I don't know what I think about the Coventry game.  it began with a rousing rendition of God Save the King (though I have seen some Twitter posts suggesting the Red Faction turned its backs & booed when the anthem was sung but, if that is correct, it was certainly drowned out by the majority of the crowd where I was standing.  This is, after all, Teesside rather than Liverpool).  I also saw a clip of the anthem being sung, impeccably, at Millwall. I'd guess you'd be a brave man to shout down the anthem at Millwall!

It would be interesting to know what the reaction would be in other countries to their anthem being booed. Jarkko (in Finland), Pedro or KP (Spain) or Selwynoz (in Australia) might be able to tell us...

I was NOT surprised, as you'll guess from my last post, that Coventry came out of the blocks at full speed and I wasn't surprised when the Blues took the lead. Boro gave the ball away a lot. The team played better in the second half but the spark, and the goals, were not there. The goal was scored aas a result of quick-thinking and a rapiodly-taken corner after the Coventry supporters had tried

I had to leave immediately after the final whistle so didn't see the players and their children on the pitch.  So thanks, OFB, for the photos.

I think everyone on here would agree that the team must play much better in the games to come, if Boro's dream of promotion is to be realised.  Let's hope some of the players we have missed will return, fully fit, for next Sunday. Being a "little bit off it" will not be enough for the team successfully to come out of the play-offs.

I don’t know much credence to give to what I was told on the way into town after the match but, a person who is reputed to know Woodgate, was allegedly told that Howson and Forss will both be available for the playoffs. I would like it to be true but I can’t vouch for the individual.

Come on BORO.

Posted by: @exmil

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I don’t know much credence to give to what I was told on the way into town after the match but, a person who is reputed to know Woodgate, was allegedly told that Howson and Forss will both be available for the playoffs. I would like it to be true but I can’t vouch for the individual.

Come on BORO.

@forever-dormo   There was quite a lot of flag waving and yes, I thought it was a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, certainly stood in the NW corner.

Whilst not an out and out Royalist, I would rather have them than not, but slimmed down to a more economical position.

As for the National Anthem, I now believe it is outdated, and referencing the current sovereign does it no favours in 2023. A new Anthem that would appeal more broadly, and spike the likes of the Liverpool debacle, could prove a good move.

Spain shows its colours and Flag in abundance, especially when associated with National Football. Of course, Spain having seventeen autonomous regions give it issues. Cataluña and Barcelona is very much like Scotland. Then the north with the Basque Region and Galicia can be a little like Wales.

 Of course England does not have an official Anthem, but does use Jerusalem as an alternative to GStheK at some events 

For me it would be nice for England to have its own National Anthem and for the UK to have a new, more modern encompassing one.

Just my opinion. 😎

EXMIL CHALLENGE 2023 - Final Table

1. Ian Gill (172) 9,7,9,4,5,10,9,6,8,3,7 = 77 = 249

2. lenmasterman (162) 10,6,8,8,6,9,10,8,9,4,5 = 83 = 245

3. Jarkko (168) 9,7,9,2,5,7,9,8,8,4,7 = 75 = 243

4. Norfolk and Boro (160) 8,8,10,6,5,9,97,8,3,8 = 81 = 241

5. Andy R (159) 10,6,7,4,3,10,9,5,4,3,9 = 70 = 229

6. KP in Spain (149) 7,9,8,6,3,8,10,8,10,2,7 = 78 = 227

7. Selwynoz (155) 9,6,6,6,3,6,10,4,10,2,8 = 70 = 225

8. deleriad (150) 10,3,10,4,5,10,8,9,6,3,6 = 74 = 224

9. Powmill Naemore (158) 10,3,10,2,5,6,8,1,8,2,3 = 58 = 216

10. Martin Bellamy (157) 10,3,9,4,5,6,8,1,8,2,3 = 59 = 216

11. Clive Hurren (148) 7,9,4,5,3,6,9,5,7,2,9 = 66 = 214

12. Forever Dormo (142) 9,7,9,2,5,8,9,6,5,2,8 = 70 = 212

13. exmil (153) 9,6,8,2,5,8,8,1,6,2,3 = 58 = 211

14. Peasepudinperth = 76 

Congratulations to our champion Ian Gill and runner up lenmasterman who are now promoted. Our playoffs are between:

jarkko v KP in Spain 

Norfolk and Boro v Andy R

for that coveted final promotion place.

commiserations to peasepudinperth, exmil and Forever Dormo on their relegation, better luck next season.

The semifinal playoff rules are the same as every season, predict the scores for the under mentioned fixtures, score 5 points for each correct amount of goals for each team, lose 1 point for each goal +/- : 

example: Predicted Team A 3 Team B 2

               Actual Score Team A 1 Team B 3

               Score (3 + 4) = 7 and so on for the four fixtures.

Tie breaker, in the event of both player’s finishing with the same score, after the four matches, they are to predict the time of the first goal in the first fixture, nearest will win the semi final.

SEMI FINAL FIXTURES 

Sunderland v Luton

Coventry v Boro

Luton v Sunderland 

Boro v Coventry 

Predictions to be posted by 1600 hrs Saturday 13 May.

Good luck to everyone, especially the Boro.

Many thanks for doing this exmil, it's greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to Ian. If memory serves he just pipped me last year too, so he obviously has the knack.

I'm ashamed to admit that I owe my position in the final round to the fact that I was less optimistic about the Boro than anyone else, having tipped them to lose two of the last three games.

So I'm sanguine about our losses in dead rubber games, but believe that the play-offs will be an entirely different proposition and that we will probably prevail.

According to the most recent YouGov surveys only 1 person in 4 in the UK believes in God, and only 61% of the population believes in the monarchy.

So for large numbers of Britons our national anthem is asking something that they believe does not exist to save and protect someone whom they think should not exist.

Thanks OFB for the pictures as I too needed to leave just before the final whistle to ensure we made our dinner reservation.

Thanks also to Exmil for the Challenge results.  I shall endeavour to complete my entry in the next day or so; just arrived in Bristol on our penultimate leg of our UK road trip.

With regard to the National Anthem, it was observed very well in the South West upper corner and appeared to have been a resounding rendition across the ground.  As far as Spain is concerned, I can only echo Pedro’s comments. 

On the question of corners, raised by Malcolm, I think given the size of Coventry’s back four the team were under strict orders not to put the ball straight into the box and the goal came from a bit of clever play from a corner; it was poetic justice given the Coventry supporters deliberately delayed the taking of the corner by not handing the ball back.

On the subject of Howson and Forss’s return, the rumour may have some credibility as I noticed both Forss and Fry in the training clip shown on BBC North last Friday.

As regards our right hand side, given Jones’s last two performances then I do not believe he is worthy of his place and if Forss is not available then I would play Crooks in that position as I believe he would work well with Smith and provide flexibility across the front line.

On what I saw yesterday we are clearly still capable of winning the tie but we will need to improve both our passing and tempo and look to exploit the wide spaces down the channels. 

Coventry held a high line, particularly in the first half and pressed high.  There were large amounts of space behind their back four but not once during the first half did we look to play balls in to it for our forwards to run onto and turn their back line but were better in exploiting the space in the second half.

I expect Coventry to adopt a similar approach in both legs of the play offs; I can’t see them adopting an open and expansive game unless they have to as this will play into our hands and probably means we have scored.

Keeping fingers crossed that we can get back to our best but if I had to put money on who are most likely to make the final it would be Sunderland v Coventry.  

CoB prove me wrong and turn up when you need to, we have had enough disappointments in previous years to last us a life time. 😎

@lenmasterman - You have to laugh.  How many times have we heard hundreds - no, THOUSANDS - at the Riverside singing about Middlesbrough, "the greatest team in football the world has ever seen"?

They're not singing about  the Hungary national team of the early/mid 1950s, not the great Real Madrid team of the late 1950s/60s, not the Ajax team of the early 1970s, not the Liverpool team of the 1970s/80s, not the Brazil national team of 1970, or the Barcelona team including Messi and Iniesta nor even the unbeaten PNE of early football league days or the much later Wenger Arsenal team.  I mean, I might have accepted Boro as "Teesside's current best team" or the "Greatest team from Middlesbrough in the 20th Century" but, even with a LITTLE exaggeration, you'd struggle to find ANY year when Middlesbrough has been the best team in the North of England let alone the whole of the country, the UK, or the continent, much less the world.  It just goes to show that people will sing ANYTHING but will not expect it to be taken at face value.  (Proof of that will be delivered this week in the Eurovision Song Contest).

@exmil Thanks once again for running the challenge Exmil, and congrats to Ian and Len.

Don't think I've ever made the playoffs before so no doubt I'll mess up my entry but here goes:

Sunderland 1-1 Luton (18th min)

Coventry 2-1 Boro

Luton 0-1 Sunderland

Boro 3-1 Coventry

National Anthem

From Upper West Stand block 81 it looked and sounded to be well and quite heartily observed. I quite like Len's statistics about the nature of it. All for a bit of national pride myself, but appreciate that tying the National Anthem to the monarchy is perhaps un-usefully divisive. That said, Charles is our head of state and that does deserve respect, even if there are legitimate differences of opinion on how we should fill that role in the 21st century.

Exmil Challenge

A personal triumph for me that I achieved (and quite unexpectedly) safety from relegation. Big cheer to Ian Gill and to Len on their automatic promotion and good luck to the four play-off contenders. Many, many thanks Exmil for having delivered another well organised competition for us all.

Monday's Game

I come away from the game with the feeling that ultimately we were playing the game comfortably within ourselves. Overall, despite a weaker first half showing and Coventry racing out of the blocks, I don't think we were that stretched to deal with them, but neither did we burst a blood vessel to make sure of a victory. If we might not have shaded the first half, we certainly controlled the second.

Jones offered little. It was interesting to see that whenever our play was heading to the right side and Jones may have been available, Chuba especially, but also others, steered the play back to the left. Until Barlaser came on in the second half, we were guilty of not moving enough to open up a passing opportunity. I have commented another time I recall, that I think our players have a tendency to stand or simply walk when they don't have the ball, which really makes it very easy for the opposition to press us, and Coventry did just that. 

Mighty shout out to the travelling Coventry support. They were magnificent almost throughout.

I think we will have too much quality for Coventry over the two legs, so I am confident we will be visiting Wembley. But I am not sure if it will be Sunderland or Luton. I hope it will be Luton...

@exmil.  Congratulations to Ian & Len.  

Here are my best estimates, which in the case of Boro I hope I am proved wrong.

Sunderland 2-0 Luton 58th minute.

Coventry 2- 1 Boro

Luton 2-1 Sunderland 

Boro 1-1 😎

@exmil - Thanks again for the fun competition. 

My thoughts are probably somewhat wide of the mark but a Tees - Wear final should be the right outcome.

Sunderland 2 - 1 Luton

Coventry 2 - 2 Boro

Luton 1 - 2 Sunderland

Boro 2 - 1 Coventry

Time of the first goal in the first match - 45 minutes

If any of the 4 play-off teams played home and away against this year's Real Madrid or this year's Manchester City, I think the Madrid/Manchester teams would be able to declare at half-time in both games, and still win.  They are giants and we are pygmies (but if we could get through the play-offs we would grow a few inches).

Posted by: @forever-dormo

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If any of the 4 play-off teams played home and away against this year's Real Madrid or this year's Manchester City, I think the Madrid/Manchester teams would be able to declare at half-time in both games, and still win.  They are giants and we are pygmies (but if we could get through the play-offs we would grow a few inches).

Give me an inch and I'll take mile 😉

I’m still confident that we’ll get to the Final. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. 

@martin-bellamy . I like your new avatar, very impressed (jealous it’s not mine). 😎

What is the point of having a two leg playoff? I agree that it prolongs the season and gives more clubs some purpose. However the National League, plus the North and South Divisions, the 3 Southern Leagues including the Isthmian, the several leagues in the Northern Counties conurbation, nor the famous two Northern Leagues have all got one thing in common - all playoff matches are played at the ground of the side who finish highest in the league. OK there is the potential of extra time and a penalty shootout, but then what is the reward for finishing up to a possible ten points or more above their opponents? I’d much prefer a ‘golden goal’ situation, but how do we abolish the penalty play off? Maybe by awarding the win to the team who had the most corners or perhaps committed the fewest fouls? 

Why also are 3 clubs in League 2 promoted to League 1 whereas in League 1 only 2 are granted automatic promotion? Wouldn’t it be more consistent to award automatic promotion to the top 2 or 3 in each of the 3 Divisions with the same number of relegations 3 or 4 in each league.

I had more pressing problems yesterday than to watch football, but if I’d had the choice I’d have watched the Preston v Sunderland match for which Jeff Stelling named the Mackems as the ‘kindergarten club’ whose youngsters play with no fear. I spoke with 6 friends this morning who were disappointed in Boro’s performance yesterday. I realise that we’ve suffered injuries at the wrong end of the season, but all agreed that all Coventry’s ambitions were to maintain their playoff position, whilst all Boro were wanting to get the match out of the way. 0n the evidence of the last 3 Boro matches they all feared that Boro had missed the opportunity of eliminating one of the major contenders in the playoffs. I hope that I’m wrong but I now forsee a Grand Final between Coventry and Sunderland. 

Has Michael Carrick lost the plot? The football played by Boro this season has been the best in my lifetime since Carrick took over, but Neil Warnock made a recent statement that had he remained manager instead of Chris Wilder he would have got Boro promoted to the Premier League. The football might not have been as riveting as under Carrick, but I tend to agree with Warnock’s statement especially since the way he has masterminded Huddersfield’s renaissance. 

In someways a final beteen Mogga’s current club and one of his old clubs has an appeal about it. In some ways although he would probably prefer a Final against Boro, a game against a side who he once managed is a reward and a vindication of his greatness.

@forever-dormo 

In all honesty, I don't think that I have ever heard an Australian audience react badly to their anthem. They're a pretty jingoistic lot and the real question to ask is why they still have the royal family. There was a referendum in 1999 which was defeated because a) the Queen was respected and b) there was no serious answer as to how a replacement would be chosen. I think that this remains a concern both here and, from what I read, in the UK. I hear a lot of people quote a wish to avoid "President Boris Johnson" as the biggest argument in favour of the status quo.

My guess is that another referendum here in Oz whilst Charles is still going could see the end of the monarchy as head of state. If they get through to William and all goes well, it may hang on.

@Exmil

Thanks for the work done running the comp. I appear to have done a Millwall having fought my way into the play-offs only to be be overtaken by a late surge from KP In Spain who must be Sunderland. Best of luck to everyone.

UTB

Exmil Challenge

My form dipped with Boro. I had us winning all matches even I knew we won't. I just didn't know which match we won't, but I never expected us to lose two and draw the last one.

So many thanks are due to Exmil for having an excellent competition. Certainly more interesting than the European Song Contest!

Here is my entry.

SEMI FINAL FIXTURES

Sunderland v Luton 1-1, 57th minute

Coventry v Boro 2-2

Luton v Sunderland 2-1

Boro v Coventry 2-0

All I hope is that Boro get through. Up the Boro! 

After my above entry, I read from the BBC that Luton come into the knock-out stage of the competition unbeaten in 14 games, having not lost since going down 1-0 at home to champions Burnley in February.

However, Sunderland themselves have come up on the rails to reach the top six, unbeaten in nine games, including a 1-1 draw with their play-off opponents. Mogga has certainly done well there with a very young squad and some long-term injuries.

So these matches will be very, very tight. I think both matches between the above teams ended 1-1 this season.

Up the Boro! 

@jarkko   You now know what the stats say Jarkko.

A Coventry v Sunderland Final. Can Boro do a Huddersfield?

Posted by: @k-p-in-spain

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@martin-bellamy . I like your new avatar, very impressed (jealous it’s not mine). 😎

Thanks. I’ve had the image for a while (I used it as a sticker on our Campervan) but I can’t remember who I stole liberated it from. 

Boro two wins in the last 8 games. To be honest I fear the worst. Having said that I'm the world's worst forecaster 😜 

A few weeks ago I was very confident that over 2 legs Boro had no one to fear and in the final I was quietly confident they would win with their attacking brand of football.

Now I feel the opposite with Boro not in good form  - only 2 wins in the last 8 games. Clearly the momentum and their results against Boro will make Coventry quietly confident. I wonder what the betting odds over 2 legs are - the bookies usually get it right.

But more than anything I’m frustrated at all the injuries coming at the worst time for MC and his staff. His comments on the injuries gives no confidence or clues that players will be fit for the playoffs. But what if they are , in normal circumstances they would be eased back into the team and therefore I can’t see MC gambling on the players who’ve been out for a few weeks by playing them for 90 minutes. At best they may come on as a substitute.

So,  I’m coming to the conclusion  that I’d take a one goal deficit in the hope that at home Boro just might find their attacking brand of football to scramble over the line.

Philip of Huddersfield 

@philip-of-huddersfield 

With SkyBet at least, Boro are favourites for promotion.

Boro 15/8

Luton 9/4

Sunderland 7/2

Coventry 4/1 

After a couple of people took a look back to see what they were predicting for this season back in July I had an idea to channel my inner Exmil spirit to see if I could come up with a league table of how well did everybody do who did make predictions...

I decided on the following system for awarding points:

Correct prediction of top 6 finish - awarded 15 points for each team predicted top 6 finishing in the top 6

Incorrect prediction of top 6 finish - deducted 5 points for each team predicted top six finishing outside the top 6

Automatic promotion bonus - awarded 10 points for each team predicted correctly for automatic promotion

Correct prediction of relegation - awarded 15 points for each team predicted to go down finishing in bottom 3

Incorrect prediction of relegation - deducted 5 points for each team predicted to go down not finishing bottom 3

If there were less than 6 predicted in either the top six or the relegated categories, I took that to be an "Incorrect prediction" and deducted 5 points for each one missing.

Some people flagged who they thought might be an over achiever, or a struggler (or flop) and I thought it  a little unkind not to recognise that foresight, so 2 bonus points awarded for each team flagged to overachieve that did overachieve and 2 bonus points for the flops that really were flops. Also Deleriad did put in a caveat about this season being the season Norwich might implode. I decided (rightly or wrongly) that he deserved a bonus point for putting that possibility out there.

So the table is a little imperfect as I did have to perform some interpretation of what people wrote back in July, but despite the imperfections I think Clive definitely takes the crown for making the most accurate long term predictions! Well done Clive, but OFB was not too far behind in a creditable 2nd place.

As for you Ken: well, I almost excluded you from this table as your comments in the thread for the season's predictions was extremely vague and I did have to be be extremely creative to interpret what you wrote into a set of predictions. So I am sorry to make you look so bad...

But after all that, here is the final league table for season long predictions:

Tie breaker for equal points was the number of accurate top 6 finishers predicted.

@powmillnaemore 

Great work Powmill. You might have just created a job for yourself going forward there!

Posted by: @andy-r

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@powmillnaemore 

Great work Powmill. You might have just created a job for yourself going forward there!

Thanks Andy. If there is an appetite for it and no great objection to the approach I took to awarding points I would be happy to coordinate a Mystic Mog kind of thing for all Diasboro's pre-season seers to complement Exmil's excellent (and much more demanding) Challenge.

Lets see how people feel come July and August.

Posted by: @andy-r

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@philip-of-huddersfield 

With SkyBet at least, Boro are favourites for promotion.

Boro 15/8

Luton 9/4

Sunderland 7/2

Coventry 4/1 

Andy, further to the above, it is reported that all bookies have Boro as the favourites to be promoted.

Come on BORO.