Hi Jarkko.Here are my selections from the land of thousand lakes and islands (and some raindeers):
- TOP 6 = Boro, Coventry, Southampton, Ipswich, Birmingham, WBA
(opt. Sheff Utd, Brissol City)- BOTTOM 3 = Sheff Wed, Charlton, Hull City
(opt. Stoke, PNE, Norwich)- AUTOMATIC PROMOTION = Southampton, Birmingham (opt. Ipswich, WBA)
- CHAMPIONS = Southampton opt. Birmingham)
- OVER ACHIEVER = Derby (opt. Porstsmouth)
- UNDER ACHIEVER = Wrexham (opt. Millwall)
- BORO = 5th
PS: Why they are called raindeers - snowdeers would be a better description 😉.
Up the Boro!
You have picked Portsmouth to overachieve, which means they would finish 6th or higher. However, Portsmouth is not one of your selections to finish in the top 6. Would you like me to add them as a 3rd optional team to finish in the top 6, or would you like me to replace one of the other teams you selected? Alternatively, you might change your prediction for who (if anyone) will overachieve.
Also, you have picked Wrexham to underachieve. As a promoted side, they cannot finish 10 places lower than last season, so on that basis they cannot be an underachiever this year. Would you like to choose another team or for me simply to remove Wrexham from the selection and leave you with Millwall as an underachiever?
@andy-r Hi Andy. You have marked down Sheffield Wednesday to be an underachiever, which means that would have to finish in 22nd place or lower. That means they would have to be in the bottom three, but you have not selected them in that category. Would you like to tweak your entry with this in mind ?
Was this meant for someone else?
Here is my own curious set of predictions for the year, delivered wearing very rose tinted spectacles:
Top 6 = Ipswich , Birmingham , BORO, West Brom, Leicester , Sheffield U
Bottom 3 = Sheffield W, Charlton , Portsmouth
Automatic = Sheffield U, BORO, Leicester
Champions = Sheffield U
Over achievers = Birmingham, Wrexham
Under achievers = Sheffield W, Bristol
Boro to finish = 2
That means we now have 9 entries. Still time for everyone else to get their predictions in... 🙂
Sorry Andy, indeed it was. It was meant for FD, so I'll do a new reply to him.@andy-r Hi Andy. You have marked down Sheffield Wednesday to be an underachiever, which means that would have to finish in 22nd place or lower. That means they would have to be in the bottom three, but you have not selected them in that category. Would you like to tweak your entry with this in mind ?
Was this meant for someone else?
@powmillaemore - Here are my (usually catastrophic) predictions for the COTS Challenge 2025-26. From a farmer's field just outside Beadnell in the sunshine - but aware there is serious "weather" expected for Monday when we are on duty siting any new arrivals. Rain for most of the day and winds up to 57mph predicted. The awning may have to be taken down tomorrow or else we may see it flung into the air and lost into the North Sea.
In the hope I can do this on my new mobile phone, the predictions are:
TOP SIX - 1. Ipswich. 2. Birmingham. 3. Southampton 4. Wrexham. 5. Bristol C 6. Sheff Utd.
BOTTOM THREE - 1. Oxford. 2. Hull 3. Charlton
AUTO PROMOTION - 1. Ipswich. 2. Birmingham 3 OPTIONAL Southampton.
CHAMPIONS - 1. Ipswich 2. Birmingham
OVER ACHIEVERS - 2. Birmingham 2. Wrexham (optional)
UNDER ACHIEVERS - Sheff W (Optional Leicester).
BORO POSITION - 8TH.
I hope that makes sense!
Hi FD.
You have marked down Sheffield Wednesday to be an underachiever, which means they would have to finish in 22nd place or lower. That also means they would be in the bottom three, but you have not selected them in that category. Would you like to tweak your entry with this in mind ?
@powmillnaemore - OK. Thanks for that. Is it possible to put in contradictory predictions (such as having Sheffield Wednesday being nominated as underachievers which, if correct, would have them finishing no higher than 22nd despite not beiong one of my nominated bottom/relegated three)? If it is possible - even if it might raise an eyebrow - I am happy to leave Sheff W as underachievers yet not naming them as one of the relegated bottom three, if it is possible to do that. I have named the three teams I thought most likely to go down but equally I could see Sheffield Wednesday collapsing this season. They might have a shockingly bad season but avoid the bottom three by one place!
If it is NOT possible, or if it would cause problems, I could name Coventry as my preferred underachievers for the season, whilst leaving my relegated/bottom three unchanged.
Is that OK? (By the way, I am impressed that you can spot inconsistencies like mine out of the entries submitted. Well done!).
@forever-dormo it is indeed possible to make contradictory predictions. However, in doing that you know for sure you won't get any points for one of the choices, but on the other hand you might get points for one them, just not for both of them.
I am trying very hard here not to tell you what I would do, as it really is your call. You tell me which you prefer to do and I'll respect that even if it is not what I would have done!!
OK, here are my selections for the COTS Challenge...
TOP 6: Ipswich, Leicester, Southampton, Norwich, Birmingham, Sheff Utd + Options: Millwall, Watford
Bottom 3: Sheff Wed, Hull, Oxford + Option: Charlton
Automatic Promotion: Ipswich, Leicester + Options: Birmingham, Sheff Utd
Champions: Ipswich
Over Achiever: Birmingham + Wrexham
Under Achiever: Sheff Wed + Bristol City
Boro: 12th
Many thanks Powmill may your spreadsheet prove more reliable than my predictions 😉
That's 10 entries received by Wednesday evening.
Pedro de Espana
Forever Dormo
Andy R
Len Masterman
Selwynoz
MW in Darwin
jarkko
Clive Hurren
Powmillnaemore
werdermouth
We are still short of last season's 18 entries, so come on everyone, lets be havin' you, as a certain Norwich City supporter might say.
OOPS, Sorry. That’ll teach me to read the terms and conditions!
I’ll stick with Leicester and Stoke, thanks!
@powmillnaemore. Having consulted the runes and my crystal ball, here is my best guestimates:
Top 6 = Southampton, Ipswich, Coventry, Leicester, Sheffield U, Norwich
Bottom 3 = Sheffield W, Charlton, Hull
Automatic = Southampton, Ipswich
Champions = Southampton
Over Achievers = Birmingham
Under Achievers = Blackburn
Boro to Finish = 15
😎
Last call before the Championship kicks off later today, We have 13 entries so far:
Pedro de Espana, Forever Dormo, Andy R, Len Masterman, Selwynoz, MW in Darwin, jarkko, Clive Hurren, Powmillnaemore, werdermouth, Peter Surtees, Original Fat Bob & K P in Spain
If your name isn't there and you sent an entry, let me know and if it isn't there and you want to enter then let let me know today if at all possible:
- which teams will finish in the Top 6;
- which teams will finish in the Bottom 3;
- which teams will win automatic promotion;
- which team will be champions;
- which team(s) will over achieve;
- which team(s) will under achieve; and
- what will be the Boro’s league position at the end of the season
all in the following format:
- TOP 6 = Team1, Team2, Team3, Team4, Team5, Team6, Optional1, Optional2, Optional3
- BOTTOM 3 = Team1, Team2, Team3, Optional1, Optional2, Optional3
- AUTOMATIC PROMOTION = Team1, Team2, Optional1, Optional2
- CHAMPIONS = Team1, Optional1
- OVER ACHIEVER = Team1, Optional1
- UNDER ACHIEVER = Team1, Optional1
- BORO = 1st
@powmillnaemore Hello, I hope everyone is enjoying the summer. I am back from my fishing now and so have prepared my entry.
I still really have doubts about how we are going to perform this season. I hope we don't Flounder.
On the other hand we may be Brilliant.
I have decided to Perch somewhere in the middle and have placed us 15th.
Enough of my Carping. Here are my predictions:-
Top six - Ipswich Southampton Leicester Coventry Sheffield United Norwich
Bottom 3 Sheffield Wednesday Hull Oxford
Automatic promotion - Ipswich Southampton
Champions - Ipswich
Over achievers - Birmingham
Under Achievers - Sheffield Wednesday
Boro - 15th
Thank you for all your work on this and best wishes to everyone on the forum!
Chris
@chris-from-barlby Thanks Chris. That's your entry in at number 14....
@jarkko did you see my post about your entries for Portsmouth overachieving and wrexham underachieving? Would you like me to change anything?Hi Jarkko.Here are my selections from the land of thousand lakes and islands (and some raindeers):
- TOP 6 = Boro, Coventry, Southampton, Ipswich, Birmingham, WBA
(opt. Sheff Utd, Brissol City)- BOTTOM 3 = Sheff Wed, Charlton, Hull City
(opt. Stoke, PNE, Norwich)- AUTOMATIC PROMOTION = Southampton, Birmingham (opt. Ipswich, WBA)
- CHAMPIONS = Southampton opt. Birmingham)
- OVER ACHIEVER = Derby (opt. Porstsmouth)
- UNDER ACHIEVER = Wrexham (opt. Millwall)
- BORO = 5th
PS: Why they are called raindeers - snowdeers would be a better description 😉.
Up the Boro!
You have picked Portsmouth to overachieve, which means they would finish 6th or higher. However, Portsmouth is not one of your selections to finish in the top 6. Would you like me to add them as a 3rd optional team to finish in the top 6, or would you like me to replace one of the other teams you selected? Alternatively, you might change your prediction for who (if anyone) will overachieve.
Also, you have picked Wrexham to underachieve. As a promoted side, they cannot finish 10 places lower than last season, so on that basis they cannot be an underachiever this year. Would you like to choose another team or for me simply to remove Wrexham from the selection and leave you with Millwall as an underachiever?
@forever-dormo it is indeed possible to make contradictory predictions. However, in doing that you know for sure you won't get any points for one of the choices, but on the other hand you might get points for one them, just not for both of them.
I am trying very hard here not to tell you what I would do, as it really is your call. You tell me which you prefer to do and I'll respect that even if it is not what I would have done!!
@forever-dormo are you happy for me to leave your prediction for Sheffield Wednesday underachieving as is or do you want me to switch the prediction to Coventry ?
My entry for this season’s COTTS CHALLENGE 25/26, hopefully I will do better than last season’s dismal entry 😱.
Top 6 Ipswich, Southampton, Shef Utd, Leicester, Coventry, Birmingham.
Bottom 3 Shef Wed, Charlton, Oxford
Auto Ipswich, Southampton
Champions Ipswich
Overachiever Birmingham
Underachiever Bristol
Boro 12th
Come on BORO.
@powmillnaemore - Thanks for your tolerance. Can I please leave my selections as originally notifed except as below:
The Bottom 3 - instead of Oxford, Hull & Charlton put SHEFF WED, Oxford and Charlton.
Underachiever - instead of Sheff Wed put COVENTRY CITY (and no need for Leicester C as an alternative).
We might get there one day. (And I hope my Boro prediction is way out. I'd like to put Boro down for automatic promotion but I don't want to give my wife any excuse to doubt my mental health).
Yeah, Millwall would underachieve (opt. Blackburn).
My overachievers are Derby (opt. QPR).
Sorry for the delay. I saw your remarks but was a bit lazy to correct earlier. Hope all OK now.
Up the Boro!
Just ahead of the resumption of hostilities following this November's International Break when we will have an Oxford thread to post to, and while we all patiently await an anouncement (maybe in Swedish) of who is going to lead Boro back to promised land at the end of the season, I thought I should just put out a brief update on how everyone's pre-season COTS predictions are looking after 15 games played.
Suffice to say, so far this season you might say the world has been turned updside down. I think in the the last few years we have been doing this, this is overall the worst looking set of predictions that we have ever made as a collective. That said, there is still plenty of the season left for the more expected order to re-establish itself. All the same, it is refreshing to see the three relegated (or former-) premier league teams all struggling to make an impact in the Championship.
I would like to call out where there are plaudits due, but there is really only Original Fat Bob that merits being recognised. Four of his six out of six top six selections are currently sitting in the top six (Ipswich Town, Coventry City, BORO and Bristol City). Jarkko also has 4 in the top six (the same teams as OFB), but for Jarkko that is 4 from the 9 teams he picked so not quite as well predicted as Bob! There are a few of us that have three of our top-six predictions in the top six, but most have only two or in the cases of Pedro de Espana, AndyR and Selwynoz only one of their selections are currently top 6.
As for the automatic promotion spots, only three of us (Clive Hurren and OFB with Coventry and myself with Boro) are scoring points.
At the other end of the table almost everyone (just not you Pedro) predicted Sheffield Wednesday would be down there and a good number also predicted Oxford United.
In the Over-Achiever category, only Clive has picked a team (Stoke City) that is currently over achieving based on last season's finish. None of the rest of us are scoring points for this.
However, in the underachievers category, a good number of us picked out Sheffeld Wednesday to underachieve, with Leicester City also attracting a few predictions. For the three of you that predicted no-one would underachieve (that's you Pedro, AndyR and Len Masterton) you will be disappointed that there are several teams currently underachieving compared to last season (including two relegated teams Leicester and Southampton, but also Wednesday, Blackburn and Sheffield United). Just to get my embarrassment out in the open, I had actually predicted the Blades to be Champions this year....
Finally I should mention (as if I needed to) that the vast majority of people had Boro finishing this season 8th or lower. I think 12th was the most common selection. Three of us were more positive about our chances: Jarkko (surprise surprise) predicted 5th, OFB, 3rd and yours truly actually predicted a 2nd place finish. So, for this category, we are the only ones scoring any points so far.
But, enough of this waffle. I am sure you would all like to see how you are doing so far, so here are the standings after 15 games played:
|
Points (after 15 matches played) |
||
| 1st | Original Fat Bob | 42.5 |
| 2nd | Powmill-Naemore | 35.0 |
| 3rd | Peter Surtees | 11.5 |
| 4th | MW in Darwin | 4.5 |
| 5th | Exmil | -1.0 |
| 6th | Clive Hurren | -2.0 |
| 7th | Len Masterman | -3.0 |
| 8th | Forever Dormo | -5.0 |
| 9th | K P in Spain | -12.5 |
| 10th | Chris from Barlby | -15.5 |
| 11th | jarkko | -16.0 |
| 12th | Andy R | -21.0 |
| 13th | Selwynoz | -23.5 |
| 14th | werdermouth | -45.0 |
| 15th | Pedro de Espana | -61.0 |
Brilliant Powmill, and thanks for the update and all of your hard work.
Congrats to Bob for achieving such a runaway lead, and to your good self for being the only other competitor to have Bob in his sights.
I have to register some astonishment that I am mid-table. I was as confident of being rock bottom as I was that the Boro would have a disastrous start to the season.
Powmill, could you take possibly take executive action and engineer some bonus points for my scandalous prediction that Edwards' tenure would not last beyond the end of November?
...
Powmill, could you take possibly take executive action and engineer some bonus points for my scandalous prediction that Edwards' tenure would not last beyond the end of November?
I'll have a think about that being a suitable tie-breaker in the event that your final points tally is equalled by anyone else 😉
I don’t beleeeve it !
Its obviously a fluke on my part and can’t see it continuing!
many thanks for organising it appreciated 👏👏👏
OFB
@original-fat-bob like everyone says Bob, the table doesn't lie 😉
Excellent, Powmill. Many thanks.
I, too, am pleasantly surprised by my current play-off slot. Like Len, I thought I’d be holding up the table………
Meanwhile, I think you should award Bob the title right now. He’s very unlikely to be overhauled! But I’ll be magnanimous : I think you should award yourself the second automatic promotion prize. Like Bob, you are virtually untouchable.
...
Powmill, could you take possibly take executive action and engineer some bonus points for my scandalous prediction that Edwards' tenure would not last beyond the end of November?
I'll have a think about that being a suitable tie-breaker in the event that your final points tally is equalled by anyone else 😉
Powmill
Could I persuade you to bump me up if I had the Edwards forecast in a double with Hellberg to be gone by Easter? And a treble with Scott to be still in post?
@clive-hurren I expect the table to transform before the end of April, so do not write off your chances of rising to the top just yet awahile