promotion and relelgation -- UPTHEGILLS FORUM

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Date Posted: 12:08:58 06/17/03 Tue
Author: SB
Subject: promotion and relelgation

With the fixtures list due out tomorrow morning it makes you think about who will be in what division when we are talking about this in June 2004.
GILLINGHAM'S CHANCES?
Well this season was a very satisfactory one, with yet again the blueboys finishing in their highest ever league postition, but it could of been so much better. In my opinion our season ended when we lost 6-0 at Molineux. Even though we had n't won a game in three matches we were still very much in the chase for the play offs. There are so many ifs and buts we can talk about, but maybe, just maybe, we would of made it had we not lost Marlon King to injury at Pride Park in January. Just the thought of the mouth watering partnership of Wallace and King destroying defences next season, brings an exciting feeling into my stomach.
A lot of people say that the weakest link in the Gillingham side was our defence. You've only got to look at results at home and away to Nottingham Forest and Wolves. That's 18 goals conceded in 4 games! You can only hope that the signings of defenders Ian Cox and John Hills will strengthen our defence.
My prediction for us next season is that we will just miss out on the play offs.
PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
Yet again Division One will be a very strong league. Of the sides relegated from the Premiership I can't see West Ham Bouncing straight back up while they still have Glen Roeder as a manager. O.k, so they have a very strong squad and very strong support and they will probably sell out their away allocation at every away game but I really can't seen them going up.
As for West Brom and Sunderland, in my opinion they will both be very strong contenders for the title with my prediction being West Brom as Champions.
The runners up in my opinion will be Gary Hart's Nottingham Forest. He has a very strong squad their at the City Ground, and if he can keep David Johnson then surely he will fire them to promotion.
It will be another disappointing season for Neil Warnock and the pigs. They are another team that will have everything expected of them but won't go no further than the play offs in my honest opinion.
Alan Pardew has done a superb job as manager of Reading and they will have another successful season in division one , my predicttion for them is play offs or maybe promotion.
Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alaxander and Cardiff City were all promoted into Division One last season. Division Two champions Wigan will be playing in Division One for the first time in their club's history. The last time we played the Lancashire team was Wembley 2000 and have had many attempts at promotion since but finally done it last season and their is no one that can question wether or not they deserve to be in this division. The strongest link at Wigan is their defence and they will win alot of games 1-0 next season. Dario Gradi is another respected manager in the game, simply because of what he has done at Crewe. Relegated in May 2002 they bounced straight back up as Division two runners up in May and I can not see Dario Gradi letting them slip back down a division again.
As for Cardiff City, their promotion was slightly more controversial, beating QPR at the Millenium Stadium in extra time. You have to wonder wether or not the result would of been different had a friend of Sam Hammann not set off the QPR team hotel's fire alarm at 4am, waking the entire squad up. I just can't help thinking that the former Wimbledon chairman was somehow involved in the alarm going off.
Ipswich Town, Norwich City, Millwall, Preston North End, Crystal Palace and Coventry all under achieved in recent years and I can't see them not challenging for promotion next season. Stoke City could be the surprice package in division one next season. With Tony Pulis as manager who knows what he could do next season. He performed mircales keeping them up last season, and we all know how much of a good manager he is with the squad he built at Gillingham. Even though I don't llike the geezer for what he tried to do to our club, you've got to respect him.
RELEGATION TO DIVISION TWO
Everyones favourites year after year are of course Gillingham. With our small club and small ground everyone looks down on us. The other two favourites for the drop are Walsall and Rotherham. Personally I can't see either of them dropping down with the managers and squads they both have. So who will go down? My prediction is Derby County, Wimbledon and Bradford City. Derby have lost a lot of players pre season and like Sheffield Wednesday have in previous year they will definitely be the big club that struggles. Wimbledon will go down for the simple fact that they have no support and they have just been placed into administration. You can't help but think that the players are probably hoping to get out of there why they can.
Another club that will struggle is Bunley. They have no money and don't have the strongest of squads either.
RELEGATION TO DIVISION ONE
It's too hard to predict who will come down from the best league iin the world, and I don't mind who comes down because they are all big clubs(with the exception of Fulham) aslong as Fullscum come down.
PROMOTION TO DIVISION ONE
Sheffield Wednesday are the big club in the division and they will be for a few years. I'm so sick of hearing their fans going on about how mighty they are but I honestly can't see them coming back up this season. They've got no reason to because they are crap basically. They were by far the worst team to play at Priestfield last season IMHO. and they don't excactly have a strong squad either, I'm sure reality will setlle in to all the owls fans when they are travelling to Colchester, Luton and Swinedon next season.
Brighton and Hove Albion will also be one of the favourites to go back up. People say there is no such thing as a 1 man team but you can't help but disagree when it comes to this south coast club. That one man is Bobby Zamora as i'm sure you've all guessed by now, and he probably won't be a Brighton player come the start of the season, my prediction for them is mid-table..
Queens Park Rangers, Oldham Athletic and Bristol city all failed in the play offs but they will all certainly be challengiing for promotion yet again next season if they can keep their promicing squads.
Other club's that will be challenging for promotion will be Tranmere Rovers, Luton Town, Rushden&Diamends, Grimsby Town, and Barnsley
My Prediction is Qpr as champions, either Tranmere or Oldham(if they are still in excistance) as runners up and Bristol City will win the play offs.

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