What looked to have been coming since the beginning of the season was confirmed today when Chester City were expelled from the Blue Square Premier. The club formed in 1885 now face a winding up order on the 10th March with a new supporters run club expected to be formed for the beginning of the new 10/11 season. The cold end sends good luck to the long suffering fans and hopes more exciting times lay ahead. The fallout from City's expulsion will be widely reported elsewhere so the cold end will concentrate on who the winners and loser's are as the table is adjusted with Chester City's record expunged???
Luton Town drew both their matches 0-0 so technically gain ground on their play-off rivals with Rushden and Diamond's dropping out of the play-off zone due to the three points they won with a 1-0 victory at the Deva Stadium on the 10th October being chalked off the record books. Their place is taken by Kettering Town, AFC Wimbledon fans will be pleased their 3-1 away defeat on the 31st October 2009 is now null and void. Mansfield Town seem to be the big losers as they were on 53 points but now drop down to 47 points as the two wins they had against the troubled club are now not to be counted.
All of Chester's fixtures will now of course be cancelled and not played with the home defeat by Ebbsfleet United on the 6th February 2010 being the club's last official game.
CURRENT ADJUSTED TABLE TOP 8 -
P W D L PT
1. OXFORD UNITED 30 20 6 4 66
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2. STEVENAGE BOROUGH 30 17 9 4 60
3. YORK CITY 30 16 9 5 57
4. LUTON TOWN 29 16 6 7 54
5. KETTERING TOWN 31 16 6 9 54
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6. AFC WIMBLEDON 30 15 8 7 53
7. RUSHDEN&DIAMONDS 30 15 7 8 52
8. MANSFIELD TOWN 30 14 5 11 47
The cold end's recommended tip on 31/07/2009 of Oxford United at 7/2 for the BSP title is looking like a good one although there is a lot of football to play yet. Second placed Stevenage Borough who I tipped at 6/4 to qualify for the play-offs are pushing the U's all the way in the race for automatic promotion to League Two with now only six points between the two.
With my other tip of 8/1 for James Constable to be the BSP top scorer it's looking like one of my tips may finally come in as the Oxford United striker is currently joint top-scorer on 20 goals alongside York City's Richard Brodie.
It's very close at the top of the table in the race for automatic promotion with York City in 3rd place and Luton Town in 4th the only realistic challengers to Oxford United and Stevenage Borough although the wheels will have to come off in a spectacular fashion for both the top 2 if The Minstermen or The Hatters are to overtake them. With the play-off chasing clubs due to play between 13 to 15 games there is still an awful lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season so any club can make a last minute dash for the end of season extravaganza at Wembley stadium with a shot at promotion to League Two.
KEY FORTHCOMING GAMES:
Rushden and Diamonds V Kettering Town - 27th February
Big Local derby six pointer.
Mansfield Town V Luton Town - 2nd March
David Holdsworth's team must win this game to stay in reach of the play-off zone.
Oxford United V Kettering Town - 13th March
Table toppers face a tough game against The Poppies
York City V AFC Wimbledon - 20th March
Two play off contenders sqaure off against each other at Bootham Crescent
Rushden and Diamonds V Oxford United - 24th March
Justin Edinburgh's men lost narrowly 1-0 at the Kassam Stadium on the 16th February so it'll be a tough trip for The U's.
Stevenage Borough V Oxford United - 30th March
The big clash of the titans at Broadhall Way that is bound to attract a massive crowd in Hertfordshire.
Stevenage Borough V Luton Town - 3rd April
Graham Westley's team face another tough home game, the second in the space of five days which will surely have a big say on their season. Another big attendance expected in the Beds/Herts local derby!!
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