TheView Outside The Premier League: Bolton stay on Target but its a bad weekend For Leicester and Torquay

Bolton Wanderers have now completed their unlikely rise from 18th in the Championship table to a play-off berth. While teams like Middlesbrough and Leicester have faltered badly on the run-in, the Trotters have accelerated smoothly to the top six. Dougie Freedman is a manager who embodies old-fas...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Sheffield Wednesday win a six pointer and Crewe love Wembley

Sheffield Wednesday against Blackburn Rovers was always the proverbial six pointer and it was the Yorkshire side who emerged with the vital win. The result puts Rovers into the bottom three for the first time and their slide continues. Typically, Rovers raised the hopes of their long-suffering fans...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Erratic Hull still have Premier League in their sights but Mansfield are cruising

As usual Easter weekend proved to be frantic and potentially decisive in promotion and relegation battles. While Wolves took a massive step towards survival by netting six points, Hull City were able to cling on to second spot in the Championship. The race for promotion has reached that stage where...

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Coventry City: Where do the Sky Blues go from here?

Cast your mind back to Boxing Day 1999. GordonStrachansvibrant Coventry City had just beaten the mighty ArsenalatHighfieldRoad and a young Robbie Keane was acclaimed as the star of the Sky Blue show. All was rosy in the Coventry garden. A promising young side would soon bemoving into a plush ...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Middlesbrough peg back Cardiff and Hull City take advantage

Just when it seemed that Cardiff were beginning to set the seal on a successful promotion campaign Middlesbrough spoilt the party on Saturday and revived their own flagging hopes into the bargain. When confidence is low sometimes it takes an addition from outside the dressing room to cut through ...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Shrewsbury surprise Tranmere, Cardiff win again and Burton Albion make a move

Tranmere Rovers were hoping to steal a march on their promotion rivals with their game with Shrewsbury Town staged on Friday night. Unfortunately, Ronnie Moores side had one of those nights and the Shrews went away with three vital - and unexpected - points. Rovers were down to 10 men very earl...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Forest lose again but Rhodes boosts Blackburn

Things arent getting any better for Nottingham Forest fans at the moment. Many will have been cheered by the appointment of the ever-combative Billy Davies to the manager position - returning to the club -but he couldnt influence Saturdays result at Bristol City. The match was vindication for a...

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The View Outside The Premier League- Luton Stun Norwich, Stead Boosts Bristol City And Liverpool Fall At Icy Oldham

In ornithological terms Luton Town made the Canaries as sick as parrots but the Robins (Bristol City) went bob-bobbing along thanks to Jonathan Stead. The weekend saw FA Cup and league action mixed together and the biggest story was in Norfolk. The stat that Luton Town are the first non-leaguer...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Cardiff stay on track but Blackburn misfire again

In a programme truncated by the weather, Cardiff City made light of a heavy pitch in Blackpool to add three more points to their promotion push. It wasnt the Welsh clubs most fluent performance of the season but winning while not at their best is a good sign. Cardiffs strong start to the campaign...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Leicester savage Bristol City and Port Vale leapfrog Gillingham

Life is beginning to look very grim again for Bristol City fans. Last season Derek McInnes came in midway through the season and helped the Robins stay in the Championship. But now the Scot has paid the price for anothercampaign of struggle and a home hammering from Leicester City proved to be the...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A weekend of woe for Walters as the BBC put him centre stage

Do you remember the glory days of Saturday night TV? That wistful time before Simon Cowell was given the keys to the kingdom and filled the weekend evenings with a symphony of garish fairy lights, screeching teenagers and Louis Walsh. Things were so much simpler before: you knew where you we...

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The View Outside The Premier League - Hatters hammer Wolves and Wimbledon climb off the bottom

There was a heavily truncated league programme as the third round of the FA Cup occupied centre stage. Pride of place from Saturdays results went to Luton Town - semi-finalists in the 80s - who dumped out Wolverhampton Wanderers. Lutons win signalled the end of Stale Solbakkens unhappy time at ...

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The View Outside The Premier League - No happy New Year for Huddersfield or Portsmouth

New Years Day saw a full programme of League football with some fans enjoying a wonderful start to 2013 - but there was little to revel about in one part of West Yorkshire. Huddersfield Town are in the throes of a horrendous run of form; and its now just five points from the last 30 in the Cham...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Becchio bags a Boro brace and Brandy butters Saddlers

We had the usual rash of Christmas postponements but not for the traditional reasons. This time waterlogged pitches caused the problems rather than frost and snow. Very few lower division games survived but there was a near full programme in the Championship. Leeds United got off to the perfect s...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Posh shock Cardiff and McGhee runs out of Gas

No team seems able to stamp their authority on the Championship this season and on Saturday Peterborough United proved what a tough league it is by winning at Cardiff City - the Welsh side hadnt dropped a home point in 10 games. Posh went to South Wales as the bottom placed side and without a w...

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Bradford, Chelsea, Leeds, Swansea or Villa: Who will win the Capital One Cup?

Aston Villa, Bradford City and Swansea City all booked their place in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup in midweek and will be joined in the hat next week by either Champions League holders Chelsea or Championship side Leeds United. But who is going to win the tournament? When you get to this ...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Derby end Leeds run and Fleetwood start life after Mellon

Leeds United have been on a roll in the past couple of weeks but that came to an end in the early kick-off on Saturday at Pride Park. Nigel Cloughs Derby County beat the team that his father managedfor an uncomfortable 44 days and the star role came from a product of the County youth system. Will...

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The View Outside The Premier League - Dons rock AFC Wimbledon and Bolton struggle

The Championship shared top billing with the FA Cup Second Round this weekend with just a handful of League Two games scheduled. The waterlogged pitch at Barrow that caused postponement signalled that we’ve reached that time of the season when it pays to check the radio before setting out. Bolt...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Wolves On The Slide And Hartlepool Fall Flat

Watford beat Wolves 2-1 on Saturday to send the visitors down to 16th place in the table and the Midlanders have now gone seven matches without a victory. This bad run has revived all the concerns about Stale Solbakkens appointment and the loss of key players as the campaign started. There wasnt ...

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FA Cup: MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon is on

Dust off those cliches about the lure of the FA Cup and the ability of the competition to write unlikely scenarios. Two replays on successive nights hasmade the potentialthe tie of this years Second Round a reality - AFC Wimbledon travelling to MK Dons. An overseas visitor unfamiliar to the English...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Dons end Blades' run and Appleton arrives at Blackpool

League One saw a meeting between the two pre-season favourites for promotion and MK Dons were able to end Sheffield Uniteds unbeaten start to the season. It took a last-minute penalty to send the game the way of the home side and Blades boss Danny Wilson was livid with the decision. Its been a st...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Ollie gets a Palace welcome and it could be Dons v Dons in the cup

Its a truism of football that managers usually take over teams when they are in trouble and the last incumbent has resigned or been sacked. Thats certainly not the case at Crystal Palace though, where Ian Holloway has inherited a bunch of players full of confidence and fairly fizzing on the park...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Palace Show Resilience and the Gills Are On A Roll

It proved to be a weekend of quiet satisfaction for Crystal Palace fans. Despite Dougie Freedmans decision to join Bolton the Eagles produced the performance of the day to end Leicester Citys unbeaten home record. And for good measure, Bolton lost at Middlesbrough. Because of his past service t...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Middlesbrough enjoy another away day and Bournemouth down Tranmere

Saturday proved to be one of strange results in the Championship, as most of the frontrunners fluffed their lines. But Middlesbrough once again demonstrated their talent for getting a result playing away from the Riverside. Their 1-0 win at Brighton delivered a fourth successive away win for To...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Barnet fluff their lines but Tranmere put on a show

Not since the days of Stan Flashman and Barry Fry has so much attention been directed at Barnets modest Underhill ground. On Saturday Edgar Davids - yes, that Edgar Davids - took his place in the home dugout. Apparently the former Ajax, Milan and Barcelona star has become a player-coach at the ...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Helguson boosts Cardiff and Stevenage go second

There are exciting strikers who score spectacular goals and there are strikers who are efficient and score goals that wont appear in compilation videos. Heidar Helguson is very much the latterkind of player, but Cardiff City were grateful for his efforts at Ipswich on Saturday evening. The Icelan...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Wolves pile misery on Posh, Tranmere score for fun

Saturday proved to be another miserable one for fans of Peterborough United as visitors Wolves claimed the points and left Darren Fergusons side still without a point this campaign. The match was a delight for Wolves fans though and the Molineux club have now slipped quietly into one of the play-...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Bellamy Sparks Cardiff And Tubbs Strikes For Bournemouth

Will this finally be Cardiff Citys year? After multiple play-off disappointments the level of investment at the club this season indicates that the aim is to put promotion beyond doubt and grab an automatic place. One of the big signings, Cardiff supporter Craig Bellamy, repaid some of the faith ...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Magpies go top and Cod Army batter Shrimps

Just as the season gets moving we get one of those annoying international breaks and the Championship shuts down. Frustrating for those clubs but good news for the rest of the Football League as attention shifts down the pyramid. After a weekend of surprise results, a new name sits on top of Leag...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Mackail-Smith double sinks Burnley

Craig Mackail-Smith is an unusual name for a Scotland striker but the Brighton player showed his international pedigree at Turf Moor on Saturday with two quality strikes, one of which would grace a goal of the season compilation. The striker made the difference in a 3-1 win which didnt flatter th...

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Coventry City: Who will replace Andy Thorn in the hot seat?

Coventry City booked their place in the next round of the Capital One Cup last night with a 3-2 extra time win over rivals Birmingham City. Isnt it amazing what a team can do once a manager has been sacked? Andy Thorn was axed at the weekend following three draws in three games in life in League On...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Wycombe washed out but its raining goals in Blackpool

Saturdays games saw the rare occurrence of amatch being abandoned due to health and safety reasons. With thunderous clouds overhead and lightning flashing, Wycombe Wanderers and Bristol Rovers were called off well into the second half of their League Two contest. Rovers were the most aggrieved by...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Fleetwood fire blanks and Pompey players get to know each other

A new football season always throws up some unusual stories on day one but there can have been few beginnings to a campaign quite like Portsmouths. Amazingly Pompey came away with a point from their first League One encounter despite sending out a whole team of debutants. Before he joined the sou...

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Who will be the biggest winners and losers in League One?

Theres no doubt who the bookmakers think will head the pile in League One this year. Sheffield United came up short after a season-long battle with city rivals Sheffield Wednesday last year and if the motivation is still there, the Blades are expected to make promotion with ease. MK Dons fell just ...

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Coventry City: Twenty Five years on from their FA Cup glory

Every football club is defined by their history. For Coventry City fans the events of May 16 1987 will never be forgotten, asthe unfancied Sky Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2in a memorable FA Cup Final. The 25th anniversary of that historic triumph is been celebrated at the citys Herbert Art ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Chelsea win, but there were plenty of losers in the final day of football

There are some days that it simply doesn’t pay to be a non-football fan. We have a tendency in this country to lurch en masse into things and render them inescapable to the more indifferent among us. We latch on to an event, a past time, even a television talent show and let it consume us until we...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A final day fanfare for Sky and the Blues

It all came down to this then. It’s been a gruelling journey, epic in its fluctuating fortunes as the favourites for the crown jostled back and forth. Each weekend millions looked on, eagerly cheering their chosen heroes, willing them to put in the performance that would clinch the prize they so ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A long time ago in a Stadium far far away, ITV began their FA Cup Final coverage

The 2011-12 football season will probably be looked back upon with a real intrigue in future decades. It has been a long, incident-strewn expedition encompassing an abundance of controversy, drama and despair. It is hard to remember another campaign with more extraordinary talking points. The Luis S...

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The View Outside The Premier League- Owls Finish the Job And Bees Escape Again

The outstanding issues in League One and Two were decided on Saturday and Sheffield Wednesday fans had the double bonus of automatic promotion and consigning their city rivals to the play-offs. What could have been a tense situation was fairly comfortable as the Blades couldnt win at relegated Exete...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A bad week for some as United falter and the Olympics fail to inspire

It ended with Liam Gallagher bopping along to his own record at the Etihad last night in the her-uge title showdown between the Manchester giants on Live Ford Monday Night Football. Basking in his own genius is probably a nightly ritual for Gallagher junior but what certainly hasn’t been a regular o...

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The top 10 dives in football history

Manchester United’s Ashley Young and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba have caused controversy over the past fortnight by diving to win penalties and going down quicker than your average High Street hooker. Ashley Young started it all off by winning a cheap penalty against QPR’s Shaun Derry, when the tough m...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Time is running out for the Football League Show but Reading and the Saints defy the odds

Back in the hazy midsummer days of August 2011, while hoards of frenzied teenagers were marauding their way through the streets of London setting fire to police cars, looting Poundland and generally ruining Boris Johnson’s holiday; I was indulging in a regular pre-season pursuit. Like every footba...

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The View Outside The Premier League - Charlton Champions But Sheffield Pair Sweat

More and more of the big issues were decided this weekend and Charlton Atheltic finally achieved what they have been destined for ever since the season kicked off. Chris Powells squad have been front-running since September and no-one has ever looked like catching them. With the Addicks confirmed a...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Tevez, title races and titillation in a terrific week of football TV

Well, it was a helluva’ few days in the Premier League title race last week wasn’t it? The fortunes of the twin Manchester clubs are weaving increasingly erratic patterns as the burden of the top trophy begins to heap its weight on their slumping shoulders. The last seven days or so have seen a numb...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A tough week of watching tough men taking tough action; and then there was Gary Neville on Super Sunday

There are many boulevards open to footballers when the time finally comes for them to hang up their boots, delete Sir Alex’s number from their Blackberry and say goodbye to the pantomime-drudgery of the Premier League. Obviously, the twin favourites for many pros are either a cushy job coaching the ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: One year on from Keys and Gray but is Sky burning any brighter?

It’s been around fourteen months since the corridors and offices of Sky Sports were rocked irrevocably by the now-infamous sexism scandal surrounding part-man, part-ape Richard Keys and his bosom buddy Andy Gray – the worthy winner of Nuts magazine’s 2006 ‘TV Personality That Most Resembles a Baby...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Blackpool Shake The Saints And Sheffield Pair Are Locked Together

Blackpool reminded everybody what a progressive side they are by steamrollering league leaders Southampton at Bloomfield Road. The result shouldnt have been too much of a surprise - the Tangerines performed superbly when they visited St Marys earlier in the year. Consistency has eluded Ian Hollowa...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A tough week for the ‘football family’ but the future’s looking bright, and looking orange for the Toon Army

It has certainly been a difficult old week in football. Quite rightly, the grave events surrounding Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba dominated all stratums of the game over the past seven days, and by extension all of the football coverage too. This resulted in a strange ambivalence amongst the week’s acti...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Sharp Blunts Doncaster And Macclesfield Continue To Slide

In the marathon that is the 46 game Championship season, inevitably teams will hit a bad patch. Southampton got their sticky period out of the way early in the New Year but West Ham have hit the wall at the wrong moment. Like a long distance race runner, the Hammers are finding that what seeemed e...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Yeovil Confound The Bookies While Middlesbrough Slip Up Again

The four or five regular readers of the View might recall that back in August this column looked at Yeovil Towns battle to stay in League One. Back then the Glovers were favourites for the drop but the View tipped them to once again confound expectations. This weekend Yeovil took another huge step ...

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