SEASON 39 Week 31 – End of Term Report.
Premier League
It turned out to be a two horse race with Loyal Rangers just pipping East Riding Enterprise for a 10th title.
Four of the top six were in the top 6 last season and last season's champions FC Abertawe were relegated.
Bentley Vikings Old Boys had their worst performance in 25 seasons.
The Survivors relegated after 2 seasons; FC Abertawe are relegated after 28 seasons and Istra Pula are relegated after 1 season.
The three promoted clubs finished 2nd, 7th and 14th.
1. Loyal Rangers (last season 6th) – one of the Opal's most successful team have stirred after going 15 seasons without a title and Andy was over the moon with his 10th overall title. They were top after 4 games and stayed there the rest of the season although they were pushed all of the way by East Riding. Loyal were in scintillating form in the first 13 games and were 7 points clear at the top but they suddenly went to pieces with only one win in the next 9 games. Amazingly nobody could keep a consistent run going and they still were top by just 2 points. Andy steadied the ship and week 29 proved to be crucial as they won whilst East Riding lost to give Loyal a 3 point advantage with 2 games to go. Both teams won their penultimate game but Loyal had the title in the bag thanks to a vastly superior goal difference. Greg Debakers was again their top scorer with 10.
2. East Riding Enterprise (promoted) - after a quick return as Champions of Division 1 it looked ominous as they were thrashed 5-1 and after 5 games they were 3rd from bottom. Ben looked to tighten the defence in exchange for scoring goals and it paid off as they worked their way up the table and only lost 2 in the next 20 games. East Riding moved into 2nd place after 19 games and stayed there all season; they lost their momentum in the final few weeks but still chased Loyal all the way home for a highest ever finish. Jose Gordinio was the main man with 14 of the 31 goals Riding scored.
3. Chaddesden Celtic (last season 8th) it turned out to be an excellent finishing position for Paul (Razor) thanks to a great finish to the season. They had a good start to the campaign and only gd was keeping them off the top spot but their form waned and they slipped to 6th at the half way point. With just 1 win in the next 5 games Chadd were down to 9th and the season seemed looked to be slipping away but with 7 wins in the next 10 games they surged back up to 3rd. Tommy Radzikki was their top striker with 8 goals.
4. Aberdeen Terrors (last season 4th) - a similar finish to last season for Rich Dimambro and he will be more than pleased after an unusually poor start to the season with just 1 win in the first 9 games and only 1 point above the bottom three. Rich gave the team a good bo**ocking and it worked with 6 wins and 2 draws and suddenly Aberdeen were up to 3rd and back in with a shout of the title. As quickly as the form came it disappeared with just 1 win in the next 8, however - late winning flurry saw them up to 4th. Goals were at a premium - a contrast to last season - with the top scorer only getting 5 and that was the defender Sze Lim Chien. Rich returned to the Premier League 10 seasons ago and have never finished lower than 7th.
5. Jedi Knights (last season 2nd) – yet another great finish for ChrisC and they have not been outside of the top 6 in the last 8 seasons. With just 3 defeats in their first 17 games Jedi were 2nd and only 2 points behind Loyal. But in a season where all the chasing teams had poor runs Jedi suddenly only picked up 1 point in 7 games and they were down to 9th and closer to a relegation fight than a title race. Out of nowhere they won 4 of the next 6 for a very satisfying position. Sean Lillywhite and Dennis Cupitt both scored 8. Jedi were also the runners up in the Cup for the 2nd year running.
6. Sylvan Lake (last season 5th) – a 3rd season back in the big time for Dave (Shep) and another good one with a 3rd top 6 finish. It was a steady season for Dave - never in danger of going down but never in the hunt for the title. Last season their home form was their strength, with 29 points - this year it was pretty even with 20 points at home and 22 away. They scored plenty but also conceded plenty with 40 for and 40 against. The main strikers performed well with Jake Guentzel on 12 and Luis Melo on 10.
7. Armthorpe Rovers (last promoted) – after 5 seasons in Division 1 CJ was back in the big time but it looked like it would be a short stay when they were sitting bottom after 13 games with 11 points. The next 13 games were the complete opposite as CJ only lost twice and they were up to 4th; they peterd away in the last few weeks but after their start CJ will be delighted with their finish it was the turn of the other Guseppi brother, Mario to be the main man this season with 8 goals. As a side note I can't recall a season where CJ's top team was not Bentley!!
8. Salford Lads Club (last season 7th) – yet another new name by Wes (chunkymunky) and the same Mid table finish. They started well and were 2nd after 7 games on goal difference; this was followed by a winless 6 games with 5 draws and at the half way point Salford were 4th but 7 points off the top. The second half of the season saw them play well but not getting the wins - only 4 and the last 3 games were all defeats. Goals were again plentiful at both ends, 49 scored and 46 conceded. Paul Pitman on 13 and Diego Jota on 11 both excelled.
9. Mighty Chucks (last season 9th) – Stu made it 17 consecutive seasons in the Premier League and a 5th consecutive Mid table finish. It was a similar poor start to last season with them in the bottom three after 6 games - one defeat in the next 7 and the Chucks looked to be on the up but just when Stu was feeling confident they lost 4 in a row and back into a relegation battle. How things can change as they won 5 of the next 6 to be comfortable in Mid table. Denver Boss was again the main man with 10 goals.
10. Bentley Vikings Old Boys (last season 3rd) – it turned out to be the worst season for CJ and Bentley in 25 seasons but it could have been worse with just 1 point in the first 7 games and sitting bottom. The situation suddenly dawned on the players and 6 wins in the next 8 gave them Mid table security. Goals were a problem with the top scorer being Vitali Oremus with 7. The board will not want a repeat of this season and CJ has been told this very strongly.
11. Cusco (last season 12th) - a 7th season for Matt (smelly) with Cusco in the Premier League and a very similar story to last season with too many draws keeping them in a relegation battle. Last season 13 draws and this season 14.They had a poor start with 4 draws and a win leaving them in the bottom three but in a very competitive league 3 wins in 4 games rocketed them up to 5th. A dreadful run of no wins in 12 games with 7 draws saw them back in the bottom three and Matt had plenty to do and he didn't disappoint with just 1 defeat in the last 9 games but they still had to win the last game to make sure they were safe. Goals were again a problem for Matt with the top scorer in the last 3 season getting just 5,8 and this season only 7 from Jessie Williams with..
12. Abysmal Aftermath (last season 9th) – a 4th season for MikeT and after last season's Mid table better they were hoping to consolidate but similar to last season but their away form caused problems with only 6 points from their first 10 games and an away win didn't come until week 23. They did just enough to keep their heads above water but need to up their game next season or they will be relegated. Goals were a problem with their top scorer Ike Shorunum only hitting 6.
13. Chester Town (last season 13th) – a 3rd season back in the Premier League for PaulW and it turned out to be another battling season. A decent start saw Chester 6th after 5 games but just 1 win in the next 10 games saw Chester drop to the bottom with 13 points. An improvement in form saw them out of the bottom three for a few weeks but they dropped back into the relegation zone with 5 games to go. Paul was determined not to go down and won 3 on the bounce but he still had work to do in the last game, which they lost but other results were with them. Paul is still searching for a player that can get into double figures - this season there were 3 players on 7 - Bobby Catt, Goerdie Schwarze-Katze and Graham Wallace.
14. Istra Pula (promoted) – a quick return for MikeT after a disastrous run in. They were having a mixed season but 4 wins on the bounce seemed to have turned things around and they were sitting 7th with 32 points after 22 games. Now normally 32 points would be good enough to keep you up so one more win would seal it; what happened next is difficult to fathom as they lost all 6 games to drop into the bottom three and Mike can have no complaints. Mani Requiem had a good season with 9 goals.
15. FC Abertawe (last season 1st) – after winning the title last season and storming to a 5-1 in the first game of the season MikeT was looking forward to a good season. How wrong he was as they went 10 games without a win and at the half way point only gd was keeping them out of the bottom three. In the second half of the season their home form picked up but their away form was still poor and surprisingly a win on their last game would have kept them safe. Last season's Golden Boot Winner Wynton Rufer had another excellent season with 17 goals and shared this season's Golden Boot. Their relegation ended a run of 28 seasons in the Premier League!!
16. The Survivors (last season 13th) - Stu avoided relegation on the last day of the season but there was no escape this season. Although not being consistent The Survivors were 11th after 16 games and there were not too many worries from the supporters. That turned out to be wishful thinking as they failed to win again until the last 2 games. Their season was summed up by their top scorer being a defender - Harry Kincade with 6.
Division 1
Xbana F.C are promoted as champions after 4 seasons, Kamikaze Vipers are promoted after 1 season and Whitby Town are promoted after 2 seasons.
Scrubs are relegated after 1 season, Inter Southampton are relegated after 2 seasons and Askham Bryan United are relegated after 1 season.
The three relegated clubs finished 2nd, 5th and 16th. The three promoted cubs finished 2nd, 4th and 14th.
1. Xbana F.C (last season 8th) – Baz has been knocking on the Premier League door for the last 3 seasons and this time they made it in a tight battle. Their promotion was based on an excellent home record with only 2 defeats and one purple patch of 6 home wins on the bounce. Baz hit the top three after 12 games and remained there for the rest of the season; strangely their worst spell of the season cropped up near the end of the season with only 1 win in 6, including a 6-1 away defeat to Doncaster, but with other teams faltering they hit the top for the first time with 2 weeks to go and hung to go up as Champions. They were also the Cup winners so a fantastic season for Baz. Xbana were back in the goals this season with 43 (2nd highest in Div 1) with David Laccroix on 14, Mason Mess on 12 and Henrique on 14. 2. Kamikaze Vipers (last season relegated) - a quick return for Gary (Smiffy). They took a while to settle and were holding their own in Mid table after 12 games Their home form then kicked in and they didn't lose again and combined with decent results away they climbed the table to 3rd after 16 games. Gary kept them there or thereabouts for the rest of the season but the competition remained tight and with 1 game to go they only had a one point advantage but Gary kept his nerve with a 1-0 win and they were up. Damien Conway topped the scoring again with 8.
3. Whitby Town (last season 13th) – a 2nd season in Division for SteveR and it turned out to be a surprise promotion in the end. After 10 games Steve was more worried about relegation with Whitby next to bottom with just 7 points but Whitby suddenly went up the gears, much to the delight of the supporters. 28 points from the next 13 games and they were up to 4th with only goal difference keeping them out of the top three. Nerves looked to have taken hold as they wobbled over the next 6 games but with the top three all struggling they went into the last game just a point off a top three spot - a fantastic away win combined with Duffield imploding and SteveR was up. Goals were plentiful with 44 (the highest in Division 1); Manolo Giovinco hit 10 and Pablo Mistral hit 9.
4. Duffield Dynamos (last season promoted) – two consecutive relegations were followed by a promotion in the last 3 seasons for John and they looked certain to go up again. They seemed unstoppable in the first half of the season and went 13 games without defeat to lead the table by 11 points. John had a couple of 'iffy' games but seemed to put this right with 2 wins so after 17 games they were 13 points clear of 4th place. Promotion looked to be a certainty and this seemed to be in the player's minds as they only won 2 of the next 7 but they were still top and with a 10 point buffer over 4th spot. What happened next is difficult to explain as they lost 5 on the trot and after topping the table for 27 consecutive weeks they dropped to 2nd with one game to go. They were home to the bottom club Askham and promotion was still in their hands but they were held to a 0-0 draw. John had this to say " I feel embarrassed to have overseen such a fall from grace with Duffield. I'm sure it's been done before and I'm sure it'll happen again. No significant changes made although I couldn't get away form right. In the end confidence was zapped from the team and they crumbled. 5 losses and a draw to finish. Never have I had such a contrast in season halves". Leo Bonatini starred again with 11 goals.
5. Bayern FC (last season relegated) – almost a quick promotion for MikeT thanks to a blistering finish after a lethargic start to the season - without a win in 8 but 5 draws and next to bottom. Bayern were still next to bottom after the half way point but with just 1 defeat in the next 8 they had clawed themselves up to 11th but only 3 points off the bottom three. There were no thoughts of promotion for MikeT at this stage but incredibly they won the next 5 to zoom up to 4th and still a chance to go up but their last 2 games let them down. Results based on a sound defence only 23 conceded but there was a shortage of goals - top was Troy Parmini with 5.
6. Riverplate (last season 7th) – a 4th season for MikeT and it was a season of two halves. After 18 games they were in the bottom three with 21 points but it was such a competitive league that one win would take you into the top half of the table. Riverplate responded to the challenge with 6 wins in 10 games and a top 6 finish. Carlos Matheus Nunes and Eric Gunson both scored 7.
7. Doncaster Town (last season 5th) – 3rd season in Division 1 for CJ and similar to last season it was too many draws that prevented them from gate crashing the promotion party. Their best form was early in the season when they were in the top three for the first 8 weeks - after that it was slow slide down to Mid table, CK knows that he needs to find a striker as their top scorers were Norman Nolan and Max Meyer with 5 apiece.
8. Salford Bombers (last season 12th) – a change of name for Wes (chunky) and a Mid table finish. The first 2/3 of the season were good with them sitting 4th after 5 games, 4th after 10 games, 2nd after 15 games, 3rd after 20 games. The last 1/3 of the season was dreadful for Wes with goals hard to come by and just 2 wins in 10 (both away) left them battling to keep a top half place. Last season they scored 23 (joint lowest) this season 27 - only 3 teams scored less and there were 4 players on 4 goals including the usually reliable Cameron Aboola.
9. Cunnack Allstars (last season 9th) – a 4th season for ChrisC and another terrible start with 2 wins in the first 13 games and ensconsed in the bottom three. The revival looked to be on the way with 3 wins and up to 11th but they were soon back into bad habits as they failed to win in the next 6 and next to bottom. Time for another revival with 5 wins in 6 games and safety. Dan Wye with 11topped the scoring.
10. Dell Diamonds (last season 6th) – a 3rd season in Division 1 for MikeT and it was nearly his last as a poor start saw them in the bottom three after 17 games. The remainder of the season was much better as they slowly climbed the table thanks partly to the 11 goals from Fred Firemouth 10.
11. Death Valley Wanderers (last season promoted) - after a 34 season absence from Division 1 MikeT will be very satisfied with their finish - the highest in their history - previous 12th in Season 2. With just 1 point in their first 4 games it looked like it was going to be a quick return but 19 points from the next 7 games they were 2nd in the table. The rest of the season was an anti-climax but they still picked up enough points to keep clear the relegation battle. Top scorer was again Thomas Lam with 8.
12. La Donny Luz (last season 11th) - a similar story to last 2 seasons with CJ performing the 'Houdini' escape act again. A dreadful start with only 3 wins in the first half of the season saw them rooted in the bottom three, where they stayed until the last game of the season. Their form improved over the last few games with 1 defeat in 5 which had given themselves a chance with one game to go - still in the bottom three but with an opportunity to survive. Would you believe it a 1-0 win for CJ, combined with Scrubs and Inter Southampton losing they jumped from 15th to 12th!!!! James Garcia scored the winner and topped with 5.
13. York Rovers (last season 10th) – a 9th season in Division 1 for SteveR and after 6 Mid table finishes this season they disappointed. After a good first half of the season buoyed by excellent home form (5 wins and 2 draws) they were sitting comfortably in 4th places with thoughts about promotion not relegation. The second half of the season was a disaster with their home form vanishing and their poor away form continuing. With just 1 win in 13 games they slowly dropped down the table and hit the bottom three with 4 games remaining. Two wins out of nowhere gave them hope and they survived by 1 point. Lawrence Black 7 and Craig Miller both hit 7 goals.
14. Scrubs (last season promoted) – Ben's habit of 'yo-yoing' continued for the 6th season - two consecutive promotions were followed by two consecutive relegations, last season a promotion and this season a relegation. The start of the season saw Scrubs in scintillating home form as they reeled off 5 consecutive wins and they were 2nd after 11 games - their away form had been poor though and this continued all season with only 9 points. Their home form then disappeared as well as they plummeted down the table and with 6 games to go they were 4th from bottom. Just when they needed a win they got 2 and looked to be safe but 1 point from the next 3 and it was all down to the last week. A 1-0 defeat saw them drop into the bottom three for the time and Ben was left scratching his head. If you wanted goals Scrubs were the team to watch as they had an amazing 100 goals in their games - 49 at home and 51 away! They also had the Golden Boot winner in Robbie Fowler with 17 goals in a tie with Rufer of FC Abertawe - interestingly both teams were relegated.
15. Inter Southampton (last season 4th) - Dave (Shep) started the season as one of the favourites to go up but the season turned into a nightmare and a shock relegation. The season started well with 3 home wins and 3rd spot; their home form vanished but Inter started playing well away from home and Dave was still in the top three after 13 games. Then the wheels came off with just 3 wins in the next 17 and they slid down the table before dropping into the bottom three with 1 game to go. A win would have kept them safe but Dave could only manage a 0-0 draw. Paul Potter was their top score with 6.
Their youth team again performed well and after finishing 1st, 2nd and 2nd in the last 3 seasons they were 1st this time so the crop of young prospects continues at Le Tissier Lane. No defeats in the season and a massive 311 scored.
16. Askham Bryan United (last season relegated) – a second successive relegation for SteveR. Nine defeats in the first 10 games and the season was over; however, they didn't give up and the second half of the season was slightly better than the first - 9 points in the first and 13 in the second. Goals were in short supply with the highest scorer on 4 - d**k Stowell.
Division 2
Par Athletic are promoted as Champions after 18 season, Boscombe Athletic are promoted after 1 seasons and Emu's BPW 2020 are promoted after 1 season.
The Scillonians are relegated after 5 seasons, Belmont Buccaneers are relegated after 1 seasons and Hundon Harriers are relegated after 2 seasons.
The three relegated teams finished 2nd, 6th and 7th.
The three promoted teams finished 3rd, 8th and 14th.
1. Par Athletic (last season 12th) –it was an 18th consecutive season for SteveR in Division 2 and what a fantastic season as they are up to Division 1. The first half of the season was good where they averaged between 5th and 7th position but the second half was great. They flirted with a top three position until they reeled off 6 successive wins to race to the top and seal promotion with 2 games to. Steve started off as an outsider but finished up a clear winner in a very competitive Division.They were the top goal scorers in the Division with 50 helped by David Banner with 12 and Simon Murray on 9.
2. Boscombe Athletic (last season relegated) – the last 3 seasons for Dave Legg has had highs and lows with two successive promotions and a relegation. It was back to the highs again as Boscombe are promoted back to Division 1. A cracking start with 12 points from the first 5 games and they topped the table for 4 weeks but it went downhill after this with only 2 wins in the next 12 games and they sunk to 9th, 7 points off the top three and looked as though they were destined for another season in Division 2. Out of nowhere they were playing like world beaters and amazingly won 9 of the next 10, including 6 in a row - up to 2nd and looking good - a couple of draws meant that they still had work to do in their last match at home to 3rd placed Mann City but Dave won 2-0 to go up. Nastro Azzurro again excelled with 9 goals.
3. Emu's BPW 2020 (last season promoted) – a 2nd consecutive promotion for Andy in a nail biting finish. A decent start with 1 defeat in 5 and 7th; the form continued and after 12 games they hit the top of the table. Andy took his foot of the throttle and the next 9 games only resulted in 2 wins (both away) and they dropped to Mid table, 7 points off a promotion place and looked to be out of the race. But as a fair few teams hit a slump Andy suddenly became unbeatable with 7 wins in 8 games and right back in the mix - 4th spot with 1 game to go and only 1 point off a promotion place. The final game tested the nerves of Andy and the supporters, as with a minute to go they were up but then conceded a a 90th minute equaliser - amaazingly Yorkshires finest also conceded in the last minute and the Emu's were up. Adam Hughes with 13 and Nour ten Velde with 12 goals spearheaded the promotion.
4. Mann City (last season 9th) – a 2nd season in Division 2 and it was heartbreak for Brian as they missed out of promotion on goal difference. It was however an excellent season - they didn't lose in the first 6 games but 4 draws and 5th; they hovered between 5th and Mid table in the next 7 games but then suddenly hit a purple patch. 8 games unbeaten with 6 wins and they held the top spot for 3 weeks - the last being after 21 games. The form evaporated as quickly as it arrived and with 2 points in the next 4 games Brian looked to be falling away but he rallied and with 3 wins and they were into the top three with 1 game to go at 2nd place Boscombe, where a defeat saw them pipped at the post. Charlie Godbeer topped again with 12.
5. Yorkshire’s Finest (last season 4th) – after last season's excellent 4th placed finish Ben was aiming to go one better and for long parts of the season he looked on course. The Finest continued their impressive home form from last season into this and didn't lose until week 29 - a spell of 20 unbeaten league games. Their away form was decent as well so they topped the table on week's 8-12, 14-16 and 23-25. They had been in the top three virtually all season but four defeats in 5 near the end of the season saw the Finest drop to 5th with 1 game to go!! They almost made amends in the final game but conceded an injury time equaliser. To say that Ben is upset would be an understatement. Adam Cherrett starred again with 13 goals to follow his 17 last season.
6. Molesley Shoals (last season relegated) - it was a good season for Dave (Lloydy) but he will be disappointed about their late collapse. With just 2 defeats in the first 18 games the Moles were top of the table and promotion looked to be a real possibility. The SS mystery then struck as from winning most games they failed to win in the next 8 matches and dropped to Mid table. A late winning flurry gave them a top 6 finish .Dave still hasn't found a main striker with 6 being the tops from Graham Cook and Steve McManaman.
7. Kesgrave Vespas (last season relegated) – Gary started the season with 2 defeats but then went on a 9 game unbeaten run and Kesgrave were 3rd in the table. They hit the top of the table after 16 weeks but it was such a competitive league this year that one defeat saw them drop to 6th!! One defeat in the next 7 they were 3rd and only 1 point off the top ; they continued to play good football and were 2nd with 7 games remaining. Surely Gary could get them straight back to Division 1 but the SS slump hit them with 4 defeats in a row and with they were down to 7th place and it was just a question of 'what might have been'. Kryten Thompsen with - 8 and the reliable Rodrigo Rotundo also scored 8.
8. Phoenix Vikings (last season promoted) – it was a Jekyll and Hyde performance for Dave as at home they were great at home and picked up 30 points (more that the Champions Par) but away from home they collected just 13 points. Phoenix had a purple patch in the middle of the season with 6 wins and a draw pushing them up to 5th and the same points as 3rd place. Could they maintain the promotion push ? - the answer was no as they only picked up 1 point from the next 4 games and they fell away. They finished the season with 3 home wins and a draw but failed to win away. Chris Smith was their main man with 9 goals. 9. Huntley Fairways (last season 7th) – well after a disappointing season for Carl last year the bookies had Carl to turn it around and push for promotion but it didn't happen. An opening win and all of the supporters were on a high but the mood was dampened as they struggled in the next three games but Carl didn't panic and by week 10 they were up to 5th and only 3 points off the top spot! Huntley them self imploded with just 1 win in the next 11, during which time Carl revamped the team. This was a dangerous move as the new players didn't bring any form with them but they managed to limp across the finishing line. Will Neviani was their top scorer with 7 before moving onto Chadd. Top scorer in the current bunch was Stefan Karlssan with 5. I am sure the bookies will again have Carl as one of the favourites but he needs to live up to this next season - his 5th in Division 2.
10. Norfolk FC (last season 6th) – MikeT was hoping to build on last season's good finish to push for promotion but they never got any momentum going - never in the promotion push but never in a relegation battle. Goals were plentiful at both ends with 42 for and 42 against; the 3rd worst for conceding... Bruno Cidre scored 12 and Stefano Okaka weighed in with 9. We will have to see what happens next season but in a Division that gets stronger each season Mid table is probably a likely outcome.
11. Stainsacre United (last season 11th) – a 7th season in Division 2 for SteveR and they had a decent first half of the season and 6th place with 24 points - only 2 points off 3rd place - maybe a promotion push was on the cards? Seems to be a common story in the Opal this season with teams having one good half and one bad half and it was no different for Stainsacre as they only won 1 in the next 17 games in but drew 10 of these so slowly dropped to 11th.Troy Hellinka topped with 6 goals.
12. Southern Vipers (last season 5th) – a big surprise as the bookies had Dave to be pushing for promotion and with 3 wins in the first 4 games things were looking good. However, the next win didn't come for 12 games and by that time thoughts of promotion were long gone with them in 14th place. Dave's fortunes looked to have changed with 3 wins and 2 draws in the next 5 games but 5 losses in a row and they were just 2 points above the drop zone. Their form suddenly returned with 2 wins and they were safe. Victor Theobold topped with 8 goals.
13. Tadcaster Albion (last season 10th) – after just 2 seasons in Division 3 for SteveR it looked like a certain relegation but a strong finish kept them safe.They started badly with just 1 win in the first 7 but threatened a recovery with 3 wins in the next 6 and up to 12th. That was as good as it got, particularly at home with just 5 points from 10 games. The major surprise was that they were still in with a chance to stay up with 3 games left and Steve took full advantage to win all three and scrape survival. Their big scorers from last season all drew blanks and their top scorer was Hugo Hardley with 8.
14. Belmont Buccaneers (last season promoted) – after an excellent promotion last season Rob was brought down to earth in a tough, battling season. They started like tortoises with only 1 win in the first 13 games and next to bottom. The second half of the season picked up but with 5 games to go they were 5 points from safety - how quickly your fortunes can change as Rob won the next three and with other scores favourable they were out of the bottom three with a 3 point advantage going into the last 2 games and a win against their rival's Tadcaster would have secured safety but a 1-0 defeat sent it into the last game knowing a win would keep them up. They were up against their stable-mates Hundon and it finished 2-2 and they were down. Justin Kane was again the main man with 7.
15. The Scillonians (last season 8th) – down to Division 3 after 3 seasons with a disappointing season for Dave. It was a season of 2 halves - the first one to forget as they as they failed to win in the first 13 games and had 5 points - bottom spot and 9 points from safety. The second half they played more like a team going for promotion with 21 points from the next 11 and out of the bottom three but their form dipped and they sunk back into the bottom three. John Detheridge topped the scoring with 6.
16. Hundon Harriers (last season 13th) – Rob was the miracle worker last season to keep them up but he wasn't so lucky this season. Hundon started like they finished last season and were sitting comfortably in Mid table after 6 games but the old habits returned with just 1 point in the next 11 games!! Rob doesn't give in easily and Hundon put a nice unbeaten away run together, just a pity their home form didn't approve. They are down but not disgraced. One bright light for Rob was that they scored more than the other bottom 6 teams with Mitchell Covell hitting 9 - downside they conceded most in the Opal -60. Division 3
Radford Semele are promoted as champions after 1 season, St. Mary's Saints are promoted after 1 season and Kiloparsec Villa after 27 seasons.
Whitwell FC are T64.
The three relegated clubs finished 1st, 2nd and 4th.
1. Radford Semele (last season relegated) – a fantastic season for Craig as he stormed to the title. Radford started like an express train with 6 wins and topped the Division for 28 weeks. It is unusual for a team to go without a bad patch but apart from 3 games without a win they never faltered. Craig finished with 21 wins, a goal difference of 35 and they won by 9 points. The goals were spread between the attack with Patrik Cutrone with 10, Steven Thompson with 10 and Tomas Panenka with 9.
2. St. Mary's Saints (last season relegated) – a famous name from the past as Dave (Shep) re-names Olympic Moston and gate-crashed the promotion party. The first half of the season held no clues as to a promotion push - sitting 8th and 8 points off the pace. The second half of the season they were magnificent with just 1 defeat and 11 wins, including the last 4 to hit the top three with one game to go. To emphasise how good they were playing is that they won 1-0 at the leaders to confirm promotion. Terrence Brassington was their main man again with 7
3. Kiloparsec Villa (last season 10th) – amazingly it was a 27th consecutive season in Division 2 for Kiloparsec with Gary (smiffy) and this season they made it. A good first half of the season saw them in 6th place and just 2 points off 3rd spot; the 2nd half was still going well, however a spate of draws kept them out of the top three but two wins in a row saw them into the top three for the first time with just one game to go. Could they win and end their long stay in Division 3 - the answer was yes with a 1-0 win at Dinamo and the celebrations began. Scott Thompson was again their top scorer with 11 and they had the lowest number of defeats in the Opal - just 4.
4. Wigan Wildcats (last season relegated) – after last season's disappointment Dave set about masterminding a return to Division 2 but collapsed at the end of the season to miss out by just 1 point. They were unbeaten in the first 10 games and 3rd in the table; at the half way point still 3rd. With just 1 defeat in the next 10 games Dave was feeling confident in 2nd place but the chasing teams were not far behind. A disastrous slump saw them drop out of the top three with one game to go. Considering Dave had to sell a few key players to balance the books it was a good achievement but he will still feel he should have made it. Rod Jones and Erowoli Maja both stepped up with 8 goals each.
5. Phantom Lords (last season 6th) – a 4th season for ChrisC in Division 3 and after blowing promotion last season, would you believe it happened again. They had two good winning spells - one in the first half of the season and more importantly at the end of the season, which moved them from 7th to 2nd with 3 weeks to go but 2 defeats in a row left their season in tatters. Defensively sound with only 19 conceded and a good striker in Joe Feeney with 10 must put them as one of the bookies favourites for next season.
6. Queensdown F.C (last season 11th) – a second season for Dave (Lloydy) and an improvement in their finishing position. Goal scoring was not a problem with 51, the 2nd highest in the Division 1 but they also had problems at the other end with 36 conceded. Dave had them playing some scintillating football in the first half of the season with just 1 defeat, 2nd in the table with a 6 point lead over 4th spot. The second half of the season was the complete opposite with just 4 wins and only 1 at home. Dave would have taken 6th place before the season started but is probably disappointed they didn't go up. Bradley Reid was again the main man with 14 goals.
7. Darwen United (last season 7th) – a very good season for MikeT although they faded at the end of the season to finish just outside of the promotion places. They started without a defeat in their first 8 games and without conceding a goal and were in the top three for the first 2/3 of the season. Top scorer again was Wilfred Niddi with 8 after his 9 last season.
8. Manics (last season 8th) – Matt (smelly) departed and the new manager was Si Hothersall - a first time in the Opal. He inherited a reasonable team and has started the rebuild - defensively they looked good - just need to add some goals. So a Mid table position is a good start for Si and plenty of positives to take into next season. Jonathan Bamba was their top scorer with 7. Next season they will become Inter Knottla.
9. Dinamo Parkside (last season 5) – after 2 5th place finishes Rob did not find it as easy going this season The first 11 games were a nightmare for Rob with just 7 points and 4th from bottom but they suddenly re-covered their mo-jo with 5 wins. The remainder of the season was 'hit and miss' with an improvement at the end of the season with 1 defeat in 9 and 4 consecutive wins. Similar to last season the defence did its job but goals were at a premium with top score Kostos Andino hitting 8.
10. Kalingo Victory (last season 13th) - a first full season for Gary (smiffy) and a slight improvement. They started dreadfully with just 4 points from the first 9 games. recovered but then had another poor spell later in the season with just 3 points from 7 games. Sullivan Abbott and Gary Felstead both scored 5.
11. Chapel North (last season 9th) - a 6th season for Chapel in Division 3 and a third with Dave(Shep) at the helm. The first half of the season saw them win 6 and lose 6 and 8th spot - could they kick on that was the question? Sadly the answer for Dave was no as they could only win 2 in the second half of the season and Dave was already preparing for next season. Jed Pickworth top scored with 7.
12. Red Star Belgrave (last season 4th) – John Ghent left and Red Star Belgrave were unmanaged for most of the season before Dave Curtis returned and started the rebuild. Next year they will become Red Star.
13. SE Bexter (last season 12th) - it was a welcome return for Wayne and a new team named after his favourite singer. The story of their season was draws with 15 and the most in the Opal this season. Top score was 5 for Jay Thompson and Claude Forward.
14. Riot City (last season 13th) – a first full season for Simon Richmond with plenty of rebuilding undertaken and the team looking to be heading in the right direction. Simon was looking for a player who know where the back of the net is and he may have found one in Fred Sirieix who hit 8.
15. Fishburn Park (last season 14th) - a similar position as last season for SteveR and he knows it is a slow rebuilding process. There were positives to take in that after an appalling first half of the season with just 4 points the second half of the season was a dream with 19 points. Goals are SteveR's main priority as they only scored 14 and Ira Zyranov topped with 3.
16. Whitewell Town (last season 9th) – Second season as T64 so no surprises, although they did manage one win. Now who did they beat??????
All of the teams are managed and each year the Divisions get stronger – three good times coming down from Division 2 so it will be a tough Division to get out of.
Vacant Teams
None
_________________ Long Eaton Archers WPL7 Shaolin WPL39 Istra Pula Opal46 Abysmal Aftermath Opal50 FC Abertawe Opal1 Riverplate Opal36 Dell Diamonds Opal54 Norfolk FC Opal37 Death Valley Wanderers Opal35 Bayern FC Opal45 Celyn Coyotes WS35
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