No One Cares About The EFL English Football League in Australia, that’s what we’re always told despite our love for the 72 teams of the three divisions of Championship, League One and League Two.
If you’re lucky enough to find someone to talk English Football in Australia it usually revolves around a side from Manchester, or any of the top 6, and possibly another EPL club if they have a player in their Fantasy team. Mention you’re a fan of a Football League team, and the response is usually Meh, a slightly condescending OK, or what division are they in these days?
Well that’s the response you get when you mention you’re an Ipswich Town fan these days. If they who you’re talking about.
It took a while, in fact too bloody long, but the EFL, Bein Sports and Foxtel have sorted out the TV Rights in Australia. Just in time too for our first weekly look at the English Football League.
We previously did weekly but gave that up as literally no one was reading them.
But The Gurgler website thrives on talking about things that most people don’t like, in the hope to find real fans that do. People that know their Accrington Stanley, Oldham Athletic and Preston North End.
So each week we’ll continue to bring the Football League bits and pieces, even if no one reads it, because sometimes that is exactly what happens.
Onto our thoughts of Matchweek 11 because we cares About The EFL English Football League in Australia.
BEIN SPORTS – FOXTEL TV GAMES FOR THIS ROUND
This was previously going to be another moan about not having coverage for the Football League this year, but now we do it’s time to show the games that are on offer this weekend.
SATURDAY 4:40am – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
QPR v FULHAM
SATURDAY 11:55pm – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
IPSWICH TOWN v BRISTOL CITY
SUNDAY 2:25am – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
READING v NORWICH CITY
SUNDAY 9:10am – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY v LEEDS UNITED
TEAM OF THE MID-WEEK
SHREWSBURY TOWN
Shrewsbury Town are the only unbeaten left in the English Football League after 10 rounds. Not bad going for a team amongst the favourites for relegation.
NOTTS COUNTY
A 3-0 win away from home at the table topping Exeter sees them climb to first of League 2.
TEAM IN TROUBLE
SUNDERLAND
Any side who gets beaten by Ipswich Town 5-2 is getting close to the bottom. Sunderland being such a big club were expected to get out of the Championship very quickly, and it looks like they are on track to do that in the other direction than expected. They sit second last and are already 17 points behind the leaders after 10 rounds.
SACKED MANAGER COUNT
A nice side interest of following the Football League is The Sack Race for the next manager given the boot or leaving by “mutual consent”. Given the Football League usually dispose of about half of the 72 managers that start the season as a minimum, the next one is always around the corner.
We have the details below, including the new managers this week, for the all important new manager bounce for betting purposes.
Total for season: 6 (8% of Football League managers)
This week: 2
L1 Gillingham – Ady Pennock
L1 Oldham – John Sheridan
Most in danger: Simon Grayson – Sunderland
New Managers this week: Birmingham – Steve Cotterill replacing Harry Redknapp.
OUR SUREFIRE BEST O FOOTBALL LEAGUE MULTI
We don’t mind the occasional 50 cent wager here art The Gurgler, and we always want to share
So here’s is our pick of the week’s best bets for the Football League Matchweek 11.
CHAMPIONSHIP
ASTON VILLA to beat Bolton
IPSWICH to beat Bristol City
UNDER 2.5 GOALS – Preston v Sunderland
WOLVES to beat Burton
LEEDS UTD to beat Sheffield Wednesday
Pays $20 for a 50c investment.
LEAGUE 1
PORTSMOUTH to beat Oldham
OVER 2.5 GOALS – Rotherham v Northampton
BOTH SIDES SCORE – Bradford v Doncaster
BLACKBURN to beat Gillingham
WIGAN to beat walsall
Pays $4.50 for a 50c investment.
LEAGUE 2
LUTON to beat Newport
EXETER to beat Morecambe
WYCOMBE to beat Barnet
CRAWLEY to beat Carlisle
COVENTRY to beat Crewe
Pays $14 for a 50c investment.
COMMENT TIME – WHO CARES ABOUT ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE? YOU DO.
We’re always ambitious here at The Gurgler, and nothing says ambition more than putting a comments section on a page that may not get read.
If you are a football League fan and want to banter, why not start below. It may be the only place in Australia left who cares.
