No One Cares About The EFL English Football League in Australia, that’s what we said last week when we launched our new weekly Football League bit, and we weren’t far off with readership of our first episode coming to just one.
Perhaps the readership is simply matching the episode number. So this week expect two. Or less. Regardless of whether one or two people read it or not, we’ll be serving up another slice.
One and Two is a nice segue into this week’s No One Cares About the Football League in Australia, as due to the International break full of very disappointing teams trying their hardest not to make the World Cup, there is only League One and League Two on offer.
That’s all good by us, as it gives the even more obscure teams like Accrington Stanley, Shrewsbury Town and Wycombe Wanderers a big weekend in the sun. Better still they get three TV games for fans in Australia. Those that care about the Football League that is.
We certainly do, and so this week and 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. If not you, it’s us.
Onto our thoughts of the big League One and League Two only weekend because we cares About The EFL English Football League in Australia. And we do it because we care about you, and we know deep down that everyone wants to know more about the Football League.
BEIN SPORTS – FOXTEL TV GAMES FOR THIS ROUND
Football League is back, and even though they took their sweet time, it’s great to have it back. Tune in, it may be the last time you’ll get to see Plymouth Argyle this season.
SATURDAY 10:25/9:25pm – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
BARNET v COVENTRY CITY – Coventry won an FA Cup 30 years ago and were in the EPL 15 years ago. Now it is fourth division League Two.
SUN/SAT 12:55am/11:55pm – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE v FLEETWOOD TOWN – Fleetwood possibly the only team whose nickname is Cod Army.
SUNDAY 12:25am/11:25pm – CH514 BEIN SPORTS 2
GILLINGHAM v PORTSMOUTH – Portsmouth won an FA Cup and were in the EPL less than 10 years they are now in the third division League One after a few years in the fourth division League Two.
OTHER GAMES WE WISHED THEY HAD AND SHOULD HAVE
CAMBRIDGE UTD v WYCOMBE WANDERERS – they could have given us a rare glimpse of The Beast aka Adebayo Akinfenwa.
ACCRINGTON STANLEY v LUTON TOWN – 3rd v 5th – one of them is 1st for best Football League team name.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAMS OF LAST WEEKEND
ASTON VILLA
Have now won four in a row, and were one of just four teams to do the midweek-weekend double. Now up to 7th after looking in danger of more mediocrity this season.
BRISTOL CITY
Unfashionable Bristol City are up to fourth having also done the midweek-weekend double. They were particularly impressive in beat Ipswich 3-1 away for the TV game.
SHREWSBURY TOWN
Shrewsbury Town are still the only unbeaten left in the English Football League with 9 wins and 2 losses from their first 11. Not bad for a team favoured to go down at the start of the year. They haven’t been in the second division since the late 80’s. where they we famous enough to be worn by Harry Shearer’s character in Spinal Tap.
COVENTRY, WYCOMBE, STEVENAGE
All did the midweek-weekend double last weekend, all have now won three in a row, and all are in the Top 7.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM IN TROUBLE
BOLTON WANDERERS
Still winless for the 2017-2018 season, unsurprisngly sit dead last in the Championship, and have now lost 8 games in a row.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Sit last in League One, have lost seven in eight, and have seen 5 Red Cards in their last 8 games.
FOREST GREEN ROVERS
Rounding off the three teams in the three divisions that were promoted last year but sit last in their new division. The first timers to the Football League have lost seven of their last eight. And this week face first placed Notts County.
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)
Championship: 1
League One: 4
League Two: 1
This week: 0
Next Manager in trouble
Jaap Stam – Reading
New Managers this week: 0
Find the full list of Managerial Casualties at the Sack Race here.
OUR SUREFIRE BEST O FOOTBALL LEAGUE MULTI
We don’t mind the occasional 50 cent wager here at The Gurgler, and we always want to share in case we do win. We of course no responsibility if we lose and you invested.
So here’s is our pick of the week’s best bets for each division of the Football League’s big day out for Leagues One and Two..
LEAGUE 1
UNDER 2.5 GOALS – Scunthorpe v Wigan
OXFORD to beat AFC Wimbledon
SOUTHEND or DRAW v Doncaster
BRADFORD to beat Milton Keynes
SHREWSBURY or DRAW v Walsall
Pays $11.60 for a 50c investment.
LEAGUE 2
WYCOMBE or DRAW v Cambrdige
MANSFIELD or DRAW v Colchester
LINCOLN to beat Chesterfield
NOTTS COUNTY to beat Yeovil Town
SWINDON to beat Cheltenham
STEVENAGE or DRAW v Crewe
EXETER to beat Carlisle
Pays $25 for a 50c investment.
ADEBAYO AKINFENWA aka THE BEAST WATCH
Our favourite footballer in any division or team around the footballing world is the man known as The Beast. Adebayo Akinfenwa is a Man Mountain that looks like he should be playing some kind of rugby.
6 Goals in 9 Appearance so far this season see him just one goal off the top scorer list. And he grabbed a goal last weekend.
COMMENT TIME – WHO CARES ABOUT ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE? YOU DO. MAYBE.
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.
