Championship Predictions: 24th March 2008

It’s time to have a look at the BBC Football Predictor again.

The Canaries will still finish 17th with 54 points, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City now take the two automatic promotion places, the play-offs are made up of Bristol City, Watford, Hull City and Ipswich Town, and the relegated teams will still be Colchester United, Scunthorpe United and Coventry City.

Coca-Cola Championship Final League Table (according to my predictions):

1. West Brom (85pts)
2. Stoke (84pts)
3. Bristol City (83pts)
4. Watford (81pts)
5. Hull (78pts)
6. Ipswich (75pts)
7. Plymouth (74pts)
8. Wolves (69pts)
9. Palace (67pts)
10. Charlton (66pts)
11. Cardiff (66pts)
12. Burnley (63pts)
13. Sheff Utd (60pts)
14. QPR (56pts)
15. Preston (56pts)
16. Sheff Wed (54pts)
17. Norwich (54pts)
18. Leicester (53pts)
19. Southampton (52pts)
20. Blackpool (49pts)
21. Barnsley (49pts)
22. Coventry (47pts)
23. Scunthorpe (40pts)
24. Colchester (35pts)

We’ll take another look next week.

What we have learned this weekend – 22nd/23rd Mar 08

We can score more than twice at home. Now that’s more like it. A hat-trick from Jamie Cureton and goals from Jon Otsemobor and Dion Dublin eased the Canaries to a 5-1 win over doomed Colchester.

Colchester United are going down. After the way they rolled-over at Carrow Road on Saturday, is there anyone left who still thinks they will stay up?

Perhaps Paul Jewell wouldn’t have been the best choice for Canaries boss after all. He would possibly have gotten the best out of Chris Brown, but if reports in Sunday’s News of the World are anything to go by I’m not sure Mr Jewell would have ‘fitted’ the family image Queen Delia et al are so keen to portray.

Manchester United are going to win the Premier League. As predicted by me, the big winners on Grand Slam Sunday were Manchester United, who are now five points clear at the top of the Premier League. I still want Arsenal to win the league, but unlike Sir Alex, I’m not sure how “alive” the title race is now.

The footballing Black List

The Voice, Britain’s leading newspaper for the black community, has published “The Black List”, to highlight the contribution that people from an African Caribbean background are making to the game.

As a (white) English football fan I personally feel that in this country we are leagues ahead of our European and international cousins when it comes to equality in the game, but agree with The Voice that there is still progress to be made.

To be completely honest I look forward to the day when these sort of lists and distinctions are no longer required. I’m all for celebrating the cultural diversity we enjoy in this country but in my opinion true equality with regards to race, gender, religious views or any other area where prejudice could occur will never exist while they are.

I hope I’m not missing the point.

The 30 most influential black people in English football: Alex Williams, Andy Ansah, Bobby Barnes, Brendon Batson, Chris Kamara, Chris Nathaniel, Chris Powell, Chris Ramsey, Darren Lewis, Garth Crooks, Heather Rabbats, Hepburn Harrison-Graham, Hope Powell, Ian Wright, Jason Rockett, John Barnes, Keith Alexander, Les Ferdinand, Lord Herman Ouseley, Lord John Taylor, Noel Blake, Paul Elliott, Paul Ince, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Earle, Rodney Hinds, Sky Andrew, Tony Finnigan, Tony Whelan, Uriah Rennie.