumbing to the drop.

Terry Skiverton’s Yeovil could continue this theme into the new season and are favourites to be relegated after losing a number of key men in the close season in Dean Bowditch, Adam Virgo and Andy Welsh. The club has been busy trying to replace these and have brought in Steve MacLean who should guarantee goals while N’Gala and Agard are both highly regarded youngsters. However they are favourites to go down for a reason and will probably need a big season from MacLean in order to survive.

Graham Wesley’s Stevenage did brilliantly to win promotion through the play-offs last year but they could be in for hard time in only their second season in the Football League. Wesley is certainly the man for the job and he will instil his mental toughness onto his players. Whether they have enough to survive is questionable but I am sure their fans will enjoy the ride.

Over at Walsall, Dean Smith has brought in eight new players to the Bescott Stadium but they could struggle again after last season’s heroic late survival. Some positives to take are the impact that Smith made on the team after his arrival and if he can continue this they should have enough to stay up but it will be close again.

Tranmere Rovers under Les Parry could struggle again and after a summer of transition at Prenton Park it is clear to see why Parry is front runner to be the first man sacked in League One. Youngster Dale Jennings may have moved to Bayern Munich for big money but there is no evidence of the cash being spent to strengthen the side despite the obvious need for new recruits.

Hartlepool United are another team that can be regarded as relegation contenders as as appears to be the case every season but they still manage to defy the critics and stay up. I think they should be able to survive again with the experience of Nolberto Soloano benefiting the relatively young side and I believe Wadsworth is the man for the job.

Exeter had a stunning season last year coming close to achieving a play-off spot. However this year could be a reality check for the Grecians as although Paul Tisdale looks a fine young manager, his team lacks depth and the loss of Cuerton and McNish could really affect their prospects. It is important that they hang onto the much-prized Tisdale if they are to stand a chance of survival.

Newly promoted Bury relied heavily on loan players to secure promotion last term and now they have all departed. With a very small budget in comparison to some of the bigger team and an undersized squad, the Shakers could have a difficult first season in League One and may return to League One at the first time of asking.

Other teams that could struggle include Notts County who were the lowest goal scorers in the league last year, Oldham who have a thin squad and little money to spend and Rochadale who have had a summer of change after the departure of manager Keith Hill to Barnsley. I think all three clubs should have enough to have another season of mid-table mediocrity and it will be interesting to see if this is the case come May 2012. The new season is finally here, bring on the football!

Follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney for more Football League chat.

Promotion

Huddersfield Town were incredibly unlucky not to achieve automatic promotion last year and only a long unbeaten run by Southampton prevented them before the disappointment of the playoff final defeat. This time round Lee Clarke’s men are rightly favourites as they have all the right attributes to get out of the division however after losing key men in Pilkington, Peltier and Kilbane, it will be interesting to see if they are as consistent this season. I think Preston North End with Phil Brown in charge, who has Premier League experience, have the potential to return to the Championship and I expect them to do the best out of the relegated teams. Their end of season form was much improved despite the inevitable relegation and I believe they have a very capable squad for the division, making them strong contenders.

Playoff Contenders

Charlton are tipped to have a big season but I think they may be a bit overrated with some un-inspiring signings. They will surely be an improved side with all the new arrivals but I am not sure if Chris Powell is the man to take them back to the Championship. However I can see the Addicks challenging for the top six near the end of the season. Havign both Sheffield clubs in the third tier of English football is a rare sight and they will be looking to make the playoffs at least. Wednesday are not going to be the best team to watch under Gary Megson but if the style of football achieves promotion their fans won’t to mind. They should be contenders come the end of the season but need to find a goalscorer first. Over the city at Bramall Lane, Danny Wilson may have faced a lot of stick after taking the job but if he can take them back at the first time of asking the early animosity will be forgotten. They will be looking to use their excellent youth team to help them achieve after getting rid a number of expensive players and a place in the playoffs at the end of the season should be within their grasp.

Outsiders

Fellow relegated side Scunthorpe looked a different outfit under Alan Knill at the end of last season but it wasn’t enough to save them. A summer of departures has followed and a limited budget has meant only a few new signings to replace them. However if they can find a 20 goal a season man and sort their leaky defence, they will have enough quality to challenge for a play-off berth. Brentford look a good shot for playoffs under former Man City striker Uwe Rosler. The signing of League Two top goal scorer Clayton Donaldson is just one of their impressive captures this summer and pre-season results have been encouraging with the Bees looking like a team on the up. MK Dons under Karl Robinson enhanced as the season went on and if they continue this improvement they have the squad to sustain a challenge for the playoffs again despite the loss of key man Peter Leven.

Current League Two Champions, Chesterfield could be this year’s surprise package after playing some fantastic football last year. John Sherdian looks to be a very capable manager and they could well make a challenge for the playoffs although the loss of Craig Davies may affect their charge up the divisions.

Let me know your thoughts on my predictions and what you think of the upcoming League Two season also look out for the teams who will be trying to avoid relegation tomorrow. Follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney for more Football League debate.

Shefki Kuqi

The big Finnish striker formed a formidable partnership with Darren Bent in the 2004-2005 season for Ipswich Town, netting an impressive twenty league goals. The striker’s excellent season earnt him a move to Blackburn Rovers, where he failed to continue his goal scoring form netting a measly seven goals in thirty four appearances. Kuqi also went on to have an uninspiring spell at Newcastle United this season, with six substitute appearances bringing no goals.

Michael Chopra

Spent six years with Newcastle United, managing only one goal in less than 25 appearances, however after making the drop down to the Championship with Cardiff City Chopra scored a goal every two games for Welsh side, earning him a move back up to the top flight with Sunderland. In 38 games the former Newcastle player managed only eight goals, which resulted in several loan moves back to Cardiff before he returned permanently after a less than successful stint in the Premier League.

Robert Earnshaw

Made a name for himself playing for Cardiff City scoring nearly eighty goals in 178 competitive appearances, and earnt a reputation as a ‘fox in the box’ type player. In his two Premier League stints, the Welsh forward was anything but a ‘fox in the box’, for West Brom he managed only twelve Premier League goals in two seasons and Earnshaw managed only one goal in 22 appearances for Derby County.

David Nugent

Over two Championship seasons the, then Preston North End, striker scored 25 goals in 75 appearances earning him England recognition as well as a move to Premier League side Portsmouth, and that’s about as good as it got for the Bury striker. It took the Englishman eighteen months to score his first Premier League goal, and much like buses his second one came along just two matches later, however these would be his only top flight goals for the club. Nugent joined Burnley on a season long loan for 2009-10 season and tripled his goal tally from the season before, scoring a poor six goals in thirty games.

But there is always one exception…

Tim Cahill

The Australian international earnt a reputation as Millwall’s ‘workhorse’ during his time at the club, arguably the main driving force by The Lions run to the 2004 FA Cup final. The former Sydney United player managed an impressive 56 goals in 249 appearances for the club before sealing a move to Everton for £1.5 million, which is now viewed as one of the bargains of the last decade. Cahill has gone on to become The Toffee’s main attacking outlet and all round ‘star’ player since his move from Millwall, winning Everton’s player of the season and player’s player in the process.

Yeah you’re right, I probably should have included Darren Bent, have a go at me for not doing so at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-T-Blazer/185495024836102

But to get us all in the mood I have picked five classics out from the archives complete with video footage to re-live them in all their glory. So give these a watch over the weekend and you will be well and truly ready, let’s just hope the 2011 final isn’t a letdown.

Leicester City 3 Swindon Town 4 (1993)

Here is a game that after a quiet start really burst into life. Swindon went into half-time leading 1-0 thanks to a strike from their player-manager, Glenn Hoddle. Early into the second half it looked as though Swindon were making the game safe thanks to further goals from Craig Maskell and Shaun Taylor. But Leicester weren’t about to give up without a fight and they came back from 3-0 down to level the game with goals from Julian Joachim, Steve Walsh and Steve Thompson. But a Paul Bodin penalty won the match for Swindon, just six minutes from time.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Bolton 4 Reading 3 (1995)

Reading got off to a fantastic start in this game and found themselves 2-0 up after just 12 minutes – with goals coming from Lee Nogan and Adrian Williams – but Stuart Lovell missed a penalty in the 34^th minute and that turned the match on its head; Reading never really recovered from that disappointment and Bolton  went  from strength to strength. They left it late but Bolton levelled the game up with goals from Owen Coyle and Fabian de Freitas forcing a period of extra time. Further goals from Mixu Paatelainen and a second from de Freitas made the game safe. But there was still time for a late Reading goal from Jimmy Quinn – but it didn’t impact the result.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Charlton 4 Sunderland 4 (1998)

When most people think about First Division/Championship play-off finals this is the one that tends to get remembered. But words can’t really do it justice so please check the video out below. The game really did have everything, 3-3 after normal time – and then a period of extra time that included two further goals. But eventually Charlton won 7-6 on penalties.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Barnsley 2 Ipswich 4 (2000)

This was a game I saw live and as a Norwich City fan I was really hoping for a Barnsley win and couldn’t face the thought of the old enemy in the Premier League. Things started well for Barnsley after only six minutes with a Richard Wright own goal gifting them the lead. However, Ipswich bounced back from their early disappointment to lead the game 3-1 with goals coming from Tony Mowbray, Richard Naylor and Marcus Stewart. But Barnsley still looked to make a game of it and got a goal back through Craig Hignett; any hopes of a Barnsley equaliser were dashed when Martijn Reuser put the game safe for Ipswich.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Blackpool 3 Cardiff 2 (2010)

Most people would agree that last year’s final was a bit of a classic and when a match has 5 goals you can’t really complain. The first half proved to be fairly even with Cardiff taking the lead through Michael Chopra but Blackpool hit back with the equaliser from Charlie Adam.  Then Joe Ledley for Cardiff and Taylor-Fletcher for Blackpool meant it was 2-2 at half time. The winner came for Blackpool early in the second half from Brett Ormerod.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

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Prices are going up all the time in all areas of life, whether it be the price of petrol, alcohol or food and it would seem that football tickets are just another one to add to the list. There was a wide expectancy from supporters of Premier League and Championship clubs that there was going to be an increase in ticket prices for next season, but it’s not until it’s announced that it really hits home with the fans. This is an area where football clubs have complete power over fans, for if they want to watch their team, most fans will still hand the money over. At the end of the day a football club is a business and it needs to make a profit to survive, so increasing ticket prices is just one of the ways to do it.

From what I have read about the situation the three clubs I have mentioned above have genuinely increased their prices to cope with the VAT rise and have tried to be as reasonable as possible. In this extract from the BBC website Keith Jelley, of the Liverpool Supporters Club, said: It’ll be a disappointed reaction from fans but I think it is fair.” The match day tickets at Anfield have only increased by a pound for seats in the Kop and £2 everywhere else, which doesn’t seem a lot, but when added to a season ticket becomes a bigger deal. However, it’s not quite as reasonable at newly promoted QPR, they have increased season tickets at Loftus Road by 40%, a rise which has incensed many Rangers fans who think they are being exploited by their wealthy owners. In this instance I feel QPR are taking advantage of the nationwide ticket increase and are benefiting from their promotion financially at the fan’s expense.

I wouldn’t put the increase in ticket prices solely down to the current financial climate but I do feel it has played a part. Most clubs do value their supporters and try to find a happy medium between prices that are fair for them and the club. It just shows that as much as football supporters wouldn’t be able to live without their beloved teams, the clubs need the fans and their money just as much.

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We now know that QPR and Norwich will be joined by either Reading or Swansea in the Premier League next season. The three teams that go up will all know that the Premier League is a huge challenge and survival is often considered a major success – but how have teams fared in their first season in the top flight.

Well in the Premier League this season the newly promoted sides were Blackpool, West Brom and Newcastle. West Brom and Newcastle have both had their problems and both clubs have had a change of manager, but they have moved well away from the relegation zone and can start planning for another season in the Premier League. Blackpool have had a mixed season but have pleased many people with their attacking brand of football but they are currently in the relegation zone and will certainly need to win their final game to have any chance of survival.

In the 2009/10 season the newly promoted clubs were Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley. It was a season unlike this season and a points tally as low as 31 points would have been enough for Premier League survival. Wolves finished in 15^th place with a tally of only 38 points – which in other seasons would have not been enough for survival. Birmingham was a real standout performer in the Premier League and finished in a very impressive 9^th place. However, Burnley had a very poor season and was relegated in 18^th place with a tally of only 30 points.

Birmingham, Derby and Sunderland were the promoted sides in the 2007/8 season and all three teams struggled. Sunderland eventually managed to scramble clear of relegation and finished with 39 points in 15^th place. However, Birmingham and Derby were both relegated; Birmingham finishing in 19^th place with 35 points and Derby finished rock bottom with a dismal tally of only 11 points. The 17^th place side survived with just 36 points that season.

Reading, Sheffield United and Watford were the promoted teams in the 2006/7 season and it was Reading that performed the best with a very impressive finish of 8^th in the table. However, Sheffield United and Watford didn’t enjoy the best of seasons and were relegated. The team that survived that season in 17^th had 38 points.

The news over the last five years is fairly positive for the newly promoted sides for next season. With the possible exception of this season teams in the previous four years haven’t needed to reach 40 points in order to survive. Despite the fact that the promoted teams are labelled as relegation favourites they don’t all get relegated and as the facts above show one team can perform very well.

If next season follows the same trend one or possibly two of the promoted sides can expect to survive. However, it remains to be seen how long those teams that do survive can remain in the Premier League. They may take some inspiration from Stoke, who have had another solid season in the top flight that this season included an FA Cup final and qualification for Europe. But perhaps the most important statistic is the fact they will be competing in the Premier League for their fourth consecutive season next year.

Join the conversation on Twitter and give me your thoughts on newly promoted Premier League teams