|
Div 1 - The Final Countdown 4 weeks remaining
|
| berty |
Posted on 08-04-2009 15:58
|
Home From Home
Posts: 367
Joined: 03.10.07
|
This is for you Spud:
League Table
Eagles - 115
Propeller - 113
Hot Shots - 107
Patriots - 101
Unpredictables - 95
Cuemasters - 92
Jolly - 83
Farley Eden - 80
London Snooker - 79
Bloodhounds - 76
Pond Q's - 72
Legion - 71
The results this week have done a few things. Firstly the title race is now a 3 horse race but in reality a two horse race after a couple of impressive victories for the Eagles and the Prop.
Patriots Unpredictables and Cuemasters face the rest of the season at a canter just jockeying for position, whilst they leave the top 3 to fight it out for the title and the bottom 6 to avoid relegation.
At the top final 4 games
Eagles
London Snooker
Bloodhounds
Unpredictables
Propeller
In my opinion could all but secure the title before the need for a final match of the season scramble against the prop. They have an "easier" run in and if they can secure an average of 7-3's in the first 3 fixtures they may only have to register a few frames against the Prop to secure the title. Eagles to win the league.
Propeller
Legion
Pond Q's
Hot Shots
Eagles
Will need to secure big wins in the first two fixtures which they have proved they are well able to do. Hopefully Hot Shots will still have something to play for in the penultimate fixture to avoid the prop rolling them over. If they secure big wins in the first two and a narrow win in the Hot Shots game it is all to play for in the final fixture.
Hot Shots
Bloodhounds
Unpredictables
Propeller
Farley Eden
They are now 8 points of the pace of the Eagles with 4 games to play meaning they need to outscore the Eagles by 2 points every week without the chance to score double points by playing them again. Looking at the fixtures in order to claim the title they realisticlally need to average 8-2 wins including against the Prop. With the prop going for the title this is looking very bleak.
and at the bottom
Jolly
Cue Masters
London Snooker
Patriots
Legion
Will fancy themsleves to stay up after a double victory against a very weakened Eden side. They will need to win 2 games to guarantee staying up. In theory the run in looks a little easier that other teams but if they lose next week the pressure will start to mount on every subsequent victory. In my opinion if they beat the London Snooker they stay up.
Eden
Patriots
Legion
Pond Q's
Hot Shots
After an amazing run of defeats, fielding a weakened side and rumours of inter team squabbles the Eden find themselves yet again in the mix of relegation. This at the half way stage seemed almost impossible but here we are. Massive game for the Eden next week as they play a wounded Patriots side. I think if they win that one it will give them the confidence they need to secure vital wins at the Legion & Pond to avoid the necessity of a last week victory against the Hot Shots. Having said this knowing the Eden they would probably prefer the last game against a big team to get them motivated if it came to it. Need to field a stronger side and will stay up.
London Snooker
Eagles
Jolly
Bloodhounds
Patriots
Great bunch of lads but I fear for this side to be honest as they were not as strong as I thought they might be. In my opinion it is now a direct shoot out between them and the Bloodhound to stay up as they both have big team to play. penultimate week v the Hounds is a must win game for both sides. I think the hounds have a better chance of pulling of results against the Hot Shots & Eagles than the London boys do in the games vs the Eagles & Partiots. It could come down to the side who avoids the heavy defeats. I think London will go down.
Bloodhounds
Hot Shots
Eagles
London Snooker
Unpredictables
Bloodhounds somehow have to nick 10 points out of the next two tough fixtures. it will be tough next week as the Hot Shots will be gunning for a massive win to keep the hope alive. Similarly the Eagles the following week will have one hand on the title if they beat the hounds. This then leaves you looking at the final two fixtures and the possibilty of the hounds needing a 7-3 vs the London boys to give them the driving seat against the unpredictables who are just playing for pride. Bloodhounds to nip the London boys
Pond Q's
Unpredictables
Propeller
Eden
Cue Masters
They have been in the drop zone all season more or less and last night was a must win for them. The are now 7 points from safety needing to win probably 3 of their last games to stay up. i just can't see them winning either of their next two and with fixtures against the eden who may need a win and the cuemasters in a rich vein of form I fear Pats boys are doomed.
Legion
Propeller
Eden
CueMasters
Jolly
Again need to win 3 of the last 4 and avoid a heavy defeat to the prop. When ever I have played the legion any win is a fantastic result but I just fear strength in depth and player shortage is always a problem. Next week is a must win vs the Prop in my opinion to give them anything like the belief they will need to haul themselves from bottom of the table to fourth from Bottom. Too big an ask for me
Champions
Eagles
Relegated
London Snooker
Legion
Pond Q's |
| |
|
|
| Spud |
Posted on 08-04-2009 16:20
|
Home From Home
Posts: 468
Joined: 02.10.07
|
Class write up Berty, very insightful.
I won't tempt fate by comenting on the title race . . . But I make you right in the relegation summary.
All good sides down there in thier own way, so it will be a shame to see three of them go, but that's the nature of the beast.
|
| |
|
|
| berty |
Posted on 09-04-2009 05:27
|
Home From Home
Posts: 367
Joined: 03.10.07
|
think the standard is overall a little weaker but the top teams are more competitive than a couple of years back |
| |
|
|
| ThePower |
Posted on 09-04-2009 06:26
|
Must Get Out More
Posts: 970
Joined: 05.10.07
|
Berty, great write up by the way fella - we have all missed your predictions and analysis on the Division battles and struggles.
Have to disagree though with you on one point - I don't think the standard has dropped and in my view there is not one side who deserves to not be in Div 1 if you look at their squad line up's compared to those in Div 2. Okay performances from many of us that are still in the relegation mix, has been not too good, but that is part and parcel of competition. I think over the past two seasons we could have argued some of the sides in Div 1 were out of their depth and they did in fact go down and take the Pawleyne Arms - they are now on the verge of dropping down to Div 3.
I guess you are passing judgement (as you played for only the 2nd time this season) on last night's match v London Snooker. Probably because London Snooker play very open pool, and it's all or nothing approach with very little B game pool on show. Even though London beat us twice this season, I still felt that over 22 weeks they would not get away with playing like that week in week out. Maybe that will end up to be the case.
If anything the 10 frame format has bridged the gap at the top and more so the top 3 - and brought the a few fringe teams into the equation, Patriots for instance. Under the old format with 5 weeks to go the Patriots would never have had a sniff of taking the title. Look at the Unpreds - if they had not had a horrible start they would have made it a 5 horse race.
Teams coming up - will they add to the value of Div 1? I think there are a lot of very good players in Div 2 but the step up is completely different. Those 70/80% players all of a sudden become 50% players overnight. Not many, keep the form flowing into Div 1. Probably, only the Forum 'A' (as Knockout Champions) you could say will stay in Div 1 but didn't they recently get hammered by Div 1 opposition in the League Cup stages? Anything else that gets promoted will start firm favourites for the drop. History and the stats tell us that all ready.
Edited by ThePower on 09-04-2009 15:36 |
| |
|
|
| Cue_Ball |
Posted on 09-04-2009 22:40
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 110
Joined: 09.10.07
|
Just a quick note to thank the div 1 sides that played played down Purley Way the other night. Very respectful of all of the other games going on around them, even though they are not important at all. |
| |
|
|
| longshanks |
Posted on 09-04-2009 23:16
|
Must Get Out More
Posts: 709
Joined: 07.10.07
|
Do I detect a scintilla of sarcasm? |
| |
|
|
| Shaggy |
Posted on 10-04-2009 06:32
|
Must Get Out More
Posts: 888
Joined: 02.10.07
|
I'd hope not. I didn't walk anywhere near these guys with the Darts arena giving an option not to. Id hope everyone done the same. Scintilla is also a word I have never come across before.
House!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| |
|
|
| Sass |
Posted on 10-04-2009 16:10
|
FORUM ADDICT!
Posts: 1804
Joined: 10.09.07
|
Me neither - I thought it was a small furry animal. |
| |
|
|
| buntycollocks |
Posted on 11-04-2009 04:13
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 66
Joined: 08.10.07
|
Cue_Ball wrote:
Just a quick note to thank the div 1 sides that played played down Purley Way the other night. Very respectful of all of the other games going on around them, even though they are not important at all.
i take it u was the visiting team ?
i take it u lost ?
i take it u didnt complain at the time ?
I do hope Palace get relegated......then the traffic will be better when im on the bus. |
| |
|
|
| Macca |
Posted on 11-04-2009 21:57
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 119
Joined: 10.10.07
|
YEAH AND THAT WASNT HIS UNDERWEAR HANGING FROM THE TV |
| |
|
|
| Cue_Ball |
Posted on 14-04-2009 15:50
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 110
Joined: 09.10.07
|
No we were the home team, and we won. I just think it should be common sense to respect the other matches and not shout at the top of your voice after every frame.
On two occassions I had to stop while cueing and wait for the "oi oi oi oi oi's" to stop.
If it was the other way around i'm sure your top of the table clash would have had something to say too, and rightly so. |
| |
|
|
| berty |
Posted on 14-04-2009 17:23
|
Home From Home
Posts: 367
Joined: 03.10.07
|
I see what you are saying Alex, I would say that the current format has been a great leveller. Eagles & Hot Shots have both weakened slightly and the Prop got a bit stronger. Couple this with only the need for 5 players to pay each week and teams like the Patriots have managed to sustain a reasonable title challenge which may not have happened if the likes of Jacko could not play twice perhaps.
I would say that with the two set format and the need for only 5 players then yer the level is still pretty high. I was just a bit shocked by the London snooker boys but perhaps I just caught them on an off night.
should be an interesting final 4 weeks! |
| |
|
|
| andye |
Posted on 14-04-2009 20:39
|
Home From Home
Posts: 394
Joined: 02.10.07
|
Cue_Ball wrote:
No we were the home team, and we won. I just think it should be common sense to respect the other matches and not shout at the top of your voice after every frame.
On two occassions I had to stop while cueing and wait for the "oi oi oi oi oi's" to stop.
If it was the other way around i'm sure your top of the table clash would have had something to say too, and rightly so.
unavoidable in a pub enviroment i'm afraid cue_ball...
when i'm focused and concentrating i don't really hear it but when things are going wrong it's amazing what things can be brought to your attention and put you off! |
| |
|
|
| Cue_Ball |
Posted on 14-04-2009 21:00
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 110
Joined: 09.10.07
|
andye wrote:
Cue_Ball wrote:
No we were the home team, and we won. I just think it should be common sense to respect the other matches and not shout at the top of your voice after every frame.
On two occassions I had to stop while cueing and wait for the "oi oi oi oi oi's" to stop.
If it was the other way around i'm sure your top of the table clash would have had something to say too, and rightly so.
unavoidable in a pub enviroment i'm afraid cue_ball...
when i'm focused and concentrating i don't really hear it but when things are going wrong it's amazing what things can be brought to your attention and put you off!
Yeah i know mate. I just think particular individuals dont respect the lower divisons at all and this was an example of it. Because it already had my goat, I noticed it more. But several individuals commented that it was very ignorant and OTT that particular night. |
| |
|
|
| buntycollocks |
Posted on 14-04-2009 21:42
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 66
Joined: 08.10.07
|
well i will hold me hands up 2 being the number 1 culprit
wouldnt say i disrespect the lower divisions tho
we had just come back from a great weekend in yarmouth and the banter and spirit just carried on and on and on
like i said.....i will accept it was mainly me
so i will apologise 2 anybody i upset and hope thats the end of the matter
p.s
it was aye not oi
I do hope Palace get relegated......then the traffic will be better when im on the bus. |
| |
|
|
| the-shark |
Posted on 15-04-2009 00:02
|
Home From Home
Posts: 432
Joined: 14.10.07
|
had to be a gooner eh
we may need a bigger boat..! |
| |
|
|
| MavisDavis |
Posted on 15-04-2009 05:48
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 56
Joined: 05.11.07
|
Jolly 4-6 Cuemasters - well played Si with a massive and unlikely finish to stop us having another bore draw after being 1-4 up after the first set. Good atmosphere and credit to their ref in my frame who knew the rules much better than I did when one of my balls dropped and had to be replaced. Good luck for the rest of the season Jolly... |
| |
|
|
| sailor |
Posted on 15-04-2009 06:01
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 120
Joined: 19.02.08
|
4-6 tonight was a fair result.
Even our attempts to put the BCM's off with some over zealous Chelsea nuts bought in for the night didnt work, but all in all a good night, cheers lads |
| |
|
|
| nuttmeg |
Posted on 15-04-2009 07:48
|
Home From Home
Posts: 423
Joined: 09.10.07
|
cue ball we are playing in a drinking venue you can't expect total silence,if you want that find a library to play out of ,p.s did you tell people they were putting you off? |
| |
|
|
| AndyT |
Posted on 15-04-2009 15:17
|
Quite The Regular
Posts: 147
Joined: 05.10.07
|
nuttmeg wrote:
cue ball we are playing in a drinking venue you can't expect total silence,if you want that find a library to play out of
I have heard a rumour that The Rocket is signing for you guys for the summer...
If that is the case once you have got used to his noise - especially when it's Big Brother season or like last night when he's watching Liverpool play - believe me - last weeks episode WILL seem like you are playing in a library!!
Still Rollin' Back The Years.. |
| |
|
